NEWS OF THE WEEK.
91HE struggle in the Assembly over the French Electoral Law 1 so long threatened has ended in a division, and the Govern- anent has won. The debate was short, covering only Monday, 'Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, and the only important speeches were those of M. Ricard, Reporter of the Commis- -aion, M. Dufaure, and M. Gambetta. The Deputies, in fact, appeared resolved that the long discussion should end, and they therefore betook themselves to business, voting on "Tuesday that six months' residence should be sufficient for an .elector, and that the registers must be used—that is, a Dissolu- tion must take place—before the 31st of March, and that no officer actively employed in the Army or Navy can be a candidate ; on Wednesday, that the mandat imperatif should be of no effect ; and on Thursday, that elections should be conducted by scrutin .d'arrondissentent. The plan adopted is that every arrondisse- anent shall elect one Deputy, and if its population exceeds -.100,000, an additional Deputy for each 100,000 or fraction of 100,000. In that case the arrondissement will be divided into .circumscriptions, to be described in the present law, and not modified except by statute. This passed at eleven at night, by
57 to 326, giving a majority of 31 for Government.
