The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-06 00:00:00

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.
The attempt of M. DB FaLeoux, the Minister o;
Public Instruction, and one of the most influentia
members of the Parti Pretre, to withdraw the organic
law on public instruction which had been proposed
by the bureau of the National Assembly, in order to
substitute for it another which should give larger
powers of interference with schools and universities to
the priests, gave rise to a very animated discussion in
the Assembly on Thursday.
At the sitting of the Assembly the Minister of
Public Instruction said he had to propose the with-
drawal of the Bill on Primary Instruction presented
by M. Carnot, as it contained principles in which the
Government did not coincide. He had in lieu thereof
instituted a commission to prepare a new Bill. He
eulogised the labours of the late Committee, and said
it did not depend on him that the withdrawal of the
Bill should involve the dissolution of the Committee
appointed by the Assembly ; but what did depend on
him was to appeal to the ability and information to
be found in the Assembly, and that he had done.
M. Barthelemy St. Hilaire said that, as President
of the Committee named by the Assembly, he wished
to state that it had laboured very assiduously in its
task, and had almost produced a complete code of pri-
mary instruction ; and that he was much surprised
at seeing the report of the Hon. Minister in the
Moniteur. The Minister should have inquired in
what position the labours of the Committee were.
However, the Assembly was the party concerned,
who had to decide if it will not take up the Bill pre-
pared by its Committee. The Bill on Public In-
struction was marked down as one of the organic laws.
What would the Assembly do ? According to cus-
tom and precedent it ought to nominate a Committee
in the bureaux to prepare that Bill.
The Minister of Public Instruction denied having
any idea of raising up a conflict bztween the As
sembly and the Government. The Assembly in.
eluded public instruction among the organic laws ;
it was its right to do so, but surely it had no in-
tention of depriving the Ministry of personal opinion.
That opinion they were entitled to have, and he had
therefore appointed a commission. He was sur-
prised to find that prerogative contested. He had no
idea of leading to any conflict ; he had remained
within the limits of constitutional right, and had not
gone beyond his duty.
M. Reppelin said he thought, when he saw the re-
port in the Moniteur, that the design of the Govern-
ment was to deprive the Assembly of its faculty of
voting the organic law on public instruction. The
Minister had said he did not wish to raise a conflict ;
but that conflict did exist, de facto, as the Assembly
had decided it would vote the law ; and as the Assem-
bly ought to maintain its dignity, he moved that the
question be. referred to the bureaux.
The President of the Council remarked that it was a
serious thing to have a conflict of privileges between
two sovereign powers. (This remark was met
by cries of " There is but one sovereign
power.") He had weighed his words and
spoke constitutionally when he spoke of two
constitutional powers. There ought to be no uncer-
tainty. Constitutional powers should be respected,
but not exaggerated. If it was wished to take from
the Executive some of its constitutional attributions,
and to reduce it to the part of a subordinate and
revocable Ministry, let it be at once frankly confessed,
and let those who would do so confess their convic-
tion, and take the responsibility of being the first to
lay their hands on the new Constitution. The Hon.
Gentleman then, amid much interruption, maintained
the right of the Ministry to act in the manner they
had done, and concluded by calling on the Assembly
to respect the right which the Ministry had exercised,
and not to indirectly stigmatise the use of that right.
There were only two modes by which Bills could
reach the Assembly, either by the initiative of the
Executive power, or by that of Members of the As-
sembly, in the forms established by law. He would
call on them not to order a direct reference to the
bureaux, which would be tantamount to a reprimand
of the linistry for the exercise of a constitutional
M. Dupont (de Bussac) said that the view taken
of the question by the President of the Council did
j not apply to the present case. The Hon. Gentleman
had forgotten that there was a third initiative result-
ing
from the decree relative to the organic laws. He
hoped the Assembly would manifest its feelings in the
act which had that morning been revealed in the
Moniteur.

A lengthened discussion followed amid much
interruption. At the conclusion—
The President said—M. Dupont has presented the
following order of the day motive, " The Assembly
alone has the right to name commissions charged
with the task of examining bills."
Loud calls were raised for the order of the day
pure and simple.
The President then put the order of the day pure
and simple, and the following was the result of the
division :
Yes
No

442
302
Majority • • .. -140
The order of the day was consequently carried.
M. Duprat then demanded that there be placed on
the order of the day for to-morrow the nomination
of a Committee to prepare the organic law on public
instruction.

The President stated that he had already fixed to-
morrow for that purpose.
The Minister of Public Instruction said he had no
objection to make. As the order of the day which
the Assembly had just voted established fully the
right of the Government, he could not object to the
proposition of the Hon. Gentleman being carried into
effect to guarantee that of the Assembly.
Differences of a serious character exist between
the Ministers and the PiESIDIiNT of the Republic, the
latter is surrounded by irresponsible councillors, a
Camarilla in fact, by whose advice he acts without
consulting his Ministers, more especially in the
disposal of patronage. He gives to the Camarilla the
power of appointing to all places, and when an ap-
pointment is recommended by the Ministry, if the
name proposed is not to be found in the list of
" eligibles" furnished to the Prince by the Camarilla,
the PRESIDENT refuses to make the appointment. This
system extends even to diplomatic appointments and
to high offices of state and justice. If this system is
permitted to continue we may ere long expect ano-
ther Teste or Petit affair, for of course an irrespon-
sible Camarilla does not recommend to appointments
except " for a consideration." The PRESIDENT too,
has assumed the royal prerogative of pardon, and has,
without the knowledge of his responsible Minis-
ters, ordered the liberation of some of the most
dangerous of the insurgents of June, among
whom are many escaped galley slaves. These men,
on their liberation, became so riotous and so threaten-
ing, that the National Guard was called out in one of
the towns through which they passed en route for
Paris, to prevent them from sacking and burning the
place.
The Petrie has the following on the subject of the
Austro-Italian conferences :
"The Moniteur announces that M. de Lagrenee is
appointed Minister Plenipotentiary charged to represent
France at Brussels in the conferences for the settlement
of the Italian question. M. de Lagrenee is to leave
very soon, and he has orders to commence negotiations.
We know, on the other hand, that Tuscany has named
its representative; it is M. Radice. Notwithstanding
these two appointments, and the assurai co given by the
Constitutionnel that the Marquis de Ricci will have a
successor in the congress of Brussels,in
thinking persistn
thinking that the congress will be without result, and
for these reasons:—Austria is less desirous than ever of
the Congress. She has just suspended the departure of

M. de Colieredo, who was at first designed to be present
at the congress. Sardinia is making usten,iblo prepara-
ticns for war, and Radetzky has called upon the emi-
grants of Lombardy to return, giving them only to the
end of January as delay. After that time their pro-
perty will be sequestrated."
The Bank of France has published its weekly re-
turn, which continues to show a steady addition to
its gold. The overdue bills are short of half a
million of francs, hut the protested bills are nearly
11,000,000 f. in Paris, and upwards of 5,000,000 f. in
the branches. The bills running due are 57,680,793 f.
in Paris, and 106,386,380 f. in the departments.
The amount of notes is nearly 405,000,000 f., and in
the branches 16,567,175 f. The sum to the credit of
the Treasury is 19,204,335 f. ; the private lodgment
accounts nearly 83,000,000 f.; and in the branches
26,500,000 f.
The National Assembly yesterday proceeded to
the election of its Vice-Presidents and Secretaries.
The following was the result of the scrutiny :

Bedeau ..
Corbon ..
Goudchaux
Lamoricire
Havru ...
Billault ..

583
403
413
433
371
317

MM. Bixio, Vivier, Remusat, and Malleville had
not above 73 votes. The following are the Secretaries
elected :

Pean ...
Desgeorge
J. Richard

420
378
321

The Committee on Foreign Affairs yesterday pro-
ceeded to the renewal of its bureau. It had, in
particular, to nominate a president in the place of M.
Drouyn de l'llhuys, now Minister of Foreign Affairs.
A sharp contest took place, not less than three ballots
being proceeded to. On the third, M. de Mornay
was elected by 20 votes, to 17 given to M. Bastide.
M. Aylies was named vice-president, and M. de
Heckeren and M. Edmond Lafayette, secretaries.
During the course of the sitting M. FROUSSARD
put some questions to the Minister with respect to
the cries of " five l'Empereur," raised by several of
the Invalides at the installation of General JEROME
BONAPARTE as Governor, to which M. ODILON
BARROT made a brief reply, treating the affair as a
matter of no importance. _ .

M. MONTESSITY is appointed ambassador to the
Hague. M. DE BOISSY is, it is said, to be appointed
Minister to Florence, and not ambassador to Naples,
as had at first been intended.

_
The PRESIDENT of the Republic went to the opera
on Wednesday evening. He occupied the box of the
late Duke of ORLEANS, and was accompanied by the
Marquis of NORMANDY, General CHANGARNIER, M.
EDGAR NET, and several aides-de-camp. The box
immediately opposite to him was occupied by M.
Timms. _

M. Dumori, one of the ex-Ministers of Louis
PHILIPPE, has arrived in Paris, from London.
The Governments of Spain and Portugal have
proposed to the Government of the French Republic
to hold a conference either at Madrid or Barcelona,
for the purpose of concerting measures for the resto•
ration of the POPE.
BOURSE—PARIS, FRIDAY, JAN. 5.

THREE o'CLocK.—The business done at the Bourse

today was very limited, and there was a further decline
of nearly one-half per cent. in French Rentes. To-day
the coupon of the dividend of 7f. 50c. on the Orleans
Shares was detached ; from the Bourdeaux, the coupon
of 3f. 25c. ; from the Northern, the coupon of 6f. was
also detached. There was no news to-day. Exchange
on London (33 days), 25 271 ; ditto (90 days), 25 20.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOOK-EXCHANGE, JAN. 5,
Northern of Franee, B—Orleans and Bordeaux, DA—Paris
and Rouen, 18%.