,ffortign anb Grolonial.
Fitexce..—The debate on the Secret-service-money Bill, in the Chamber of Reers, lasted for three days, closing on Friday. Count Mold opened it, with a lecture to M. Guizot for having virtually declared, in the Chamber of Deputies, that he himself was the Conservative party, and for being so tenacious of office as to retain it after he had lost the power really to govern the country; the acts of the Government being in an inverse ratio to the duration of its existence. Therefore M. Mold refused his confidence to the enfeebled Ministry. To this attack M. Guizot replied with a general defence of his policy; retorting on M. Mold the strange coalition [with M. Thiers; which M. Mold now denied.] The sum of the Count's speech, said M. Guizot, was, that if he and those who thought with him were admitted to power, the affairs of the Conservative party would be better managed. The prolonged debate which followed turned upon the topics already exhausted in the debate of the Deputies; but it was all couched in much more general terms, and was animated by mach more pointed personalities, espe- eiallgrsatihe Thursday. Soult was the first to begin these direct personal attacks. General Cubidres, the Marshal's predecessor in office, inveigled against the Ministry, and its concessions to foreigners. Marshal Soult retorted, by hinting that the General bad made advances to obtain employment in the present Government: " I can scarcely account for what has passed in his mind since 1840; especially for the difference of the language which -he held when he asked employment from that which he now holds." General Cnbieres intimated that the Marshal was growing personal. Marshal Soult replied, that he had already been personally attacked by the General; on which General Cubieres said, that he spoke of the inistrg; emoting to the Chamber, to testify that, however he might have in opinion, he had never opposed the measures of the Marshal. Count Pelt (De la Lozere) accused the Ministry of having " an immoral po- Hey," and of resorting to "disgraceful and illegitimate means" to separate its ad- versaries from its party ' - as in the dismissal of the Count De St. Priest. The Count De St. Priest also came forward as an injured politician; and reproached the Count De Salvandy, who had been in the same position as he bad, (that is, separated from the Ministry on a particular question,) with having afterwards en- tered the Ministry. This drew out M. De Salvandy, and a personal defence; in which he described himself as having continually done his best to maintain the Conservative party; a sentiment that induced him to join the Cabinet, although be had differed with it on its Spanish policy. He. found a vindication for that Cabinet in the internal tranquillity of France—greater than it has enjoyed for fifty years. And he asked, whether he ought to have disturbed that condition to indulge the combination or the caprices of this or that party? No. that would have been neither politic nor patriotic. Count Mold angrily rose at that allusion from his former colleague: he remarked, that difficult situations were commonly defended by. violence, and that the need for apology was often betrayed by hostili- ties against those who are dreaded; but he confessed that after the line of conduct pursued for the two last years by M. De Salvandy, he was tempted rather to pity than to answer him. The President called upon the Chamber to abide by its own tusage and to avoid personalities. Count Mold—" I will say, for my excuse, that the speech of M. De Salvandy was one long personality." ("No, no!" and con- fusion.) hL De Salvandy averred that no personality was present to his mind. The debate was then continued by the Marquis De Boissy; who began by al- luding to the incident which had just " afflicted, he might say scandalized the Chamber"; and then he went on with a violent invective against Ministers, which provoked another scene, the worst that had yet occurred. The cause of the majority which Ministers possessed, he said, was betrayed in the reproach ad- dressed' to General Cubieres, that he did not own allegiance to all Ministries: in that Chamber, where inheritance has been suppressed, the majority must always be attainable by. a Minister. Chit of two hundred and eighty Peers thens present, not less than one hundred and fifty-one received the money of the State. (Laughter.) Yes, the number was certainly as great as he had stated. General Co bert, one of the Secretaries, here interrupted De Boissy with some remark, which was not and M. De replied. Several voices called out, "Address yourself to the Chamber." M. De Boissy—" This is one of those private conversations which continually. occur in the course of discussions." General Colbert—" This is no private conversation: you are an ill-bred person." (Great agitation.) The Mar- quis be Boissy—"I am delighted at this interruption; for it witprevent others being made hereafter. The Chamber will know what I mean." ' General Gonr- gen (from his place)—" Is it a threat you make to the Chamber ?" The Marquis De Beassy—" To whom? to you?—Take it as you think fit? (Confusion.) Se- veral voices—" Order, order!." A loud indignant voice—" Turn him out!" (Great confusion prevailed for some time.) The President—" There is certainly a great difference between a call to order pronounced by the Chamber and one from the President. Does the Chamber desire itself to call the noble Peer to order?" (Cries of " Yes, yes! ") The Chamber, being then formally consulted, decided by a great majority that M. Be Balmy was thereby called to order. The Marquis Be Boissy—` I can only bow to the decision of the Chamber, and I do so with respect. But I must declare that too frequently in this Chamber attempts are made to prevent speakers from freely uttering their sentiments." The Presi- dent said, he would never permit any speaker to remain unprotected when he was in order. (Great agitation in the Chamber, which did not subside to the end of the sitting.) IL De Boissy demanded an adjournment; which was pronounced according] y
When the Chamber broke up, the Chancellor sent for M. De Boissy and General Cblbert to-his cabinet, and induced the two Peers to interchange declarations that neither of them had intended to impeach the honour of the other. A similar, ex- planation took place between IL De Boissy and General Gonrgaud. This swam- iodation of the affair was announced to the Chamber when it assembled on Friday.
At'the close of the debate, the bill was carried, by a majority of 111 to 44.
Ministers sustained a defeat on Monday, on the bill to augment the pensions or retiring public officers. There are two versions of the affair, put forward by the Ministerial and Opposition parties. hi the Chamber, atissathalEthe Mem.- bars (230) must be present when a vote is taken; and in the debate on the Secret- service-money Bill, the Opposition Deputies absented themselves, in order to de- feat a vote. In discussing the clauses of the Pensions Bill on Saturday, they adopted a new stratagem. To deceive the Conservatives, the Opposition adopted a series of clauses in succession; in consequence of which course many of the sup- porters of Ministers deemed it unnecessary to remain. No sooner had they left the Chamber, and the vote on the ensemble of the bill been called for, than the ruse became evident; and the Conservative Members of the Chamber who had remained were driven to adopt the device of their opponents, and withdraw. The consequence was, that when the names were called over, only 189 Members were present; so that it was necessary that the taking the ballot should be adjourned until Monday. Such is the Conservative tale: the opposite story is the same as to the last fact, that of the withdrawal; but it omits the antecedent circumstances. On Monday, the bill was negatived, by 201 to 188; several Conservatives, says the Journal des Debats, objecting to a particular part of it.
SwirzEiti.sun.—The great question hi the Extraordinary Diet, that of the Jesuits, has been suspended, so ar as public discussion is concerned: on the 5th instant, the Diet resolved, by a majority of 3, to refer the subject to a Committee. The Committee was appointed next day: it comprised a majority of Radicals—the opponents of the Jesuits. The discussion on the Free Corps began on the 6th, and was adjourned to the 10th instant. It is expected that that question also will be referred to a Com- mittee—probably to the Committee on the Jesuit question.
Missaco.—The West Indian mail-steamer, which left St. Thomas's on the 16th of February, brings intelligence confirming the report of Santa Anna's arrest. On the 13th January, he abandoned his army between Las Vigas and Jalapa, and proceeded, with half a dozen followers, by an unfrequented path, along the Sierra de Perote, endeavouring to escape to the coast; but m the night of the 15th he was arrested at the village of Jalacingo, not far from his own estate of Mange he Cleve.
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