Darisian Notes.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume XVII, Issue 8, 14 June 1889, Page 2

Darisian Notes.

One of the principal events of the season has been the flight of General Boulanger to Brussells. The General had been warned by a friend that his arrest on a warrant issued by the Senate was imminent. He explains his reason for escaping as the necessity that existed for his avoiding a lengthened term of imprisonment intended for him, »nd which would effectually prevent his taking any part in tr c political life of the country. The General does not exactly contradict his adherent, M. Rochefort, who sayß tbat his flight was necessary to mar the designs of would-be assassins, but he expresses himself as of a iifferent opinion. M. Rochefort and Mr. Arthur Dillon, another of his chief supporters, it may be remarked, had preceded the General in his escape by a day or two. General Boulanger, meantime, does not in the least conceal his intention of overthrowing the present form of Government. He openly advocates a revision of the Constitution, under which he himself would become President, and the Republic, as he Bays, would triumph over Parliamentarism. He will, however, be now tried, as he can legally be even during his absence, oa charges of corruption of officers and soldier?, malversation of funds of the War Office, and of treasonable utterances made in a recent speech. As he is sure to be con/icted, and, at any rate, his absence must result in depriving him of civil rights and disqualifying him from voting or receiving votes, it is difficult to see how he can recover his position, unless by aiising of the people in his favour, which no one considers likely to take plnce. Tbe feeling in Belgium as to the residence of the General in Brussells is one of considerable alarm. Ah France and Germany are both desirous of preserving peice, it is argued that if General Boulanger succeeds in creating a disturbance, Belgium will be held guilty. The situation, moreover, has been aggravated by a speech of the General's, read the other day at a meeting of his adhere its in Versailles, in which he referred in menacing terms to tbe Germans, whom be spoke of as the " hereditary enemy beyond the Vosges." In all probability, therefore, the General will ba requested by the Belgian Government to leave the country.

Cardinal Lavigerie spe»kip'» the other day at Algiers, and in reference to the generosity towards Catholic charities shown by English visitor' 1 , many of whom spend the winter in that town, gave as follows a conversation he had once had with the Pope respecting the people in quertion. •" S ) you like the English 1 ' said His Holiness — ' Yes,' replied the Cardinal, ' I like the English Christian?, Holy Father, on account of their innate virtues, of the nobleness of their lives and of their having retained much more of the Roman Church than other Protestants, but especially on account of their sincerity ; which allow us to hope as to many of them that if we are externally sepirated, we are internally united in tbe soul of the same Church. How desirable it would be to see these hopes realised I' — ' I desire it as much as you,' rejoined His Holiness ; ' repeat it to your English f r ends', when you have an opportunity.' " — The Cardinal added that he was now obeying the Pope's command. Although there wen but few English people present to hear his words they would make known at v distance what he said. The Catholic world genenlly will not hesitate to enter thoroughly into these charitable aspirations of the Pope and the Cardinal — which cannot be too widely made known.

The Exhibition will be opened with a great festival on May 6. It will Dot, however, be complete or to be seen at its best until "the

middle of June. The Tower of Eiffel, meantime, is the most notable feature connected with the affair. As a marvel of iron-work, nevertbeless, it is said to be inferior to that of the machine gallery, which, although not so prominent, h still more complex and vast. Tue root of the gallery covers a tquare or. 200,000 fcot, and forma the largest span in existence.

The famous actress, Madame S^rah Bjrnbardt, has recently appeared m a new play, in which, of courte, she ba« had a tremendous success. Ihe climax is reached in the suicide of the heroine, who poisons herself with chloral, and goes through the agonies of such a death-scene before the people. In this, it is needless to say, Madame iiernhardt performs to p-rfection. One of the great attractions of the play, nevertheless, consis-s in sjmetbing much less dre*iful, that is the dresses of the actress, which are superb, a id quite enough tv drive all the more fashionable element of the city frautic with admiration. It seems humiliating to think that there is a more sordid side to all this high art and splendour. Mme. Bernhardf, for example, is said to complain bitterly of the smallneas of her earnings, which she contrasts with the great sums paid to actresses in England. She is, however, very fervent in her expressions of approval with regard to JSnglwh actresses. Mrs. Bernard B«ere she admires very much, but Kllen Tsrry she declares to be the most perfect actress ou the stage. Of the fair American, Mary Anderson, she saya, " She is very beautiful, and is beginning to show ta.ent." Thia is, nevertheless, a modihed kind of praise that would hardly be very highly apppreciated by

That curious spectacle, hardly to be seen in perfection in any other city than Paris, has recently had a more than common repetition. We allude to the queue, to which the Parisian, of all mankind, seems the best adapted. Tbe occasion was the application for Bxnibition bonds at the Credit Foncier. The bonds, it may be explained, are an excellent investment, giving a certain return of the capital invested with chances of very large prizes. The queue was formed over night, and those who formed it kept their places steadily all through. Some, however, sat on the ground, and others stretched themselves there full leDgth, but there was no attempt made by any one to take the place of the person who had arrived before him. When the hour of entrance arrived, there were some 8000 in the single line formed— of whom many hundreds weTe doomed to meet with disappointment.

General Boulauger recently declared himself in favour of toleration for religion, and an equally friendly treaimsnt for all forma of worship. More significant still is it to find M. Jules Ferry condemning the auti-religious excesses th^t have taken place. M, Ferry, nevertheless, was th« statesman with whom everything of the kind began. He it was who introduced the famous clause of the Education Act, by means of which, first the Jesuits, and then the other teaching orders of the Church, were attackeu and expelled. When M. Ferry therefore is found to have changed his mind, the necessity for tbe change must be very evident. Tbe occtß:on of the speeci alluded to which was made the other day to the Republican Association of Paris, makes the matter all the more suggestive.

A reputation that has been much maligned, and in a good many respects not malignel without reasou, has recently been in some degree more favourably exhibited. Some letters and despatches of Talleyrand's lately published show that statesman to have been a more honest diplomatist than he has commonly beea takpn for. Among the rest, they prove that he had been sincerely anxious to avert war with England. Where there is so much to reDrove, it is well to give credit for all that is worthy of approval.

M. Eugene Chevreul, the great chemist, died on April 9th. M. Chevreui was born at Angers on August 31, 1786, and was, therefore, in the 103 rd year of his age. His life was distinguished by the eminence to which as a man ot science he had attained. It was, moreover, remarkable (or a consistent devotion to the Catholic religion, in which the true Breton was apparent. A public funeral was decreed unanimously both by the Senate and tbe Chamber. Tne procession through thestreetß to the cathedral of Notre Dame wa9 most imposing, and in the Church the ceremonies were carried out with great solemnity, the Archbishop of Paris officiating pontifically. The building was thronged, and great crowds, including tbe military escort, which recent regulations forbade to enter, remained on the outside.