The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-09 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, WEDNESDAY ErEifING, JULY 9. 1851.

THE BISHOP OF GLOUC
MR. HORSMAN.

lose; will the object of his predecessors' self-denial
bo defeated; will the desire of the Ecclesiastical
Commission be frustrated; will scandal be attached to
his memory. .

FRANCE.

PARIS, TCXSDAT Evasiso.
Tocquevilles report having been, under the strictest
seal of secresy, distributed to the members of the
committee of revision, to-day the debate on the
report commenced. This document I have not yet
been able to see, but I understand from a private
source that it is one of the most remarkable state
papers ever issued from the national printing house.
The eleration of its style and its philosophical tone
will tend to place it above the reach of the sharp cri-
ticism to which it will not fail to be subjected by
the monarchic parties. Even Odilon Barrot finds
the strenuous republican tone and severe adhesion to
legality carried to the verge of excess, and criticises
it as less favourable to the President than a
just consideration of his services and a calm
weighing of the circumstances of the crisis
might warrant. In a word, Odilon Barret finds
his former colleague of the foreign department
too indulgent to the constitution. The report, al-
though containing much that is to the advantage of
Louis Napoleon, is likely to be regarded with little
favour at the Elysee, from the decided and uncom-
promising protest against the least deviation from
legality. this is in tact the most important feature
of the document. lie 'foequeville admits that there
is a strong popular movement throughout the coun-
try in favour of the re-election of the President, al-
though he repudiates the number of signatures to the
petitions as a fallacious test of public opinion. Hence
he derives the pressing necessity for removing the
dangerous contradiction between the possible deci-
sion of the nation and the dictates of the constitu-
tion. Many other vices exist no doubt in the consti-
tution ; but this defect alone would be sufficient to call
for revision. On the other hand, there is a general dis-
position throughout the country to regard the revision
of the constitution as the chief, if not only remedy
for the universally prevailing distress, uneasiness,
and alarm as regards the future. But if the revision
cannot be obtained in a legal way, M. de Tocque-
ville expresses his most emphatic conviction that it
is the duty of the Assembly to uphold without flinch-
ing the strict letter of the law, the least deviation
from which opens a breach for the ruinous overflow
of revolution, and sets all that has been gained by
the party of order at hazard. The only bulwark
between society and anarchy is the law, the arbitrary
change of one iota, one comma of which destroys
the virtue of the whole fabric, which will crumble
immediately to pieces.
Odilon Barret is evidently becoming daily more
Elysean. His speech in the debate on revision is on
this account looked for with greater interest; as
people arc anxious to see how he will combine ad-
vocacy of the President's interests with the scrupu-
lous respect which he is known to entertain for
legality.
In the Assembly the main feature of the sitting
was the reading of de Tocqueville's report. From
the high reputation of its author, and the excessive
expectations which had been raised with regard to
this document, it was difficult to come up to the pre-
conceived notions of the audience, and it was gene-
rally thought drier and less interesting than suited
either the occasion or the eminent man selected to
compose it. On the whole the report, which took
more than an hour to read, seemed to rouse little
attention. and to be listened to with weariness. The
adjourned debate on the Mediterranean packet ser-
vice was concluded to-day, and the bill passed by
468 against 217. The discussion of the new muni-
cipal law was adjourned to the 21st inst.
_

M. de Melun presented the report of the com-
mittee for the examination of petitions. The report
gives the numbers already published, points out and
censures the abuse of the influence of certain func-
tionaries, and concludes by regarding as null and
void all dhesions and marks not certified, as well as
all unconstitutional petitions. The report recognises
the importance of the exhibition of public feeling
shown by the petitionist movement, but regrets that
it was not left to its own spontaneous expression.
The discussion stands fixed for Monday.

De Tocquuville then mounted the tribune to read
his report on revision. He said :
I beg the Assembly to permit me to read the first part only ;
I have recently been seriously ill, and I fear my strength
will not allow me to read the whole. (Yes, yes.) After
stating the question submitted to the committee, the re-
porter said the first question to be examined was whether
the constitution was defective. No member of the com-
mittee had contended that it was so, but the minority had
agreed that its faults were those incident to all human in-
stitutions ; and that the desire for the revision which had
been manifested was owing, not to the defects of the consti-
tution, but to political parties, who wished to overthrow the
republic instead of seeking to improve it. Among the vices
of the constitution pointed out, the mode of voting by lists is
especially noticed, as a system which does not give to the
electors the real candidates of their choice. Another criticism
is made against the origin and attitude of the two powers, both
emanating from universal suffrage, but one of which, unit-
ing these suffrages in one man, gives to him a considerable
moral force, and from this situation the inconveniences are
displayed of the continual collision between the two powers,
without a mediator or judge. Nevertheless, the committee
would not have thought it necessary to appeal to the coon.
try merely to correct this fault, grave though it is considered
to be. The opportunity of the revision had also been
denied, for the country does not yet know what it wants ;
and, so long as it does not know better, • revision of the
constitution will be powerless to calm agitation and minis
ter to the necessities of the country. The minority was
also of opinion that many of those who demanded
the revision did it only to secure their seats at the
next election, but would in reality be sorry to
see it carried. The majority were not of that opinion,
The majority thought that in a democratic nation • great
crisis could only be solved by the intervention of the mosses.
In May next the executive power and the legislative also
would change hands, within a few days of each other.
Never was infant constitution subjected to so rude a
trial.