Since the vote of Monday, M. Teisserenc de Bort, the
Minister of Agriculture and Commerce, has resigned his place in the Cabinet, and rumour says that he is to be succeeded by M. Jules Ferry, a moderate Republican, who moved the order of the day on Monday expressing confidence in the Government. M. Teisserenc de Bort's resignation is certainly no misfortune. It is he who has just committed the blunder of " denouncing " those French treaties of commerce which were liable to be denounced at the end of last year, and of denouncing them, moreover, without having made up his mind what he in- tended to substitute for them. It is this step which has precipitated the issue between Free-trade and Protection ; and certainly that issue ought not to have been precipitated by one who was not pre- pared to take up a strong position on that great question. Indeed, many of the French Liberals regarded this act as by far the greatest error committed by the Dufaure Government, and this resignation represents M. Dafaure's wish to meet their views.
Let us hope that M. Teisserenc de Bores successor will lead France into that plain and great road to permanent prosperity which is termed Free-trade.
