22 FEBRUARY 1868, Page 1

The Press contest still lingers on in the French Assembly,

and on one very important point the Opposition obtained a very large minority. M. Berryer moved an amendment that the papers to which the Government advertisements are to be sent should be fixed by " the tribunal of first instance " for each arrondissement every year, and should not be varied at the discretion of the prefects. In other words, the prefects were to be denied the power of bribing any journals they chose. The amendment was lost by 126 to 103 ; but 103 is a very large minority to be anxious to curtail the corrupting power of Government.