The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1856-1888, 1874-12-26
THE PACIFIC
Commercial O0rttlstr,
SATURDAY. DECEMBER 20.
OUR PARIS LETTER.

-AA9f CNAVNNA -N-4f %
Il would be very wrong 10 smile at the devotees
who make q pilgrimage to Lourdes and Paray-Ie-
Mouial they have really the welfare Of France at
heart, as in the grotto Of the former and the
sanctuary Of the latter, there are thousands Of
hand-writngs on the wall, invoking the Sacre-
Cmur and the S~aintc-Vierge to 8 deliver France
from the Septennate, F" the most singular Of all the
singular types Of government this country has
ever witnessed. Perhaps the greatest disbelieyers
in the Sep;ennate are the Septannalists, and its
most sincere PaTtizans, the Republicans, are
denied the right to sustain il. To be a true Sep
tennalist. you must be a Legitimist, a Bonapartist,
or an OrieanIst, IN fact an . ist, " having a direct
interest in the non-e1istence Of the Septennate.
This extraordinary state Of things must continue
till the Assembly meets, and the laws be discussed
for organizing McMahon's powers and regulating
their transmission. Then he will find his real
and patriotic friends to be those conservative
Republicans, whom bis Ministers, not the Repre-
sentatiycs Of France but Of . party, persist in
regarding as dangerous, having no right to exist,
and meriting to be combated in every form. All
this is contrary to the public interest, to the
stability even Of the Cabinet. If the Constitu-
tional laws be not voted during the winter, the
dissolution becomes inevitable, and the general
elections viii return a vast Republican majority.
The Legitimists desire no organization of the
Septennate, because it bars the road to Henri V.
to the throne, and the Imperialists, emboldened
by the hesitations or weakness Of the government
in their regard, wish to make the Septennatc the
ante-chambre Of the Empire.
AL elections, whether of a local or legislative
character, continue to be so many plebiscitums,
as to the form Of government for France, and
confirm the axiom, that question lies between the
Republic and the Empire. Where the Republic
does not make way, it as a general remark, holds
its own, and in the four elections for deputies
which have just taken place, it can score fresh
innings, but at the same time must note that the
Imperialists are not foemen to be despised.
Pl0Hpl0nHiSm is the old catholic party of Bona
partisan; its chief is Prince jerome Napoleon, its
apostles Emile Olivier and Richard; driven from
Corsica they have taken refuge in the Depart
ment Of Charente. They intend to adopt the
NapOleOnic legend from the Is Brumaire will
abolish the Concordat, the civil constitution of
the clergy, and make restitution of the churches
to the theophilanthrOplsts; they want a Radical
Republic with the Prince for Emperor. Rou-
her is but a stereotyped failure, and the Prince
Imperial is not a Revolutionist and sides with the
clergy. As everything is possible in France, per-
haps this programme may be realized; but first
Of all the present Republic, without or with re-
publicans, must be declared legally dead and
buried.
The Spanish complaints cause no more anxiety
as France recognizes she has not an affair with
Madrid, but with Berlin; if she has neglected
any Of her lawful international duties she will
make amends; but begs to be excused for not
playing the frontier policeman in every nook and
Granny of the passes of the Pyrenees for a neigh
Dor, unable to guard her land passes as she is her
coast line. The French Government will eounte-
nance no hostile preparations against a friendly
power, but that power must itself do its part i'm
neutralizing and protecting the frontier. 1t is
full time for Serrano to aslOnish Europe with his
sword as he has done so with his pen. The best
plan for the Surveillance of the border is to drive
Don Carlos across it.
The revenue returns are not good; they have
been published up to the close of September last
and display a total falling off, during the nine
months, Of 81 1000, 900 of francs. Thus is con-
demned beyond appeal, the over-ynunted financial
ability Of ex-Minister Magne, who in face of a
clear deficit in the yield of taxes, had no other
scheme to propose than to increase taxes already
too excessive. There has been an increase in the
yield from tobacco, not the consequence of more
being consumed, but rather of the contraband
trade being severely checked. Comestibles and
drinks yield no augmentation, the Post Office and
stamps, however, do. The most sensible dimuni-
ton and the most painful, is under the head of
Registration Fees - three months ago the fall
ing off was but 5000, 900, it is now II ,0OO. 900. !
No more eloquent proof is needed to illustrate
the laDguisniDg state of business, all the conse-
quenceo of leaving the vital destinies of the country
in suspense. Customs exhibit a deficit of G. OOO-
600, being an increasing diminution of Al, vet
manufactures would quickly make importatiOns,
were confidence established. The transport of
passengers and merchandise by the railways, at
the best season of the year also, indicates a fall
ing of. The direct taxes are paid with mathe-
NAUTICAL correctness, and generally in advance.
There is nothing in these gloomy returns to prove
that the industrial or financial condition Of the
country is unsound, but they proclaim with
trumPet-tongue the necessity of comforting on the
country without delay, a definite government.
under the shelter Of which trade, mmerce and
industry can find repOse and stability, and for
politicians TO terminate their tweedledum and
tWeedledee discussions.
4 very severe winter is prognoSticated, Just as
If mild ones were ever predicted. Were it not
for the poor, n good fall of snow and q succession
Of hard frosts would be s~alutary. Paris has wit
messed neither since the occasion when the Prus-
slams wintered around the capital. The city is
well supplied with fuel, the depots have no longer
any space for another log Of wood or ton of Goals,
and Charcoal is stacked in bags like ricks in a
farm-yard. Bread will be cheap all the winter,
and potatoes never were so abundant. The new
Notifications will provide much work, and
the 0feEeys only demand the courage from
their deputies to fix the date for new elections, to
be as busy as bees and as merry as marriage
bells. The aristOcracy announce their intention
to be a shade less secluded this season; though
they cannot have Henri V. to ensure their happi-
ness, there is no use of living in sackcloth and
ashes under the Republic. Besides, there have
been so many young people married, belonging to
high life within the last six months, that their
house-warmings alone will suffice to pilot Paris
merrily over the short days and long nights of the
season.
As a pastime to occupy the wet evenings of au-
tumn, the following is just announced; take the
letters OF two alphabets, printed on yellum, mix
them up in n basket, then distribute an equal
of letters between the players, who must
form words, without any photographed errors,
and sentences in conformity with the rules Of
syntax those who violate spelling and grammar,
or who cannot form q word, have TO pay a forfeit.
other evening a lady at one of these parties
composed, u dream - q of me-" formed a gen.