The first act of the French Assembly after the recess
has been to prohibit any more partial elections. The object of this unusual and unconstitutional proposal is, of course, to prevent any in- crease to the Liberal benches, but it has been accepted by the Left Centre, on an understanding that the dissolution shall take place this year. The Government refused to fix a date by law, on the ground that foreign complications might arise, but it seems- to be understood that the dissolution will occur in October. A quantity of work is to be got through before that, and the calcula- tion is that illiberal laws like the voting by arrondissement instead of by departments—a change intended to strengthen M. Buffet's hands—and a new Press law, may be carried, from the unwilling- ness of the majority to divide. It is possible that the calculation may prove erroneous, as the moderate Liberals, in view of the dissolution, will be anxious to please their constituents, and the extreme Conservatives are so sure not to be returned that their influence on the Government will be nil.
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