Kxx] ABOLITION OF PASSPORTS. 791
Mr. Bright returned to England, Cobden persevered with
the good work.
“ December 6.—Dined at M. Chevalier’s. Met Count de
Persigny, who hus just returned from the Embassy to
England and entered on the duties of Home Minister, We
8poke upon the subject of passports. I mentioned to him
the conversation I had had with the Emperor when
Mr, Bright and I had an audience with him. He (Count P.)
Seemed inclined to put an end to the present system of pass-Ports
 between France and England, and to substitute a
ere visiting card, which should receive the stamp from the
Consular agent at the port of embarkation, and which should
Serve as a ticket of admission into France. Although
admitting that this would bean improvement on the present
System, I advised him to make a clean sweep of all travelling
 permits, and to content himself with a police surveil
lance when a person became settled ; I said that a billet de
8¢jour might be required to be taken out by all Englishmen
who took up their abode in any part of France.”
Two days later Cobden wrote a letter to Persigny,
now become Minister of the Interior, urging many reasons
why he ought to abolish passports without substituting
any other precaution in their place. The abolition of pass-Ports
 with regard to British subjects was passed a week
later (December 16). Some of the English newspapers
chose to say that the change had been made at the intercession
 of the Empress, who was delighted at the manner
in which she had been treated in England. “The pass.
port reform,” Cobden wrote to Mr. Bright, “is capital.
To-day, Chevalier writes to say that the Fremch post-Master
 is prepared to increase the weight of letters,
and I am writing by this post to Rowland Hill to say
that he has only to make the proposal. Thus in the
Same vear we have the tariff, abolition of passports, and a

1860.
Zr, 56.