The Express.
London, England, 1867-06-13 00:00:00

THZ PARIS EXHIBITION.

(TROK 01711 HPECIAL CORRESPONDFST.)

The Czar's visits to the Exhibition have been
few and hasty. The Paris papers have made the
most of them, and have even invented Borne—as
for instance his Monday visit. This remark applies
to some extent to the King of Prussia—albeit a
pleasing group of Exhibition incidents have been
contrived to grace his appearances on the Champ
de Mars. The warrior King is presented to the
Parisians as so passionate a lover of flowers that
he would enter the Exhibition only by the gate
that opens upon the Horticultural Gardens. The
probability is that this gate was chosen as the
farthest from the Jena entrance. Both the 'lsar and
the King have been more warmly received since
the catastrophe happened in the Bois de Bou-
logne. All classes of the Parisians, and certainly
those who have happened to be in the Exhibition
during an imperial or royal visit, have endeavoured
to compensate for the outrage committed on a
sovereign while ho was the guest of France. if the
French be not— and most writers agree that they I
are not—a hospitable race, the) are chivalrous, and'
they have a keen sense of their dignity as a nation.
• As the time approaches for the distribution of
prizes the excitement among exhibitors, and more
especially among French exhibitors, is becoming I
intense. Men go scheming about in every direc-
tion for a clue to the verdicts in which they are
interested ; and as there are persons who eagerly
desire to know the secrets of the jury-rooms, there
are plenty of pretentious and impudent fellows
who affect to be able to satisfy them. They distri-
bute the grand prizes and the medals of honour with
a firm hand, and the credulous go away happy.
A few prizes, however, have been autho-
ritatively made known. The readers of the
Daily News may remember that I described
some time ago the institution by the Imperial Com-
missioners of a series of extra or special rewards, or
growls prix. Nineteen of these great prizes have
been awarded, and in the moat fantastic manner.
Napoleon 111, appears at the head of thelistof grand
prizeholders, in his capacity of exhibitor of, 1
think, the ugliest model for working men's houses
I have ever seen. Then follows the Prussian Pro-
fessor Jacobi, for galvanoplastic. Third on the
list are Marne and Co., the great printers of prize
and children's books of Tours • Pelin-Gaudet has
a grand prize for metallurgy ; Hessemer, for steel;
Mathieu, forsurgical instruments ; Farcot, for steam
engines; Pasteur, for his method of keeping wines;
Mares, for his treatment of the vine with sulphur ;
and Dufresne, for his improved method of gilding
by mercury without inuring the workmen. Great
prizes to Hughes, for his electric telegraph; and to
our Lifeboat Institution. The President of the
Corps Legialatif figures as a prizeholder, in his
capacity of airector of the famous Creuzot works.
M. de Lesseps gets a great prize fur his Isthmus of
Suez works. The Sanitary Society of the United
States is in the list of honour ; and so is the great
International Association for giving help to the
wounded in war. Lastly, the great Forges et (,Karr
tiers de la Mediterranese are marked as deserving of
this special honourable recognition. The selection
is fantastic. It is hardly possible to perceive the'
operation of any principle in it. There are model
houses for workmen in the park worthier of reward
than that which has been set up in the Emperor's
name. Take that which a committee of the work-
men of Paris have built at their own expense, for
• example. What a curious jumble is that of M.
Schneider and his great engineering works with
our English Lifeboat Institution, wounded soldiers,
and sanitary science in America !
The horticultural section of the Exhibition has
been the scene of great gaiety during the past week.
No wonder that it is the section which the cream of
the cream affect. It is now a most delightful
English landscape garden. The turf is in beautiful
order. The flowers are brilliant. The great palm-'
house is a fairy scene. It was said before the'
Bois de Boulogne taught the Parisians a different
lesson that it was impossible to raise good turf in
or near Paris. Experience and the selection of a
grass best calculated to withstand the intense heat
of a Paris summer have endowed the Parisians with
' grass-plots that may be compared with any we can
show. The grass which has been adopted is the
Italian rye-grass. It makes a vigorous growth and
a close sward. It may flatter English vanity to
learn that the seed whereof the grass in the Horti-
cultural-gardens is the produce was supplied to
the Paris gardener by Messrs. James Carter and Co.,
of High Holborn. Leaning over the little wooden
bridge by the artificial water near the central gar-
den and gigantic conservatory, the scene is now
one of dazzling splendour. The landscape gardener
and the floriculturist have combined to raise in
a fee short months a fairyland of shrubs and
flowers and flowing waters within hearing of the
clatter of the machinery. In these beautiful realms
of M. Barrillet, cueceers of flowers and fruits, and
vegetables, and 01 arboriculture are perpetually
succeeding one another. The collection of conifers
is pronounced by judges to be the finest ever seen.
There have been, or are, collections of every de-
scription of tree and shrub and flower, from the
Thuja gigantea, and the Wellingtonia gigantea,
and the sombre array of yews, to the " modest
pale violet." The show of cactuses has been extra-
ordinary. The wealth of colour at this display is
superb. The French would not fail to twist a plant
like the cactus into all manner of fantastic forms.
Some of them are laughable and some ugly. The
amusing ones are huge heads propped upon spare
legs, like pantomime figures. Prominent in the
list of cactus growers is an Englishman, Mr.
Pfersdorf. Fantastic French training is to be seen
in its wildest forms in the fruit garden. The trees
are twisted into the most useless, extravagant, and
wasteful forms. In some instances the mode of
training is useful, and worth an English gardener's
study. The branches of one tree are bent back to
the parent stem and grafted upon it. Another
makeaa hoop about its stem, enclosing all its fruit and
leaves. There are, however, as I have said, many use-
ful hints fortheEnglish gardener in th is ex traordinary
and beautiful fruit garden. There are some trained
peach trees showing many varieties, and then there
is M. Rousseau's oak plantation close at hand..
M. Rousseau's name will be dear to epicures as an
enthusiastic truffle nurseryman. lie has not dis- '
covered how to propagate truffles rapidly, but he
has brought something like system into their pro-
duction. He has set out plantations of oaks in a
light loamy soil, and after seven years he has oh-
tallied • truffle crop at the rate of seven pounds
per acre. The headquarters of the truffle par es,!
(encore is the renowned Brives-la-Gaillarde. M. I
Roqueplan is " destroyed " over the misatliatite to'
which the pure Perigord truffle has been subjected
under the pressure of overwhelming demand.
The Perigord is a brown sandy truffle. I
It mixes well with the darker truffle of Monte-
limart,l
of Montagnac, and of Carpentras.
M. Roqueplan implores growers not to degrade
the truffle of Brives-la-Gaillarde, and of Car-
pentras, further. What profanation, according to
him, it would be, if the truffle of Pantie were to
be mingled with the five great truffle families of ;
the south. The mind recurs to Moliere and to
Brillat de Savarin, to fine wit, and the delightful
Gallic humour of old at the very name of Brives-
la-Gaillarde, of Montelimart, and of Carpentras. ;
Enthusiastic Roqueplan says :—" It is important
to fix the exact spot where Nineveh stood ; should
then the native place of the truffle we eat be-
come • matter of indifference to us 1"

Messrs. Johnson and Sons have just issued the
second edition of their English official catalogue.
It is corrected throughout in the most satisfactory
manner, and is now perfect. Perhaps M. Dentu
will be shamed by this enterprise and skill ou the
part of the English concessionnaires into a revi-
sion of the French catalogue, which is still an
incoherent mass of blunders.

STATE CONCERT.

By command of the Queen a state concert was
given last evening at Buckingham Palace, to which a party
of upwards of 700 was invited.
Their Royal Highnesses the Princess Alice of Great
Britain and Ireland, the Prince of Wales, and Prince Louis
of Hesse, escorted by • detachment of the First Life Guards,
and attended by the Baroness von Schenck, Viscount
Hamilton, the Hon. A. T. Fitzinturice, Lieutenant-Colonel
Keppel, and Hofmarschall von Westerwciler, arrived at
the garden entrance of the palace from Marlborough-house
shortly before 10 o'clock.
His Royal Highness Prince Arthur arrived at the palace,
attended by Major Elphinstone and Captain Pickard.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Crnibridge, attended by
Colonel Tyrwhitt, arrived at the palace from Gloucester-
house.

Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge and
tho Grand Duchess of Mecklenburg-Strelitz arrived from
St. James's Palace, attended by Lady Geraldine Somerset
and Lady Caroline Cust.

His Serene Highness the Prince of Teck arrived from
Kensington Palace.
The royal body guard of the Yeomen of the Guard was
on duty in the interior of the palace, under the command
of Lieutenant-Colonel Patterson, the Eton in waiting.
Lieutenant-Colonel Cooke, the Lieutenant of the Corps,
also attended.
A guard of honour of the Scots Fusilier Guards was
mounted in the court of the palace.
Her Royal Highness the Princess Alice of Great Britain
and Ireland, accompanied by the menibeni of the Royal
Family, conducted by the Earl of Bradford (Lord Cham-
berlain), and attended by their ladies and gentlemen in
waiting, entered the saloon at a quarter past 10 o'clock,
when the concert immediately commenced.
The programme of the music was as follows:
Overture, " J libilee "
Qua Mtn, " Cu di, se hen Rammentnml,"
,Rigolettv, Mdtle. Skim, Madame Tre-
belli, Signori Mongini e Ora tOlt
Aria con Coro. "Invano alma desk" (Air
mid& Mdlle. Titiens
Swedish Airs. Mdlk. Nilsson.
Duetto, "Quis est homo," ;Statist Mater',
Mdlle. Miens e Madame Trehelli Rossini.
Arta. "In terra slain illy lei," , Don rithestlano)
Signor Mongini
Trio and Chorus, " Hearts feel that love
' thee," (Athalle , Millie. Nilsson, Mdlla
Sink°. e Madame Trebel!'
Romania, "Nei reudicata salmi " :Dinoralc,
Signor Grattan) Meyerbeer.
Aria, " Dove 'ono." Figaro) Mdlle. Miens Mozart.
Corn, "0 Salutarls"
Duette, " Prorate to win," (Don Pasquale)
Slime a Signor (trailed
Arlo "Tu the accendi" ;Taneredi` , Madame
Truheill
Gipsy Chorus. "The Mars that shove us are
shining" ;Preriosm C. H. von Weber.
Terzetto, "Goal se tl sfugge" (Lamella
Borgia). Mlle. Titian e Swoon Mongint
e (Innen'
Solo and Chorus, (Knight of Snowdon;
Mdlle. Sink* Sir H. Bishop.

. Gluck.

The bend and chorus (eonsiating of upwards of 140 per-
formers) were selected from Her Majesty's Theatre, the
Royal Italian Opera, the Philharmonic and Sacred Har-
monic Societies, and her Majesty's private band.
The performance was conducted by Mr. Anderson (the
director of her Majesty's private band) and Mr. W. G.
Cuisine.

A large and distinguished circle had the honour of re-
ceiving invitations to attend the concert, but some were
prevented by unavoidable causes from obeying her Ma-
jesty's command.

The Governor-General of Canada (Lord Mona),
his wife, family, and suite, will sail to-day from Liver-
pool for Quebec in the Montreal Company's steamship
Nestorian. The same steamer will also take out 90 cabin
paroengers, and about 500 men belonging to different regi-
ments now stationed in Canada, who will be under the
command of Captains W. S. Jemmett, H. C. Patton, and
H. C. Singleton, Lieutenant F. Clowes and Ensign Henry
Hall. Yesterday about :100 soldiers sailed from Liverpool
for Halifax and St. John, New Brunswick, in the St.
David, a sinew steamer, also belonging to the Montreal
Stearnshiyompany.
THEEARL OF DERBY AND THE LIVERPOOL
7.04%14 Cot iciL.—The following letter from the Earl of
Derby, with reference to his statue in St. George's-hall,
was read at the meeting of the Liverpool town council
yesterday :—" St. James's-square, June 7. 1567. Dear
hlr. Mayor,—l have to acknowledge, which Ido with the
liveliest gratitude, your note of yestenlay enclosing a reso-
lution which the town council have done me the honour
of passing unanimously on Wednesday last. I need hardly
any how highly I value this distinguished mark of their
approval, and of their too flatterb.g appreciation of such
services as in the course of a tolerably long life I may have
been enabled to render to the country at large, or to my
friends and neighbours at Liverpool. Requesting you to
return my grateful thanks to the town council, I have the
honour to be, dear Mr. Mayor, yours faithfully (signed),
DERBY. The Worshipful the Mayor."

I-BRITISH AND FOREIGN UNITARIAN ASSOCIATION.
The annual general meeting of this association was held
I yesterday in the unitarian chapel, Brixton. The meeting
was preceded by • sermon by Rev. J. L. Short, Sheffield,
after which Mr. James Heywood, F.R.S., formerly M.P.
for North Lancashire, presided. There was • large at-
tendance, including Sir John and Lndy Burring, Mr.
Alderman J. C. Lawrence, Miss Mary Carpenter, Mr. S.
Courtauld, Mr. J. Murch, J.P., and many ministers be-
longing to the association. The chairman said they were
assembled at their forty-second anniversary, and be
thought they might congratulate themselves upon
the pleasant circumstances under which they had
meet. It was important for them to know whether
they were stationary. He believed they were increas-
ing, and quoted the increase of chapels in Lancashire
and Yorkshire in support of that belief. On the whole it
seemed to him that, as far as new districts were concerned,
a considerable increase had taken place. Many orthodox
dissenters and manyin the church of England sympathised
with unitarians to an extent which they could never have
anticipated. Mr. Alderman Lawrence presented the trea-
surer's statement, from which it appeared that the income
of the society had amounted to 1,0801. The Rev. R. B.
Aspland, M.A., secretary, next read an abstract of the
42nd annual report, which commenced with an allusion to
some differences respecting the constitution of the ammo-
ciation during the past year. and the expression of • con-
fident hope that for the time to come there will be more
united action among the friends of liberal Christi-
anity. The report then gave an interesting ac-
count of the relations of the society with the
unitarian churches of Transylvania, which annually send
over a student to complete his education at Manchester
New College. A narrative was given of Miss Mary Car-
pouter's recent visit to India, and her unsectarian labours
to promote female education, as well as her reports on the
condition and prospects of the unitarian missions in Cal-
cutta and Madras. The report gave an encouraging ac-
count of the condition of missions connected with the Mao-
ciation in the north of England and Scotland, referred to
the formation of a theological library for the use of mem-
bers and all free inquirers recommended by them, and
to the distribution of books and tracts during the year.
.In the department of protection of civil rights,
the report stated that action had been taken in co-operation
with other nonconforming bodies in preventing the proba-
ble desecration of Buuhill-fields Burial-ground, where lie
the remains of many of the most eminent dissenters and
unitarians of the last and present centuries. The Yar-
mouth re-marriage case, and the case of Mr. J. It, Grant,
the church-rate martyr, • member of the unitarian deno-
mination, were next noticed ; and, after • tribute of re-
, 'meet to members deceased during the year, the report
concluded with an expreesion of an earnest desire to wel-
come in • broad and catholic spirit any friends of liberal
Christianity who may be disposed to cceoperate in diffu-
sing • knowledge of the simple truths of Christianity, in
promoting religions liberty and true Christian charity.
Tux TAILORS STRIKE.—The committee of the
London masters have been aitting almost daily for the last
week preparing • new time log, which the masters gene-
rally throughout the country, at a meeting held last week
at the Langhun Hotel, have pledged themselves to accept.
A printed copy of this new log has come into the posses-
sion of the central committee of the operatives, and has
been at once declared by them to be of such a nature that
no operative, either in town or country, could accept ;
they, however, express their willingness to take this new
log of the masters and their own amalgamated time-log as
the basis of a negotiation for the settlement of the dis-
pute if the masters will meet them in good
faith, and agree to refer all disputed points to
arbitration. The present fine weather has produced a
great pressure on the masters, and several of their number
who at the last general meeting were opposed to any arbi-
tration whatever, are now desirous, owing to the above
circumstance, and the firm attitude maintained by the
men, of bringing the dispute to a termination by this
means. A meeting of delegates from the masters in
connexion with the association throughout the kingdom,
was held yesterdayaftersoon at Birmingham. The London
masters were repieserted by Mr. Bennett, of Conduit-
street ; Mr. Thompson, of Conduit-street: and Mr. Lan-
don, the honorary secretary. The agent of the masters
in that town telegraphed last night to the central com-
mittee in London that the meeting was held with closed
doors, reporters for the press being strictly excluded.