The adversaries of the French Republic raised a great debate
on Thursday on the Secret Service funds. So much has been said, during the Panama inquiry, about the misuse of these funds, that it was thought a hostile vote might be obtained from the Chamber, and accordingly, M. Chiche, in an ironical speech, called upon the Deputies to refuse the £63,000 allowed to the Minister of the Interior. His argument was that the money was a temptation, and that Ministers, like M. de Freycinet and others, had found in its use no protection. He was followed by speakers who raked up all the dirt, and specially dilated on the point, which is, we suppose, true, that the Government is not over-zealous to ferret out new scandals,—to seize M. Arton, for instance, or bring over M. Cornelius Herz. M. Ribot, in reply, took a sensible line, declaring that he could not, and would not, do without secret-service money, denying that the Govern- ment was lax; and putting it straight to the Chamber that Deputies must either confide in him or tell him to go. If he was distrusted, that was a dismissal, and he would no more grant an audit than dispense with the fund. The Chamber appreciated his courage, and rejected M. Chiche's proposal by 303 votes to 182. It is a curious fact that in all these debates the legitimate—or, at least, necessary—object of these secret- service grants has never been clearly indicated.
Previous page
