New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-02-17
TOPICS IN PARIS.
A QUEER RADICAL-ARISTOC
DEATH or THE coMTE DE DOUviLLE- MAILLE-
FEU-M. FAURE'S ROYAL FRlENDs-THE
wRETCHED DRIVING OF PARIS

In the Connie de Douville- Maillefeu. whose
death took place the day before yesterday at
Hyeres we have lost the Gallo counterpart OF
Lord Randolph Churchill. Like the latter, he
was the enfant-terrbe of the political world,
and especially of the National Legislature. no
one knowing what he going to say or DO
next. An accumulation of contradictions, ne
was scion Of the Oldest aristocracy tracing ms
descent to Hugh Capet. and yet pronounced
radical and above everything an uncomproHis-
Ing foe of all mediocrity and sham. He differed
however from Lord Randolph in stature For
he was a perfect Hercules and possessed the
voice Of a Stentor When he spoke In the Cham-
ber-and he made point of speaking on every
possible occasion-the window-panes were wont
to rattle. and If this were not suihcleh'' lie
would pound the balustrade of the rostrum win
his huge fist until the officials seated just below
would duck their heads in dread lest the ehure
woodwork should come down on them in frag-
ments lie was brought up to the sea- ana 10 ''ie
last he adhered to the sailors tendency to can
q shade a shade generally with the addition OF
some highly colored adjective qualifying the
character of the spade Many of his remarks IN
the Chamber were of sucn realistic ana Aoa-
like nature as to render their Transcription on
the records out of the question lnoeeu' the VI
fetal stenographers were always IN ooupt DIS 10
what TO write down and what TO omit from his
sneecbes At III. outset Of his parliamentary
career which commenced in 1876 the Speaker, or
President of the House. who happened at that
time to he the mild-mannered NJ. Meline Of Pro-
tectionist fame. endeavored to call him to order
and to a SENSE Of propriety. At the first inter-
ruption on the part Of the Chair. however, the
Comte de Douve-Maillefeu apostrophized the
sneaker as a "polisson." while the second time
tso,,lo tndin rnh a
lent manner that NJ Mene fearing that he was
about to storm the rostrum to chastise him. took
10 his heels After that the presidents of the
chamber left him alone and ne was aHo"eu u
say what he pleased.
The Count was obliged to quit the Navy for
knocking his captain senseless with a blow of his
fist while in 1870 he had similar encounter win
the Project OF Amiens. to whom he administered
a sound thrashng because of the sowness wmch
that official had displayed in providing lor 'he
care OF the regiment under the counts oruers
and which he subsequently led with great gal
lantry against the Prussians. Twice MS tenn
ras,rous internolations in the Legisa ure brought
about Ministerial crisis. as NJ. Freycinet ana NJ
Floouet know to their cost. He had no respect
for anything. Thus on one occasion Wheh W.
Ribot. the present Prime Minister, and at that
time In charge of the Department or foreigh Al
fairs. Ventured 10 make CouiteOus 4O"'o'" 80
the chamber the Count greeted him with the
word "farceur' Funny chap and laugh Ike
the below Of a BULL the whole House being COM
pelled to jon in the merIiment 1t was only the
other day. while in the corridor of the Grand
Opera. that saw him stridng along, arrayed as
usual in that peculiar costume of his-pearl-gray
trousers an embroidered waistcoat,-a huge white
choker and a blue swallowtai coat. with gold out
tons. Passing by a group of parliamentary COL
leagues, he caught sight Of two Of the Cabinet
Ministers.
"Eh bien- cried he. with his stentorian voice.
which caused everybody to look around Win
start sis the patron (boss) there?' the patron
at the time being Casmir-Perier. "Well. I'm go
ING 10 nav him a visit in his box and tell him that
70 he wants matters to go on right he has only got
one thing to do namely. to kick you fellows out
His death, while deplored by many, cannot out
have been welcomed by those mushroom hopies
who have endeavored to conceal their plebeian
origin by means of titles purchased In return Tor
cash from the King of Portugal. the Italian Gov
eminent or from the Pope. He was never urea
of making fun Of them and of ridculing their pre-
tensions in the most unvarnished language and
downright brutal manner, and innumerabe anec-
dotes might be related Of incidents 10 which his Ut
te-ances in connection with this diosyncrasy gave
rise He was very fond OF America. where ne
travelled much. There was scarcely a country in
the world. indeed. which he had not visited ana
ne was wont to declare that there was only one
trip which he had never undertaken which "asa
visit 10 the Llama Of Thibet It's pity that he
sbould have been snatched away from US before
being ale to accomplish this project
President Faure is distinguished in one respect
from his predecessors at the Elysee. He has en-
tered upon his duties as Chief Magistrate Oh
France as personal friend OF old-stanolns OF
two of the crowned heads OF Europe FOR over
fifteen years he has been on terms OF great ihu-
macy with King Leopold of Belgium, whose asso-
cate he has been in the Congo enterprise. ana ne
has hitherto been in the habit of visiting Brussels
several times during the course of the year. each
time staying at the royal palace as the guest or
His Majesty The other King with whom he is IN
innate Is George of Greece. whose Consul-Generai
he was at Havre for many years. King George
makes a point of calling upon him every time ne
visits Paris. and NJ. Faure has on two occasions
been the Kings guest at Athens lie mas Ike
wise travelled good deal in Germany and Rus-
sa and has been accustomed to spend portion
NJ each shooting season with Baron Hrsch, In
Austria. He has actually leased a sporting prop
erty OF his own, two hours ny rail to the
south of Vienna the lease running tai the end %
the century. He has now still further Increased
the number OF his royal friends by making the az
uuaintance o: young Kin6 Aiexande. of Servia,
who has been spending a week here with his
father, King Milan. preparatory TO gong 10 bar
ritz TO visit his mother. Queen Natalie.
The young King. who is more shorsighted than
ever and who has aged considerably since last
year first paid visit to the Elysee. where he was
received with full military honors, and two days
later lunched with the President, Nine Faure be-
ing seated with the young King on her right and
his father ex-King Milan. on her left. the latter
looking and speaking as II decidedly the younger
man OF the two. Yet Alexander Is only nineteen
years OF age. although the heavy beard. the beet
ling eyebrows and the hard lines on his face give
him the appearance of a man Of twice that age.