The Express.
London, England, 1866-09-22 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(iniOit ous writ comearolmurr.)
PARIS, FILMY Emma.

The doubts which even in the offices of the
government papers were entertained to a late hour
last night, whether the Emperor would go to
Biarritz, were set at rest by his departure, at 11
o'clock—the hour at which I told you yesterday a
train was ordered to be in readiness. His Majesty
was accompanied by General Fleury, grand locuyer ;
Viscount du Manoir, chamberlain ; Marquis de
Caux, ienyer ; M. Pietri, private secretary ; and
Captain d'Escayrac, orderly officer. The telegraph
informs us that he made a halt in the Landes, to
11 inspect the imperial farm of Solferino, and was
expected at Biarritz at 4 this afternoon. The
mayors of the different communes in which there
I are Italians were informed that his Majesty de-
sired to travel privately, and could receive no
addresses or visits. Nevertheless we shall pro-
bably hear to-morrow that the people assembled
spontaneously at every station, although it is hard
to think how peasants could get news quick enough
to intercept an express train.

I hear that Prince Gortohakoff will be in Paris
in three days, en route for Biarritz.
I have just heard that the Altutorial Dipto-
matique of last Sunday has been seized, and is to
be prosecuted for the following article :
In the hope of extenuating the culpability of the num-
berless depredations committed by the Prussian army
among the peaceable populations of Bohemia and
Moravia, the Cologne Gazette lately accused the Austrian
wounded of having carried away linen from the
Berlin Hospital concealed in their clothing, sad added,
"in Prussia this is called stealing." We will take the
liberty of asking the Cologne Gazette bow acts, such
as we are about to mention, are described in Piaui&
Prince Lobkowitz had upon his estate in Bohemia a breed
of pure Merino sheep, which, on amount of their extreme
rarity, are worth an enormous price. The King of
Prussia was so struck with their beauty that he confis-
cated the whole flock and sent them off to his own private
domain without so much as offering say compensation to
the owner. General de X-, a high functionary,
accompanied his sovereign to the chateau de Nikolsburg,
which belongs to the Countess de Mensdorff, the
wife of the Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs.
General de X- selected the two best horses
in the countess's stables and took them away to
Berlin for his own private use without asking leave of any-
body. Is it wonderful that after such examples set by the
highest leaders of the Prussian army, the common soldier,
drunk with victory, should have committed excesses in
Bohemia and Moravia which call to mind the invasion of
the barbarians at the commencement of the middle ages?'

It was at the suggestion of the Prussian ambas-
sador, and as an act of diplomatic courtesy to be
reciprocated, no doubt, when occasion shall serve,
that orders were given to prosecute the Miniorial
Diplomatique fora paragraph which did not attract
the attention of the official inspectors of the French
press at the time it appeared. The libel is a most
atrocious one if false ; if true, every free man must
applaud the libeller.
A duel took place at the wood of Vincennes the
day before yesterday, between two Parisian jour-
nalists, M. Duplessis and M. de Fonvielle. The
seconds of the latter gentleman were the Viscount
de Poli and M. CloSment Duvernois, and for M.
Duplessis M. Armand Gourzien and Viscount de
Sara. They fought with swords, and a number of
passes having been exchanged without any result,
the seconds interfered, and in:listed on the cham-
pions shaking hands. I have never heard that any
particular kind of sword is manufactured for jour-
nalists to fight with, but there is a current story
that special innocuous bullets are made for their
use. Duels are more frequent between journalists
than any other class of French society. Indeed, but
for the susceptibility of public writers duelling
would be almost as obsolete in France as it is in
England. In the army it is scarcely ever heard of,
although even private soldiers may obtain leave to
fight. Without any special reference to the affair
of to-day, of which I know nothing, I seriously
cannot help suspecting that a great many journalists'
duels are advertisements for the parties engaged.
The Bourse was dull. Rents closed with scarcely
any change. Italian fell 35c. Mexican was better
in consequence of a good many speculative pur-
chases.