Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JAN. 19, 1893. France.

Manawatu Herald, 19 January 1893, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. THURSDAY, JAN. 19, 1893. France.

History repeats itself, is a much worn proverb, and therefore to see it doing so is not surprising. The | news we get from Paris points ominously to a reversal of the existing order of government, just as similar chargeg of corruption brought the Orleans dynasty to a fall before the Third Napoleon's short career. In either 1848 or 1849 when Guizot possessed a majority in the French Chambers which had lately been revived, charges of bribery and corruption had been made against the Government, and cases in the law courts proved them to have been true. The people demanded an extension of the franchise believing that would tend to make the menu* bers purer. The discussions nn the address upon the royal speech were extremely violent but not successful, the Government party securing a majority. The people got excited at the timorous demeanour of the Deputies and crowded the streets and shouted " Reform 1 Down with Guizot." From that they proceeded to the erection of barricades. The strife at the barricades continued for | a couple of days when the King made a concession by dismissing Guizot. Barricades vanished, houses were illuminated and a procession formed in the evening A shot was fired by someone, the soldiers fired a volley on the crowd, and then the cry arose 11 to arms." The King then tried other concession?, but this accident of a chance shot deprived him of his kingdom, and in a short time a Provisional Government was formed which in time elected Napoleon 111 its President and afterwards Emperor. The Parisians rule France, and they jump from Republics to Empires just as swittly as from Emperors to Presidents. What they have done before they are most likely to do again, and every move now taking place in Paris warns us to expect most startling news at any moment- The Bank of France apparently thinks so by the notice concerning its reserve given to the Bank of England, Any alteration in the Government of France may be of the greatest consequence to the rest of the world, where all seems peace may, in a month or so, be the fighting ground of millions of men. A chance shot, a careless selection of a ruler, may cause all this. May the gallant Frenchmen settle their form of government in a peaceful and neighbourly way should be the heartfelt desire of all who hate bloodshed and carnage.