civil war by arming the citizens against each other."
The sentences were—transportation for Alphonse Gent
and six others; periods of detention falling from fifteen
years to five years, against Montegut, H. Delescluze,
Borel, and seventeen others; imprisonment for shorter
periods, with fines, for the rest. Pasta and eleven others
were acquitted. As the sentences were delivered, a shout
of "Vive la République!" was raised in the prison.
In the vicinity of the court large crowds were assembled;
but the great military demonstrations were sufficient to
secure tranquillity, even if any breach of it had been
contemplated.

Many arrests have taken place on suspicion of plots
against the government. On the 3rd inst. fifty persons
were arrested in the quarters St. Honoré, St. Martin,
and St. Marceau. Among the persons seized, was M.
Dalican, the conductor of the  "Voix du Proscrit," at
the office of the paper, in the Rue Montmartre. The
arrests, it it said, amounted in all to several hundreds;
but the greater number were afterwards liberated,
including the conductor of the "Proscrit."

On the 9th, a great sensation was excited by the
appearance in the " Moniteur," of an ordinance of the
Prefect of police; whereby, "considering that a certain
number of foreigners, abusing the hospitality vouchsafed
to them in France, engage in culpable manœuvres
against the internal and external safety of the state,
&c.," it is ordered, "That every foreigner arriving
within the department of the Seine for the purpose
of residing there, or exercising any profession or calling,
shall be bound to present himself, within three
days after his arrival, at the Prefecture of police, to
obtain permission to remain;" and that "foreigners
at present residing in Paris shall appear" within a
delay of a week at the Prefecture of the police, there
to regularise their position: but foreigners "travelling
for their pleasure or business without any intention
to reside" shall not be subject to these regulations, "if
provided with a passport from their government,
regularly visé." In consequence of this edict, a great
number of foreigners, who had resided in Paris for the
last two or three years, have left precipitately. The
government has transmitted very precise orders to the
different authorities in the departments for those
fugitives to be placed under a special surveillance. It is
stated that the order of the Prefect of police will be
extended in its operation throughout all the departments
of France.

The Councils-General have now all declared
themselves on the question of Revision. Forty-eight have
simply expressed a wish that the Constitution be
revised, conformably to Article 111—which requires the
impossibility of a majority of four-fifths of the Assembly
in favour of the revision. Seventeen wished for the
pure and simple revision. Six have demanded the
revision as promptly as possible. Three have refused to
express any opinion. Six demanded the abolition of
Article 45—making the existing President ineligible.
One demanded that the Constitution be revised so as to
strengthen republican institutions; and one demanded
the same thing, that France might return to traditional
and hereditary monarchy. In a number of instances
the decision was that of a bare majority over a large
minority; and in many instances the mass of the council
"abstained from the question," as beyond the legal
competency of their body; but several of those which
at first abstained from expressing an opinion, have since
passed resolutions in favour of revision.

The ceremony of Laying the Foundation Stone of the
central market-places of Paris took place on the 15th.
An enormous crowd thronged all the streets in the
neighbourhood of St. Eustache; and all windows,
balconies, and roofs looking on the site of the projected
buildings swarmed with spectators. The instant the
helmets of the escort of carabineers were descried a
murmur arose, which soon swelled into cries of various
political import, some giving uproarious vivats for the
President, and others equally vigorous shouts in favour
of the republic. On the whole, however, Louis Napoleon
had reason to be satisfied with his reception. The
President and his staff having arrived in front of the
church, a procession of the clergy issued from the door
to perform the religious part of the ceremony. The
curate of St. Eustache having delivered an appropriate
discourse, the Prefect of the Seine made a speech, to
which the President replied at some length, saying in
conclusion:—"In laying this first stone of an edifice of
which the destination is so eminently popular, I deliver
myself with confidence to the hope that, with the
support of good citizens, and with the protection of Heaven,
it will be given to us to lay upon the soil of France
some foundations whereupon will be erected a social
edifice sufficiently solid to offer a shelter against the
violence and mobility of human passions." After the
ceremony was finished, the President returned along
the quay of the Tuileries in an open caleche, escorted by
a strong detachment of cuirassiers. As he passed before
the gate of the Carrousal he was assailed with stunning
cries of "Vive la République!" from a large crowd,
who had assembled there apparently for that purpose.
Two of these republicans were arrested on the spot,
and conducted to the prefecture of police. A body of
the "Dames de la Halle," or market-women, attended
to present bouquets to the President, and begged to
be permitted to pay their respects to him at the Elysée.
The request was granted, and next morning was fixed
for the interview, which took place accordingly, and the
scene was highly characteristic. A deputation of not
less than 300—the flower of the female merchants in
fruit and vegetables of the faubourgs—dressed in their
utmost finery, claimed the performance of the promise.
They were received by the orderly officers in attendance,
and conducted through the saloons of the palace, and
into the gardens, where they enjoyed themselves for
some time. Refreshments were then laid out in the
dining-room, and they were invited to partake of the
President's hospitality. The champagne was passing
round pretty freely when the President entered. They
received him with acclamations of " Vive Napoléon!"
The President, after the usual salutations, took a glass
of wine and proposed the toast, "A la santé de dames
de la Halle de Paris!" which was responded to in a
becoming manner; and "La santé Napoléon!" was in
turn proposed by an elderly matron, and loudly cheered.
The ladies were particularly pleased at finding the
bouquets presented yesterday arranged in the dining-
room. Louis Napoleon chatted for some time with his
visitors, and expressed in warm terms, the pleasure he
felt at seeing them under his roof. The ladies requested
that one of their companions—the most distinguished
for personal attractions, as for youth—should be allowed
to embrace him in the name of the others. Such a
request no man could hesitate to grant, and the fair one
who was deputed to bestow the general salute advanced,
blushing and trembling, to perform the duty. Louis
Napoleon went through the pleasing ceremony with
much credit to himself, and apparently to the great
satisfaction of those present. In a short time the visitors
asked permission to retire, after again thanking the
President for the honour he did them. Before separating
they united in one last and loud acclamation of "Vive
Napoléon!" Among the bouquets was one of remarkable
beauty of arrangement. It was of violets, and had
over the top the letters "L.N." formed of white flowers.
The entire flower-market had been searched for violets,
and the selection of that flower was not without its
meaning; the violet, as is known, having been the rallying
sign of the partisans of the Emperor Napoleon
previous and subsequent to his escape from Elba.

The freedom of the press continues to be repressed by
severe measures. M. François Victor Hugo, a younger
son of M. Victor Hugo, and M. Paul Meurice, have been
convicted, by a Paris jury, of publishing an article
calculated to make the Government odious. Paris juries,
unlike those of the rural departments, are virtually
selected by the Government officials. M. Hugo has
been sentenced to nine months imprisonment and a fine
of 2200 francs; M. Meurice to imprisonment for nine
months and a fine of 3000 francs. The Paris journal,
the Avénement du Peuple of the 20th inst. was seized at
the post-office and at the office of that journal, and a
prosecution is commenced against the responsible editor,
for publishing a letter from M. V. Hugo, and an article
signed by Auguste Vacquerie, the editor in question.
The Avénement is prosecuted under the charge of
making an attack on the respect due to the law, an