Financial Affairs Of France

The financial speech of the ex-Prime Minister M. Loubet, in the senate, is to be posted, by order of that house, all over France. There are some statements in it worthy of consideration. Thus, the national debt is set down atLl, 200, 000,000. It also appears that the dinïculty of making both ends meet has greatly increased since M. Meline secnred the triumph of his system. The court of audits bas discovered 211 irregnlarities in the last budgetary account of money paid. By irregularities it means embezzlements, set down under the head of " virements. ' ' Among them figures the L800 spent on behalf of a minister for "cabs," and L640 a month for little "dejeuners" at Voisin's, where a minister of justice entertained his friends. The "virements" at the home office are set down at L650, those of the war office at L1,330, those of the colonial office at L2,090, those of the public works office at L2,375. Wheu M. de Freycinet was war minister, the "virements" of his department amounted to about L6,000 a year. He, as minister of publio works and war, swelled the national debt more than any one else in power since Thiers' retirement. The redeemable loans were an expedient of M. de Freycinet to give employment to the