The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-12-18
The Old and the New .sMOniteur.n


Government and the firm OF Panckouoke the
|proprietors of the Monteur Untuerse' the official
|journal of the Empire, will expire on the 3lst of
December inst, and the renewal OF the contract
|havlng been put up for public competition, the
Ichoice has fallen upon M. Wittersheim, prin-
ker who is bound by the conditions OF the bar
Main to publish morning aud evening for twelve
lyears from the 1st of January, 1869, an official
Fiournal, "the exact title of which will be here
|after determined by special ministerial deci-
|sion.n 1t ie understood that the journals will
bear the names MoRi eur 06ioie and Monjeur
OficieL du or but these titles will be contested
lby the propre tors of the old Monj eur, which,
Ihaving lived through nine different Govern
3ments, is now Of full age under tenth, and will
Abe continued by M. Paul Daloz, the present
fedltor, assisted by the present staff. The "Ca-
5hier des ChaIges,n regulating the new contract,
lis 6a'ed the 2lst of August 1868 and its seventh
brticle obliges M. WitteTsheim 10 have his offices
0and machinery i'm working order by the lst OF
a January, in position about the same distance
r5m the senate and Corps Legi5latif as that
bceupie0 by the existing offices. The locality
Rbosen is on the quays about two hundred
ads from the Old MonHew where several
ouscs have been removed, aud large numbers
Pf men are at work on the new buldiug day
nd night, with torches, ga and the elec,uc
light.
The secret history Of thi5 is curious. Nume.
&ous theories have been invented TO account
Tor IL, bot rs few means exist in France Tor
l1issemDatiug The truth upon so delicate q mat
Ter, it is 10 wonder they are generally vide Of
fhe marx. 1t was thought probable, tor instance,
fhat occasion might be taken to economize by
X6uppIessng the eXemptiou--a costly one for the
State-which the official journal nov enjoys
Prom duty and postage but the third article of
xhe "Cahier des Charges" perpetuatcs the privi-
lege. Some looked for q reduction Of the sub.
Tention allowed when the cost of the obligatory
publication of the debates in the Cham oers
became excessive, but the editor was quite
Iwilling TO relquish this as soon as the Petn
NonGeUr du SO,r, which he had bimself founded
at his own cost and rlsk, became sufli GENTLY
remunerative, and he had besides ma lie senst
BILE reduction in the price OF the latter journal.
That this was q great deslderatum from
the Government point OF view is
shown by the nineteenth article ofthe "Cabier,"
Aunder which NJ. Witter- helm obtained his con-
FcessioD ,aduogng the contract to the bidder who
&would offer to supply the evening Monieuy 10
the commune5 throughout the country at the
greatest reduction from the maximum subscrip.
Hton OF IL francs year, the rate now paid. II
lis understood also that NJ. Dalloz had proposed
Germs for a renewal of the existing agreement
which were pecuDiariy very advantageous to
! the Government. But apart from al this, the
lsuppositoD that the Imperial Government were,
for the first time, about to descend to cheese
kpa1irg in regard TO their official organ will
mot bear examination. The change was also
attributed 10 personal reasons, but the truth
seems TO be that the objects in view were
rather political. 1t would appear that for a
considerable time past the Government SurUeit-
RdatS of the MOnIeur have been much dissatis.
fed. 1t was clearly minated that the degree of
ppartialiy shown in Its non.ottcial portion
as too great, and was very distateiu 10 the
llrst Munster; but dilticuliies not easy to sur
mount indered a reform. This non-offcial
portion had gradually become kind Of neutral
ground on which ministers, heads of admins
tIations, senators, deputies, Academicians, and
men OF letters met, aud to which each with
certain amount OF independence contributed
his quota. With such contributors the right of
yeto possessed by the First Minister could rarely
be exercised IN its pentude. and, in fact, it
would app ar that Nj. Bou1er hat very little
Influence Ht all over articles coming from such
lIphuen'ial quarters. dc therefore determined
upon thorough change in the organization of
! the official journal. NJ. ROuheT's Intentions will
be gathered from the llth aud 18th articles of
the "Cahier des Charges" which are verbatim
as follows
H. The Minister will have The lliticnl, literary, and
scientific direction Of both the morning and evening
Journals The MinisL one win choose between the
psbcSn os of he aHs n%
dtpe,l Will rest upon the respong ioility Of the
ne IgGI 70 forbid the mp lG%tion Of he
Nl7. The Minister reserves to himself the right TO
appear to him 10 be undesirable presenter des neon
4 VellientS.
The Minister will thus be the editor in.chief
of every department of the paper and every
thing which appears in it will therefore be as
sumed to have his deliberate assent. The effect
! upon the ever suspicious French public will
naturally be that they will regard every line of
the MOniteatr, from the leaders TO the smallc st
puff advertisements as oonlnuntque OF the
Governments the very last result, one would
have imagined, that M. Rouher would desire.
Much to his credit, NJ. DalloZ (Who has been
| editor of the N0nHelr for seventeen years. re-
| iected from the very commencement of the
negotiations the humilia,ing terms which the
abandon the old-established journal, which,
now that he is freed from ministerial supery.
sion, wit become thoroughly independent. il
Is understood that he will retain most, if not
/ all, OF his old contributors aud permanent staff
4 and he has been promised from all quarters
fresh CO operation and assistance in the mos
sympathetic manner.
II M. Wittershcimis concession is burdened with
many oneIous conditions. Tue present anuua
subscription to the Mcateur du SOir is dtteeL
francs for the general pubic, and twelve fraa5
for Government employees mayors associates
etc. In calling for tenders the proprietOrshiI
\ was promised to the bidder who would offer t
supply the evening journal at the lowest prlc
under twelve francs 10 the pubic funchonar.e
of France, to the extent OF about 40, 900 CO pie
each day. NJ. Wittersheim underbld all hi
4 rivals, and ut is barely credible) has boun(
! himself to supply every day 80, COO copies OF tn
paper gratis The 7lh article OF the 'Cahil" bind
Rhim to provide III proximity to each ofthe palace
Of the Senate and the Corps LegisatIt sutabl
hose OF the Government may revise the proof
of their spe eechPs" The S'h article obliges hin
20 publish eacn day in the morning edition tn
shorthand reT orts OF the Slttlnes Of the Senat
and Corps Iteisldtif, together with such laws
decIees, anu official, judicial, and admnlstrativ
A. ante no