The numerous metropolitan vestries and district b ards of works and other bodle which very few of the residents understood or took the smallest interest in, have now been swept away. Considering' all things it must be confessed that they did their work fairly well. In spite of the lack of interest in. local affairs which the system induced, Greater London did not compare badly in the matter of paving and lighting and so forth wih many of the provincial towns; but there was plenty of room for improvement, and under the new system, which has already aroused in London a keenness of interest in local affairs never We are still in the dark as to the attitude which the French Government will adopt towards Mr. Kriiger, but some inferences may perhaps be drawn from a statement by one of the Government's supporters, the seilles, who, althouzh'sympathising asa private individual with the Boers, has decided not to take part in any reception of Me. Krier and not to take any action which might be considered offensive to a friendly power, England, The Cabinet would be only too glad to maintain a similar attitude, but it will have to overesme Dr. Leyds's claims for Mr. Kriiger to be treated as the head ofan independent state, and no one can yet say how the ditliculsy' will Lo overcome. Dr. Leyds is now in Paris, and from the remarks let fall by his immediate supporters, there can be no doubt that he intends to urge his ewe with all the vigour at his command, 'The pro-Boer newspapers are working up the public to give Mr. Kriiger 1 enthusiastic reception, and the Boer independence Committee' is receiving a steady flow of subscriptions from all sorts of worthy people who honestly believe that Me, Kriger is martyr tothe rapacity [of Enzland. The only" part of France in which the ex-President's coming is not regarded with favour is the Riviera, where the hotel-keepers and tradesmen are look ing forward to an influx of Enylish visitors to make up for the disastrous season experienced last winter.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.