FRANCE. 



417 



debt. The indirect revenues show a continual increase, 

 from the simple fact of the general increase of pros- 

 perity, and the condition of the empire would be flour- 

 ishing if the American war had not dried up one of the 

 most fruitful sources of our industry. The forced 

 stagnation of labor has caused in many districts an 

 amount of destitution which deserves all our solicitude, 

 and a grant will be asked from you for the support of 

 those who with resignation submit to the effects of a 

 misfortune which it is not in our power to put a stop 

 to. 



Nevertheless, I have made the attempt to send be- 

 yond the Atlantic advices inspired by a sincere sym- 

 pathy; but, the great maritime Powers not having 

 thought it advisable as yet to act in concert with me, I 

 have been obliged to postpone to a more suitable op- 

 portunity the offer of mediation, the object of which 

 was to stop the effusion of blood, and to prevent the 

 exhaustion of a countrv the future of whica cannot be 

 looked upon with indifference. 



Respecting the approaching election, the Em- 

 peror said : 



Tell your fellow citizens that I shall be always ready 

 to adopt anything in the interest of the majority, but 

 that, if they have at heart to facilitate the work that 

 has been commenced, to avoid conflict which only leads 

 to disaster, to strengthen the Constitution which is 

 their work they must send to the new Chamber men 

 who, like you, accept without reserve the present sys- 

 tem, who prefer serious deliberations to sterile discus- 

 sions ; men who, animated by the spirit of the age and 

 by a true patriotism, will, by their independent spirit, 

 enlighten the path of the Government, and who will 

 never hesitate to place above party interest the sta- 

 bility of the State, and the greatness of the country. 



The address of the Senate, in reply to the 

 speech from the throne, was discussed for only 

 two days, and adopted by all the votes save one, 

 that of Prince Napoleon. In the Assembly, 

 the discussion of the address was more pro- 

 tracted and more animated. The five mem- 

 bers, who formed the Liberal Opposition, pre- 

 sented a number of amendments which together 

 formed a political programme. M. Baroche, 

 president of the Council of State, declared in 

 the name of the Government, that the latter 

 could not renounce the official action relative to 

 candidates, but its rule would 'be to support only 

 candidates who possessed at the same time the 

 sympathies of the people. Among the most 

 brilliant speeches made on this occasion, was 

 that of Jules Favre, on the Mexican ques- 

 tion, and the reply to it by M. Billault. On 

 February 12th the address, as proposed by the 

 Committee, was adopted by all, save six votes. 



A few days before, the Assembly with entire 

 unanimity had adopted the draft of a law, open- 

 ing a credit of 5 million francs in behalf of the 

 working men in the manufacturing districts 

 which had been specially affected by the Amer- 

 ican war. In some departments the sufferings 

 of these men were very severe. In that of Seine 

 Inferienro the number of laborers who had 

 been thrown out of work was estimated at 

 130,000. Private charity cooperated with the 

 Legislature, and on Jan. 26th two million francs 

 had already been absorbed. The resignation 

 and patriotic attitude of the working men were 

 generally commended, and on May 4th the 

 Legislature voted a new credit of 1,200,000 

 francs in their behalf. 



VOL. in. 27 A 



One of the most important subjects that en- 

 gaged the attention of the Senate was a ques- 

 tion respecting the property of Arabs in Algeria. 

 A remarkable letter on this subject was ad- 

 dressed on Feb. 6th, by the Emperor to the Mar- 

 shal Governor of Algeria. The Emperor de- 

 clares that Algeria cannot properly be called a 

 colony, but an Arabian kingdom. " The na- 

 tives," he says, " have, as well as the colonists, 

 an equal claim upon my protection, and I am 

 no less Emperor of the Arabians than Emperor 

 of the French." In conclusion the Emperor 

 maintains, that it is necessary to transform into 

 definitive properties (amenable to the same 

 laws as private property) the lands possessed by 

 the Arabian tribes, Instead of claiming them 

 for the state . as successor of the Sultan, to 

 whom alone, according to Mohammedan law, 

 the fee in these lands belonged. The Senate 

 passed on April 23d a resolution ("Senatus 

 Consultum") recognizing the collective propri- 

 etorship of the tribes, by 117 votes against 2. 



According to the terms of the organic decree 

 of the Legislative Body, the list of electoral dis- 

 tricts must be revised every fifth year. Ac- 

 cording to this list, which was first drawn up 

 in February, 1852, and revised in June, 1857, the 

 number of deputies was 261 for the first quin- 

 quennial period of the empire, and 267 for the 

 second. The revision, made in December, 1862, 

 increased this number to 283. The. organs of 

 the opposition severely criticized this last re- 

 arrangement of districts, by which for instance 

 the department of the Seme (the city of Paris) 

 had the number of its deputies reduced from 

 ten to nine, although the population had con- 

 siderably increased. The Government had de- 

 cided that only the number of the registered 

 votes should be taken as a basis of representa- 

 tion, while the opposition claimed that the pop- 

 ulation entitled to voting should be the stand- 

 ard. The Senate declared in favor of the view 

 taken by the Government. 



As soon as the electoral campaign began in 

 earnest, it became apparent that many voters, 

 who in 1857 had abstained from voting, would 

 this time take part in the election. In Paris 

 two central committees of the opposition parties 

 were formed ; the one, representing the Orlean- 

 ists, Legitimists and moderate Republicans, 

 was presided over by M. de Broglie, and ap- 

 pointed a consulting committee, consisting of 

 Berry er, Dufaure, and Odillon Barrot ; the other, 

 representing the more radical Republicans of 

 1848, was presided over by Carnot. The Gov- 

 ernment forbade the candidates of the opposi- 

 tion to call themselves " Independent " candi- 

 dates, and at the same time enforced the law 

 prohibiting assemblies of more than 20 persons. 

 This last step called forth a protest, signed by 

 Dufaure, Berryer, and Marie. 



A great sensation was produced by a circu- 

 lar of the Minister Persigny, addressed to the 

 prefects, and explaining the principles which 

 the Government intended to follow at the ap- 

 proaching election. M. de Persigny, in this 



