New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-10-25
TO CLEANSE MARSEILLES.
A GREAT SEWER SYSTEM BEGUN IN THE
ANCIENT CITY.
Paris. October Q.

settles. whittier the six most important mempeiS
Of the Cabinet have gone TO be present al ohe
Inauguration OF the works for making Rreas
sewer six miles long, the function Of when VIII
be to CARRY all the sewage Of the city lar Guy
into the Mediterranean. Marseilles has na'ura'
breakwater, formed by the isle OF III tune Scent
of old Dumss's famous novel of the Chateau an
and some rocky isets They keep the waters
between themselves and the quays as smooth as
glass. The high. stony hills, looking south, give
the city the temperature Of an oven, unless III
winter and prevent the mistral or fierce north
wind which blows down from the mountains OF
Central France TO the Mediterranean, from
cleansing the air at Marseilles. The ports have
been the foulest in the world. Bilge water does
not afford standard of comparison for malodorous-
moss All the sewage of the old town was swept
by rains whenever it fell down hill into Ia toilette
Harbor. the stenches of which dock porters could
hardly stand MarseilIes was often decl
mated by plaques It's normal death rate OF late
years was 3s2 in 1000. as against the 2'3
of Paris and to 124 of London. 1T is cradle oil
zvmotie diseases, and smallpox constantly ravagcs
its populous quarters. Owing to the rocky nature
of the soil it was very hard TO endow III WIN
a network of subterranean drains and a great
main sewer But the city has made up its nina
THE State aidingl to supply this want. and $7o'-
0OO 900 is to go on the main drain.
Five of the Ministers who went down to Mar
settles are South of France men, NJ. Constans
is a typical one NJ de Freycinet speaks
with a perceptible Southern accent. VI. jules
Roche comes from the neghborhood oil
Marseilles So does NJ. Etienne, and NJ. Rouvler
is Marseillas. NJ. Challemel Lacour was in the
Government party. He was Minister for Foreign
Affairs in Ferry Cabinet and was sent as Am
bassador to London by Gambetta. lie is ar ac-
complished writer and orator. But the CHIEF
speaker has been the Prime Minister. NJ. de Frey
cnets speech at the municipal banquet at Mar
settles was concise, courteous and elegantly
turned. He has the Southern gift of fiuency but
has also a chaste and lucid style, and says just
what he wants to say and no more. Different
phrases brought down the house, For instance
he was unanimously applauded when he spoke of
the right of the Republic to live, having been
violently contested in 1873, but now standing on
an unshakable basis and of France which had
been isolated and was obliged to stand aside and
keep silence when European questions were dis
cussed now, thanks 10 her reorganized army and
diplomacy being necessary to European equili-
brium and an important factor in the relations of
European States Peace no longer depends upon
the will of o. single Power. 1t depends in de-
gree on the will of France, which will work for
ward in the direction in which she has been going
abroad. AS q consequence, peace is on surer
footing Never had labor or commercial enter
prise in distant parts 1.-THE aliment of prosperity
at home) enjoyed fairer prospects or a wider horl-
zon free from clouds The satisfaction thus OBJ.
tanned did not shut out from the mind of the
Government what remains to be accomplished.
They consolidated and developed abroad the actual
diplomatic situation. At home social problems
were getting more and more urgent. The recon-
Citation of capital and labor, the improvement of
the lot of the humble and the dsinherited of fort
une the more just Of the public burdens are now
what most concern the civilized world. IL is to
be expected that the accomplishment of these re-
forms should be the great task of Government.
Indeed, it might be said that it had become the
favorite one Of the French Republic, which, by
its essence is regime Of justice and of solidarity.
In this order Of ideas NJ Constans and NJ Rouvier
had prepared bill to secure pensions TO honest
operatives when they become unable to work.
The Cabinet not bigoted to any formula,
but it hoped that the Chamber of Deputies
would enter into the spirit of the Ministers who
had prepared the law. The Legislature could
not always give what was demanded Of him.
1t was, for instance unable to fix tariff of
wages. But it could sweep of hindrances to
free discussion, to fair play and to improvement.
This had been in some measure done by clearing
from the code the articles which made taking
part in o strike a grave misdemeanor, by rem
dering workmen free to organize syndleates and
trades unions, and by preparing bill to legalize
arbitral tribunals named by employers and en-
ployed. The Legislature can also by humanitary
measures protect the life and health of the
operative and protect him against the bad con-
sequences of illness and old age. NJ. Rouvier and
NJ. Constans have devised plan for securing
pensions to workmen incapacitated by loss of
health or age from further labor
The Prime Minister touched in a few light lucid
and crisp phrases the rush which is being
made in all parts of France TO the Republic. All
who left an old party to join it would be welcome
on the condition that he accepted the Republican
principles as the necessary basis of Government.
NJ de Freycinet rejoiced at movement which
made for the restoration Of that moral purity which
had been destroyed by so many revolutions. Too
hard conditions would not be imposed
corners, and they would not be asked to be in all
things of one mind with the Cabinet But they
must be prepored to see the Government defending
the liberties and reforms for which it has struggled
during twenty years, and to see it persevering in
the path of democratic reforms. There was no
break up mcanJ Oh Une hcpuuLCdu TdnhSs WHOSE
cohesion had been source of so much strength
and promised fresh and splendid successes. NJ
de Freycinet paid graceful cmpliment to Mar
settles, which for 1000 years had shown what
toll and constancy of purpose can do. He left out
the fact of its never having thought of copying the
coaca maxima which assured health to all Rome
But Marseiles was Of Greek origin and has kept in
touch with the parent country during the twenty
centuries Of her existence. The Premier ended
with two quotations, one from Theirs, The future
will favor the wsest,' and the other from Gam
beta, WHO when France was under the conqueror's
heel exclaimed in one of his exhilarating speeches.
You must never despair of the mother land"
The burgomaster of Brussels NJ. Bulls, was in
vited to Marseillcs, because the capital, of which
he is the head civic magistrate, some fifteen years