New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1861-12-11
AFFAIRS IN FRANCE,

From Our Own Ostrespondent
PARIS, Nov. -, 1861.
NJ. Fouid's memoir to the Emperor on financial
reform and the Emperors letter TO him. are sill The
unexhaGstsd themes of talk and Thought And with
reason. Financial reform must be political reform.
In these the rest of Europe ia as really if not ss
deeply interested as France herself their Influence
m,y reach scross the Aantc even, such is the mod
err solidarity of natiozs.
NJ. Fould is instal%ed in The Ministry Of Finance,
and Is supposed to have mainly secured several Of
the conditions that be first made TO acceptance of the
Olive. One of thea Vas tina, he should have charge
of the official Monaspr, which belonged TO the Min
is.er of State he has obtained that that Minister
shall furnish him with advanced proof-sheet the
evening before publioation. Another was that he
should have a certain control of the dilere MT Minis
terial estimates that form the debit side of The
Budget; he has obtained TIE right Of direct conmEr
cation with the chief clerks heads Of bureaus Of the
different Ministers. But it would be TOO long to re-
peat all the reports Of u. Fouds encro icbments'
of which the above two are among the most credible
and most importantly, and OF the difficulties be me
with from other Ministers in securing them.
There was, doubtless, some warmish discussion OF
his claims in Cabinet councils and some intriguing
and protesting against them out of Cabinet.
But the Emperor had become fully convinced that
something must be done, and that the man WHO had
completed and clarified bis convictions Vac the man
to help do it.
The financial case of France, though certainly a
grave is in no way a hopeless one, Il vigorously
treated. The cause OF alarm 10y much more IN what
she was coming 10 than in what she was got TO.
The London Times in q characteristic sensation ar
cle the other day. represented the 5000 100000 Of
deficit recognized in Foulds memoir a. the yeaTly
deficit of the French Treasury. Note in passing,
that the French press and public have not found 1t
worth while 20 more than laugh at this misrepresen-
alton OF Tie Times.l This sum, probably imocres-
timated by M. Foud, is the accumulated deficit of
years The acreage Nearly deficit is about $35 Oo0,
600, that is expenditure has been about one-four-
teenth more than income.
The new Minister'S plan, are not known. Within
the last three days il is asserted with great positive
nes that he does not propose to have recourse TO
loan. The only new taxes that have been talkedof-
on Matches pianos, and stamp tax ON tradesmens
bills-would 20 a very little way toward filling the
gap between receipt and expenditure. "Conyer-
eons, consultations, aud other operations Of the
Treasury may be wise and partially helpful TO the
desired result. Bu, the heroic and effective remedy
is economy on y large scale. Such economy can
only be made in the military expenses. Hence the
probability OF reduction in the army and naval
outlay.
And SO the rumor goes that the army is TO be cut
down to something near Louis Phiippes peace es,ab
lisbment though not 10 be reduced 70 50 low state
of efficiency as under that monarch. For the present
AT the least what is said to be proposed by tond
and Persgny and taken into favorable consideration
by the Emperor, is TO give indefinite burroughs TO
100 600 soldiers lees, but % preserve intact
the framework of the army lie eadre 80 that It can
take in again these 100000 tobieapr riraats if sud
denly recalled. Something, too must be reduced in
the naval department, which would suit England.
But, TO turn TO the political eide, how can France
much reduce her military power in face Of the Pres-
ent condition Of Europe, among whose states she
claims TO hold the place Of arbiiorl Possibly say
by "A perfect good understanding with England and
Prussia. Ihete three Powers, if freed from sue
Ticions Of each other, and agreed to act in common
toward Austria, Ialy, and Turkey, could partially
disarn, aud yet remain az strong as now. And 20 IT
comes that there is counting upon the Emperor
visit 10 England, and con lecture tia. he is trying hard
again to get his f;tyorite scheme Of a European Con
giess accepted.
For the moment, 1t is certain that the only qualii-
cation to the entente c0rdjaic between France and
En- gland is the growing French military marine; II
is certain that. the whole, there ID better under
standing, for tue moment. between France and Prus
sia. But the difficulty about mutual d5armng is to
decide who shall begin fret, and how much each
party shall strip? The chances Of a Congress are
remote TO say the best of it. The chances Of war
in the Spring." less threatening just than three
weeks ago. are still not nearly removed out OF the
way Of likelihood. The fixed fact is that not one OF
the "questions" in the Italian, Austrian, Turkish
category has been settled, made other than
chronological approach TO settlement since last year
this time Now as then il s the interest and policy
of France to avoid war but to be in full preparation
for it, But now, far more than then, thanks to the
financial difficulty, it is needful for the Emperor 10
share the responsibility Of keeping up these prepare
tons with the country.
And here is the gravest significance of The matter.
Responsibility is proportional 10 power. Then he
will share his power over the nations money
with the nations representatives Of cour.e
he, being human, naturally will hold on to US
as much as he can, will seek to give up appear
ances and keep the realities of it, the nice proper
tons of each we shall better know after the meeting
of the Senate the I'd of next month. There is an
overhopeful set Of wisbers, who are exaggerating
now the immediate results of this constitutional
change, and 80 preparing Themselves disappolnt-
ment three months hence, as they exaggerated the
resulta of the decree of the 9th Noyem-
ber 1860 and have since quarreled unfairly with it
instead of themselves for the disappointment that fol-
lowed that Yet the results Of that decree have been