Of Continental news, the French is alone in possessing much
present interest. While the country still heaves to the oscilla- tions of parties gathering strength for the struggle, the Assembly has been the scene of a new and stirring debate on. the electoral law. Cavaignac declared that he would defend "order" if it were attacked, but he warned the Government against provoking at- tack ; and he declared the infraction of universal suffrage to be a violation of the constitution—an excess of the powers intrusted to the Assembly. Victor Hugo made a brilliant oration, not only in defence of the integrity of the constitution, but also in defence of universal suffrage. On the whole, the debate has been da- maging to Ministers, useful to the Moderate Republicans; except that the indecisive ground taken by Cavaignac would seem to im- ply a wavering of councils and uncertainty of position.
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