There has been a serious turn-out of colliers at Rive de Jier, 
near Lyons, for wages and other grievances. This affair offered 
upon the whole the same features as the English strikes: proces- 
sions with banners, meetings, molesting of knobsticks, &c. The 
strike lasted about six weeks; several of the men were imprisoned 
for conspiracy, though no serious disturbance appears to have 
occurred. At last the men are reported to have returned to their 
pits, though it is not stated whether the object of the strike was 
accomplished. 

Republican Demonstration— The following account of the gather- 
ing of the Republican forces upon the occasion of the funeral of the 
deceased M. Laffitte from the pen of the correspondent of the 
Weekly Dispatch will be found interesting, as showing the great 
strength of the Republicans in Paris, and the certainty of a speedy 
revolution in that country. 

“Although no disturbance occurred at the funeral of the celebrated Jacques 
Laffitte, on the 30th ult.,* the Republican party nevertheless made a powerful 
demonstration of its strength. Five thousand students belonging to the schools of 
law and medicine, assembled to do honour to a man whose whole life (with one 
fatal exception) had been devoted to the cause of political liberty. For that one 
error—viz., conferring the Crown upon Louis Philippe 54__he partially atoned in 
the Chamber of Deputies, by imploring pardon of God and of man for the 
grievous injury he had been instrumental in inflicting upon France and the 
civilised world. The five thousand students who followed him to his last home, are 
all staunch Republican spirits—all glowing for political liberty. These noble- 
minded young men, together with the military students of the Polytechnic Schools, 
are the hope of young France. Let them eradicate from their breasts that absurd 
animosity towards England, which would lead them to plunge into war, for the 
mere purpose of settling the question of national rivalry over again—let them 

* May 30, 1844.— Ed. 

learn to respect their island-ally as a power advancing with them hand-in-hand in 
the road of civilisation—and those young men—the rising generation whom the 
Conservative press of both nations affect to despise — will one day be called upon 
to decide the destinies of France. In the Revolution of 1830, military students of 
sixteen and eighteen years of age became the generals of the people in that 
dreadful struggle with the royal troops. At the death of Louis Philippe the 
Republicans will no doubt proclaim their principles to be those alone adapted to 
France and French interests; and the young students of Paris must co-operate with, 
and advise the people in the political arena, as readily and faithfully as they led 
them on to victory fourteen years ago. But the demonstration of Republican 
strength on the occasion of the funeral of M. Laffitte, was not confined to the law 
and medical students. The Secret Societies were not idle, The members of those 
formidable political combinations assembled in immense numbers. They are for the 
most part respectable tradesmen, mechanics, and artisans, and are by no means the 
despicable rabble and low character which The Times and Journal des Débats have on 
various occasions represented them to be. They formed a column four deep, and 
marched immediately in front of the students. A third section of the Republican 
party also followed Laffitte to the cemetery of Pére La Chaise. This was composed 
of operatives, all neatly attired, respectable in appearance, and exemplary in behav- 
iour. The friends of liberty, therefore, mustered strong upon this occasion. Indeed, it 
is absurd for the Conservative press to deny the fact that the numerical strength, and 
the moral influences of the French Republican party are immense. Ranking 
amongst its numbers some of the most exalted names in France— names respec- 
tively famous in the spheres of war, literature, art, science, and policy — gaining 
strength daily by the acquisition of those whom the tyranny of the King alienates 
from the Orleans cause, and professing principles which accord with the new 
interests and new wants of civilisation, the Republican party is the one to which all 
eyes will be turned the moment any unforeseen accident or natural occurrence 
disturbs the reign of the Orleans dynasty.” 

The “Holy War”— The Emperor of Morocco* has declared a 
“holy war” against France and Frenchmen, and is rousing the 
various peoples and tribes within and contiguous to his dominions 
to arms [in] defence of the one faith, and for the extermination of 
the “Infidels”. Abd-el-Kader, the African Wallace, is the leader of 
this national enterprise for the overthrow and expulsion of the 
French conquerors.?** The latest accounts represent the advanced 
section of the Moorish army as being within sight of the French 
forces. 

From accounts received from Constantine, it appears that the 
Duke d’Aumale has met with some reverses, which seem to have 
been the result of his own imprudence and want of experience. It 
will be seen from the subjoined extracts, that a small body of 
troops, left in charge of Biskra, has been surprised, the French 
garrison killed, and the whole of the baggage, ammunition, and 
stores, carried away by the natives. 

A Toulon letter of the 3rd says: — 

4 Abd ur-Rahman II.—Ed. 

News from France 529 

“We have received most afflicting news from the province of Constantine, dated 
the 20th ult. The Duke d’Aumale had left at Biskra a very small garrison, 
composed only of Lieutenant Petitgand, commandant, Sub-Lieutenant Crochard, 
and Aide-Surgeon Major Arcelin, with about forty men, from the battalion of the 
Constantine Fusileers. This small corps was intended to form the nucleus of a new 
battalion, to be raised from among the tribes in the environs of Biskra. Of all these, 
only a serjeant-major, named Pelisse, escaped. The new recruits opened the gates 
of the Casbah during the night to Mahommed Seghir, the Calif? of Abd-el- 
Kader, and his followers, who surprised our men in their sleep, and killed them all. 
Plunder became general, and 70,000 fr. left with the commandant to pay his men, 
and all the cannon, muskets, ammunition, and other stores, were carried off. This 
unfortunate affair is said to have encouraged the surrounding tribes to take up 
arms. The fatal news having reached the Prince* while in the mountains of the 
Ouled Sultau, he instantly marched to Biskra with a column of 3,000 men. He 
arrived on the 18th, but the Calif had left on the preceding day. The third 
battalion of the African Light Infantry marched from Constantine on the 24th for 
Biskra, to form its garrison.” 

On Friday, the Chamber of Deputies voted by a majority of 190 
to 53 a sum of 7,500,000 f. to defray the expense of increasing the 
present military force of France in Algeria (96,000, by 15,000 
more; thus raising the number of bayonets in Algeria to 111,000).