The French Ministry has for the moment escaped a serious
danger. M. Gerault-Richard, a writer of small repute, pub- lished libels on M. Casimir-Prier, said to be atrocious, and was sentenced to six months' imprisonment. One of the Radical arrondissements of Paris considered this an excel- lent reason for electing him a Deputy, and the Socialists demanded that he should be " given to the Chamber,"— that is, released. They had, of course, a precedent, the release of M. Rochefort by Napoleon IIL while under sentence for a political offence. The Government, how- ever, absolutely refused the demand, and, after a debate which was expected to be violent but was tame, the Chamber affirmed M. Dupny's view by 309 votes to 219. Immense interest was felt in this vote, and the result was perhaps influenced by a story which we hope is untrue, that M. Casimir-Perier would have regarded an adverse vote as per- sonal to himself, and would either have resigned or have asked the Senate for a Dissolution, which, taken on such a ground, would have been a plebiscite.
