The new French Military Bill has been published. It allows
exemptions and substitutes, which were abolished by the Emperor, and fixes the time of service at nine years instead of seven. It would appear, however, from the very obscure telegram that all persons not drawn in the balloting and not able to buy exemption will be enrolled in the Garde Mobile for five years. This Guard will only be called out in time of war, but the effect of -the entire measure will be to give France an army of 500,000 men in time of peace, and 900,000 in time of war. We must wait for details, but the new measure looks as if the Emperor had yielded to the middle class altogether, and to the peasantry in part, the former regaining the right of exemption by purchase, and the latter their chance of not being drawn for foreign service. Home service they do not so much fear. We question, nevertheless,
i even this Bill will pass unopposed, the peasantry urging that the regular t army suffices for foreign war, and that if France is invaded she . possesses more than a million " passed " soldiers, who could all be summoned, and have nothing to learn.
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