NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE domestic politics of France have lately taken a new turn, and there is considerable lamentation for the loss of the law of depart- ments and communes. This law would have invested the people with some share in their local government. It seems to have been lost by a manoeuvre on the Ministerial side of the Chamber of De- puties. The original, law limited the number of members of the arrondissement council to nine ; and this provision the Ministers seemed firmly to maintain. The Liberals, however, proposed to suppress it altogether. They were joined by their usual opponents, who disliked the principle of the law, believing it opposed to " monarchical principles," and that it had been " forced from the Kirig," On a vote, the combined Liberals and Ultras carried their amendment ; the Ministers, pleased or angry at the result, retired ; and in half an hour they returned with the Royal ordinance in their pocket for withdrawing the measure. It is believed that the Government was insincere in the matter from the beginning; and the Ultra journals hold that the Ministers will be forced to resign. The maritime preparations lately carried on with so much activity at Toulon, have been suspended. Four vessels of war have been ordered to be disarmed. Of all the French fleet so lately in the Mediterranean, only one, vessel remains at the disposal of the French Ambassador.
Many branches off' French industry are depressed at present; but the distress seems deepest—at least the complaint is loudest— among the growers of wine. Moselle wine, without the duty, may be had at the vineyards at the rate of about a halfpenny the bottle! The Minister of Finance has been investigating the cause of this depression ; and his remedy is to remit a portion of the excise-duty on wine, to the amount of nearly 600,0001. sterling.
