A SIGNIFICANT CROWD.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume IV, Issue 183, 29 September 1876, Page 8

A SIGNIFICANT CROWD.

The Paris Correspondent of the ' Freeman ' writes in reference to ] the last Paris Municipal loan : — A young English friend, one of J the most rising sculptors of the day at Home, had taken his holiday from malaria, and was staying a few days "with me previous to crossing the Channel, He had been speaking a good deal the night before about the wonders of Italy and the wealth of England. " Come out with me," said I on Saturday morning, " and I will show you a greater wonder and a greater wealth than any can dream of." It was the day appointed for receiving applications and payment of deposits for the City of Paris Loan for six millions of pounds sterling in round numbers. Offices were opened in several parts of the city for this purpose, and we drove to various points. In all, or in almost all, the same scene presented itself — the crowds forming queues to get at the wickets and deposit their letters and their money. Some had waited all the night for a good place — many had been there from early morning. The rich do such things through their bankers. Therefore, those who presented themselves were men in blouses or coarse attire, and great numbers of women, in caps, young and old. The sun was burning hot, and as early as 10 o'clock in the forenoon I saw many poor creatures who had nearly reached the goal borne away fainting, and somo few smitten with heat apoplexy. It was just such a scene as one might expect to witness in London if it had been intimated that certain sums would be paid out of the Treasury to those who applied within a certain time. In Paris it was the thrifty and industrious who came confidently to entrust their little hoards to the Municipality, backed up by the Legislature. And now for results, first premising that the other day Prussia demanded a loan of 120 millions of marks for the purchase of the railways, and only 25 millions were subscribed. Observe the

difference in the country that Bismarck thought he had crushed. Paris wanted £6,000,000, and last Saturday .£360,000,000 were subscribed ! Recollect, Ido not speak of miserable francs. I have converted the figures into pounds sterling. The amount is amazing. The loan was applied for fifty times over in Paris, and twenty-five times in the Provinces. "Ah ! but," says my English friend this morning, " as people expected only to get a limited portion of their demands, they asked for many times more than- they wanted." Granted. But, as a certain per centage was required as deposit, the sums actually paid in the day befere yesterday in hard cash amounted to over fifty-two millions of pounds sterling. Will anyone tell me, after this, that Frenchmen have not confidence in the Republic, in their country, and in the future ? The pigeon of the woods is not more shy of danger than money, and you see how it comes and puts itself in the hands that open for it.