NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE great debate in the French Chamber on the Tunis affair began on Saturday, and ended on Wednesday, in the adoption of a resolution proposed by M. Gambetta, which neither censures nor acquits M. Ferry's Government, but pledges the 'Chamber and the nation to carry out the Treaty of Bardo, forced upon the Bey. This resolution, carried by 379 to 71, exactly indicates the tone of the debate. The Extremists were headed by M. Cldmencean, who, in a very able speech, denounced the injustice to the Bey, who had previously granted all that was required ; denounced the corrupt element in the affair, that is, the desire to protect certain financing companies, which desired a monopoly of banks and railways and the possession of Khaireddin Pasha's old estate, the Enfida ; and denounced the military mismanagement. But though they demanded investi- gation, they did not venture to suggest retreat, and the Chamber throughout, while rejecting motion after motion to acquit or con- demn the Government, evidently wanted, whatever the merits, to keep Tunis. M. Gambetta, who as a private Deputy carefully 'watched the debate, saw this, and his motion gratified this desire, without pledging the Chamber for or against the conduct of the Government. It was, therefore, after a very brief speech, car- ried by a sort of acclaim, and he is considered to have achieved a great victory. He has purchased it, however, at the price of sizing distrust throughout Europe.
