The New York herald., 1879-02-08
FRENCH GOSSIP.
POLITICAL DISCUSSION AND cHANGEs-THE COLD
wEATHER-soCIETY NEWS, ART AND THE
STAGE

The attitude assumed by NJ. Gambetta throughout
the Ministerial crisis. inexpieabe it seems to the
public, appears to me perfectly nteligible from
reply which he made to friend the other day.
"Were to take Office now." he said "either Marshal
MacMahon or l would be within the walls of Vim
cennes within fortnight" The Importance which
he attaches to the appointment of Minister of War
of unquestionabe republican principles is well
known to those who enjoy his confidence.
He had been promised by the Ministry that
General Farre. whose repubcansm is beyond
all suspicion. would be appointed to the
Office, but the Marshal insisted the appointment
of General Grssley, to whom he is bound by old ties
of friendship and who it is well known is orean-
list at heart NJ. Gambettas course thus interpreted
il therefore perfectly clear. He could have
thrown the Ministry the other day IL it had
pleased him. but he prefers to let it drag strug
Cling existence until MacMahon's term of the Presi-
dency is ended He is right. perhaps in preferring
this natural solution of most difficult position and
leaving to others its neutrality-suspicious. and embar-
easements. In this way the Republic may tide over
its last remaining perils and M. Gambettas own posi-
tion be sustained unimpaired.
AN AWKWARD POSITION FOR A JUDGE.
NJ Collinet de la Sale. President of the Tribunal of
Quimpearle. sentenced by the Tribunal Correc-
tionnel to fine of 500 francs for publishing slander
against a deputy NJ. Guyo de Corentin Not content
with the equivocal position which he had thus Gre.
ated for himself NJ de Ia Sale endeavored to justify
the libel at the hearing of the and was very
roughly handled by the Court. One would have SUD
posed that the lesson would have profted person
in his position. but the judges and functonaries of
the Legitimist and Bonapartst regimes not to be
thus easily recalled to sense of decency The
least thing that could have been expected from NJ de
la Sale was his refraining from presiding over his
tribunal until the regulations provided BY the law
in such cases had been complied with
The clause OF the statute of the 29th of April 1870
which bears directly upon the offence of which NJ de
Ia Sale convicted. is thus worded-"Every Judge
who shall lind himself under the operation of war.
rant OF correctional sentence shall be-
in case OF appeal. temporarily suspended from
his functions" course, i'll presence of such re-
striction and of which NJ. de la Sale could not be
supposed to be ignorant, expected to see him
in his court until he had been relieved OF his dis
alb hties To the astonishment of the Bar and the
public however, the day following his condemna-
ton he presided over his tribunal usual proceeded
to call the list of causes received the oath of
notary and finally intimated to IN advocate that he
ready to hear him.
While the latter pleading one of his colleagues
went to the library for the Code and directed the at
tention of the Procureur de la Repubique to the
clause of the law already quoted.
1t was now the turn OF the Chef du Paruuet to act
and he accordingly communicated the discovery to
the President. who. after comforting with his col
leagues the subject finally determined to suspend
the sitting.
When the proceedings were resumed NJ dc la Sale
was among the missing 1t became necessary to re-
again. to make the notary take second oath and to
get the advocate. who thought he had finished his
speech, to expend his eloquence in second effort for
his client.
THE WINTER IN PARIS.
Since the siege Paris has not seen such winter as
the present The cold now is not continuous
or SO intense by six degrees, but more spow
sieehs are to be- seen in the streets and no van or
goods wagon and consequently no omnibus can get
along without supplemental horse. OF course the
difficulty of transportation has increased greatly the
prices OF provisions and Of fuel but hear of but
little. suffering among the poor. and have never
known winter when few public private ap-
peals have been made upon their behalf l attribute
this in great part to the large amount OF money
which WAS spent by foreigners during the Expo
stion There is no doubt that it was diffused very
generally throughout the working population Of the
city, aud that with their usual thritness large por-
ton was laid by to provide against the winter.
SOCIAL GAYETIRs.
Thus far the season has not been q very gay one.
With the exception OF official dinners and receptions
there have been but few social gatherings worthy Of
note The Faubourg st. German is in a sulky mood
tentment OF the Paris population with the regime
There have been few aristocratic weddings, but
they not followed by any remarkable festivities.
mot Pordre seems. in fact, to have been passed
round to prevent the so-caed arstocratic class
which, by the by. is composed of as many parrenu
Bonapartsts high born Legtimsts-from indulg-
ing their in this way in the hope that suf-
ferngs Of the working population during the rigors
of the winter will provoke a feeling of discon-
tentment against their republican rulers. The
calculation is foolish one. The people OF
Paris, l have explained. have never been
creased employment which the measures of the Min
lister Of Public Works will provide all the country
for years to there but little danger that the
condition of the peasantry will not exhibit similar
evidences of improvement. IL, therefore, the fash
ionables of the Faubourg St. Germain in town
try should choose to keep up this game they
promise themselves long period Of secusion. They
will find that the business and pleasures of life will
go just well without their aid and that when il
pleases them to return to the world they will have
to endure the competition OF arstocracy equal
wealth and perhaps of greater refinement and in
tclligencc.
It is surprising that with it's prominence in every
thing appertaning to art Paris should have been so
long without society OF water color painters, the
particularly as the taste for that branch of
has become so developed among English connos-
seurs-perhaps the greatest patrons of the French
schools of painting and sculpture At one period in
France good deal OF attention was paid to water
coors but the taste for them died out perhaps
much from the absence of an organization at
ford it cultivation and encouragement from any
other cause An attempt is now beng made to sup
ply such organization aud 1t is to be hoped, in
the interests of art that II will prove success
full The society will formally commence its
operations next winter and its first exhibition will
take place the galleries of NJ Durand Rucl in the
hue Lahtte. curious collection Of pictures the
work OF a Belgian painter named Ghemar was dis
posed of by auction at the Hotel Drouot the other
day. It consisted of series Of caricatures of the
works of the leading modern French ard Belgian
painters. all OF them more or less happy in the
nor in which their pecuiarics were hit off, In ex-
ii pity much talent should have been wasted
In such worthless manner. The bidders assembled
upon the occasion at events TO De or that
opinion for the which the whole collection $50
| pctures) brought did not exceed 4,50Of
THE THEATRES.
The success Of 'lAssommoir' at the Ambiru is due
more TO the curiosity excited by NJ zoa's bitter war
with the critics than to the merits of the piece itself
| 1t is most carefully put upon the stage
| and has admirable cast but, with the ex-
| ception of the first portion of the drama,
| which is effective and interesting. there is but
little to satisfy the expectations formed of It, In
fact the general impression created by the piece Is
rather that OF weariness and disgust. NJ. Zoia has
tn ha afiafipd
lists They have contrived to kill all the naturalsm
which constituted the merit of his novel, The same
may be said of lies Deux Nsbabs" at the Theatre
des Nouveautes At the Opera the new japanese bal
let of NJ Gille and Morter has proved great attrac-
ton. II is both clcverly combined and splendidly
mounted.
CLUSTERS BOSWELL INTERVIEWED.
4Lol Tai z