, 1872-01-24

utation to inauguate, to re-establlsh, the
privilege of convocation by promptly set
Ting the questions raised among French
Protestants during the last few years. So
far so good. In maintaining religious lib
erty in all its integrity, the President was
acting like a statesman but when he told
the deputation "that he was OVERWHELMED
by work, and often by chagrin," be des,
cended to the level Of a third class Govern
meut clerk, and demonstrated most unmls-
takably his unitneSs for the duties inciden-
tai to the proper discharge of his high and
important office. Prince Bismarck has
thrown a bombshell into the French For
eign Office, in the shape OF a despatch to
the German Ambassador in Paris, in which
His ExceIlency is called upon to 'miIdIy"
demonstrate with the French authorities
upon the vindictiYe tone Of public feeling
towards Germany, and the recent acquittai
OF two Frenchmen charged with the MUIR
der of two German soldiers. The despatch
reminds NJ de R6musat that the late nego-
~tiations with NJ. Pouyer-Q uertier were con-
Quoted in a spirit of confidence that the
last traces of German occupation would
disappear, by means of a mutual agree
ment, at an earlier term than that stipulated
in the treaty Of peace but the light which
has been recently thrown on the attitude
and intentions Of even educated French
men with regard to Germany has rudeiy
dispelled this confidence, and that the more
readily as the friends of loyalty and order
IN the Frenchpres have not believed them
selyesStrong enough to pass an unreserved
condemnation on the behaviour Of the Jury
who acquitted the prisoners, the counsel,
aud the appIauding public. The despatch
coQcludes as follows: -' Your EXceIIency
will p,ease to submit these reflections to
NJ. de Remusat, but without, as | repeat,
lending them such a form as might give
room for an assumption that We are dissa-
risied with the Government Of the Repub-
lie. You will rather, and before all things,
lay stress on theregret and disappointment
we experience in finding that Immediately
after we had given the most convincing
proofs of our friendly disposition in the last
negotiations, facts have come to light in
the face of which | must, however unwil-
lingly, pronounce our hopes of a restora-
tion OF mutual confidence to be premature"
The French Government Of course holds
that it cannot listen to a remOnStrance
couched in such threatening terms and
although the necessity was great, it is the
general opinion on this side of the Chan
mel that the despatch might have been
written in less pointed terms. But, what
ever may be the issue, it is clear the French
people have but themselves to thank for
this national humiliation. The Assembly
has. rejected, by a large majority, the pro-
Posal ofM. WoiowSki for a general income
tax. 1t is said that there are still from ff-
teen to twenty thousand communist prison
ers at the hulks waiting to be brought be-
fore the courts-martial. The Due d'Au-
male and the Prince de Joinville have taken
their seats in the House of Assembly. The
difference existing between the Commission
on the Bank of France and the Government
consists in the former desiring to increase
the circulation 800 millions and to autho-
rise the Government to sanction the issue
of 200 millions of bank notes by a simple
decree, whilst the Government demands
that the Bank of France should be autho-
rised to increase the circulation by 600
,o1linua