18 DECEMBER 1886, Page 1

M. Goblet has at last made up his Cabinet. Some

leading members were in the former, but the new Finance Minister is M. Dauphin, and the new Minister for Foreign Affairs is M. Flourens. The latter is a brother of the celebrated Communist, but is himself of rather Conservative opinions, and promises, in an interview with the correspondent of the Times, to con- tinue M. de Freycinet's policy. As M. Flourens was originally in the Education Department, has never been a Deputy, and has had no diplomatic training, his selection has created great astonishment; but the leading members of the Diplo- matic Service had refused the appointment, fearing the Government might fall. The Reactionaries are half-inclined to protect it ; but M. Clemencean has threatened it already unless it is Extremist, suggesting that it should at once separate

Church and State. M. Goblet admitted that this was his own opinion, but said the country was not ripe for it, and that in any case the clergy must be paid during the transition, —a new remark. The Chamber, by a nearly unanimous vote, has given the new Government two months' grace to frame its plans of financial reform, having voted the Budget for that period.