The southern press., 1851-06-04
Correspondence Of The Commercial! advertiser.
PARIS, May 18th, 1851.

Correspondence Of as Commercial Advertiser:
PARIS, May 18th, 1851.
| M. Theirs, who il seems is not above con.
sulting those who differ with him, has been
comforting, for some time past, with intelli.
gent workmen, on the subject of the organiza-
ton of labor. His avowed object has been to
prepare himself at all points for the discussion
shortly to take place, on the question. His
| first step was to obtain the names OF the fore
men of a large number of associations, and ad.
dress each Of them an invitation to call on him
He was not little surpnzed to find every one
of them punctual at the rendezvous, ready to
give him information and able to meet him in
argument. M. Theirs asked permission, which
was granted, to be present at the business
meetings of several of the principal associations
The testimony of M. Theirs will not be re-
quired by any who will read the debate on the
7rh and 9th inst. in the national assembly.
Nearly all the speakers were hardfisted work
men, Four Of them, Messrs Nadaud, Chauf.
for, Michat, Bontel and Gillon, were mentioned
in my last letter. They acquitted themselves
well, Notwithstanding their inexperience at the
tribune. M. Nadaud, in sustaining his amend
ment to an existing law, spoke OF the law as
"immoral," and was very properly stopped by
president (generaD Bedeau, who informed him
/ tnuL III was pcTiUlLtcu w lbONO WIG iSpcoA VI .
law but not to call it immoral" Nadaud how
ever submitted gracefully to this just exercise
Of a salutary authority, but before closing he
quoted from speeches made in the ancient
Chamber of Peers several passages in which the
same law was designated, not only rs immoral
but by much harshed appellations.
AS the subject of this discussion is esteemed
important by the laboring classes of France, |
will touch it briefly BY the existing legsla-
ton, every person who gains his livelihood by
any manual employment is required to take, at
the police office, a small book (caled here
Evret) in which the police inscribe his name,
birth. place, parents, occupation and legal resi-
dence.-This book must be deposited with the
employer, who puts down in it the amount OF
wages, the sums paid on wages, and the. sums
advanced. The workman, journeyman, or do
nestle is not entitled to leave, nor any other
master to employ him, until after paying up all
advances and obtaining an express congo in his
books and the redelivery of the book itself.
At every change of masters, he must have his
book vised at the police office. The.same for
mality is required before he can leave the de-
partment.
M Nadaud, and those who think with him,
seek the repeal of the law, because it vests an
undue power in the hands of the employer.
Parliamentary inquiries have discovered fright
full abuses of this power They profess to think
that the law is degrading to the working classes,
because both men and women are kept under
the surveillance of the police, as if they were
liberated convicts or other dangerous persons.
They object to the law further, because it pro-
vides that, when other evidence is wanting, the
word of the master shall be taken as proof OF
the payment of all sums due for wages, and his
| Al Of nd
vanced. For these advances, real or pretended,
he has the legal right to stop portion OF the
wages of the workmen, should he or she get
employment elsewhere.
The debate ended in the assemblys voting the
right of the workman to quit the employer, be-
fore reimbursng advances made; and the limi-
tation to 80 francs of the employers lien on fu-
ture wages, for such advances As to the rest
it has been left as it was. will add that the
good sense of the public has made the law al
most dead letter, employers not demanding
and the workmen not offering the huret
A few days ago | attended the ffty-eighth
anniversary Of the Athenee des Arts, one of the
numerous societies of Paris which seek TO en-
coufpge talent and taste In industrial pursuits as
well as in the sciences, the fine arts and bellies
lettres. Il was founded in l792, and is thor.
oughly democratic in its organization. Men Of
J literary taste meet there with mathematicians
workmen, farmers, and musicians. Superiorit,
in any branch is the only qualification for admis
J sion. The anniversary exercises brought ou
some one connected with each of these classes
except the mathematicians. First came the an
nual report, dry as such documents usually are
next poets or poetasters, who recited severa
odes, anecdotes, and short poems.
After the poets, came the workmen. A silver
, medal was conferred on Madame Badin fol-
some improyents iu the manufacture of fine
basket-work and similar testimonial was
awarded to NJ. Desplanques, for an invention
facilitating the washing and cleaning of wool.
Last Of all came musical concert, in which
many of the members Of the Athenee appeared
Among them, / noticed M. Fleury, a gentleman
who gave concerts of vocal music, some time
ago, at New Orleans Leon Regnier, a viclinis
of some twenty years old; Mademoiselle Vidal
a Young pianist, who took, not long since, the
first prize at the Conservatoire; md NJ. Chan
desaignes, singer who sent US away in gooc
humor.
POLITICAL MATTERS.
J General Changarnier is said to have gone owe
to the fusion, that is to have become legitimst
This may be doubted, for the General, like hi,
three colleagues, Bedeau, Cavaignac and Lam
oriciere, who have also won their epauettes il
Africa, is a close potician.-One who know
} him well said Of him "If he thought his ca
knew what he thinks, he would burn it."
: The recent allegations Of La Presse in regar'
10 General Changarnier's conduct in l848 hav
been the subject of conversation for the last tel
days. Although no full denial has been mad
Of the principal facts, they should not necessari
ly to be taken as proved, since il every promi
neDt Frenchman were TO attempt TO deny ever
false statement Of the Paris press, he might wei
5 abandon all other employment Besides hav
already said he is shrewd and close. La Press
alleges, that rs soon as the General heard Of tn
February Revolution, his political principle
underwent change: from being warm Or
} leanist, he became at once an enthusiastic Re
!. publican; that in March, l848, he was at Paris
proposing to the provisory government to max
an armed descent on the coast of England, 70
{ the purpose Of republicanizing that country
that Ledru Rollin, to whom the proposition wa
4 made, obtained of the General a written memo
randum of his plan of attack and that pape