The Legislature of France, like that of England,.is in a
state of suspended animation. The members of the Assembly have in- dulged in a recess which is to last till the beoinning of November. The recess will scarcely be for the French legislators a season of such entire repose as our members of Parliament appear disposed to make theirs. It will be spent in preparations for renewing the attempt to revise the Constitution. Already the Municipal Coun- cils, all over France, are busy passing resolutions in favour of re- vision. If any trust maybe reposed in professions, the struggle will be orderly and peaceable. Even " the Mountain," who have just issued a manifesto, dwell with emphasis and unction on the all-importance of " legality." To be sure, "legality " is their stronghold, seeing that a strict observance of the existing law would render revision all but imposgble. The trial of the parties accused of political conspiraoy, by a. court-martial at Lyons, proceeds, not without occasional asperities, but so far without any alarming excitement. The President of the court has exercised his power with discretion; and the slight ebullitions of temper among the crowd out of doors have been promptly and easily repressed. The documentary evidence is so voluminous that the judges must find difficulty in scrutinizing its claims to authenticity with sufficient exactness ; --persons at :dis- tance cannot by any possibility form an estimate of them. As we read it, the evidence hitherto produced shows the accused to have acted with the usual recklessness of secret associators, who regard assassination as a legitimate political agency; but at the same time it affords reason to believe that their numbers were incon- siderable.
