The Express.
London, England, 1866-10-27 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDIZT.)

PARIS, Faio*T Evssnui.
Neither the Moniteur nor the Constitatinnuet
mention the Emperor's having gone out shooting
yesterday. He may have been prevented by busi-
ness rather than by health, for the long walks
which he took at Biarritz by advice of his medical
attendants were highly beneficial to him. M.
Rouher is nominated by decree in this morning's
Munite'tr to hold the portfolio of M. do Lavaletto
during his absence at his country seat near Bergerac.
All the members of the foreign diplomacy at pre-
sent in Paris attended a reception at M. tic
Moustier's yesterday. There is no other news re-
lating to public affairs except the return of M.
Haussmann, whose absence has not been remarked
in any diminution of the zeal with which pave-
ments arc torn up, and houses pulled down.
The news which I sent of the Emperor Max'.
milian's immediate return is confirmed on all
sides. The papers this evening announce that tlic
municipality of Vera Cruz has received orders to
provide quarters for 20,000 men. They wi
be embarked at the end of December or be-
ginning of January. The Note Presse of Vienna
brings us the assurance not only that the ex-Em-
peror will proceed at once to Miramar (it wr
hardly to be expected he would come here I
thank France for broken promises or to explai
his own failure), but it adds that the United Stab
government will give Juarez the aid of its trooj
to restore his government. This decision ml
have been come to at Washington, but it w
hardly be acted upon at once, as the insult
France would be too glaring even for a Napoleon
magnanimity.
The commission established to watch over ti

distribution of the subscriptions fur the victims
the inundations has held its first sitting under tl
presidency of M. Forcade de la Roquette. Aci
cular from the Minister of Public Works was col
mwticatecl to the members, in which he enjoins tl
classification of the sufferers under four headc
those whose penury is extreme ; those whose losses
have been very heavy, but who have not lost
and who may, if aided, recover what they ha.)
lost. The third category is to contain the name
of those whose losses have been severe,
whose position of fortune enables them
support them ; and, finally, those wht
losses have been insignificant, either fro,
their trifling extent or the large fortune of
sufferers. The nature of the damage, whether
capital, furniture, or crops, is to be noted. Thi
commission decided to accept the offers of gifts
kind, whether articles of clothing or plants, see&
&e., for distribution. A place to which they
be sent will be designated by a notice in the Me,
tear. The whole subscription up to yesterda;
amounted only to 50,0001.
With wise economy, the French government
already finding purchasers for its old-fashion
arms. It has sold to the government of the
King of Siam 12 mountain mortars, GOO shells,
1,200 fulminating wads. The Emperor has
agreed to the sale of 48 more mortars, which
of a description no longer used in the French arm
The frauds committed at Marseilles on the
toms and all other modes of indirect taxm
have always been notorious in France. Bmuggl
has never been a serious offence in the eyes of
people of any frontier town ; but a new descript.
of fraud against the revenue is of a different charac-
ter. A razzia was made one day lately on
workshops and shops of the jewellers and sil'
smiths of the town. Eighteen controllers of the ..
and fifty policemen with their officers invad&
these establishments at an early hour. The resin
was the discovery of old or false dies for stami
the " hall mark," and it is stated that these
used not only to defraud the revenue but the
chaser also, the gold and silver articles
cheaply guaranteed being in fact only gilt and
plated. This fraud has gone on, it is said, for
twenty years, and has only been discovered by the
denunciation of the traveller of one of these
establishments, who had been dismissed. Nine
persons have been arrested. The discovery has
created a great sensation, as no one knows whether
his plate and jewellery contain any gold or silver
or not.
At the Bourse there is a great improvement•
The rumours of an intended loan were generally
contradicted, and all this evening's papers contain