The Express.
London, England, 1862-01-08 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nom ova ow'

PARIS, TtMADAT NYINI3IO._

Great uncertainty has prevailed to-day about the
tenor of the latest American news. ♦ variety of
improbable statements, evidently conjectural, are
made by newspapers pretending to have private
sources of information. One journal says that Mr.
Seward has offered to surrender MM. Slidell and
Mason on condition that England will promise not
to recognise the Southern States. It is perfectly
certain that Lord Lyons' instructions would not
permit him to entertain each a proposal. The
tacking of a heterogeneous condition of that kind
would be tantamount to a refusal. Again, it is
said that the prisoners are to be surrendered if
England will receive them, not as commissioners of

a belligerent power, but as rebels ; and much
reasoning, which appears to me very idle,
is lavished upon this assumed distinction.
I cannot think that the negotiations will have
turned upon the point at all. Lord Lyons will
probably not have thought it necessary to style
them either one or the other, and he will no doubt
allow Mr. Seward to call them whatever he likes
so long as he gives them up. The Pays to-night
asserts, as the "very latest" news, that a
"private despatch from Queenstown announces
that the prisoners will be given up." It is un-
likely that this news can be more than inferential.
Any positive intelligence to that effect must have
been known in London this morning.
The Bourse was very dull during the greater part
of the day, but in the afternoon there was suddenly
great animation on the strength of a rumour that
there was good American news. The Rents, after
having been at 67fr. 65c., sprung up to 67fr. 900.,
closing at 67fr. 704. for cash, and 67fr. 90e. for
account. In Mobilier and the Italian loan there
was ultimately no change ; but railways were a
trifle higher.
M. About's new play, Gaetano, has disappeared
from the Odeon playbills. Last night, the fourth
representation, the row was so great that the ma-
nager let the curtain fall before the third act was
over, and cleared the theatre. A curious ntanifes-
Wien then Wok plooo. A crowd of students sur-
rounded the stage door, and cheered the heroine of
the piece, Mdlle. Thuillier, as she came out, to show
that their opposition was in no way personal to
her. They then formed a procession to the num-
ber of two or three hundred, and marched soma
the Pont Neuf by the Palais Royal, and through
the Place de la Bourse to M. About's residence in
the Passage Saulnier, where they gave him a ehar
eari—a word which may be rendered in English as
"rough music." What can be the reason for this
extraordinary animosity to IL About on the part
of the youth of the colleges is not sufficiently ex-
plained. It cannot be the demerits of his play, for
they would not hear it. Moreover, competent
critics speak of the play as remarkably original
and more than commonly good, and, judging from
an outline of the plot, I incline to agree with their
opinion. The priests are supposed to be at the
bottom of the manifestation, brit it is difficult to
see on what pretext they can have raised the students
against About. The general tendency of his writings is
certainly liberal, and although he supports the
empire, he has often criticised acts of government
with an ability and a courage unsurpassed by any
journalist in recent times. Nevertheless, a pre-
judice exists against him, because he has left the
Opinion Nationale for the Constitutionnet, and be-
cause he is supposed to be an agent of Prince
Napoleon. Among the cries uttered at the Odeon
were "A has le vondu !" meaning M. About, and "A
bas leventru !" directed towards the box in which the
Prince was sitting. M. About, by his personal
interference, got fifteen students released who
were melted on the opening night of Gaetano, but
I hear that a good many more are now in durance
vile on account of last evening's manifestation.
The decree in the Moniker is so obscurely worded
that some people have fancied that the President of
the Senate was to interfere with the address of the
Corps Legislatif—a thing manifestly impossible.
The only effect of the decree is that two members,
instead of one, from each bureau of the Senate are
in future to form a committee, with the president,
to draw up the address. I believe the reason for
the change is temp. Troplong'kultra-conservatism
is thought to require the corrective of a large num-
ber of coadjutors.
According to the Moniteur de la Cdte d'Or Mr.
Gladstone has at length given way on a long dis-
puted point on the wine tariff The alcoholic scale
so much objected to, and which undoubtedly
paralysed to a very serious extent the benefits of
the commercial treaty, is to be replaced by a
uniform duty of 27fr. 51c. the hectolitre (the mini-
mum figure mentioned in the treaty) for all wines
below a certain degree of strength. What that
degree shall be is not yet settled, but a confident
expectation is entertained that it will be such as to
permit the exportation of those wines of moderato
strength which are the staple product of the wine
growing districts, and for which it is most desirable
to find a large market.
The Dowager Duchess of Saulx-Tavannes, a
daughter of the Duke de Choiseul-Gouffier, one of
Louis XV.'s ministers, has just died at the age
of 90. _ _

M. Mires has been removed from Mans prison
to an hospital (maims de mate), where he will live
in comfort till his new ttiaL
The Chirmegtm des Arts says :
The dinotoes of the Walt Mobilise have gives wake
that they desire to restive delve foe s statue of Nees,
which b to be ended is the oneneed at the hotel whisk
will be sees tersiested is the Beeloned &ovulation
The Andany of the BoasrAtie will decide
le the best The essopetitee oblehdag the ant yens wn
charged with the exteonite of the statue. sad the
will receive an indsmatty of 8,0006., sad the ildid sae at
1,500 tr.