The Express.
London, England, 1866-02-13 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(room OUR OWN

PARIS, MOPDAY Evian's.
The Senate got through moat of the clauses of
the address in the first two days, and two days
more will probably finish the debate. The lattee
part of the discussion is, however, likely to be
more interesting than Baron Vincent's advocacy of
Jesnistical instruotion, and the dull, though per
useful discussions of M. Humbert Delisle
and M. Mimerel upon agricultural distress. Car-
dinal de Bonnechose and Count Segur d'Agnessean
intend to make set speeches on the probable conse-
quences to the Pope of the convention of Sep-
tember 16, now within six months of its execution,
and it is said that the Duke de Persigny intends
to deliver his opinion at large upon home politics,
and the surmise is that he means to say all is not
as well as it might be, and that the time has come
for a larger measure of liberty. The rumour, now
contradicted, chit the duke was about to publish a
pamphlet had probably for its foundation the
fast thit, he, tiges..pieparing # speech. His forme&
position In the Emperor's counsels and the rank
of privy councillor which he at present holds must
necessarily invest anything he may deliberately
say with great interest. • He is one of the few im-
perialists who is individually strong enough
publicly to admonish the Emperor when he thinks
him going wrong. Some years ago the Emperor
publicly reprimanded Peraigny for a speech he
made, but did not therefore withdraw his favour
from him.

Babinet states that the coming summer will
be marked by extreme drought. All the springs,
he states, will be dried up, " for when there is no
snow there are no fountains." It is the snow alone
which moistens the earth interiorly. Rain water
does not penetrate sufficiently, being carried off
rapidly by evaporation, except in wooded districts.
It should be added for the comfort of those prone
to be unduly frightened by a scientific opinion
that the spirituel member of the institute admits
that he may very likely have formed a conclusion
on insufficient data, and that he has been mistaken
in his prophecies before.
The star of the evening it the fancy ball at the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs was Princess Rimski
Korsakoff, who personified Catherine the Great, at
the incredible cost of two millions of francs. The
story runs that she received her dress only the day
before from her husband, Prince Korsakoff, now in
Russia. It was made with scrupulous attention to
accuracy according to a portrait at the winter
palace of the Empress Catherine in her coro-
nation robes. The train and skirt were of
blue velvet elaborately embroidered with silver and
trimmed with Siberian martin fur. The head-
dress (and a towering and barbarous edifier, it
looked, though picturesque withal) was moreover
fur literally covered with diamonds, emeralds, and
the rarest kind of pearls. A veil of old Venetian
lace descended from the cap, and completely en-
veloped the wearer's person. The gloves and fan
were got up in an equally expensive style.
It was remarked, as an extraordinary homage to
the beauty and attractive appearance of the fair
Russia., who represented the Empress Catherine,
that though 3,000 persons were packed like sardines
in Madame Drouyn de Lhuys's salons, everybody
made way for the Princess Rimski Korsakoff, and
she was enabled to pass without inconvenience from
room to room trailing after her upwards of three
yards of velvet.
The Bourse closed with firmness owing to a rise of
Cie. in the Italian Loan ; Rente for account rose
71c.; Mobilier, 6f r. 250.