Figaro, a journal frequently well informed, and never too friendly
to the Empire, announces that the Senatus Consultum to be laid before the Senate on Monday will be much more liberal than the letter of 12th July. The Cabinet, as a whole, will be made responsible to the Legislative Body ; the members will be allowed to introduce bills and amendments without the previous authorization of the Council of State ; " orders of the day" will be again permitted ; and the privilege of transferring money voted from one department to another will be abolished, thus enabling the Chamber to refuse any expenditure it disapproves, without embarrassing the State machinery. The result of these concessions would be that Parliamentary government would be restored in France, except in cases requiring the personal inter- vention of Napoleon. He could still issue a decree without responsibility, except to the people, and he would retain, besides an active veto, a right of appealing to the people for a plebiscite. In fact, he would not surrender his absolutism, but would abstain from using it in any but great emergencies. That is so original a constitution, and one so suited to the Emperor's ideas, that we incline to believe it was not invented by the Figaro. The world will, however, know next week.
