, 1877-07-11

would end by taking part in the tumult. [
cannot pretend to give an exact idea of what
occurred. There were things beyond descrip-
tiOn but [ shall be quite understood when [
mention that NJ. Paul de Cassagnac alone
interrupted 81 times, not to speak of the inter
ruptions which were lost in the uproar that
there were five calls to order, and two censures
pronounced.
NJ. de F0urtou assembled the tribune. 1t is
q long time since he has done SO, for, with The
exception Of his first speech in the late Assem-
bly,, his rising has always been the signal of
Parliamentary storms raised by the Right. 1t
must be noted however, that he does not irri-
tate the Left like some Of his colleagues. He
has never pretended to be a Liberal Minister.
lie has never claimed the honour of being a
ParliamentariaD, nor any honour, indeed, but
that OF governing despotically. His slight and
nervous figure, his square, decided head, his
gestures, bis off.hand look, which is not con-
cealed by his spectacles, his short Black beard,
his hands, now resting on lis hips, now affect
ing a defiant air, his shrill, southern accent,
all reveal The man of combat who hates liberty,
which he considers dangerous, and who has a
passion for force which he has made bis law.
After a speech from NJ. Belmont with the
characteristic interruptions towards the close
Of his speech M. de- Fourtou said "You have
COuIeSScu3 lHdb III y vi ~ lOlH U 4 nay WAS
a menace for peace abroad, forgetting that the
men now IN office issued from the elections of
1877, that they formed part of that National
Assembly which may be described as the paci
foatOr of The country and the liberator of the
territory" Applause on the Right.
AT this moment there was one of those Sp0n.
ianeOus acts which never fail to produce an
. empowering effect On the Witnesses Of it..
"Volla le liberateur de- t%erritoire ?" exclaimed
voice on the Left, and Immediately the entire
Left, rising and fixing their eyes on NJ. THEIRS,
broke forth in ~plaudits. The galleries rose, too,
as if moved by the same impulse; and M. THEIRS
slowly bowed his white head, amid a hurricane
OF applause lasting five minutes, and
cling when NJ. de Fourtou, sensible Of his
blunder, tried to repair it.
M. de FOurtou was followed by NJ, Gambet-
ia. His first words which l give ge16atm;
and which reply to the personal attack of which
he was the object, are quite a masterpiece of
knocking good humOur and pertinent irony -
"Ihe gentlemen who has just quilted the
tribune began the explanations he had TO give
to the Chamber with something that alarmed
me a little. He said it would be unnecessary
in our present situate on that he should enter
upon a long debate, and that it would be suff.
cient, considering the clear and precise rela-
lions that existed between the Executive
Powers and the Representatives of the country
to justify the series of measures inaugurated
Oh the assumption of office by the men of the
Jeth May. Well grace q D'eu. NJ. Ie
MiniStre has not kept his word. He has spun
out before US o long speech, to the personal
part of which l shall make a short reply. [
DID not, indeed, expect in that exposition Of the
principles and grand theories of social danger
and public safety which have inspired the
action Of The Government and the new Ministers
my modest person was TO hold so large a place
"a Member Of the Right,-'How very hum
Bile y, and that one of the principal motives of
the assumption of Office, one OF the necessities
for no longer listening 10 the wishes of the
country and dismissing its agents, was drawn
from the electoral programme 1 had acc epted
in 1869. Applause from the Lefty Well,
there is q side from which you see the poverty
of The policy they have come before you to
defend"
As to the rest of the speech, [ confess I can
not attempt to reproduce it. In the first place,
it was only the eloquent repetition of all that
M. Gambetta has already said, and that he will
say again, for the politics of a Party man
have not a hundred different sides to be shown
one after another and it is impossible to repro.
duce this speech without describing the heaving
mass the Assembly represented during the two
hours it lasted. There were Interruptions at
each word. NJ. de Oassagnac forced the Presi.
dent to declare he could do nothing, and that