certainly as those of a general by his troops. A
certain class of French politicians may be likened to sheep: they follow
their "leaders."

The smallness of the number of officials in a French newspaper office is
to be accounted for from the fact that parliamentary debates are
transcribed on the spot where the speeches are made; and the reporting
staff never stirs from the legislative assembly. The divers corps of
reporters for Paris journals form a corporation, with its aldermen, or
syndici, and other minor officers. Each reporter is relieved every two
minutes; and while his colleagues are succeeding each other with the
same rapidity, he transcribes the notes taken during his two minutes'
"turn." The result of this revolving system is collated and arranged by
a gentleman selected for the purpose. This mode of proceeding insures,
if necessary, the most verbatim transmission of an important speech, and
more equably divides the work, than does the English system, where each
reporter takes notes for half or three quarters of an hour, and spends
two or three hours, and sometimes four or five, to transcribe his notes.
The French parliamentary reporter is not the dispassionate auditor which
the English one is. He applauds or condemns the orators, cheers or hoots
with all the vehemence of an excited partisan.

"Penny-a-liners" are unknown in Paris; the foreign and home intelligence
being elaborated in general news' offices, independent of the
newspapers. It is there that all the provincial journals are received,
the news of the day gathered up, digested, and multiplied by means of
lithography; which is found more efficacious than the stylet and oiled
"flimsy" paper of our Penny-a-liners. It is from these latter places
too, that the country journals, as well as many of the foreign press,
the German, the Belgium, and the Spanish, are supplied with Paris news.
England is a good market, as most of our newspapers are wealthy enough
to have correspondents of their own.

My first visit to the "Constitutionnel" was in the day-time, and I
caught the editor as he was looking over some of his proofs. Their
curious appearance led me to ask how they were struck off, and, in order
to satisfy me, he led the way up a dark stair, from which we entered
upon the composing-rooms of the premises. These, in appearance, were
like all other composing-rooms that I had seen; the forms, and cases for
the type, were similar to those in London; the men