Everyone here sees the absurdity of Palikao's declaration, that Bazaine was commander-in-chief when he was invested in Metz, but no one seems to see the still greater absurdity of the supreme civil and military Government of the whole country remaining in Paris whilst it is invested by the German armies.

Yesterday, for instance, a decree was issued allowing the town of Roubaix to borrow, I forget how much.

Can anything be more absurd than for a provincial town to be forced to wait for such an authorisation until it receives it from Paris?
It is true that there is a delegation at Tours, but, so long as it is nothing but a delegation, it will be hindered in its operations by the dread of doing anything which may conflict with the views of its superiors here.

Paris at present is as great an incubus to France as the Emperor was.

Yesterday M.Gambetta started in a balloon for Tours, and in the interests of France I shall be glad to see his colleagues one and all follow him.