The French have, unluckily, no proposal before them to turn
Brittany into an autonomous State, in expiation of the cruel- ties committed there by the Terrorists, and are sick of hearing about the Panama bribe-takers and bribe-givers. They are therefore sadly in want of something to talk about, and are disposed to be very colonial. Something, as yet perfectly un. intelligible, has happened in Laos—apparently, a tribe without clothes has been "taking heads" as our own Nagas do—and Paris is consequently sure that pressure ought to be put on Siam, which is about as able to control the hill-tribe as the Emperor of China is. Then M. de Mahy is in a state of mind because there are Protestant missionaries in Madagascar, who are too popular by half ; and, finally, the French Foreign Office is disgusted because Mr. Gladstone pursues the same policy in Egypt as Lord Salisbury, and has promised the Chamber to " negotiate " further ; whenever, that is, it can find an Ambas- sador who will be at once disagreeable and safe. There is not much in it all ; but the French, who do not in the least under- stand English politics, and cannot even imagine such a thing as the conscience of a Nonconformist Radical, are uncon- sciously doing their very best to make concessions to them impossible. They will have a religious rising in Madagascar, If they do not mind, with very serious consequences.
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