New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-09-19

BIARRIIZ, Sept. 1S-Ihe Emperor Napoleon, the
Empress Eugene, and the Prince Imperial, to-day
made visit to Queen Isabella of Spain, at ST.
Sebastian
A TERRIBLE EXPLOSION.
METz, Sept lS.-A terrible explosion took place at
cartridge factory, in this city, to-day. Thirty
persons were killed outright, and eghty-two were
badly injured. The building in which the explosion
occurred torn to pieces.
TIE DEPARTMENTAL COUNCILs-THE WAR
QUESTIoN-lMPERIAL ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
OF THE OPPOSIT1ON-E. DE GIRARDIN ON
THE EMPERoR-THE "LANTERNE"-sTATIs-
TICS OF SUICIDES.
IRON OUR OWN CORES PONDENTI
PARIS. Sept. a. 1S6S-The Departmental Council
have met, aud sat and adjourned. The intended
Office of these Councils when instituted in the Great
Revolution. was to represent the people and attend
to the local affairs of the Departments. Such is still
their Office in theory. Practically. the chefer use OF
their meeting is to furnish occasion for members
to listen to speech of their president at the open
ing. and TO another at dinner given after the close
of their brief session. The President is appointed
by the Emperor; he is minister, or project, or
deputy, other devoted official. The speeches get
printed. They have a little interest sometimes
when uttered by the mouth of eminent officials on
the superstition that they may reflect the views of
their chiefor what he is willing TO have pass for
his views-on political questions of the day Such
small interest in this kind as attaches TO them tbs
year comes from their aIusiOn to--you can haruly
say direct treatment Of-the war question ana the
The liberal reforms ~ War Minister Mel IS almost
Finance Minister Magne, Win some Other Oh the
head clerks quite paclhc. $50, ,
heresponse to that sort oftalk is why then keep
up an army more than twice as large as lha5 WITH
the Prisoner of Ham in Louis IHhppes time declared
To be us lcssly large And Is II really your lWptIi
MajeStys Intention now that the "detested treaties
me torn To shIes TO rest quietly Wltln the ih1te'
so uncL narrower than those of Republican France,
imposed By those tTeatesf Since you began 10 Ieeh
Piedmont has grown To an ItaIy Prussia mas gIo"n
TO North GERMANY and both have made advances
toward political liberty; during all that tiIne your
other neghJors, Belgium, Switzerland. England nave
enjoyed full political liberty can your Majesty IonR
rest quietly. uni,S YOU give to the growing dlSquet
of your people seeing these things either their geo
graphical natural fIOuteIs' or an enlargement OF
The more cnriou, feature Of the speeches referred
70 above is the effort made by ministerial orators to
land explain, and otherwise qualify the sO-called
Liberal Reforms. 1t is notable that they have
thought or been advised from above that II was
worth while To make efforts in that direction. other
wise the efforts only remarkable beng VOrts' az
strain. They generally agreed that great cOces-
sions hare bean m0de 10 liberty, to which some OF the
speakers add that they trOUld be great If there was
surety that they would not be uscd-lmproperly.
The concessions or reforms alluded 10 are always
the laws the press aud on the right OF meet
ing IL is well 10 observe here, that these are by no
means the only laws printing and assembling
The unabTOgated laws OF parts OF laws On-m0StY
aganst-free speech and print, date all along back
from all regimes since the Revolution ana comprise
very arsenal of gins snares traps, spring guns, OF
clogs pOkes, ana other uucatalOgued INSTRUMENTS Oi
YeXatiOn irritation, restriction, re- ana sup ana
compression. Add 10 these the arbitrary means
kept IN hand by the Administration and appilcdble
without process and Oh the instant. The new laws
Just spoken Of each begin with am article thoroughly
liberal IN words. the proper S2rit ana metpuiE Yl
which, the remaining articles are particularly
devised 10 restrict and as nearly as may pc
nuy. As matter Of fact, since the passage OF the
new Press law. and a. well for year before It's pas
sage journalists have expressed their Opinions sumo
what more fully than before. But tins matter OF
fact Is purely matter of license not OF lega1led
nght. There Is not newspaper now gong 10 press
Ill Paris the sale of which IN the streets tins evening
cannot d. stopped by single order OF the ITeIeCI
WithOu, CAUSE given. There IS not one IN which
Prosecutl officer may not PICK a phrase as tllGJ
ioundatic- Tor prosecution on inc RIouhu
OF Its exciting to hatreddnd contempt
OF ths Government Of its offending the
person ~ the Emperor OF ITS Offending the eslaD
hShed giOn OF its offending pure morals, OF OF ls
exciting ,sensOn among citizens OF OF us VIOLATION
Of some one Of many laws and regulations that MIS-
rule the press. Now there. mas never been an
instance III this reign, of political SUIT against d
Journal that did not result III condemnation Oh tho
defendant 49,,
IL is often said and with grain Of truth that me
Emperor is more liberal than his Ministers. me
working value of such lbeTallty IS well llustIatTu
by the two laws IN question. HAVING IDe i
promised reforms III his letter OF January ~ loo'' 10
such disgust OF his Ministers that they resigned. TIC
INSISTED with the most conservative OF these came
Ministers Immediately reinstalled that they should
let ms articles stand at the head OF the Two laws oI
which they worked up the restrictive articles more
than year afteTward. 1t is these Ministers VINO
thOnght the promises Of 18Th January 80 III adVlheu
who with their SubOTdnatcs IN tile maSlsudcy, tno
police and the army. administer the new laws. ~,
10 say that Napoleon is more liberal thih l5 Mih
1sters, Is as if sufferer said ks adversary hoh H"o
Relil"r than Lis boot. They are Ills SliStSs III to
bti Test sense Oh the OSScsslVe case anu VI 'n' ,
stTtuuOn of his making, hist lie not only accepts
The sole responsibility, but fOr9ds y0n' nuei p Th
ates, 10 question his responsibility TIC koclSS d
eIal men TO do his liberal work. because nc r"ooo P
10 The majority Of the Legislature are, IoI ,iio
part, sitting Tor theiT third term; they are uI' M
oi the reaction Of 1852. lie chooses 10 nave s
Old men their average age - 90 more IMAM ~ vi ~ III
are above GJ, To represent MS OONcIhItnV .L",ks
than younger mci. represent the country 1or InaHo
70 the system Of Official CaDdidatuIes, tey are IciJ
Named and practically elected by MS OONIIhIeil1
In the partial elections Of which there nave DeSh
more than 80 held since 1863 and Of which tat OF M
Ofeyy is the most recent and III It's result me lnoo
blfking there has been very cOlisldeIaplV "nu
pretty steadily growing increase OF Oppo3lt'oh No'
It's complete numerical strength anu at pl'sSi's 80
The measure of the growth Of opposition 20 w w va"
pOleOnc regime II Is a measure oil Inc .dcF'ioPi"S
VI political lie ia the people OF growing eII1 W
Independence and Of discomfort with INC manner ~
which Government is administered. nave 10 uoupe
that If the question could be put to vote to-oiIow
whether they would have Napoleon OF ,hu'' VI
eyoa whether they would have Napoleon oI
any one Of the three other possible Ieg'ihess;I
OlleaDIst Republican, LcgtimIst-ibat BUN
great majority OF FTenchmcn voting Tree rom
Prejudice would pronounce for Napoleon. 4ueS-
Ton very earnestly considered by some thinkers mere
nowadays is How long can Napoleon count on thls
general faith "a bis personal superiority TO ms Gov
enmCnt-tO administrators who are his creatures
For years We have had Indications that lac seemed 10
be aware Of the risk Of leaving TO his boy IL crown
which Ministers expose 10, instead OF covering from,