Frurt.—The debates on the budget in the Corps Lkislatif have
elicited some important. information. M. 011ivier, for instance,
proved that the administration kept up a force not provided for in the estimates, the return of effeetives showing sixty-seven thousand men and twelve thousand borsesvnore'llian those granted by the Legisla- tive Body. So, too, while the number of vessels agreed to was two hundred and eighty-one, and of seamen forty-eight thousand nine hun- dred and forty-four, the fleet really contained three hundred and ninety-one vessels and sixty thousand nine hundred and forty-four men. France must pay for these men, and the cost of the army and navy therefore, which appeared to be 19,950,0001. was really little short of 25,000,0001. The Minister admitted the excess, but alleged that it was accidental and temporary, and that the budget was in- tended to be the " normal" budget of the effective strength. Several
speakers animadverted with severity on the absence of sincerity in the budget, and IL Kolb-Bernard pointed to England, where an excess of expenditure over income was openly acknowledged. M. Devinck, also, argued that the tendency to concealment injured the national credit, and asked, if the financial situation was a good one, why it should be concealed. He pointed to an appropriation already agitated of the 1,800,0001., the balance from the last war loan, and to the issue of new terminable annuities as acts sanctioned without 'the consent of the Chamber. An army of reserve, moreover, had been created by a simple decree, though it involved a heavy perma- nent expense to the country. M. Gouin, who followed, declareuthat there would be a real deficit of 13,000,0001. sterling; met by loans of 5,000,0001, from the Sinking Fund, 5,000,0001. from the Floating Debt, 1,800,0001. from the Army Dotation Fund, and by creating terminable annuities. The debate was continued throughout the week, and became very discursive, but a discussion on the army and navy estimates was made interesting by a speech from M. Larrabure. He opposed the excessive expenditure on the army, thought one hun- dred thousand men a year too many to withdraw from agriculture and commerce, and that the practice tended to produce the stationary character remarked in the French population. Great masses of men maintained in arms increased the thirst for adventure already too marked in France, and produced those expeditions which brought so little and cost so much. " Withinthe last thirty or forty years how many foreign expeditions have there been? Their results have been glory, but also heavy debts, for when Frenchmen meddle with other people's business they have to do so at their own cost. In 1893 Frenchmen went to Spain to restore the monarchy, and did so at a cost of several hundred millions of francs. To-day it is impos- sible to obtain the slightest reimbursement from Spain. Later, Frenchmen went to Greece, not only at their own expense, but a loan of 800,0001. was guaranteed, on which they have to pay the interest up to the present time. Afterwards they went to Algiers to avenge an insult. The cost must be calculated by millions, and the result is, that at the end of thirty-one years° occupation of the country a European population of two hundred thousand souls requires to be protected by forty thousand or fifty thousand soldiers. Subsequent to 1848, an expedition was sent to Montevideo to pacify and constitute the Republic. It was a small affair, but France had to pay for it. There were two expeditions to Belgium to defend and constitute that nation, which now refuses to take their cost. into consideration. The expedition to Rome was to restore the Pope, protect his person and his Government—an honourable act, for which France paid, while Austria, who occupied other portions of the Pontifical States, took care to have her expenses reimbursed. Later Frenchmen went to the Crimea. Here they achieved plenty of glory, and raised themselves in the eyes of the world ; but they had to pay rather dearly for it—a considerable loss of rnen,60,000,000/. sterling, and the ingratitude, if not the hatred, of the Turks. Next there was the Italian war ; there also great victories were achieved, and fresh laurels added to the military crown of France, at a cost of from 40,000 to 50,000 brave men, 20,000,0001. sterling, a check to French policy as defined at Villafranca, and the embarrassments which now beset France. There have been the Chinese wars—what for the speaker had never been able to understand clearly. But Frenchmen had earned military glory, and had shown themselves in Pekin, which was something. To-day they are in Cochin China, whence commercial transactions may result. But gun shotsare a strange and costly mode of establishing future commercial friendship. French soldiers are leaving Syria, where they have accomplished a great and holy mission. They went as the delegates of all Europe, and by that fatality which clings to French budgets France has to bear the expense alone." Common sense of that kind was of course not listened to, and General Allard proceeded to sketch the existing force of France. It is given in our notice of M. 011ivier's remarks ; but the General added that France had only six plated frigates ready, and ten more which could be made ready if funds were voted for their completion. They would cost 1,800,0001., and might take years to build. It was observed and admitted in the debates that the naval service offered few hopes to officers, that the navy was under-officered, and that half the lieutenants in one year applied for the more profitable com- mand of steam-packets. There is difficulty, though this is officially denied, in keeping up the number of officers. It is said that the death of Count Cavour has greatly increased the desire of the Im- perial Government to keep their forces up to the war standard.
The Minister of the Interior continues to check the Orleanists in every direction. Several members, or supposed members of that party, have presented themselves for election to the Councils General. They are all resisted by the prefects, and men like M. Casimir Perier, M. de Morny, M. Pasquier, Ste., are refused permission to print their circulars to the electors. A philosophical pamphlet also written by the Due de Broglie, and lithographed, but without any view to publication, has been seized, and the Doke intends to bring an action against the department.
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