, 1875-04-14

ling worth. Being the author of the
amendment which smoothed the way for
the Senate Bill, and having taken an
active part in the negotiation between the
two Centres, ne could not have been ex-
cluded without a show OF ingrati)ude.
AS he is also a good Catholic, he might
have seemed a suitable Minister of Public
Instruction even to the deyotees of the
Right. But he does not happen to agree
with Bishop Dupanloup's condemnation
of the University, and he would resist the
attempt to give clerical seminaries power
to grant degrees. SO the redoubtable
Prelate went to Marshal or Madame Mac
Mahon with a complaint that the Church
was in danger, and a vigorous effort was
made to trip up NJ. WaIlon's heels. Had
the Marshal been as much OF a Churchman
as he is of a soldier, it might have succeed
ed, but for the present NJ. WALTON is safe.
The Cabinet contains four new Members
besides NJ. WALTON. M. Buffet we des-
cribed last week. NJ. De Meaux, the
Minister of Agriculture, is q relative Of
M~ontalembert, and an ardent Catholic.
NJ. Leon Say, the Minister of Finance,
is we'll known in England. He possesses
many of the aptitudes for dealing with
economical subjects which distinguished
bis relative, Baptiste Say, and his advance
meut has been held by the fact that he
owns part of the Journal des D6bats.
Down to the fall of the Empire he was an
Orleanist; but like NJ. Theirs and NJ.
CaSimir Perier, he soon came to believe
that a Conservative Republic was the only
form of Government which could be set
up, or which could stand in the present
state of France. He is now a staunch, if
not an ardent, Republican and the clear
ness of his head, his eminence as a man OF
business, and his power Of inclslve speech,
make him q valuable leader OF the Lett
Centre. 1t was to him that the Due
d'Audlffret Pasquier came with the re-
quest that the Left Centre should join the
Right in setting up a Monarchy, but NJ.
Leon Say dismissed him with the answer
teat the plan ]signilied revenge tor the
principles Of 80.
The abIest man in the Ministry, how
ever, is neither NJ. Leon Say, nor
even NJ. Buffet, but NJ. Dufadte. Like
NJ. Leon Say, he was once an OrIean-
ISL, dllu iuUt6I ne utIu OtNCG HtuGl 1LOuto
Philippe; but he served the Republic Of
I848 with real loyalty as Minister Of the
Interior. AS such he was the right-hand
of General Cavaignac, aud he used all
the influence oil his office to defeat Prince
Louis Bonaparte In the memorable con-
test for the Presidency. He said that he
wished the people to choose a man, and
not a name. Such was the ability Of NJ.
Dutaure, that the victor offered him the
same post, aud he accepted it; but he
soon found it necessary to part from the
Prince, and at last he was driven from
political life by the coup d'6tat. Going
back to the practice of the Bar, he held
the very foremost place. There Is per-
haps no greater lawyer in France, and
there is certainly no greater advocate.
He is also one of the few lawyers who
are equally eminent in the art OF political
discussion. The National Assembly con-
tains far more eloquent men, but he has
the reputation of being the best debater,
and such at least would be the judgment
of an English audience. His business
like STYLE, his disdain for ornament, his
brevity and directness of statement, his
command of facts, and hia power of hard
hitting make him such an opponent as
Mr.. Gladstone himself would find formi-
dable. Although about seventy-fve years