The Express.
London, England, 1867-05-23 00:00:00

THE REORGANISATION OF THE FRENCH

ARMY.

The Charivari of Tuesday publishes the following
parody of the imperial plan for the reorganisation
of the French army :
Art. 1. Every citizen is a soldier. On the day of his
birth his parents must tatoo upon his arm a Chassepot
rifle end a bayonet sword. Until the age of 7 he is
I not compelled to take part in active servka, but learns
the theory. Art. 2. From 7 to 12 years of age
he is incorporated in the national guard, and must
net play at marbles except with ride bullets.
I Art 3. From 12 to 20 years of age he is comprised in the
cadres of the active army, and must be present during
eleven months of each yesrin the regiment assigned to him.
The twelfth month is left to him for the purpose of learn-
ing a trade and supporting his parents. Art. 4. From 20
, to 40 years of age he remains constantly under arms. Art.
5. From 40 to 60 years of age be forma part of the reserve,
must be with his corps for six months every year ; but
cannot be sent out of the country except by a
special law. In pressing cases this law may be
superseded by the order of a polioe-eargeant. Art. 6.
In order not to inconvenience, in the arrangement of their
family affairs, the citizens called under arms, no soldier of
tihe reserve who has received orders to march shall under
lacy circumstances be refused a quarter of an hour's delay

- - before he joins his company. Art. 7. From 60 to 75 years 1
of age every citizen who has not lost more than two of his
limbs in war shall be incorporated in the Garde Nationale
Mobile, entrusted with the defence of the frontiers.
Art. 8. Every person having only a left arm shall be
attached by the instrumentality of the Minister of War
Ito a person having only • right arm, so as to form thus a
templets soldier, and utilise all the human remnants.
And so on for odd limbs of every other kind. Art. 9.
From 75 to 90 years of age the men will all form part of a
. militia charged to watch over the safety of the towns.
They will go their rounds in invalid chairs. Art. 10. The
!men forming part of the ban from 70 to 90 years of age
will be able to obtain authorization to get married before
the expiration of their term of service. Art. 11. At and
beyond the age of 90 and a day the citizen is free from all
military service except in cases when the country may
have need of him. Art. 12. He nevertheless remains in-
I scribed upon the rolls of his regiment until the age of 96,
and cannot before that age take servioe in a foreign army.
Art. 13. No case of exemption is allowed. Every one is
turned to account, according to his aptitudes and his in-
Amities. Art. 14. All the women, without exception,
are rieandiires. They must be ready to serve out runi to
the soldiers when the country is thirsty—for glory. Art. 15.
Even at home the citizen must not leave off his uniform.
Art. 16. He is bound to have a target in his bedroom, and
to practise at it for two hours every night with his Chas-
sepot rifle. Art. 17. He must wear his hair and beard ac-
cording to the regulations of the colonel. Only those are
authorised not to have them cut who have none.
lArt. 18. In a word, from his birth to his liberation (96
years and a day) every citizen belong. to the army. In his
leisure hours he has the right to occupy himself with agri-
culture, art, or industry, without, however, leaving off
his pillage, his shako, or his helmet.

THE PARIS EXHIBITION.

(nos oul sPECIAL COI

Of the means of transit to and from the Exhi-
bition, it may be useful to note that the railway
authorities have yielded to the protests of the
Parisians, and now start three trains between 5.25
and 6.25, the hour when tired visitors are home-
ward and dinner-ward bound.

A certain Abraham-bon-Ali has just set up a most
singular establishment. It consists of a cafd-
regiurant, three yards long and a yard and a half
wide, intended for the accommodation of the
Algerian workpeople who are occupied in the manu-
facture of ornaments, baskets, boots, and indige-
nous tissues in the palace. The apace is so limited
that these poor people are obliged to await their
turn to enter the restaurant.

Our potters have no complaint to make of a lack
of attention on the part of visitors. The incompar-
able English service for the Prince of Wales which
Messrs. Copeland exhibit, and their exquisite
flower painting, and unrivalled ceramic statuary ;
the majolica, designed by Lessors, of the Wedg-
-11 woods, and the brilliant stalls of Minton, command
1 crowds of admiring visitors all day long. This is
due in part to the open arrangement of the British
section, which was so severely criticised by the
French authorities.

The French manufacturers of porcelain are lament-
ing that the department devoted to the Worms
manufactory is continually crowded with visitors,
while their cases remain unvisited. This is due
chiefly to the long-standing, world-wide renown of
the Imperial establishment ; and partly to the fact
that, the French exhibition of porcelain being in-
closed, there is nothing to attract the visitor from
the magnificent shows of crystals and bronzes which
surround it.

Grave complaint at the conduct of the Russian
commissioners during the Prince of Wales's visit to
their stables has been made in the papers. It ap-
pears that these commissioners closed the stable
doors to the public while the prince was inspecting
their horses. The Russian authorities are invited
to observe that they are on the banks of the Seine,
and that autocratic airs are not much in vogue
among the peoples of the West. One French writer,
M.Alfred Duplessis, is unsparing in his criticism on
the " raideur " of the Russian commissioners. He
points them out as making exceptions to the general
rule of courtesy which pervades the Exhibition ; and
remarks that this time when Russia has contrived
to get together a most brilliant and interesting
show of her produce and industry ; it is doubly un-
fortunate that she has made a bad selection of
authorities to do the honours of her courts and
galleries. While the papers are daily chronicling
the splendid hospitalities of ambassadors to kings
and princes, I will be chronicler of an humble fee.
Itivity which took place in the excellently-arranged
and managed Workmen's Exhibition Restaurant, 1
!by the Ecole Militaire entrance. This omnibus
! restaurant supplied a modest banquet to sixteen of
! the jury and of the commissioners of the tenth
group. Eleven bottles of wine and an entire filet
,of beef were consumed, and the bill for the six-
teen contrives was 38f. 20e. It cannot be too often
repeated that the plain food served—and well
!served—here by neat female attendants is cheap
and excellent. It is a great success already. The
' average daily consumption of bread alone reaches
1,600 kilogrammes, and 115 persons are employed
on the establishment.

It will interest your horticultural readers to learn
that the last fortnight's flower show, which closed
'on Thursday, brought fresh honours to Messrs.
Veitch. The contest now is for palm trees, and is
in the great palm-house or crystal palace. The
statue of the Empress is literally encompassed in
' palms. The effect is delightful, for the spaces aro
filled with azaleas. Then, in front of the Empress's
pavilion, rhododendrons are massed, and the tents
shield exquisite banks of flowers. The peonies,
calceolarias, and roses are in marvellous variety
land abundance, and the gallery by the Avenue de
Labourdonnaye is a bank of cut flowers. By this
garden, which is the triumph of the Exhibition
authorities, and is a fairyland, a vulgar concession
lhas been set up that jars horribly upon the visitor
who may happen to wander from the gates towards
the Ecole Militaire. A showman—exactly s• at a
country fair—calls upon him to enter an enclosed
place and see a magnificent and gigantic work of art.
The charge is only twenty-five centimes—five sous.
He who is trapped is conducted before a monster
barrel that will hold 210,000 litres. What next,
and next ? Why not a menagerie, with pipe, and
drum, and speaking trumpet

ARRIVAL 011 ♦ GOLD SRIP.—FALMOUTR, MAY 22.
—The ship Alenandrina,from Otago, New Zeal-nd, on the
12th February, is off here, with 3,621 ounces of gold, 11
goosoogwo, and 2,461 bolos of wool.