Year: 1872




Not since the fall Of the Commune has
France SO commanded the attention of the
civilized world as she did yesterday. 1t was
everywhere felt that grave crisis had arrived
in the history of the government of which M.
Theirs is the chief. Our first reports, while
they proved that the situation was gloomy
encouraged the hope that the difficulty might
be got over without any serious consequences.
Early in the afternoon it was reported
in London that the President was
not unwilling to compromise tho difficulty
with the Assembly. It was at the same time
stated that the rumors Of compromise had
excited the suspicious of the Left, that Paris
was excited and that the workingmen were
greatly irritated because of the action of the
majority. The rural population seem to be
as much in sympathy with the President as
are the workingmen ; for from the provinces
the President was overwhelmed with words of
cheer and promises of support. At Berlin the
situation Of affairs in France was regarded as
SO serious that instructions were sent to General
Manteuffel, who is at the head of the German
army of occupation, to concentrate his forces,
SO as to be ready to act in case of certain con-
tngencies, although the official journals con-
CURED in assuring Europe that Germany would
respect the will of the French people in the
choice of form Of government and the So
lection OF statesmen to carry it out Inside
the Assembly itself the widest excitement
prevailed during the progress of the debate.
The President of the Assembly, M. Grevy, led
off by reading resolution embodying the
recommendations Of the majority report. M.
Dufaure, Minister of Justice, defended the
President and counselled Cancellation. Minis
ters, he said, were already responsible. He
was opposed to excluding the President from
the Assembly, and thus depriIng him of the
right to appear in person and defend the
government. While such were the opinions
of the government they were not unwilling,
however, to consent to the exclusion Of the
President from the Assembly if certain COM
pensatory privileges were granted. The Minis
ter of Justice concluded by moving the
appointment of committee to draw up law
regulating public powers and prescribing the
conditions of Ministerial responsibility On
the motion of NJ. Batbie the resolution of the
Minister of Justice was referred without
debate to the Committee on the Address, to
be reported on within an hour. Three
and half hours afterwards the committee
returned to the Assembly, when M. Batbie
announced that the committee had rejected
NJ Dufaure resolution and were determined
to stand by their own resolution, the imme-
date consideration Of which was demanded
As will be seen from our dispatches, the an
nouncement of the decision Of the committee
created profound sensation in the Assembly,
M. Dufaure insisted on the consideration of
his resolution and asked for an adjournment
until tomorrow. Amid the widest excite
ment the vote was taken, adjournment was
conceded and the sitting was brought to
close.


So has ended this first debate; but not yet
has ended the crisis. According to our very
latest news the excitement is fearful and the
attitude of the people is menacing. Excited
crowds were seen at the Versailles Railway
station in Paris waiting for the news. The





feared at Marseilles, at Lyons at Nismes
at Montpelier, should the Assembly
continue obstinate and M. Theirs be
compelled to resign One thing has been
made abundantly plain by this debate. The
Assembly is no longer in sympathy with the
nation. 1t is, in fact, no longer representa-
tive Assembly. On the other hand, it is
abundantly manifest that the President is en-
couraged by the sympathy and support of the
great body of the people. In town and coun-
try the voice is for Theirs and against
the Assembly. To-day the debate will
be resumed, and it is just possible that
fearful of revolution, the Assembly may see
fit to accept the compromise which the Presi-
dent has offered. Should the Assembly re-
main obstinate we see no possible way out
of this difficulty but an appeal to force.
Our report has it that the President, if de-
feated, will dissolve the Assembly and make
an appeal to the people. This, however,
he has no power to do for the Assembly
cannot be dissolved without its own consent.
The Assembly cannot be dissolved by the
President unless he adopts the role of
Cromwell or Napoleon, and this is in the
last degree undesirable. One section of the
army, it might be found, would be will ng to
act with the Assembly, while another section
Of the army would be obedient to the
President. An appeal to the sword
might plunge France into oil the
horrors and miseries of civil war. In the in
terests of the Republic it is to be hoped that
this difficulty will be got over without any
serious consequences, and that the President
and the Assembly will come to some agree
mcnt whereby such a deadlock may be rem
dered impossible for the future. Gloomy as is
the situation, wei have still hope for the Repnb-
lie. 1t is the monarchical and impe-