The Ferry Ministry in France has fallen and risen again,
and now sits in a slightly dazed condition. The Chamber was re- opened on November 9th with-a speech from M. Jules Ferry, in which he defended the dissolution of the unauthorised monasteries, but promised to spare the nunneries till a new law had been passed, declared that the first Bills taken up must be those on Education, and promised a variety of useful measures. He ended by demanding for his Ministry " not toleration, but co-operation." The Chamber, which had remained gloomy under his address, responded to it by ordering, by 263 to 108, an investigation into the conduct of General Cissey, in opposition to the Government, which wished the inquiry to be judicial only ; and then, by 200 to 166, insisted on postponing the Bills on Education to the Bills for the purifica- tion of the Magistracy. The Cabinet, rightly we think, re- garded the latter vote as equivalent to one of no confidence, and at once resigned. President Groivy, however, threatened a dis- solution, M. Gambetta pressed the Ministry to remain, and on Thursday the Cabinet withdrew its resignation, and took a direct vote of confidence, which was passed, after a debate in which M. Clemenceau severely attacked the Ministry, by 297 to 131. The question of the priority of the Bills remains, however, undeter- mined, and the Cabinet has had a most severe shake.
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