The Sun.
London, England, 1863-04-03 00:00:00

The Ministerial Changes in France.

The incident which has terminated in the with-
drawal of M. Magne from the position of Minister
without portfolio is remarked on by a few of the
Paris journals. The Constitutionnel after making
the observation that " the Emperor's letter will be
to M. Magne a noble and precious recompense of
his zeal and his devotedness," proceeds in these
terms :

" A delicate situation is thus happily bought to an end ;
the Emperor, in the solution which he has given to it has
succeeded in conciliating the remembrance of long and able

services with the maintenance of the new financial system

which has been so favourably received by the country.
The divergence between M. Fonld and M. Magne on ques-

tions of finance was a secret to none. The consequence of
that disaccord was for the eminent Minister without port-

folio an additional d fficulty in the accomplishment of his
duty. Doubts and uneasiness might consequently arise in
the public mind from that situation. An uncertainty has
now disappeared, and the llfonitour has confirmed the as-
surances given in the Imperial sitting of the 28th Jan., 1862.
The fact will not have been forgotten that the Emperor, after
having referred to the necessities which the past had been
obliged to provide for, declared that whatever was the origin
of that inerett,ed debt, and however legitimate the expense
might be, there would be an imprudence in increas-
ing it.' The country, like the Emperor, looked upon the
system inaugurated by the Senatus-Consultum of the 31st
Dec., 1861, not as an expedient for lightening the respon-
sibility of the Sovereign, but as a spontaneous and serious
reform which should force us to exercise economy; it has
confidence in the severe application of that system which
should aid us to establish our financial regime on immoveable

bases ;' and in the maintenance of M. Fould in the Minis-
try it will see with pleasure a fresh pledge of good manage-
ment in the finances, and of reduction in the public

charges."
The Gazette de France has the subjoined obser-

vations :

" On the eve of the discussion on the Budget this modi-
fication is not without its importance. Already, with refer •
ence to the bill upon the 38 millions of surplus outlay in
the last financial year, the reserves of language of
the speaking Minister might have been remarked. A repe-
tition of that divergence was to be expected in the discus-
sirn which is about to be opened upon the Budget of 1864
and the rectified Budget of 1863. Whatever may be the
case, M. Magne having left, M. Fould will not be defended
as he wishes. Not being able to k peak himself as he had
been accustomed to do before the Senate, there is no diffi-
culty in understanding that he should desire to see his
doc.rines in financial matters clearly exposed before the

The Union remarks how ill-informed must have
been the _Trance, which not only spoke of the retire-
ment of M. Fould as highly probable, but men-
tioned M. Magne, M, Rouher, and M. Vauitry as
the persons most likely to succeed him; and did so
precisely at the very time when the official journal,
evident y better acquainted with the details of the
matter, was printing the Imperial decree which ac-
cepted M. Magne's resignation. Our contemporary
then, after observing that the triumph of M. Fould
does not cause it any surprise, makes the following
observations :

"From the first creation of Ministers without portfolio,
it appeared to us difficult to avoid the it fluence, in some
sort preponderating, of the Minister charged to act over the
Minister charged to s,'eak, without a rupture occurring
between them sooner or later. Supposing that perfect har-
mony existed between them at first, would it not be at the
mercy of certain unforseen circumstances, of a change of
views, of a modification of policy ? How would it be it
there supervened a change of persons, and especially
a change of resolutions in home or foreign policy
with regard to diplomacy or finances, peace or war P There
were not wanting in those days non-official advocates of the
Ministers without portfolio, to tell us that we were troubling
ourselves about chimerical conflicts, that no difference could
ever arise between persons following the same policy, per-
sons, too, all equally irresponsible, being only the agents or
defenders of the one thought which presides over the direc-
tion of affairs. We were not so very far wrong, it seems; as
the divergence has occurred, and we bee its result. Now
what must be the sequel ? That the successor of M. Magne,
should there be one, must necessarily be in accord with the
Minister of Finance, the want of which accord has led to
M. Magne's retirement; consequently he must be a kind of
alter ego of M. Fould. From this we should be led to the
conclusion that the Minister without portfolio must follow
the destiny of the Minister with portfolio, unless, after
having aided him in the Chambers, he overthrows him in
the Cabinet, which we have no right to suppose. Such is,
at all events, the first impression made on us by this in-
cident."

The Presse speaks out more boldly on the matter
than any of its contemporaries, and expresses the
opinion shat the present system ought to be changed,
and that the bona fide Minister should be in all
cases allowed to explain or defend in person his
acts before both Chambers indiscriminately. The
following is the language used :
" Thus there may exist between a Minister in office
and a Minister unattached, such a divergence of views
that at a given moment one must leave the Cabi-
net sacrified to the other. The institution of specking
Ministers has by this incident received a first blow, which
is the more serious from the fact that it was foreseen.
People had already asked themselves what would happen
on the day when a Minister, charged to speak in the name
of the Government, should take a view of the situation
different from that of the Minister whose plans and policy
a
he was called on to defend. No mend
and
yce aneverbe
met with who would consent in such cases to make a com-
pleteefen cled w
b e abandonmentnyh
ldtt therefore
e theirroeferein
speaking personal opinions. The acting
Minister an
Govern-
ment
me
ameans
s weofu d
preventing nat u rally
thes us uf
Minister,fcehr
renewal
of th
the eventuality beu u ufeeblysu
l
d.
There is only one
incident which has just occurred, and that is
division
sieifoour
the Ministers in office to come forward themselves, in such
circumstances, and depend in person the policy and the
system which they are charged to carry
out.
established between speaking and i
acting is subject to a
thousand inconveniences. Generally, only that which is
well executed can be well explained. Between the person
who developes an idea and him who puts into execution
there must be an identity of view] which can only exist on
the condition that the two shall form a sole and same
personality. In the Senate the lq inters in office have
contracted the habit of defending their acts themselves,
and the precaution which they take of declaring that
they speak as simple senators deceives no one. Every
member of the Chamber knows wall that it is the Minister
he is bearing, and the explanations furnished by the Sena-
tor are talon for those of the Government itself. Why not
abandon the fiction and adopt the reality ? What incon-
venience would there be in a Minister who defends himself
before the Senate, giving explanations in the Legislative
Body ?"
The writer further observes that what he thus pro-
poses is not in reality an innovation, as there is
nothing to prevents a Minister who hold office from
being nominated Government-Commissioner. Hence
a simple decree signed by the Emperor would suffice
to remove all the inconvenience connected with the
present organisation.

Importing Tea without colour on The leaf pre-
vents the Chinese passing off inferior leaves as in the usual
kinds. Horniman's Tea is uncoloured, therefore, always
good alike. Sold in packets by 2.280 agents.
A SWINDLING AFFAIR.—The Correctional Tri-
bunal of Marseilles has just been engaged in trying
two persons connected with a swindling affair, which
was effected in December last at Alexandria. The
sum obtained was nearly 500,000 francs, and the
author of the fraud was a Frenchman, named
Linker, established in that city, assisted by his brother-in-
law, named Weinberg, his wife living at Marseilles. Linker
succeeded by means of le,ters, sent by his brother-in-law,
to induce a belief that a considerable credit was opened
to him at a banking h' use at Marseilles, and he
obtained first-rate bills on London to the above
amount. The establishments victimised by those manoeuvres
were the Bank of Egypt ; MM. Oppenheim and Co. ;
Bory and Co. ; Hakin and Figli ; Menasea and Co. ; and
Landau and Co. Linker sent the drafts on London to Weim-
berg, with orders to convert them into money at way
cost, and to leave immediately for Liverpool. As it was
Christmas Day when Weimberg received the bills, he could
only realize a part of them. In the meantime the merchants
at Alexandria detected the fraud, and on application
to the French Consul-General, the latter sent a tele-
graphic despatch to Marseilles, and Weimberg was arrested
with 20,000 f. in his possession, and the remainder of the
drafts not yet negotiated. A sum of 79,000 f. was
still wanting, and Linker's wife having hastily left Mar-
' seilles for Paris immediately after Weimberg's arrest,
a despatch was sent off, and on her being also captured that
sum, all in bank notes, was found sewed up in her dre.s.
Linker was arrested at Alexandria, tried before the Con-
sular Tribunal, and condemned to two years' imprison-
ment. His two accomplices have been now sentenced by
the Correctional Tribunal of Marseilles each to 12 months'
imprisonment. Linker has appealed against the Consular
sentence, and the affair will be brought before the Impe-
rial Court of Aix. The complainants have been fortunate
enough to recover the whole of their property.
The California farmer sows of wheat seed 1001 b
to the acre, of which the average return is 25 bushels
(1,5001 b. for 1001 b.) The wheat area is 250,000 acres for
the whole State. Barley, 100 lb. sown, 2,0001 b. return
(equal to 40 bushels) ; area sown, 60,000 acres. Oats, 801 b
sown per acre, return 1,6001 b. (or 40 bushels) ; area sown,
25,000 acres. Beans sown 201 b. to the acre, return 1,5001 b.,
area sown, 15,000 acres. Potatoes, 30011). planted, return
5,00011). ; area planted, 15,000 acres. About 15,100 acres,
in addition to the above, were last year sown in rye, hemp,
Indian corn, beetroots, and buckwheat, making the gross
area of laid sown last season with cereals and roots
throughout the State 370,000 acres,