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FRANCE—The first step of the new movement in Paris was taken by the Ministers. In the Assembly, on Friday, M. Leon Faucher presented a project of a decree against the Clubs. The Government had ordered a number of the clubs to be closed, and had de- nounced the offenders in the tribunals; but the insufficiency of the existing law was now manifest. Closed in one direction, they opened in another; and the audacity and cunning of their members made up for the deficiency in their num- bers. Trade and manufactures were completely paralyzed wherever this last echo of street anarchy resounded. It was impossible for a regularly-constituted Government to tolerate any longer the expression of doctrines and passions cakn- LAW to dissolve society. In the clubs hatred and rebellion were preached under every form. They were the hotbeds of secret societies, and both lent each other mutual support. It was impossible that confidence could be restored whilst clubs were permitted to exist. They formed a state within the state; and no free Go- vernment could allow such anomaly to subsist without endangering its existence. The right of meeting was not in question. The bill, on the contrary, gave it a new sanction. The destruction of schools of anarchy alone was contemplated. The decree proposed that "all clubs are interdicted," and " all provisions of the law of the 28th July relative to clubs are abrogated." M. Leon Faucher demanded that the question should be debated as one of urgency; in other words, he proposed to suspend the standing orders and enter on the debate without delay. The Assembly, however, referred the matter to the Bureaux. These nominated a Committee of highly Re- publican tone; which chose M. Senard, Minister of the Interior under Cavaignao, for its reporter.
On Saturday, M. Senard presented a report rejecting the urgency, and even contesting the principle of the bill. The report declared that the clubs, instead of increasing, were rapidly diminishing. On the 28th July, when the decree regulating the clubs was passed, there were thirty-seven clubs existing in Paris, while at the present day there were only eleven; and of these five had been closed within the last few days by judiciary de- cisions. If the Assembly should think fit ultimately to adopt the measure, it ought to do so after solemnly considering the question, with all the usual forms and guarantees. So much for the urgency. But the decree was unconstitutional. More than the regulation of a right consecrated by the Constitution was demanded. It was not the abuse of the right, but the existence of the right itself, that was contested; for the exposé des motifs read by the Minister of the Interior had frankly admitted that the whole pith of the measure was in the words "the clubs are prohibited." How- ever much the disorders which had resulted from the clubs might be de- plored, and however anxious the Assembly might be to put an end to them, the Committee could not accept a measure which would annul 11, right consecrated by the Constitution.
On this report arose a warm debate.
M. Odilon Barrot urged the determination of the Assembly with the least pos. Bible delay. The bill should be supported or opposed openly and promptly: it were safer to reject it at once than to refuse it an immediate consideration. be any event, the Ministry must discharge itself of responsibility. M. Ledru-Rollin declined to accept the responsibility which the Ministry were endeavouring to throw on the Assembly. He contended that the bill was a fla- grant violation of the Constitution; it expunged a clause of the Constitution. He asked the Ministry a question. The press remained: if this law was one of re- gulation and not of suppression, did they mean to extend it to the press? Would they in the same manner suppress that on the plea of regulating it? (Sensation.) M. Odilon Barrot—" It is a question of good faith. The constitution is attacked from without; defend it without delay : society is menaced." (Assent from the Right.) M. Senard declared that it was not as a purely constitutional question that the Committee refused the urgency. It had examined proofs and decided on evidence. If the Ministry were satisfied that the clubs compromise society, it should nob abandon its responsibility because it could not obtain absolute interdiction. (Mur- murs and assent.) The vote by ballot was claimed: on a division, the numbers were 418 for the report, 342 for the Ministers' claim of urgency; a result received with exulting shouts by the Right. Immediately after the division on the Club debate, M. Ledru-Rollin as- cended the tribune with a document formally impeaching the Ministers. The extreme Left cheered vehemently, and shouted g‘ Viva la Republique!" the Right indulged in laughter and ironical cries, asking why the President of the Republic was not also impeached, for he had signed the draft of the decree against the Cubs. Several called on the President of the:Assembly to read the act of accusation. But the President declared the sitting to be over; and the members adjourned in the greatest state of excitement.
The document of impeachment, signed by 48 members of the Mountain, was as follows- " Whereas the Antirepnblican policy of the Ministry has just manifested it- self by a fact which constitutes an attack against the rights of citizens and against the fundamental principle of the sovereignty of the people; " Whereas the right of meeting is a natural right and a political right, written and consecrated in the Constitution of the French Republic;
" Whereas by a bill presented yesterday, the 26th of January, on the suppres- sion of the Clubs, the Ministry has been guilty of an act which is in flagrant vio- lation of articles 8 and 51 of the Constitution; " Whereas the Ministry is responsible for its acts, according to article 68 of the Constitution, the undersigned Representatives of the people demand the immediate impeachment of the Ministers, and their being brought before the High National Court, to be there tried, in conformity with article 91 of the Constitution."
At the opening of the sitting, the President of the Assembly read a de- mend by the Procureur of the Republic for permission to prosecute M. Proudhon, Representative, for two articles published in Le Peuple on the 26th and 27th January.
M. Proudhon rose and said—" Citizen Representatives, I am the author of the article of January 26th: I had forgot to sign it, but I accept all the responsibility of its contents. (Loud approbation on the Left.) The Assembly will decide what it pleases. For my part, I was anxious to.bring forward in the press, as before the Assembly or the country, a question altogether novel for us—that of the respoesibillty of the President of the Republic. I will give explanations or; the point before the Committee, as before my Bureau, and, if necessary, in this tribune." (Two or three yokes on the Left, Bravo! brave") A Committee was nominated to inquire and report. For some time time past the Garde Mobile has been disaffected, onie- count of the Ministerial proposal to reduce its numbers one half and its pay to the level of the Line. It is stated that some members of the high Mountain in the Assembly fomented the discontent of the youths, and en- deavoured to bring about an actual outbreak and resort to barricades. Deputations to General Changarnier were frequent, but unsuccessful'. Last Sunday, a deputation including Colonel Aladenize waited on the General: Colonel Aladenize broke his sword, threw it at General Chan- garnier's feet, and charged him with treachery to the Republic. The officers accompanying him held their tongues, and did not protest against his sentiments or violence. General Changarnier, having expostulated with Aladenize in vain, ordered his arrest, and dismissed his companions with words of caution—If they attempted any disturbance they would only insure their own destruction: " You know me," said the General; "you may fully believe me when I declare solemnly to you that they who un- pave the streets will never repave them." Another deputation went and demanded the release of Aladenize; they were refused an interview on the subject, and commanded to return to barracks. In doing this, they raised tumultuous cries. General Perrot turned out some cavalry, drove the re- fractory Gardes into their barracks, and arrested the ringleaders. It was feared that a rising would occur in the night, and vast prepara- tions were made.
On Monday morning, 80,000 regular troops were paraded in Paris. All the distrusted quarters were covered with a skilfully-arranged network of sentinels, sometimes double and even treble, to prevent surprise; who were ordered to fire at the first sign of an attempt to displace a paving-stone or raise an obstruction. The National Guards, summoned by the rappel, mustered in tens of thousands. The hall of the Assembly had 30,000 troops posted round it, who were placed under the especial command of General Lebreton, on the nomination of their President M. Marrast. The renowned Bugeaud was despatched to his command of the Army of the Alps, with orders to hold it ready for instant march on Paris.
The conduct of President Bonaparte is described as chivalrously patri- otic. About midday, when the troops were everywhere in position, the National Guards in full muster, and the people at the highest excitement, Louis Napoleon role all round Paris, with General Changarnier and a mere guard of honour consisting of his aides-de-camp and some dozen cuirras- siers. lie was received everywhere and by all with rapturous demon- strations of personal homage. Cries of "A has les Ministres " mingled with those of " Vive In Republique," " Vive Napoleon," " Vive l'Em- pereur." One account says that he answered, " Yon shall have a new Ministry "; other accounts say that the promise was of an amnesty, and the fact was most likely so. These military preparations served to increase the alarm and excitement of the Parisian citizens, who divined not their reasons; and a rumour was universally current that a sudden move in favour of Imperialism was con- templated by the great men in power. It is even said that distinct offers were made to the President, but explicitly declined. The fact or the ru mour equally expresses a favourable general opinion.
Towards the afternoon, however, the evidences of crisis lessened; and about eight in the, evening, when the Assembly rose and its guard was dis- missed, all apprehension passed away.
Numerous arrests were made. All the assembled members of one club were seized, and it is said that evidences of a serious conspiracy were dis- covered. Colonel Forestier of the National Guard, and M. D'Alton Shee, a Peer of the Monarchy, are compromised, and were sent to prison. One Lecointe was seized by some National Guards, to whom he boasted that he knew a person who would " bring down the President of the Republic ": he was examined and detained. In the Assembly there was considerable agitation.
M. Sarrans complained, in a speech full of exaggerated expressions, of the arrest of Colonel Forestier. M. Leon Faucher stated that Colonel Forestier had been arrested for making a seditious speech. He explained the reason of the great military display. The clubs were conspiring, and outbreak had been imminent: the precautions taken bad alone prevented that outbreak, and upwards of a hundred arrests had been made. M. Lion Faucher quoted the words of a proclamation which he had issued, and with them again repelled the calumny which asserted that the Go- vernment wished to destroy the Republic. The Republic bad no firmer sup- porters than the Ministers: the President had sworn to respect the Republic, and he would keep his oath. Such calumnies were lamentable provocatives to dis- order.
M. Marrast entered the tribune, and refuted another accusation preferred by M. Sarrans against General Changarnier, of writing a letter regarding the disposal of the troops to guard the Assembly, in which he refused to give explanations to the Ministers or the President of the Assembly. M. Marrast read General Chan- garnisr's letter: it was so opposite to what M. Sarrans had described it, that a general hilarity was caused by the reading of it. The Assembly closed its sitting without apprehension for the night.
On Wednesday, both in and out of the Assembly, the prevailing feeling was one of mystification. Ministers were more openly accused of having "got up" the whole affair, and much exasperation was manifested by the Republicans " de la veille." No explanations, however, could be extracted from the tribune on the subject of the arrests: inquirers were referred to the proceedings in the tribunals when they should commence; and the Cabinet obtained some advantages on divisions. The proposition of M. Ledru-Rollin to impeach Ministers was rejected by 458 to 250; and that of M. Billault to appoint a Committee for determining the budget of re- ceipts was rejected by 397 to 390.
aux.—The Pensiero Italian° states that all the Provincial Congre- gations of Lombardy had declared themselves incompetent to elect De- puties to the Assembly of Olmiltz. The Corriere Mercantile of Genoa quotes a letter from Florence of the 22d January, announcing that the Cabinet presented to the Chambers a bill for sending immediately a number of Tuscan Deputies to the Italian Constituent Assembly at Rome.
Intelligence has been received at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Paris, that 20,000 men had been sent by Radetzky to reinforce the besieg- ing corps before VeniceNhicla it appears is to be vigorously attacked. For this purpose, 9,000 men have been detached from Milan, 7,000 from cenza, and about 4,000 from Brescia. This may be the explanation of the French armament at Toulon.
The French General Trobiand, accompanied by his staff and sixty French soldiers, arrived at Leghorn on the 18th, en route for Palermo. He is going into Sicily, to organize the military defences.
GERMANY.—The Prussian Government has forwarded to Frankfort a declaration of its policy on the question of the central power, and the rela- tions between Prussia, Austria, and the other states of the old Confederation to the present Assembly. It expresses itself guardedly and unperspi- ouously in general approbation of the attitude lately taken by Austria, and concludes with this passage- " The inference, however, must not be drawn that Germany exclusively must retum to the important principle of a confederation of states, and that the en- thusiastically adopted plan of a confederate state must be entirely abandoned. The maintenance and development of the German Confederation, including Aus- tria as well as the German territories of Holland and Denmark, and of the posi- tion in Germany due to the imperial house of Austria, will be perfectly compatible with the formation by the other German states of a closer union of a confederate state within the Confederation."
Isnoli..—The anticipatory accounts of the overland mail from Bombay, of the 3d January, arrived in London on Thursday. The news they bring from the Punjaub is to the 18th December: it is remarkable, but may be told in few words. The army of Shere Singh has retreated fourteen miles beyond General Thackwell's camp, and there intrenched itself, 30,000 strong, in a position stronger than that at Ramnuggur. Lord Gough has crossed the Chenaub and joined General Thackwell, and stopped all further engagement with the enemy till Moultan shall have been taken and the besieging force come to his help; which it cannot do before the beginning of February, even if it took Moultan on Christmas-day, as is thought pro- bable. The siege-artillery had all arrived at Moultan, and a general bom- bardment and attack were to be made on the 25th December.