The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-19 00:00:00

THE IMPERIAL DUELLISTS.

In a leading article in the Courrier Francais of
to day, M. Vermorel explains and justifies the position he
assumed in reference to the attacks of the Csaaagnacs :
" If, the other day, in reply to the insults of M. Louis de
Canavan, I had broken hie skull or blown out his brains,
every one would have said I din right, and no tribunal
would bays condemned me. I did not do so, because I had
• judicial part to perform, and the mission I had to fulfil
was not to inflict death on these people—that would have
been doing them too much honour, and giving them the
opportunity of appearing victims—but to inflict on
them the punishment of public contempt. If
I had fought and wounded them, I should
be condemned to, and should have to undergo,
the penalty of Imprisonment. If I had been wounded
they would have been condemned ; but they would not
have to undergo imprisonment, and they would have gone
on with their insults"

In proof of the latter assertion, M. Vermorel publishes
the following letter, with the heading of " Plain ques-
tions":—" Why did not M. Paul de Cassagbac undergo
the two months' imprisonment which he was condemned
to for libelling lIM. Malespine and Gueroult ? Why did
he not undergo his two months' imprisonment for his duel
with M. Rochefort ? Why did he not suffer the penalty of
the law for his last duel with M. Lermina?"

It is expected that the King and Queen of
Portugal will arrive in Paris on Saturday next. Their
Majesties will reside at the Palace of the Tuileries, and
will be received at the station of the Northern Railway
with the same ceremony which attended the reception of
the sovereigns who have come officially to the French
capital.

A Paris paper says :—" We have yet a few more
of the minor royal people to register as having been re-
ceived at the Tuileries ; but there are indications of the
close of this long and exceptional season. In a few day.
the Chambers will be dispersed. Already Paris has lost
most of the richer and more fashionable families. The
windows of many an hotel are shut, most of the skins
are dark, and the furniture is covered with the baggy out-
of-town drapery. Servants may be seen standing at door-
ways idling ; tradespeople complain of want of business,
and declare this Exhibition year the worst they have
known. The Bois de Boulogne is not so gay as it was a
few days ago, people are off to the mineral waters, or the
pleasurable places on the Rhine. Baden-Baden and Hom-
burg are filling, we hear ; many of our foreign visitors
will this year resort to those pleasant and salubrious
regions in order to regain some of the money which Paris
has taken away. The railways invite the weary and
tired-of-pleasure citizen to Havre, Dieppe, Trouville, and
Boulogne. All seasonable signs."
Fund Mehmed Pacha, who is now with the
Sultan in this country, was the author in his youth of sonic
poetry, and published in 1852 en Ottoman grammar, which is
much appreciated by savants. He early devoted himself to
modern languages, history, law, and social economy. In
1840 he became atradie in the quality of first secretary to
the minion of Chekib Effendi in London. In 18-13 he was
appointed second interpreter of the Porte at Constantinople,
and afterwards made director. Subsequently he was
charged to compliment the Queen of Spain on the occasion
of her accession to the throne, and he was a most success-
ful diplomatist at the Court of Madrid_ "There is nothing
in him," says a biographer, " which at all resembles the
ancient Turk. He speaks French admirably."

The daring of one adventurous photographer at
the naval review has been chronicled. This resolute man
set sail in a small boat from Southse► beach, bearing his
apparatus to the No.M•n's Fort, which is now • block of
stone just above low water, with a precarious wooden
structure on the top of it. He went oat alone in bis
undertaking, scarcely venturing to think that the boatman
would be able to land him, and utterly ignorant of his
chances of returning. However, he was landed success.
fully, and forthwith be commenced • scientific struggle
with the elements. He had in his ardour neglected to
take provisions of any kind. Hungry, drenched, his lens
broken, his plates blown about, himself with his head in
his camera several times near on being hurled bodily into
the sea, with the prospect of having to remain starving at
his post until it was possible for the visiting steamer to
put off from shore, he battled on undauntedly, and
managed to obtain a couple of "negatives." Tired of
persecuting him, fortune towards evening rewarded him
for his contempt of her. lie was taken on board by a
friendly boat that happened to hear of his