had all behaved better lately, and that, with a few
exceptions, the conduct of all had been satisfactory. I
ascertained that nothing immoral was imputed to any
one of them whilst on board. On Friday, the 3rd of
October, in conjunction with Captain King, I landed
them from the ship, and placed them in the depôt.
One (F. B.) I placed in St. Mary's Hospital, where I
hope she is recovering from a dangerous attack of
erysipelas, and another (M. C.) I placed in charge of
a friend. The two B——'s, who brought letters of
introduction to many of the most respectable people here,
were kindly taken by Mr. J. D. Chapman to his house
on the following day, and Mrs. Chapman has obtained
an excellent situation for one as a nursery governess at
£30 per annum. The other stays with Mrs. Chapman
at present, but she already has her choice of many
situations. E. J. H. has gone to Archdeacon Marriott's,
at £20 per annum, and M. Y. to Mr. Pittcairn's, a most
respectable solicitor, at £16 per annum, to commence
with. Having placed the girls in the depôt, I told them
that I would not fix the hiring until the following
Thursday, thus giving them an opportunity to wash
their linen after the voyage, and the settlers throughout
the colony the means of hearing of their arrival. On
Thursday last the hiring commenced, and in two hours
all were engaged, except one (ill), and the matron and
her daughter, who have not yet determined upon
staying here. Numbers of ladies went away
disappointed at not getting servants, and I am confident that
had there been three times the number of English
Protestant servants, they would readily have obtained
situations. The wages given to the party ranged from
£10 to £16, the major part being about £12 per annum;
but almost all will get an increase of their wages if they
stay in their places, and conduct themselves well. I
intend, by the first direct opportunity, to write to you
more fully, and to send you a list of the engagements,
wages, &c. In conclusion, I can only remark that the
committee, for whom I have the honour of acting, beg
to express their thanks to yourself and the committee
with whom you are associated for sending out this first
party. Every possible kindness and attention has been
paid to them here, and I feel assured that none of them,
if they conduct themselves well, will regret their
emigration to Van Diemen's Land. We shall always be
ready to receive your parties, and if they consist of
servants, they will prove a great boon to the colony, and
will benefit themselves by emigrating."
NARRATIVE OF FOREIGN EVENTS.
THE result of the vote for the election of Louis
Napoleon Bonaparte, as President of the French
Republic, according to the "Plébiscite" of Dec. 2,
was, according to the official report, 7,439,219 in the
affirmative, and 640,737 in the negative. The votes of
Algeria were not published, mainly because their result
was unfavourable. It was afterwards found that, out
of 68,000, more than 50,000 abstained, 5735 voted
for the President, and 6527 against him. On the
evening of the 31st of December the Consultative
Commission proceeded to the Elysée, to present to
M. Bonaparte the result of the votes. The President
received them surrounded by his Ministers and aides-
de-camp. M. Baroche, the Vice-President of the
Commission, announced the numbers of the votes, as
above quoted; and then addressed "Monsieur le
Président" with a speech, assuring him that France
confided in his courage, his elevated good sense, and his
love: no government ever rested on a basis more extensive,
or had an origin more legitimate and worthy of the
respect of nations. The President made a reply, in
which he said, that upwards of seven millions of votes
had absolved him, by justifying an act which could have
no other object than to save France, and perhaps Europe,
from years of trouble and anarchy. "If I congratulate
myself," he said, "on this immense adhesion, it is not
from pride, but because it gives me the strength to speak
and act as becomes the head of a great nation." Cries
of "Vive Napoléon!" "Vive le Président!" were
raised. The members of the Commission pressed round
M. Bonaparte to offer him their congratulations. The
Corps Diplomatique were then presented by the
Apostolic Nuncio.
The Archbishop of Paris and his clergy offered their
congratulations and good wishes for the success of the
high mission God had confided to the President.
M. Bonaparte returned thanks in a short speech. The
two Consistories of the Reformed Church, one of the
Church of the Confession of Augsburg, and the Central
Israelite Consistory, presented their congratulations.
The "Moniteur" of the 1st of January published the
result of the poll, with a decree that a similar publication
should be made in every commune of the Republic.
Immediately afterwards followed a decree to this
effect:—
"The President, considering that the French Republic, in
its new form sanctioned by the suffrage of the people, may
adopt without umbrage the souvenirs of the Empire and the
symbols which recall the glory of that period; and considering
that the national flag should no longer be deprived of the
renowned emblem which conducted our soldiers to victory in a
hundred battles, decrees—1, that the French eagle shall be
re-established on the colours of the army; and 2, that it is also
re-established on the cross of the Legion of Honour."
On New Year's Day there was a great religious
ceremony in the Cathedral of Notre Dame, to inaugurate
Louis Napoleon's acceptance of the ten years' Presidency.
The scene was got up with elaborate and royal splendour.
At ten in the morning the cannon of the Invalides fired
seventy salutes, ten for each million of affirmative votes.
At noon the President arrived at the great portal of the
Cathedral. General Magnan only shared his carriage;
and it was noted that he had, for the first time on a
public occasion, discarded the uniform of the National
Guard, and adopted the purely military costume of a
lieutenant-general in the Army. Some of the accounts
say that the acclamations as he alighted were few and
faint. The Archbishop of Paris met him at the porch,
and tendered to him the relic of the true cross, in its
costly casket, of which the Cathedral officials boast the
custody. Louis Napoleon kissed the relic with acted
reverence, and took his place in the procession to the
altar. The seated spectators rose; and all, even the
military, stood uncovered, during his passage from the
grand entrance to the chair of state. As he walked up
to his place, the orchestra performed the march and
"Vivat in æternum," by Lesueur, a quaint and pompous
strain. The band then performed the Te Deum, which
Lesueur (the Emperor Napoleon's Maître de Chapelle)
composed for the battle of Austerlitz, and which was
afterwards performed in celebration of the taking of
Algiers. The service concluded with the "Domine
Salvam," thus worded: "Domine, salvam fac Rempublicam
—salvum fac Napoleonem, et exaudi nos in die
qua invocaverimus." From Notre Dame the President
went direct to the Tuileries. The reception of the
authorities then took place. After the reception, the
President gave a banquet of 400 covers (the same
number as at the banquet given by the Emperor to
celebrate his instalment as First Consul), at which were
present the Ministers, the Diplomatic Corps, the
members of the Consultative Commission, the Prefects of the
Seine and of Police, the new Municipal Council of
Paris, General LÅ“westine, and the Colonels of the
National Guard, and last, not least, General Magnan,
and the leading officers of the army of Paris. Since
that day, the Palace of the Tuileries has been the official
residence of the President.
The Municipal Council of the department of the Seine
has been dissolved and reconstructed. By this measure a
number of the most distinguished members of the old
Council have been dismissed. The list includes—
M. Bixio, who was for a short time one of the President's
ministers; M. Vavin, who in 1848 essentially
served the commerce of Paris by the gratuitous liquidation
of the civil list; M. Wolowski (brother-in-law of
M. Leon Faucher), who, in 1848, opposed the doctrines
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