Political life in this country seems inseparable from an atmosphere of scandal. In the early months of the present Parliamentary session a dead set was made against that somewhat erratic statesman, M. Pelletan, the Minister of Marine. He was accused of neglecting the defences of the country and of dismissing admirals when they were bold enough, or rio tic enough, to point out the deficient cies. The agitation has resulted in the pointment of a Parliamentary Commission upon whose body theincriminated Minister was careful himself to have a seat cheek by jowl with his accusers. Such a cheerful arrangement does not make for strong and independent conclusions, perhaps; at any rate, the country at large is somewhat sceptical as to the practical outcome. On the top of this naval scandal, comes one which goes down even deeper to the roots of public life and calls in question the bona fides of a highly-placed official. 'M. Edgar Combes, the son of the Premier and his first Secretary at the Ministry of the Interior, is accused of receiving, or at least of encouraging, a bribe of £80,000 (two million franes) from the Carthusians, the owners of that famous manufactory of liqueurs, known as the Grande Char-trouse. Much evidence has been called by the committee charged with the investigation, but many points are not yet clear. It may be taken for certain that the monks did not approach M. Edgar Combes and that the latter never had any offer of bribery regularly put before him. Yet there is a something mysterious in the affair which has given pause to some adherents of the Government. It is doubtful if the facts will ever be fully known, more especially as Parliament rises in a few weeks for its summer vacation thereby putting an end to the labours of the Commission. A figure in the revelations, such as they are, is a M. Mascurand, one of the most powerful political wire-pullers in France to-day. He is at the head of an electioneering organisation, known as the Republican Committee of Commerce and Industry and, apparently, it was this society that was to benefit by the cheque from the Carthusians. He is an interesting personality, because he represents, for the first time in contemporary history, a French political "boss" of the approved pattern of the United States. M. Mas-durand rules by ribbon. Those manufacturers who wish to be decorated (and who does not in France?) have first to make their peace with him, Notwithstanding the sensation that has been caused by the alleged offer of the Carthusians to buy the protection of the Government, which would enable them to continue in France, few people believe that the life of the Cabinet is at all threatened. M. Combes has struck the Church hard, but no one seems to mind—none less than the parochial clergy. They have long been asking: " Who will rid us of these turbulent fellows (the semi-independent Orders) who take away our loaves and fishes and constitute a dangerous and subversive element in the hierarchy of the Church
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.