NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Both DUPIN and MOLE were applied to, but refused to join the Administration ; unless the Prime Minister should have an effi- cient control over the other departments, instead of a merely no- minal supremacy—each of these gentlemen being of course re- solved to accept of no office inferior to the Premiership for him- self. But this would ill accord with LOUIS PHILIP'S notions of government : he requires tools, not responsible advisers. It is plain from the composition of the new Administration, that the King is determined to abide by his Juste Milieu policy. The promotion of PERSIL to the Chancellorship is sympto- matic of a continued persecution of the press ; though it is hoped that the mild character of the new Attorney-General may neutralize in some measure his acerbity. BARTHE and D'ARGOUT are laid on the shelf. What should we think of the removal of Lord BROUGHAM to the office of Comptroller of the Exchequer, or of Viscount MELBOURNE to the Governorship of the Bank?
TRIERS, as usual, played his own game with dexterity. By his removal to the Ministry of the Interior, he has gained two
important points,—in the first place, he obtains the management of the ensuing elections, which may take place next month; secondly, he extricates himself and his master from the scrape in which his ill-considered Tariff Bill had involved them. The com- mercial affairs of the country are now placed, it is hoped, in more liberal and enlightened bands. This, it will be seen, is the opi- nion of a well-informed correspondent ; who, in the following ex- tract of a letter just received from Paris, speaks highly of M. DucHATEL. Our own expectations are not altogether so sanguine.
Willing to hope for the best, we cannot but recollect that not very long since M. TH1ERS received credit for free trade principles,
though he afterwards became the determined opponent of eyery thing of the sort; and it is, besides, difficult to think well of any statesman who leagues himself with the Doctrinaires. .
It The Ministerial changes in France," says our correspondent, " whatever they bring with them of evil, will at all events tend to one consequence of good, —a change of the commercial system of France. The new Minister of Com- merce is known for his Liberal opinions, his politico-economical studies, his ad- vocacy of free trade, and generally for the soundness of his financial Policy...-. Of the Juste Milieu party, he is undoubtedly the man whim the' friends of free
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trade would have fixed on as offering the best guarantee for useful and important changes. M. THIERS has man very dexterously to retreat from the 3Iinis- try of Commerce. Never had a Minister so much of disgrace and opprobrium heaped upon him, as the narrow-minded, frivolous, and ignorant projects of M. TIGERS called down upon his own head. So 'much rashness and incapacity were seldom blended : so that when M. THIERS' Customhouse Law was pre- sented, it was received with universal reprobation ; and not even the Ministerial press ventured to lift it up from the opprobrium to which it was doomed. Town after town protested ; the South of France menaced the North with separation, RIllese A law far more liberal were brought forward. M. Thai's disclaimed his own project ; threw the blame upon his clerks; and, like a wise man, has withdrawn from the responsibility of defending it. DECHATEL is very young. He was elected to the Chamber as soon as he was eligible. lie was the French Commissioner appointed to discuss with Messrs. VILLIERS and BOWRING the changes in the tariffs ; and has on no occasion deserted the sound doctrines of political economy. his advent to power is the commencement of a new wra; and must be considered as the official and Ministerial recoviition of the necessity of abandoning the prohibitory system. Dr. BOWRING and M. DUCHATEL are intimately acquainted, and have frequent interviews ; and there is a general conviction that important changes will be the consequences of M. DUCHATEL'S accession to power."
An enlightened Minister, if he be honest and resolute, can cer- tainly effect much; but it is to the change in the public mind of France on subjects connected with political economy, that we look with the firmest hope of a profitable commercial connexion being before long established between that country and ours. In this respect, the exertions of Dr. BOWRING and Mr. VILLIERS, but especially the former, have been successful beyond expectation.
The Court of Cassation has pronounced judgment upon the appeal of the editors of the National de 1834. The proprietors of this paper had been convicted of violating the interdiction to re- port judicial proceedings pronounced against the editor of the old National, and which amounted to a suppression of that journal. The Court of Cessation quashed the decree of the inferior court, and the appellants are to be tried over again; • but the main point is decided in their favour. This is a bitter decision for the new Chancellor, PERSIL.
The Ministry have applied to the Chambers for a supplemental grant of a million and a half of francs, or 60,000/. sterling, for secret service money. The Committee, to whom this demand was referred, reduced the sum by 12,0001.; and then the Chambers voted it, by 202 to 97. The state of the country, M. THIERS said.ren- dered the grant necessary. Under the late dynasty, two millions of francs were required for the secret service; but Louis PHILIP cannot manage with less than two millions and a half. This is a fact worth remembering.
Disturbances of a serious nature have occurred at Lyons. Some workmen were tried on a charge of being implicated in the late riotous proceedings of the sick-weavers associations. In the course of the trial, the Judges were insulted and threatened by the people in Court. They ordered the Court to be cleared, but the workmen refused to obey. Troops were then sent for ; but they refused to act, and fraternized with the people, amidst loud cheers.. The proceedings were adjourned.
