THE NEW FRENCH MINISTRY. (From the Times, October 29.)

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 616, 10 March 1852, Page 3

THE NEW FRENCH MINISTRY. (From the Times, October 29.)

The leading statesmen of Franco, her ministers, her oiatots, and her diplomatists, nad even her generals, appear to have anived unanimously at Atldison's conclusion, that in tunes like the present "the po-t of honour is a private station."' Each succeeding cabinet is more lemaiLible than its piedecessor for the absence of all the qualities which constitute a powerful and respected Government. The decline has been so rapid thnt a name like that of M. Lacrosse, who once occupied a subordinate office in M. Odillon Barrot's cabinet now slimes like a jewel of the first water. The French have a proveib, "duns le ;wi/s dcs aveiigles les borgnes sant ron" —that species of relative pre-eminence is all that the most conspicuous members of the new administiatiou can boast of, the rest have scarcely emerged from total obscurity. Thiee ministers only are members of the National Assembly, namely, M. Fourtoul, M. Casabianca, and M. Lnciosse ; two are Government lawyers, two mere administrative officers, and General De St. Ainaud, who takes the important department of the Army, is known by his Bonapartist predilections, w hich led to ins promotion to a command in the aimy of Paris aud a campaign in Kabylia. These high offices of State, as they are now distributed by the President of the Republic, and held by their temporary occupants, have not only ceased to gratify the nobler passions of patriotism and ambition, but they are positively repulsive to personal vanity. The Government has sunk in public estimation to a point at which it is thought dis1 creditable to belong to it ; and those who aro induced to take an oar in such a galley, invoko tlio compassion of their filends over the sacrifice of their reputations. Yet although the mombeis of such a Cabinet must view with positive incredulity the appeaiance of their own names, as ministers, in the Monitenr, they are individually and in their private capacity men of character and station. The new Minister of Foreign Affairs brings with him at least the cltrum et venerabile iwmen of Turgot; and the President of the Republic knows better than any man living the value of a name. M. de Tuigot is morever a man of birth and fortune, a ci-deiant peer of France, and a decided member of the Conservative paity. Indeed in tins respect Louis Napoleon has studiously shewn by the selection of his new ministers that lie is fully prepared to adhere to the policy of the party of order, except on the one important point of the electoial law. Even M. Billault was consideied a shade too much of a liberal. The Cabinet as it is now constituted cannot be regarded as essentially Bonapaitist, and still less is it Republican. M. Lacrosse, its leading member, is himself a Vico-Presi-dent of the Assembly and alibis colleagues must be held to belong 1, by their opinions and interests, to the general views of the nnjority. They have, however, seen lenson to adopt the opinion of the President with lefeience to the repeal of the electoral law of the 31st Way, though the new members of the Cabinet, who are members of the Assembly, all voted for that law when it was passed. It remains to be seen how far this change of opinion has already extended itself in the majority. We have alieady intimaied our suspicion that the Assembly will relinquish its hold upon the law, uncertain as it is whether it be more dangerous to maintain it or to repeal it. The truth undoubtedly is, that, with a view to the next general election in May, the more immediate danger is that of applying a restrictive law which excludes a laige portion of the constituency and militates against Louis Napoleon's re-election. But the danger which may eventually prove most serious and destructive to the country is that arising fiom the lestoration of universal buffiage, since the consequences of placing the whole supreme power of the Mate absolutely into the hands of the multitude, are sucli as no man can, at any given moment, foresee. Between th^se two threatening contingencies, the Fiench Assembly will have to choose, and the piobabihty is, that it will run the ribk of the greater but more distant of these penis in order to escape the lesser but but more pressing one. If the electoral law of the 31st of May, 1830, be actually repealed, it will be a singular instance of the enactment and repeal of a statute of vital consequence to the institutions of the country befoie its provisions could ever be put in force, except at some few casual elections. It is, liowc ver, impossible to consider this subject on gcneial giounds of policy or piinciple, because it is notoiious that the course now adopted by Louis Napoleon is entiiely dictated by the calculation of his own chances of re-election, and it is probable that the conduct of the Assembly-will be directed to thnt one issue and to no other. So much is this the case, that the Republican journals, which had made the hmita-

I ("in of uiuvors'il "ufl'iajje a constant subject of attack, an> iv \v (ii--]>o o i'rl to biiarl at the motives of Louis Napoleon m mailing the concession for which they have bei'n clamounng. The National Assembly resumes its deliherations on iMondny sex I, on vvlnch occasion the Piesideni'a Mess i>;«« v. ill be (liodibuted, or piobiblv pnn f ed in the Moiiili'iu , is it its not ciisiorivnj to dthvci it in j>eiscn. Alic.uh hipe numbers o( th» loptc-CHU'ives have aimed in P.m-,, oarh psuty having soiiH'N lilt eagerly < dim okfil Us .idhcionts dunii" lli.« mic.'i laiiity of thi> ch.k \i lue'i 1) is |'i-.l terminated foi tbo puwnt. Ibc i'(il.(\ ot tin' le ulni'_; meiiibfr-. of the A c -emb]y and of the Peim.tnenl Committee ol lli'it body which hiti duin){j t!i(> rorow, li.ib hi en to a''Mnin fiom cviry sort of uitoifciciirc u ( b the I'rcsid-'iit's lMiiiNcunl coinbina- , tioin, and to oiubnuass bun bv their bilcnce nncl iiputiality intlu'i th.in !>v an open display of apprehension or rcmonst-anco. Ihe movo was h s own, and until it v\a^ cnmph tod tbe advoissG paily bad nothing to do but to w.itch the pieces on the hoard. I > u t this simulated md.l icence selves in reality only to disguis-e a moie bitter sjjirit of hostility to the I'iesulent, and a more intense desne to frustiate the success of bis personal policy than has ever yet manifested u&elf in the Asbombly. I'hpio is not, on the part of Louis Napoleon, a strongei desire to perpeiuate bis power than there is on the pai l of a Kuge /action in the Assembly to depiive him ot it ; and although the manoeuvres on both sides aie still confined to ministerial or parliamentary demonstiations, both pai ties are aware that tbe decisive stroke which will probably determine tbe result of this contest must come horn, tbe array, or must at least be able to rely on military support. The conduct of thfl French army, during these tiying and eventful years, « hen its disciphno h;is been maintained by its own sense of duty and self-iespect lather than by tbe authority of tho Government it soivf, has uniformly boon most admirable. Not a conspnacy has boon dscoveied in its ranks ; the temptations offeied to it have failed to shake its stubborn adherence to the law ; and it is i fiimly united in itself against the revolution under eveiy form. Such an aimy has ceased to be a blind instiumont, but it is a patient obs-ervei of tbe couise of events, until some emergency happens which may compel it to oct. It is at the beck ot no political party, \ot no political pai ty can move in earnest without it; and although wo carefully abstain from hazaiding any predictions on events so uncertain as the coming vicisM'udes of power I'ianc", we anticipate no important change in lipi condition until cncumsiancps have givea nn impulse in one dueoiion cr the other to the military power. Ministers have bt-ou appointed to cairy on tho business ol tho lespoctivo depaitinpnts ; but the essential policy of tbe PicsidiMit'b government lesides ia himself and in tho^e ddviseis whom it is not thought piudent to pl.ice in ministerial otlici'S ; and in that | Council of the Lly-e« the choice ot gpnerals is consideted as at least equal in impoi lance to the choice of ministers.