, 1865-01-31

the Seine, q man who is the Empire IN
c~arnate, arbitrary but civilized, expensive
but efficient, autocratic but civil, made
his annual address to the municipality OF
the first city in the world. Freedom, he
admitted, would never be restored 10
Paris. Nomination was the ouly true
principle of municipal election, for the
population Of Paris was a population of
nomads, wanderers from every division
Of France, and only authority could hope
by careful selection to construct at the
Hotel dc Vile a micrOc0sm of France.
Instead OF pleading boldly that municipal
liberty had been temporarily suspended,
lie invented a reason which, if true, must
operate for ever, and which would be
as effective if the Emperor had decided
to deprive Paris of its right of represen-
tation. People are logical in Paris, and
they ask, if NJ. iIausSmann is to be al
ways Project of the Seine how is it posi-
BILE that Il free Legislature or a free Press
can be even in contemplation A free
Legislature would abolish him, a free
Press render him useless by perpetual
exposures. He is an able if not an
honest ediIe, perhaps the most compe-
tent jobber who ever ruled n mighty ca
pital, but his speeches make Parisians
feel that he is only distinguished by ahl-
litv from the Mayor of Rochcfort, who
the other day officially prohibited the
consumption oftrufles as injurious to the
digestion. ParisianS can bear %deSpotism,
but they do not like to perceive that they
are yisibly ruled, that they have master
who can say he is master, who dares 10
defend the principle as well as the prac-
tice of compression, They look round
for compensations in a situation which
gals them, and they find only the frsli-
vities of Compi6gne, festivities recalling
rather too wildly those which failed to
amuse the "unamusable" King Louis XIV.
Festivities do not hurt Paris either in
mind or conscience, provided only Paris
shares them; on the contrary, the success
ful ruler in French eyes is he who invest
his daily life with colour, and brightness,
and pomp. But festivities at a distance,
festivities which are in their very nature
exclusive, these do not please the Pari-
sian quite so weII,-induce in him that
access of mental bile which in a French
man precedes reflection. Now it is not
good for the Empire, as M. Haussman
knows perfectly well, that a Partisan
should reflect. Except Compi6gne, where
statesmen play acted charades, and coun
tesscs represent Sleeping Beauties, and a
great dame dresses for "Hope leading the
damned out Of hell" and M. Flaulert is
honoured for "Salammbo," and NJ. Hugo
hated for Les MiSerabLeS, there is nothing
doing in France, no great enterprise on
hand, no liberated race singing grateful
paans, no enemy vi>ibly quailing, no ma
lion affected with sudden tremor, such as
informs a Frenchman that he is master
of the nerves of the world. There is, it
is true, a rumour, and a great rumour,
abroad, but it is of a project for general
disarmament, for parting, that is, with
external power without regalning internal
freedom, or enjoying that relief from taxa
ton which the man who pays the "contri-
button fonci6re' enjoys rather more than
the man who pays an income-tax. France
amused can bear 10 be chained, but
France chained and bored-it is not a po-
sition safe for the masters of France.
Again, one recommendation of the En-
pire in the eyes of the masses who ac-
ooo1oJ - - ;4e sGcoo;oI;St31 Eoo1obou Tho