NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THINGS are in a snarl in Paris. 111. 011ivier, it appears, failed to carry his Cabinet with him in his defence of plebiscites, and Count Daru and M. Buffet at last offered the Emperor the alterna- tives of abandoning clause 13, which vests in him the right of making direct appeals to the people, or of modifying it by a rider de- manding the previous assent of the Corps Ldgislatif, or of accept- ing their resignations. Napoleon, who has apparently mounted one of his hobbies, accepted the latter proposal, the two Ministers resigned, and although AL 011ivier remained, the Ministry is broken up. The Emperor is really ruling, and M. 011ivier acting as his agent. A plebiscitum will be submitted to the people on the 1st or 8th of May, and will, it is said, if voted, reaffirm the hereditary principle of succession, and approve the liberal changes in the Constitution. If it is rejected, revolution is inevitable. Great exertions will be used to secure a majority, and M. 011ivier has publicly refused to promise not to interfere. The prefects, he says, have orders to avoid violence, but to deprecate to the utmost abstention from the polls. This means, of course, that they are to use every form of pressure not likely to be found out.
