NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE " crisis" is not yet over in France, or likely to be over. On Friday last M. Thiers made a great speech in defence .of his policy, the key-notes of which were that he was per- fectly sincere; that he was not an Atheist but a Theist ; that he was only Republican from a conviction that no other government was possible in France ; that he had defeated the Commune, and that in order to defeat it he had made a compact with the repre- tentatives of the great cities, which threatened to join Paris unless be accepted the Republic ; that he was not of the Left, but would not support a policy of combat ; that the Assembly might dismiss 'him, and if they wanted a mere clerk must dismiss him ; and that personally he should be delighted to return to private life. He was answered by M. Ernoul, a fierce Legitimist, who declared that the dangerous party was gaining ground because when- -ever a Minister was attacked M. Thiers shielded him with his own breast; and by M. Lucien Brun, who said that the Right 'intended by a Government of combat "a Government that would resist perverse ideas ;" but the Chamber, alarmed, voted the pro- posal to create a Committee of Thirty to report on the Consti- tution by 370 to 334.
