The record-union., 1896-02-18
REPUBLIC OF FRANCE.
Many People Believe She is on the Eve
Of Another Revolution.
Important Changes Said to be Pend
ing, Including the Fall of the
~ Present Cabinet.

NEW YORK, Feb. 1S.-A special ca
bic from Paris to the Sun" says:
There many prominent men in Paris
to-day-Senators, Deputies and jour
nalists-who do not hesitate to declare
their belief that France is on the eve
of another revolution This gloomy
talk has been increasing for months
past. The crisis is certainly serious,
but do not share the respondent opin-
iens of the situation which are held
in some quarters.
Important changes are probably
impending, including not only the fall
of the present Cabinet, but perhaps a
serious deadlock in the Government
and possibly the dissolution of the
Chamber and the downfall of President
Faure. 1t is cowardly and almost abb
surd to say, as some do, that Repub-
lican institutions will be unable to bear
the strain which may be put upon
them.
1T is some indication of the state Of
public feeling that an evening news
paper declared yesterday with great en-
phasis and gravity that a plot for the
overthrow Of the Government has been
perfected within a month at Brussels
by Prince Victor Napoleon and the
Duke of Orleans. This seems to be
taken soberly instead of a joke by
most people.
"The facts which are the nominal
cause of this crisis are well known. The
Senate has two or three times within
the last few days passed votes which
virtually mean no confidence in
the present Ministry The Chamber
has voted the other way, and the Bour-
geois Ministry has decided to remain
in office. Not only that, but the Cabi-
net has exploited the action of the
Chamber as a virtual vote of censure
against the Senate. In fact, the Cab
met backed, as it believes it is, by the
Chamber, is defying the Senate. This
raises a constitutional question which
is both grave and unprecedented. The
Cabinet is wholly responsible to both
houses, and the action which the Min
listers are taking is practically coup
d'etat
1.-THE Senate, like every political au-
thority in France, is jealous of it's pre-
negatives. Nobody imagines that it
will do less than enforce its authority
unless driven from Luxembourg by a
mob 1t is the Chamber Of Deputies
which is more likely to recede from its
position. The lower house has nonni-
naI1y a majority of moderates, in spite
of it's tolerance of a radical Cabinet.
The reason why it refrains from turn
ing out Premier Bourgeois and his as
sociates is that everybody breads the
Cabinet crisis which would follow. 1t
is the radical and socialist minority in
the chamber which creates most of the
turmoil in French politics and causes
frequent Cabinet changes, until it has
come to pass that no moderate leaders
are left who are able and willing to
carry on the Government.
TT was for this reason, and no other,
that President Faure, with the consent
of his own moderate followers, tried
the experiment of giving the radicals
a chance to govern. They have done
better on the whole than was expected,
or rather they have done less mischief.
At present the situation is one of del
icacy and danger, but does not war;
rant yet the respondent views taken
by many politicians"