FRANCE. 



31 



Six deputies are elected by Algeria, two each 

 by Martinique, Guadeloupe, Reunion, and one 

 each by Guyana, Senegambia, French India; 

 total, 738 deputies. 



The French army was, in 1871, in a process 

 of radical reorganization. The contingent of 

 1870 was by a law of September llth fixed at 

 120,000 ; the National Guard was dissolved by 

 a law of August 29, 1871. The fleet was like- 

 wise to undergo great changes, and accurate 

 information on its condition at the close of 

 the year was wanting. Later dates than 

 those published in the preceding volume of the 

 AMERICAN ANNUAL CYCLOPAEDIA are also want- 

 ing concerning the movement of commerce 

 and of shipping. 



The length of the railroads in operation 

 amounted in September, 1871, to 9,073 miles. 



At the beginning of the year 1871 the seat of 

 the Provincial Government of France was at 

 Bordeaux, to which city it had been removed 

 on December 10, 1870. Toward the close of 

 December, Gambetta had gone to Lyons in 

 order to put a stop to the anarchy which then 

 threatened to gain a firm footing. The Reds 

 of that city, after complaining, in an address to 

 the Government, of the weakness of the au- 

 thorities, and demanding the election of officers 

 who would be directly responsible to the peo- 

 ple, had proceeded so far as to have sentences 

 of death pronounced by revolutionary courts, 

 and, in some instances, even executed. Gam- 

 betta succeeded in reestablishing quiet ; he did 

 not dare, however, to remove the red flag from 

 the city hall. While pursuing a policy of com- 

 promise with regard to the Reds, he continued 

 to make the utmost efforts for the maintenance 

 of the republic. The teachers had previously 

 been instructed to point in their schools to the 

 republican form of government as the only 

 one from which the salvation of the nation 

 could be expected ; now he caused addresses 

 to be sent from all parts declaring that the de- 

 livery of the country was possible only through 

 the republic, and that, though it would require 

 considerable sacrifices, and the employment of 

 extraordinary measures, the great task could 

 be done. One of the most important of these 

 measures was, the dissolution of the General 

 Councils and other elective bodies of the 

 provinces. The General Councils were to be 

 replaced by committees appointed by the pre- 

 fects. This measure, which was not approved 

 by the colleagues of Gambetta, was called 

 forth by the fear that the General Councils 

 might resist the extraordinary measures adopt- 

 ed for raising money. The peasants refused 

 ia many places to pay extraordinary taxes, and 

 to make contracts for the war. A decree of 

 the Government, dated January 2, 1871, by 

 which the people were called upon to pay the 

 taxes one year in advance, was not heeded. 

 The dissolution of the General Councils pro- 

 duced a wide-spread dissatisfaction ; numerous 

 protests were entered against the measure, and 

 the speedy convocation of a National Assem- 



bly was more loudly demanded. Gambetta 

 continued to appoint departmental committees ; 

 and at the same time he instructed the prefects 

 to be more cautious in the collection of taxes. 

 With regard to the Reds, he showed himself 

 conciliatory, and, when the majors of the Na- 

 tional Guard of Lyons resolved by a vote of 

 eighteen against nine to retain the red flag, he 

 quickly gave his consent. 



The city of Paris was in a most unhappy 

 condition. As it was found to be impossible 

 to collect the rents, a delay of three months in 

 their payment was granted to the tenants, and 

 a provincial credit of twenty million francs was 

 opened for the support of the National Guard. 

 The prices of meat were again reduced, and 

 the mortality rapidly increased in consequence 

 of the general want, the scarcity of fuel, and 

 the seveie cold. Nevertheless, the war party 

 remained in the ascendency. Trochu issued a 

 proclamation in which he pledged himself 

 never to surrender, and admonished the popu- 

 lation not to be deceived by fraud and slanders. 

 The proclamation was chiefly directed against 

 the Reds, the clubs of whom violently de- 

 nounced the Government, and demanded that 

 Trochu be replaced by a more daring leader, 

 who would break through the German lines. 

 Gambetta opened a new credit of 52-| million 

 francs, and devoted 30 millions of it to the 

 further purchase of arms and ammunition. On 

 the other hand, a decree which dissolved the 

 corps of Franc-tireurs, or embodied them with 

 the regular army, was regarded by many as an 

 indication that even Gambetta began to de- 

 spair of the final issue. A last attempt to 

 bring on an intervention of foreign powers in 

 favor of France was made when a conference 

 was called in London for settling the Eastern 

 question (see EASTERN QUESTION). By refusing 

 to send a plenipotentiary to take part in the 

 revision of the Peace of Paris of 1856, the 

 Government hoped to dispose some of the neu- 

 tral powers to use their influence in behalf of 

 France. When this hope was disappointed, 

 public opinion seemed to regard a further re- 

 sistance as useless. The situation of Paris in 

 the mean while had become still more des- 

 perate. Armed bands, on January 23d, freed 

 Flourens, who since October 31st had been in 

 prison, and then made a violent attack upon 

 the Hotel-de-Ville, in which the authorities 

 were in consultation. The movement was 

 suppressed by the Guards Mobile, but it in- 

 duced the Government to hasten the surren- 

 der. On January 28th an armistice was 

 signed and a three-weeks' truce concluded. 

 The terrible distress, which had increased the 

 mortality in the last week of January to 6,000 

 souls, now became fully apparent, and the 

 supply of the city with fresh provisions was 

 considerably delayed, as the French had de- 

 stroyed all the railroads of the neighborhood. 

 Gambetta at first seemed disposed to recognize 

 the acts of the Paris delegation of the Govern- 

 ment ; but, when the radicals in Bordeaux, 



