NEWS OF THE WEEK.
THE situation in France is rapidly growing serious. It is be- lieved by general opinion—which may, of course, be poisoned at its source—that M. Wilson, the President's son-in-law, has used his great influence with M. Grimy to further his individual business intereets,—that, for example, he has officially favoured men who advertised largely in his papers, and has franked masses of letters connected with those papers with the Presi- dent's stamp. The moment the Chambers met, therefore, on Tuesday, a motion was made that a Committee be appointed to report on the expediency of an inquiry, and urgency was demanded for it. The Government resisted, but urgency was voted by the crashing majority of 379 to 155. The Committee hag therefore been appointed, and every member of the eleven iglu favour of inquiry. The report, therefore, is settled beforehand ; and if the Chamber accepts it, and votes inquiry, it is believed the President nil resign. We do not believe it, for that would be to condemn his son-in.law, who fights with spirit, and voted for the inquiry on himself; but if M. Wilson is condemned, M. Chevy must go—as being too weak to govern—and if he is -acquitted, the President probably will go, as an unfairly insulted man. Paris, therefore, is full of rumours as to the next Presi- dent, the two prominent names being M. de Freycinet and M. Jules Ferry. To carry either, however, the Opportunists must win over some one party.
