, 1894-06-16

see impartial Justice done. and himself pro-
posed the prosecution as a question Of conf
dence. This proposal was accepted, after a
scene Of great excitement, by 4 vote Of 29l
to 220, many Members Of the Right discredi-
ting themselves by voting against the motion.
M. Casimir-P6rier is credited with great
frmness for his conduct in this affair, not only
because the Socialists were furious in their
defence of NJ Toussaint, but because a great
number of Deputies arc anxious to make Of
their order a new privileged caste. A repro
sentative of the people, they say, ought to be
beyond any jurisdiction except that Of the
people itself.
The Paris correspondent of the Times pub
fishes an account Of the railway system
which to all Interested in French finance,
should be Of the highest interest. 1t appears
that NJ. de Freycinet, in his anxiety to press
on public works, induced the Government
in 1883 to guarantee to the great railways
their average dividend on condition that they
would construct an immense network Of
small railways, their outlay on which was
also guaranteed. The work has been exc
cuted more or less thoroughly, and has pro-
duced benefit to france. but the Treasury
and the taxpayer are suffering heavily. There
is an annual deficit on the general railway
account, which this year has risen to 24,640,
900, and next year will, according to the
Finance Minister, BEES, 100000, while after
that, it will be annually &c, 400, 600 or more.
In addition to this great sum. all paid by the
taxpayer, there are s%ubventions to be paid
to the railways on a system not explained,
which in 1895 will amount to $40. $50, 900.
aud thereafter to much higher figures, the
railways under a Protectionist system no
increasing. 1t is, Of course, impossible for
any Treasury to 90 on bearing demands Of
this kind, but the only honest way out, the
purchase Of the entire railway system by the
State, involves a most dangerous and diff
cult operation. Tho nominal increase to the
Debt will be enormous. and the Government
is afraid, not only Of a new pressure for
railway posts. but Of Parliamentary efforts to
reduce the rates for carrying goods. The rail
ways are, in fact, a source of .perplexity to
French Ministers Of Finance, the extont
of which has rarely been so clearly set
forth.
When the Lower House in Hungary passed
the Civil Marriage Bill by such an I'm
expected majority, it was supposed that the
question had been settled. Tho House Iof
MaSnAIeS udu not, however, Deel plACdbeu,
the Clerical party has used it's privilege Of
creating estates in favour of younger sons,
who can thenceforward vote, and the Bill
was on Thursday rejected by a majority Of
81 votes. due entirely to the great number of
ecclssiastics present. The people Fattribute
this difference between the two Houses, in
great part, to influences exercised by the
Catholic party in Austria, and resent ex-
ceedingly what they consider interference by
a foreign State. 1t is believed. therefore that
the anti-dynastic party in Hungary will in
crease, and that an attempt will be made to dis
establish the Church. We DO not believe much
in the anti-dynastio party, the House Of
Hapsburg being Indispensable to the Magyars,
who, without it, would be swallowed up by
the Slavs around them, but it is quite possible
that Hungary may be much mora difficult to
govern, and that the status of the Church
may suffer greatly.
The Times Of Satu rday last contains some
very striking extracts from letters written
by Gladstonian working men who went to
ireland and studied listers case against Home
rule at first hand. These gentlemen have
had the good sense and good faith to own
that their original views were illfounded, and
to admit that they have changed them,-an
act Of moral courage which it would be diff
cult to exaggerate. They will certainly be
denounced as having been got at by "the
classes i'll Belfast, and will be dubbed trail