The general elections will probably be held about the end of April, and already the battle has foe gun.—Bright-coloured posters are making their appearance in five streets, and estimable Frenchmen are denouncing one another as "assassins," and so on—expressions which are used and accepted in a raerel Pickwickian sense at election time. though there is no particularly exciting issue at stake, such as the Dreyfus case supplied when the electors were last consulted four years ago, the contest promised to be fairly lively, especially there lis an clement of the " odium theologicum "about it. The Catholics are the heart and soul of the coalition which has been formed against M. Waldeck-Rousseau, they being naturally anxious to pay off old scores with the state-man who framed the Association Act. With them are the Nationalists, the Antisemites, and all the most reactionary of fractions. The leading Im. Neline and Rikot, who no doubt consider M, Waldeck-Rousseau has had too long an innings, are also doing their best to weaken hi m. Tine monarchists of course are on the same, side. As for the Premier. he stM ha the full confidence of the advanced groups, and his position is just. as stron: to all oviward appearance, as it has ever been. His supporters have one advantage in being unmistakably Republican, whereas the Nationalists, or some of them. are quite capable of throwing in their lot with the Royalists and helping the Duke of Orleans to ascend the throne of his ancestors. Unless some entirely unforeseen circumstance arises at the last moment, the election will probably leave the position very much as it is. Expetienco shows that the voters support the government in power unless they are dazzled by some picturesque personage such as Boulanger. Women are taking A unusually prominent part in the conest. On the opposition side, two leagues of ladies are collecting subscriptions for the benefit of anti-ministerial candidates.
Money is roiling in from all classes of ses. The aristocratic dame who sells her historic necisace in a fit of enthusiasm and hanes the proceeds over to the good rich bourgeoise who thinks it good form to be conservative and take the lead from the "auboury St. Germain, the parvenus," and the "chitelaine" are not the only subseri~ bers. A poor workyiri, having no money sent her watch ant chain to the local treasurer. Four p-azant women brought egos, butter and apples and requested that' they should be sold "to save France." "An old woman wrote that she had been saving up £5 franes to buy an oil-stove wherewith to warm her fingers numbed by incessant stitching, but that she would rather endure the cold than withhold her money from the cause. A subscription of 2.500 francs came from a village near the German frontier with a note to the effect that everyone bad subscribed and there was no need to mention names. These acts of self-abnegation are all. the more touching when it is remembered that they are almost sure to be thrown away." The money will be wasted on subsidizing newspapers with no influence and no readers, and paying swarms of useless parasites. It will be frittered away just as it was in 1993 and 1868, as the Duchess of Uris and the Duke of Orleans found to their cost.
The most prominent men on the tionalist side are two litterateurs, both members of the French Academy Tules Lemaitre and Francois Coppée. is certainly remarkable that two distinguished men of letters should take to polities in middle life and spend the greater part of their time in travelling all over the country and addressing meetings. Jules Tewrs'tre in fact scorns to have aban: Titorature altogether. excont: fas far as political articles in newspapers are concerned. Under the influence of ambition and a woman, he is giving up to party what was meant for mankind which is a pity. Lemaitre and Coppée were anti-Drosfusites from the first and s Aeclino to admit themselves in the wrong. The two great writers who took the other side are quiescent. M. Zoln has disappeared from the public view. "-7 anatole France is absorbed la the history of the middle ages.
France and Rvw~"*.
The Czar's formal invitation to President Loubet to pay a visit to Russia has now been received, and the date will shortly be fixed. Tt will probably be about the end of May. Qnly two high officials of the Republic—the Minister for Foreien Affairs and the Commander: Chief designate, General Brugére—wil accompany the President. The visit, is not considered to have any political importance but to he simply a return call heknowledement of the Czar's coming to France last sear, this exchange of courtesies being required from time to time in order to show the man in the street that there is no ill-feeling. The President. who is a good sailor. although he has spent. all his life on dry land, will go and return by sea. on board a battleship escorted by a small squadron. According to present arrangements, he will spend four days in Russia. M. Deleassé's position will be somewhat equivocal. The
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.