322 



FRANCE. 



at some future time. The reforms of Jules 

 Simon are intended to apply to the Lycees of 

 the state, which number 63, including that of 

 Algiers, and deducting those of Strasbourg and 

 Metz, as well as to the 255 commercial colleges 

 which are, in respect of their studies, subject 

 to the control and jurisdiction of the state. 

 The following are the principal reforms rec- 

 ommended by the minister : The minister 

 states that, under the present system, the pu- 

 pils leave the Lyce"e very ignorant of Greek 

 and Latin, with very little acquaintance with 

 history or geography, and only moderately 

 taught in any thing ; he desires that in future 

 the pupils should be thoroughly acquainted 

 with the dead languages, should be well versed 

 in history, and still more so in geography; 

 should be well up in mathematics, chemistry, 

 and physics ; and that, moreover, they should 

 be able to speak, fluently, at least one modern 

 language English or German ; should have 

 some knowledge of literary history, of com- 

 parative grammar ; should be able to ride on 

 horseback, be skilful in gymnastics, in swim- 

 ming, and military exercises. There will be 

 formed in each Lyc6e, under the presidency 

 of the head master, a council of professors for 

 letters, and another for sciences, which will give 

 their opinions of proposed reforms, and will 

 recommend such others as may appear to them 

 to be useful. Moreover, these councils will have 

 a direct and decisive action in respect of the 

 teaching. The minister will hereafter confine 

 himself to "preparing the general rules which 

 are necessary to insure unity of teaching." 

 Each professor will be free " to choose his 

 method, his class-books, and even to make his 

 own special regulations, upon condition only 

 that he communicates them to his colleagues, 

 and obtains their approval." The study of 

 letters is but of secondary importance, and the 

 exercises in that branch of learning are to be 

 diminished. Grammar is no longer to be 

 learned by heart, but will be mixed up with 

 lessons of hygiene and modern languages. 

 " The dead languages," says M. Jules Simon, 

 " must be learned that they may be read, but 

 the living languages must be learned to be 

 spoken." For the teaching of geography he 

 applies a new method. Subdivisions are first 

 to be studied, the commune, the canton, and 

 the department, the country ; after which the 

 student proceeds to deal with neighboring 

 countries, and by degrees the whole globe 

 comes under notice. The minister calls that 

 "an approach to the natural method." M. 

 Jules Simon adds to the future education an 

 instrument most valuable for philological stud- 

 iesthe study of general grammar, or, as he 

 styles it, " comparative grammar." He recalls 

 the fact that it was attempted twenty years 

 ago he might with truth have said thirty 

 years ago ; but he thinks that at that period 

 it was a premature attempt. 



The National Assembly reopened at Ver- 

 sailles, on November llth, nearly all the mem- 



bers being present. On the following day 

 Gr6vy was elected President by a vote of 462 

 yeas to 43 nays. On November 13th President 

 Thiers read from the tribunal his inaugural 

 message. He commenced by stating that per- 

 fect calm had prevailed in the country during 

 the parliamentary vacation, and that progress 

 had been made in the work of reparation and 

 general prosperity,for which thanks were due 

 to God, the sovereign author of all things, who 

 helps and sustains nations in misfortune that 

 have not despaired of Him or of themselves. 

 Relative to the loan, M. Thiers said that the 

 whole available capital of the commercial 

 world had been offered to France. The Gov- 

 ernment had received in instalments 1,750,000,- 

 000 francs; thus, half the loan had been real- 

 ized in three months. The Government com- 

 menced operations with 1,400,000,000 to 1,500- 

 000,000 in bills of all countries on Germany. 

 Prussia had already received 800,000,000 

 francs, and would receive 200,000,000 francs 

 more in December. The Government would 

 have 600,000,000 francs remaining in bills 

 toward next year's payments. Speaking of the 

 position of the Bank of France, M. Thiers said 

 the bank has 800,000,000 francs in gold and sil- 

 ver in hand, 44,000,000 francs of bar-gold or de- 

 posit, and 50,000,000 francs in gold and silver 

 belonging to the state. 



The French imports for the present year, 

 nine months of which were already known, 

 would be 3,457,000,000 francs, and the ex- 

 ports, 3,557,000,000. The Government esti- 

 mated the public deficit at the end of the year 

 at about 132,000,000 francs. A financial equi- 

 librium would be fully attained at the end of 

 1873, and the Government felt certain of a 

 considerable surplus in 1874. M. Tliiers pro- 

 ceeded to give details relative to the Anglo- 

 French Treaty of Commerce. He said : 



"We have promised England, and she has promised 

 us, to treat each other on the looting of the most fa- 

 vored nation. The same principle will in the future 

 regulate our relations with Great Britain. "We shall 

 do what we consider advisable for the protection of 

 our industry, but we shall not treat English products 

 differently from the products of other nations. Eng- 

 land will act in the same manner toward us. But, as 

 we were bound toward several countries by numer- 

 ous engagements which it was impossible to break 

 without a previous agreement, we have postponed 

 the complete application of the principle we have 

 adopted until the 31st of December, 1876, the period 

 when our engagements, and especially those by 

 which we are bound toward Austria, will expire. 

 Until then, if our fiscal taxes or our treaties should 

 cause temporarily a differential system toward Eng- 

 land, England would await on the 31st of December, 

 1876, the system of equality which we have promised 

 to concede to her. Thus, the conditions stipulated 

 with Great Britain are for the present the immediate 

 collection of our fiscal taxes, and the provisional 

 maintenance of the existing system as regards French 

 products in England and English products in France 

 for the future reciprocal treatment on the basis of 

 the most favored nation on the day when this equal 

 system shall become possible. 



Passing in review the above satisfactory re- 

 sult of the efforts of the Government to repair 



