POLITICAL FEELING IN FRANCE. [From the Britannia.]

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume V, Issue 360, 13 January 1849, Page 4

POLITICAL FEELING IN FRANCE. [From the Britannia.]

I have not seen it stated in any one of the London papers that General Cavaignac has declared that he has no present intention of putting an end to the state of siege. I am, however, assured hy a representative of the people that he so stated in a committee of the Assembly a few days ago, adding, that as many reasons at present exist for maintaining it as there did for first proclaiming it. This fact is of great gravity. By showing that "the snake" of insurrection "is scotched, not killed,' 1 it proves the correctness of the view of the real state of things here which I have taken in my correspondence with you. From all I bear it seems certain that the Government looks forward with great anxiety, not to say dread, to the coming winter. And well it may ; for the greater part of the few workmen at present employed will then be thrown out of employ. Under Louis Philippe the winter always excited alarm, owing to the distress occasioned among the working class by the suspension of labour ; but in his days the people had savings to fall back on ; whereas now they have none — spring, summer, and autumn haviag afforded scarcely any labour at all. Moreover, in the old King's time the people were cowed hy the remembrance of many defeats, and by the constant presence of an over whelming armed force ; whereas now they know that their force is almost irresistible, February having proved it, and the insurrection of June, though unsuccessful, not having weakened it. But, alas ! who can say that an outbreak will not occur before winter comes ? As some of the journals continue to brag of an improvement having taken place in trade, I have been at the trouble of making fresh inquiries on the subject. The result of them is that the journals speak falsely. All shopkeepers shake their heads more dolefully than before, and say that trade is rather worse than belter ; and as every day the streets present a greater number of closed shops, there is no doubt they speak the truth. The restaurants and cafes become more thinly attended every dty, as the habitues of them perceive. For instance, the restaurant in which I dine almost daily used to be constantly frequented by about fifty persons ; now, the waiters tell me, they think themselves lucky to have ten. Hotel keepers are in despair, their houses, after being empty for months, being empty still, and, what is more, almost certain to remain so. Altogether, things are in as woful a state as' they ever were, and that is saying a great deal. Every day the anti-Republican feeling is becoming stronger and bolder. Just after the days of February every man was a Republican, and to believe him, had been all his life, though he never said so before ; but now it is not altogether prudent to profess Republicanism, it being pretty certain to call forth a stern denunciation, and at times even offensive observations. The newspapers which under the Provisional Government were obliged to swallow every attack on the defunct monarchy and even to echo it, now bristle up when they hear the monarchy abused, and they threaten to attack the Republic. Pamphlets sneering at the Republic appear every day, and a work is at this moment placarded on the walls entitled "A Republic Impossible at Paris." Three months ago the publisher who should have dared to have brought out such a work would have had his shop pillaged, and perhaps himself have had the honour of being tied by the neck to the nearest lamppost. There is a talk of an adjournment of the Assembly for a month, being intended to enable the representatives to have a holiday before beginning the discussion of the constitution. What is the use of taking the trouble of raising up a constitution at all ? It cannot possibly last. No assurance office would be safe in effecting an assurance either on the Republic or the constitution for so short a period as three months. M. Marrast, President of the National Assembly, has been giving a grand concert, has been taking boxes at the theatres, is to give a grand ball, &c. His hope is that bis example will be followed, and that Paris will be induced to resume Its usual gaiety, But it is a rain hope. The Parisians have do inclina-

lion for festivities, and no means of indulging them if they had. M. de Lamartine is beginning to recover from the discouragement into which the events of June, and especially his sudden and rather contemptuous dismissal by the Assembly threw him. He has reopened his saloons for his customary weekly receptions ; but, though tolerably well attended, they are by no means so crowded as they used to be. Ugly rumours of his pecuniary embarrassments having lately become very troublssome to him are afloat. When he was in power people were willing to wait ; but now — 1 "Ah," said he the other day to a friend, " how happy a man must be who is not obliged to live at the rate of £2000 a year more than his income ; and how particularly happy must he be who has not been obliged to do that for years."