The Express.
London, England, 1864-04-09 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(ram ova OWN

PARIS, FRIDAY EVINIRG.

There was a long discussion in the Corps Legis-
latif yesterday upon a bill increasing the maximum
of life annuities granted by the Caisse des Retraites
for the aged from I,ooofr. to 1,500 fr. The main
objections urged by IL Larrabbure and others
were-Ist, that the Deparcieux tables, upon which
the calculations had been made, were erroneous,
and that some years hence the state would be sad-
dled with a very grievous burden ; 2nd, that it was
a bad thing to tempt the working cleat.* by the
bait of a large deferred annuity to pinch
themselves during the best years of their
lives, to the detriment of their own comfort
and the education of their children ; and 3rd,
that the bill was axother step in the
objectionable course of state interference with
private affairs. The democratic opposition were
not at one upon the subject. MM. Ravin, Carnot,
and Garnier Pees voted for the bill, but MM.
Emile 011ivier, Picard, Pelletan, &c., abstained
from voting. The minority of 22 was made up of
the tiers parti, including the names of Berryer,
Marquis d'Andelarre, and Viscount Lanjuinais.
The Bourse was dull, without any prominent
feature. The Prase says in its money article :
" If we are well informed the bullion in the Bank
of France amounts only to 220 millions, whereas at
this time of the year at least 300 millions were
looked for ; it is not without some uneasiness that
people think of the demands for cash which
may shortly be made for the purchase of raw
material."

In reference to the erroneous statement made by
the France that the French ambassador had been
present last year at a banquet given by the Lord
Mayor of London to celebrate the anniversary of the
battle of Victory, Baron Grns has now written •
letter to the Paris journals, declaring that had the
Lord Mayor's dinner been fixed for the 18th June
in place of the 17th, he would have studiously
avoided attending it, from an apprehension that
malevolence or thoughtlessness might misrepresent
the fact of his being a guest. What has now
occurred proves, the writer observes, that his sup-
position was not without foundation.

The Paris Jockey Club is at length permanently
settled in its new bones. Though a small dub—for it may
reckons 644 permanent members—and not very long este.
Wished, it had a balance in it. favour at the end of ►tt63
of 85,000 fr. The furniture and decoration of the new
house cost 211,000 fr. There is one rather peculiar mane of
revenue—" play "—from which it hu derived 43,000 fr.

The experiments at Shoeburyness yesterday were
of a more than usually interesting character, and promise
to become still more so. Some changes have taken place in
the mode of coodocting the experiments. The guns are
now laid for firiog by the competitors themselves and not
by the Shoeburyness offiosurs, and if one elevation is not
found to answer the competitor is allowed to try another.
The eommaoder•io.chief and the Secretary at War were on
the ground yesterday.

LITERARY AND SCIVITIFIC MERTINOK FOR THE
ENSUING WElL—Mooday—Grographical. at 8., "Over-
land Expedition from Port Daewoo to Reekiugham 8a.,"
Mr. Scott ; " Proposed New Settlement at Cape York." Sir
G. Bowen • "Geography of Newfouodland," Rev. J. More-
ton. Tuesday— Syro-Egyptiao at 7, Auaiversary ; "Giants
of the Bible, Mr. Hula ; Institutios, at 2, " Cos-
serration of Energy," Profs:roc Helmholtz •' Ethnological,
at 8, " Celtic Languruges sad Rum," Dr. Campbell ;
„Early Migrations of Mao," Dr. Crawford; Meows. at
8, „Santiago mid Valparaiso Railway," Mr. Lloyd ; Zoo-
logioal, at 9, " Urotrichns Gibbsii," Mr. Lord. Wednesday
—Graphic, at 8 ; Microscopical, atB ; Society of Arta, at 8,
" New Process of Preeerviog Meat," Dr. Yuri ; Geologi-
cal, at 8, " Geology of Sc. Nevada Territory, Mr. Blake ;
" Red Rock, Huostanton," Mr. Seeley ; " Geology of
Armaig, Nova Scotia," Rev. D. Honeyman ; &misty of
Literature, at 8; ; Archaeological Association, at 81. " Re-
cant Dianoveries at Helmisigham," Rev. Mr. Garden.
Thoraday—Antiqueries, at 8 ; Royal Institution, at 3,
Conssruitio• of Energy," Professor Helmholtz ; Royal.
at 81. Friday—Philological. at 8, " Greek Aura:lent,"
Rev. J. Davies ; " Southern Dialects of Early Eoglieb,
Part IL," Mr. Morris ; Royal Institution, at 8, " Chemical
History of Gus Cotton," Professor Abel. Saturday—Royal
lastitaticin, at 3, " Metallic Elemmets," Prefemor Frank-
Lad.