The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-17 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nom coca owx coaatsrownurr.)
PARIS, THURSDAY EYZNINO.
There is important news to-day of the resistance
which the Emperor's scheme for augmenting the
army meets with in the Corps Legielatif. The
Sikle, whose director, it must be remembered, is
M. Ravin, the deputy, says :

We mention under all reserve a rumour current yester-
day evening that a serious difference had arisen between
the government and the committee of the Corps Legishair
charged to consider the bill on the reorganisation of the
army. The committee wished to fix the normal figure
of the army (active and reserve included) at 800,000 men
as a maximum ; the government would not consent to this,
alleging that since the Corps Legislatif maintained the
right to vote the contingent annually, it might always
diminish or augment the number according to circum-
stances. After a long discussion the government and the
committee both persisting in their opinion, the committee
has determined to report purely and simply against the
government bill.

The France of this evening says that, after having
come to an agreement on many points, there was
an irreconcilable difference between the government
and the committee upon others.
It was predicted from the first that the iron roof
of the Universal Exhibition Palace would not prove
watertight in every part, and that serious damage
would be done in time of heavy rain ti some of the
products exhibited. This prophecy seems to have
been fulfilled. M. Deville, • French exhibitor,
has appeared as a plaintiff in a court of law this
week to complain that a beautiful silk bed, style
Louis XIII. , valued at 6001. , was soaked through and
through by rain and completely spoiled on April 29.
He alleges that he several times warned the Imperial
Commission that there was danger of wet pene-
trating to his goods, and was only induced to ex-
hibit his bed by repeated assurances that the place
assigned to him was perfectly safe. Under these
circumstances he contends that the commission is
liable to indemnify him. The court ordered a
reference to experts to inquire and report as to the
amount of damage done and the cause of it.
The Pays mentions, hoping it may be contra-
dicted, a rumour that the Pacha of Egypt having
sent over a quantity of coffee and Eastern liqueurs
to be distributed gratis to visitors to the Egyptian
caravansary in the Champs de Mars, the commis-
sion interdicted the largesse on the ground that it
constituted an unfair competition with the cafes
and restaurants which had paid for the privilege
of selling refreshments. I believe there can be no
doubt of the fact of the gratis distribution of
coffee, for I rest; an account of it from a surprised
chronicler of a French paper, some time ago. The
Pays thinks the interdiction by authority of the
Pacha of Egypt's munificence is carrying a great
deal too far the spirit of mercantilism, already
much complained of, which has pervaded the
direction of this International Exhibition.

The Prince of Wales is terribly " mobbed " by

curious EngliYh when he visits the concentric
circles in the Champs de Mars.
The Arenir National publishes the following
telegram :

Berlin, May 16.
The King of Prussia will go to Paris on Monday next.
The Czar will accompany, or perhaps join him. If Prince
Gortohakoff comes, Count de Bismarck will come also.
This news differs from that hitherto taken for
granted, that the King and the Czar would not
come till June.

The Bourse was fiat, with a great indisposition
to do business, especially on the part of large
capitalists. Haute fell se. both for cash and ac-
count, closing at 69fr. 40c. and 69fr. 30c. Credit
Fonder fell tifr. 75c. ; Mobilier, 2fr. boc. ; and
Italian, 25c. Railways were rather lower.

WEATHER IMPORT.-(THIS DAY.)

FRIDAY. MAY 17. $ A.M.