The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1852-01-27

| Perhaps not sooner, nor worse crossed:
| And he hath f It, and kno xn shd seen
| larger life and hope-though lost,
| Far out at sea.
The Late Events i'm France-Letter from
the American Minister.
The following correspondence between Mr..
| Webster and MIR. Rives, was sent to the U. S.
Senate on Wednesday. 1t sets forth the prin-
| ciples which our Minister has assumed tow ards
| the French Dictator, in the absence of instruc-
| tions from his Government; and an acknow-
ledgment of their entire correctness from the
Department of State. ~a
MR.. RIvEs TO MR.. WEBSTER.
LEGATION OF q. s., PARIS, 18th Dec, 1851.
SIR The troubles which have broken out
IN the Departments since the Presidential Coup
a Fiat OF the 2nd instant, have, it is under
stood, been almost entirely suppressed. Not
| less than twenty-five departments have been
successfully declared in state of siege, and
put under martial law since that event, and
| the whole number of departments now in that
condition is about thirty, out of the eighty-six
into which the territory Of the republic is diyi-
| ded.
The public tranquility in this city has not
been disturbed in the slightest degree since my
| last despatch. The Government has, never.
theless, as measure of precaution, dissolved
and dlsarmed two of the legions Of the Nation
| al Guards here, and this morning circular of
the Minister of the Interior, to the Projects of
the Departments, is published, by which the
| Projects are authorised, at their discretion. To
suspend or dissolve the National Guard within
their respective jurisdictions 10 disarm citi-
| zens IN whose hands the possession of arms
| may not be considered as guarantee for the
preservation of order, and also to fill vacancies
among the officers by appointments to be made
| by the Prefect, instead of elections by the Ma
tional Guards themselves, as heretofore prac.
| tised.
Instructions of the same Minister to the Pre-
feet of the Police of Paris are also published.
| by which that officer is enjoined to take prompt
and vigorous measures for the execution of
the decree mentioned III my last despatch, re-
| specting persons placed under the surveillance
of the haute police, which applies equally to
4 all persons convicted of belonging to or being
connected with any secret society. Both of
these classes of persons are required to be i'm
lnediately expelled: not only from Paris, but,
| if need be from France; and il is announced.
in connection with those orders, that the gov
ernment will have ready in fifteen or twenty
days, FIVE vessels of war, capable of transport
| ing to the peDitentiary colony of Cayenne,
| more than two thousand persons. These mea.
sures sufficiently mark the unreenting spirit
1 In which the Government pursues its system
| of repression. Since the I'd day Of December,
| Presidential DEGREES have taken the place OF
laws, and the legislation as well as the admin.
| istration of the country has been the sole au-
| thority of the President. To pallate in some
degree this appearance of Autocratic govern
| ment, what is called Commission COnsulta-
tive, consisting, as it is definitely constituted.
| of one hundred and seventy-eight persons,
named by the President, has been organized,
under the Vice Presidency of Monsieur Ba-
roche, the former Minister of Foreign Affairs.
| This commission, as its functions are defin-
ed by the decree establishing it, is to give it's
opinion on such matters oflegislation as may
be submitted to it by the President, and is al
so to perform, in general, the functions of the
Council of State, as that body was organized
| previous to the revolution of 1S49. 1t is spe-
cially charged to sum up and verify the votes
of the people at the polls, to be opened on the
2Otn and 2lst inst, for the prolongation and
enlargement of the Presidents powers, on the
returns from the departments. | send you
| herewith the decree by which the consultative
| commission has been definitely constituted.
and which contains the best of all the names
| which now compose ii, embracing 1876 nersons
| who were members of the late National As
sembly, some twenty Generals, several persons
who have belonged to former Cabinets of the
President, as well as all the members of the
1 II j
| dicialsAl laglstracy. former decree promul
gated the composition of the commission not
so numerous. but yet comprising the names of
| several distinguished persons who refused TO
| serve upon it, some of whom notified their re-
fusal in terms of lofty independence or proud
disdain.
| In my last despatch mentioned to you that.
| since the late extraordinary events here, had
abstaned from appearing at the usual weekly
| of tba
| The diplomatic corps, with the exception, at
that time, of the representative of Switzerland,
| had pursued different course. Since the date
| of that despatch, the representative of SwtZer-
| land, under instructions from the Government,
has followed the example of the rest of the d.
| plomatic corps, and am now the only foreign
diplomatic agent of any grade who has not at.
tended the Presidents reception, since the re-
velutionary coup d'etat, by which the Constitu.
| ton was overthrown. In pursuing this course,
| l have taken counsel, not merely of the feel
| ings and sentiments natural to the bosom OF an
American citizen under such circumstances,
but also of those higher considerations of prin-
| ciple and duty which should control the con-
duet of public agent. Representing, as the
| United States do, before the world, the great
cause of free, popular and republican insttu-
tons, II seemed an injury to that cause if
person entrusted to act or to speak in their
name should go forward with any appearance
| of indecent haste to salute dictatorial power
which had arisen by violence on the ruins OF
written republican constitution, however de.
| iectiye here. On the other hand, the President,
having appealed to the nation TO ratify his ille-
gal acts, aud pledged himself in the event Of an
! unfayorable decision, TO surrender al once the
| position he now holds by no tenure but that Of
| force, can have no just cause Of complaint, If
| the representative of a foreign power thinks
/ proper TO await the decision Of the only right
ful tribunal in questions Of interior political or
ganization, whose judgment has been formally
| invoked.