The Times' correspondent in Paris affirms that the Bill for
the revision of the French Constitution has been prepared. Under its provisions, the seventy Life-Senatorships, now filled by co-optation, will be abolished, and replaced by Senators sitting for nine years, and elected by both Chambers assembled in Congress. The Senate, moreover, is to be elected by au electoral law, which may be changed, and not by a constitutional law, which can be changed only by a vote for revision ; and the Senate is to lose its absolute veto,—retaining, when it disagrees with the Chamber, only a right of delay. Finally, the right of the Assembly sitting in Congress to alter the form of Government is to be abrogated. The last change is futile, as the Legitimate Monarchy, if it ever arrives, will not ask any title by election ; while the Bonapartist Monarchy would be founded on a plebiscite, and not on a Parliamentary vote. But the other changes seem reasonable enough. Life Senators are out of place in a Republic, and the absolute veto in a country inclined to be logical can only produce deadlocks. We wish, however, advantage had been taken of the opportunity to introduce some reasonable method of dissolution,—say by the President with the consent of the Chamber, or by vote of the Chamber itself. At present, if the Chamber loses touch of the country, as has happened at least twice, it can only be dis- solved by consent of the Senate, which is sure to be more
reactionary than itself.
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