Washington sentinel. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1853-1855, 1853-09-27

acts of public men, or a sound and Just c,itiqte
of the policy of any government
--->sOS>----
| Paris Correspondence Of the N. Y. Courier
Bread ana the French Goyernmcnt.--The
corn question u.s. perhaps, that which al the pres
ent moment creates the most embarrassment and
| anxiety TO the imperial government. The Napo-
leon dynasty wonld lind itselfin AN eminently pre-
carious position, if, in addition 10 the numerous
| other causes of insecurity to its newly erected
/ throne, should be added that which has ever been
found in France TO be the one which puts the sta
| bity and popularity OF governments TO the Sc
vercst test--want of bread. Napoleon Ill. seems
fully awake TO the danger, and is exertng himself
| with his accustomed promptness and energy to
provide against IT, He will take care, il will be
confidently expected that France, and especially,
| that Paris, shall not suffer the coming winter To
facilitate the supply from abroad he some months
| ago suspended the sliding scale of the French
| corn law, and more recently he has removed the
| difierentai tonnage duties on corn and -four inn
ported info the French ports. At the same time
| he is taking arbitrary and, perhaps equally char
| acteristic measures to prevent alarm upon this
subject in France Some of these measures are
not SO Judicious and efficient those for the pre-
venton ofscarcity. No intelligence, TO which en-
4 tire confidence is due, can reach the public
through the press touching the real condition of
| the crops in France. The Journals have been
warned 10 say nothing that add 10 the dis
| quiet OF the public mind. This being known, the
end of government in thus mufiing the press, Of
| course, fails TO, be attained. Favorable intelligence
| is distrustezl and that OF contrary character
suspected TO tell only half the story. In fact the
best evidencesfthe reality and extent ofthe danger
is found in the act of government itself to pro-
] vide aganstit.
| Besides those above noted should be mentioned
another. The price OF bread in Paris is fixed by
| the police on the LIST and 18th of every month.
This price rises and falls with the price of wheat
| IN the corn market of Paris. The price has been
steadily rising for some months past. 1t has not
| yet reached very high point. The price during
| the latter half OF August was 40 centimes per Kill
| ogramme q 2-5ah cents per ID. avorddpois.) But
| last week commencement of agitation was OBJ
served among the laborng classes, in anticipation
| OF the rise which il was known must regularly
| take take place on the LIST of September, for the
| price of wheat was still going up. An assemblage
| which wore sinister resemblance 10 tho riotous
| popular meetings of 1915 and 49, wa~~disperscd
| upon the Place Mauhcrt. This, and similar De-
monstrations in neghboring departlsrsts, were
deemed sufficiently Significant 10 provoke the mr.
| bitrary intervention of government. by strict
rule the price Should have risen the lst instant
hall cent per h., but government has ordered
the bakers of Paris 10 continue TO sell al 40 cen
| times the kogrammt This is acceptable TO the pub
lie, but seems rahcr hard upon the bakers, who
compelled to pay the higher market price for -four
| During the scarcity OF 1917 the government and
the city of Paris came TO the relief of the poor by
"a measure less arbitrary and more just TO all par
| lies. The price OF bread was permitted to rise
regularly with that of -four in the corn market. But
cards were issued and distributed by authority, TO
| oil who needed them, by virtue OF which those
only who could well afford TO do so, paid the full
| prices of bread. The poorer only receivee bread
| from the bakers at 40 cenfimes the kiiogramme,
until the crisis over the price fell regularly below
that sum. This was exceedingly brwdensome TO
the city II cost, in 1S47, many illiiOas OF francs
| but il was Just, Bakers rights wese protected
and the rich, as was right, also were compelled as
taxpayers TO contribute TO the support ofthe ne
cessitous poor.
The bakers Of Paris however, are now assured
that the measure of last week only taken
upon the pledge of government TO "indemnify
them for present loss by Interior compensation"
The compensation promised consists in the main
tenance, some time hereafter, when the present
crisis shall have passed. of forty cenfimes per ko
gramme, asthe price of bread, when by operation of
the rule, il ought to be lower. But where is the
assurance that thie compensation" when it is
made, will not ensBe TO the benefit of the bakers
who are not now IN the trade, and who conse-
queniy do not suffer from the present measure,
successors, perhaps, OF the men whom the compen-
sation was intended to benefit, but who have been
driven, by operation of this very measure TO dis
graceful bankruptcy This system of compensa-
lion rcsored to, 10 avoid outlay ofmoney by the
city and government for the supply of bread They
have already upon their shoulders snch enormous
expenses Tor the Improvement and beautifying of
the capital that nothing can be spared for bread.
! have Just seen letter wrtten by Napoleon /.
which shows in striking manner the high politi-
cal importance Ire attached to the existence of the
fact of cheap bread in Paris. In June, 1910,
alarmed by the report of one Of his counselors of
state, he thus writes from St. Cloud TO his Minis
ter, Montalivet, at Paris.
"MoNsIEuR LIE CoMTE: | send you very I'M
portant note of the counsellor Murat upon the
corn question. Come to the council on Monday
with all the information you can get touching this
important matter. You will see that this counsel
is OF opinion that by the end Of the year there will
be none Of the wheat crop Of lS0S and 1907 left.
From what he has told me of the high price ofrye,
| have forbidden It's exportation and have dou.
blcd the export duty wheat. These two de-
crecs will be forwarded tonight. pray you take
especial care that my reserve of Paris be kept
complete Make yanr inspectors see to il. This
matter is particularly conited to Your zeal for my
service, For the last eight years have been sa
crineing million year for the maintenance of
this reserve, and il would be really deplorabc if
these eight millions and these eight years should
be lost Just al the moment when the fruit of them
should be gathered shall not sleep quiet till my
mind Is at case upon the subIcct-and you--makc
il your special business 10 see that the supplies
Tor Paris are complete. TheraJs no measure OF
government mare efficient 10 secure the happiness
OF the people and the tranquility of administers
ton, than gertrude upon this point, NC, DC"
do not apprehend serious danger to the gov
eminent of Napoleon Ill. He win take care to
the east and from the United States. Very large
sums are known 10 have been already appropfi-
ated TO this purpose.
COMMERCE. OF New ORLEaSs--The product
of cotton and sugar in New Orleans, during the
commercial year Just ended, has been greater
than in any previous year, these two articles
alone having furnished portion of the sc asons
business exceeding $83,000,o00 in value. The
value of the products received from the interior
since Isl of September, 1852, is sl34,233,735,
against $l0s,0 ,708 last year; showing an in.
crease in the value Of the commerce with the
interior, since 1912, Of nearly tro Hundred per
cent.
RsH-Lieut, Com. Woodhall, Of the Coast Sur
yey, has completed the survey of the harbor of
Portland. The water is found to he deeper
than laid down in the old charts. The Argus
says, "That as the appropriation of $4,000
made for the hreakwater in our harbor and at
81 II ~. I'll