The Press.
London, England, 1856-02-09 00:00:00

FOREIGN MISCELLANEA.

THE FRENCH EMPEROR is notorious for his design
of rendering Paris the finest city in the world. His
improvements have already cost the corporation and
the State many millions, and left the former body in
heavy debt, to say nothing of other pecuniary matters.
A Few days [since, while returning from the Ecole
Militaire, it is related that his carriage was blocked
up in the Rue de Bac. His Majesty's attention was
immediately directed to the street, and he expressed
surprise that such a great thoroughfare should have
remained so narrow. On his return to the Tuileries
a plan for widening the street was at once decided on.
It will be an immenbe undertaking, and quite alarms
the Prefect of the Seine; but the work of demolition
and reconstruction has now made its delnit, and

most gigantic undertakings, it is said, will Boon be
commenced in this and other parts of Paris.
THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA is reported, on autho-
rity, to have declared that henceforth no man in
Austrian Italy shall be called to account for his poli-
tical behaviour during 1848 and 1849. "Itis my
desire," said the Emperor, " that the events of those
years should be buried in oblivion."
THE ARCHBISHOP OF PARIS has lately issued a
proclamation to the faithful of his diocese, intimating
that they may eat eggs every day, meat four times
in the week, and continue to enjoy, ad libitum, their
milk and butter et breakfast, without loss of salva-
tion. This indulgence, however, on the part of the
Church, he plainly informs them, can only be pur-
chased by liberal alms, as a set-off for such dimi-
nished severity of the Church's laws, though he admits
that abstinence is but a tradition in most houses.
Additional alms are to be given for the use of the
matutinal milk and butter.

SAID DACHA, Viceroy of Egypt, by the last accounts
from Alexandria, was suffering severely from boils.
His Highness had become extremely petulant. He
had mulcted all the employes in every Government
department of a week's pay, on the plea that the
crops this year might possibly be deficient—had
hanged a Sheik on a most trivial matter, and by
neglect, injustice, ill-temper, and tyranny, was doing
his best to make himself thoroughly unpopular.
Stopping the week's pay of his employes on ouch a
plea recalls Sydney Smith's tradition of the boy who
was privately whipped by his master in March on
suspicion of an attempt to rob the henroost in July.
THE Couyr OF Ciumuunn is reported to have
addressed a circular to the leaders of Orleanists and
Legitimists, announcing to them that the fusion be.
tween the two branches of the Bourbon family is
accomplished, and calling on all the Royalists in
France to forget their old feuds and enmities, after
the example of the chiefs of both houses.
THE BIRTH OF THE EMPRESS EUGENIE'S CHILD
is being prepared for with great state in the
Tuileries. The city of Paris, too, have given orders
for the presentation to the Empress of a silver and
rosewood cradle, surpassing in beauty and taste the
celebrated one of the King of Rome. •

129

CONSTANTINZ SIMONIDES, a literary Greek, well
known at Leipsic, was lately arrested in that town
for an extremely clever forgery of MSS., pur-
porting to be three books on the history of Egypt by
Urauros, an Alexandrian writer. The King of
Prussia had purchased the MSS. for 2,000 dollars
but ProfessoriLepsius, of Berlin, unhesitatingly pre_
nounced the work to be a forgery.
SouLocurE, the Emperor of Hayti, has been de-
feated with great loss by the Dominicans in an
attempt to conquer their country. His Imperial
Majesty only preserved his life by concealing himself,
immediately after the defeat, in a prickly pear bush.
His mantle and imperial crown were left as spoils in
the hands of the enemy. Returned at length to his
own territory, the Emperor has taken a terrible ven-
geance upon his generals. Three of the highest
rank were immediately shot, while as many more of
a lower grade were hanged, and a few dozen
subordinates severely punished as an example to
the rest.

THE EMPEROR LOUIS NAPOLEON, it is said, intends
to entertain the plenipotentiaries to be deputed to
the forthcoming congress with a grand review in the
Champ de Mars, at which from 100,000 to 140,000
troops will be seen under arms.
THE CZAR ALEXANDER, if peace results from the
congress, will proceed to Moscow for the ceremony
of his coronation. It is believed in Paris that he
will then NiSit that city in the course of May next.
Dn. ltucKER, who has arrived in England on a mis-
sion from the three Hanseatic towns, according to a
letter in Le Nord of this week, has not met with an
agreeable reception. Lord Clarendon, says the
account, received the Doctor "in a manner so little
diplomatic that a parallel is vainly sought in history,"
while Lord Palmerston cried out in the midst of the
explanations, " Why, you Hamburgers are nothing
but a set of smugglers !" The feelings of the
citizens of Hamburg are reported to be seriously
wounded.

THE HOLSTEIN DIET has passed a resolution in
favour of the impeachment of the Danish Minister
for Foreign Affairs, M. Van Scheele. The King of
Denmark has refused to receive any address, and
annulled by royal rescript the deliberations and votes
of the Assembly. It is felt that matters are coming
to a serious crisis. The criminal prosecution is to
he brought before the Superior Court of Appeal.