The French Ministry is staggering, not so much under the
blow whicli the Chamber of Deputies struck last week, as from infernal weakness and disunion, and the contempt which the French public feel and cannot conceal fur the King. Some dirty money transactions have just come to light, compromising the Kine and two Members of his despicable Cabinet. It is at pre- sent an object with LOUIS PHILIP to obtain from the Chamber an estahli,hment, or 44 apanage " fir the Duke DE NEMOVIIS. Du- crivrst.. the Finance Minister, of whom better things were once expecled, concocted a bill with the privity of the King. by which large estate.: were to be assigned to the Duke. In order to de- ceive the Chamber, the value of this property was uudenesti- mated by DI:CHATEL ; W110 expected that. his bill would pass with- out scrutiny or resistance. He was mistaken. The Liberal Deputies, and the Carlists beaded by the eloquent BERRYER, threaten a fence and pronacted opposition. Count Moui is in- dignant at the discovery of the fraud, to which he was no party ; and it is surmised that the bottled and detected King will sacrifice DUCHATEL. Had be not better take a lesson front Downing Street—nut Lord PALMERSTON'S side, but the further etd—wlfbre the newest recipe for curing a refractory House of Cemmons is to take money from the public treasury ■% ithout a vote? Does the Chamber of Deputies represent the people of France as truly as the House of Assembly represents the people of Lower Canada ?— Nothiug like it. There is another money affair, which is likely to cause the re- signation or dismissal of another Cabinet Minister. M. MARTIN is at the head of the department of public works, and large sums of money pass through his hands. The King wanted cash for his museum at Versailles, and instead of drawing upon his immense private fortune, or the civil list, he actually prevailed upon MAR- TIN to furnish him with funds appropriated to public works, and confided to MARTIN'S care. After allowing this peculation for some time, MARTIN remonstrated with his Majesty ; and the con- sequence is that he is about to retire. Louis PHILIP, it seems, has been decorating Versailles. in the style of Louts Quatorze; and if the Disjunction Bill had passed, and political matters had gone on smoothly, he intended to have had a tragedy of Racism and a comedy of MOLIIRE performed at the ceremony of opening the museum. There is a noble ambition!
When the last accounts were despatched from Paris, theCliam_ her was occupied in discussing a motion by the Finance Minister for a large supplementary grant of secret service money. The Duke of ORLEANS, it is said, will certainly marry a daughter of the Duke of MECHLENBURG-SCHWERIN—a fine young woman, but, alas ! without a fortune.
The Charivari has been tried for a squib upon the NEMOURS. " apanage " affair—and acquitted, very much to the mortification both of King and Ministers. The law officers of the Crown and even the judge did their utmost to procure a verdict against the wicked journal. The editor of the Quotidienne was convicted of a libel on the Government on Tuesday, and sentenced to two months' imprisonment and a fine of 2,000 francs. Arrests are frequent in Paris and in the provinces. The Paris correspondent of the Times says that the Carlists are vexed at the loss of the Disjunction Bill, as they consider its rejection a check to Louts PHILIP, who was going rapidly in the
road to ruin. That be is not likely to tarry long on the road, will, we think, be the opinion of every reflecting person who at- tentively reads a letter in another page on the present state of parties in France. It is from one who has good opportunities of knowing well what lie writes about.
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