The Express.
London, England, 1862-05-09 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PA.RLS.

Mom ars am

PABiB Tanuinia EVENING.
The Pays repeats as latest news, and as if it was
credible, the assertion of the New York journals
that M. Mercier's visit to Richmond was an event
of no political importance whatever. But this is
absurd. The story about the French ambassador
going there to look after some tobacco is altogether
unfounded. The French tobaooo manufactory in
South America is sublet to Rothschild for a term
which has yet five years to run, and President Jef-
ferson Davis some time sinoe agreed with M. Bel-
mont, the local agent of M. de Rothschild, to allow
him every facility for exportation. There was,
therefore, absolutely nothing for M. Mercier to
settle about the tobacco. It is, moreover, well
known in political circles in Paris that he has
made most important overtures, though the nature
of them is studiously kept a secret. The Comfits-
Sonnet has an article to-day with the motto
" mediation and conciliation," from which, how-
ever, nothing definite can be gathered, except that
a serious attempt is making to put a stop to the

war.
The Archbishop oflßennes' petition to the Senate,
against the nomination by the Prefect of the Ille
and Vilaine of a lay schoolmaster for the little
village of Sel, whereas a majority of the muni-
cipal council had recommended a monk, was yester-
day shelved by a vote of the previous question.
The law on the matter was absolutely free from
doubt. The decree of 1862, which has the force of
law, says that schoolmasters are appointed by the
prefect, the municipal council being first heard.
In the present case the prefect did, according to
his bounden duty, " heal" the municipal council,
and he afterwards acted against their recommenda-
tion, as it was his most undoubted right to do.
Nevertheless the ultramontaniata de la Roche-
jaquelin, Segur d'Agueaseau, Cardinal Mathieu,
and others made long speeches about liberty
of instruction, the rights of fathers of
families, and persecution of the clergy. M.
Billault, who appeared as the government
orator, made a very firm speech in support of the
prefect's authority, and taunted the clerical party
with their ingratitude towards the Emperor, who
had done more for them than any of his predeces-
sors in this century. He reminded them, in bitter
terms, how ardently they had supported the prin-
ciple of authority in the Emperor's hands eleven
years ago, and how far they then were from sus-
pecting the higher powers of the state and accord-
ing more confidence to the lower. He accused the
party in the municipal council of *lel, which was
supported by the archbishop, of being actuated by
a spirit of "ultra-proselytism," and mentioned a
case in that very commune of a priest refusing the
sacraments of the church to a mother unless she
would take away her child from a lay school and
send it, against the wish of its father,
to a seminary conducted by monks. So much,
said M. Billault, for the pretext that the petition
was presented in the interest of fathers of families.
He said he had many statistics, which he could
read, showing the aggressiveness of the religious
schools, but he abstained, on account of the late-
ness of the hour. If, which God forbid, another
debate of the kind should be brought on, he would
state facts which would astonish people. The
Marquis de Larochejaquelin and Cardinal Mathieu,
with much clamour, insisted upon replying to the
minister, but the Senate, taking its cue from M.
Troplong, decided that they had heard the affair
discussed long enough, and voted the previous ques-
tion by an overwhelming majority.
The Emperor and Empress conducted their
guests, the King and Queen of Holland, to the races
in the Bois de Boulogne to-day, and the projected
fête chantpetre at Trianon was, consequently, put off
till to-morrow. It will come off then with great
éclat. A breakfast for 150 is ordered in Marie
Antoinette's garden. The weather is less charming
than it has been since the beginning of the month.
The second quarter of the lune rousse began yester-
day, and is signalised by a disturbed state of the
atmosphere, iudicatiug storms and chilly currents
of air.
The Bourse has been tolerably firm, without
much business doing or any great change in quota-
tions. The Waite closed at 70fr. 70c. (yesterday's
price) for cash, and at 70fr. 80c., with a rise of 10c.,
for account. Mobilier rose lir. 25e. The Italian
Loan was in request, and rose 35c. In railways
the only noticeable change was a rise of 7fr. 50c. in
Southern. Caisse Mires is firm at 150 fr.
Some of the journals state that M. Rouhor, the
Minister of Commerce, will leave Paris for London
about the 15th inst., to visit the Exhibition.
A first warning has been given to the journal La
Halle, of the Island of Reunion, for an article con-
taining " insinuations offensive for one of the
public services of the colony."

Marshal Magnan, grand master of the order of
freemasons in France, has just addressed a letter to hie
brothers in general, and the dissentient lodges in particular.
After regretting the schism which has long divided the
order in France, he says that a "sovereign will " desires
them to be united. He particularly wishes to establish
the fact that an " act of high and public sympathy, the
first that has honoured the French freemasonry, has
confided to him the direction of the rites in France,"
in order to prevent their true import from being mis-
construed. For this purpose he appeals to all hie brethren,
and expresses a firm conviction that his appeal will be
heeded. He thee, et ter having addressed the dissentient
masons, turns to those of Paris, and urgesthem to set the
example in the work of union. He concludes bj saying
that the Bth of June of the present year ought so inau-
gurete a new era, and expressesa hope to see all the
lodges gathered around him in harmony on that day.
The Imperial Library in the Rue do Richelieu,
Paris, has undergone a complete transformation, sad the
new reading-room, which is of immense size, will shortly
be opened to the public. The library contains 1,800,000
volumes, and the shelves on which they are arranged
measure 28 kilometres, or 17 miles. It is generally sup-
posed that the library collected by Marin V. in the Louvre
formed the stock for the Imperial Library, but this is as
error. That library waa purchased for 1,206 lime by the
Duke of Bedford during the Ugh& occupation. The few
books existing in Paris of that period ware scattered
among the other royal palaces, and were saved by their
insignificance. It was Louis XL who collected them in the
Louvre. Louis XIL transferred the new collectiou to Blois,
and Francis I. to Footainebleau. It was in the year 1722
they were transferred to the Hotel Nevers, in the Rue de

Richelieu.
A letter from Algiers, in the Semaphore of Mar-
seille, says :—" If I am well informed, the superior autho-
rity has decided that a certain number of natives shall be
sent to the Exhibition in London at the expense of the
colony. It is probable that that deputation will be taken
from among the chiefs, and it is to be desired that the
peat industrial solemnity in question may gins them a
taste for European civilisation."
RIMIIHN OF TBI ALL-ENGLAND ELlFlN.—Cap-
tan Stephenson and his tea companions, who bays been
winning fresh laurels in Australia, arrived at Alexandria
with the overland pomusgers on Sunday last, the 4th inst.,
sad left the following day for Marselllee, which port they
ware expiated to reach on the 12th. They will in all pro-
bability get to London by the 14th, in time to receive a
hearty welcome hem from the gentlemen of the Surrey
Club. who dine at the Bridge HOO2O Hotel on the 15th inst.
LONDON GzszaAL Owsinus COMPANY (Lamm*
—Trafilc receipts, week ending May 4, 13,4924 7s, I.ld.