The southern press. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1850-1852, 1852-02-10
Correspondence Of The London Chronicle.

PARIS, Thursday evening, Jan. 10, 1852
The new constitution of France is now before
the world, and it will be seen that it is precisely
what might be expected in the circumstances
The people of France have entrusted LOUIS Ma.
poeon with the division Of power, and he has
kept the ions share for himself. They have
allowed him to fix the precise amount of liberty
that ought to be administered to them and he
has determined that it shall be given in hommo-
pathc doses. They have abdcated all their ac-
qured rights-the social conquests for which
they have undergone sixty years of revolution
in his favor, and left him as completely and alb
solutely master Of France as eyer the Emperor
was when at the highest pinnacle Of his glory
And for what has all this been done! Louis
Napoleon's excuse for the revolution of the I'd
of December was, that he wished TO restore uni
versal suffrage. He has done so; but he has
at the same time, annhated the power of the
representatives whom the people have to elect
The new legislative assembly will be utterly
powerless. The Senate has some appearance
Of power, but il is a mere semblance, for the
President is allowed the privilege of swapping
the Senate with his own creatures every time
that il exhibit any appearance of independence.
have already informed you that the constitu.
ton may be considered the work of Louis Ma
poleon alone, and the labor was not great, for
il is almost n literal copy Of the constitution Of
the year VIII. The five juris-consulIs, whose
assistance was called in, were not allowed TO
say a word on tho fundamental principles of the
document; they were merely allowed to make
some observations on details. Il was by their
advice that the powers Gf powers they can be
called conferred upon the Senate were made so
extensive, especially as regards the right Of or.
posing the PRONUNCIATION Of laws contrary TO the
constitution, and incompatible with individual
liberty; and also the part with respect 10 the
immortality of magistrates Cart. 2O); but even
in their most extensive powers the senators are
entirely subjected TO the will Of the President,
who alone proposes, sanctions, and promulgates
laws, SenatuScOnSuha, &c. But il appears that
even TO the slight extent of making magistrates
immoyab!e, Louis Napoleon did not give way
till il was made clear 10 him that his power over
the magistracy would be as great rs If they were
movable, because although he could not dismiss
them from the bench, he could remove them
from one court to another; and if they should
oppose the government, be could send the mag
istrates of the courts OF Paris to the departments
or even TO Algeria or the colonies.
There is but one opinion here as to the merits
Of the constitution. All the leaders of the par.
liameniary and constitutional parties, and even
many Of those who bad rallied 10 the cause of
the President, are in state Of CONSERVATION,
and declare that they will not offer themselves
"a candidates for the new Assembly on any nc
count. All Of them consider the constitution
az the complete annihilation of representative
institutions, and speak of the whole system in
auguratcd by Louis Napoleon as disguised, and
very thinly disguised, despotism. In point Of
fact, not one Of the so.caled constituted bodies
will enjoy shadow Of independence, and any
of them may at any given moment be destroyed
| by the executive power, which overtops all of
them. Thus the Senate may have the number
OF it, members nearly doubled at the will of the
| President, and the more necessitous Of the mem
bers of the Senate may be gained over by
promises Of salaries which is n means Of bribery
| that the President retains in his own hands
There will be only ten or twelve really indie.
pendent, because eE olHcio, senators-the cardi-
nails and the admirals. At present there are
three cardinals, the Archbishop of Lyons. the
Bishop of Bourges, and the Archbishop Of Ton.
louise; six marshas, namely jerome Bonaparte
Gerard Excemas, Reille, Valiant and Harispe
and two admirals, de Mackau nm Roussin. fine
rest can al be chosen by Louis Napoleon when.
ever he pleases. The power Of the Legislative
corps is completely annulled 1t is not even
stated in the constitution that the election by
universal suffrage is to be direct, so that Louis
Napoleon may still make il (by organic law) by
two degrees. Besides this, the sitlngs are vir-
tually TO be secret for they will open to the
public only when they are Of no interest and
as five memLers can always declare the sitting
secret one, there will never be any difficulty in
arriving at that result Another part shows how
little veal power is TO be given to the Assembly.
The president Of the Assembly and the vice
president are to nominated by Louis Napoleon.
They will be, in reality, public functionaries de-
pendent upon the crown--I mean upon the