The Express.
London, England, 1851-06-05 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, WEDSTAIDAT EVINING.
On the demand of M. Moulin, the Assembly has
fixed Friday for the appointment of the committee
on revision. Hence there will be no public sitting
on either Friday or Saturday.
The closing words of General Changarnier's speech,
" Representatives of France, deliberate in peace!"
form the text of the day's discussion. A long and
unfavourable criticism on the Presidents speech
appears from the pen of M. Lamartine, in the Pays.
A cabinet-council was held at M. Leon Faucher's
on Monday night, which lasted till 2 o'clock in the
morning. A fresh council was held at 11 o'clock
yesterday morning to deliberate on the course to be
pursued relative to the interpellations announced on
the President's speech.
The immediate result of the President's demon-
stration has been to cause the re-election of his de-
termined enemy, Bare, as questor. You are aware
that the Rue des Pyramides had resolved upon sacri-
ficing that irate and bristling champion of the sove-
reignty of the legislative power, as a pledge of their
wish to strengthen the hands of the executive. The
eruption of imperialism has deterred them from ex-
ecuting this conciliating intention, and M. Base
stood on the first ballot at the head of the poll, and
was forthwith proclaimed questor. The Bonapartist,
General Lebreton, who was to have replaced Base,
will therefore be set aside.
To-morrow will take place the inauguration of the
restored apartments at the Louvre. The President
will attend and make a speech.
Seldom has a more interesting debate taken place in
tho Assembly than that of yesterday. So eager
were all minds to join issue upon the question of the
day, the Presidents speech at Dijon, that the upper-
most thought found vent in a debate, entirely foreign
to the subject as to form, but involving principles
only germane to it as to substance. In fact, although
M. Desmousseaux de Givre bad given notice of in-
terpellations upon the Dijon speech, the Assembly
was too impatient to wait upon the order of the day,
and took occasion of the bill for extending to the de-
corated wounded of Junc,lB4B, the pay of legionaries,
to break ground upon the manifesto of the Pre-
sident. In the course of discussing an amendment
by General Gourgaud extending the benefit claimed
for the wounded of June to those of February, and a
further proposal of Larochcjacquelin in favour of
the soldiers who fought in 1830 for Charles X.,
came to be raised the ticklish question of passive
obedience in the soldier. Any one, who reflects
for a moment upon the military revolutions, not only
of France, but of all other countries, will see the
impossibility of laying down a practical dogma upon
such a question. What legislative affirmation of the
duty of passive obedience would have prevented the
regiments sent against Napoleon upon his return
from Elba from going over to him ? On the other
hand, the danger of encouraging, the right of private
judgment in " intelligent bayonets" is obvious, and
strikes at the root of all discipline. But merge the
man in the soldier as you will, the units of an army
will never entirely abdicate their superiority to
mere machines. These were more or less the
elements upon which Colonel Charms, minister
of War for a moment under the provisional
government, and a vigorous member of the
Mountain, founded a speech of remarkable
talent and dexterity. The speech of the Montag.
nerd was evidently addressed to the army, and
claimed for the soldier in a revolutionary crisis that
right of political opinion which it is the object of
the party of order to guard. Hence every attempt
was made by Dupin and the parliamentary majority
to stifle a discussion which could not fail to pene-
trate into the ranks of the military, and sap their
discipline. In the meantime Charms, after meeting
with unanswerable logic all the interruptions of the
Right, brought the question, by a sudden turn, into
close contact with the speech of' Dijon. lie put, in
covert language, the hypothesis of the President
turning the army against the Assembly. He wanted
to know what course, the soldier was to take, if or-
dered by his commanding officer to march against
tho legislative body. The partisans of passive
. obedience were somewhat stagered by the question.
General Changaruicr seised &e moment to strike in
with a slashing side-stroke against the President,
and his ambitious dreams. lie mud:

A grave question has been raised, and, in consequence of
what has been said, I think it necessary to put en end to
the apprehensions expressed by M. Charras. According to
the assertions of certain persons, the army is ready in its
enthusiasm, to act against the laws of the country, and to
change the form of government. In the first place, and to
show that such cannot be the case, it is sufficient fur me to
ask where is there any motive fur such enthusiasm?
(Laughter on the left). I may add that the army, pro-
roundly penetrated with the sentiment of its duty, with
the feeling of what is due to its own dignity, desires
no more than you to inflict on France the wretched-
ness and shame of the government of the emus',
when emperors were succes•ively raised to power or de-
posed by drunken Praetorian Guards. (Great agitation.)
Discipline is deeply rooted in the French army. The sol-
diers will always hear the voice of their chiefs ; but no one
will ever induce the soldiers to march against the law—
against the Assembly; not a single battalion could be in•
duced to follow for such a purpose, whoever might be the
officers whom they are accustomed to obey. Consequently,
representatives of France, deliberate in peace.
M. Leon Faucher warmly protested against
' the insinuations directed against the govern-
ment by the man with whom but an in-
stant before he had shaken hands. Thus, before
the interpellations of M. Desmou.sseaux de Givre
came on, the interest of the subject was in a great
measure exhausted ; and the disputes about the
official and real version of the speech were of secon-
dary importance. Thus, for a moment, the agitation
caused by the Dijon manifesto has subsided. It
remains to be ascertained whether this questionable
move of Louis Napoleon will have a permanent effect
upon his interests by detaching the support of the De
Broglie-Orleanists, and tending to drive them
towards fusion and a coalition with the legitimists;
or whether their displeasure will be ully ap-
peased, and they will continue to regard t e prolonga-
tion of the President's powers as the safest and moat
expedient solution of the crisis.
To-day the Assembly proceeded to ballot for the
renewal of the questors. The number of voters was
611. M. Base obtained 436 voters; General Leflo,
386 ;do Panat, 299 ; Charras, 174; Lebreton, 146;
Chadenet, 134; Chaper, 117. MM. Base and Leflo,
having alone obtained the majority, were re-elected.
The result of the fresh ballot will not be known
until to-morrow. De Panat is considered certain of
being re-elected.
M. Monet presented his report on the bill for the
adjournment of the municipal elections.
The debate was devoid of interest.

A serious tumult has occurred at the Italian Opera
of Pere, the diplomatic quarter of Constantinople
One of the • -Ind