Norurxa shews more clearly the low state into which politics have fallen in France than the way in which the great colony that has been founded at such expense of men and money in Indo-China has been treated. The Courrier Haiphong, in its last umber, repeats its well-founded complaints on this score. Most prejudicial to the Colony, it says, was the subordinate position of the Resident-General, who could take no decisions himself, but was obliged to refer everything home, and the Governor-General's ition is little better. When the Ministry at home judged a man fit to occupy such a post, it should give him almost absolute wer, subject to having to account for is acts. His appointment should be for a fixed term, unmoved by political fluctuations and ministerial crises; the only way to give French Indo-China a fair chance is to cuttle telegraphic cable, and have done with this constant chan; of governors. The Courrier has only been founded two years, and in that time Tongking has had Paul Bert, who just when he was shat to put his Tito execution" then'came M. Vial as for the prosperity of the country
acting Resident, followed by M. Bihourd; after eight months M. Bihourd was recalled, and M. Constans appointed Governor-General, with M. Berger as Resident; and now M. Constans is recalled, and M. Richaud is coming as Resident General. What cana Governor or Resident General do, whose position is at the mercy of any' bit of, gossip that some busybody may carry to the Ministry? How can he come to any decision when he has to refer every question of importance to the Ministry, and send ten telegrams about it? The position is impossible. A colonist goes to the Governor with some project; it is taken into consideration, and just comes ig the Governor. He is when he ts his answer, a telegram
told: "I am leaving; you must go into the matter with my successor; I cannot do anything to bind him and there is an end of his project. The Residents Tongking has had have done nothing of importance. They have upset the whole staff, and filled the offices with their own special friends; and just as they are warm in their seats, a new sun rises, and the change begins all over again, Indo-China wants a Governor endowed with all the powers that are given to an English Colonial Governor, and appointed for a fixed term, and with a staff of permanent officials, such as exists in every English Colony; the system, in fact, which has made the English Colonies so success~ ful. Indo-China wants M. Constans back as Governor-General, for three' years at least, with full authority—without any troublesome division between civil authority and military authority—and full liberty of action; and it will then develop, will add its share to the prosperity of the mother-country, and cease to be a mere party weapon, We cannot but sympathise with our contemporary's complaints; and we do not wonder that moderate Frenchmen who care more for the prosperity of their country, than for party politics, are beginning to agree with General Boulanger that the present Chamber—whose extravagance and nepotism are ruining the fortunes of France—is no longer truly representative of the country; and to think that perhaps a Dictator—even General Boulanger, if he is a man of capacity—would be better than the present succession of self-seeking Ministries, each more impotent to do good than its predecessor,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.