, 1875-06-23
The "a WIS n
MIS- c. e LILA n E 0 q 8 !.
(From the SPECTATOR
rs PUBLISHED
EVERY "WEDNESDAY AND SATURDAY.

There has been much talk of another
crisis in France, but it is improbable that
it will com to anything. The Cabinet
desire to supersede election by depart
ments by election for districts, and the
Liberals, for reasons we have explained
elsewhere, decline to accede. It was
reported, therefore, that the Cabinet would
resign, that the President would send
for M. de Broglie, and that horrible things
would happen. They may happen still,
but the Left has carried the majority on
the Committee appointed to report on
the supplementary Constitutional Laws,
and by the latest advices the Cabinet
has given way. The Electoral Law will
be taken last, and the Ministry, if defeat
ed, will not resign, but ask for imme-
date dissolution. NJ. Buffet will then
control the elections, but they will be
taken by scrmin de Hse, which almost neu-
tralises official pressure. This is q great
result, and shows the steadily advancing
pressure Of Liberal opinion.
LSrGEaftington asked Mr.. Disraeli on
Monday,-eyidently by pre-arrangement,
whether Her. Maiesty's Government
have advised Her Majesty to make any
representation to the Governments of
France and Germany on the subject of
the relations existing between those
States whether they could give the ma
ture Of the replies received, and whether
the correspondence would be laid on the
table of the House. Mr.. Disraeli re-
piled :-"It is a fact, Sir, that Her Ma
iesty's Government advised Her Majesty
to make a representation to the Govern
ment of the German Emperor respecting
the existing relations between Germany
and France. The nature of that repre-
sentation was to. correct misconceptions and
to secure peace. And to that representa-
tion we have received a satisfactory reply.
With regard to placing the papers at present
on the table of the House, I think it would
mol be for the public convenience that it
should be DONE" However, till it is done,
we shall not know how far the representa-
tom was made in form only, or with au-
thority. It has been conjectured that
the Importance assigned on the Continent
to our Intervention is, as regards Germany
at least, a ruse to withdraw attention
from the rebuff which the more potent
Russian intervention has really given
to the German diplomacy,-a possible,
though somewhat elaborate hypothesis.
More probably the motive is, by insist
ing on the concession made to England
now, to run up a score of obligation
against us, a demand for the repayment
of which may be urged, if ever or when
ever France actually moves at last.
1t appears that Duchesne, the drunken
Belgian workman accused of intending
to murder Prince Bismarck, really did
write to the Archbishop of Paris, offering
to kill the Chancellor for 92,4OO, and
that there is no law to punish him. The
Belgian Government, therefore, proposes
to Introduce q law making such offers
punishable, and the Liberals will sup
port 1t. There seems no objection to
such 9 measure, except that it will be pro-
posed and passed under an appearance
at al events, Of foreign pressure. A law
identical in principle, though it acciden-
tally oMits 70 cover the special case of
the addresaee and the proposed victim be-
iings Both foreigners, exists, as we have
usi1s11 st6 shown, IN our W Statute
. = 49, N n q - $3.50 $50 49,