FRANCE. - A dinner, or, as our neighbours, who are fond of
high-sound- ing terms, calrit, "a grand Constitutional banquet," was given by the Elec- tors of Paris on the 1st of April, to the Deputies of the Seine, in acknow- ledgment of their spirited support of the Address to the King's Speech. The tickets were limited to seven hundred ; all the Liberal deputies who happened to be in Paris were invited; but so careful were the stewards to admit none else but members of the Chamber and electors of Paris, that a solitary Englishman who had procured an elector's ticket was compelled to retire. The dinner, according to every description, was most splendid ; but there was a rigidness of decorum exacted from the guests, that political banquets in England have seldom exhibited. The company sat down at half-past five, and broke up at half-past eight ! The President on the occa- sion was M. ROSSEAU, the oldest of the Mayors of the department ; and the Vice-President an advocate of great talent, named Bannorr, a descend- ant of one of the numerous Irish families that have long been domiciliated in France. No speeches were made or allowed, except those of the Vice- President, who spoke to the toast, and of General Damas, who returned thanks. The toast-there was but one-" To the union of the three powers, the Constitutional King, the Chamber a Deputies, and the Cham- ber of Peers," was given by M. ROSSEAU. The speech of M. &unto:4- was received with enthusiastic applause, particularly the following portion of it :-" When that Ministry which wounds and outrages every sentiment of honour and nationality, and which glories therein-that Ministry whose political creed it is, that we live, that we breathe, and enjoy the dignity and liberty of man only by concession, and whose first cry was no more con- cessions'-a Ministry which talks to us of legality, and which punishes the conscientious vote of an elector-when that Ministry came forward, and, to use the expression of one of your honourable colleagues (he was addressing the Deputies), suddenly invaded France,-you answered the cry of alarm she gave ; you ran to the post of honour. You re- fused a concurrence which would have amounted to subornation of their crimes. You carried to the foot of the Throne the firm and respectful ex- pression of the grief and of the anxiety of our country. You knew how to combine moderation and firmness. During this great trial of our represen- tative Government, you have with dignity fulfilled the most noble of trusts. We have no other reward than our esteem, our frank and cordial adhesion, to award you. But this is worthy of you and of ourselves. It is in our hearts engraven there as on brass-' Honour to our Deputies!" Thunders of applause accompanied this exclamation, and the hall thrice re-echoed, 'Honour to our Deputies !' Nor was the applause less hearty and marked at the conclusion of M. Bannex's address, when, in allusion to the con- templated dissolution, he said-" The solemn moment approaches when the Electoral Body will no doubt be called upon to pronounce calmly and col- lectedly, not between persons, but between systems, which the nature of things had before our time pronounced to be incompatible. In this struggle between progressive and retrograde civilization-between equality and pri- vileges--between the reign of the laws and the reign of the bon plaisir,' or blind force, victory cannot remain uncertain. The tribune and the press have done their duty ; we shall do ours."-" Noes le jurons" was the una- nimous reply.
The great mass of the company were men of the middle class of life, per- sons of substance rather than rank ; but among the invited were many of the first names of France. LA FAYETTE was among them : he sat on the right hand of the Chairman.
The dissolution of the Chambers is said to be finally determined on, and the dismissal of some Liberal Prefects is held out as a proof that the IW. nistry are bent on procuring a majority by any means. The Prefect can, however, effect but little, unless where the electors are very nearly balanced; and the destitution of six out of so great a number has more the air of an or- dinary arrangement than of a grand political stroke. The six Prefects in question were not merely Liberal, but obtrusively so.
The preparations for the expedition to Algiers are going forward with unabated energy.
VENEZUELA-This state has petitioned to be separated from Colombia; and a popular meeting has de facto resolved on separation, and appointed PAEZ President of the State. It is, notwithstanding, supposed that the in-s tegrity of Colombia will not be disturbed ; and that the sable anarchis must lay down his new honours. Either the population of these countries is the most ignorant and foolish in the universe, or there is, in the mode of administering the Government, some defects that are not generally known. It is quite evident, that the best interests of all of them are bound up in a cordial union of the different districts ; and as men, when they are left to themselves, generally understand their interests pretty well, we rather in.. cline to ascribe their perpetual attempts at separation to the effects of the administration of BOLIVAR. • The character of this remarkable man seems, from all that we have heard of it, to resemble that of Pompey-he would be absolute, with the consent of a free people ; he would have the praises and the reward of patriotism, and the power of monarchy. He has published a proclamation-a counterpart of that issued some years ago-laying down the Presidentship, and begging and entreating the Congress to choose another magistrate. It is quite ob- vious, if BOLIVAR wish to abandon the chief dignity of the state, he has only to do so : no vote of Congress can compel his services. Why, then, all this coquetry ? We incline to the opinion that a Presidentship fbr life would be the best species of government for the present condition of Colombia ; and we could have wished that Bora Van had frankly and honestly stated as much.
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