Tae singular treatment which the Malagasy Envoy and his colleague received from the French Minister for Foreign Affairs, andasubordiuate acting apparently under his orders, has invested their mission with more interest than would otherwise have been bestowed upon it, The Ambassadors had been for some time in Paris, bearers of certain representations from their Queen upon matters on which the French in Madagasoar have been creating differences between the two nations. They bad boon very coldly treated from the first. The President refused to receive them unless they gave complete satisfaction to France upon two points; these being the chief in the matters in dispute. A few weeks afterwards, on the 25th November, after considerable pressure hind been pinoed upon them to induce them to yield to the French demands, written ultimatum was suddenly presented to them from the Ministry of Bi Foreign Affaire, This document siipulated that the Hova or Malagasy Go-yernment should recognize a French Protectorate over the west const of Madagascar, and the right of the French to acquire Innd under ninety-nine years Tenses. The Ambasandors were told that if they refused to sign this docu-mont the most serious consequences to their country would follow, They did refuse to sign; and their reply was trented with contempt by the French Foreign Minister, Subsequently they wore visited at their hotel by the agent of the Foreign Office who had conducted the abortive negotiations between them and the Minister, who required them to lower their national ting which had been flying over the hotel in which they were residing; nud on their refusing be culled on the hotel people who throw open the window and took in the flag. The Ambassadors immediately left for London, where they were received with oe siderable sympathy; which at the departure of last mail appeared to be on the increase. This is not to be wondered at, as the treatment which they had received had been of 80 extraordin nary and uncourteous a character, It is, of course, quite possible that a little too much has been made of the Ambassadors since their arrival in London, Besides sympathy with their object in "going to Europe, there are at the present time other foolings very widely diffused among Englishmen, which would make them join heartily in any demonstration which appeared to be anti-French, But the Buglish press has been careful to show that while upon the whole it takes the Malagasy side in the dispute with France, it recognizes the fact that there are certain treaty rights which support a part of the Frouch claims. And Lord Granville, when receiving a deputation from the Madagascar committee—a body that has apparently been formed in London to watch the course of events in this question in the interest of Madagascar—said with reference to the right to hold land on ninety-nine years leases which France demands for ber citizens-—Both Feance and England, though France has stuck to it more pertinaciously than we have, have contended that they have already treaty rights which give a claim to both French and English subjects to purchase and. hold it, It thos "appears that Lord Granville, at least to some extent, supports the principle of the French demand as to land-holding in the island. But, as regards the French claim to a protect orate of the west coast of Madagascar, ho stated that he was not aware of any treaty which gives such a right to France. It appears that this demand is based upon a large cession of territory made in 1848 by a tribe which was in rebellion, But it is stated that no reference is made to this cession in the treaty which was concluded between France and Madagascar in 1868, 8 this, the Emperor Napoleon expressly recognized the goverament of the Hovas over the whole island in that very year of 1868, The claim to protectorate over a portion of the island which has been advanced by the French daring Into years, would thas appear to rest upon statements that certain natives in the west and north have placed themselves under French protection. When this claim was made in Madagascar the Hova govornmout disregarded it, and established Customhouses; and when the French Consul remonstrated, be was threatened with violence.
The interests which Eogland has in Madagascar are not largo; but the secretary of the Committees which sent a deputation to Lord Granville, stated that there are five times as many English as Frouch in the Island, and that the amount of our trade with it is qua-drape that of France, while a largo portion of the food supply of Mauritius is drawn from the island. The efforts which the Queen and her Ministers have been making for several years past to improve the condition of the people and extend civilization, have uatarally drawn a great deal of attention to them, and a warm interest has boon taken in their policy. These feelings will naturally load many people to countenance action on the part of the English Government to defeat the ends which the Frouch have in view. What the Government has really done we do not know. Negotintions are in progress in Paris and are said to be going on satisfactorily and this is very likely to be the ease if the policy of the Government has been conceived in the spirit of Lord Derby's recent speech ab Manchester. "But it is not a question," he said of the French claims on Madagascar, "which would justify anything beyond friendly mediation; and if, as seems likely, the matters in dispute are mere pretext, and the seizure of a past of that enormous territory is a foregone conclusion, there is nothing for us to do." To which his audience cried "Hear, hear." The late French Ministry have left their successors a good many troublesome little matters to settle, such as those concerning Aunam, Tanis, Bgypt and the De Brassa treaty with the African chiefs on, the Congo. It is to be hoped that their successors may be able to conclude these without having recourse to such discourteous treatment of the representatives of weak nations as that of the Duclero Cabinet in the case of the Malagasy Envoys. It is to be feared, however, that the policy of the last Ministry was thoroughly approved by the Chamber. It could scarcely be other as M. Daclerc announced when he took office that he would be the mouthpiece and obedient servant of the majority. And there is no doubt that the present and late weakness in great questions, and dicta torial policy in small ones, of the French Cabinet has been due to a Ministry accepted having office on such terms, The majority of the present Chamber is largely composed of provincial nobodies, who know nothing of affairs, but who insist that the policy of a great nation shall be submitted to and manipulated by them.
FORMER BMBASSIES TO PEKING, Tue effect of aggressive Chinese wars daring last century was to increase the number of ambas: After the war in Parma, the willingness not only of that country but also of Cochin China and Siam, as also the kingdom of Nanchang, to send representatives with presents to Peking was visibly increased. In consequence of this the frequency of the arrival of embassies in the capital from those countries became quite remarkable, Ninety-two years ago when the time was Chien Lung, and the great-great-grandfather of the Emperor now reigning was on the Throne and had just attained his eightieth year, stream after stream of ambassadorial foreign envoys with their followers in long procession were seen entering the metropolis to present addresses of congratulation and offer presents. The fine old Emperor of that date, seeing bow eager the subject sovereigns of the state were to express their reverent feelings of admiration and delight, wrote with the Vermilion Pencil many a brief Edict of Thanks for the numerous gifts which then came from each kingdom in double quantity, On all such occasions presents must be given in return. It would not be right to be loss generous in giving than were the ralers of the Tributary states; or, a8 one Edict quite expressively words it, to allow of there being a single instance of "thick come, thin go" was not to be thought of.
Corea came first, and after her Cochin-China, with presents of rhinoceros horn, ivory, lutestring, cinnamon and fine cloth. This was preliminary to a visit of the King, who, after receiving per-
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.