THE NEW LAW OF THE FRENCH PRESS. RT 1. No journal or periodical publication relating to anything or anybody, or relating anything to anybody, can be started without a condition, enough to make anyone start; namely, the consent of the Government. Such consent will only be given to a French subject, in the enjoyment of civil and political rights; but as there are no civil or political rights in France, a few of those who enjoy" the system of civil and political wrongs will be allowed to set up a journal. Whenever any change takes place in the administration of the journal, the Government sanction will be required; and the printer must not change his "devil," unless it be for one of the "devils" in league with, and approved by, the Govern ment. ART. 2. As the truth, though suppressed in France, may circulate or come round through a foreign journal, none will be permitted to enter that country unless authorised -which may include the selection and payment of authors-by the Government. Any one introducing a foreign journal not thus authorised, and any traveller having amongst his luggage any article wrapped up in an old newspaper, shall be punished by imprisonment, of from one month to one year, and a fine of from one hundred francs to five thousand. ART. 3. The proprietors of any journal, treating of political matters, or social economy, will, by way of preliminary treat, pay into the treasury, in cash, a sum, which, unlike the contents of his paper, will be allowed to bear some small interest. ART. 4. As no paper, such as the Government will permit, can possibly pay after it has been commenced, it will be required to pay before it appears. If published without the caution-money having been paid in full, a fine of not more than 2000 francs, with imprisonment of not more than two years, in respect of each number published, will be imposed on printer and publisher. A paper reaching forty numbers, under these atrocious circumstances, will subject the miscreants, who print and publish, to eighty years' imprisonment. ART. 5. Journals and periodical publications will henceforth bear the various stamps of oppression, despotism, and servility, in respect of which a duty of six centimes will be payable. This duty will be collected, with the understanding that the journals owe all their duty to the Government. ART. 6. Foreign journals will be liable to the French stamp; but no English journal, of any respectable stamp, will submit to any other stamp abroad than the stamp of independence. ART. 7. Postage-rates, on the transport of newspapers, will be reimposed; as the Government cares more about the facility of transporting the editors, writers, publishers, and printers, than about the convenience of transporting the journals. ART. 8. As the Legislative Body is intended to consist of a collection of nobodies, their proceedings can be of importance to nobody, and the publication of them will be punished by a fine of from 1000 to 5000 francs. ART. 9. It is forbidden to the press to publish the report of its own trials; so that whatever trials it has to endure, it must bear and say nothing. The journals will, however, be permitted to write freely one sentence namely, the sentence pronounced against any one of themselves. ART. 10. Every journal shall be bound to insert, free of charge, every advertisement of the Government; and the puff and paragraph principle will be rigidly enforced, except that there will be no paid puffs and no paid paragraphs. ART. 11. In no case shall evidence be allowed of the truth of a complaint against the Government appearing in any journal, as the truth would be dangerous to the existing power. ART. 12. As the previous articles may not be sufficiently strong, the power of suppressing, when he likes, and as often as he likes, any journal he likes, or does not like, will be exercised by the President. In the name of the French nation. Done by LOUIS NAPOLEON. X. DE CASABIANCA, Minister of State, in the present state of the Ministry. THIE POETICAL COOKERY BOOK. With thee supplied, my tender Chicken! LESBIA, take some water cold, And having on the fire placed it, In the saucepan left to simmer. Oh, my tender Chicken dear! For vegetable or for garnish. My Chicken temptingly reposes, Making gourmands for it wish, Should the savour reach their noses. Oh, my tender pullet dear! My boiled-not roasted-tender Chicken! Day or night, Thy meal is light, For supper, e'en, my tender Chicken. CONFISCATION OF THE ORLEANS PROPERTY.-A "Little Bird" tells us, that this act of spoliation is called at Paris-" Le Premier Vol de l'Aigle!" THE CHILTERN HUNDREDS.-When a member is sick of Parliament, The always calls out for the "Steward!" T HE Penalty of buying it. 66 STATESMAN!" THE ENFRANCHISEMENT OF PLUSH. A NUMEROUS, if not important, meeting of the Livery, including most of the footmen in situations under the Government and Legislature, assembled last night at the Coach and Horses, to discuss the provisions of the Reform Bill now before their masters. The £5 clause was unanimously condemned as low; but some doubt was expressed whether that allowing a vote to payers of 40s. in the way of direct taxation, would not fix the qualification so high as to exclude many The Penalty of mar- of the perfectly free and decidedly independent gentlemen present, rying, is a Mother-in-whose salaries might not be quite liable to income-tax. My LORD law. DUKE said he believed that payment of assessed taxes to that amount would qualify: did anybody know what assessed taxes was? This question having been settled by reference to an almanack, it was agreed, on the motion of SIR HARRY, to appoint a deputation to wait on the PREMIER, and solicit him to reduce the 40s. franchise to the figure of the powder-tax, which, by an easy arrangement with regard to salary, might be charged on the individual wearer; thus conferring a voice in the representation on any gentleman connected with a respectable family. The EARL suggested that if Ministers would not consent to so very large a reduction, perhaps they might be prevailed upon to come down to the united amount of the powder-tax and the duty on armorial bearings: and then any gentleman of the service could participate in the privileges of a Briton, by wearing a ring or a watch, and having his own crest engraved on the seals. The Penalty of remaining single, is having no one who cares a button" for you, as is abundantly The Penalty of thin The Penalty of a pretty cook, is an empty larder. The Penalty of having a haunch of venison sent to you, is inviting a dozen friends to come and eat it. The Penalty of popularity, is envy. The Penalty of a baby, is sleepless nights. The Penalty of interfering between man and wife, is abuse, frequently accompanied with blows, from both. The Penalty of a Godfather, is a silver knife, fork, and spoon. Fellows to Haynau. The Penalty of kissing a baby, is half-a-crown (five shillings, if you only seven years old, committed by sentence of some magistrate or are liberal) to the nurse. The Penalty of a public dinner, is bad wine. The Penalty of a legacy, or a fortune, is the sudden discovery of a host of poor relations you never dreamt of, and of a number of debts you had quite forgotten. The Penalty of lending, is-with a book or an umbrella, the certain loss of it; with your name to a bill, the sure payment of it; and with horse, the lamest chance of ever seeing it back again sound. a J. W., in a letter to the Times, states that in the prison at Nether Knutsford, Cheshire, there is a pretty, intelligent-looking little boy, magistrates, for stealing a mug, with a sentence of solitary confinement under the Pentonville system for three months, and at the expiration of that term to be well flogged. If the magistrate or magistrates alluded to will forward their names to Punch, Mr. Punch will use all his influence to procure them an order to see the brewery of MESSRS. BARCLAY AND PERKINS. A BIT OF STIFF.-The Soldier's Stock is the worst of investments. |