The Paris papers of Thursday are destitute of news of
political im- portance. On Wednesday evening, the Chamber of Deputies proceeded to discuss that article of the Customs-duties Bill which referred to the importation of linen thread. The Government had proposed that the import-duty on foreign thread should be fixed at 10 per cent. ad valo- rem. The Committee, however, recommended that it be raised to 12 per cent. The Government objected to this augmentation, and M. Cunin-Gridaine (Minister of Commerce) contended that the French manufacturers of the article did not stand in need of such an exor- bitant protecting-duty ; and that if the recommendation of the Com- mittee were adopted, it would be manifestly to the disadvantage of the weavers, for there being only 80,000 spinning-machines in all France, and the weavers requiring the produce of 300,000, the supply would fall short of the demand by nearly three-fourths. The debate was adjourned till Thursday ; on which day the proposed increase of duties was re-
jected, by a majority of 147 against 126. • The Messager of Wednesday night contradicts the rumour of, dis- sensions in the Cabinet. The National, however, repeats the assertion:
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