366 



FRANCE. 



The total commerce of France, daring the 

 year 1863, was (value expressed in millions of 

 francs) : 



Imports General Commerce 



Spec! al Commerce 2,426 .4 



Exports General Commerce 8.526.4 



Special Commerce 2.662.5 



The movements of shipping during 1864 were 

 is follows : 



The merchant navy, on December 31, 1863, 

 consisted of: 



The speech of the Emperor, on receiving the 

 diplomatic corps, on January 2, 1865, did not 

 contain any remarks of prominent interest. 

 The Emperor promised to make every effort that 

 his relations with foreign powers should "be 

 ever animated by respect for right, and love of 

 peace and justice." 



The Minister of Public Worship, J. Baroche, 

 on January 1st, sent a circular to all the French 

 bishops, stating that the Papal Encyclical of 

 December 8, 1864, contained propositions con- 

 trary to the principles on which the constitu- 

 tion of the empire reposed, and that the re- 

 ception and publication of such documents 

 could not be authorized. The bishops were, 

 at the same time, requested to transmit to the 

 clergy the necessary recommendations to ab- 

 stain from observations that might lead to re- 

 grettable interpretations. A number of bishops 

 did not comply with this request, but pub- 

 lished the entire Encyclical in their dioceses. 

 The letters of several were referred by the 

 Government to the Council of State, as exceed- 

 ing the legal functions of the bishops, and the 

 French Minister in Eomo was instructed to 

 complain to the Papal Government, of two let- 

 ters addressed by the Papal Nuncio in Paris, to 

 the Bishops of Orleans and Poitiers, as constitut- 

 ing an infraction both of international law and 

 of the public law of France. The controversy 

 was subsequently settled in an amicable way. 



The French Chambers were opened by the 

 Emperor on February, 15th. The following are 

 the most important passages of his address : 



Tlie Roman Question. In the centre of Europe the 

 action of France ought to be exercised more reso- 



lutely. I wish to render possible the solution of a 

 difficult problem. The Convention of 15th Septem- 

 ber, disentangled from passionate interpretations, 

 consecrates two great principles the strengthening 

 of the new kingdom of Italy and the independence 

 of the Holy See. The provisional and precarious 

 state which excited so many alarms is about to dis- 

 appear. It is no longer separate members of the 

 Italian country seeking to be united, by feeble bonds, 

 to a little state at the foot of the Alps ; it is a great 

 country, which, elevating itself above local preju- 

 dices, and scorning thoughtless impulses, boldly 

 transports its capital to the heart of the Peninsula, 

 and places it in trie midst of the Apennines as in an 

 impregnable citadel. By that act of patriotism Italy 

 constitutes herself definitively, and, at the same 

 time, reconciles herself with Catholicity. She en- 

 gages to respect the independence of the Holy See. 

 to protect the frontiers of the Roman States, and 

 thus permits us to withdraw our troops. The Pon- 

 tifical territory, efficaciously guaranteed, is placed 

 under the safeguard of a treaty, which solemnly 

 binds the two Governments. The Convention is not 

 then an arm of war, but a work of peace and concili- 

 ation. 



Algeria,. In Africa, a sudd_en insurrection has 

 intervened to trouble the security of our possessions, 

 and show how ignorant certain tribes still are both 

 of our force and our benevolent intentions. It is at 



the moment when, by a spirit of generous justic 



property of the soil to the Arab 



tice, we 



were assuring the pro 



population ; when, by liberal measures, we attempted 

 to make that abused people comprehend that, far 

 from oppressing, we wish to call it to the benefit of 

 civilization it is at that moment, I say, that, misled 

 by religious fanaticism, the neighboring Arabs of the 

 desert raised the standard of revolt. In spite of the 

 difficulties of the places and the severity of the 

 weather, our army, conducted with ability, soon gave 

 an account of the insurrection ; and, after the com- 

 bat, no bloody repression, no useless severity sad- 

 dened the victory. The zeal of the experienced 

 chief placed at the head of Algeria, the unity of the 

 restored command, the declaration of the generous 

 designs of France, every thing will concur, I hope, to 

 prevent the return of the like disorders. 



Religion and Public Instruction. Religion and 

 public instruction are the objects of my constant pre- 

 occupation. All the forms of worship enjoy an equal 

 liberty. The Catholic clergy exercises, even beyond 

 its own ministry, a legitimate influence. By the law 

 of instruction it gives its concurrence in the educa- 

 tion of youth ; by the electoral law it may enter the 

 public councils ; by the constitution it has a seat in 

 the Senate. But the more we surround it with con- 

 sideration and deference the more we count upon its 

 respecting the fundamental laws of the State. It is 

 my duty to maintain intact the rights of the civil 

 power, which since St. Louis no sovereign of France 

 Las ever abandoned. The development of public in- 

 struction deserves your care. In the country of uni- 

 versal suffrage every citizen ought to be able to read 

 and write. A project of law will be presented to you 

 still further to disseminate primary instruction. 



Agriculture and Commerce. It is thus that we 

 shall be able to remove the partial distress under 

 which agriculture suffers. Some attribute this dis- 

 tress to the suppression of the sliding scale. They 

 forget that in 1851, when the sliding scale still ex- 

 isted, the price of corn was considerably lower, and 

 that this year even exportations of grain exceed 

 greatly the importations. It is, on the contrary, due 

 to a liberal legislation, due to the impulse given to 

 all the elements of national wealth, that our forriirn 

 commerce, which in 1851 amounted to 2,614,000,0001., 

 amounts to-day to the prodigious figure of more 

 than 7,000,000,qOOf. 



Individual Liberty. Passing to another order of 

 ideas, measures will be proposed to you which will 

 have for their object to increase the guarantees of 



