7 JANUARY 1882, Page 11

The Pall Mall Gazette calls special attention to a statement

from its own correspondent that M. Ga.mbetta contemplates a change of Ministry. He will, it is said, place M. Leon Say and M. Freycinet in his Cabinet, and supersede M. Paul Bert by a man more acceptable to the moderate parties. This strange statement is borne out by the fact that the Bill compelling in- tending priests to serve in the Army,—a Bill loathed by the Church for what, on its theories, are unanswerable reasons,—is to be withdrawn, and by the efforts made to conciliate the Pro- lesctionists in the Senate. The object of the whole series of changes is to carry the Revision in February, which it is now admitted will include reform in the Senate, and the insertion of the scrutin de liste as the obligatory method of election in the Constitution. Without these changes, M. G-ambetta declares he -cannot govern. The incident, if true, exactly illustrates M. Gambetta's weakness and strength. He lacks instinctive sym- pathy with adversaries, but is one of the most teachable of mankind. So was Lord Beaconsfield.