Our Paris Letter.

Manawatu Herald, 9 May 1895, Page 3

Our Paris Letter.

Paris, 15th March, 1895.

The colonial debate in the Chamber of JJetidties revealed the fact, that frerich "colonization is of a very peculiar character. There are very few colonists, properly so called, who jgo to French colonies, but in place thereof there is always an increasing number of civil and military officials. What is called the colonial group, seems to have come" to the conclusion, that the principal ..advantage of colonies is the patronage placed at their disposal. Be this as it may, French colonists are, in most cases, conspicuous by their absence, and this is not to be wondered at, if what a colctfjjjj*l r l)t>pnly said was true, that on tbs West Coast of Africa French commerce was i less trammelled by the negro King Behanzin, than by the present French administration. J!Jo doubt this is an exaggeration, but it is highly probable, that the French bureaucratic system does not improve, by being exported to the African and Asiatic colonies.

The French Pjtesa still continues to discuss M. Goblet's Bill for the restoration of the mode of voting, called Scrutin de Liste, and it seems to meet with general favour. The fact is, that Frenchmen like a political change off some sort, and the present method of voting, Bcrntin d'Arrondissement, has excited the ridicule of the manu> fecturers of plays fcr the Boulevard Theatres. But whether the Deputies named by the Scrutin d'Arrondifsement deserve the ridicule oast on them, is very doubtful. They are of Course much influenced by the local committees who procured their election, but the influence of these committees'would be just as much felt J8 Sorutln de Liste, only in a different way. Moreover, former experience with Scrutin de Liste has shown', that it invariably turns against its authors, and it is more likely to extinguish the Radical Socialist minority, than to enlarge it. Mv'Goblet of course is confident, that Scrntjn de Liste will make him Prime Minister,- or he would not have proposed it;" but it is very jlikoly thftt he would be mistaken.