The French government announced that by reciprocal agreement British subjects would no longer be required to hold and display passports while travelling in France. Seen as an attempt to both attract visitors and help heal poor relations between Britain and France, the new measure came into effect on the first day of the new year, 1861. (By John Osborne)
Source Citation
Chronicle, The Annual Register or a View of the History and Politics of the Year 1860 (London: F. & J. Rivington, 1861), 190-191.