The Express.
London, England, 1866-01-02 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(nom ous OWN

PARIS, Ninr Yt.lllee-DAL

A beautiful day, with a glowing sun and balmy
south wind, made the new year's receptions at the
Tuileries nationally cheerful. There was the cus-
tomary assemblage, in relays from half-hour to
half-hour, of princes and princesses of the imperial
family, grand officers of the household, cardinals,
marshals, admirals, generals, ministers, &0., and
last of all the Corps Diplomatique. As
usual the Emperor addressed a few words
to every ambassador and minister pleni-
potentiary. Although, New Year's-day not-
withstanding, the Moniteur du Soir is published, it
contents itself with saying that the receptions at
the Tuileries were taking place while it was going
to press. lam told by people who were there that
the Emperor said nothing important, but I
would recommend you nevertheless to look
closely at the Moniteur of to-morrow morn-
ing. The Emperor on these occasions speaks
to each minister separately in a low tone
and very few of the company can bear what he says.
Moreover, his words are so studiously selected that
the meaning of them is often not to be understood
till after a careful reading. The impression pre-
vailed yesterday that his Majesty intended to say
something extremely gracious to Austria, and also
something to the United States minister, implying
that the Mexican difficulty would be settled
to the equal satisfaction of Paris and Washington.
It has happened before this that the Moniteur did
not report next day precisely what was said, and
that words of great political significance only found
their way to the public several days after they were
spoken. Prince Napoleon was at the reception,
and occupied his accustomed place near the throne.
Count Walewski headed the Corps Legislatif. The
two vice presidents were absent, BE Schneider
being ill at Crenzot, and M. Alfred le Roux on a
visit to Nice.

It was said among the deputies that the Corps
Legislatif would be summoned to meet on Jan. 22.
The offices of Grand Ecnyer and Grand Veneur,
now revived in favour of General Fleury and
Prince de Moskowa, are not new under this
empire. This obsolete frippery of the old court,
which the Emperor delights in, after a decent
hesitation, was resorted to very early in his reign.
Marshal St. Arnaud was his first Grand Ecuyer
and Marshal Magnan his first Grand Veneur.
M. Emile de Girardin, who, having grown rich,
fat, lazy, and somewhat old, has not fer a long
time taken up his pen, though he still remains the
principal proprietor of the Pram, opens the new
year in that journal with an eccentric political
letter addressed to his right-band man, M.
Clement Duvernois, and intended to be the
first of a series, entitled " Letters from a
Dead Man." He says :—" Politically lam dead ;
for a man ceases to live when he has no longer
ambition, illusions, or passions. The men and
things of my time and country only appear to me as
belonging already to history." He modestly com-
pares himself to Sir Robert Peel, Mr. Cobden, and
Mr. Bright, who at certain periods of their lives
were, as Girardin is now, " isolated." He then
proceeds to show the extreme folly of all parties
in France, the empire included, in not merging all
their differences in a totally new policy founded on
a Girardin basis.

M. Berardi, the editor of the IncUpendance Beige
is now in Paris, and trying to obtain the removal
of the interdiction against his journal. I inoline
to think he will succeed ; for the very dirty in-
trigues which led to the edict against the Indepen-
dance will not bear investigation.

WEATHER. REPORT.-{THIS DAY.)

TUESDAY. JANUARY 2, S A.l.