No. 409.
Mr. McLane
to Mr. Bayard.
Paris, October 19, 1888. (Received October 29)
Sir: On the 16th instant I sent you a telegram as follows, the object of which was simply to confirm the views expressed in my previous political communication:
Referring to my No. 665, and confirming it, find explanation of the vote of confidence obtained by the Floquet ministry yesterday in the Chambers.
I advised you, in my No. 665, that Mr. Floquet had determined to make the question of revision a cabinet question when the Chambers met, and that though he had reserved this question when he thought its presentation was calculated to assist the opposition concentrating itself against the Government, he was not willing to surrender the programme on which he and his colleagues had organized the present cabinet. The moderate Republicans, as I advised you, opposed bitterly all concession to those in favor of revision, and for some time it was doubtful whether Mr. Floquet would be able to unite his cabinet in support of the programme referred to. He resolutely maintained his purpose and executed it with great parliamentary tact, uniting a large majority of the Republicans in the Chambers and putting the entire opposition of every hue in the minority and apparently against revision, as he contrived to consolidate the vote into one of confidence as well as one favorable to revision.
General Boulanger voted with the opposition, but he took with him only four or five of his adherents, and Mr. Ferry, with his principal adherents, abstained from voting, leaving Mr. Floquet in possession of the Republican party.
I have, etc.,