The French Ministry resigned on Tuesday, but was almost at
once reconstituted under M. Ribot, the final appointments being gazetted on Thursday. M. Ribot is Prime Minister and Minister of the Interior, Vice-Admiral Rieunier is Minister of Marine, M. Develle is at the Foreign Office, General Loizillon, Minister of War, and M. Viger, Minister of Agriculture. When the new Government met the Chamber on Thursday, it was, on the whole, well received ; and the order of the day pure and simple was carried by. 329 to 206. The debate was noticeable for the speech in which M. Mitchell, a Member of the Right, announced that he "rallied to the Republic." The net result is that the Ministry has shed M. de Freycinet and M. Lonbet. M. Lonbet's resignation is not important, but that of M. de Freycinet, the powerful, and, as it seemed at one time, necessary War Minister, has caused the greatest possible sensation in Paris. It was felt, after the revelations in regard to M. Cornelius Herz, that M. de Freyoinet could not face the Chamber. Further, it is said, by the Debate, which, it must be remembered, is not a reckless or scandal-mongering paper, that M. de Freycinet was interrogated last Sunday by hi. Franqueville, the examining Magistrate, "as to the sums paid at his request by the Panama Company to Herz to ensure him the support of the Radical Party." It is also stated that M. Clemenoeau was questioned on this subject on Monday. Connected with the fall of M. de Freycinet is that of M. Floquet, who has been obliged to resign the Presidency of the Chamber. The Panama Scandal has strewn France with political corpses, but if things are to be put on a really sound basis, the extermination of corrupt statesmen must probably be carried still further.
