The republic., 1851-07-11
Foreign corrs.pondsnes.
PANS. June %. 1851.

cal discussions was dellnltlVely renewed yes
terday for another year-till June, 1852. The
debate in the Chamber was animated, though
the arguments were chiefly on the side of the
Republicans, and the votes on that of the Reac.
tionists. Little opposition made 10 the general
law, but the Democrats made earnest effort to
obtain grace from certain of its dispositions. Az
ter the passage of the clause declaring the law APP
plicabe to ali political assemblies of nature cal
culated to compromise the public security, NJ Bac
proposed an amendment to the effect that all in
dustrial establishments and private workshops be
exempted from the prohibitions of the law. A briei
resume Of the arguments by which this amend
ment was supported can but be interesting to the
| American reader.
The Minister of the Interior, says M. Bac, in
rendering account of the uses made of this law,
states that eight political reunions have been
closed in the department of rAllier. This is not
sufficiently precise Two political reunions have
been closed there, and six coffee houses kept by pri
vate individuals. Why were these coffee houses
fclosed? Were there clubs held in them? Were
they places used for political meetings9 Did they
in any respect disobey the regulations OF the po-
lice On the contrary, the police reports high
ly favorable. This is what happened: The Pre-
feet of Police issued proclamation, thus ''Con-
sidering the law upon clubs and political meet
ngs-considering that such such coffee house
constitutes, in my opinion, club political
meeting, hereby close it."
Again Six establishments of the same kind
have been shut at Gaunab, one Of which remained
closed for five months. The proprietor has ap.
pealed. He will, perhaps, obtain justice and
cognition of his rights, if he has money enough
but in the mean time here is a fellow citizen, ruined
and almost reduced to misery, and forced to sell
his establishment, by the laws that you pass for
the preservation of peace. Thirty four coffee
houses, or similar places of public entertainment,
have been closed in the single department Of the
Var. / have but more instance to cite.
There is in my own district, at Limoges, an
association of porcelain workers. This assoca-
ton has been prosperous, and has purchased
a lot of land, with the buildings and improve
ments upon it. The workmen comprising the
society supposed that they would be permitted
to read aloud during the evening of the Paris
newspapers. Not at all. The prefect issued de-
cree by which they forbidden TO read aloud;
and that, too, in their own castle at home-under
their roof And more than that; they were
warned that, if they did not cease their reading,
their workshop should be closed, and the fire in
their furnaces quenched-ther association should
be broken up, and themselves scattered to the four
winds. Now, gentlemen, you who boast of your re-
spect for labor and those who live by ityou whocall
yourselves the defenders of property and family
prove yourselves so by voting for my amendment.
The ballot about three to one against it, how
ever; the Mountain only, with not solitary voice
from the ranks Of the "Great Party Of Order,' %
rising to it's support. 1t ia hardly necessaryto Say
everybody must have guessed it-that the sup
pressed coffee houses and their keepers of the
republican faith-the porcelain workers were re-
publican, and the newspaper they read aloud was
republican also dispense with comment. Those
that may read what have written will draw their
own differences as we'll as j could do il for them.
But having in previous letters to the Republic
taken the ground that the Mountain has always
shown itself the only prop and defender of repub
lcanism and the constitution, quote the vote to
which have just referred as additional proof
The question, as advanced by M. Bac, would have
presented but one side in America, and would have
drawn forth vote without dissdence split in the
United States Congress. An American, who is a
! good republican at home, does not look well with
his coat turned in France. The existing govern
ment of this country is republic. As such, there
is constitution to abide by, there nstit utions
TO uphold, and rights TO defend Nine Americans
out Of ten sympathize with those here who hold the
| constitution in contempt, whose Legislation s q
| burlesquc upon republicanism, and who care no
more for the rights of the people than they do
for any other rather impossible and Utopian
scheme. The American journals take their tone
in great degree from that of England; and, by
dint Of copying their Paris correspondence, writ
ing their editorial comments the model furnish
ed by the Times, have come to be but little more
than railroad for English ideas. The editors the
news-collectors, the correspondents of the London
press monarchists, of course, and find
but little worthy of favorable note out of the
ranks Of the anti-republican majority. How is
it possible that the emanations Of these men s
brains suit our free air, our soil, and our
democratic mind3 Perhaps the comments of the
London bully upon the figure made by the Amcri-
cans at the Crystal Palace will convince Us, from
Maine to California, that the interests of England
and America, our hopes, objects, sphere, and des-
tiny, wide asunder as the poles. In one
number of the Times ia an impertinent and vul-
gar article on the American products at the Great
Exhibition. In the same paper is a wholesale dc.
nunciation of the Republican party in the French
Assembly, from their Paris correspondent. The
former excites considerable feeling at home, but
the latter s flashed over the wires from Halifax as
a mullm in pGrvo of the weeks news from France
Who authorized any Engishman to think for US, and
TO say what shall believe and what we shall re.
jec? But that the English have thought for us
since February, ls4s, is as certain that the sun
rises and sets. Mr.. Puff who declared that he de-
cided the public verdict any new production oi
the stage, was asked by MIR. Sheer if there were
really many who were influenced by what he wrote
III the public prints? "Oh, dear me, yes, sir; yes
the number of those who undergo the fatigue Of
Judging for themselves is very small indeed"
From tabular view of the population of France
in its relations to universal suffrage take the fol-
lowing interesting items:
Total population. on................... sc, ,243, 1857
Males of age. ....................... ii 1923 ,I89
Voters during universal suffrage. 9936004
Voters under the mutated suffrage. $780, 900
Males of age, not entitled to vote,
during universal suffrage. LOST, ,lS5
Males OF age excluded by the law Of
the 3lst OF May, in addition. ..... 3,l26,S23
Non-voters of age at the present mo-
ment.................. 4,2l4,00s
or considerably more than one-third of the whole
male population arrived at maturity. The Demo
Gratis are making earnest attempt to obtain the
repeal of the law and the restoration of universal
= suffrage The National and the Repubiique news.
papers have petitions drawn up to that effect in
their Offices, and there several others in each Of