FRANCE.

Otago Witness, Issue 59, 3 July 1852, Page 4

FRANCE.

(From the European Titnes, Feb. li.J ' The " Moniteur" of Sunday publishes a decree by which the decree of the Provisional Government, dated the 29th of February 1848, abolishing the ancient titles of. nobility, is repealed. It also publishes a decree opening two credits to the ministers of public works ; one of 2,950,000f. on the estimates of 1852, in the room of an equal sum remaining unemployed from 1851, of which 1,320,000f. is for the junction line round Paris, and 1,830,000f.*f0r the railway from Lyons to Avignon ; the other of 3,000,000f. on the estimates for 1852, for the execution of the works of that part of the Western Railway between La Mans and Layal. This credit is to be taken from the installment paid into the treasury on the 15th Aug. 1851, by the company which obtained the grant of the line, and chargeable on the fund of 50,000,000f. created by the law of June 21, 1846.

The " Moniteur" of Monday publishes the decree for the organization of the Council of State, together with the names of the new councillors, ' maitres dcs requett^s,' and auditors. The President of the Republic is President of the Council of State ; M. Baroche is Vice-President; and MM. Maillard, Rouher, Delangle, De Parieu, Magne, and Leblanc are the Presidents of sections. There are 34 councillors^of State, 40 'maitres dcs requettes/'and 31 auditors.

The Ministry is now definitely constituted as follows : — MM. Abbatuecci, Justice ; De Persigny, Interior, Agriculture, and Commerce ; Bineau, Finances ; De Saint Arnaud, War ; Ducos, Marine ; Turgot, Foreign Affairs ; Fortoul, Public Instruction and Worship ; De Maupas, Police ; Casabianca, State ; Lefebvre Duruffle. Public Works. The " Moniteur" announces that Government will not require exceptional measures to maintain tranquillity.

The batons of the Marshals of France, which are so much envied, are formed of a round piece of deal, 30 centimetres in length, and from 4 to 5 centimetres in diameter, covered with velvet, with gold stars, and a gold ornament at each end, on which are engraved the words, " Terror belli decus pacis." According to the ordonnance of Aug. 10, 1536, the marshals carry no other arms but this baton as a sign of their superior command, a sword, and a brace of pistols. Seventy-two Senators have been nominated.

The French" fleet has returned to Toulon.

The following are the salaries of the members of the Council of State : — Vice-President, 80,000f. Presidents of Sections, each 35,000f. The Councillors of State, 25,000f. Masters of Requests, Ist class, 10,000f. ; 2nd class, 6000f. Auditors, Ist class, 2000f. ; 2nd class, no salary. Secretary-General of the Council, 21,000f.

The Paris correspondent of the " Morning Chronicle" says —

Besides the above 72 senators, all marshals of France and cardinals, who are Frenchmen and members of the episcopal bench in France, are 'ex officio' senators. The list published today contains IS generals, 3 \ ice-admirals, 14 ex-ministers, and o judges ; the rest are expeers of France and ex-representatives. It is remarked, however, that among them there is not one who has rendered himself illustrious as a statesman, or whose name would be looked for in such a body. The whole of the really great men — the men of influence with the country — have declined the ' honneur.' There is not a single representative of the Church party nor a single Legitimist of name among them.

Along with the reign of Louis Napoleon the reign of ' mouchards' and police spies has been inaugurated. Denunciation is the order of the day. Day after day families are ordered to close their ' salons,' or receive hints that they are to be allowed to receive company only on condition of not allowing political conversation. A gentleman, who a v few days ago was about to give a party, thought it prudent to give notice of his intention to the police, upon which he was informed that some agents would be sent. He remonstrated against having spies on his friends in his house, upon which he was ordered to' give in a list of his guests. He did so, upon which the commissary of police said it was all right, for he found that three of his secret agents were among them. Such is the system under which we live !

I understand that nothing has yet been done by the Government to carry the decrees against the Orleans possessions into execution. In the meantime the executors and trustees under the deeds of settlement executed by Louis Phillipe have drawn up a protest against the decree of confiscation, and are about to publish it. Marshal Gerard has written a most indignant letter to the President in reference to the measures taken against the Orleans family, and declaring that he would not disgrace himself by accepting a seat in the Senate or any other dignity under a Government guilty of so atrocious an act of injustice. The Duke de Pasquier, on learning that the estates ■were not only sequestrated, but

confiscated, wrote to, the President to say that he would never have entered the Elys6e if he had been aware of the atrocity about to be committed ; and that he would henceforth avoid all communication -with such a Government. Besides these symptoms of disapprobation, I understand that a meeting of the greatest lawyers in France was held two days ago, at which M. Berryer, M. Odillon Barrot, and others were present, when a formal protest was entered into against' the confiscation of the Orleans property ; and M. Odillon Barrot declared that for his own part, though he had retired from the bar, he was willing to return once more, for the sole purpose of pleading the cause of that family. M. Berryer also declared that he was prepared to undertake the case.

It is rumoured that Louis Napoleon threatens to confiscate the property of^ M. Duvergier de Hauranne. It appears that M. Duvergier de Hauranne has 200,000f. a year, aud that he is kind to his fellow-exiles. Ue has a large house in Brussels, where he has the bad habit of being hospitable to his brethren in misfortune. Louis Napoleon has suddenly discovered that £8000 a year is too much money for a person under proscription, and threatens to confiscate it under pretence that the money is put to bad purposes, that it is employed for the purpose of getting up a conspiracy.

It is said that the President of the Republic is fully determined to abolish the Octrois, and in order to make up for the diminished revenue, to lay on a heavy and graduated property tax, which will fall with great severity on the rich.

The King of the Belgians, as the husband of a daughter of Louis Phillipe, has entered a protest against the confiscation of the property of the house of Orleans. It is thought that similar protests will be sent by Spain, Naples, the Brazils, and Sax-Coburg Gotha.

The news received from the departments are very sad. Every day adds to the number of persons arrested in the south of France. The prisons are crowded to excess. M. Lepelletier d'Aulnay, the president of the Court of Appeal, stated yesterday that at the present moment there were upwards of 30,000 persons in prison in France for political offences. It is to be feared that Cayenne will not do its work with sufficient rapidity. Hints begin to* be given that the law which abolished death has fallen with the constitution.

Accounts from Paris to Thursday evening state that Prince Jerome Bonaparte, field marshal of France, is nominated president of the senate. The Council will immediately begin its functions. The consultative commission is dissolved. The question of the domain of the house of Orleans will not be laid before the senate and legislative body.

Letters from Marseilles state that the number of the arrested is so great that the cultivation of the fields is left neglected. The greater part of the insurgents were field labourers, who were generally employed in the heaviest work, and whom it is difficult to replace. In many places the olives rot on the trees for want of hands to collect them. 2000 political transports will be shipped in a few days for Algeria.

A letter from Toulon of the 28th ult. states, that in consequence of a Ministerial despatch, which leads to a belief that it is the intention of the Government to suppress the galleys, each convict was asked separately whether he would consent to be transported to Cayenne. Nearly 1800. or about one-half the total number, answered in the affirmative. It is proposed to form them into agricultural colonies. The convicts are to be chosen from among those who have net merited punishment during their residence at the galleys, and who have not attempted to escape. Fort Lamalgue was so crowded with political prisoners that it became necessary to transfer 100 of them on board the ship of war Le Genereux. Three hundred more were to follow them. Every day numerous detachments of political prisoners were arriving at Toulon from the neighbouring arrondissements. On the 26th several domicilary visits were made at Collobrie'res and Cuers, and the inhabitants arrested. Forty-two political prisoners arrived at Toulon on the 28th January. They are mostly shopkeepers and operatives.

The Electoral Law was published on Tuesday. Each department is to return one deputy for every 30,000 electors, and one more if the number exceeds 35,000. The suffrage is direct and universal, and the ' scrutin' secret. All Frenchmen of 21 years of age, in possession of civil and political rights, are electors; and all electors of 25 years of age are eligible. A special law wilt regulate the mode of voting the army for the election of the President. The number of Deputies is 'to be 261. The Electoral College will meet on Sunday, or a festival day if possible. No armed force can, without the authority of the Electoral College, be present at the sittings, or near the place where the

Assembly meets. The Electoral Colleges are convened for 29th February. .

The Paris correspondent of the " Times" says, " I have already alluded to the intention of the leading members of the Parliament to protest against the illegal decrees of confiscation of the property of the Orleans family. I am assured that, so far from abandoning that intention, those gentlemen are more than ever determined to persevere, and we are assured they will be backed by thousands t>f signatures in their demand that the legality of these decrees shall be submitted to the tribunals. Yet it cannot be perceived that much hope is entertained of the result being favourable. It is not here alone that the public feeling is hostile to these decrees. In Spain also great discontent has been produced by an act which affects the property of the Queen of Spain. A portion of the dower of the Infanta, Duchess of Montpensier, had been hwested in forest land in France ; and if the sale of that property be pressed within the time specified the loss will be great. In, fact, with very few exceptions, the Spanish papers are indignant at the measure."

The " Moniteur" announces that the Prince President has received by the hands of Mr. Jerningham, Charge d' Affaires, the answer of the Queen of England to the letters of notification respecting the new powers confided by the French nation to the Prince, and also a reply of the King of the Belgians, presented by M. Roiger, his Envoy-Extraordinary.

The speeches of the Earl of Derby and Lord John Russell, censuring the virulence of a portion of the English press against the French Government, gave great satisfaction.

The " Moniteur" says, " The Prince President has received from the Queen of Spain, the King of the Low Countries, and the King of Bavaria, replies to the letters of notification of the new powers conferred on him by the French nation."

The Paris correspondent of the " Daily News" says, " There is established in the department of the censorship of the press a particular bureau for the examination of the "English papers, and expert lawyers are employed to read the London journals, with the object of discovering calumnious news, upon which a trial for libel may be instituted before the British courts of law."