Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1848-12-09

our distant possessions, because We feel how help
lessly we are exposed to all the consequences Of
the acts of others, over whom 1t impossible that
we can exercise any control. Look at our dis
tant colonies in New ZEALAND, AUSTRALIA, and
CHINA. But il would be unwise Il speculate upon
possible evils, when we are surrounded by those
which are positive. Nor, in The present state Of
our home population, when more han every tenth
person is a Pauper, can we be Indifferent to the
enormous annual drain OF money which arises from
between forty and fifty colonial establishments; the
greater part of which seem TO ado,t as their leading
principle, the spending Of as mucl English money
as possible. We have little douh that the cry for
colonial geiorm will be heard nat session in the
British Parliament; whether thoe who may raise
it will adopt ADAM SMiTHs noticl or not we can
not say but we think there is much truth in the
following extractfrom his Weah1of Nations: In
order to render any province advantageous TO the
empire to which it belongs, ought 10 afford IN
time of peace revenue to the public, Sufficient
no. only for defraying the whole expense of its
peace establishment, but for contributing its pro-
portion to the support of the general government
+ Of the empire" What revelation the adoption
of this principle would make in the colonial policy
of Great Britain! Yet who can gainsay its cor
RICHNESS We are not now speaking ofsuch places
as Gibraltar, Malta, ST. Helena, or Ascension the
retention of such points, and the expense attending
such retention, belongs to the home commercial
policy and not 10 tie colonial.
Perhaps some of your readers may suppose that
/ have been occasionally too hard upon the eating
propensitjes of the Corporation Of London. Let
the following extracts from lae article in the DAILY
Neacs help to evidence that have not overcolored
my statements ..-~.'
"The world has Witnessed many unsccountahle forms
OF n It's me bat that tor strangeness
surpasse that Of the city of London Some governments
have swyed ter ects by presy munmey like that 81
Egypt some by pagaany, like the Persian dynases some
by mys sec,ssy, like that of Venice but London is
governed by Of eating" Other duties Of municipal
governren such the judicial the police &c, they dis
charge by deputy, but eat they rust in their proper per-
sc and eat lien d. sale that astounding 1, ordinary
capacities The citizen Of London eats his to the lower
grade; of civic dignity he his way up trou III them
tt and the chief g year of office is spent in
dining giving dinners The aspiraat after civic honos
London commences by heins enrolled ir company; he
works his way up til he becomes member OF its council he
then gets elected an alderman and in due rotation he
to be Lord Mayor In the company, he serves his APP
premiership to the mystery Of dining The companies
the possession Of funds the accumulated requests Of centuries
of which moderate portion is devood 70 the mantenauce Of
schools alnshouses &c, and the immense surplus has To b.
consumed in eating and drinking. II s much the
pracscd gobbers and ses Of these companies do %
and drink their way through tie annual The
youngest member face his twelve luxurious dinners
least The mayor AMI aldermen mus, ca; their corporation
dnuers, and their company dinners also And the agge-
gate stomachs of any company generally Inadequate
TO through their years eating in the course OF the year,
the OF tho with SELF devotion that
il truly magnanimous and cfestng mutually assist each
other The Loan MAroEs dinner is merely the climax Of
whole year dinners. The annGa abos o. civic
mach 10 the feas of HELIo5AEILCs the labcrs OF
HERcUrXs 10 tie tolls Of ordinary monsis
lis, however much to he Gesrej raa The civic dguia
res Of 10 Ion would devise wsy Of spending their
plus consonant The tastes aud habits o the
age than eating and drinking little attention devoted
occasionally the patronage Of the liberal arts the promotion
Of education, other purposes worthy Of the rulers Of the
capital Of England, might agreea5y Diversity the monoony Of
overcoming dinner, and impa better appettes for the
feass which were rea ned.
The Constitution OF the French REPUBLIC was
promulgated at PARIS on Sunday last with much
pomp, and without the occurrence of single I'M
toward circumstance, if we except the state Of the
weather, which was very unpropitous. The "sky
overcast, the morning lowered" and VI. de
MARRAsT delivered the new law from the front OF
the Tueres amidst snow storm. LOUIS NAPo.
LEON not present al the celebfation he is sup
posed TO have left Paris, influenced by an opinion
that hispresence might leaG TO expressions and con-
duct on the part of Lis supporters, subversve Of or
der and decorum. He is already giving himself
airs Of importance, keeping himself aloof from the
people, transacting all his business through his
cousin, VINO acts a sort Of prime minister to him
holding evees, granting audiences, contracting oans
&c. list of his intended cabinet has found its
way into circulation. II is as fellows:
NJ. THEIRS, Minister Of Foreign Affair.
NJ. ONION BIRRor, Minister Of the Interior.
NJ. FoULn, Minister Of Finance.
M. 0UDINoT, Ministsr Of War.
NJ. DUrETrIT THoUks, Minister Of Marine.
n. LION FAUcHER, Minister Of Commerce.
This is, in fact, the Cabinet presented by LorIs
PHILIP 10 the people as peace offering on the 24th
OF February and rejected by them with contempt.
IL will be strange if should be presented again ten
months afterwards by the nephew of Napoleon, as
President Of the republic, and accepted by the peo-
pie. Yet stranger things than this have occurred
in the interval. IL words have any meaning, how
ever, this programme will not be realized so far as
respects M. Theirs, for he has declared within the
last week that he will not take Office under Louis
Napoleon. Ii was strange observation made by
NJ THEIRS, in his speech al the Club Of the Rue
de Poictiers, on the 9th instant, when he said:
"F,ancc has been governed since tie Gath Of February,
such manner il il with uneesncs' and {, Cypress
with misery. France-g6ic,cd alarmed and ialportris-
c3-soughto opposed 10 The pursued by lie
Government since tie 24h If February and for nat reason
Ind adopted Prince Louis Boagpdrte. He did not hold
the Club accountable for this feeling Of the nation"
Now, what is this but saying, in so many words
that France is weary Of republican form Of govern
meni, and that the choice Of the people has fallen
upon Louis Napoleon because lie was opposed to-
that form Of government! The last news from