Our Paris Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 19 April 1894, Page 3

Our Paris Letter.

(fbom our own correspondent.) Paris, 16fch February, 1894. The Austrian Ministry will be compelled to take some action on the electoral question which overthrew Count Taafe, and which they would like to ignore, if possible. During the last four weeks there has been a certain amount of agitation in the Austrian provinces, which will compel the new Ministry to deal with the question in some way, if not on the lines laid down by Count Taafe. The peasantry seem to be convinced! that an extension of the suffrage is likely to be of some practical advantage to them, and when once an idea of this kind gets strong hold of the masses, there is nothing for it but to satisfy it. Unfortunately the present Ministry is unable to reach the electoral question without danger of eruption, and if the preatnt provincial agitation increases, there will be nothing for it but to recall Count Taaf«, who has become identified in the popular mind with the cause of electoral reform. The stronghold of .the present Ministry is the Gtrman population of Austria, which is in a hopeless minority. On the Bth inst., the French Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies, received a dispatch from the Governor. of Senegal, announcing that a flying column had been attaoked by Touerege, near Timbuctoo, and has sustained heavy losses. This was proved to be quite true as when three days' journey from Timbuctoo the column was attacked in the middle of the night by the Touaneys. The attack was so sudden that the French troops were unable to repel it. A large number of officers were killed, among the latter being Colonel Bonnier himself. It is rumoured that General Dodds, who was to have returned from Dahomey, will be requested to go to the Soudan to superintend the organisation of the troops and report upon the situation in that region.