XXXIV. 1840. CHAP. the Legitimists, without compromising themselves by openly attacking him, in secret indulged the hope that the distrust, insecurity, and anarchy which would be consequent on a semi-Liberal administration, would dispel the existing 172, 173. illusions, and pave the way for the restoration of the elder branch of the house of Bourbon.1 1 Cap. x. 77. ing infant labour. The extension of manufactures, especially that of cotBill regard- ton, in France, led to a very long and interesting discussion on the limitation of the labour of children in various branches of manufactures. Experience had already proved in France, what had so long been known in England, that in this matter the feelings of nature were reversed in the progress of society, and that parents, so far from being the protectors, were too often the worst enemies of their children. The indulgence of habits of intoxication, quarrels in families, profligacy on the part of both parents, or the inevitable misfortunes of life, had induced the practice of sending the little innocents, in order to swell the gains of the family, at so early an age to factories, that their health was ruined, and they became sickly or deformed, to the utter destruction of their prospects in life. Numerous petitions were presented to both Chambers, setting forth the enormity of these evils, and the absolute necessity of legislative interference for the protection of infant labour; but so great was the influence of the capitalists in both branches of the Legislature, that it was with trembling steps that the Government approached the subject. After long and anxious deliberation with the chambers of commerce from all parts of France, a bill was prepared by the Minister of Commerce, and introduced into the Chamber of Peers, where the opposition to it was expected to be less violent than in the Deputies. The measure proposed was of the mildest character, and in fact altogether disproportioned to the enormity of the evil with which it had to contend. It was limited to manufactories set in motion by a continued moving power, as water or steam, or making use of continued fires, as XXXIV. 1840. potteries or glassworks, and forbade absolutely the em- CHAP. ployment in such works of children below eight years; limited the hours of work between eight and twelve to 8 hours a-day, and between twelve and sixteen to 12 hours. It forbade, also absolutely, labour during the entire night to children under twelve, and allowed it only for 8 hours out of the 24 between twelve and sixteen. Even these moderate safeguards were strongly opposed in the Peers, and only carried, after a long debate, by a majority of 91 to 35. It was not deemed prudent to attempt its introduction this session to the Deputies; so that, in the mean time, the evils complained of remained entirely without a remedy. The Chamber of Deputies gave token of their parsimonious disposition, and insensibility to the strongest claims of national gratitude and honour, by limiting the pension awarded, on the recommendation of the ministerial commission, to the widow of Colonel Combes, who xxxii. § had met a glorious death in the breach of Constantine,1 Moniteur, to 2000 francs (£80) a-year, including therein the pen-Hist. A. sion of 755 francs (£34) already enjoyed by her as the 200, 224. widow of a colonel in the army. 1 Ante, c. Feb. 23, 1840; Ann. xxiii. removing Napoleon Essentially imbued with historical studies and associa- 78. tions, the mind of M. Thiers exhibited a strange mixture Project for of democratic and imperial ideas. The historian of the the bones of Revolution, and of the Consulate and the Empire, appeared to Paris. alternately at every step of his career. He was essentially democratic in his feelings, and his strongest impressions were in favour of the right of resistance, and the governments founded on its successful assertion; but his imagination had been warmly kindled by the study of the glories of Napoleon's reign, and his judgment told him that a strong military government was alone suitable to so fervid a people as the French, when excited by such ideas. His beau ideal of society and government would have been a community singing with enthusiasm the "Marseillaise," and prepared at any moment to rise in insurrection itself, or assist revolution in other states, and at the XXXIV. 1840. CHAP. same time coerced by the iron hand of Napoleon, and kept in awe by the charges of his glittering cuirassiers, or the discharges of his redoubtable artillery. It was by this combination of strength in the moving, and weight in the restraining power, that in his opinion the interests of freedom and order could alone be reconciled. In pursuance of these views, one of his first public acts, after his accession to power, was to open a negotiation with Lord Palmerston for the transference of the bones of Napoleon, from their solitary resting-place under the willow-tree in St Helena, to the banks of the Seine, "which he had loved so well." The British Foreign Secretary was too magnanimous not to accede to a request founded in such natural feelings, and too clear-sighted not to be sensible that the granting was a greater national triumph than the refusing it. He was too deeply engaged, also, at the time, in forming a confederacy with Russia and Austria to check France in the Levant, not to avail himself gladly of the opportunity of lessening the animosity among its inhabitants, which, he was aware, would necessarily arise from the success of that attempt. He returned, accordingly, a courteous and eloquent answer to the request of the French Minister, expressing a hope "that all feelings of animosity between the two nations, should they still exist, may be for ever buried in the tomb of Napoleon." The French Government, as well they might, were much Cap. x gratified by this act of dignified courtesy; and, shortly Moniteur, after, the Bellepoule frigate was despatched from France 1840. to bring the remains of the immortal hero to their final resting-place on the banks of the Seine.1 * Aug. 9, 1840. 174, 175; Aug. 12, Not less solicitous to keep alive and fan the revolutionary flame than to restore the ashes of the great conqueror * “My Lord,—Le Gouvernement de sa Majesté ayant pris en considération l'autorisation que lui demande le Gouvernement Français, de transférer les cendres de l'Empereur Napoléon de St Hélène en France, vous pouvez déclarer à M. Thiers que le Gouvernement de sa Majesté se fera un plaisir d'accéder à cette demande. Le Gouvernement de sa Majesté espère que l'empressement qu'il met à répondre à cette demande sera consideré en France comme une preuve du désir de sa Majesté d'effacer jusqu'à la dernière trace de ces animosi XXXIV. 79. tion of a surrection of the Bastile. to their proper resting-place on the banks of the Seine, M. CHAP. Thiers, soon after his accession to power, announced a splen- 1840. did fête, on occasion of the anniversary of the three glorious days, when the bones of the heroes who had perished in Inaugurathe strife for freedom on that occasion, should be removed pillar to Into one place of sepulture in the Place of the Bastile, and on the Place a splendid column, surmounted by the Genius of Liberty, file. was to be erected over their remains, as an eternal monument of the lawfulness of insurrection. It may readily be conceived what enthusiasm this theatrical project, which was announced in the beginning of April, and the preparations for it immediately commenced, excited among the working classes of Paris, in whom democratic principles were still so prevalent. It was an official recognition of the right of insurrection-a solemn inauguration of a monument to its triumph. The bones of those who had fallen in the civil strife were immediately begun to be collected, and conveyed with great pomp in funeral cars to the interim places of deposit, preparatory to their removal to the final place of sepulture in the Place of the Bastile, where the column was to be erected. These melancholy cars, each drawn by twelve horses, excited the deepest feelings of commiseration and anguish in the people; the number whose bones were thus collected was five hundred and four. On the 28th July the July 28. translation of the whole to the general place of sepulture in the catacombs, beneath the proposed column in the Place of the Bastile, took place with extraordinary pomp, in the midst of a splendid military cortège, and an immense crowd of spectators. The King, accompanied by M. Thiers, witnessed the procession from one of the windows in the Louvre. He was received with loud acclatés qui, pendant la vie de l'Empereur, avaient poussé les deux nations à la guerre. Le Gouvernement de sa Majesté aime à croire que de pareils sentiments, s'ils existaient encore, seraient ensevelis à jamais dans le tombeau destiné à recevoir les restes mortels de Napoléon. Le Gouvernement de sa Majesté se concertera avec celui de la France pour les mesures nécessaires à l'effet d'opérer la translation. PALMERSTON."-Moniteur, August 12, 1840; and CAPEFIGUE, X. 175, note. XXXIV. 1840. CHAP. mations; but such was the excitement of the people, and the impulse given to the revolutionary passions by the scene, that the Government were under the most serious apprehensions, and the preparations made on both sides. looked rather like the commencement of a new, than the celebration of an old insurrection. The "Marseillaise" and "Parisienne" were sung with enthusiasm ; the excited and agitated look of the groups in the streets betokened a coming storm; and already the breaking of lamps and commencement of barricades indicated a serious popular movement. Everything prognosticated a terrible strife; but the preparations of Government were too complete to permit its commencement. The streets were traversed by long trains of artillery and dense columns of infantry; huge bodies of cavalry, with horses saddled, and the bridles over the arms of the cavaliers, stood in all the squares. These preparations, however, Ann. Hist. averted the dangers which the Ministers had so impru240, Chron.; dently invoked; and the fête passed over without any 184; Moni- other result but a great impulse to the revolutionary passions in the minds of the people, and an increased dread of their revival in that of the King.1 xxiii. 238 Cap. x. 183, teur, July 29, 1840. 80. of Louis to Bou logne. Aug. 6. These alternate encouragements to the Republican and Expedition Imperial passions revived in the breasts of Louis NapoNapoleon leon and his partisans the hope that the time had now come when their projects might, with almost a certainty of success, be carried into execution. A few days, accordingly, after the termination of the fêtes in Paris, the young Prince embarked in London on board the steamer Edinburgh, accompanied by forty of his comrades and attendants. He had prepared a proclamation, in which, alluding to the removal of the bones of Napoleon to France, he declared that it was regenerated France alone that was worthy to receive them. Frenchmen," said he," the ashes of the Emperor should not come but into regenerated France. The manes of a great man should |