12 MARCH 1881, Page 3

The French correspondents all report an effort made by M.

Gambetta to convince M. Grky that the serutin dc Ude is preferable to the scrulin d'arrondiasemeat, and therefore to per- suade his Ministers to support the measure. M. Grky, it is said, refused, urging that he was guardian of the Constitution as it stood, and asking why a method of election which had pro- duced such an excellent Republican Chamber, should be set aside. The Constitutional argument is notworth much, Reform Bills being within the Constitution; but the President's ques- tion is almost unanswerable. M. Gambetta, however, persists, and the papers are busily engaged in exaggerating the dispute into a struggle between the two Presidents. It appears, however, by the latest accounts, that the question will be treated as "open," by the Cabinet, Ministers voting as they please, and the Depu- ties will probably be decided by their constituents. Personally they do not like the change, which deprives them of local ad- vantages, and makes it possible for party managers to leave mt their 'names.