The proceedings of the Committee of Revision in the National
Assembly possess at present more interest than any other French political events. Contrary to general expectation that Odilon Barret would be named reporter, M. de Tocqueville has been cho- sen, by 8 votes to 5, M. Barret receiving only 2 of the minority's votes. This is accepted as an indication that the revision of the Constitution to be recommended by the Committee will aim at the perpetuation of the Republic. A preliminary resolution of M. de Broglie leaves it open to the Committee to report in favour of a change to-Monarchy ; but this is understood to be only a verbal concessiOn to the Legitimists. But the truth is, that the question really at issue is not whether the existing form of government in France shall be modified, but whether Louis Napoleon shall be declared capable of reelection at the expiry of his term of office. It is a personal not a constitu- tional question. The line of argument followed by M. de Broglie and the other speakers shows that the Presidential election alone is uppermost in their mind. The time may come when a revision. of the Constitution, or even an entire change of it, will be felt to be necessary; and when that is the ease it will be aecom- plished ; but what is now going on is mere electioneering. The only revision that will be attempted will be such a modification of one article of the Constitution as may obviate the possibility of any opposition to the reelection of the pre- sent President on a technical legal objection. The akstme of
any other candidate, strongly supported, favours the ambition of Louis :Napoleon; but the enthusiastic unanimity with which he was originally elected hatedisappearett. It is perfeetly rusderstood that revision of the Constitution means his reilection ; all the Ga-. vernment agencies in the provinces have been set in. motion to pro- mote petitions to the Assembly for revision; and yet it is supposed that the number of signatures to these petitions will not exceed a million.
