, 1866-02-20

1ue law OH cOallClOnS, Wnlcn nau given rise To
some apprehensions, has been put in force with
great impartiality by the Government, and with
moderation on the part of those interested.
The working class, 50 intelligent, has cOmpre-
hended that the greater the facilities which are
given to it to discuss its interests, the more it
is bound to respect the liberty of each and the
security of all. The inquiry into cooperative
societies has resulted in showing how just were
the bases of the law which has been presented
to you on this important subject. That law
will permit the establishment Of numerous as
SociatiOns to the advantage Of labOur and pru-
dence. To encourage their development | have
decided that the permission to combine shall be
granted to all those who, apart from politics,
desire to deliberate on their industrial interests
as men of business. This permission will only
be limited by the guarantees which public order
requires.
The state of our finances will show you that,
while the receipts continue their progressive
increase, the expenditure has a tendency to di-
minish. In the new Budget the accidental or
extraordinary resources have been replaced by
normal and permanent resources. The law
upon the Sinking Fund which Will be submit
ted to you shows the institution of u certain
revenue, and offers fresh securities to the ere.
ditors of the State. The equilibrium of the
DONCS" 40 oOb ~ XVI NNN VI ICOCilbN'
La order to arrive at this result, savings have
had to be effected in the greater part OF the
public services, and among others in the De
partment of War. The army being upon a
peace footing, there were but the alternatives
of reducing the cadreS or the electives. The
last measure was impracticable, for the regi-
ments scarcely r~eCkoned the necessary number
OF soldiers. The good of the service counsel
led even an augmentation. BY suppreSSing
the skeletons (cudreS) of 22) companies, 10
squadr0nS, and 40 batteries, but at the same
time turning over the soldiers to the companies
and squadrons still kept on foot, we have rather
strengthened than weakened our regiments.
The natural guardian of the interests Of the
army, | should not have consented to those
reductions if they had been likely to impair our
military organisation, or to deprive of the
means of existence those whose services and
devotion l have had opportunity of appreciat-
ing. The maintenance hereafter of all officers
without troops compromises no future, and the
admission into administrative careers of officers
and sub-oficers who are approaching the period
when they would be entitled to retire on half
pay will soon restore the regular movement of
promotion. All interests will thus be secured,
and the country will not have shown herself
ungratef1l towards those who shed their blood
for her.
The Budget of Public Works and that of
Public instruction have not undergone any
diminu:ion. 1t was desirable to preserve to
the great enterprises of State their fruitful &C
tivity, and to maintain the energetic impulse of
public instruction. In the space of a few
months, thanks to the devotedneSs of the school
masters, $4,000 new classes for adults have
been opened in the communes of the empire.
Agriculture has made great progress since
1852. At this moment it is suffering from a
depreciation of price in respect of cereals.
This depreciation is the inevitable consequence
Of the extreme abundance Of the harvests, and
is not the result of the abolition of the sliding
scale. Economic changes develop the general
prosperity, but they cannot prevent partial
hardships. / have considered that it would be
useful to institute inquiry into the state and
into the wants of Agriculture. That inquiry
will, [ am convinced, confirm the principles Of
commercial liberty, and will facilitate the stu
dy of the proper means either of relieving local
suffering or Of realising further progress. The
extent of our international transactions has not
been diminished, and the general commerce.,
which last year was upwards of seven milliards,
has increased by seven hundred millions. In
the midst of this constantly increasing prospe-
rity, some uneasy minds, under the pretext of
fastening the liberal progress of the Govern
ment, have sought to impede that progress by