ne, can employ a workman
unless he produce a livret of the above description, bearing an
acquittal of his engagements with his last master. Every workman,
after inscribing in his livret the day and terms of his engagement
with a new master, is obliged to leave it in the hands of his said
master, who is required, under a penalty, to restore it to him on the
fulfilment of his engagement. Any workman, although he may produce a
regular passport, found travelling without his book, is considered as
"vagabond," and as such may be arrested and punished with from three
to six months' imprisonment, and after that subjected to the
surveillance of the _haute-police_ for at least five and not exceeding
ten years. No new livret can be indorsed until its owner produces the
old one filled up. In case of a workman losing his livret, he may, on
the presentation of his passport, obtain provisional permission to
work, but without authority to move to any other place until he can
satisfy the officer of police that he is free from all engagements to
his last master. Every workman coming to Paris with a passport is
required, within three days of his arrival, to appear at the
prefecture of police with his livret, in order that it may be
indorsed. In like manner, any labourer leaving Paris with a passport
must obtain the _vise_ of the police to his livret, which, in fact,
contains an abstract history of his industrial life. As a description
of the political department of the police of Paris would involve
details, the ramifications of which would almost be endless, I will
only briefly state, that from the masters of every furnished hotel and
lodging-house--who are required to insert in a register, indorsed by a
commissaire de police, the name, surname, profession, and usual
domicile of every person who sleeps in their house for a single
night--and from innumerable other sources, information is readily
obtained concerning every person, and especially every stranger,
residing in the metropolis. For instance, at the entrance of each
lodging, and of almost every private house, there sits a being termed
a _concierge_, who knows the hour at which each inmate enters and goes
out; who calls on him; how many letters he receives; by their
post-marks, where they come from; what parcels are left for him; what
they appear to contain, &c. &c. &c. Again, at the corner of every
principal street, there is located, wearing the badge of the police, a
commissionair