, 1874-09-26
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(From the Spectator. }

Marshal MacMahon has concluded his
tour in Brittany. Upon the whole, 1t has
not been q success. The Bishops and
priests everywhere received him with
speeches ptedging him to use France to
defend the Church, and the ~townspeople,
resenting this, in many places raised the
cry of give la Republique!' The May
Ors, too, and Presidents Of the tribunals
of commerce asked for "defnitive insti-
t~utions'' so frequently, that it became ne
cessary to reject all addresses not previ-
ously approved. The general verdict
of the people on the Marshal is that he
is q "mere soldier" and this impression
has not been dissipated by his nearly to-
tai silence under so many provocatlons to
make an important speech. The silence
is taken for stupidity. Altogether the
enterprise has been a failure, and the con-
templated tour in the South will, it is
believed, be abandoned. II it is not, the
President will hear some unpleasant truths,
aud perhaps be forced to say something
more than that be is "there" for seven
years. The South is perfectly honey
combed with "Red" organisations.
The Paris Correspondent of the Times
Afirms that one of the reasons why Mar
shall MacMahon maintains the Septennate
so strongly, is that he has no prediction
for any form of government, and no an
tipathy except to "~demagogy." He is a
soldier merely. He was bred a Legitimist,
but he served under the Orleans Govern
ment, under the Empire, and under the
Republic, and he says OF himself that he
has no regard for any cause but France.
He had the courage to tell the Emperor
this, and that in 1852 he had influenced
the soldiery to vote for him only because
the Red flag was appearing in the win
dows. He considered the Imperialist
cause the cause of Order. Caring nothing
for Legitimism, Orleanism, or Bonspar-
tism, and rather distrusting the Repub-
lie, he naturally admires a nondescript
Government, of which he is himself the
head, and which ensures order, and no.
thing else. He would, however, the Sep
~tennate once over, accept any Govern
ment which France might choose, and
which kept society together. It is to be
observed that the Marshal did not rebuke
one Mayor in Brittany who spoke to him
"a Cuc HeAG ASSeLlUIy rs D0luS OOus6ICu~
ent, but said he should be always at the
Assembly's service.
The Local Government of the Province
of Quebec has been compelled to send in
its resignation, owing to the discovery of
certain administrative Irregularities"
Al transaction connected with the sale of
public lands, locally known as the
"Tanneries Swap" in which some mem
bers of the Government were proved to
be implicated, has probably been the
immediate cause of this political sdwue-qui-
peat. The truth is, that the tone of
morality which was found to prevail in
Canadian politics when the delinquencies
OF Sir John A. Macdonald's Administra-
ton Were. exposed is persistent, and gives
out q more painfully certain sound in The
loeal legislatures than in the Central Par
lament. It is impossible to- make such
= "'large order upon the political capa-
{ city of q young community, as is involved
~ the fact that in the Canadian Dominion
alonss besides the Senate and the House
es Commons. there are seven local lesgiisla-