The Sun.
London, England, 1850-01-11 00:00:00

ttiiry Vitt' itiOrt
SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock.

FRANCE.
In the Assembly, on Wednesday, the clauses of the
Bill for regulating primary schoolmasters came on for
discussion, and an amendment was proposed by M.
salmon, enacting that the prefects should not have a
right to dismiss any schoolmaster until they had taken
the opinion of the Committee of Arrondissement, which
was opposed by the Minister of Public Instruction, as
weakening the force of the Bill. The Assembly,
however, adopted the amendment, notwithstanding
the opposition of the Ministry.
The discussion was renewed yesterday, when the
samendment underwent considerable modifications.
She report of the Committee was to the following 1
effect :—The Assembly adopted, on the preceding
day, an amendment of M. Salmon to the third clause
.of the Bill on Primary Instruction, which obliged
the prefects to take the opinion of the Committee of
the Arrondissement previous to the revocation of
schoolmasters who, in all cases, can appeal to the
.Minister of Public Instruction against the decision.
This amendment changed the spirit of the law by
rendering its effects less prompt and efficacious. M.
Mortimer Ternaux, wishing to remedy that inconve-
nience had Owed that the appeal should not prevent
the suspension or revocation from taking place, and
M. Faultrier asked that the suspension, pronounced
in virtue of the article, might extend to six months.
Those two amendments having been referred to
the Committee, M. Beugnot, the reporter, said that it
had been of opinion to adopt both. M. Faul-
trier's amendment graduated the penalty, which
was a great merit in penal legislation.
Some members, however, objected that, if the
suspension lasted six months, the district would
be deprived of the benefit of primary instruction dur-
ing too long a period. Now, he thought that the
suspension would seldom exceed a month or two, but,
in all cases, it would be easy to supply the place of the
schoolmaster. The other amendment, moved by M.
Ternaux, had likewise appeared perfectly logical to
the committee, and it had resolved to propose its
adoption with the adoption of a clause empowering
the prefect to condemn him to the partial or total
deprivation of his salary. (" Why not at once con-,
demo him to death," exclaimed a voice on the left
" it is an infamy.")
Porieu, Minister of Public Instruction, declared
that the Cabinet accepted the modifications introduced
into the Bill by the Committee. Although the first
paragraph of the 3d article had been carried in oppo-
sition to the wishes of Ministers, yet, with the changes
made by the Committee, he trusted. that the desired
object would be attained, and the Cabinet accordingly
concurred in them.

L'Herbette observed, that the adhesion of the
Caoinet might be a tactique to obtain the rejection of
the first part of the 3d article when the Assembly
would vote on the whole. He accordingly moved that
the additional paragraphs be converted into a separate
article, which was ageed to.
After a few words from M. Mounet, in behalf of
the schoolmasters,who would be deprived of all means
of existence during six months, the amendment of M.
Ternaux was put from the chair, with the additional
penalty of the suspension of the salary, and voted.
M. Mathieu de la Drome next observed that the
amendment of M. Faultrier would imply the abroga-
tion of the 3d article. If it were adopted the Assembly
should mention in the article that the prefect was
bound to consult the Committee of the Arron-
dissement before pronouncing the suspension of
a schoolmaster during six months. "An attempt
is making to frighten you, gentlemen," added he,
"at the progress of Socialism, in order to avert
your attention from the real danger. They place
before your eyes an imaginary phantom. The peril
is not on that side. A party is now endeavouring to
gain over to its cause the sub-officers, who are de-
scribed as the real strength of the army. Socialism
is entirely out of the question. The humblest pea-
sant is as much attached to his patch of ground as
the rich man to his domain. What is intended is to
substitute to the present schoolmasters, Bonapartist
schoolmasters, who will propagate a journal (Le
Napoleon) published under the patronage of the
Minister of the Interior. The same tactique suc-
ceeded at another period; and, for my part, I nei-
ther wish to be a dupe nor an accomplice of the
scheme."

M. Laurent de l'Ardeche next developed, amids
the noise, an amendment which was not taken into
consideration.
He was followed by M. Moreau, who moved that
the schoolmaster revoked should be replaced by a
secular teacher. In support of his amendment he
undertook to demonstrate the danger of confiding the
instruction of youth to the clergy. In a book of the
Jesuits he read this maxim, "A robber is preferable
to a liar."—(Loud laughter on. the Right.) In ano-
ther passage the chitdren are told to mind nothing
but their oivn salvation and pay no attention to the
affairs of this world, not even their family interests,
&c.—(Crief of Enough! enough !" on the Right.).,
M. M reau, having descended from the tribune,
I. Duein put his amendment to the vote, and not a
single Member rose to support it.
Toe President was preparing to consult the As-
sembly respecting I. Faultrier's amendment, but
20 Me nbers on the Left having demanded a division,
a ballot ensued, when there appeared, for the amend
ment, 387; against it, 224. The amendment was
accordingly declared to be adopted.
Another ballot text took place on the whole of the
4th article, which gave—for the article, 378; against
it, 213.
This article was adopted.—[Left sitting.]
The Siicle I as the following on the subject of the
proposed expedition to La Plata :
" We have said that the Ministry was determined to
support the negotiations in La Plata with a force of
1,500 infantry and 500 artillerymen. It may be well
imagined that we do not affirm that these figures may
not be changed. The na,mbers of the Cabinet have not
accustomed us to so much fixity in their resolutions.
What we can affirm is, that, at present, the Ministry
has admitted that, in order to conform to the will of
the Assembly, the negotiator should have at his
disposal such forces as would prevent the town
of Monte Video from ru❑ning any danger until
the arrival of an expedition of war, if the pretensions
of Roses rendered war inevitable. At present
we are going to mention, but without affirming any-
thing, the rumours which have circulated during the
day. It was stated that the Minister of War and of
Foreign Affairs had informed M. Darn, non-officially,
that the Government de facto, joined in the opinion of
the committee, and-that the negotiations should be sup-
ported by from 2,000 to 2,500 men fit to be disembarked;
in fine, that the Ministry would do all that depended on
it to defend the lives of our countrymen and the interests
of our commerce. If the naval forces to be employed
were more considerable the Cabinet would not hesitate,
it was said, to employ Admiral LaitA as Commander-in-
Chief and negotiator, although his name is somewhat
significant in the question. The Cabinet thinks, it is
said, of Admiral Verninbac, ex-Minister of Marine, for
the purpose, A third version states, that it is Admiral
Duboutdieu who is to start for Monte Video, accom-
panied by a diplomatist whose name is not yet deter-
mined on."
The Journal du Havre says—" The Charge
d'Affaires of France at Bogota has presented a pro-
test against the rigorous manner in which the French
company formed to establish a railway over the
Isthmus of Panama has been dispossessed, to the
profit of the Aspinwall Company, of the concession
which it had obtained from the Government of New
Granada. He has demanded that the projectors of
the company shall be indemnified for the prelimi-
nary expense which they have incurred, amount-
ing to upwards of 80,000 f. The Government
of New Granada appears inclined to attend to this
demand. Negotiations have been lately entered into
at Quito, the capital of the Republic of the Equator,
to have important additions made to the commercial
treaty of 11143. That country has for the last three
years imported a great number of articles from Paris."
A Cabinet Council was held yesterday at the
Elysee at which the President of the Republic pre-
sided. The subject of deliberation way the contem-
plated expedition against Buenos Ayres. The fleet
will be under the command of Admiral Duhourdieu,
and the troopF, which will consist of one regiment of
Marines and two squadrons of Chasseurs, will ba
commanded by Col. Lannes de Montebello.