Year: 1873

THE DEBATE on THE PETITIONS FOR DIssoLU-


TION-TnE MANNER IN WHICH THE DISCUS


SION WAS NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. on


PARLIAMENTARY FLAGS BETWEEN TIE GOV


FRNAIENT AND THE RIGHT.


[FRoM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNEl J


PARIS Dec. 16.-At last The Crisis is come
apparently to a-crisis, e. halfturD and tenn
porary close, than anything before for month. On
one hand Minister of Government has pronounced in
more marked manner than its want Of agreement
with portion Of the Left which had sustained its every
measure On the other hand, he exchanged with utter
courtesy parliamentary flags with principal leader OF
the Right For the moment, at least, the Left Center
Joined these last and composed last Saturday at mid
night majority of 4s3 to I96. The session, which
opened at $3.50 Saturday afternoon, after recess from
to the evening" continued till the small hours Of
Sunday morning II abouDdedm dramatic, picturesque
and interesting features and Incidents To render
the Importance of the leading political integbe
a preliminary word will be in place.


The extreme Left designated by some Gambettists,
reyolutioniss radicals communards atheists whose
proper style organized group is the Republican
Union have always been in favor OF general elec
tion The more moderate old Republicans not so abso-
uely denying the constituent authority Of the actual
Assembly have long been in favor Of partial renewal
of that body The deadlock TO which Government and
Assembly had come, the seeming impossibiy OF COM
posing from its actual dscordant elements sufficiently
large and compact majority for working purposes the
consequently indefinite OF the crisis and its
harmful influence on public and private interests gave
the Left extreme argument hope and opportunity. Ac
cordngly the Union Republcdn6 published manifesto
formally though carefully temperate phrase, declaring
war against the Assembly, urgently recommending
an active general campaign of petitioning for
its dissolution. Since 1871 that body has been
attacked with sporadic afilctions OF that kind,
which has been duly referred to committees
whose reports ready written. And now we may
construct the The Dead Lock started the
manifesto; the manifesto started Righthand member
to call the reports old petitions which started the
great debate Dissolution; out OF which started
joty arger than has pronounced itself this session on
any political question: against suicide.


Whether the new combination has q principle Of
vitality in 1t is the question. The action Of the
Committee Of Thirty In the next few days must be
awaited for an answer. Meantime notice how the COM
bination came about. The dissolution movement by
popular petition already under way before the man
ifesto gave it such formidable new impulsion. The
moderate Republican Left doubling its opportuneness
ana preferrng always the scheme Of partial renewal.
lent it, with qualification, their sanction. The Left


Center disapproved It, The Monarchsts Of hated
but began to dread it.


The debate was opened by Gambetta. His speech Of
two hours Is too long for analysis here Whether bis
position on the question is that wise statesman
would take, whether his argument in support Of 1t Is
logically sound not necessary here 10 discuss That
he steadily held to his question, keeping IL and himself
at the high level Of Its grave political importance,
not denied except by the class who prefer
rest unfounded prejudices to active search for
knowledge and who will make up" their idle minds
Of him and this speech without reading t, from carca
tures Of him and the falsfying commentaries on Il
furnished by his bitterly partisan antagonists


stranger the heated passions and busy intrgues
Of French factions who will give himself the pains to
Qf he
fail to be struck with the general contrast between the
discourses Ia the memorable session Of Saturday
Of the Revolutionary and Conservative" orators.
The first spoke to the questions the last spoke them
the nrst dealt almost exclusively in principles and ma
tlonal facts. the Conservatives constantly and at
times violently In appeals TO party passions and In direct
personal attacks ON their parliamentary opponents. II.