New-York tribune., 1874-03-16
FRENCH POLITICS.
PLANS OF THE GOVERNMENT.

PREPARATION OF THE ORGANIC LAws-PROPOsf-
TON TO PROSECUTE A REPUBLICAN DEPUTY.
lFROM The REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRiBusbf '
PARIS. Feb. 1.-The last election for member OF
the National Assembly was not favorable TO the Re-
publican candidate. Since the institution OF tne
cOmbative regime Of Moral Order last May there
have been twelve elections, returning eleven Reppo
lican Deputies To the Assembly, and now one Bona
partst NJ. Sens. His majority is indeed less than
what was obtained in 1872 by the Imperiaist LeVert
in this same Pas de Calais, one OF the two OF three
departments regarded the stronghods OF Napoleon
ism. He was member of the Corps Legisiati hi
September, 1870 and is n valuable addition 10 the
growing groups of lmperalists IN the Assembly
which, three years ago this month. conld RAISE
but seven voices against the otherwise unanimously
voted decree confirmatory Of the Emperors deposit
tion by the people This group now counts some
thirty members two Of whom are in the Cabinet
and three of whom have Just been put upon the
Committee of the Budget for 1875. Like most OF his
party fellows H. Sens is for the present in favor Of
the seven years term. The party of Appeal TO the
People" would not if 1t could help it, make that
appeal to-day when they have little donbt as the
Republicans that it would be answered with great
majority of Yeas for the Republic. They are dong
az well could be expected under the actual Gov
ernment which is obliged to grant them great priv
eges in return for their temporary support They
mean to hold themselves free of responsibility for
ts errors from which they not unreasOnably promise
themselves profit also not unreasonably hoping that
the name which pcrforce it must bear will consider
ably disgust the people with the idea of Republic.
In hs recent speech addressed over the head Of
the Tribunal of Commerce to the world at large,
President MacMahOn sad: ION the 10Th OF NovenI'
Der the Assembly committed the chief executive
=. ~,l,
over the fulfllment of this sovereign decision.
Have no anxiety, then. For seven years shall en-
force respect for the decisions of the Assembly in
the actual state of things" So at least by his hear
ers he was understood to say. But in the edition
of that discourse published in the official jour
nal and pasted on all dead walls, he j.
made TO have said: For seven years shall
make the legally established order of things
respected by allD This change of phrase is sup
posed to have been made by the Acadcmical Ducal
editor of the Military Dukes literary work, in order
to meet certain nice objections TO the hr't fOnr
raised by the two Legitmist colleagues of the Prime
Minister The "actual order of things" is, by title
at least, q Republican order, the maintenance of
which for seven years is the exclusion for that
period of any chances that may turn mp for Henri w.,
not to say the putting in allegiance, which in mat
fer of Divine Right is blasphemy Of the principle Of
Legitimacy. The Enthusiastically subtle variation
to Legally established order" still keeps up the
old equiyocation. The Assembly remains sovereign
after November as it then proved its sovereignty
over ITS own law of previous year. known rs the
Rivet Constitution. The law of November then
surely remains subject to revision, if not to abroga
ton and according to its provisions, tO lualii
cation by constitutional laws, not ono of which has
yet been presented, much less established.
On the same day that the President delivered his
extra-paIliamentary Message to the Tribunal of
Commerce lin which, by the way, neither the word
PRESIDENT nor Republic occurs the Prime
Minister dropped in on the sO-caed Constitutional
Committee and urged it to hasten the preparation of
the organic laws 1t has been in session nearly
three months and has not as yet, gone far as 10
report one bill It's time has been all taken mp in
discussion of i great variety Of schemes for an cleo
toral law. 1t is questionable whether any equal
number of sane gentlemen ever entertained them
selves so long with such gayey fantastic debates
a practical subject. The explanation of rhs extra
ordinary waste of time and ingenuity lies i'm the
happy contradiction between the desire and even
honest opinion of majority of the Commit
tee on one hand. and the opinion of
the majority of French citizens with their
as yet legally possessed power of expressing il.
The common desire of the former Is to restrict tile
popular voting power of the latter; the common
question is how to do il. The diversity of opinion
as TO the practical answer reveals itself in the pre-
sentation of curious variety OF old and new, mostly
impractcable, devices suffrage by two degrees two
or three or even more classes of electors the power
of father, of families to cast more votes than child
less citizens; an increase of the age of political
majority to - demand for three years doncil
the right of every citizen to single vote. but votes
In surplus to be given to a certain number Of the
largest Taxpayers in each district; more voting
by scutn de elisethats: general tickets for all the
candidates of one departments little general tickets
by ACCOMPLISHMENTS; single member districts, &c,
&C. To the end of a yet unfinished chapter.
TO these gentlemen, who owe their elevation to
universal suffrage. universal suffrage is the great
buebear But gladly rs they would destroy il, and
busy as they are to attack it from the presently safe
vantage ground of their COmmittce-ro room, they are
anxious not TO make war on it openly. Some Of
them remember what came in 1882 of the restrictions
imposed on universal suffrage by the "Conscrva-
tives of the last Republic The late father Of the
present Due dc Broglie together with VI Thiers
was among the strenuous advocates of that law.
That father lived to repent; Thiers took warning
The present Duke lives mpenitent, takes no warn
ing aud looking to the Count dc Paris, rows toward
the Third Empire.
A French newspaper gossip has had converse
ton with Emile Olivier since the very recent re-
turn of that light-hearted ex-Mnster to his apart
ment at Passy, and dcfes NJ. Olivier any one else
to question the faithful accuracy of his published
report of the same. 1t remains undiSputed and is
rather interesting. The of it is that except for
having grown rather grayer and older than the mere
lapse of years would explain. NJ Olivier is always
NJ Olivier. Il have passed my three years Of re-
treat from public affairs in silent study, which most
delights me and alone satisfies my tastes" he said
1t will last two years longer, but ! shall re-
turn one of these days TO public life Just rs in