The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1869-03-25
Brick and mortar in PnrIs.
FROM the London Soturdav pe,,e,,.

oi tne Belgian railway business in the minds
farls politicians. Whether the sudden modera.
lion OF the semi-officisl journals was due to the
discovery that they had misinterpreted the EN-
peror's wishes, or to an mtimation that since
the hghtDg had not been taken up by The inde-
pendent press il had failed 10 answer its pur-
pose, or 10 The transfer of the controversy from
Pjournaietc 10 diplomatic ground, Is more than
can be said with certainty. Happily the French
Government mas of late shown in great num-
Der OF Instances that it has Thoroughly mastered
The art of eGecung a retreat But for this con.
soling reflection, some natural alarm NIGH
nave been entertained lest it should feel
compelled, in common consistency, to make its
acts square with it's words. Threatened men,
however, live long, and the rule holds good
even W hen the ultimate author of the threats is
napoleon III. Belgium is not likely to be q
sunerer by reason of the audacity of her Senate
IN passing DILL to which the French Govern
ment was known to be adverse. The question
VIII probably be let gently do En through de-
scending scale OF rumors until it reaches the
limbo OF grouudless alarms to which the I'm.
periai Government has beeu so generous a con-
tributor. In the face OF NJ. Frere Orban's speech
In the Senate, it would have been hard even
Tor a semi ctiicial Journalist TO maintain that
Belgium Iad done anything, more than
her ind gnant neiehbor would have done
under similar circumstances If, said
the Minister. the Eastern of France
had wished to cede its line to foreign COM
pany: II the French Government had expressed
Its disapprova of the proposal, and offered
itself 10 buy the line; if the Eastern of France
had, without taking any notice of this commu-
what course would the Government have
taken? II is much easier to bluster about dis
trust, defiance, and ingrattude than to wer
.. plain question like this and the portion of
the Paris press upon which the duty would
Y-have devolyed may be thankful that it has been
spared the necessity by the, signal to cease
nring. The abandonment of the contest has
peen masked to great extent by the dis.
cussion IN the Corps Legislatif on the finances
OF the city OF Paris. The stor n which has been
/ brewing has come at last in the shape of a
speech IRON NJ Thiers. financial arrangements
which court concealment could not have
more dangerous foe. The municipal budget
unrolls under his hands in way which throTs
the strongest light on exactly those places
which the Protect of the Seize most desires to
keep obscure. The question before the Corps
Leglsiatit related TO particular loan bat this
necessarily brought up the whole history of the
nnanclai policy which had led to this loan being
Eequire0. Certainly the figures as they
stand are somewhat Startling. During the
last fifteen years close upon 1000, 900, 900
francs have been spent on the Transformation"
ofPar rue annual expenditure now amounts
70 acv,o 1000 francs-'just double" says
Belgium or Bavaria" The Budget in which
these figures are presented is modelled on the
Budget OF the Empire. Its leading principle is
to put facts sanity at starting, IN the hope
that people will find them dry reading, and not
turn the page. First, therefore, comes the
ordinary Budget. showing an income of
lb6 900 ,OO0 francs against an expenditure of
only l02 900, 600. This is follow by the regular
extraordinary Budget amounting to 81, 900, 900
francs, and this by the special extraordinary
Budget amounting to another 10000 600. And
then the supplementary Budget brings up
the estimates to the grand total. The last
three memoers of the series deal entirely
with expenditure. Even Baron Haussmanns
power of conjurins. is unable to represent
the receipts as anything more than the initial
1856 900 900 francs: tits in making provision for
Exercised during the whole period of his reign.
How he bas contrIvel TO make two ends meet
. he Is probably himself unable to say; but the
inability Is unimportant as the creditors who
have found the money may be trusted TO keep
the account for him. Unhapply debt like
death, knocks in the end at every door, and the
nnfs.S of the Hotel de Vile has not discovered
means OF evading the inevitable dun. "My
brk is at an end" says Baron Haussmann.
Eo,' answers NJ. Thiers, your work is not at
n end-but your resources are.n
Indeed, however loudly the Prefect of the
3eine may protest on this last point, it is OBJ
gious from the whole tenor of his administration
that nothing is further from his thoughts than
bringing his operations to an immediate, or even
p speedy, cad. While the French workman is
kept constantly employed his political tenden
k;ies do not often exhibit themselves in action.
I'D wages, and the knowledge that it Is the
Sernment that pays them, exercise highly
Jnserva'ive influence on all who come within
their reach. If the reconstruction of Paris were
wants the process ministers were suddenly
thrown out of work, there might be consider
able danger that the Socialism which is only
dormant in its ranks would no longer be limited
to theory. The Government and the Opposition
disagree Of course as to the number OF hands
] who would be affected by discontinuance of
the Projects labors. By the Opposition they
are yaI1ousy stated at from 100000 to 100000;
by the Government the total is reduced to
mere triAe of 81 900. Probably the discrepancy
does not 60 beyond the surface.
An official speaker would be sure to reckon
! none but workmen IN the strlctest sense OF the
term, while the Opposition calculation no
doubt takes in all the unskilled laborers who
practically share the workman's fortunes,
because they cannot be employed except in
1 conjunction with him. Even with the omission
or this probable correction, 81, 900 Frenchmeu
all starving, and all cheri;h'ng a grievance
| against the authorities, are VISION from which
personages OF greater importance than the
4 PIefcct OF the Seine may be allowed to shrink
back in afitlght. Ii war we're 10 break out, the
4 conscrlpton might in part dispose Of the diff
Guilty; but as long as peace lasts there will
i probably be means found and excuses devised
i TO enable the Government to rela'n the
po.ition OF paymaster. MeanlIe the pros
i perity OF the artisan involves constantly
X increasing tax on the other class of society.
II The cost OF living in Paris has grown enor-
mousy ana even the rise IN prices does not
make up to the shookeeoera for the yet greater
rise In teuts. Thirty years ago" says Nj.
frhiers, 'fbere was not o shop in Paris let at
more than Is 600 OF 10000 francs; nov there
I ale some which fetch $4,000 or $4,000 francs"
IN you want proof, he adds, 60 and search the
registry OF bankruptcies. Biron Haussmann,
or the authorities by whom he Is Inspired, nave
te1iaiI is arranged their operations in the best
1.-The obvious improvem ant5 mad now
hcen effected and only the less urg ept portions