FRANCE, ANNAM, AND CHINA. 1 37 



Immediately on his landing at Hanoi he addressed in vigorous 

 language the French merchants and residents in the Colony, reminding 

 them, that with them and them alone, rested its future peace and 

 prosperity ; he issued a proclamation to the Army, extolling their 

 valour and devotion ; and he assured the people of the newly- 

 acquired provinces that their property and interests were secure ; 

 that their ancient customs would be respected ; and to this end he 

 promised them the assembling of a Council of Notables, in order to 

 discuss and advise on public affiairs. 



During his short-lived Governorship he set an admirable example 

 to his successors, of ceaseless activity for the welfare of the Colony ; 

 for he arranged the finances of Annam and Tonquin ; he organised a 

 system for the collection of taxes and customs, which brought con- 

 siderable relief to the taxpayer and advantage to the State ; he 

 encouraged Municipal government in the chief towns of the pro- 

 vinces ; he strengthened the Native Councils which he found exist- 

 ing, by the exclusion of the Mandarin authority, so that, thereby, 

 the real wishes of the people might be pore fully expressed ; and 

 lastly, he did much to realise one of his brightest hopes, in fact the 

 laudable ambition which impelled him to accept the responsible 

 position, when he thought of the vast good which he would have in 

 his power to do for learning and civilisation, for he laid the foundation 

 of an Academy of Learning, and it is stated that one of his last 

 public appearances at Hanoi was to preside at its opening, and to 

 superintend the first examination of the students. 



In reviewing, therefore, the career of Paul Bert as the representa- 

 tive of France in the Indo-Chinese Peninsula, it may be said that 

 amid all the obstacles that he had to contend with, (and they were 

 almost insuperable to the carrying out of his advanced poUcy), that 

 he proved himself an able administrator, for his record of services 

 amongst the people of the conquered provinces, who had but just 

 emerged from barbarism, and who were filled with a rancorous 

 hostility to the Conquerors, showed that he accomplished much in the 

 direction of order and confidence, in place of the tumult and war 

 that had for so many years reigned rampant. 



His lamented death in November 1886, arising it is feared from 

 the poisonous malaria of the unhealthy cUmate, was a heavy blow to 

 the work of reorganisation he had inaugurated during the twelve 

 months of his Governorship, and it was keenly felt by all parties in 

 France, especially by the Government of De Freycinet, as an irre- 

 parable loss to the Colony and the Republic. 



