New-York tribune., 1867-02-06
NlpOLEOYS REFORM DEGREES,

{" cree.n The reading of the decree will dis
abuse the minds of most who have been Led to
entertain high antcipatiOns about the de-
cree, and will explain how, few days
after the pompous announcement OF the
GREAT 'freform bill, another Cable dispatch could
declare that the French people were disgusted"
with 1t. Indeed, deceptive and illusory as all
the Napoleonic manifestoes have been, there has
hardly been one more calculated to d1sappont
the expectations Of the public and to spread
new distrust as to the intentions of the Govern
ment.
Every reader Of this curious document IS at
once struck with the curious circumstance that
while it purports to "give to the institutions OIL
" the Empire all the development OF which they
Il are susceptible, and to the public liberties a
new extension its most conspicuous feature
Ia the repeal of the only concession OF any real
value which the Second Empire has ever made
the decree of Nov. "a, $780, which gave to the
Senate and the Legislative Body the right to
discuss and vote every year at the opening OF
the session an address in reply to the speech
| from the throne. This concession was warmly
welcomed, not .Only by the entire Liberal OPP
position, but even by the progressive wing
of tho Bonapartists. 1t was looked upon
| nv those who were still sanguine enough
to believe in progress under the Ma
| poleonic rfgme as tho first step to-
| future reforms. 1t was the only feature IN
the Napoeonic form of government which re-
minded Frenchmen that they were not alto
gether without representation of the people.
| The great speeches delivered on this occa-
sion were instructing and educating thes
| tha Govarnmpnt
der the M0niteur containing the official
account of the proceedings of the Senate and
Legislative Body to be publicly posted in Paris
and in the provincial towns. 1t was the speeches
of Jules Fagre, Simon, Theirs, and many other
members Of the Opposition to which peo-
ple turned for information on the pol
icy of the Government. Never before
had the debates Of the Legislative Body been
looked forward to with such intense interest as
this year, when It was thought the Mexican and
fom1n questions and the German-ltalian war
would furnish to the Opposition most danger
ous weapons The prohibition OF all discussion
on the speech from the throne on the
very eve of the opening of the Chambers
could not, therefore, strike the public mind rs q
notable reform especially as nothing is said in
tho Imperial letter in palliatiOn Of such reac-
tionary measure except that the discussion OF
"the address has not produced the results which
"were TO be expected from it.'
The right Of Interpolation" or interroga-
ton. which s intended as some indenpificatloIn,
amounts in itself TO very little, as it does
not give to the representatives Of the
people any opportunity to discuss at full
length the Governments policy. But TO
Al.
1t is, in every particular case, made dependent
upon a recommendation by several bureGur
(committecs) of the Senate or Legislative
Bodies. As long as the Chambers are cOnsti-
tutcd as at present, the Government has it in
its power TO shut off every offensive interpella-
ton il pleases. and the past history of the
Empire is isconclusive proof that the Government
will use its power unsparingly.
The only thing the "refom decree con-
cedes, in addition to the right of Interpolation,
is the provision, that the Ministers of State and
the President and Members Of the Cowcil of
State, may be delegated to represent the
Government before the Senate or the
Legislative Body in the discussion of affairs or of
bills. This measure may bo very commendable
for the purpose of expediting business, bnt in
it involves 10 political progress and will
certainly not be thus construed by public
opinion.
q Nothing else that might he valued as a re-
form is limited at in this Imperial decree. But
the letter to the Secretary of State announces
that a law will be proposed having for its pur-
pose to bestow exclusively on the Correc-
tiOnal Tribunals the function of judging of
fenses of the press, and thus to abolish
the discretionary power of the Government
also, that the right of meeting will be regu-
lated by legislative enactment restricting it
within the limits which tho public safety re-
quircs. AS these are only promises, it would
be premature to dwell now on their real or
apparent value but it will at once be noticed
that the promised reform concerning the right
of meeting is made contingent on conditions
which announce beforehand that it will amount
to nothing.
Such decree could not give satisfaction to
the Liberal party of France, and we accord
ingly find that all tho Liberal organs of Paris
do not conceal their profound disappointment.
It is already certain that Napoleon has not
Strengthened his party and the welfare of his
dynasty by this decree and that the war of
the Liberal Opposition will go on as before.
The so-called reform decree is another feature
of Napoleonc policy, which, together with the
many failures of the year 1866, cannot but
prove serious blow TO the edifico which it
was intended to crown.
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The millers Of Troy, in communication TO
| The Troy Daily Times, complain of the action