PARIS.

Otago Witness, Issue 1205, 2 January 1875, Page 16

PARIS.

(from our own correspondent.)

October 31st.

The official, or officious, Press, has for some time been accused of abusing, if not defaming, M. Thiers, and if the object in so doing be to exalt Marshal Macmahon, the end will fail to be attained. It is said two of a trade never agree, and knowing the thin- skin character of the French, there is nothing surprising in concluding that neither the Marshal nor the ex- President love each other like Saul and Jonathan. But the papers may out-herod Herod, and, by so doing, create much mischief. The reaction has already set in, and the welcome extended by French residents in Italy to the eminent statesman who took charge of his country when it was next to a drifting wreck, has been repeated more markedly by the French at Nice on M. Thiers's route homewards. The unparalleled benefits that gentleman secured for his fellow-countrymen in their hours of adversity suffice to absolve his political f uilts, and it must be no small consolation for him to find how highly he is appreciated by Frenchmen far from the seething of home politics. Thiersis still the foremost man in France, and he holds the key of the embarrassed situation. It is fie consciousness of his power — of the high estimate entertained of his character—that can alone explain the increasing intensity of the abuse heaped upon him by former allies, who repudiate their hist >rical liberalism and create a gulf between ttiom and an indulgent public opinion. They are not the true friends of Macmahon who act thus, and their trop dezele may end in a grave blunder, and compromise the situation. French politics are gradually entering upon their wicked stage, and angry legislators are not the best manufacturers of Solon laws.

There is nothing new in what is viewed as an alarming project — the conversion of the Assembly into a Septennate Vis-a- Vis with Marshal Macmahon, nor indeed would it be very extraordinary to find those Deputies, certain never to be reelected, voting for such an enormity. The subject was mooted last June. The majority of the Assembly will cling at any straw that can prevent the definite constitution of the republic, the dissolution, and the organisation of Macmahon's office. If the Assembly wishes to remain a fixture till 1880, it can do so, till at least the partial elections in the course of time would turn the scale ; for none other but a Republican candidate would have a chance henceforth to be listened to. The cardinal defect of the Assembly is this — that there is no sincerity among the members of the coalition ; they are perfectly aware they will not be re-elected, and hence are slow to go away. That eccentric journalist, Emile de Girardin, cuuld not remain happy inside his Dutch cheese ; he announces he will re-appear on the 15th November next, to take charge of the political part of the Francais, and feels quite sure, in the space of a week or so, he will convert all France to his views of the Septennate. The old man's vanity must be excused. One becomes more tolerant of the national weakness when seeing it every day at work and accepted by everybody as a matter of course. A pardons it in B, provided B forgives it in A. The Septennate has the advantage of being viewed from every side the imagination pleases to regard it. M. de Girardin is not so much thought of in point of judgment and prophetic powers as he once had the reputation. He told ua the Empire never was more solid than after the plebiscite of May, 1870 ; he advocated the war against Germany ; he claims to have been the originator of all modern economical reforms, some of which were in operation before he was born. The ravens are said to come and perch on the house of a moribund. Now M. de Girardin has the reputation of becoming a State adviser to Governments in extremis. Louis Phillippe consulted him at his last official moment ; so did Thiers. His coming to the rescue of the Septennate bodes no good. In any case, the roh is amusing, and at best a diversion. As such, his '•' logic " will be read. To be followed is another matter, however.

The Red Republicans, if there be any such now in France, must pronounce the Prince Jerome Napoleon to be the man for Gal way ; a chip of the old block. His manifesto goes right to the heart of all the abuses Radicals of the most advanced school could desire. Putting aside its doctrines, the dooument is ably written, and skilfully planned — against his own family opposition. He has now burned his ships, and declares war to the knife against Ohiselhurst. The attitude of the Prince will ensure him a seat in the next Assembly ; the Republicans will bring thim forward as a damaging witness against Second Empires and the men who had (nearly ruined France. One could take greater interest in the quarrel, only that «?jt-a<lviser of light-heart memory, M. Ollivier, has lately told us that when the critical moment arrives, all Bonapartists •will be found standing shoulder by shoulder; so true is it that, once a Bonapartist, always a BonapartisL However, the Prince, in his indictment against the Second Empire, neglects to tell ■ub what he thought of the coup d'etat, and how his purest mind reconciled itself to live so long under its success, and share in its favours. There never was a greater Radical than the late Napoleon 111. till he became Prince-Pre-.sident, obtained the command of ppwer, f

the keys of the citadel. Cayenne and Lambessa can attest how he dealt with those he duped. Modern Republicans will laugh at, but will never follow my leader with Radical Princes for the future, nor will they be deceived by the most beautiful clap- trap dished up for their special use. The Prince of Wales has fully enjoyed the delicate hospitality of all degrees of the French nobil'fcy — ancient and recent. As was to be expected, the very unnecessary reminder of some of the London journals that the Prince was only travelling as a private gentleman has been resented. The French paper 3 never alluded to the Prince, or viewed him in any other light but as the guest of their Upper Ten. A robber has been arrested, and in his pocket-book was a list of all the widows living quite alone in his neighbourhood that he intended to professionally visit. The information was very exact. How came he by it ?

The conflict between the Government and what is daily becoming the majority of the Protestants of France is deepening, and there seems to be no modus vioandi short of a general Synod undoing what the Synod effected in 1873 — passing a Test Act. The narrow majority by which thesubscription article was carried was pointed out at the time, as food for serious reflection, and a reason not to proceed to extremes. It is not over-stating the truth to assert, that were the Protestant congregations invited to pronounce by a plebiscite as to adopting the Test Act, they would reject it by a crushing majority. It is also a grief that the delegates forming the Synod of 1873 were not elected to decide that issue. The Government has no further interest in the quarrel than to see the law carried out. Nowthe Recalcitrants having held elections according to the laws passed in 1802 and 1852 for this year's local Presbyteries, decline to annul them six months afterwards in obedience to a simple ministerial decree, which they say is not ' ' law," and can only become so when ratified by a vote of the National Assembly. Now a French Assembly will never vote either a State religion or a sectarian Confession of Faith. The imbroglio, like the Septennate, may be considered as the last specimens of Guizot's handiwork, who was a John Knox in the year of Grace 1874, less the Scotch divine's foes and obstacles.

A very shocking tragedy has occurred, and that has made not a little impression — the more so as it will be dramatised. A model artizan, aged 25, and his young wife, only 20, earned good salaries at constant work. Their home was most comfortable, and they had one child. Every Sunday the husband's uncle dined with them. _ Suspecting all was not right in the relationship betwen his uncle and wife, he called one morning at the factory where his wife was employed, and learned she had not arrived, though both had set out together. He returned home. She was absent. He called on the uncle. He discovered in him his wife's paramour. After some parleying, the wife compelled the uncle to go outside and try to calm matters. Once he was outside, she locked the door, threw up the window, and jumped out. It was the husband who picked her up almost the instant she struck the ground. He took her in his arms, kissed her, and said that for the sake of their infant he would pardon her. The unfortunate woman thanked him with her eyes, and expired.

Every year Paris has a real "Figaro at home." In the country towns there are fairs held, where farm lads and lasses can be hired ; the Capital has its green for engaging "capillary artists"— the grand title for barbers and hair-dressers, as corn-cutters call themselves Pedicurists — names which have the advantage of not splitting the ears of the groundlings. Imagine a large music hall, on one side is the orchestra, and a stage for vocalists, acrobats, and funny professions generally. On the opposite side is an estrade, with two ranges of seats, where forty or fifty hair-dreßsera are as busy as nailers, brushing and combing the lock's of aa many young women ; weaving and unweaving curls like Penelope's web, and then piling them at last as high as combs, pins, ribbons, flowers, and cosmetics will allow. Each operator announces his style of hairdressing ; calls it after some historical period, or notorious courtesan, just as robeß, slippers, and bonnets are similarly named. One of these capillary diadems was honoured as the "goddess of liberty," though there was not a spark of "freedom" in the construction; anotherreceived the appellation of the "firmament," not because it was vast, or looked blue, but had a high look, something between Jacob's ladder and the Shah of Persia's hat. When the barber had finished, he conducted the young girl on his arm, as proud and as happy as the bridegroom setting forth from his chamber, around the hall, and was cursed or congratulated according to the feelings of the sovereign people. The master hairdressers were there, who at once engaged the winners of the prizes. Note : the competitors are mostly young men from the country, coming to Paris to seek their fortune, with nothing in their pocket but a scissors that will not out, a razor that would recall Purgatory when passing over your chin, and a comb requiring, as the dentists would say, many single teeth. Louis Venillot, the Pope's best editor in Paris, alluding to a brother publicist of his own kidney, but remarkable for his absence of polite manners, says he is certain to enter Paradise with his hat on.

Albums of notorious scoundrels are the latest addition to the table literature of drawing-rooms. They are more examined than those elegantly « bound favourite author^ .got ap wpralew of expense,