The Associations Suppression Law having passed the Chamber of Deputies,
as we mentioned last week, has been introduced into the Chamber of Peers; through which its speedy passage without amendment was deemed a matter of certainty. But events have since occurred, which, it is just possible, may cause its postpone-
ment, or perhaps induce the Government to consent to a mitigation of its severity. The Chamber of Deputies, by a vote of 176 to 1 6 S. has refused to grant the money which the Ministry had pledged themselves to pay the United States as an indemnity for the in- juries inflicted during the last war by the French upon American commerce. The amount agreed to be paid was twenty-tire millions of francs, about one million sterling ; and the Duke DE BROGLIE exerted himself very earnestly to procure the ratification of this agreement by the Chamber; but to no purpose. The Time8 Paris correspondent says, that the Opposition were prepared to vote half the sum, which they considered sufficient to cover all the real loss. But we do not give the majority of the Chambers any credit, for conscientious scruples of economy on this point. The secret of the Ministerial defeat, or rather, the defeat of the Aineri.; can Government, is this—that the Ambassador from the United States was required to remit the whole twenty-five millions in full, and was not authorized to lay out a portion of that sum in the only sure way of obtaining a majority in the Chamber of Deputies, namely, by bribing the members, who have been accustomed in one way or another to get a percentage on all the money they vote. The consequence of this refuial by the Chamber, was the resigna- tion of the Duke DE Bitool.IE, and of the former Foreign Minister, SEBASTIAN!, who was a member of the Cabinet with no especial duties. Perchance, the Duke DE BROGLIE was not sorry to leave a Cabinet whose unpopularity is extreme, and the members of which seem to be committed to a violent and dangerous course of aggression upon the rights of their fellow citizens. The King, however, it is said, would endeavour to persuade him to recall his resignation ; and- Kings seldom sue in vain. The person talked of as his successor is the Count St. AULAIRE, now Ambassador at Vienna. The resignation of Gum); the Minister of Public In- struction, and HUMANN, the Minister of Finance, will perhaps follow that of DE; BROGLIE; but no other resignations are looked
for. •
The editor of the Gazette de France was tried on Saturday last, for a seditious libel, contained in an account of the interview be- tween the Deputation of the French Leo itimatists and the Duke DM BouttnEaux, who was plainly styled HENRY the Fifith : there were also some observations respecting the legality of paying taxes to the present dynasty. A defence was made, in which Carlist principles were avowed ; and the Jury acquitted the defendant, who thus escaped the vengeance of the Government. M. LIONNE, the editor of the. Tribune, was not so fortunate. He has been con- victed of publishing a libellous article in his paper, on the subject of associations, and condemned to the savage -punishment of Jive years' imprisonment, and a fine equid to 10001. sterling money. Can any humane being, not blinded by bigotry or baseness, avoid wishing for such a-change in the French Government as may af- ford relief to the victims of such tyranny ? The Doctrinaires and their Monarch may yet live to rue the day when they so foully abused their power over a betrayed and deluded people.
