The Express.
London, England, 1850-05-22 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, Triumvir Evaraixo.
To-day the hall of the Legislative Assembly was
thusly crowded. After a procession of nearly 80
members of the Mountain had presented petitions
against the electoral law, the debate was opened upon
the bill introduced by the government for the'
reform of universal suffrage. First the question of 1
nrgeuey " was discussed. M. Lagrange, in opposing
the urgency, praised the dignity and calm of the
psuple in resisting every provocation to violence, and
saw in this the proof that they were ripe for liberty.
He oath d to witness the men who listened from the
diplomatic tribute. (Laughter; that tribune being
almost exclusively occupied by ladies.) He wound
upwith denouncing the bill as an attempt to swindle
people out of their just and dearly-earned rights.
M. de Flotte next opposed the urgency, in a speech of
mach emphasis and considerable length. The urgency,
being then put to the vote, was adopted by the
Assembly by a majority of 481 against 239. The
great superiority of number in fume of the govern.
meat was held by the Right as a symptom that the
bill would peas without any material amendment.
The debate was then opened by Gen. Csvaignao
upon the substance of the bill.
He was impressed with a deep conviction that it was
wholly oppos-d to the spirit of the eonstliution to subject
universal suffrage to a domiciliary qualification. He thought
it highly imprudent to introduce, thus prematurely and in-
opportunely, so essential a change in the constitution, by
w.tich they were bound to govern for the next two years;
and predieted that, wha•ever the results of the law might be,
the responsibility of passing it would be most heavy. He
had on a former occasion, when this bill was brought for-
ward, answered by voting the previous question. He
would explain caurgoricsili• the motives which de-
termined him in opposing the bill. The 25th arti-
cle of the constitution said that every Frenchman
of the age of 21, in enjoyment of civil sad political
rights, was an elector. The 26th article said that every
elector of the age of 25 was eligible without meanies of
domicile. There was no domiciliary stipulation in these two
articles. He understood the eonstitation in the largest sense.
The constitution defined universal suffrage. It was reserved
to the law to orgsaise it, bat not to exiatract its limits.
(Cheers on the Left) The present bill was totally opposed
in spirit to the constitution, for while the constitution aimed
at extending the suffrage as mach as possible, the bill aimed
at narrowing it as mach as possible. A whole crowd of
Blames were secluded from the franchise. There were other
classes to whom its exercise was beset with at manner of
difficulties. He did not think that the result of the law
would be such as to justify the illegality meditated. The
slips of reaction was preelpitoas and slippery ; to-
day they wen asked to limit the suffrage ; to-morrow
some sew—perhaps mere exorbitant demand—would fellow.
At last they might shines to stumble apes redetwass. He
would joia the party whose bill he now opposed to
vanquish that resistance. (Cheers from the Right.) Bat
was it right, was it wise, to rouse such ressetance
No, it was not. (Cheers from the Left.) The
electoral suffrage had been until February 24 a fie-
tion. The provisional government knew this, and hesi-
tated sot to found universal garage. Bet the bill of
the government wanted to being back the old fiction
again, the re-establishment ofrwhich he should regard as one
of the greitest misfortunes which could befall Frazee. The 1
speaker then entered into a defence of the previdosal
go-
verament against the unjust and ungenerous attache whisk I
bid been made on it. To those who accused the defenders
of that great acquisition of universal suffrage of Wag the 1
allies of the party of disorder he would say, let i
them remember that the meet important men of
the majority had been the object of similar accusations when ;
they occupied the beaches of the constitutional opposition 4
under the government of Louis Philippe. (Cheers on the
Left) He should vote against the bill.
M. Dewotours de Cbaulieu read, in the midst of a I
buzz of conversation, a speech in favour of the bah
Victor Hugo was the next speaker, and delivered a
fervid oration, which was often interrupted by the
laughter of the Right. The speeches of M. Jules de
Lasteyrie and M. Pascal Duprat closed the sitting.
In the beginning of the sitting M. Leo as Laborde
had presented three petitions, requiring a fine to iv
imposed on electors who should not exercise the it
right of voting, the reduction of the number of fo
tionaries, and, finally, an appeal to the people, so that
if circumstances should require it, it may be deraarad
that there is no safety for the country out of t) paleof the great principle; of hereditary right itlaiah he.
constituted the nationality of France.
The Journal du Havre of yesterday •w ! • .—" A
y great number of sailors, raised in the rriantime dis-
trict of Havre, in execution of the reeme, orders of the
Minister of Marine, are about to be seat by the Colibri
to Cherbourg, where they will he embarked in the
Henri IV., the arming of which bee been ordered. A
second detachment, forming part of that which left
last week, has embarked this day for Brest, rid
lair, in the steamer the Morlaisii,a“
M. j
lAuffrind, responsible r.tlitor of the Vas du
People, yesterday appeared be'icire the Court of Assizes
to take his trial for having p'ablished in that '
outran],
on the Bth April, articles rAciting to hatred of the go-
vernment, and exciting d'.fferent classes of citizens to
hatred of each other. declared guilty by the jury,
bat with extenuatier, circumstances, he was con-
demned to six moo's' imprisonment and 2,000 fr.
five. A few days ago he had been condemned, by
default, on this *bean to a year's imprisonment and
6,000 fr. fine.
The followinic is the telegraphic despatch by which
the communisation tit the Minister of Foreign Affairs
to the Anemia/ 7i on the subject of the Greek affair was
made know;, at Lyons:
Paris, may 17, halfpest (1110, PAL
The 10:mister of the Interior to the Extraordinary Commis-
sary at Lyons.
Paris usaiseas to be triaged!. The recall of M. Dronya
de l'ilays, on the occasion of the affair of Unece, was ro-
omed with enthoeium by the Assembly. We have every-
thing to guarantee as that, in spite of this incident, the heir.
be mon *Mei sales bourses Freese and Rained will hot