The Express.
London, England, 1862-12-08 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS

OPENING OF THE NEW STREET IN PARIS
BY THE EMPEROR.

(PROM OUR OWN OORIMPONDINT.)

PARIS, SUNDAY EVIIINCI.

The Boulevard Prince Eugene is • long new
street, upwards of two miles long and about thirty-
five yards wide. It is the longest street, in a
straight line, in Paris, and, as far as I know, in the
world. It extends from the fountains on the
Boulevard du Temple called the Chitean d'Eau to
the site of the recently demolished Barriers du
Trona, where still rear their heads those two hand-
some columns which strike the eye of every visitor
to Vincennes. This new street passes over what
was a few months ago the St. Martin's canal, but
which is now filled in and converted into a succes-
sion of public gardens, cuts through the Quartier
Popincourt, demolishing in its course some of
the worst back slums of the Faubourg St.
lAntoine, skirts the prison of La Roquette, and then
goes across a district of market gardens interspersed
by shabby streets and straggling houses to the
Place du Trone--fso called from the temporary
throne which was erected there when Maria
Theresa made her entry into Paris. Not a twen-
tieth part of the Boulevard Prince Eugene is yet
flanked by houses. A very few new ones have as
yet been erected, and the line has been so arranged
as to take in a few old ones in partly demolished
streets. The large vacant spaces are all covered by
high paling, put up as it is rumoured, and as
seems probable from its uselessness for any other
purpose, to baffle the sinister designs of conspira-
tors, who otherwise would have had a wonderful
choice of spots for the erection of an infernal ma-
chine or aiming rifle shots. It is intended by the
powerful company of which X. Pereira is the
head to line the Boulevard Prince Eugene
with ranges of handsome houses, divided into apart-
ments at moderate rents. To give an idea of the
signification of the word " moderate " in this case,
I may mention that some of the few houses already
built hang out boards offering apartments (by which
is meant unfurnished lodgings for a decent family)
at from 121. to 201. That is something much
cheaper than anything lately attainable in Paris in
houses of a like aspect. For the purposes of the
inauguration of to-day the undertaker of public re-
joicings lined the street which I have described
with the usual regulation painted poles, bearing
tri-coloured flags and imperial eagles. The ter-
minus at the Barriere du Tr6ne consists of the
model in pasteboard, as large as the intended
reality, of a triumphal arch dedicated to the
campaigns of the French armies from 1852 to
1862. The names of Sebastopol, Magenta, Solferino,
Palestro, and various other places in the Crimea,
Italy, Algeria, China, and Cochin China, figure
upon this monument. A handsome fountain is on
the Paris side of the triumphal arch, and a
colonnade copied from that of the Vatican in Rome
runs round the two structures. I will not repeat
here the criticisms upon these proposed monu-
ments which (translated from the Temps) appeared
in the Daily News some months ago, further than
to observe what must have struck every one to-day
as an unfortunate circumstance, that the triumphal
arch is not visible from the Boulevard Prince
Eugene until you conic close upon it. Some of
the arches of the colonnade may be seen
distinctly all the way from the Chateau
d'Eau, but a curve just at the end of the
boulevard prevents the arch which is intcaded to
be a terminus from being seen till you get upon the
place. In the Rue de Faubourg St. Antoine the
arch is a real terminus ; but even from this point
it is broken and veiled by the fountain and colon
nade. At the entrance to the new boulevard
opposite the Chateau d'Eau on the Boulevard du
Temple there is an elegant temporary triumphal
arch (built for the day only), decorated with ever-
greens and flowers. I have said there are but few
houses on the new boulevard, but the road itself
and the footways on each side are quite finished,
and well made. Two rows of trees extend from one
end to the other.

Such is a description of the street the Emperor
this day inaugurated. The weather was extremely
mild. Rain in the night and this morning made
the streets so muddy as to have reminded the Em-
peror of the road from Vera Cruz to Jalapa, but
the clouds kindly held up during the procession.
His Majesty, in a general's uniform, left the
Tuileries at half-past 1 o'clock, having Prince Na-
poleon on his right band and Prince Murat on his
left. An immense staff, headed by marshals of
France and generals, followed. The Empress, in
an open carriage, and accompanied by the Duchess
of Romano and another lady, joined the procession.
The little Imperial Prince was not with her. An
immense military force of all arms lined the whole
boulevard and occupied the two termini. The crowd
of spectators was very great, and included many
foreigners and visitors from the provinces.
When the Emperor arrived in the Place du Trtine
he alighted, and took a seat in a temporary pavilion
prepared for him close to the arch. There he re-
ceived the Prefect of the Seine and the munici-
pality of Paris. The prefect and M. Dumas suc-
cessively made speeches, explaining to his Majesty
the nature of the recent improvements in Paris. The
Emperor made a speech in return, which is not
yet made public, and which, as far as I
can learn, contained nothing of political
importance. He alluded to the bakers'
question, but in what sense I have not been able to
ascertain. Speaking of a new street which cuts
the Boulevard Prince Eugene at right angles, and
which it was intended to call the Boulevard Hor-
tense, in honour of the Emperor's mother, his
Majesty said that, although greatly touched by the
sentiment which had suggested this name, be would
not accept for his own family the monopoly of
homage which should be reserved for all national
glories. He bad decided that this boulevard should
be called " Richard Lenoir," after a man who
from a simple workman had raised himself to be
one of the moat eminent manufacturers in Europe,
and who, after having fed his workmen iu a time
of distress, had converted them into soldiers and
' marched at their head at the moment of a national
crisis. Referring to an institution for lending
money to the poor, founded and organised by the
Empress, he said that this foundation gave the lie
to the old proverb, " People lend only to the rich."
' Before leaving the ground his Majesty distributed
several decorations.
As far as I can learn, this long-looked-for day
has passed off without any incident of note not
mentioned in the programme.

The Parisian concert campaign was inaugurated
on Wednesday evening at the Salle Hers, by M. Henry
Vieuxtemps, and our countryman Mr. Charles Braham,
the only two names that appeared in the programme. The
principal feature of the concert consisted in a full orches-
tral accompaniment.
At a recent sitting of the Belgian Chamber of
Representatives a petition from the communal council el
Marchiennes, relative to the employment of children la
factories, was discussed, but no decision come to, mid the
heads of manufactories remain at liberty to attar hitherto in
the matter.