The Express.
London, England, 1866-12-24 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS•

(nom ova OWN CORRESPONDINT.)

PARIS. SUNDAY Evicinro.
Prince Napoleon gave a dinner at the Palaic
Royal yesterday, described as a " grand " one,
although the guests were few—not more than ten
or a dozen. Among them were the Chevalier Nigro
and M. Emile de Girardin.
The Patrie contradicts the statement of a Toulon
journal that Admiral Didelot has been recalled
from his command in the Gulf of Mexico. It fol-
lows, therefore, that the Duke de Montebello's son
—the lieutenant who threw up his commission—is
held by government to be entitled to no redress for
the blow which he says he received from his

captain.
It is true that some ironclad ships are going out
to meet the transports returning from Mexico, but
only as an escort on the way home ; these vessels
will probably not go further than Martinique.
I warned you two days ago to expect little from
M. Tonello's mission to Rome. I see now that
the France (the journal of compromise and con-
ciliation par excellence) quotes without contradic-
tion or comment the statement of the ()pinion of
Turin, that the Papal court seems little disposed
to come to any arrangement and that there is small
chance of M. Tonello's mission being successful.
The only fiche de consolation is that Pius IX. has
, assured several people who presume to urge him
to be moderate, that he does not intend to leave

Rome.
A first-rate caricaturist has lately made his ap-
pearance in Paris who signs " Gill," in a weekly
facetious publication, till lately little known, called
La Lune. Portraits of various celebrities come out
every week—Emile de Girardin, Alex. Dumas,
Louis Veuillot—which while laughter-provo
ing, are as lto© as the coloured portraits of
the new photographer Chambay, with this dif-
ference in favour of the buyer that they cost only
2 sous, whereas M. Chambay's charge is 100 fr. It
is true that Chambay will pourtray the features of
the premier venu willing to pay the rather high fee,
whereas the Lune could not be bribed by 100 fr. to
gratify private vanity. The Lune asks leave of all
the eminent persons it desires to caricature, and
publishes a fac-simile of their autograph under the
picture. It seems, though I did not know it till
lately, that there is some law in France which
makes it perilous to publish a caricature of a pri-
vate and a fortiori of a public individual. A lawyer
tells me that the code is not express on the subject,
but that it is very easy for a court of law to hold
that a caricature attacks the " consideration " of a
citizen, and holds him up to " hatred and con-
tempt." The Lunc likes to be on the safe side,
and always asks permission before giving the
charge—that is the French term for caricature of
anybody. M. de Girardin consented on the cha-
racteristic ground that he should be false to all
his antecedents if he thwarted the liberty of the
press in any way whatever. M. Dumas said that
ho had always found caricatures the only good
likenesses of him, and therefore was very
willing to let the Lune try its hand.
I forget at this moment the ground of
M. Louis Vouillot's consent. Gill's caricature
of this week is that of M. Lachaud, who says, " I
authorise you, since you desire it, to make what-
ever use you please of my physiognomy." The
celebrated advocate, who is rather flattered than
otherwise by the caricature, because the cast in his
eye is attenuated, is depicted with tears distilling
from his eyes, far more solid than those iron tears
that rained down Pluto's cheeks, for they look like
church bell clappers. He is imagined to be weep-
ing over the sad fate of a thief or a murderer, a
model of whom, in the shape of a villainous-locking
fellow in a round frock, he is holding in his hand
as if to exhibit to the jury. In the back ground is
a row of widows and orphans, supposed to owe it to
M. Lachaud's eloquence that they have come by
their own.
A priest named Pernaud was sentenced by the
Correctional Tribunal of the Ain, on Dec. '2l, to
six months' imprisonment and 500 fr. fine for speak-
ing against the Emperor while travelling in a
stage coach, in regard to his Majesty's conduct
towards the Pope.
Monseigneur Gousset, the Cardinal Archbishop
of Rheims, died yesterday of a rapid inflammation
of the lungs, which lasted only one day. He was
born in 1892, and was Archbishop of Rheims ever
since 1840. He was one of the greatest writers on
dogmatic theology in France ; his works and those of
the Jesuit Perrone of Rome are at this moment the
text book of the ultramontane clergy. The deceased
cardinal, the son of a small farmer, was born at the
little village of Montigny-les-Cherlieux, in the
Haute Saone.

PARIS, SATURDAY EVENING.
I have never believed that in the state of open per-
sonal war which exists between the Emperor and
the Pope, it was possible that the Empress could be
allowed to go to Rome, and only yesterday I took
leave to doubt the assertion of Senator La Guer-
ronniere's journal La France (which, however,
ought to be well informed on such a subject), that
her Majesty would certainly leave Paris for Rome
on December 26. To-day the question is set at
rest ; the great voice of ' Boniface " proclaims in
the o»uditutionmet that " her Majesty's excursion
is adjourned ; " and the Patric more bluntly, but
also more truthfully, says :—" The Empress is not
going to Rome."
I send. a few specimens of the opinions of the
French press on M. Fould's financial statement,
which, consisting as it does of desultory observa-
tions upon no less than four budgets, shows the
fallaciousness of former promises, and therefore
shakes confidence in those now made, and evi-
dently gives no just idea of the present or pro-
spective financial condition of the country. The
Gazette de France says :
When one reads the financial statement which the
Finance Minister publishes every year in the Moniteur, one
cannot help being struck with the extraordinary trouble
OVERLAND MAILS which the government seems to have in balancing the
CALCUTTA AND CHINA MAILS. receipts and expenditure of the state. The public, seeing
MALTA, Dxc. 23. these herculean efforts, cannot understand bow, in a coup-
try
like France, which it has been taught for the last
;
The Ripon left at 6 a.m. and the Pera at 1 a.m. .
seventeen years to regard as in a state of constantly
to-day. increasing prosperity, the task of making both eada
The former may be expected at Marseilles about meet can be so extremely difficult. Prussia has found
the evening of the 25th inst., and the latter at means to keep up • flourishing treasury while completely
Southamptonon the Ist of January. re-organising her army ; England reduces taxes upon con-
OUTWARD BOMBAY MAIL.
gumption ; the United States pay off an immense instal-
; The Tanjore, from Southampton on the 12th ment of their national debt every year, and yet France is
I inst., arrived to-day at 4 a.m., and left at 10 a.m.
fornAl,eecxaneyldorina;
from 'Marseilles on the 20th inst., •
arrived at 9 p.m. yesterday, and left this morning
for Alexandria.
BOMBAY (HEAVY) MAIL obliged to scrape and pare sou by son to see how her
nsetewrlthinkLiot a greaitit.riumpht
revenue can be estimated to meet her expenditure ; and
tedFinrce
o without to
betbabtle
loan could not have been avoided but for the return of our
i troops from Rome and Mexico. And even now the equi.
1 librium is so nice and delicate, that the slightest military
GIBRALTAR, Dec. 22. ; movement of France would disturb it.
The Foonah leaves at 10 a.m. for Southampton, ' The Liberti says the vagueness of N. Fould's
where she may be expected about the morning of allusion to the expenses consequent on the im-

letl;.—" The American press contains very in-
complete extracts of the diplomatic correspondence
laid before Congress at Washington. It also con-
tains a despatch of Mr. Seward to Mr. Bigelow,
dated November 23, which has not been commu-
nicated to the French government."

OPENING OF THE GREEK ASSEMBLY.
ATHENS, DEC. 22.
The National Assembly was opened this morn-
ing. No speech from the throne was delivered.
The steamers from Candle, Marseilles, and
Trieste have been delayed by bad weather.