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MUNICIPAL POLITICS IN
PARIS.
m
A NEW 0EPABTUSE.
A Paris correspondent writes :— The
n#w President of the Municqial Council
of Paris, K. Bfusselle, who took posses
sion of bis fduteuil last week, has
made an exeeUent impression by the
studied moderation and practical spirit
of his inaugural discourse.. It ib long
since anything so temperate and aaga=i
- cms hiirwoB heard from the Presidential
chair in the Bfetel de Ville. M. ' Bous
aeQe not only spoke of 'liberty'* and
'Tolerance,' which are the stock topics
of discosraes such as his, but he gave a
M. Bocssslxje. Help
M. Bocssslxje.
practical tawnplificatioii of his concep
taoa of these terms by preachingconcilia
tioh with the Government departmenta.
TIrtoonatitotionftlspiritwhiriiaTihnates
M. itottaseaeionnd quite a strikingex
tK&^li&cationiu onepusageof bis speech
in »i«pfr, '?fty^^WTOT^^^^g «ff tt*ft action
of tbe Chamber of Deputies towards the
Municipal Council, be expressed his con
fidences in the ability and disposition of
the Senate to see justice done. This re
mark produced, as may by imagined a
real sensation in an Assembly which is
accustomed to speak of Second Chambers
in language of studied abuse. For the
rest M. Bousselle abstained altogether
from the repertory of academic questions
on which hisptedecesaors wasted somuch
of tiieir time, but contented himself with
saying a few sensible things about the
M. Masgonhk&xt. Help
M. Masgonhk&xt.
the necessity of beautifying Paris and
improving its sanitation. He hoped
that many reforms might be carried oat
in time for the Exhibition of 1900, so
that foreign visitors might find the
French capital 'prosperous, free, abd
progressive, pursuing- the dictates of in
telligence and art, and maternally soli
citous for those of her children who have
been oppressed, wounded, or striken
down by the cruelties of life.'
The day after M. Eouaselle's in.
vestiture with tie chairmanship an un
fortunate fr&cax occulted iu the library
of the Hotel de VUle. M. Massonnesu,
a journalist, who has taken a deep in
terest in municipal politics, and con
tributes a descriptive account of the
proceedings of the Council to the
' Xntxansigeant ' was quietly prepar
ing hia 'copy ' in the library when an
excited councillor, M. Brard, walked
Up to tiiw
'Are you M. Massonneau ?' he
asked.
' Parfaitement, ' replied the journal
ist. ^
Then I have to tell you that yon are
a scoundrel, and if you mention my
name again in your articles I will kul
you like a dog.'
Thereupon M. Brard epat in the face
of his critic, at the same time shouting
that all journalists were blackguards.
M. Massonneau responded with two
sharp blows on M. Braid's nose, and
the irate councillor retired hastiy.
ThiEincidenthaabeenformally brought
before the Council by the syndicate of
the Municipal Press, of which M.
Massonneau is vice-presidont, and pend
ing disciplinary measures M. Bonaaelle
has expressed his profound regret at
theconduct of M. Brard.
$