434 Notes of the Month on QOcT. 



duce as an irrefragable rebuke to the first coxcomb who attempted to 

 dispute the wisdom of our proceedings. But there are classes of 

 absenteeism of another complexion. The following is a statement of the 

 number of English now residing in France, according to the returns 

 made by the different Police Authorities to the Prefect de Police at 

 Paris:— Paris, 14,500; Versailles, 2,080; St. Germain, 150; Tours, 

 2,795; Bourdeaux, 965; Bareges, 80; Montpelier, 300; Marseilles, 

 120; Lyons, GO; Fontainbleau, 30 ; St. Quintin, 200; Dunkerque, 500; 

 St. Omer, 700; Boulogne (sur mer), (i,800 ; Calais, 4,550; and in 

 various other parts of France about 1.8fi5; making a total of 35,695. 

 Of this number 6,680 are mechanics. Their whole annual expenditure 

 is, on the very lowest calculation, estimated at 95,885,500 francs, or 

 3,835,420 pounds sterling. 



So much for France. But we have besides these 35,000, the multitude 

 scattered through the Netherlands, Switzerland, Germany, Italj-, at least as 

 many more. And those (50,000 spend on the lowest average, between five 

 and six millions a-year, drawn from the property of England, and scattered 

 upon foreigners; with the gratifying recollection that they are scattered 

 upon the very worst, most rapacious, and most insolent set among those 

 foreigners, the inn-keepers and lodging-letters of every description ; a 

 race who actually count us among their rents, plunder us to our faces, 

 and then sacre us through the eternal smoke of the vilest tobacco, to the 

 bottom of their souls. 



To starve this whole licensed banditti would be our supreme delight, 

 and a single year of closing the continent against our foohsh hunters for 

 cheap living would exterminate tTiem, like flies in the first frost. The 

 wretciies must then cheat no more, which would be double death to them ; 

 and before the year was out we should have the whole tribe of the Desseins 

 devouring each other, a revolt among: the jack-boots, and a general over- 

 throw and fugitation of Lions d'or. Swans argent, and blue bears, from 

 Calais to Constantinople. , Amongst those absentees we see no fewer 

 than five thousand half-pay officers. What is the Horseguards about, 

 while those heroes are spending the government money in this gallant 

 style.'' Every soul of them should be ordei'ed back instantly or 

 cashiered. As to cheap living, if it is that which they require, they 

 might find it as easily in any of our inland counties as in France. De- 

 von or Cornwall, if they must waste as much money on journeying so 

 far as they can, are far enough from London to satisfy an explorer of 

 tei-ra incognita. But they might make their abode in any country town 

 of England on better terms than in any village, burgh, town, or city of 

 France. As for the effect of this foreign sojourn on tlieir character, the 

 less that is said the better. It makes them unfit for all purposes of so- 

 ciety. The spirit of foreign life is lounging, hcentiousness, gambling; 

 meanness, swindling, and infidelity; and six months of the yawning 

 listlessness of a foreign town is enough to stain the heart and imbrute 

 the understanding of the whole five thousand. 



We have no doubt that in the present state of affairs the piety and 

 purity of the Cabinet will be communicated to the Church, and that the 

 mitre will be suffered to drop on no head suspected of baseness or luke- 

 warmness. The Chancellor will take due precaution that no " husband 

 of more than one wife," shall wear the lawn. ]\Ir. Peel will provide that 

 the candidate shall be " faithful in word and deed" — Mr. Goulburn that 

 he have a " good report of all men" — Lord Melville that " he be given 

 to hospitality" — Mr. Herries that " he be not given to filthy lucre," and 

 his Highness the Dictiitor, that " he be no brawler, nor lord it over the 



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