The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-03-12

Violent Scene In tho French Assembly
Parliamentary Tumult, with tho Prince
OF Wales Present.
The session of the French Legislative
Assembly at Versailles yesterday was made
the occasion of violent scene of tumult, the
excitement which prevailed among the mem
bers being, apparently, for the time more
intense than any which has preceded it during
the parliamentary debates of the modern
republic Of France. A motion was made for
the censure and legal prosecution of two of the
Deputies under an indictment charging them
with having lbelled the representative body.
This was met by an amendment which
declared that the Assembly should pass to
the consideration of the order of the day.
The promovants of the motion met this by
demonstrations of noisy agitation. The reply
was, according to the same tact, conducted in
similar strain and with like emphasis. The
motion to lay on the table was carried A
member of the Right characterized the decision
as not being San amnesty of impunity, but of
disdain." The acme of confusion was reached
Immediately, and men of the Right and Left
handled each other swithout gloves" almost
as fiercely, and not near so completely within
the rule of ''corner" and ''sponge" as have
the respective champions of England and
America in the fistio arena. 1t was pro-
tracted fght-one painful to witness; for the
repeated blows on the cheek Of the brother
which were there inflicted by these represen-
tatives of France were in reality so many
assaults, personal and political, on the cause
of constituted self-government in Europe and
against that of enfranchised democracy in the
land of Danton, and on soil which is mois-
tene with the blood of self-sacriicing mar
tyrs to the cause of liberty. The
accused Deputies refused to accept of
a House pardon conveyed under cover
of legislative techncalty. Their effort for
an exhibition of honest disinterestedness was,
seemingly, not understood by their fellows, or
if understood it was disregarded. They were
driven to their seats by the utterance Of a
storm of groans. NJ. Jules Favre endeavored
to speak. His voice was inaudible amid the
clamor. The Prince of Wales happened to
visit the Assembly Hall at the commencement
of the debate and witnessed the entire pro-
ceedings to the close. France is evidently
fevered exacerbated, and restless for q
change. The French people are in dilemma,
political and national. They have voluntarily
pledged themselves to the cause of rad
ical democracy and proclaimed their
capacity for conducting the ceremo-
NAL of the conservation of an
era Of popular and cheap government in the
Old World They have built the altar, lighted
the tapers, robed the assistants and slain the
victims-a holocaust-but they still want the
high priest and the incense. The temple is
open, the congregation aspirant, but not fer
vent and devoted. This state Of national
enthusiasm is not likely 10 endure. The
incarnation of the principle of freedom must
be completed. The question is, Who will
accomplish the work? 1t may be that the
Prince of Wales has already formed an
opinion on the subject. His Royal Highness
may even 60 30 far as to point to the pages
of English history which are black with regard
to Oliver Cromwell but connect over the
chasm which was made in the constitution
between the moment Of the decapitation of a
king and the period Of royal restoration under
General Monck.