FRANCE.

New Zealander, Volume 4, Issue 233, 23 August 1848, Page 3

FRANCE.

A very violent scene took place in the council of the Provisional Government on Hie 1 Hh Much In the course of their delibeiaiiom, a proposition was made bv M. Ltdru Ro) in, which, not being approvi-d of by his colU-anties was i ejected. Upon this M. LedruRollin UmatTied tint if his proposit.ons were r«t agreed to, he would call in the people a sembled in the court, and force the Governmmtto accede to it. Mr. Gamier Pages upon this, immediately rose, and drawing a pistol from his pocket, declared that if M. Ledru-llollin attempted to put his threat into execution he would shoot him through the heal ! The iiffaii vrent no further, but when such scenes take place in thr council, it c«nnot be ex| ected that the members of the Government will woik long together. M. Ledru Roll n has raised a storm against the Provmonal Government by the publication (if the foU lowing Ciiculai of ltutruciions to the commisMoneis who had been sent to com| lete the v\oik of revolution in the departments. Ihe ciiculfii which has reached you, and which has lieen published, tiacud out your duties. It is, however important i hat I enter wi h you into some details, and that 1 sUte more clearly what I expect from your patriotism, now that by your caie the Republic is proclaimed. Fiom several depaitmeiits demands have been sent in to me, inquiring what your powers aie. 'Ihe Minister of War has been in some anxiety in what touches your lelations with the miliiary leadeis. Several amongst you desire to be informed as to the line of conduct which you ought to iollow with respect to the law functional ies; finally, the National Guard md the elections, particularly the latter, ought to be the object o f your constant attention. 1. What are your powers? — They are unlimited. Agent of a revolutionary authority, you are revolutionary also. The victory of the people has imposed on you the duty of getting your work pioclaitned and consolidated. For the accomplishment of that task you aie invested with its sovereignly ; you take ordon only from your conscience ; you are to act as circumstances may demand for the public safety. Thanks to our state of public morals, that mission is not a very terrible one. Hitherto you have not had to break down any serious resistance, and you have been able to remain calm in your force ; you must not, however, deceive yourself as to the state of the country. Republican sentiments ought to be strongly forwarded there, and for that purpose all political iuncuons must be allotted to men sure, and of Republican principles. Everywhere the perfects and sub-perfects ought to be changed. In some localities their continuance in office is demanded; it is your duty to make the population perceive that those persons who seived a powei each act of which was a corruption cannot be preserved. Ihe nomination of sub-commissioners to replace those functionaries belongs to you ; and you can refer to me whenever you feel any hesitation. Choose in preference men belongiug to the chief town. You are not to take them in the arrondisseraent itself, unless you know them to be perfectly iiee from all spirit of coterie. Do not set young men aside, as ardour and generosity aie the privilege of that age, and the Republic has need of those fine qualities. You must also provide ior the replacement of mayors and their deputies. You will appoint them provisionally, investing them with the ordinary power. If the municipal councils are hostile, you will dissolve them, and, in concert with the mayors, you will nominate a provisional municipality ; but you will not have recourse to that measure except in cases of |rigorous necessity. lam of opinion that the great majoiity of the municipal councils may be preserved by placing at their head new leadeis. 2. Your Relations with the Officers in Command of the troops. — You are exercising the powers of the Executive authority, so that ihe armed foret is under your orders. You can call it out, and put it in movement ; you can in grave cases suspend a commanding officer, referring the case immediately to me. But you ouijht to show the greatest caution in this part of your functions. All that on your part inieht offend the just Busceptabilities of the officers or soldiers would be an inexcusable fault. I undo stand that in several departments the commissioner have not at once established a

bond between them and the military authorities. lam astonished at that, and I recommend you not to sin against these simple lules of good policy and piopnety. The army in the late events showed a lively sympathy for the Republican cause, and it must be attached to it more and more. It is of the people as we are, audit is the first barrier that would be opposed to an invasion. It is about to enter foi the fust time on the possession of its political rights. Tnerciuie, honour it, and do what you can to obtain the good wishes of those who command it. Do not iorget ihat jour powers do not extend to the icgulations of discipline ; they may be summed up in these two wouls — to make use ot the military foice, audio gain it over by marks of esteem and cordiality. 3.~Your Relations with the Law Functionaries. — These magistrates depend on the Executive authority, only in the cirelr piecisely tiaced out by the law. You will demand from the law officers a devoted co-opeia-tion,|and wherever you do not h'nd it you will inform me; at the same time mentioning some pcisons as are remarkable for their probity and firmness. I shall communicate the same to the Ministiy of Justice. As to the law officers, who are immovable, you will keep a close eye on them, and, if any of the members should exhibit public maiks of hostility, you m.iy use the right of suspending, which your sovereign authoriry confers on you. 4. National Guard.— You will receive fiom me detailed instructions on the oiganization of the civil force. I have endeavoured to provide against all the difficulties you may meet with. Those which aiiscirom local and unfoiscen obsticles must be sin mounted by your patriotism. In proceeding to the elections you will conform yourself to the decrees of Government — that is to say, that, in derogatiyn of the law of 1831, you will cause to be named all the officers, without exception, by the National Guard, commencing by the superior ranks You will carefully watch over the action of the subcommissaiies and of the municipalities, and will oblige them to render you an exact account of their oper itions. , 5. The Elections. — The elections arc your great work; they will prove the salva ion of your conn'ry. It is on the composition of the Assembly tint our destinies depend It must be animated by a revolutionaiy spint ; if not we shall go on to civil war and anarchy On tlus subject, put yourself on your guaid against the intrigues of double-faced men, who, alter having served loyalty, call themselves seivants of the people. Those will deceive you, and you must lefuse them your supper. Let your mot c.'.irdrc be " New men," and, as much as possible, from the janks of the people. The working classes, who foim the living stiength of the nation, Miould choose from amonest them men recommended by their intelligence, their morality, aud their devoteduess ; united to the elite of thinking men, they will bring force upon the discussion of all great questions which will be agitated under the authority of their piaetical experience- They will continue the revolution, and they will limit it within the bounds of possibility and reason. Without them, it will be led away in vain Utopian ideas, when it wiU be stifled under the cffbits of'a retrogiade faction. Enlighten the electors, and icpeat to them incessantly that the reign of the men of the monarchy is finished. You comprehend how great is your task. The education oi the country is not complete ; it is for you to guide it. Cause on Jill points oi your depaitment the meeting of electoial committees, examine closely the qualifications of the candid itcs, and stop at those only who appear lv piesent the stiongest guaianlees of Republican opinion, and the gicatest chance of success. No eonipiom ses, no complaisance. Let the day of eleotion be the triumph oi the l evolution. Leuru Rolmn. The appearance of Ibis document excited the utmost alarm and indignation. The fust effect was lelt in a decline of the public securities pi oduced by the consternation ol tlie middle classes. Another consequence of the' 1 cuculdi " was the lcsignatiou of a large numbei of public luiutionaries, who weie outraged by the position in which it had placed them. M. Lediu Kollin also contrived to bring about a collision between the National Guaid and the Government by a decioe for abolishing the companies '" d' elite " The. grenadier and the light infantiy companies of the National Guard have always been moie or less objects of jealousy of the iellow-soldieis in '.he centie companies. One of the late orders ef the Minister of the lnteiior, which has suggested appichf-nsion to the moderate and peaceable, oideied the dissolution ot these companies " dclne," as their opponents call them, and the fusion of the gionadiers and light infantry with the centre companies This measure, which had a moie serious motive than that which might appear, has ere • ated much dissatisfaction among the citizen soldiers. 'I hey saw in it, not merely a desire to place all the National Guards, whatever their station or corporeal proportions, on an equality, but a design to prevent the re-election of the officers by the private soldieisof each company respectively, as, generally speaking, the officers were popular with their men, and lather Conseivative than the contrary. To defeat the hopes entertained that the majority of the officers to be now chosen would be Conservatives, the Minister conceived the idea of breaking up the elite companies, and of mixing into onc,bodyallthe National Guards,who would elect so many lieutenants and so many captains from the mass— a mode of proceeding which it was expected would render difficult or impossible the choice of men on account of any meritorious quality.* The National Guard resolved to resist this attempt to throw the election of their officers into the hands of the populace. Protests have been accordingly signed by many thou(•auds of the most respectable citizens. Evoiy legion lias thus expressed its sense of the proceeding, and evinced its resolution to resist it. The despatches of VVbdnesday mention that on the previous evening, stormy meetings of the National Guaids had taken place for the purpose of electing officers. Much dissatisfaction had aiisen among the older members of that corps at the swamping ot distinctions by the new mode of levying. The menacing tone of the Republican journals and party gave rise to apprehensions unfavourable to the public tianquillity. The Provisional Government is said to have come to a resolution which the effect produced by the late circular of the Minister of the Interior was held imperiously to call for— namely, that no ciicular of importance shall in future be issued by any member of the government, withont having previously submitted it to, anu obtained the approbation of, his colleagues. At a late hour on Wednesday night, it was resolved i that the National Guards should go in a body on Thursday, in uniform, but unarmed, to the Hotel de Ville, to lay their solemn protest before the Government, and to demand the immediate revocation oi the decree. Thursday was a day of great excitement in Paris. The grenadiers and light companies of the National Guards went en masse to ihe Hotel de Ville, to protest against the order given by the Piovisional Government, that the grenadier and light companies should be dis" solved, and that the troops forming them should be embodied in the other companies. Great crowds of the people assembled, and the grenadiers were hooted occasionally, but no collision took place. On arriving at the Hotel de Ville, an emjjloye of the Government appeared, and informed the National Gimds that the Government had icsolved that the order of which they

complained should not be canied.into effcct,|.ind that the companies should not be bioken up, but should form the nucleus ol'largev companies, which became neccs. saiy in consequence of the increased number o( citizens I who, since the revolution, had inscribed themselves in the National Guards. At the same time they weio informed that the delegates of the National Guards would be iceeivcd by the Provision.il Government at four o'c'ock. This declaration being consideied satisfactory, the whole of the companies lttired, and fortunately the public peace was not bioken. The number of National Guards present was between four and five thousand. A letter written from I'aiis on Thursday afternoon says : — " The Piovisional Government have yielded to th(* lemonstiances ol the National Guards, and the news has pioduced an excellent efitct at the iiour.se- and throughout (he city. It appears, however, tllat a disposition was shown in some places, if not to molest, at least to tlnow impediments in ihe way of the National Guai ds who were going to join ihe deputation,} an idea having q it amopg the people that the Nationa Gunids want to keep up a certain quasi aristocratic organization out of harmony with the new order of things. The National Gunds, by their f'umncss and determination, howevei, have can ied then point, and given a new sming to public confidence." This demons! lation of coinage and of force by the National CJmrd of I'ans must be viewed, as piobable it was intended to be — if not a defhnco — <m admonitio to t he l.ommunihts and o'hor Exalts, that the National Guards will protect public and private liberty and pioperty.

Asd-hl-Kadeu. — The Piovisional Government has teceived a letter from Abd-«l-Kader, dated the 15th, from which we extract the Col lowing passages:—" Citizen Oliver, jour delegate, came to me jesierdav, and informed me that the Fieuch aie now all united for one scle ohjeel, and have abolished royalty in order that Fiance may be governed by the republic. I was rejoiced to hear tins, because 1 have lead in books that such a state of things is pioper for nations, as it destroys injustice, and prevents the strong ft orn oppiessing the weak, and that consequently, all become brotheis" Alluding to his own position, he sa^s:— "l demanded of General Larnoiiciere, to have me convened to -lle\an* diia, in older that I might proceed fioin that place to Mecca and Medina, and for this I asked for his woid as a Frenchman. This he gave me in a letter in Aiabic, which be signed in French When this letter reached mp, and in the conviction that the word of the Fiench was sacied, I surreiidered to him. If he had said, ' I cannot promise what jou ask,' 1 should not have surrendered. I felt certain that the word of the French was solid, even if given by a private soldier. Things are noiv changed, and this conviction has vanished. I supplicate >ou to do me justice, and tiansfoim my sadness into joy and Happiness. I lear that some of jou may think that I should i etui n to Algeria and revive tioubles. Thib is impossible, and can never happen. L»o not doubt what I say on tint subject any more than )ou would doubt if 1 were dead, for I place injself among the number of the dead. Mysolcdebiie is to go to Mecca and Medina, there to study and adore God to my last hour." — Galignain