Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1886-08-29

public has inherited from the monarchy and
/ empire n large number of palaces, some of
/ which were constructed centuries ago tO Ia
/ the residence Of princes of the blood, while
others are Of recent origin. and were built for
this or that ministerial department. Thus,
/ the Elysjr. where President Gr,.yy lives. dates
from lIlS and has had aS master or mistress
Murat, Mime. lie Pompadour, the great
Napoleon, who retired here after Waterloo,
/ and here signed his abdiCation; Wellington,
| Alexander | and Alexander IL Louis
Napoleon, when president, resided in the
Elys'", and it was in this same palace that he
planned and executed the coup dftdt that
made him emperor. The president Of the
chamber is lodged in wing OF the Palais
Bourbon, and the home of the Prince de
Condo; while the Petit Luxembourg the resi-
denrr of the president Of the senate, has
sheltered Louis XVIII, Napoleon and his
brother Joseph.
When Gamh"tta became president of the
council few Years ago he created two or
three new portfolios and forthwith the gov
ernmenr provided the titularies with suitable
official homes For example the minister Of
Cummer~ was installed in the former embassy
of Spain on the quay facing the TuillerieS,
and thus it happens that NJ Lockroy, the
present minister Of commerce and II member
If the Victor Hugo family a plain man of
advanced democratic principles Is living i'll a
mansion elegant enough for "A prince.
But the high officials of the French Repub-
lie are not simply provided with roof and
four walls, The same generous state fur
niShes the houses in the completeSt fashion.
Carpets. curtains, chairs, pictures, dishes,
kitchen utensils, lverlei servants, bed linen,
everything. III short, except what the minis
ter wears and eats, is given him. " hen he is
offered "A ~ ". 'lIo he has simply to pack his
trunk, call "a cab and drive to the palace of
which he Is hrnceforth the master. and when
the ministry oi which he is Il member falls he
has only 10 pack the same trunk, take another
cab and return To his old quarters. In each
ministerial department there is special bu-
reau charged with the business Of looking
after the material wants Of the minister buy
Ing carpets when Necessary, m.HIding weak
backed chairs, diScharging or hiring servants
etc. Ii has been SAID, and PERHAPS with some
truth, that one of the causes of the frequent
change Of ministries iii France is the ease
with which minister can take up and lay
down the household part Of his office.
Besides giving them furhiShed house, the
state also provides decent salary for its
ministers. Under the empire they used to
get lOO,OO francs. To-day the sum is re-
duc,d to G,us But this is u large salary
when You take into account the above men
toned pcrquisittS. President 'irtvy receives
in all ,2tO,OOu francs. No wonder, then, that
there is no end to social festivities and that
a man who is poor out Of office can give en-
tertainments when in otfir. that only million
aires would undertake i'll private life. For
instance, NJ. Goblet, minister Of public in
structlun, invited several thousand people
last season to IA musical aud dramatic enter
tainment where the leading singers and actors
of the capital held forth, and where the re-
freShmentS were Oifrred ON the most elaborate
and bounteOlIs scale. | have seen balls at the
foreign Office where they give you at supper
whole bottles of champagne, which You st
on your table and use aS you might at your
own house or iii a restaurant. At the ElYsGe
balls the bullets are beSieged from 10 o'clock
until daylight, and an appreciable hole must
be made in NJ. Grtvy's salary, large though
it be
The etiquette that prevails in French official
circles is in many particulars very simple,
though a little more rigorous than that of
Washington. \ lady may 20 10 public re-
ccptions in any kind of dress, but n gentleman
will not Ia admitted if he has not donned a
swallow tail" and white neck tie Some
bucks had the doors Of the Elysee shut in their
face year or - ago, because they wore pink
neCkties. for some reason or other
An English female eSthete of the Oscar
Wilde school, created no little sensation last
winter al one of NJ. Grevy's receptions, but
the uShers never dreamed of stopping her at
the entrance door, because she WAS not in low
neck and had discarded the regulation hustle
But let any man thus venture to disregard
the beh,stS of the tyrant Fashion, and he will
never Ike able to shake hands with the president
of the French republic. The advocates Of
woman's rights should make a note of this
concession in favor of the fair sex.
In order Ia 20 to an official ball or musical
and dramatic entertainment a ticket of invi-
tatlon Is necessary, and 1t Is often very hard
t. get onc, unle you are on good terms
with the American legation, or have friends
i'll the chamber or senate There was such a
demand for tickets to NJ. GOblet'S entertain
ment, which has already been mentioned, that
the rather small parlors of the minister's
house were - fun that nine-tenthS of the
guests could neither hear nor See anything At
NJ Grtvy'S balls you are packed as tight as in
roads are ON Il strike.
VI. Floquet, president of the chamber Of
deputies, is an advanced democrat So
when he was chosen 10y his colleagues to the
high office which he fills with signal ability,
he decided To give Il more popular tone to
official society. Consequently he announced
through the public prints that there would
b. dancing at his receptions, and that no cards
~
is u fine big ball room at the presidents and
his wife Is very rich, 80 that good music and
good refreshments are never lacking there.
No wonder, therefore, that at the third ball
of the series, when the existence of this free
dancing party had been bruited throughout
Paris there was such a jam that the demo-
cratic NJ. Floquet dared not venture on a
fourth.
The French are improving in their manner
Of dancing They have always been fond Of
this graceful amusement. but the waltz the
most elegant of steps, has been until lately
very badly executed III all French ball rooms.
The Boston, that slow. beautiful movement
which characterizeS the American walters,
IS beginning to gain grouad in France At
fau last winter the Boston was taught in the
dancing schools, and at the last ElySee ball
noticed more than one French couple indulg-
ing in the transatlantic step. The French
round dancers never used to reverse" but
would 20 round and round like top until
weary and bewildered, when they would rest
and then begin again their wild whirL Now
they reverse some, | am glad to say, for their
swn sake
There is one class os French society that
never appears at these o.. II erings of
the republic | refer to ..... mobility.
Outside of the members % ,.> diplomatic
corps, who are Of course requIr, 10 lie pres
ent, YOU rarely hear announced a duke or a
duchess, a count or a countess, even a baron