The Temps announces, both on its own authority and on
that of the Courrier de France, that the French Cabinet has "unanimously" decided to make the adoption by the Assembly of the scrutin d'arron- dissement a question of confidence, and that the Marshal has even said that were the scrutin de lisle to be voted, the Government could, in his opinion, no longer show itself favourable to an immediate Dissolution. If this be true, here is M. Buffet's and the Duc de Broglie's " Conservative " policy with a vengeance. To declare that even if an Assembly—which is as much more reactionary than France as the House of Lords is more reactionary than England—is too much impressed with the unpopularity of a change from one mode of voting to another to adopt it, the Cabinet will not allow the country to elect a new Assembly at present at all, would really be the most monstrously despotic and pedagogic mode of treating a representative Assembly of which we ever yet heard. It amounts to saying, If you adopt Conservative views, you as representatives of France shall be allowed to legalise them ; but if not, then we must send France into the corner, and not allow her to say her say till she ceases to be naughty, and comes round to agree with ns.' Is it credible that any Cabinet in its senses, especially the Cabinet of a nominal Republic, can take up so illogical, and indeed so silly an attitude as this ?
