The Express.
London, England, 1851-04-10 00:00:00

FRANCE.

icIIDNISS DAT EVENING.
The great obstacle to the formation of a ministry
at this moment is evidently the divided state of the
parliamentary majority on the great question of the
day—the revision of the constitution. The President
thinks that the time has come for cutting the knot,
if it cannot be in a legal way untied: in other words,
for carrying the revision by a simple majority, if the
majority of three-fourths cannot be found. At least
three-fourths of the Assembly, on the other hand,
regard such a proposition as a downiight provocation
to civil war. fhe government has no doubt made ,
ip its mind to deal with this alternative ; but the
I important question is what fraction of its late sup-
porters, or of those who are still disposed to support
it in a peaceful policy, would follow the govern-
sent of Louis Napoleon is so desperate a venture.
Now it may be safely affirmed that this fraction
is almost wholly confined to the Bonapartiats pro-
perly so called, and numbering in the Assembly
about 30 votes. No doubt a more extensive party
would be prepared to feel their way towards an
extra-legal revision of the constitution, with a view
to the prolongation of Louis Napoleons powers; but
if such a view is entertained simply from a hope of
rallying the whole majority to such an extra-legal
revision, and from the conviction that the recon-
struction,with this object, of the majority which car-
ried the electoral reform of May might *face without
fear the worst threats of the opposition, and that so
imposing a union of the government and the ma-
jority with the firm attitude of the troops, would
either overawe all attempts at insurrection, or at
least so immediately crush seditious demonstra-
tions as to avert all serious apprehensions of civil
war, involving a fierce contest like that of June,
pits; if such be the hope, it would prove vain.
Meanwhile the must conflicting statements are in
circulation as to the possibility of any re construction
of the majority on such a base as the extra-lcgul
-vision of the constitution. That the statement of

the Assend#l4 also moo e, that the old majority to
unanimous for such a revision, is agross misrepresen-
tation, is clearly proved from the repeated emphatic
phrase of the Opinion Publique : "Ni une henry ni
un eeu de plus," which is attributed to the Count of
Chambord himself. Then the moderate republican
I party, represented by the Ordre, and the party of M.
'Tiers, by the Messogcr, are equally decided in their
opposition to an extra-legal revision. I doubt even,
whether a majority of the Rue des Pyramides Club
would pledge themselves unequivocally to support'
such a measure independently, although they might
wish the whole parliamentary majority could meet I
upon it. Now, this being the state of parties, the
difficuPies encountered by Louis Napoleon in 1
homing a ministry. at this moment with the
programme of " Revision at all hazards," are at once I
easily explained. One word more. Suppose in the first
I week of June a motion is made for the revision, and'
thrown out by being opposed by more than a fourth of
the house; and that then a motion be brought for-
ward 4 the government to proceed to the revision
by a simple majority, what president of the As-
sembly will be found bold enough to put a question
from the chair which would expose him to be tried
by the lligh Court for treason, and possibly sent to
Belle Isle? Would the prudent M. Dupin run
his neck into such a noose? Not very likely.
But supposing a president of the Assembly could be
f d bold euough to do it, the whole Left, com-
prising 222 members, would resign their seats in
masse. No person can doubt that such an act would
amount to a declaration of civil war. If the Assem-
bly did not dissolve itself immediately and appeal to
the people, rebellion would start up armed
over all France. But civil war would not
be averted by appealing to the people ac-
cording to the restricted suffrage of May 31 ; there
must be some inure comprehensive mode of election
than that to make the socialist drop his gun, and
take his electoral ticket, if he be entitled to one, to
the niayory. Hence it is that Odilon Barrot advo-
cates electoral reform, with the view of cutting away
the ground of rebellion from under the feet of the
socialists. What he proposes will not be a return to
the law of March, 11419, but it will remove the unjust
difficulties which have been thrown in the way of
attesting the electoral domicile, and so disarm all
reasonable opposition. From the foregoing data 1,
draw the conclusion that the efforts of that party
which is attempting to reconstruct the majority,
with a view to an extra-legal revision, will fail, and.
constsmently,that a definitive cabinet, inorder to clear
out from port without being wrecked, must be bused
upon an opposite principle—one of legality. If
the legal right be thrown upon the side of the 80-1
1 cialistA by a coup-Aloe, even were the government
I supported by a simple majority in the Assemble, it
will be very difficult for the President to stand on
the revolutionary ground which he will have created
for himself. A much better chance fur his ultimate
tanecess would lie in leaving his election to the na-
decal voice when the fixed moment for an appeal to
the country arrives. Then, indeed, a decided majo-
rity over his competitors could hardly fail of bearing
him wee more into the President's seat, and an un-
reasonable vote of the Constituent Assembly would
stand no chance against the immediate declaration
of the sovereign will of the nation. At present there
appears no chance of reconciling the majority to the
hazards of a conjettetat.
The ministry of transition having signified in a
body to the President that the prolongation of the
present interregnum was attended with great in-
convenience for the public business, another effort
was made on Monday to construct a definitive cabi-
net, by a combination of the old ministers, Baroche,
Fould and Rouher, with MM. Benoist d'Azy, de
Crouseilhes, and other legitimists. The latter, how-
ever, distinctly refused to accept office under the con-
ditions offered, au that one more attempt. has failed.
The tone of M. l)ufuurc in the debate on
'the Hospitals Bill has been noticed as auguring a
disposition not to be inflexible in declining office.
At the end of the sitting of the Assembly M. Mole
I was noticed caucusing among the benches of the
right for the legitimist combination. The Patric.
contains the following notice : " It is annouueed anew
for to morrow the formation of the cabinet the con-
utitution of which has been attempting during the
but two weeks."
I hear from a good source that it is probable the
names of Fould and Baroche will disappear from the
next ministerial combination ; but the party of the
Rue des Pyramided, which is represented by those
two ministers, will furnish their successors m the
definitivive cabinet. A message is spoken of as on
the eve of appearing; but, the difficulties of the crisis
turning upon views which cannot be publicly pro-
fessed by the President, this report is improbable.
The Municipal Bill committee has taken to-day an
important resolution. It has decided that the num-
ber of highest-taxed citizens, appointed in conjunc-
tion with the municipal council to elect mayors,
should be equal in number to the municipal coun-
cillors.
M. Pascal Duprat yesterday presented the fol-
lowing amendments to the bill on the national
guards:
' - -

Art. 14. Citizens who demand to be exempted from the
ordinary service shall be placed in the reserve, provided
they prove that that service imposed on them a too onerous
charge.
Art. 3.i. All citizens inscribed on the lists of the ordinary
service and the reserve are called upon to elect the colonels,
lieutcnant•culuncls, chefs-de-batsillon, cusiuns, officers of
the general staff, officers, sub-officers, and corporals of the
legions, battalions, squadrons, companies, or sub-divisions
of companies to which they belong.
Art. 119. In the three months following the promulga-
tion of this law the government shall proceed to the organi-
sation of the different corps of the national guard in all the
communes of the republic. The elections shall take place
immediately atter such organisation. The national guard
dissolved by the executive power will be reorganised at the
same period.

While an amendment to the bill on Monts-de-Piste
was discussing in the Assembly, M. Sainte Beuve
proposed the adjournment of the Assembly from the!
12th inst. to the 28th, so as to suspend the sittings
of the Assembly during holy week and Easter. M.
Baudin opposed the adjournment as unconstitutional,
if, as was proposed by M. Sainte Beuve, no com-
mittee of permanence was appointed, and as contrary
'to the regulations for not having been referred to I
the committee of initiative. M. Sainte Beuve !
supported his motion, upon the grounds that
repose was necessary, and the penod indicated
suitable to such repose. M. Pisestory thought the
motion inopportune in the presence of a ministry of
•
transition and when the formation of a definitive and
parliamentary cabinet was impatiently expected. Ile
moved that the motion should lie referred to the
committee on leaves of absence. M. Miot demanded
I the previous question, with the divi-ion of ballot.