The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-14 00:00:00

FINANCIAL S2ATE OF FRANCE.

France has at length discovered that there is a
power which checks armies, that bids ambition
pause, that places glory on an inaccessible height,
and commands that the gratification of taste shall
be foregone. In spite of the immense increase of
wealth which has marked the present reign, the
finances of the country have always been in a
doubtful state, and row it is acknowledged on all
hands that a term of economy must begin. The
Parisian millionaire is but the type of his country-
men. He does for himself what they, under Imperial
guidance, are doing as a community. His gains are
great, not only from legitimate industry, but from
taking advantage of the turns of fortune, and
watching every bubble on the political stream. But
though, in common parlance, a rich man, his sober
English friends look on him with suspicion, for he,
a man of yesterday, lives as only those live on this
side of the Channel who have great hereditary
wealth and are the representatives not only of their
own capital, but of that amassed by a line of fore-
fathers. The Fienchman shows by his expenditure
that he has so many hundred thousand francs a-year
but people cannot help thinking that, as in the case
of the Irishman, it is only for one year. A spacious
appartement at a fabulous rent, or perhaps a villa in
the new quarter which is springing up for the great
world, furniture of taste, pictures of genius, rare
books, bought only to be boasted of, costly enter-
tainments, and perhaps little private amusements
still more costly, puzzle the homely inhabitants of
our Tyburnia who happen to know something about
that Frenchman's business. On a large scale it is the
same with France. We know what we can afford,
and feel very sure that we could not afford all that
is being done across the Channel. We also are able
to form some estimate of the respective wealth of the
two nations, and, though conscious of the great ad-
vance made by France, we are not prepared to be-
lieve that she can persevere in these large public
and private outlays. Though a part of the expendi-
ture, particularly that of the capital, has been re-
munerative, yet undoubtedly vast sums have been
sunk to buy glory for the nation and popularity for
the restored Empire.
A few days since we commented on the difficul-
ties which lay before the Government during the
winter. The deficiency of the harvest and the ces-
sation of exports to America have not only deranged
the calculations of the Ministry, but threaten to
cause much distress among classes which have been
useful supporters, and may be dangerous opponents
of the Government. Any misfortune in a country
so cl,osely connected with our own would be so sure
to affect ourselves that it is with a feeling almost of
relief we find that the rumours of the last week have
a foundation, and that a Finance Minister of some
calibre is likely to succeed to the present clever, but
uninstructed, occupant of the office. We have no
wish to enter into the gossip of Paris, of which our
readers
common know, and
re p
odrets: desire
we tom know,ay say that little, M
b.O
Fouldt , fol-
lowinglost the direction of French finance through a fend
between him and other persons in high station,
which,
it seems, was so bitter as to preclude him
from sitting in the Cabinet. This was certainly a
misfortune, for, though M. Fould may not possess
the qualities or the theological leaninrgesnaili ableßic manhdpro
pi
who
t ia te
could
to p rhepelvrae a
s ther naos
and to prevent colleagues from outrageouslyc inuergeaest,•
ing its items. A year ago, however, M. Fould was
sr
in
cuh, b bfeo dr bsneocanuasde hn
eotwdaisscnovoetrewd that France
anted.she
was
poor.was
M. Fould was not only given to economical lectures,
which were very unpleasant, but he had notions con-
cerning the recognition of Italy and the withdrawal
of the French from Rome which a dominant party
in France highly resented. It is to be added to
this that there was, for one reason or another, a cool-
ness between him and a principal colleague—M. de
Persigny—which had, perhaps, some share in his
retirement. Happily, this feeling will now, in all
probability, cease to operate, for both Persigny
and Fould are men of the world, and never, from
the earliest times, did men of the world refuse to be
reconciled when their common interests prompted
the act.

For the present it is said that nothing has been
done, since the position of the new Minister has not
yet been finally arranged. There is much said about
the demands made by more than one individual.
M. Fould is said to have asked for the rank of
President of the Council of Ninisters, As M.