The Press.
London, England, 1858-10-02 00:00:00

lortipt ciorrc.spon4titct.

P.utis, Thursday.
Coups de thidtre are tolerably frequent among our
allies, and are not distasteful to the gossips of Pans.
A new one has just been executed. Prince Napoleon,
the Emperor's cousin, went down last week, as you
knew, to Biarritz to complain to his Majesty of the
Council of Ministers for rejecting his scheme of intro-
ducing free trade into Algeria, and to confer with his
Majesty on Algerian affairs generally. The public
were somewhat curiously awaiting the result of his
expedition, when, lo! they learned that his Im-
perial Highness had suddenly started off to War-
saw to have an interview with no less a personage
than his Imperial Majesty the Emperor Alexander of
All the Hussies. Algeria and free trade were, of
course, no moro thought of by the good public,—
and everybody eagerly asked: " What can the Prince
have gone to Warsaw for?" To the question, a
hundred sci•disant " well informed" people had
answers instantly ready : " To pay simply a mark of
respect to the Czar ;" " to be present at the grand
military manoeuvres that are about to take place ;"
"to invite his Majesty to come to Paris ;" "to
solicit his Majesty's interference in procuring him
some Russian or German Princess to wife ;" "to
inaugurate an alliance between France and Russia
on the basis of hostility to England and Austria ;"
and " to prepare a plan for the joint action of France
and Russia against Turkey." If, however, what I
hear from a really good source be true, the first three
of these answers do not represent the affair in the
right light, and the last three are altogether wrong.
The fact is, it appears, that the Prince has gone to
Warsaw simply and solely in compliance with a
gracious, and I am assured totally unexpected, invi-
tation from the Czar,—and the Czar sent the invita-
tion because, having addressed others to the Prince
of Prussia, the Prince de Carignan, cousin of the
King of Sardinia, several German Princes, and even,
it is said, an Austrian Archduke, he thought it only
courteous so to do. Undoubtedly the fact of the in-
vitation having been sent proves that the relations
between France and Russia are extremely friendly ;
but it is patent to all the world that they have been
so ever since the conclusion of the war. It may be
that in return for the attention shown him, Prince
Napoleon has received instructions to solicit the
Emperor to visit Paris ; but it is not the first time
such an invitation has been addressed to the Czar,
the French Emperor being, as all the world knows,
bent on having, if possible, every reigning sovereign of
Europe, and especially the great ones, his guest at
Paris. It may be that the Czar may accept the invita-
tion, but nothing would be more natural, after his Ma.
jesty's interview with the French Emperor at Stutt.
gardt, and after the half-promise he made months ago
to the Duke de Moute'rello, French Ambassador at St.
Petersburg. In all this, however, in spite of its politi-
cal importance, there is nothing whatever to indicate
that, as many persons suppose, the French Emperor
is about to change his policy towards England : in-
timacy between France and Russia does not neces-
sarily mean hostility to England; and England, as
the friend of both, should rejoice rather than take
offence at seeing the two countries united. As to
Austria, it is certain that Russia entertains great
animosity to, and that France has but little liking
for, her; but seeing the tremendous consequences
that would ensue from war, it is not at all likely that
the two powers, however closely allied, would em-
bark in a course of active hostility to her. With
regard to Turkey, it is possible, from all I hear, that
the Cabinets both of France and Russia are desirous
of coming to some sort of understanding as to the
policy to be pursued towards that country ;—the
accounts which reach them being of a most alarm-
ing character—representing, fur example, that the ex-
asperation of the Mahomedans against the Christians
is daily increasing, and that the former are everywhere
purchasing arms and ammunition as if on the eve
of a grand outbreak for the Faith. But it is very
improbable that Prince Napoleon has been charged
to treat on such a very weighty matter in the course
of a flying-visit to the Czar : more improbable stil,
is it that the course which the two powers may re'
solve on, if they jointly resolve on any, will be adverse
to the policy of England and Austria, or the integrity
of Turkey. On the whole, then, I think you may
come to the conclusion that the unexpected visit
of the Prince Napoleon to the Czar is not of the
immense impoytion political circles on the
' 7 i

Continent are representing it to be, and that it will
certainly not be followed by an alteration in the
prevailing alliances and policy of Europe.
The Emperor and Empress have this day arrived
at St. Cloud from Biarritz.

English society is manifesting a great deal of in-
terest in a case which has occurred at Pau, anti
which is really of considerable importance. A young
Frenchman of respectable family in that city some
time ago made the acquaintance of a young English
girl, and fell in love with her. She represented that
she was of highly respectable family, and had a
fortune of some 4,0001. deposited at Coutts's bank.
He went to England, and was duly married to her in
the English form at a place called Ledbury. But
it turned out that his wife was of low origin, and had
not a farthing in the world; and the poor husband
was not only arrested for debts she incurred, but
placed himself in a serious predicament by drawing
on Messrs. Coitus for funds she did not possess.
He was undoubtedly scandalously duped, but never•
theless he remained her lawful husband. His
family, however, took legal proceedings to have the
marriage set aside, and the Court of Pau has de.
cided that it was null and void, inasmuch as ►t was
not in accordance with the French law—it not having
been published in France, and the consent of the
young man's parents not having been obtained. Thu
moral of this case is, that the parents of English
girls who marry Frenchmen must take care that the
formalities of the French as well as the English law
aro observed.