The Express.
London, England, 1863-01-02 00:00:00

VICTOR HUGO AT HOME.

A correspondent writes to a contemporary from
Guernsey :—"Haring read with math interest yourcritique
on Victor Hugo's 'Lea filisirables,' I thought a short de-
scription of the good and charitable work in which this
great author and his family are engaged might not be unac-
ceptable. I received an invitation from the son, Frangois
Victor Hugo, to be present at an entertainment and dis-
tribution of articles of warm clothing to thirty-two of
the poorest children in the island, which I ladl
accepted. These recipients of Victor Hugo's bounty
were invited, first, to a substantial repast on Friday last,
to which they did ample justice. They were then ushered
into • magnificent apartment, in which was an illumi-
nated Christine' tree, got up with exquisite taste, and
decorated with a beautiful assortment of toy fruit, which
appeared to give as much pleasure to the little visitors as
did the hearty fare so recently relished. The toys distri-
buted, Victor Hugo addressed the children in a few appro-
priate words, stating that in selecting the toys he had pur-
posely avoided guns, pistols, cannons, and swords. He,
being a great enemy to war, had desired rather that their
attention should be drawn towards the more profitable
emblems of peace and prosperity, as indicated by the tree's
produce. It was • most pleasing sight to witness, not
only the extreme delight of these poor children, but the
perceptible pleasure it was affording the worthy host sad
hostess. Then followed the gift. of warm winter clothing.
The youthful guest. were afterwards filed off to another
apartment, where one and all were fitted with stout
boots and shoes. Victor Hugo then dismissed them with
the admonition to be good and dutiful children to their
parents, with the hope of meeting them all again, under
similar circumstances, next year. Thus ended one of the

most gratifying assess I ever witnessed. It wee but the
day before that these sense childrea assembled at klantrale
House to be regaled with a substantial Christmas dinner.
Having expressed to Victor Hugo the plaints) this
sane had afforded me, be replied that his great desire was
to induce others in the island to adopt a similar course
towards those poor children, an example which affords
ample scope for imitation, and is well worthy of being
copied. Ware it not for the ridicules,' distinctions of class
vogue here, much might be done in this direction ; but
what with the sixties, forties, and twenties, and their hoes
of demarcation, the island is far less prosperous than it
would be were these absurdities for once and for ever
abolished. I should add that Victor lingo entertains six-
teen needy children every week, and when the appetite is
thoroughly satisfied, they are permitted to revel in the
besntiful lawn attached to his house. No matter, whe-
ther Roman catholic, protestant, or dissenter, all alike are
received with open arms, poverty being the only claim to
this noble charity."

The bankers and merchants connected with the
Australian trade hare requested the Postmaster-General
to order the whole of the correspondence from Australia
by the next mail to be sent hither VIA Marseilles, as it win
bring duplicates of the letters lost by the Colombo, the
early receipt of which is of great importance.

- -
Purim irr AMIDRICO.—Tbe import duty on
foreign white paper's 30 par cent., which, under the pre-
sent rate of exchange, is prohibitory. And it is only I.
consequence of this duty that our own papermakers are able
to take advantage of a scarcity of rags, and by combining
together to force prices up to their present enormous rate.
But for the duty, publishers could resort to the foreign
market, and by introducing a new element of competition
keep prices here within reasonable bounds. But under
the existing tariff, such printing paper as we use
conk] not be imported and.sold here for less than 22
lent' a pound ; our manufacturers, therefore, feel quite
safe in fixing prices at or even above that figure.
This bears not only upon newspaper publishers,
but 'upon book publishers, consumers of writing
paper, and every body who uses paper of any kind. The
government itself will suffer losses to the amount of
hundreds of thousands of dollars in consequence of the pre-
sent enormous price of paper of all kinds which they are
compelled to use. The tariff on paper meantime yields the
treasury no revenue, because it prohibits imports. It
inflicts immense injury, therefore, apes the great mass of
the reading community, whibi it doss no good to anybody
but a few papermakers, whom it aids in their exactions ucon
the public at large. We hope cooper will give some atten-
tion to this matter as one of very great and preening in-
termit. There is no sound or substantial rearm why they
eliceekl sot at oboe repeal the import duty on paper, and,
:hue give all eon■umers the benefit of access to the foreign.
market.—New York Timm