M. Clemenceau described the efforts the Government had made to
procure the purchase by the State of the Western Railway, the reform of Courts-Martial, and the passage of the Income-tax and Workmen's Pensions Bills. Long negotia- tions with the Senate had been necessary, and these had been conducted zealously and sincerely by the Government ; but if the Socialists fancied that the Government would ever go to the Senate to dictate to it they were mistaken. M. Jaures was really trying to upset the Government just when something was about to be accomplished. M. Clemenceau, whose attack on the barren criticisms of M. Jaures was scathing, turned the tables on his enemies so successfully that M. Jaures spent an hour in defending himself. In the end, M. Clemenceau weathered one more storm by receiving a vote of confidence by 341 votes to 100. We would commend to the notice of politicians here the respect with which a French Radical thinks it right to treat the resisting-power of a Second Chamber, even though that power means at the moment the defeat of his own measures, and the possible ruin of his own reputation.
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