The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1850-05-24

three years-a period which seems to have beer
named because it comedies with the duration of the
legislature. There is something strange in the
proposed enactment that change Of residence is te
disfranchise elector, or that, whatever othel
qualifications citizen may possess, If he chances
10 remove within that period from one place to
another he leaves his vote behind him. But the
important considerations connected with this mea-
TO be estimated more by its effects than by
It's principle. Ii preserves the suffrage OF the set
lied householder. it DISTINGUISHES the whole wander
ing population il DISTINGUISHES the whole class OF
domestic servants and workmen, unless they shall
have lived three years in one place, which is in
itself, considerable test of good conduct and capa-
city; il DISTINGUISHES all beggars, vagrants and
private or political offences and II retains the votes
OF soldiers and seamen, supposlng them to be enti-
lied 10 such votes in their personal capacity, upon
the rolls of their own commune The test of resi-
dence is 10 be inscription the ratebooks of per-
sonal taxes, which, however, may be supplied for
persons not so inscribed by the declaration OF resi-
dence by parents for their children, or of masters
for their workmen. In all future elections, the
successful candidate must poll majority consisting
of not less than one-fourth of the whole number OF
electors for the department. The period during
which elections must take place, IN consequence OF
vacancies by death or otherwise, is to be extended
from forty days to six months. And the votes OF
the army, instead of being taken and announced
separately, are to be transmitted secretly to the
project of the department, and mixed by him with
the general votes OF the civil constituency.
The question which naturally presents itself on
the perusa of such bill is, what is the extent of
the proposed Acknowledgement Ii the period of
three years be deinitivey retained in the law, We
suspect the reduction in the electoral lists will be
exceedingly greatin fact not very far short of the
stride from universal suffrage to household su
frage For, if the payment of the personal taxes is
10 be the chief test of domce, the number OF sons
of upwards of wenty-one residing in their fathers
house, or OF servants, workmen and laborers having
served three years under one employer, would pro-
badly bear very inconsiderabe proportion to the
yhnl. .laf.x. hA .Afa nf
France which forms the basis of the conservative
party is essentially resident and stationary, and that
portion of the nation would therefore retain all its
electoral power. But the population of the towns
is fluctuating and uncertuin II comprises all the
workmen of the various trades, or compdgnens, as
they are termed, who perform between the ages of
Is and 30, the tour de France 1t includes large
masses of human beings dependent on charity or on
accident driven about by all the vicissitudes of life.
These obviously the readest dupes of political
agitation, the most reckless at an election, the
foremost at fray; from all such persons the fran
chse in that unsettled period of their lives will be
Withdrawn. We hardly venture to hazard a con-
lecture as to the numbers which may be affected
by such a law, but, considering in every commu-
nifty the great numerical amount OF the floating ele
ments of society," We shall not be surprised to learn
that such measure will dsfranchse fourth of
the population, and that II would fall in even a
larger proportion on the population of the cities.
But we offer this more than rough guess,
the elements of such calculation not being before
us. In France the dsfranchsoment has been
loosely estimated at from 100000 TO 100000.
The debate on the law may probably throw some
light on this part of the subject.
That which admits of no doubt is, that the object
and effect of the measure are 10 exclude from the
exercise of the suffrage very numerous body of
persons who do now enjoy it by virtue of the con-
stituon of lS4S and the ext question is how these
persons will receive such proposal There is
doubt that the leaders OF the republican party, who
are not themselves Immediately menaced by il, in
asmuch as no general election can occur for two
Il r.al fta.r
and their pay in the present Assembly for another
18th of June. But they have considerable and in
creasng difficulty in depressing their more ardent
and needy followers, and 1t cannot be denied that
measure of this extent does constitute a most
formidable and direct attack, not, indeed, on the
republic, but on that machinery of the consti-
tuiion by which the republic itself is condemned
to sink from democracy TO socialism, and from
cialism to utter lawessness The National Assem-
bly, WILL in the exercise of its supreme authority,
vote this law, and give a most decided manifesto
ton of its will as opposed to the revolution. Will
lace of PARIS, and wSo eec,oTs are more ore near near
ly affected by it than the rest of the nation-will
they yield implicit obedience to the law, which is
pre-eminently, though not ostensibly, law OF re-
preston passed Paris and the other great cities,
by the lawful authority of France We do not
pretend to PREJUDICE the result, but the soundest
opinion seems To be, that no resistance will at pre-
sent be attempted, and that no conflict will take
place. In the course of the ensuing debate, we
shall probably discover what force the republican
party may put forth, in addition to the violent fac
ton of the Mountain, for the first division on
bringing in the bill includes many votes which
will fall OIL on the amendments. But already IL
appears that Generals Cavaignac and Lamoriciere
have detinitively broken with the majority on this
question, and detached themselves from the party
Of the government, to which, military men,
they owe all their support in the day Of danger
To speak more plainly, the increasing Jealousy and
dissensions of the African Generals form no ncon.
siderable addition to the perls OF the republic and
Of France for while these efforts are made by the
Assembly, and these causes of irritation may ag-
tate the people, General Changarnier is the man
who sustains the totering edifce, and who Is pre-
pared, if we are not mistaken, to proceed TO the
most vigorous measures on the first opportunity
which may present itself Theired chiefs are no
less anxious TO postpone the occurrence OF such an
opportunity to the latest moment but when that
moment comes, the support they may command will
be proportion to the personal ascendancy Of their
principal antagonist, and eventually the fate OF
France will be decided by military leaders rather
than by Legislative Assemblies or paper constiu-
tons.
The Effect OF European and California
Emigration.
From the London Times, May
There have been times within the last thirty
years, when ii seemed general opinion that we
were to have considerable changes. The
age Of gold, the age Of heroEm, the age OF miracles,
the age Of romance, have all passed away; and II
thought probable that the age of novelties would
soon belong TO history No more great events no
more commissions Of nature or of men no more
tides Of population, and new creation OF empires
no foundation Of great families, no new fountains
Of wealth The dull wonders Of science and the
slow achievements Of art were to occupy the place
r -. A I..---.