The Express.
London, England, 1851-07-23 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, TrESDAT EVENING.
At the close of the Assembly's sitting yesterday
M. Baze moved the following amendment to the
conclusion of the committee on petitions for
revision. " The Assembly, while regretting. that
in a great number of localities the administra-
tion, in a manner contrary to its duty, has used its
influence to excite the citizens to petition, orders the
deposit of the petitions in the bureau des renseigne-
nulls." The words " some localities" having, on the
motion of M. Larabit, been substituted for " a great
number of localities," the amendment was carried
by 333 against 320.
The government of Louis Napoleon has received,
by the Assembly's adoption of M. Bare's motion of
censure, the severest check since the fall of the cabi-
net of M. Baroche under the vote of the 18th Jan.
Whatever may be the justice of the blame inflicted
on the ministers it is vain to seek, as the Constitu-
tionned does, to attenuate its gravity. It was
thought that, but for the inopportune alteration pro-
posed by M. Larabit, himself a Bonapartist, the
amendment of M. Haze would have been rejected.
But the step of the imprudent Elysean, in re-
stricting the field of blame, while it dimi-
nished nought of its intensity, only gilded
the pill, and tempted the Assembly to administer it.
So little were the ministers disposed to dissemble the
aeriousnessof this check, that theyproceeded last night
collectively to tender their resignation to the Presi-
dent, by whom, however, it was not accepted. In
the meantime rumours circulate of an Odilon Ilarmt
cabinet, as likely to succeed the present, whose par-
liamentary prestige has been dispelled by the defeat
of last night; so that all the additional weight given
to the cabinet of AL Baroche by the enrolment of M.
Leon Faucher among its members, has melted away.
Sooner or later, indeed, this result was foreseen as
inevitable, for it was not the men, but their
policy in trying to bring about the prolongation of
the President's powers that the Assembly quarrelled
with in both instances; and in this respect the only
difference between the two cabinets of Baroche and
Faucher is, that the latter is pursuing the same
end with much more vigour and ability. After all,
what is the crime of the government on the present
occasion ? All, including the reporters on revi-
sion, admit that the most imminent peril of the
situation is the unconstitutional re-election of Louis
Napoleon. The ministry is accused of having
promoted petitions with a view to making
this re-election conformable to the law. Itmerve
upon so delicate a question might have been more
dignified. But surely the main duty of a govern-
ment is to guard the country against dangers; and
in favouring the petition-movement it complied with
this duty. l'ho facts alleged by Charms, and insisted
upon by Haze, stretched to their utmost limits,:only
go to prove that in certain departments the prefects
issued circulars to the sub-prefects, clearly enjoining
an active promotion of the petition for revision, with
a view to the President's re-election. One depart-
ment alone, that of the Basses-Alpes, is named. In
the eyes of no reasonable person can a fact of this
sort justify the outrageous language which M. Balk
be tows upon the ministry. That testy questor
talks of such practices as " detestable. Ile
affirms that the conduct of the government is im-
moral and unworthy of a country like ;France. He
brands M. Leon Faucher with subsidising journals,
aid when the calumny is thrown back in his face ho
he= no better ground to allege for his hardy asser-
tion than the gratuitous dissemination of a colourless
lithographic correspondence, like that of Haves,
which is at least as legitimist as ministerial. M.
Leon Faucher replier] with becoming spirit and
indignation to a tirade of such violent and extravagant
abuse, based on so narrow and insufficient a margin
of fact. But the old factious coalition, inspired by
a rancorous spirit of opposition to the man who is
the chief obstacle to the restoration or to the attrac-
tion of socialism carried the day; and the Elysean
zeal of the cabinet was blamed by a relative majority
of 13 in a house of 633. The telegraph was not
permitted to be used by the public for the trans-
mission of the intelligence of this defeat, otherwise
you would hrvc received the news twenty-four hours
earlier.

To-day the proceedings of the Assembly were com-
pletely devoid of interest. The ministers offered
their resignation again collectively this morning.
But the President declined in the most positive man-
ner to allow of their retirement, as he con-
sidered the vote of yesterday a personal
attack upon himself. M. Itouher and M.
Leon Faucher were the first ministers to take
their seat upon the ministerial bench. Several
members were seen in conversation with them,
and offering condolence upon the mishap of yes-
terday. M. Odilon appeared in his place. It
is reported, but from questionable sources, that
he was sent for last night to the El sec. The
impending discussion of the Municipal Bill, which
involves the appiication of the law of May to muni-
cipal elections, would render a change in the minis-
try at this moment, in the sense indicated, highly
Important as a demonstration against the electoral
law of May.
The Mediterranean squadron, which lately entered
the port of Cadiz, has received orders to sail to
Toulon. The Jemappes is immediately to come into
Toulon to be laid up, and her fittings are to be trans-
ferred to the now ship the Charlemagne, whose sail-
ing qualities have been the subject of much profes-
sional- speculation, and are expected to be tested
next month.

The Sultan has sent the decoration of the Nishan
to M. Schneider, ex-minister of commerce, and some
other employes.
Tho funds experienced to-day a slight decline.
The Fives closed at 94.85, with a fall of 15c. The
Threes fell 13c. and closed at 58.85.