1 JANUARY 1870, Page 9

NEWS OF THE WEEK.

THE long-expected change of Ministry in France has at length occurred. The verification of the elections ended on Monday, and on Tuesday morning the following letter from the Emperor to M. Emile 011ivier appeared in the Official Journal:—" Sir,— Ministers having given me their resignation, I address myself with confidence to your patriotism, in order to request you will designate tha persons who can, in conjunction with yourself, form a homogeneous Cabinet, faithfully representing the majority of the Legislative Body, and resolved to carry out in the letter as well as in the spirit the Senatus-Consultum of the 8th September. I rely upon the devaion of the Legislative Body to the great interests of the country, as well as upon yours, to aid me in the task I have undertaken to bring into regular working a constitutional system." The wording of the letter shows that the Emperor has decided not to go beyond the " letter " of his last reform, which only con- ceded the concurrent responsibility of Ministers to the Chamber as well as himself, and the new Ministry is full of his personal adherents. M. de la Guerroniere, editor of La France, Minister to Brussels, and humble servant of the Tuileries, takes the Foreign Office, General Lebasuf remains Minister at War, M. Magne is still Minister of Finance, M. Bourbeau, friend of the Empress and of the Church, takes Public Instruction, and M. Parieu, economist and free-trader, is selected to defend the Treaty. He may have the Ministry of Commerce, but at present it is attributed to M. Clement Duvernois, chief among the Emperor's personal friends. With M. 011ivier, supplest of capacities, to head it, what could Caasar wish better than a Ministry like this?