New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-12-19
THE BURDENS OF FRANCE.
nrprs AND TAxEs-A VILE CIVIL sEhVioh
-pARIIAMENTARY DISCORD.

t3Aoh xh- PARIS, Nov. %
rbs week in the Chamber has been chiefly re-
nsrkabls for we'll sustained effort 10 maze ooo''e
~.rinr economies. There was great picking OF
S,,.lI holes in the estimates of ADMIRAL Auoe, VINO
A,rects the Navy Department and of NJ Sadi Tar
mt the Finance Minister But nothing was said
nn,ess by few advanced Radicals to show sense
of tho rottenness OF the system when mas "aue
France the heaviest taxed Nation in the wofio' anu
p,aced her in front of yawning gulf OF deficit ana
Of floating or unfupded debt This debt may De
roughly divided into three sections'
Section No. is made up Of Treasury bonds OF
which there has been an Issue which may be setdown
n a 600 600. No is made up Of savings bank
Aepcsits which have been drawn by successive
Ministries and not in any degree re-
maid. and No. 8 Of the moneys
lodged in the Caisse des CONSIDERATIONS. Upon ehis
Ossa OF financial responsibility the last Ferry Caoi-
net heaped Pellon by bargaining with the great
railway companies that the State was to guarantee
tho loans which they must effect to create certain
lines of RAILWAYS. few Radicals are for mending
matters by areadiustment of taxation. which they
would place on q democratic basis But Tor the
present this is impossible and these is general wish
IN tho Chamber 10 show q reforming spirit by par
lng cheese-rinds.
There has been a holocaust of clerks and even
of humble Office attendants and young speaker
of much more than ordinary talent NJ. Fernand
Faure of Bordeaux has distinguished himself
by successively ejecting these .unfortunates
from their bertbs and cutting down once
expenses. He has after series OF
fights extending nearly over a week effected q re-
frenchment of 81 O0O-a mere drop in the bot
tomless pool of debt and deficit Reams OF botting-
paper, gallons of ink. sacks of stationer's sand.
have been swept off Ahundred paper'scrapers ana
forget how many gross of steel pens and squares
hah
BY votes won by NJ. F. Faure-of whose name make
q note with view to record. There is not TO be
q superhuous chair, desk or lamp N any office IN
the Finance Department AS speculative Jews
swarm in the Treasury, cannot feel sorry at the
holocaust of clerks effected there. for whenever
one gets in his little finger he is not only sure to
get in soon his whole hand, but to open breach
through which an ugly rush can be made. TheJews
do not form | per cent of the population of
France and they already prepoDderant in the
Government departments and especially in those OF
Finances Fine Arts and Justice. Jewish provin-
cia, advocate Miaud-is at the head of the Public
Works Department, which has been so far directed
by civil engineers. One gets wearied of hooked
noses at the Finance Minister'S receptions which
are attended by all the clerks and other officials in
his department. The slow-coach WAYS of the pen
drivers the service of the Government are terri
blv disturbed by NJ. Faures action in the Chamber.
Most of the clerks. high up and low down. in pub
lie offices here go through routine OF easily dis
charged functions. The arts OF how-not-to-do-it
and of circumlocution are Triumphant here. Gov
eminent clerks NAV be known by the marks of
careful daily attention which their ingernas pre-
sent. Unless high in the official hierarchy.
they have little paw. but less work.
Office bo1rs are on the very short time
principle and compile of hours allowed for
lunch clerk is supposed to to his office Mt g.
but VI be I, not at il before 10 he Will incur DO
blame Apv one who goes to find him between II
and will be told thar he il at lunch. and AZ q
O'Clock he leaves. When there Ia anv work super
nnmerary is called in. Clerks at Washing'on might
well envy those in the fferent French m nis'ries
It must be said. however that the c:rcum'o-
cution office here has one great superior,
ity over that of England. II has produced
galaxy If brilliant writers. The librettist of La
Belle Helene and = la Grande Dnchesse, who is
also the anthor % Les Petites Cardinals the
most clever and rafish book in existence-and of
s'I,Ahbe Constantine" winch got him into the
Academy. was once small cog IN the mechanism
Esnatnr st. Hila,re. the translator Of Ar,stotle,s
oIk So scribe t the tbe Sr"Sers bauSs
world celebrity. and the. other very dis
Sost 81 brilliant ''' essay sts and art critics
The clerks of the French circumiocnflon once
also work at all sorts of small handicrsffs.
know one vh supplies q shop on the Boulevard
with fancy lamp shades which he makes when he
IL supposed TO he scrbbng al depsr' men,a al work;
Another
cards for menus Of the most artistic KIND ano'her
paints fans. another carves the handles OF IVORY
and other kinds OF Daner knives. and many OF the
young fellows who keen M as oticals the now
ho+-to-doit state Of things take up the business ot
decorative artists for all sorts of manufacturers Be
Ing certain or mere bread aud cheese and. from
TO 4. of we'll heated room IN winter. they are
not bevoni the pinch Of poverty and vet are snfh-
centlv independent not to be Obliged to prostitute
what talents they are endowed with.
NJ De Frevcinet managed to keep aloof from the
strfe 'or whch the estimates have bee the pre-
Sadi Carnot to fght the battle of his Hebrew and
other underlogs against NJ. Fernand Fsnre. There
was no possibility Of drawing" the Prime Minis
Ter. who in dex'erity would no quite 3 match for
Gladstone The attack came from Rouvler;
whom de Fevc,0't bad been trying s sS%e
S to- Tonqun and who was brought at The last hour
into The Ferry Cabinet which w,s defeated ar gu
merce and Of the Colonies IN the Gambetta
Cabinet and has been working for long time to
NJ Rouvier wondered why it was that the PRIME
Minister let his Cabinet be beaten IN detail and
pever came 10 the rescue OF individual ministers.
Not only were clerks tossed ont OF their places but
all under-secretarIes of state lsave one, who had
been beaten) had resigned not to share
humat,nR fate nhey were ,o"t on NJ H so tSs
Irish reptiIes who o hearing the echo OF 81.
Pstrick's lannon's sermon, committed suicide TO
cinet. when his diplomatic reception was over ran
into the Chamber of Deputies from the Foreign
Once, and aa ne only got 70 the former pace wn'n
bis assaiiant ending his discourse he ignored
Il his answer all that he did not hear which.
"a il ha opened. directed against himself. He
offered when he mounted the tribune So few coiQns
of vantage for fnr her attack that the storm passed
over. His address astounding. As CASTELAR,
said TO me. There so little Of the clown in him,
and vet what clown ever so expert IN
dodclng thrusts aud b.owsf One might as well
attempt to hit shad'w or clutch
water, IL he il not able TO continue the task OF
Eho is VII" 'A'' 'D''"''' "H' ''' E
On Saturday there will be a terrible onslaught on
thePri ne Minister rhe fald Of n1ttle will be the
estimates of the Foreign Aff,irs DEPARTMENT: and
AZ Ia intended to make them o Cabinet question.
The Service fund and the Am oassadors vii be
hacked al. II is untOr' unately true that most OF
thess diplomatic representatives of France are
nearly always on leave of absence from their posts