New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1869-12-29

ing speech Of the Emperor furnish the bases
of the new Government. To the right OF IN
terpellaton, the responsibility of Ministers, ana
other reforms chiefly Parliamentary, the En-
peror has declared bis readiness to add fresh
prerogatives to the local councils, from when
MAYORS will in future be selected, and which
in Paris will be chosen by the Legislative
Body. In the two great cities of France he is
willing that the municipal electors shall be COM
mitted to universal suffrage, and one OF the
first tasks of his ministry will probably be
bill "enlarging the circle of the working OF
universal suffrage" and determining :" the
"public functions compatible with seat In
&" the Chamber" Other and inferior reforms
with reference to instruction, the humane reg
ulation of infant labor in manufactures, and
the removal of a certain war tax, are proniiSeu'
Nevertheless, 1t is obvious that such pro-
gramme falls short of the sincere demand OIL
France. The municipal councils Will be Still
the creatures of the empire; the odlous system OIL
prefectures will still exist; the gerrymanderng
of electoral districts will continue the Mayors
will remain ineffective and, oppressed oy
official candidatures as they are now carried
on. and wanting the encouragement OF NUM-
cipal independence, suffrage Will be as 1t ls-a
delusiOn or a fraud. Not even yet is france
promised that one of her projects can be
brought to trial in regular Court. The right OF
public meetingin Paris is yet crippled one. but
far grayer than all these dcpriyatons oil Justice'
il the one in which NJ. Jules Favre sums up
his indignant complaint against the Empire
France is deprived, in short, OF all power 10
make her own Constitution. Her late Sehatus
Consultnm was the work of the Emperor ana
his own appointecs, the French Senate; hence
the constitutonality which the Emperor prom
ises in the name OF Liberty is based upon an
oppression which denies to Frenchmen the
right 10 make their most essential laws. III Is
consttutionality founded upon unconsttu-
tionality; for the failure to give to the Corps
Legislatif its great right to elect the principles
OF its government is the notorious measure OF
the EmpcTOrs usurpation.
NJ. Olivier has, accordingly, no easy or GER
tain work before him. Though it was a vic
tory for him and his party to have achieved
his present ascendency in the councils OF the
Emperor, his tact in recOncling and keeping
reconccd those whom false step may excite
to opposition remains to be she~n. The pro-
grammc of his party as lately dehned, whiIe
TO all appearances suspicious for France pre-
sents difficulties to a new Ministry. 1t de-
mands the abolition of 1.-THE law of public
safety of tho pluralism of large sal
aries, of communal abuses, OF the present
circumscriptions. of the law 10y which
domiciles are violated, of abuses in elections.
Furthermore, it asks for the freedom OF
superior instruction for trials of press Oifenses
by jury; for the suppression of the right now
vested in the projects to select the newspapers
which are to publish official and judicial adver-
tsements; for parliamentary inquiry into the
consequences of the treaty of commerce. Nj.
Olivier may have less difficulty than the
world imagines in fulfilling this not too exact
ing programme. But it is unquestionable that
no must serve an empire which IS Its own
worst difficulty, and people whose sole ave-
nue. of progress seems TO be over the decay oil
that empire.