The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-05-09
WHOLE NO. l75.


right Hence the Legitimists refuse TO support
him, aud the Conservatives scarcely hope for the
victory. In their despair they have taken TO
threats. President BOnaparte's Sunday paper.
Le Napoleon, says that if the bourgeoise do vote
for the Socialist candidate, the electoral law will
be amended 30 as to prevent such deplorabe re-
! suits, and invites them to choose between a So
cialist candidate and the law. This language
shows the despair Of the gentlemen who pass
their time in the Presidents ante-chambers plot
ting the restoration of an empire, with pretty
! titles for themselves The same paper advocates
also revision of the Constitution, and promises
to give its opinion on the different amendments
proposed, provided always the discussion be con-
tinued in proper spirit. This recommendation
by the President throws some light on his speech
delivered on the same day to the General Coun-
Gil of Agriculture. Several passages were strange
enough Four years ago" said the President,
"you were in possession Of tranquility and secu-
riiy, and coald study how to ameliOrats the con
dition Of the country" lie then assured them
that it was time to build up again the institutions
shaken down by the general disorder which
took place in 1915, and reconstruct n strong Gov
eminent able to look over the interests Of the
Peep. BY these and similar expressions, NJ.
Bonaparte continues to keep alive the uncertainty
in the public mind. Men hesitate whether to
pronounce him an obstinate and stupid person or
an ambitious couspirator
A day or two after the threat in the Presidents
paper, one of his friends and intimltes, Colonel
Espinssse laid a resolution before the Assembly
or rather bill, for the naturalization Of the evil
of suffrage. This project provides that no person
shall vote, unless he has resided two years Ia the
commune and is engaged actively in some con-
mercsl. agricultural, manufacturing business.
lfs workman. he gpst PRODUCE s,cert6cate FROM
mis- employer, that ne has w0fK ed one ytar'" ~n&
out interruption, in the same shop. Beggars, aud
persons without fixed residence to be excluded
as also all persons condemned by the police or
criminal court or by political court The vote
Of the army TO be mixed with that Of the people,
so that 1t c,unot be distinguished All elections
to be null If no candidate receives the maj ority Of
all the votes given. And to render the bill ride
ulous, punishment is provided for not voting
for the first offence fine of from five TO ten per
cent on the amount Of taxes paid by the offender;
for the second, fine of from ten to fifteen per
cent on the same sum and for the third, loss of
all civil and political rights for a space of time
not less than two nor more than five years
Here is a conservative run mad for you. And
yet he comes directly from the Elys6e National
M Bonaparte lets fly the shaft without showing
his hand. The weapon will wound his own
friends, no matter where 1t may fall.
The Government pursues unremittingy its
war on the poor teachers Of primary schools
More than four thousand have already been
turned out Of employ on account Of their politi
cal opinions, and the cry is still Lay on, Mac
duGln committee Of representatives has been
cd for Of vii
for the temporary maintenance Of these poor
wretches; but this committee is treated by the
Government as factious and disposed to foment
conspiraces The persecution now raging in
France for opinions sake would not discredit the
happy days of Louis XIV. Fortunately, there
are now no tatres de c0cha or Bastile.
The Newspaper called La Voir du Peuple is to be
killed off soon as possible by fines, and the i'm
prisonment Of its publishers and editors, 1t has
been seized, at the Post Office, three times during
| the laat two weeks-once for a philosophical ar
ticle on Catholicism, once iur uu urvviv INV
budget, and once for review Of the foreign pol.
| itics of the day. have read the Objectionable
| articles, and cannot see what plausible pretext
| they afford TO this ticklish and sensitive Govern
ment. But the remark Of some Procureur Gen
eral, "Give me four lines written politics by
| any man, and / engage TO hang him. Is solid
| morality for the present administration. The
French indictments are loose enough, leaving ey-
erything to the caprice of the jury The fabu-
lous Mississippi indictment for "kicking UP
a id fuss generally is no fable here One
count In the indictment Of La Voir dn Pepple il
for publishing an article tending to excite the
people to dislike the Government"
One Of these articles was in relation to the
budget Of 1851 just presented by M Fould, the
Jewish banker and present Minister of Finance
This promptness is very praisewortby in NJ
FOuld, his predecessors having set him the ex-
ample of waiting until the commencement Of the
year before presenting the budget That of 1850
is not yetvoted. Nj Fould Processes, in this great
financial to restore the equilibrium between the
receipts and expenses leaving, indeed, balance
In favor OF the former of more than eight millions
to diminish the tax on landed property to lessen
the stamp tax on mortgages and TO restrain
within proper limits the floating debt. The
budget of 1850 amounts to fourteen hundred and
twenty-seven millions that Of 1851 to twelve
hundred and eighty -four millions, being a reduc.
ton of one hundred and forty three millions
This Is an advance toward the proper standard
but still the plan Of the budgets Of Louis Phil
ippe Is kept mp. To make up the receipts 10 Is
proposed to sell most Of the forests and landed
property belonging to the State, which would
yield more than fifty millions. The comments
on this part Of the budget by In Yoir du Peppie
were the immediate pretext Of one of the sci
lures
The discussion of the budget OF 1850 has occu.
pied much of the time Of the Assembly Each
Minister defended the abuses Of his own depart
ment from the attacks Of the committee Of re-
trenchment. The occupants Of tho tribunes had
n good opportunity to scrutinize the personal sp-
pelrance Of the great men who govern France
from M. Paren, who, with his black eyes and hair
and swarthy complexion, looks as IL he had just
sprung from some well sooted stovepipe, to Gen
D'IIautponl, who IL as white as IL he had the
habit Of living in meal barrel Every body
said many good things about reform and econo-
my, but no serious change has yet been effected
In this sense--s great many whitilings here and
there, no cutting at the very heart of the evil
The bill proposed by the Government, provid-
ing for the transportation Of political convcts 10
the Marquesas islands, was the occasion Of one of
the most eloquent discourscs ever uttered Vic
tor Hugo was the orator. His speech has been
struck of Ia an edition Of 100000 copies, and
will be distributed through all France. 1t is an
eloquent protest OF a humane man, against the
lingering death reserved, In q distant island, In
prison, for the writer's and politicians who may
fall under the displeasure OF the Government.
For some days past, the Chamber has been dis
GUESSING the bill for comforting on private com
pany certain monopoies and privileges, and
guarantyng IL an interest OF five per cent for its
money, provided II will undertake to build the
railroad from Paris to Avgnon. This bill re-
wives the corruption and speculation In Govern
ment favors which 20 disgraoed the last years of
the reign Of Louis Philippe. Everybody was sur
prised to see M. Lamartine come forward AS It's
advocate II appears that certain conversations
with M. Rothschild have altogether converted NJ
Lamsrtine. In regard to M. Lsmartine, one is
always inclined to ask the question Of the sailor
blown up by an explosion at coDjuror's exhibit
ton. What will he do next7" lie is polti-
cal didspper that Is always coming up to the sur
face In the most unexpected places Nobody ex-
pectsd him to appear on the Avignon railroad,