The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-20 00:00:00

FRANCE.

CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES.--SITTING or JAN. 18.
The Order of the Day was the adjourned debate upon the
first paragraph of the Address.
An amendment had been proposed by M. Gustave de Beau-
mont, to the effect that after the words, " Tho institutions
that it has bestowed upon itself," the last phrase should be
suppressed, and replaced by the following:—" We hope that,
fortified and completed with wisdom, they will ensure to the
country the benefits of a Parliamentary Government—that
Government which has been confided to our hands, and which
we ought to maintain in all its integrity and purity."
Another amendment has been proposed by M. Bethrnont,
that in the first paragraph, instead of the words, " The agri-
cultural interests rely upon the solicitude of the Administra-
tion," the words should be adopted, "Call for the solicitude of
the Administration." •

Before commencing the proceedings of the day, the Pre.
sident remarked that, in order to avoid future misunderstand.
ing en the subject, it would be as well to abstain from remarks
such as had fallen from M. de Toequeville the previous day re-
lative to matters such as public instruction, which, although
applying to the interior situation of the country, formed the
subject of another part of the address. After some further
remarks upon this subject,

M. Gauthier de Rumigny commenced the debate by deny-
ing that the financial and industrial situation of the country
was in 30 prosperous a state as had been alleged by the Mi-
nister of Commerce. Taking in hand the published statistics
of export and import duties, he vindicated the truth of his
assertion.

This speech finishing the general discussion upon the first
and second paragraphs, they Were agreed on.
The discussion then opened upon the amendments proposed
by Messrs. Monnier de Siscraune, I3ethmont, and Gustave de
Beaumont.

111. Bignon, one of the Committee, proceeded to oppose the
wording of the Address by asserting the prosperil of the
countr3 , and the progress making by the commercial interests
of France.

Bcthmont spoke at some length on the depression of
various manufactures, and particularly of linens, and entered
into a lively picture of the misery of the lower classes at vari-
ous periods on account of the periodical decline of different
manufactures. It was with this state of things, he said, that the
Government ought to occupy itself more fully and deeply.
He called for public institutions for the support of the miserable
corking classes, and for a law regulating and improving their
position. The institution of the Prudhommes, as it existed at
Lyons, he considered, in spite of the difficulties presented by
the organisation of such an institution, ought to he established
in Paris. The orator then continued by supporting the wording
of hic amendment. The nr.Trieniture of the country, he raid,
lulu i.vC I el) upUil the ~;Ihitutie. of the Gu‘ehalicht. it
mistrust of it; but certainly no reliance, and, on the contrary,
had reason to complain much of its Indifference. The pro-

gress in agriculture was not in proportion to that it made in all
other countries; and this inferiority in France he attributed to
the want of any wise direction given by the Government to
the already existing institutions in favour of the agricultural
interests.
.out
The Minister of Commerce follow-eel, and after pointing
the proportionate increase in the prosperity of the country awe°
the year 1817 up to the present time, proceeded to prove thatt
the Government had not been either negligent or indifferen.
in its efforts for the prosperity of the agricultural interests, all°
of the
that it had not drawn more favour to other branches
Administration than to agriculture, but that it endeal,oured to
give an equal attention to all the different branches of "i,:
mercial progress. The Minister then went on to enunieral
the various steps taken by the Government in various partf °
France to the advantage of agriculture, and state the disce"
ragement that its advances had met from the conseils-gentragr
in various places. He announced that the Government wet'
about to propose some new Bills connected with the internal
interests of the country, among which were a Bill about
atents, and another about the livrets, or conduct-books of the
w. rking classes, and the regulatim of the position of the manly
facturing populace. In conclusion, the Minister, taking ell the
words of the amendment, repulsed the idea of any indifference
on the part of the Government, and said that the country
might. rely upon its solicitude.
M. D'Arblay mounted the tribune amidst loud cries; de-
manding that the amendment should be put to the von te, allal I
supported the amendment in a speech respector' the fin:n
position of the country, which met with but ,atteut,o
from the Chamber.
M. G-nnilin Pna

,dst loud cries of

i. _randin endeavoured t 3 speak amiL tsd t cerY
"Divide," and with difficulty obtained a hearing am.
general marks of impatience.
The amendment of M. Bethmont and M. Monnicr uniiO4
the,effect that the agricultural interest called for further soy
_,ct
tude cif the Government. was then put and declared "
alopted, after two doubtful trials. thert
The amendment of M. Gustave de Beaumont was 0
brought forward and supported by that gentleman. Be call
the recollection of the Chamber to the address of the year o.Aot
which established the principles of a Parliamentary Govetr.
ment, and called for its support in all its purity and integrilo
The;Minister of the Interior rose to reply, and stateily7d,
perfectly agreeing with the principles announced by ro,
Beaumont, he objected only to the manner in which it was !iv:
posed as a means of opposition to his Cabinet, antd as express"
a want of confidence in the principles of that Cabinet. r„,
M. Billault stated that, in ftet, the principles
that the
binet were not those of the Government of P 340-- its
principles of the Cabinet were not Parliamentary. Dt.'nnre of
three years' administration it had been in a constant
parley with the Chambers, and not of concurrent progr•_.t
The orator then continued to give instances of the coyote'.
opposition and want of accord in the different railroad proje;
It the sugar question the Government had proposed its sY,lte2t;
as the only one to save the interests of the country, and y
withdrawn it. Even in its interior, he said, the Ministry 65
not in agreement with itself. In the treaties of contract
also, it had no unity of principle; sometimes inclining V' t,"-
treaty with England, sometimes with Belgium, interrupl
of the
negotiations to renew them. In most of its acts it b
found itself so often at issue with its own majority, that
had been forced constantly to withdraw its own propositioa•
As an instance of this this vacillatlon and incapacity
execute its own projects, the orator then instanced 7
plan of establishing a Council of State, which, lUit
of the promulgated ordinance, it was obliged to suppress, en`"
having supported it as a necessity of the dynasty and its securiti;
After an attack upon the Cabinet, upon several other Loin"' 0.,1
account of the uncertain system of proceeding, the oratorittirc%
to the majority to demand a reason of their conduct towards tn.:
Cabinet under such a position. The use of the Ministeriallfn„,,
fluence, on the one hand, and the exercise of solicitation,';
Ministerial favour, on the other, were then subjects of the 1%4'4
Deputy's attacks.. All these evil influences, he said, were Us
in all the different elections either of Deputies or of Nati° „
Guards, Municipal Councils, &c. This system was the cet;
of infinite evil, and Would be the ruin of the country. Vell,°o-01
instances (which M. Billault then gave) were adduced as a1)1
of these assertions. The orator then concluded with a reS"

of his previous assertions. • Ise f
M. Gasparin then rose to reply to allusions made to 110
in the previous speech, and the orator was left still spat'it4
when our reporter left the Chamber.