The political news from Paris is, in a way, serious.
The statesmen are acknowledging openly that the struggle lies between the Republic and General Boulanger, and that the latter is a danger. The Times' correspondent in Paris even joins in the chorus on his own account, though he has been belittling the General for two years. On Tuesday, M. Challemel-Lacour, who was the friend of Gambetta, and formerly Foreign Minister, took advantage of the passing of the Budget by the Senate to review the situation of affairs. He admitted the existence of an immense discontent, and the consequent danger from Boulangism, and attributed both to the growing Radicalism of the last ten years, which had increased the public burdens, irritated the religious sense of France—dormant, but existing—and alienated all classes of society. Every Government promised the impossible, and was turned out for not keeping its promises. The situation made men like himself doubt if they had not wasted life in pursuit of an illusion. The speech was received by the Senate with en- thusiastic applause. M. Floquet, who is ill, made a feeble reply, the gist of which is that the Republic leaned on the Left, and M. Challemel-Lacour desired it to lean on the Right ; but he incidentally announced that smetin de liste would be replaced by election by districts, and that, if needful, he would seek for stronger laws with which to combat Boulangism. The object of the electoral change is to diminish the chance of an informal pybiscite ; but suppose a majority of the districts accept General Boulanger's nominees ?
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