THE BOULANGER INCIDENT

Star (Christchurch), Issue 6518, 10 April 1889, Page 3

THE BOULANGER INCIDENT

THE POLITICAL SITUATION IN . ; C FRANCE. THE STATEMENT O¥ M. TIIIARD. At the meeting of the Chamber on Feb. 23, M. Tiravd read the following statement. It -was fairly well received, especially by the Moderates and the Opportunists a — "Mesoieurs, — In responding to the appeal of the President of the Republic, we have not concealed from ourselven the difficulties of the present hour; but- we have been encouraged by the reflection that you would not withhold your cooperation from men of goodwill who co.'ne before you fully resolved to fulfil all t.\ie dutie3 which the situation command.?. During the few months that must elapsi? before theles;al termination of its existence two paramount duties are incumbent upon j the present Legislature — to vote the Budget i of 1890, and to secure, by a wise, tolerant, and large-minded policy, the success of the Universal Exhibition, which will display in our laborious and pacific France the accumulated marvels of the art, industry, and labour of all peoples. (Tres bien.) Other law 3 of great importance and long since awaited, such as the military law, are now -under discussion. We trust that you will bring them to a successful issue. But we consider it to be the chief duty of the Government of the Republic under the existing circumstances to prepare for all Republicans, for all Frenchmen equally attached to order and liberty, a ground of common action, energetic and decisive, with, a view to uphold and defend the regime of peace, justice, and progress which tho country meant to secure for itself when it founded the Republic. (Derisive cheers and laughter from tho Right, " Tres bicn " from the Left.) True to the spirit of frt-e institutions, all our efforts will bo directed to enable France to he consulted, in. full possession of herself, in the calmness of a period of appeasement and concord. ('Trea bien' from the Leffc.) We invite you to join us in this necessary work of pacification, in the paramount interact oi cue country. Tho ! success of that policy depends upon, our firmness, on our vigilance. You may- rely ixpon it that to shall not be wanting in cither. We aro equally determined to { cover with our responsibility the functionaries faithful to their duties, and to visit with severity all faults and baekelidings. ('Ties bien J from the Left.) Ab regards our vigilance, we hold it to be our mont imperative duty to adopt all the measures calculated to secure the m&in-< tennnce of the legal order and the respect due to the Republic by defeating, and, if need, repressing factious undertakings." (Applause from the Centre and the Left.) GENERAL BOULANGEU's COMMENT. General Boulanger appears to be quite satisfied with, tho new Cabinet. He is represented to have told tho Standard correspondent that if he had made it himself, with the object of furthering the a.uns of the National Party, he could not hswe named a better Ministry. He added :>— " Whilst it was without a Foreign MinAstei*, it was all that could be de3ired, but tL\e nomination of M. Spiiller to direct the foreign affairs of France made it more than complete. lam quite sure they will do all my work for me. I might, if I chose, now* fold my arms, and content myself with looking on. Ministers will make rsy success sure." General Boulanger further said:— "To talk of taking exceptional measures against ma is simply insane. In the first place, lam not a conspirator ; all I do is done openly and legally. I have had, and always will, havo recourse to none but legal measures for the triumph of the cauae of the National Republic. As for the declaration of the new Cabinet, it may be likened to the last meaningless words of a dying man." GENEKAL BOTJLANaER AND THE TEOUGHTEEADEK. Mr Stuart Cumberland's long-talked of meeting with General Boulanger has at last taken place. The thought-reader met the General on Feb. 25, at Count Dillon's house at Neuilly. The experiments which Mr Cumberland performed with the General were interesting and extraordinary. After the ii3ual preliminary experiments of finding hidden objects, Mr Cumberland asked General Boulanger to think of the number of days, weeks, months, or years that H. Tirard would, in his opinion, remain in. power. To this request the General replied, " I cannot concentrate ray thoughts upon a man who, in my idea, is nonexistent." Mr Cumberland then asked, "Will you think of tha number of days, weeks, montli3, or years you give M. Caraot to remain at tho Elysee as President of the Republic ? " To this tho General replied, "Oh, certainly." Mr Cumberland then took tho General by the hand and at once wrote down the figure 3, which wa3 incorrect. After a moment he again wrote 3, and finally 6, to which the word " months " was added. General Boulanger remarked, " that is quiso right ; but why did you write 3 ? I did not think of it, I assure you." Mr Cumberland responded, "T cannot do otherwise than put down the impression I receive. Perhaps it is a prophecy." "Perhaps it is," eaid the General, "but let us halve it, and say four months and a half, which, after all, may be long enough." And then, continuing in a joking way, he added, " And now, Mr Cumberland, since you know my thoughts about tie President of the Republic, I think the least you can do is to go and ask M. Carnot to let you read his thoughts, aad ask him what duration of power he gives me." The most remarkable experiment, perhaps 1 waa the final one, in which the thought- | reader asked the General to imagine he ! was onca more in active service, and at the head of an army which he wished to move to a. certain place on the Continent. For this purpose a map of Europe waß placed upon the table. Mr Cumberland withdrew for some minutes into the adjoining i room, while the General studied the map and chose his route. When Bummoned back the thought-reader was blindfolded, and then, taking' the General by the hand, S he very 6lowly tcaced with a pencil on the I map most accurately the route thought of jby *the General. It began at Pari3 and ended at Stuttgart, surrounding this latter town, which in imagination the General i had fixed on to besiege.