French papers have been fall of a dispute which has
occurred in the Cabinet, and which will, it is said, lead to the retirement of M. Waddington from the Premiership, in favour of M. Le Royer, and the resignation of M. Lepere, now Minister of the Interior. The nominal cause of the dispute is the demand of the Conservative section of the Cabinet, and especially of M. Waddington, that when the Legislature re-enters Paris, the police force shall be exempted from the partial control now ex- ercised by the Municipality. M. Lepere resists this, as an in- dication of distrust, which Paris has not deserved; but the real canoe of difference lies deeper, the Conservatives and Liberals in the Cabinet being at variance about M. Jules Ferry's Bill and the return to Paris, as well asabout guarantees. For the pre- sent, it is stated that M. Grevy has succeeded in patching up the divergencies, and the Cabinet will meet the Assembly undivided; but it is none the less believed that M. Lepere will resign, and M. Waddington return to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, lehving the Premiership to M. Le Royer. We have else- where pointed out that these Ministerial coramotions, though greatly to be regretted, have not just now the full meaning which they would have under a different constitution. The French Government, though not strictly Presidential, is so in part,. and by as much as it is so the importance of the Ministry is diminished.
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