Year: 1869

OIL OF sTATE-PUBLIC MEETINGs--THE DE-


CLINE OF NAPoLEONIsM-GREAT SALES OF


PICFURES-SAI4E OF BEIRfEkS AM h0S-


SIMS EFFECTS.


IYRoM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT


PARIS March 26.-AmOng the signs Oh progress
lately mentioned the proposition submitted by Gov
eminent to the Council of State for that BODY 10
shape into bill to be presented to the Legislature,
aboisbing the law of tirrets The law applies only
70 mechanics and persons in domestic service, and
submits those two very large classes TO an excep-
tional condition. which is in fattest contradiction
with the constantly proclaimed principle of the
'Eauaty before the Law" Of all French citizens. 1t
dates from 1854 but anticipated in its worst pro-
visions by an Imperial decree of the preceding year.
The irret is a sort of passport, with which the work
man must provide himself furnished by the authori
ties countersigned by the police. and among other
Inconvenience, subecting him effectively to the
surveillance Of the police. The abolition Of this law
then surely is a sign of liberal progress But Napo-
Icons manner of progressing toward liberty is curl
ously like his first manner of suppressing It, Ills
procedure on Tuesday offers a striking example OIL
his holding fast to the personal principle While Tecog
nizing the movement of things about hlm-agalh
putting one in mind of that passenger who would
come down from the maintOp by two back stays
think have already told the sad story. The poor
man wanted to come down, and started with arms
and legs clinging right and left to the two ropes





well enough for while; then, with fatal, fast-grow
ing divergence one leg going tins way and the other
that he lost his head and hold, and fell swift and
prone downward They took up that man hfeless.


On Tuesday the Emperor assembled the Council of
State in the palace and made speech, III which he
told that delibgGtiUe body Whose members hold by
his appointment that he was of opinion they should
approve his governments proposition. 1t was quite
ike LII do Justice under the old unconstitutional


r A.. = ie hutf tO
that after he had thus expressed his opinion, Coun-
cors were permitted to utter theirs, and that three
of them presumed respectfully to differ from him.
But the remark with which Minister ROuhers sub
editor of the journal OGel follows the report of the
Imperial utterance of good pleasure provokes the
melancholy grin: after thorough discussion the
Council of State emitted the opinion that the obga-
tory quality of workmens Hrrets should be annuled'


The speech itself will have reached You before this
letter. but it is remarkable on more than one account
and will venture quotation or two as conyen-
lent text for nerited comment. Observe that the
law as it stands is of the speakers own making-for
in 1854 the acceptance of Imperial idea by Minis
ters the shaping of it into bill by the Council of
State and the sanctioning Of it law by the silent
and faithful Legislature, simply three formal
stages of predestnate process. All hands were in
the maintop together then and acted as though the
wind was never going to change, and they never ex-
pected to come down. ...


"Tbe suppression of the Lirrei8," says our reform
orator, (which Is first of all requisite as a moral
satisfaction natural right. in order to emanepate
the working class from vexatious formalities, will
complete the series of measures that place (restore
them TO their place) them on a common legal level
fNtb the rest of the population of France, and ele
vate them IN their own eyes," For fourteen years,
then His Majesty hath denied them moral satisfac-
ton deprived them Of their common right, and sub
ieeted them to degradation by class legislation!
But more remarkable than this tardy confession of |
injustice, the general spirit and special aim OF
the piece spoken of by His Majesty CHARACTERISTIC
ally perseyeTing in his deas-hs two base ideas, Of
the NapoeOnlc idea of personal imperial govern
ment as the one best suited to Franoe-and himself
and the philosophical idea Of social re-
form. each of which, as time and Occa
sion called, he has repudated or left in |
abeyance-he here again, with, clever blending |
of caution and boldness, appears as confessor OF
Socialism before bOdy1Of men bigoted against that
beresy. Partakng of the nature both of warning !
and command to his immediate hearers his speech
for this quality of it. is profession OF faith, prom


se and appeal addressed to the more thoughtful and
more vital younger portion of the nation. 1t is IN
particuar and Just at this time two months before
the elections addressed to the electors of the work
ing classes 1t is also bfaced apology to tlmld
Conservatives for having permitted the vulgar 10
take any liberties at all, and to tniid Liberals tor
ermitting them to take so few, by the June law on
public meetings In its special aim 1t is an election
eering speech-buncOmbe pure and simpe-that IS.
as pure and as simple in its attributes as essential
buncombe can be. The object is, by oetroying
right as though it were privilege, to balance, by
this generous popular concession, further restTetlon
of the popuaf eoheesson Of right OF public meetings


Three of these have been closed by assisting police
officers this week; while carefully selected and
Rarbed passages from the discourse OF tie most TOOL
ish and most violent speeches at all OF them me an


gently circulated, along with accompanying under
strokes of editorial emphasis, by the Government
press This, to- is done with special reference 10
the May elections the purpose being 70 alarm the
timid b0urgeOsie and peasant property-holdels INTO
faithful voting for Government candidates.


These meetings are sort of debating clubs. The
theme of discussion, which by the terror of the law
must be neither religious political, is submitted
10 and admitted by the Prefect Of Police three days
beforehand But the theme may be by the law, and
almost always is econOmieal-soCiaL The line
of distinction is necessarily shadowy, undefnable,
and arbitrarily drawn by the Assistant Police Com
missary when and where his fancy takes him, during
tho discussion. The audiences. far as have seen
and otherwise learn, composed in major part OF
workingmen, often accompanied with their wives
rather excitable, but on the whole good listeners
The speakers are not all good few of them pol
ished rhetoriclans some of them very violent ones
some though not large enough proportion of them
sensible, serious men. With very rare exceptions
educated and prominent men OF the Liberal party
have taken no active share in these meetings The
reason they give for their abstentOn, though hardly
satisfactory to an English reformer or an oldstyle
American AbolitiODst--to man like Ernest Jones,
- ALI -baaa French