New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-01-30
FRENCH TOPICS.

NJ. CREWS REAL ESTATE VENTURES.
HIS PURCHASE OF THREE LARGE HOUSES. AND HOW
HE WILL PAY FOR THEM - SOCIAL LIFE AT TiR
KLYsEE.
FROM THE REGULAR CORRESPONDENT or TIE ramuyr1
P.eIs. Jan. 15.-It 10 not yet certain whether
Nine. Grevy will hold reception the 2Jth or
not The Presidents wife Is in an economic mood
and no wonder The President has purchased no
less than three of those immense barracks let out in
fats which are called in Paris bourgeois houses A
true private house goes by the name Of hotel
The houses bought by N. Greyy arc ia the new and
very fashionable Monceau Quarter. and if things 90
we'll with the Republic will be- lis calculated of far
greater value decade hence than they are now. Only
a fraction of the purchase money!. 000, 900 francs
has been paid to the vendor. The rest will be
received by lin in half-yearly instalments, Of
which there will be as many as ten. NJ. Grevy paws
per cent in crest on th sum remaining due. IL
is supposed hat he calcl ates upon lquidating bis
debt out Of = annuitio~ allowed him for travelling
expenses and Hospitality. When | say allowed to
him ain ut perhaps vigorously exact They were
allowed Z MARSHAL AacNahon, who demanded
them. ar they sra continued tacitly to
his suco 4ssor who travels little and does
not spend much on snowy entertainments Those
he gives he can well pay for ont Of his Pges-
Dental salary. Marshal MacMshon complained on
entering office nat lis salary was not enough for
him. He had been accustomed to keep up great
state ss GoverDOr-G General of Algeria, and the
military commander of Eastern France at Nancy
Close economy was not Il his virtues nor sting-
ness one of his vices. He kept open house whenever
lie SLED great public office. not from any wish 10
show eft, but from natural Irish hospitality and
profuson; for. 40 far as he himself was personally
concerned, his habits were at all times simple. He
also was called upon in the Eysee to make political
tours and progresses which were very costly. The
Assembly voted him 100000 francs yearly for hos
pitality. The French word is representation. An
equal SUN was granted him fer travelling
expenses, and when he resigned N.
Grevy continued to draw the money,
which has since regularly been set down to bis
account by the Budget Committee. IL is o1t Of this
mo e. that lie makes handsome provlsioa for his
o., age and for his daughter. Within he two
years that he has been at the Elysee his Journeys
Laye been limited to the trip to Cherbourg and his
surmer visits to his place in the Jura Highlands
near Mont Sous Vaudrey. On these occasions he
not only travelled free, but provided with
dSjeun9s dnatores at the expense of the railway
companies.
M. Greyy, it should DO remembered by thoss
who blame and satirize him for his eco
nOmr'l ways, gave Up a splendid practice
at the bar to accept the Presidential Office.
W tn the exception of Dufaure. no man of his pro-
es,ion had such lucrative chamber practice in
Fr nee. When he was President of the Assembly
he continued to give legal opinions, and studied
his briefs early in the morning and
between dinner and bedtime The arrange
ments he has made to pay for the houses lie
has bought in the Quarter Monceau show that he
means to remain at the Elysea until hs seven years
lease 0f office has expired. If, therefore. Gambetta
between now and then heads the Government it
will be as prime minister. For his own sake his
friends are glad Of this. To reign and govern Just
now would perhaps be- too much. He and Greyy
aAe on terms of cordial friendship Since the LAST
amnesty bill was voted the frendliness of their
l4tlonS has been uninterrupted. 1t
pi.v that the President Of the Republic and his
w.,e do not receive more frequently. They
are afraid / am told. that their buffet
unless ext-ayagantly furnished. Will be disadvan-
tagcOusly compared to the MacMahons'. But pro-
fus,on of expensive refreshments is not expected
at an official reception. and this N. Greyy should
well know. Marshal MacMahon always enter
taintd a lot of young officers many of whom were
poor and all of whom were glad to eat and drink
at ms expense Miliery men of this species woud
not darkrn the threshold of the Elysee unless on
nights when oals were going forward there The
President If the Republic should he social centre
as well as political rallying point. a1d
II is for this mat MS friends should press INN
20 throw open his doors once a week.
NJ. GIeyy las a pleasant way of shaking hands
and showing that he remembers faces. He is not
stiff pulled up or austere. There arc in his smile
facs>'-l use tho word in the French sense--ind
genahty. The rooms IN which he receives are
ro0my. handsome, we'll lighted and Of
IN 'yrecable temperature. All the lions If the
Cap, nj and those passing through il view.
There is enough # ciOwdng TO prevent any ones
being Dore TO nybody else. Conversation goes on
in hooks and coraers Ladies' rains well DIS
played pretty faces we'll noticed, and ugly ones
allowed to pass unheeded Persons whom you dis.
like y0u easily AVOID. and there is always somebody
or - netting that will strike the obsersant locker
on us DoI I'll or Interesting