The Express.
London, England, 1851-11-17 00:00:00

FRANCE.

SATVEDAT EVENING.
To-day. M. Vitet read, at the close of the Assem-
bly's sitting his report on the Questors' Bill. The
committee had adopted unanimously the proposition
in the shape which I have already sent. But they
altered their resolution as to appending the minutes
of the ministerial contradictions. On the motion,
however, of M. Jolt', the Assembly decided that
these minutes should be also printed and distributed
with the report.

The committee of internal administration has this
morning discussed the modifications to be introduced
into the chapter on the electoral law to be detached
from the municipal bill fur separate debate on Mon-
day, according to M. Vatimesnil's motion, which
was yesterday carried. The committee has main-
tained the principle of a three years' domicile, but
has admitted several changes in the secondary pro-
visions of the law of May. It has decided in particu-
lar that the notoriety affirmed by a commission will
suffice for the domicile of origin, so that all citizens
who have never quitted their place of birth will be
electors de jure.
The committee of initiative has referred the mo-
tions relative to the electoral law which have been
laid before it to the committee on the municipal bill.
M. Laurent (de l'Archiche) has presented a counter
proposition to that of the minister of the interior re-
specting the state of siege in the Ardechc. He pro-
poses on the ground of the perfect tranquillity exist-
ing in that de, artment, that the Assembly shall put
an end to the state of siege there.
The debate of Thursday exhibited in a striking
point of view the impracticability of naturalising in
France the American system of clerk-ministries. Not
the reddest jacobin of the mountain was ever baited
with the same relentless persecution which assailed
the former Advocate-General of Paris, and the

ex-procureur.general of Rouen. No member of the
Assemble would have experienced from his colleagues
treatment so crushing and cruel. On the other
hand, no minister with the least experience of parlia.
mentary warfare, or with the least consciousness of
the duties of his position, could have been guilty of
the blunders of M. David. The new minister of
justice not only offende I all parties by turns, but in-
flicted the most suicidal wounds upon the govern-
ment. Every one knows with what scrupulous pains
that summary is prepared at the end of the
President's message, which reflects his personal
policy—how every word is weighed in the nicest
balance— every phrase filed with deliberate
caution. To charge a rude provincial lawyer, liko
M. David, with the task of interpreting such a do-
cument, is like committing the costliest viands to
the coarsest cook. What in the message was left
purposely vague, the Minister of Justice defined with
the harshest decision ; what was distinct, he blurred
and distorted. Thus, M. David had the hardihood
to assert that, if the Assembly maintained the law of
May 31, the President would enforce its execution;
while, on the other hand, he denied that the same
law was a violation of the principle of universal
self age. So disgusted were the Elyseans
with this gross misrepresentation of the Pre-
, Mimes sataning, that Lucien Murat called to the
wiedster regtatedly to tell him that his assertions
ware la direct contradiction with the message, and
wad* Ida have forced him away from the tribune.
The Left, hart by his ill-timed affronts, joined in the
jeers of their adversaries against the floundering
speaker, who to a natural defect in utterance added
the strangest perversion of his part, and marred the
policy of the President, while he declared himself
ready to die in defence of his prerogative. Such an
!agate display of unenlightened real drew from the
whole house the most outrageous manifestations of
ridicule and contempt; and the disgraced tribune
became a pillory, from which the keeper of the, seals
arse pelted and hooted like a dog.
Or of the most notable features of the day is the
asamion of Odilon Barret to the league of Mole,
Imre, and Thiers. This is the more remarkable,
es week of M. Barrot's intimate friends and former
sallsegers, as De Tocqueville, Dufanre, Passy, De
Tracy, Gustave de Beaumont, Laajuinais, and gene-
rally the Hera-parti, voted for the second reading of
the Electoral Bill. M. Odilon Barret, in his speech
yesterday in favour of Vatimesnil's motion, repre-
sented the vote of Thursday as a necessary vindica-
tion of parliamentary independence, and resistance
to a systematic aggression on the Assembly.
The four leading anti-Bonapartist organs, Union,
Ordre, Assendkkge, and Opinion PuMique, all combine
in lauding this speech as the true explanation of the
pure and simple rejection of the Electoral Bill, and
the best commentary on the attitude of the old ma-
jority.
The earlier part of the Assembly's sitting was
taken up with the interpellatioos of M. Charles
Lagrange on the interruptions of electoral meetings
by the police. He complained that the presence of
the police at such meetings was illegal. M. La-
grange then proceeded to read articles from several
papers, which he was astounded to see
Ist pees by the authorities without prosecution,
arbor republican journals were accused ef conspiring
wee the flimsiest pretences. The government
MOW an entente, but would not be grad-
ed le this respect. M. de Heeckeren accepted this
atataisent as a confession that the speaker was privy
to seditious machinations. M. Lagrange said, in
continuation, that the peole woulvmt till 1832,
and then they would perform the duty prescribed
to them in the constitution They would vote, not
with the message, but with the constitution in their
hands. M. de Thorigny, minister of the interior,