The Express.
London, England, 1862-02-12 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(now on own,

PARIS. Tommy Eviransa.

The Senate has unanimously passed the Con-
version Bill. It must be borne in mind, however,
that this illustrious body, before whom every new
law must be brought, has no jurisdiction either to
reject or amend it except upon the single ground
of unconstitutionality. Their unanimity, there-
fore, is no expression of opinion whatever upon the
merits of the measure.

The Bourse has been dull. The parties charged
with the direction of the speculation are waiting to
see what amount of scitsite the government will fix
before they expend their force, and the public is
timid and hesitatilg. The Rents rose sc. for cash,
and fell sc. for account, closing at 70fr. 95c. and
71fr. 25c. MobiPer was without change. The
Italian Loan fell 35e. The Western Railway rose
7fr. 50c., and Lyons, Mr.; in the other lines little
alteration.

The Opiisiois Nationale, after quoting the leading
article of the Daily News of Monday against king-
making in Mexico, says : _ .

The Observations of tlit; Daily Nom are founded upon the
principles of national sovereignty and the law of nations ;
but prices have fax other Mesa, and a Madrid journal has
reason to believe that a new candidate for the throne of
Minion has turned itp in the parses of the Count of Flan•
due, second sos of the King of the Belgians.
_ . .

The great legal question whether the French civil
code permits the marriage of priests remains for the
present undecided. The Court of Periguenx, after
hearing a most briliant argument from M. Jrlea
Fevre on behalf of M. Brou de Laurihre, a
priest whom the mayor refuses to marry, and
after an expression of opinion by the judge
advocate against the priest, found itself un-
able to pronounce a judgment, two judges
being in favour of the plaintiff, and two
against him. In consequence of this division,
the case will be argued again next month,
with an additional judge on the bench. Inasmuch
as whatever the coming decision may be it will
undoubtedly be followed by au appeal, and a
recourse to the Court of Caseation, a splendid field
of litigation is opened.
According to the ultramontane journals, Mgr.
Chigi, the Papal nuncio, has received 57,000
visiting cards since his arrival in Paris, and has
informed Cardinal Antonini of this formidable
demonstration in favour of the temporal power.

The copyright commission held another meeting
to-day. Aethe inquiry proceeds, the theorists who
support the doctrine of perpetuity begin to per-
ceive the difficulties in the way of it. Out of four
speakers at the second meeting only one supported
the project orig"ially proposed.
M. Lambast, the envoy of Radama IL of Nada-
-1 gascar, has had a private audience of Count de
Chasseloup-Laubat, Minister of Marine.

The preliminary notice of marriage between
Baron Solomon James de Rothschild, banker, of the Rue
Laffitte, Paris, coo of Baron James de Rothschild, with
MM.. Adele Ansa Charlotte, daughter of M. Meyer de
Rothschild, of Franktott, has been posted up at the Mairie
in the Rue Drouot. _

The Viceroy of Egypt, whose affairs continue to
present a very unpromising awed, is about to advertise
for tenders for a loan of 40 millions of francs.
•

The Temps has • strange story from Berne. At
a ball lately given by the Brazilian Ambassador, one of the
servants attempted to stab him. He was taken off to gaol,
but moon after released, at the intercession of the ambassador
himself. The Tempe is a cautious paper, but this is very Ile
a canard.
At the meeting of the French Literary Society
(Sociin! des Gess de Learn) held in Parie on Sunday for
the purpose of electing its managing committee for the
year, M. Victor Hugo's name was put up, and, though he
hail not the majority, not less than fifty votes were given
for him. As M. Victor Hugo has not been in France for
the last ten years, and as it would be impossible for him to
perform the duties of the office even were he chosen, these
fifty votes are regarded by many persons as a sort of
political manifestation."
The Annuaire des Posies gives the following par-
ticulars respecting the business of the French Post-office
during the year 1861 :—From the Ist of January to the 31st
of December the Pciet-office received 274,003,000 letters, of
which 2,149,498 were returned to the Dead Letter-office,
owing to the addresses being inures:6. Out of the
274,000,000 the number prepaid was 246,600,000 ; the rest
were paid for by the persons who reosived them, and both
together brought in a sum of 56,600,0001 r., including the
additional charge on 315,408 registered letters, coutainiog •
declared value of 521,800,6701 r.
M. Maurice Sand, son of Madame George Sand,
the well-known novelist, who toxompanied Prince Napoleon
on his trip to America, publishes in the Reruc des Deux
Meads au account of his tour. lie surpasses the Ame.
Hearn themselves in the freedom with which he enters
into the details of private life. Describing the interview
with the President of the United States, he writes :—" If I
give you all 11r. Lincoln's claims to public respect, you will
allow me • smile at his whimsical appearance, and at that
pair of kid gloves which seem astonished at finding them-
selves io the hands of a rail-eplitter. He advanced in a shy,
awkward wanner, shook hands with the prince, then
with each of us, and attempted to enter into a
friendly conversation. How many days did you
take from Europe? Is it to the son of Lucien Bona-
parte that I have the honour of speaking ? What do you
think of America ? It is very hot C Evidently the worthy
man was moat kindly disposed, but the representative of
freedom had none whatever in his speech or manners. He
bad no difficulty in expressing himself (he gained his posi-
tion
by his speeches), end the prince speaks English per-
fectly. I should have preferred seeing a jolly, blunt, blus-
tering farmer, proud of his position ea • pareears. He was A student at Heidelberg, named Wolff, the only
110 awkward that I felt quite disappointed. I should have son of the principal 'sinker of mimeo, his just been load
laced to conjure up my jolly farmer. We wPwratta, with in a duel with another student, after some trifling dispute.
more shaking of bands." The victim survived by a few hours the arrival of his
The Swim Federal Assembly on Saturday closed afflicted west.,
its session, which has not been of any great importance in a The various railway companies in France are
political point of view. I engaged, in concert with the government, in a general re-
The Madrid diligence, which left Bayonne on the modelling of their tariffs for pueengers and merchandira,
6th, was robbed at Iron of 4,000 piutree during the era- and the new regulations will, it is said, come into force
urination of the travellers' leipge. The conductor has when the summer service Commences. The redaction of
been arrested. fares will be more particularly applied to short &names.