The Sun.
London, England, 1861-12-23 00:00:00

THE FRENCH SE2 A2'E.

The Senate met on Saturday, M. Troplong in the
chair. Admiral Hamelin, the Marquis de Gabriac,1
and General Bar, excused themselves for not attend-;

ring. M. Baroche, Minister, President of the Coun-
cil of State; MM. Magne and Billault, ministers
without portfolio; M. de Parieu, Vice-President ofl
the Council of State ; and M. Vuitry, President of
Section, took their places on the seats set apart for
the government commissioners.
The order of the day was the discussion on the
Senatus Consultum to change the mode of voting
the Budget.
The Marquis DE LAROCfIEJAQUELEIN expressed
a desire to speak to a motion of order.
The PRESIDENT,There is no such motion before
the house.

The Marquis DE LAROCHEJAQUELEIN thought he
had a right to make the proposition in question.
The Government had there and elsewhere given
1
explanations on the finances, which at the time had
satisfied the public and the two chambers; but
events had since modified that opinion. He there.
fore thought it would be better for the Government,
before the discussion commenced, to explain its
views clearly and categorically, in order to dissipate
Ithe obscurity which seemed to cover the facts.
(Movement.)
The PRESIDENT—Those are interpellations, and
[this is not the moment to make them ; they cannot.
!come on until the discussion of the address.

The Marquis DE LAROCIILJAQUELEIN—I merely
wish the Government to explain before the dis-
,eussion.

The PRESIDENT-9n whiltr • The order of the
day is fixed, and r call on you to observe it.

I M. MAGNE, Minister without Portfolio--If the
Senate thought it desirable to have certain expla-
nations on the statement made at the beginning
of the year, the Government was ready to show
that it had not a word or a figure to retract;
there was not the slightest discrepancy between
the statement then made and that presented by M.
Fould. The Senate would observe that, in the ex-
vlanations given on several occasions by the organs
of the Government, whether within those walls or
to the Legislative Body, there was no question but
of positive facts, which belongs henceforth to the
history of the Empire, and were known to every
one. It was also proper to remark that the state-
ment made by M. Fould related chiefly to facts be-
tonging to the years 1860 and 1861, the results of
which had not been known when the explanations
were presented at the beginning of the year. "But`,
I can affirm," added the hon. minister, " that no-
thing has been concealed from the great bodies ofl
the State nor from the public, and had concealment'
been desired it would have been impossible. In no
country are the finances managed with greater
publicity than in France. Oar finances aro written
in public and authentic documents, and if the
Government oven wished to conceal the truth it
would be not only blameable, but would commit a
signal folly, for thousands of voices would be raised
to denounce the deception. (Approbation.) I re-
peat there is no contradiction between the figures
presented by us and those given by M. Fould. For
instance, the deficit for the year 1860 was estimated,
by the committee on the budget, at 70 millions ; the
Government, far from attempting any concealment,
gave its estimate as high as 100 millions, and the
event has proved that the Government was right.

It is to be regretted that the public is not suffi-1
ciently versed in those matters; the consequence is
that accusations are circulated which the public
would know to be unfounded if it were possible to
induce it to read the numerous documents pub-

lashed, and in which everything
is fully explained.
What was said at the beginning of the season is true;
but at the same time it is undeniable that the in-
crease of supplementary credits, however justifiable,
might give rise to future difficulties. The President
of the Senate has justly remarked in his able re-
port that the act of the Emperor is spontaneous,
perfectly free, and completely ratified by public
opinion." (Applause.)
Prince Napoleon here entered and took his seat.
The PRESIDENT then declared the general dis
cussion to be open.

Baron BRENIER read a speech in which he began

by mentioning the approbation with which the
Emperor's letter and the report of the present Mi-
nister of Finance had been received by the country,
which well understood what it owed his Majesty!
for such a proof of personal abnegation. When
the Sovereign had thus spontaneously offered to
grant a right which had been claimed by the legis-
lative body, it was not for the Senate to check so
generous a movement. In glancing at the present
financial situationit was, however, well to consider
whether too much precipitation might not be mani-
fested in overturning the present legislation. For
his part, ho could affirm that he felt no regret at
seeing a liberal impulse given to the constitution,
which certainly was susceptible of reform and im
provement—of the former, according to the neces-
sities that might arise ; and of the latter, like the
nation which it applied to. Ho should, therefore,;
not oppose the Senatus Consultum as increasing;

,he powers of the legislative body, but as weaken

ling a power which he considered as essential. The,
present financial system was, he said, a piece of;
'simple mechanism which everybody could readily
comprehend, and which was equally well calculated'
to meet ordinary and unforeseen circumstances. Het
could not say the same for the proposed system of
'transfers, which he thought would be very difficult
in their application, and lead to confusion. What
would be done if a war should suddenly break out.
and a necessity arose for a large supply of stores,)
It was a want of those which was the primary i
cause of the loos of the battle of Waterloo. Would