Litchfield enquirer., 1874-06-25
France.

ment of an acceptable constitution, by dissolution. or by violent outbreak and revolution. The present Assembly is an exceptional body. In the depression of defeat at the end of the German war, a body of very conservative, respectable gentlemen, mostly of royalist antecedents men who would be most likely to be &C., ceptable to the conservatism of Prussia, were elected. All that was expected of them vas to negotiate the most favorable possible peace. Under the lead of the old monarchist Thiers, peace was made with Prussia, the democracy of Paris was oveFthrown, after 8 struggle marked by the most disreputable atrocities on both sides. Then the Assembly, instead of summoning constituent assembly," or constitutional convention, as it would be termed in America, coolly resolved that they had constituent powers themselves, and proposed to proceed to form a con- stitution. Luckily they were no more willing to trust each other than they were Co trust the people.
 Four parties, unequal in number, but neither constituting q majority of the whole body, divided the Assembly. The Legitsnists, or supporters of the so called Henry Fifth; the Orleanists, who propos- el the restoration of the Comte de Paris, the grandson of Louis Phillipe; smaller body of Republicans; and few Bona- partists, made up the body of over seven hundred deputies who proposed to make a constitution for France. It seemed for a short time, last autumn, as if the two sects OI monarchists would succeed in ef- fecting Restoration. They overthrow ThicEs who had come to believe in Republic as the only possible govern nent, and seemed about to restore Henry FIfth. with the understanding that his sacceSsor Eas to be the Count of Paris. At this point the unyielding obstinacy of the heir of the Bourbons refused the slight concessions required of him, and France was saved the danger and disgrace of a government bigOted in religion, reac- tiOnary in policy. and imposed on the many by the few.
 In the meantime numerous popular elections have shown that neither the Bourbon nor the Orleanist factions can command any support with the people. Even tho Bonapartists arc stronger at the polls than the two royalist factions that compose a majority of the Assembly. Of late it has been growing evident that the only Restoration possible is Restoration of the Empire. and the real question is whether the Assembly will yield to the manifest will of the people and establish a republic, or join with McMahon and the army in bringing back Napoleon ".
 It strikes us that the legislature has done very unjust and ill-considered thing m rejecting NIT. Goodwin's bill al- lO~ing minOrities representation on boards of directors of private corpora tons As the matter now stands the per- sons who own fifty one shares out of one hanared of the stock of private corpo- ration can elect its entire board of direct or& Not only are opposing interests OveEslzaghed by majority of the govern ing bOsrd: they are not even allowed to kROv hov the affairs of the concern in which they have a large interest are be- tag conducted The history of our pri- ,-s. -~,-.Ss,x.,- ,,,,,-c- ,r,,,aI,,r,~-a1~- &lo& boards Of direction are altogether too powerful already; and So good plan for Emfting their power and protecting stock holders as that proposed in the bill under consideration should have been adopted.
 Oar House of Representatives, last week. shOwed how readily a legislature wl1 sct in redress of particular wrong, whlle they refuse to repudiate the evil principle that occasions the wrong. Our txw gives the husband use of all the wife's PFOperty during his life and no will she e=R make will effect his interest. It ap- Pears that a widow in Bedding, who had re0arrsed. died leaving children by her 6Fst husband. The second husband took all her property and refused to use any of st la support of these children. A bill w2s Ofered in the legislature authorizing the application of & part of it for that pur- PoSe. The committee to whom it was re- feEred. reported against the bill; but the House passed 1t over the heads of the committee. and the result will probably he a bitter lawsuit and the division of the estate among lawyers. What we need ts a just general statute on this subject.
 The refusal of the Democrats in the leg lslature Go submit the Norwich charter to the people of that city may be iudicious partisanship. but it isn't Reform. The fart that Republican legislatures have passed bills gerymandering Hartford and New Haven is no reason why party that professes to consult the popular wish es on all possible occasions should follow their bad example. Their talk has been not of initiating. but of avoiding our mis takes.
 Hon. James E. Babcock, former editor of the New Haven Palladium, collector o the port of New Haven under Lincolr and Johnson, and lately somewhat prom inent in State politics as Democrat died at New Haven on Thursday last He was stricken with paralysis while at. tending to his duties as judge of the city court and survived but few hours. MT, Babcosk bought the Palladium of Hon. Charles Adams of this place in 1880, and remained its editor for over thirty years. He has several times represented New Haven m the legislature and was a mar ot unimpeachable integrity.
 The new bill for the government of tn, District of Columbia provides for the ap- pOintment of board of Commissioner. H~w A1.aW h. l.