The Sun.
London, England, 1849-11-02 00:00:00

FRANCE.

THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY, OCT. 31.

At 3 o'clock M. Dupin, President, took the chair.
Considerable agitation prevailed in the hall. It
was reported that the entire Cabinet had resigned,
and that the only member of the new Ministry as
yet appointed was General d'Hautpoul. A list Is as
handed about from group to group, and when Messrs.
Dufaure and De Tracy entered they were surrounded
and anxiously interrogated.
That list contained the following names :
M. Ferdinand Barrot, Minister of the Interior ; M.
Rouher, of Justice; M. Parrieu, of Public Instruc-
tion ; M. Casimir Perier, of Foreign Affairs ;
Bineau, of Public Works; M. Fould, of Finance;
Admiral Romain Desfosses, of Marine ; General
d'Hautpoul, of War; and M. Dumas of Commerce
and Agriculture.
The Assembly afterwards resumed the adjourned
discussion on the proposition tending to institute an
inquiry into the condition of the navy.
M. Charles Dupin said a few words in vindication
of the administration of the navy, but the Assembly
appeared too much pre-occupied with the Ministerial
crisis to listen to him.

M. Chaper, who followed, was not more successful
in commanding the attention of the Assembly.
M. de Tracy, Minister of Marine, and M. Dahirel
next spoke, after which the general discussion was
closed.
The President then read the first article. It was as
follows :
" A Parliamentary inquiry into the situation and
organization of the services of the navy shall be pro-
ceeded to."
The article was adopted, after a few words from
Messrs. Lagrange and De Tracy, and it was agreed
that the Committee should consist of 15 Members,
elected by the Assembly.
It is said that the Odilon Barrot Cabinet had not
resigned, but been dismissed by the President of the
Republic. The chiefs of the majority having refused
to take office, the President was obliged to compose
the administration of less important members of the
majority. It is accordingly considered a mere tran-
sition Cabinet.

M. Casimir Perier having declined to accept the
Foreign Department, that office was offered to M. de
Flavigny, former Secretary-General of that Ministry,
in 1830, under the Prince de Polignac, who, at four
o'clock, was summoned to the Elysee. The new Ca-
binet appears to be accepted by the majority.
The Ordre has the following on the subject of the
contemplated Ministerial changes :
As was easy to anticipate from the present dis-
position of the majority, the retirement of M. de
Falloux has been the signal fora movement of change
in the Ministry. A number of rumours have been
afloat on the subject, but we think it only necessary
to intimate the two combinations which appear to be
seriously spoken of. On the one hand, the question
is said to be to reconstitute the Cabinet with MM.
0. Barrot and Dufaure, or M. Mole, taking in the
various fractions of the majority, the men the most
considerable amongst those who represent it. It is
said also, at the same time, that in case that the ob-
stacles which have hitherto been presented could not
be removed, there is some idea of forming a Ministry
composed altogether of new men, which should
meet under the real and active Presidentship of M.
Louis Bonaparte. It is confidently stated that the
last-named combination is very nearly being accepted
by the President of the itepublic, who, looking
seriously at his responsibility, and impatient to apply
the ideas which he had so maturely deliberated on
in prison or in exile, desires to free himself in the
eyes of the public from every kind of guardianship
or patronage, conceiving that he would thus acquire
new titles to the gratitude of the country. Already
the young representatives are pointed out, who, in
case of this eventuality, would be invested with the
confidence of the President; we cannot say if the
execution of these projects is already so far advanced,
but every one agrees in saying that they have been
really conceived. There is not one of the names
at present mentioned which could not very
suitably appear in a Ministry. But at a
period when it is important to strengthen confi-
dence, we think that it would be more opportune
to associate the new element with men who, by the
Eclat of their services, have acquired a great authority
than to risk an experiment which, under present cir-
cumstances, would a little resemble an adventurous
act. We have recognised that the present Cabinet,
which certainly contains men of a great reputation,
had need of strengthening itself, in order to meet the
difficulties and perils of a situation almost without
example. Care must be taken, if the present Cabinet
retires, of having it replaced by another offering less
guaranteea to public opinion. But perhaps we are
dwelling too long on simple conjectures. The Presi-
dent has hitherto shown sufficient prudence not to
justify rash resolutions to be attributed to him. The
majority, besides, would know how to cause his rights
to be respected, and the great interests confided to
him protected, if they ever happened to be over-
looked."

The Siecle says—" There is a good deal of talk
about a romantic project ascribed to some young
men of fashion, of having resolved to raise at their
cost a French legion destined to d..) the same duty
about the Pope's person as the Cent Suisses and the
Swiss formerly did for the King of France. The
officers are naturally taken from the old Christian
families, and are already rather numerous. As for
the soldiers, the raising of them offers several difficul-
ties. The old gendarmes d' elite of Charles X.,
who were splendid soldiers, are at present old ;
the old municipal guards are almost all transformed
into gendarmes mobiles ; and as for volun-
teers, the cardinals would have confidence
in none from Paris. But still something is to be done.
The flag of the army is to be white, slightly deco-
rated with lilies, but it would have to be carried
secretly to the frontier."
The Journal du Havre states that the French Go-
vernment has ordered the departure of a corvette
and brig of war to reinforce the naval squadron of the
island of Reunion, in order to enable it to proceed
against the Malay pirates who lately attacked the
French colony at Nossi•-Be.