25 FEBRUARY 1882, Page 3

We are to have no commercial treaty with France, but

M. 'Tirard has introduced a Bill under which, if it passes into an Act, we are to have the advantage of being treated by France as the most favoured nations are treated, so long as the Act lasts. M. Tirard intimated that if we raised our duties on French pro- ducts—which he did not think at all likely—France would then be at perfect liberty to withdraw this advantage from us, that is, we suppose, to repeal the Act. M. Tirard elicited a good deal -of very unjustified "murmuring" against England by his state- ment, which was hardly as frank or as friendly as we should have expected.