The New York herald., 1874-07-09

thirsted for rest, would as usual have ratned the
"accom plished act.n Such were the Bonapartlst
designs, but they were frustrated by the vigilance
| OF
THE DUKE DE BnodLIH.
who had plan OF his own. The Duke dc Broshe
y an 0rleanist and his ambition was 60 return the
Count OF Paris by constitutional means. To this
end he purposed to carry through the Asseea,oH
| set OF bills which would have organized the sep
tennate on the model of a constitutional monarchy
The hrst OF these bill s provided for
| THE NUrILATIoS OF UNIVERSAL SUFFRAGE.
The age Of electors would have been raised
! frOm twenty-on to twenty-five and q three years.
residential qualification would have been required.
This would have struck some 100000 electors or
| the roll, disfranchised most OF the workmen in
large cities and all the adventurous" classes who
| frequently change their residences, and il would
have virtually given over the electoral power to
the middle class, who dislike Casarsm and dread
the radicals. Furthermore the number OF Deputies
In he lower house would have been reduced TO
$50, and the acts Of this body would have been
controlled Dya
GRAND COUNCIL,
upper house, half or whose members would
have been appointed by the government, whil lie
tue other half would have been elected by
quorum Of notables high 0t1cials and Councillors
General in each department. 1t Is evident that
this Grand Council would have been composed
mainly OF moderate royalists, and prOviso In the
bill enacted that the President OF the body should
be Vice President OF the Republic and succeed ad
interim TO Marshal MacMahOn II the latter re-
signed or died. Within three months OF the Mar
shars death or resignation q new Chief Of the Ex-
ecutive would have been elected by the two houses
voting together; and 1t would have been lawful ior
the majority to give to the Chief Of the Executive
what title they pleased. Now 1t Is easy to see
whittier all these provisions tended. If the Duke
de Broglie could have passed his constitutional
bills he would have appointed
THE DYKE D'AuNALE
to the Presidency OF the Grand Council. and on the
death OF Marshal MacMahon Tor on his willing re-
tirement before his seven years. term was ended (,
the Duke would have succeeded to the Presidency
until the royanss majority in the two Chambers
should have offered the crown to the Count OF
Paris There Is no doubt whatever that things
would have come smoothly to pass in this way II
the Duke de Brogie could have carried his bills
through the Assembly as he desired. UnfOr-
tunately both the legitmists and the Bonapartists
perceived his ann and defeated 1t. The legiti-
mists had no wish to see Henri " so unceremOni-
ousy left out OF the reck onng, and the Bonapartiss
were naturally hostile to a scneme which would
have adjourned the prospects OF an imperial
restoration to the Greek calends. SO, when the
orders OF the day for the constitutional bills were
laid before the House, fifty three legitlmsts and
the thirty Bonapartiss coalesced with the republi
cans and turned the Duke de BrOge out OF office.
Marshal MacMahon then appealed successfully to
the most prominent members Of the Orleanist
party to form Cabinet, but they declined, feeling
all Of them unequal to the charge of managing the
Assembly. In consequence the Marshal sum.
moned General de Cissey, an old brOther-in-arm
of his. and between them the two Old soldiers
made up
TAME CABINET
which is in existence at the present writing. But
what an exstencel No sooner was the Duke de
Broglie Overthrown than number OF former Or
leanists, feeling that all hope for their cause was
gone went over to the republican side, impelled
thereto, 1t is said by the Orleans Princes them
selves, who would, or course, so0n,r live in France
under republic than be driven into exile again
by d third Empire. Within fortnight OF the Duke
de Broge's fall the most vital clause in his MO-
ncipal Suffrage bill, that which raised the age of
the electors from twenty-one to twenty-five, was
thrown out. The new Ministers had resolv ed to
carry the constitutional bills, and they all voted
IN the minority y-notwithstandng which they did
not resign. few days later, however, came a
yet more crushing defeat NJ. Caslmtr-Perier, hav
ing lodged a motion to the effect that repubu can
ism should be declared the definite form OF govern
ment in France, division was taken on the ques-
tion to whether 1t was urgent to refer that.
bill at once to committee. The Ministers, the
legtimsts the Bonapartists and the mass Of the
Oreanists voted .No;" but the Orleanst seces-
sionists, In alliance with the republicans. were
enough to form majority, and by S45 votes TO BAL
N. PERIER's NOTION
was carried. This was the most important vote
ever taken In the present Assembly. for never
before had majority declared for the Republic
The inveterate monarchists Of all shades were
filed with dismay; the BOnapartists especially
were aghast. M. Perier's motion has now been
forwarded to the Committee Of Thirty, who Will
report upon 1t before long. When their report Is
lodged the grand battle will take place on the
question OF
REPUBLIC OR NO REPUBLIC
and 1t is in expectation OF that battle that II
Frenchmen are now going about exclteilv and
inqurlng OF one another which party will win. AS
said at starting there Is predicting this just
yet; but one can Judge by the relative forces OF
the parties how steady Is the progress which the
republican ''Idea" has made Of late. The National
Assembly counts 75O members, and there are at
present ten seats vacant. The
SEVEN HUNDRED AND FORTY SITTING MEMBERS
may be classed as follows s:-Legitmists, 15O; mod
crate royalists, 10; Bonapartiss, 80, and repub-
lcans OF all shades, 36). There remain then about
thirty centrsts who, oscilatIng to one side the
other, can turn the scale. Now when parties are
so equally balanced as this 1t may be dificult TO
foresee how any particular division may ter.
inmate; but it is evident that q compact party of
some 800 members, having the majority OF the
nation at their backs. must prevail over dis
jointed majority who can only keep together by
perpetual compromises. M. Casimir- -PerIer's mo-
ton may be defeated, but what then ? Legisla-
ton has come to standstil. The monarchical
majority are unable to carry o single bill OF i'm
portance against the compact repubii can phalanx,
which is reinforced now by the Bonapartists, now
by the centrists. Moreover, at every fresh elec-
ton the constituencies return republicans, and II
this continues lor few months more the repub-
hcan party will be able to Outvote all the monarch
lists united. In face OF such state OF aairs there
IS nothing for 1t but q dissolution. and we may
rely that before long such will be the
upshot Of our dif1culties. Only there are two
oil dishn1xfD1 The Assembly maH with more