AFFAIRS IN FRANCE.

Globe, Volume II, Issue 174, 29 December 1874, Page 4

AFFAIRS IN FRANCE.

(From a correspondent of the Press,) PABts, October 31. The latest proposal for making France great, glorious, and free, is to convert the present Assembly into something between a Long and a Rump Parliament; anything, in fact, rather than that the country should be deprived of those burning and shining lights that constitute the do-nothing majority. Instead of decreeing themselves a lease of political till 1880, the deputies might go a step farther and nominate themselves for life—like the Immortals of the Academy, or pass a short Bill declaring their trust hereditary, like the once Chamber of Petrs. These measures would be new for France, and hence a moiety successful in advance. The plan to septennalise the Assembly, as now revived, is no laughing matter; it would be the organisation of the indefinite, aud the piling up of hate for the day when the srptennate finished, the citizens would be invited to come to grips according to law. How to dodge the Republic, that’s the question. The who are in nower luitwha haze the mass or the nation against them, wisb naturally to remain there as long as possible, for office is the grand ambition of every patriot, and when occupying it, to administer, not in the interests of the country at large, but in those of his sect or party. Another guiding influence with the Monarchists -ince May, 1872, is to prevent Thiers from resuming the reins of government. His character and his administrative successes cannot be questioned nor combated. The Royalists resemble their ideal Guizot, whose life was passed in admiring himself and hating Thiers. If Republicans had the patience of Job, voting the present Assembly a permanent institution for six years, would be playing their cards, as electors in sheer disgust and out of weariness would plump for the Republican candidates at the partial elections, till the small majority in the Assembly was changed, aided by those very Royalists also who now bar the way. After applauding the revolutions of 1830 and 1848, and opposing the arbitrariness of the Second Empire, M. de Girardin, an erratic, vain, but talented publicist, promises to convert us all to the beauties of the Septennate after the middle of November, when he will resume his pen. He is humorously known as the undertaker politician, the Banshee of dynasties and cabinets. His appearance is synonymous with the collapse of what he advocates. No government, it would seem, can dispense with liim as its end approaches. His talent is more'i&acommodating than marvellous. Prince Jerome Napoleon’s credo of ultrapolitics has not astonished the natives. Ulysses is known since a long time, and also that he will return to Calypso at the proper moment. The happiest change in Frenchmen since 1870 is this : that they no longer put their faith in princes or rhetoricians, and the declamations that seduced seduce no more. Windbagism and humbug are tolerated, but not allowed to poach on serious affairs. Even the journals are no longer vapoury. The prince corroborates the general indictment against the Second Empire, and this is all that is really new or important in his lucubration to the French people’ present and to come. His cousin Napoleon 111. has used up the role of Imperial Radical. But if ever the day comes when all the Richmonds will be shaken up in a box, and their intended living subjects invited to draw one according to their pleasure by the process facetiously named “ an appeal to the people,” Prince Jerome will be as free to compete for the thorny throne of France, as the Prince Imperial, for neither can base their claims to be wiser than the whole nation on hereditary right, and when this principle is invoked, its blue-blood representative must be sought in Henri Y,, who will soon be as much forgotten as Henri IY., or more so. Of course it was a chronic weakness that made the Prince Jerome accept the Coup d’Ftat, the individual wealth it brought him, and to become the universal legatee of the Second Empire. France is seriously occupied, not about the fortunes of Guelfs and Ghibelines, but in winning at every partial election a seat for a moderate and conservative Republican, and patiently waiting till the little makes the muckle, till the constant dropping wears the stone. Rather than injuring Prance, the circulai note of Spain has benefited her, Bismarck’t little game has failed, and France has so fai got on her legs that her Foreign Minister is able to say she will stand rigorously by ali her treaties, as the best means of upholding her own honor and the peace of Europe Her army is becoming so rapidly re-created, rather than reorganised, as to commam respect. The young soldiers are as intelligent as they aro wiry; learn quickly, and obc^

like Prussians. The system of one year’s volunteering not only brings forward the educated young men to be drilled and inured to a soldier’s life for twelve months, but it turns them out men of the world, with all the advantages of excellent physical training and the sense of obedience. In fact a year under the flag is becoming the complement of a Frenchman’s thorough education. Not only has one to find these proofs among thei ■ circle of acquaintances, but he who runs may read them in thhstreets, wherever young France of twenty years may be encountered. The military spirit is well developed also. With inexhaustible riches and unlimited fighting men, France will not be left behind in the civilisation of the future. For Prince Bismarck there is something in a name, as he will not allow the Alsatians to henceforth select names for their infants out of the French Calendar of Saints. The little strangers must be Germans, which does not the less make their parents bestow on them a French pet appellation for family purposes. It takes a long time to convert a people to a new nationality. As a set off, France is expatriating fill her hurdy-gurdy boys. It is but fair that after she recalled the Orinoque, Italy should order homo her pifferari. Morality and humanity will gain by this exodus of the little Italians of both sexes, who were simply farmed by shameful speculators, and became something like a nuisance, by their importunities as beggars rather than musicians. Then there was nothing at all picturesque in their particolored rags, .worn-out sandal-boots, and general filthiness. The fair and long-straight-haired hobble-de-hoys that formed the German bands were infinitely superior. Bnt France had such a dose of German music, for six months consecutively, from August, 1870, as to be able to dispense wuh similar symphonies and reveries for a very long time. It would be well also to deal with another social evil which exists side by side with the traffic in the pifferari —that of the models for painters. The fine arts would suffer nothing in having at next year’s exhibition fewer paintings with Lazzarouis and Transteverincs for subjects. Besides, Paris produces her own real Turks, Red Indians, and Persians. Why then not supply any demand for Italians, belonging to the great happy family of the Latins into the bargain? The engagement of Mme. Patti to sing in French opera has involved several complications between critics and their journals, as weil as on the part of jealous singers. There was no necessity of writing coarsely about Patti’s being not gifted by nature for executing the severe music of the French school; she was still Patti in Italian music, yet some newspaper proprietors remembering the Diva’s politics—for she has been indiscreet, it would seem, to meddle with such—insisted on the critics bearing that circumstance in mind. To their honor, some resigned rather than obey the injunction. Then Faure, over estimating his importance, quarrelled with his director for raising the prices and paying Patti four times his salary. The Parisians believed this, till they learned Faure only put forward these objections after his director refused him permission to sing with Patti. Faure was jealous at the Diva’s success, and citizens properly cry shame on mm. ne is tnc incarnation of French vanity, he is called Narcissus at the opera, from his weakness of reflecting himself in, while at the same time being enamored with, his voice.

Paris is the proper place either for kings to pass the evening of their lives, or to enjoy themselves during its noon-day. The King of Hanover has resolved to become a householder, he is popular, not from his calamity of being blind, but as the type of hatred of Prince Bismarck. Count Arnim will be certain to hire a flat in Paris the moment he can escape from his tormentors. The Prince of Wales is a very great favorite, and he has never concealed his admiration of the French. What a pity he is not at liberty to be adopted as a Pretender. The Prince of Wales has the peculiar gift of enjoying himself, and inducing others to follow his example. Indeed, it is believed he recommends that politics like physic ought to be thrown to the dogs. The first corporation, or guild ball of the season, is ever opened by the boot and shoemakers. The Knights of St Crispin and their ladies muster strong, upwards of 4000, all well-dressed, and in the latest fashion, as the French ever are, irrespective of their social position. Dancing is the chief amusement, not very easy where there is such a crowd. The supper is frugal, but not the less enjoyed —ham, bread, sausages, wine and fruit. At the entrance is placed a gigantic boot, covered with as 'many fantastic designs as the body of the tatooed Greek now being exhibited. This boot has replaced the St Crispin banner, which led the vicar of the parish to not admit it inside his church ; the difficulty was met, by placing it in the church porch under a strong guard of Jideles. During six days the festival is observed, a kind of Ramadan, as the devotees generally eat only after sunset, and do not omit attending the special masses celebrated in their respective parishes. The hairdressers naturally follow the decorators of our feet, they have not opened as yet their ball, but their competition for the newest style of coiffure, by aspirants to the scissors and comb. The fete took place in the Salle Valentino. On a raised platform were two galleries, where some fifty young women, with luxuriant hair, were undergoing all the operations of constructing a headdress ; there were models after the Greeks and Romans, after the days of the chief Louis Kings. Among the extraordinary specimens of capillary scaffolding, were, that of a bride of the year 1715, of the Goddess of liberty, an Albatian fantasy, °the “ firmanent, ” the Princess Lambclle, &c. All these artistic creations appeared to be more intended for the theatre and ball room than every day life. Each hairdresser, after executing his skill, promenaded his subject on his arm around the hall, to receive the congratulations or objections of the public, for a concert, vocal and instrumental, was being held at the same time to test the competitors’ work under difficulties, those who succeeded received prizes, and what was equally good, employment. These new styles, coupled with the new “phylloxera” hat, ought to satisfy ladies for the winter. This hat is ornamented with vine leaves, on which shine the “ phylloxera,” the terrible animalcule that is destroying the vines, and to get rid of which, dead or alive, the Government offers a reward of 300,000 f. After ornamenting bonnets with beetles, why object to bugs ? If new jewellery be desired, set rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and diamonds in cut jet. Alexandre Dumas has conquered. The grave Theatre Francais is about representing Lis plays, commencing with his comedy, the

“Demi-Monde,” first brought out in 1855,1 and considered by many to be his best work. I t took twenty years’ negotiation to attain this honor, and were it not that the Academy had elected him a member, the grand exponent of stage adultery and cocotte life would be still confined to the Gymnase theatre. The prompter of the Theatre Fraucais is an important personage, but so well do the artistes study their parts, that he has hardly to aid their memories by ten words. His salary is 4000 f. At one time the office was filled by a woman. The great Rachel had a very treacherous memory, which often suffered from the workings of her passionate acting. The last monnment expected to exhibit the marks of decay is the obelisk in the Place de la Concorde. It is scaling quietly but surely. Its “head” displays the snowfall of time; It is proposed to crown 'Cleopatra’s needle with a metallic sphere, that could be made to throw a ray of sunlight on the asphalte pavement at noon, thus would be supplied the want felt by the removal of the astronomical cannon from the Palais Royal Garden. Some thirty years ago the Government to encourage a rising young doctor who had but little practice appointed him “doctor to the obelisk,” at a small salary, as were others doctors to the Louvre. The young man had to resign, as his nightbell was being constantly pulled to announce his “patient” was ill. Paris is just now a little disagreeable, as the Boulevards are receiving their top-coatings of macadam for the winter, and the huge steam-rollers, puffing and sighing all the night, prevents one from sleeping. When finished, the road is excellent, as hard as a flag, but affording a grip to horses. The members of the Municipal Council use so many lead pencils, that only those to be had at the rate of two for a sous are supplied. The police have discovered a manufactory of begging letters ; not only was there a good sale for these, all in various forms, but actually a list of the soft-hearted citizens could be purchased into the bargain. A “ Popular Educator ” is announced, to be conducted by well-known teachers, who will superintend each their special branch; the publication will be weekly, and will contain a lesson for every day, adapted to the three stages of instruction in France. The Abbh Provost solicited the office of chaplain to the Prince de Conti. “ But I never go to mass,” replied the Prince ; “ And I never celebrate it,” added the abbu, “In that case you have the appointment,” responded the Prince.