, 1874-08-29

the Assembly, whatever Its other heslta-
tions, had made up its mind to escape
from Versailles as soon as possible, and
the best planned assault might be evad-
ed by a sudden adjournment.
The Dissolutionists lost no time, and
they succeeded in bringing the matter full
ly before the Assembly. Their arguments
were heard not for the first time. They
have been reiterated for months in Jour
mails, both French and foreign, and in the
speeches of Deputies. AS each successive
phase of politics has shown the weakness
ofthe Assembly, the reasons for Dissolu-
ton have been urged in every tone of inn
patience and indignation. On the eve of
the Debate they were summarized in a Re-
port drawn up by NJ. MAx-RICHARD in the
name of the Twenty-ninth Commission of
Parliamentary Initiative. The occasion of
this Report was the proposition of NJ.
RAoUL DUvAL for a General Election to
be held on the 25th Of October next. The
reasons given by the author of this propo,
sition were highly practical. He urged
that the division of opinions which exists
and manifests itself every day in the As
sembly does not permit the hope that it
VIII w oOiO ~ COISLllulC d QG1tlkl1F0
Government strong enough to cause itself
to be respected by the partiSans Of the
different political systems which have sue
ceeded each other in France. This state
OF uncertainty does not permit the country
to work so as to repair the losses it has
undergone. Unooeupied capital seeks the
cellars of the Bank or is engaged on specu-
lation at short date on the Bourse, thus
proving that no mercantile man will en-
gage in any line of operation, that the
shipowner will not venture on any enter
prise, not knowing what will be the poll
tical state of the country when the mer-
chandise which he receives in exchange
shall reach the soil Of France. From the
Report it appears that the proposal of Dis
solution was C0mbated by arguments
equally practical. 1t was objected by the
minority of the Commission that the divi-
sion of opinion which manifests itself daily
in the Assembly exists in the same degree
in the country that general elections
would in all probability replace the actual
Assembly by another the members Of
which would be not less divided in opinion
that the languor or stagnation which pre-
walls in commercial and industrial affairs,
and the general uneasiness which results
from it, cannot be entirely attributed to
the uncertainty of the political regime,
since other nations, provided with poIiti-
cal institutions perfectly defined, suffer at
the present moment from 40 evil of the
same nature.
We give this summary of the arguments
on either side from the Commissions Re-
port, since it was on those lines that the
discussion in the Assembly itself chiefly
proceeded. Whether the hesitations and
i%naction of the Assembly have caused the
stagnation in commercial affairs, and weth-
er the election Of a more homogeneous and
energetic Legislature will cause the tide
to flow more freely, was the difficult theme
which Deputy after Deputy approached.
Another important subjectin the discussion
naturally was the probability of the Assem-
bly, doing anything useful in case its life
should be spared. Here, again, the Re-
port ofM. MAx-RICHARD gave a sharp i'm
pulse to the Debate. That gentleman and
his friends of the Commission are evident
LIVERY sceptical on the point. They call
attention to those little incidents of the
present month which, as we observed at
the time, were enough to turn honest men
from notifies in WEAKNESS and .dasnair.