The Express.
London, England, 1867-07-29 00:00:00

[STAMPED, Id. ADDITIONAL]

FRANCE.

(111,011 OCR OWN

PARIS. SATURDAY EVIZINO.,

The Grand Duke Constantine arrived in Paris I
this morning from Stuttgart.
The King of Portugal, accompanied by Prince
Poniatowski, paid a visit to Rossini yesterday.
Prince Amadeus, the Queen of Portugal's brother,
left Paris yesterday.
Prince Auguste de Broglie died at his residence
in Normandy a few days ago.
A gas explosion, attended by disastrous conse-
quences, occurred yesterday evening at the Card '
Garen, at the corner of the Passage Joufhroy, on'
the Boulevard Montmartre. A warning detonation,
not louder than a pistol-shot, alarmed the numerous
habitudis of the add at about 9 o'clock. The gas-
litter of the district was sent far, and he, accom-
panied by a secretary of a police commissioner,
made a minute inspection without discovering any-
thing
dangerous. He was going away, when two
violent explosions occurred, which shook several
houses in the passage like an earthquake, dames a
great deal of property, and wounded
eight persons, including the gas-fitter and the
police secretary, who were about to report the cafii
in a safe state. This is the fourth gas explosion
which has occurred in the P Jouffroy. The,
last, a very serious one, was in 1 .
The " instruction" on the mysterious Floutaine-•
bleau murder, which has fasted an sinusuelly long
time, is now concluded. The accused, Madame
Fregarci, is committed to take her trial before the
assize court of the Seine and Marne. M. Lachaud
is retained for the defence. The hearing is fixed
for August 10. M. Dubarle, of the Imperial Court
of Paris, will be the presiding judge.
An unreportable case of an offence against public
decency, in which a priest named Abbd Daniel,
vicar of Saint-Pere-en-Retz, and a girl of previous
good character and respectable family, who kept
the licensed tobacco shop of the commune, wore
concerned, was tried by the correctional: tri-
bunal of Paimbceuf on July 25. The corpus
delicti occurred on board a ferry-boat on the
Loire, between Lunges and Painib(euf. The
priest, who after being arrested was released on
bail, continued to say mass in his church, and he
was authorised to go to Nantes to consult
a medical man about a disease in his
eyes, on giving his word of honour that he would
surrender to take his trial. He was, however,
advised to abscond, and took the advice. The
trial as to him took place "by default," and he
was sentenced to two yeage imprisonment. The
girl, an interesting young person, obtained " ex-
tenuating circumstances," and got off with one
month.
The Assize Court of the Cotes-du-Nord has con-
victed the late director of the Comptoir d'Escompte
(who has absconded) of fraudulent bankruptcy, and
sentenced him to twenty years' imprisonment with
hard labour. His clerk, also tried by default, is
sentenced to ten years of the like punishment.
At the Bourse the rise of yesterday was more
than obliterated. There was more uneasiness than
ever about foreign affairs. Rents fell 90c., both
for cash and account, closing at 88.85 and 68.62.
Italian fell 40c., closing at 48.75. Mobilier fell 10( ;
Credit Foncier, ;and Comptoir d'Escompte, 7.50.

THE PARIS EXHIBITION.

(PROM OCR SPRCIAL CORRZSPONDENT.)

The two imposing ceremonies a profound im-
pression of which will be carried away by all who
witnessed them are the distribution of prizes and
the great military concert, for which regimental
bands had travelled from various pests of Europe.
The competition among the saihtary
bands attracted immense crowds to the Paling de
l'lndustrie on Sunday. Long before the hands
of the various nations marched round the building
in the order which they were to follow in the con-
test every available nook and corner was occupied.
The twenty thousand seats arranged were tilled
almost immediately the doors were opened, and
crowds of disappointed amateurs blocked the en-
trances. The jury's seats were placed at the east
end of the building, and the platform on which
each band stationed itself while executing the piece
assigned to it on the programme was erected in
front. I believe this position was said to be best
for the general sound of the music, although those
who had seats at the opposite extremity could not
hear very well, especially during the performances
of the Baden and Spanish bands, when the noise
and confusion at the various entrances were ovi-r-
-powering. Baden and Spain stood first on
the list in the contest. The pushing and
scrambling for places, the loudly expressed
indignation of those who could not get seats, the
angry remonstrances of the more fortunate, who
had found seats, and wished to hear the music—in
fact, the general discontent, by no means quietly
expressed, rendered the performances of the two
first bands almost inaudible. Indeed, at the close
of the Baden band's performance a gentleman
stepped on to the platform, and began an agitated
remonstrance on the injustice done to his country-
men.
The following is the order in which the several
countries were musically represented, and the
pieces they respectively executed :—The Baden
Grenadier Guards played Mendelssohn's Lorelry ;
The Spanish infantry regiment, a series of nation•il
airs. Prussia s Grenadier Guards and Royal Guards
played a selection from Meyerbeer's Prophet. Aus-
tria's King of Wurtemberg's Regiment played the
overture to William Tell. The Belgian Grenadier
Guards played a fantasia on William Tell ; Bava-
ria's Ist Regiment of Infantry, Wagner's Lohni-
grin ; Holland's Grenadier Guards and Chas-
sours, an arrangement of Gounod's Faust. The
French Garde de Paris played Wagner's Loilen-
vria, which the Bavarian band had played before.
rho Russian guards played a fantasia on Russian
melodies. The French Guides playedthe " Caniaval
de Venise." Each band played also the overture
to Oberon, which was the piece on which the jury
were to give their decision. The Prussian and
Austrian bands were received with bursts of
applause, as were the French bands.
The unanimity of the general opinion when the
prizes were distributed was striking. Three first
prizes were awarded instead of one—to Austria,
Prussia, and France (represented by the Garde de
Paris). The cheering as these prizes were given
was deafening. The Austrians and Prussians
seemed wild with delight ; and the Colonel of the
Garde de Paris threw his arms round his band-
master's (M. Paulus) neck, and kissed him,
to the intense delight of thousands and
thousands of witnesses. The three second
prizes were given to the French Guides,
Russia, and Bavaria •, the two third prizes to Hol-
land and Baden ; and the two fourth to Spain and
Belgium.
The gardeners must have had a hard day's
work on Monday, for the flower-beds, so beauti-
fully laid out along the nave of the Palais de
l'lndustrie' were trodden down, the plants rooted
up and strewn about ; in fact, the whole place
must have looked a wreck. In the dreadful crush
on Sunday, people sat down on the flower-beds and
in the masses of flowers banked up round the
statues. An indignant guardian, speaking of the
ravages committed among the floral beauties of the
building, said he would take his oath that there
was not one Parisian gentleman or one Parisian
lady who had trodden or sat upon a flower. The sight,
as the reader may easily imagine, was a dazzling
one, with the brilliant uniforms of the various
bands, and with every square foot of the vast nave
packed with an enthusiastic audience. Such an
audience, in short, has not been seen in Paris for
many a long year. The throng was even greater
than on the Ist. The Emperor has obtained per-
mission from the various governments for the bands
to prolong their stay eight days, taking upon himself
all the cost of food and lodgings during that time.

[TWOPENCE

The conferences or lectures held in the Interna-
tional Club have proved such a signal failure that
the Imperial Commission have resolved that lec-
tures should be delivered gratuitously in the de-0 w
partmenta in which the objects lectured on were: 1
exhibited. Thus on Tuesdays, from ten to eleven,
in the machinery gallery, near the Rue de Nor-
mandie, lectures will be delivered on the manufac-
ture of gutta percha. On Thursdays, from eight
till ten o'clock, in the Ice Pavilion in the French
action of the park, lectures on the artificial manu-
facture of ice will be given. On Tuesdays and
Fridays, from eight till eleven heat and the fusion
of iron and brass will be discussed in the laboratory
' situated on the banks of the Seine ; on Thursdays
and Saturdays, from eight till eleven, lectures on
the regulation of gas and lighting powers will be
given in the same laboratory. On Tuesdays and
Fridays, explanatory descriptions of the industrial
manufacture of oxygen will be given from two
to five. On Wednesdays, from two till four, ex-
periments in galvano-plastic will be made. On
Tuesdays, from two till five' distilling apparatus
will be explained. Sorge of the lectures that take
place in the afternoon maybe well attended, but I
do not much think many persons will feel inclined
to pay the two francs necessary to enter the Exhi-
bition during the reserved hours for the purpose of
heigiag a scientific discourse. On Wednesdays
aid *Ways, from ten tiro eleven,' M. Setchi
explain the science of meteorography in the Rennin
section. M. Ferdinand de Leseeps will lecture on
the canal works of the Isthmus of Suez, and
describe the difficulties that have been over-
come, and the actual state of the works.
_ _

A romantic story is creeping about the Champ
de Mars. Among the successes of the Exhibition
are the picturesquely-attired persons who are to be
seen about the Scandinavian department. In
front of the Swedish restaurant a real child of the
north, arrayed in silver brsded skirts, and covered
with elaborate filagree ornaments, has attracted a
good deal of attention and admiration. A thick
plait of fair hair wound round hur muslin turban
has been much criticised. Some days ago two
loungers in the Swedish department of the outer
ring of the building were discussing vivaciously
the merits of blonde Swedish girls. One gen-
tleman maintained that the solid plait which faa-
toned her vitiate was of her own hair, while his
companion pronounced it to be false. They made a
bet about it, and finally the girl was called, and one
of the disputants addressed her—" Is that all your
own hair ? " asked he. " Why, whose should it
be 1" answered the fair Swede naively. "It might
have been bought ; such things are often done," said
her questioner. "In our country we often sell our
hair," was the reply, " but we never bny it—why do
you ask me such a question I" " Because my friend
here declares that it is false." After such an
assertion there was noting left for her to do but to
undo her plait, which fell in magnificent profusion
to her feet. She did not appear at all snrprised at
the proceedings until the winner of the bet gave
her the twenty francs he had won. Then she was
fairly astonished. That was a happy day for her ;
and she counted on the recurrence of the incident,
and built an airy chatcati ea Espwrie with the
money her hair was going to bring her during the
Exhibition. She would buy a fishing-boat and
nets with the money she made, and then what a
crowd of devoted admirers she would have round
her when she returned to her Swedish home. But
human curiosity has its bounds, and she has had '
no further invitation to loosen her massive plaits. •
A Dalecarlian companion has joined her reeently,
who cannot speak one word in any language but
that of her native country.
The curiosity of amateur nautical people has been
tidbit for some days lately by two new varieties '
of rteambeati, which are to be *ten in full activity
on the Seine. This new vessel consists of an ordi-
nary-sized skiff, in the centre of which is a novel
stove ; the lower part is wider than the top, and
has the appearance of a cylindrical boiler. A screw-
propeller has been adopted by the inventor,
M. Oriolle.

This new invention will abolish the use of
sails on rivers for small boats. To judge from
what I have seen, it is destined to extend the
use of steam immensely. The whole imichinery, of
two-horse power, weighs 700 kilogrammes. With
an expenditure of ten kilogrammes of coal (costing
live sous), these boats go at the rate of twelve kilo-
metres the hour. The mode of producing the
steam is exceedingly simple. The oouibustible
matter is burnt in a box which dips into the water,
and produces the steam. There are several minor
novelties, into the intricacies of which it would be
useless to enter, which place the steam at the dis-
posal of the boatman at a few moments' notice.
M. Oriolle has other views beside the utilisation of
his engine for navigation. Ile hopes to see it used
for divers works—for instance, a little draining
pipe or watering pump might be worked with
great advantage by this invention. By the help
of ono of these simple engines, a thousand gallons
of water have been raised 10 to 15 metres high
within an hour.

The international contest between chest-players
of all nations has taken place lately at the In-
ternational Club. I give you the names of those
who obtained the prizes. The grand prize
given by the Emperor was awarded to M. Kolisch,
a Hungarian ; the second prize to M. Wine-
ver, the representative of Poland ; the third to
M. Steinitz (of Austria); and the fourth and
last to M. Neumann, who represented Prussia.
The prize awarded to M. Koliach consisted of a
splendid &byres vase, worth from four to five thou-
sand francs. The other prizes are sums of money.
In the French colonial section a few days since I
saw a magnificent collection of arms sent from
Cochin China. They are of great historical in-
terest, regarded as an illustration of the military
science of those far-off countries, which are still so
far behind our European civilisation. In a future
letter I will give your readers some account cf this
curious collection, which has only recently been
added to the French colonial department.

~lt is positively announced in. French newspapers
that the Palace and Park on the Champ do Mars will
be opened gratuitously to the public from 9 o'clock
in the morning, on the 15th of August.

TID. PANAMA AND WEST INDIA MAILS.

The Royal Mail Company's steamship Douro,
Captain Bevis, with the above mails, arrived at
Southampton on Saturday evening. She brings
225 passengers ; specie, 1,160,899 dole.; platina,
8001.; pearls, 101.; also the following cargo :-618
serous cochineal, 144 serons bark, 217 eases cigars,
656 bags cocoa, 33 cases preserved meat, and 170
packages sundries. The Douro experienced fine
weatherthroughout the passage. Ou the 25th inst.
shespoke the British ships St. Vincent and Marritta,
barque Rifleman, and steamer Amazon. HIT Ma-
jesty's steam corvette Niger arrived at Colon on
the 24th ult. ; brig Harriet, from London, arrived
at Jamaica Ist July; barque Oiaada, from ('trdiff,
arrived at Jamaica 26th June ; barque Strang,
from Newport, same date • brig Thalia, from
Newport, on the 29th ; and brig Glenbrook, front
London, on the 30th. Dates by the Douro are
Vera Cruz, 2nd July ; Havannali, 7th ; Santa
Martha, 2nd • Carthagena, 3rd • ' Jimmies, 10th ;
Por.o Rico, hth ; Demerara, Tobago, Bth ; Trini-
dad, 9th ; Granada, St. Vincent, 10th ; St. Lucia,
Barbadoes, 11th ; Martinique, Guadaloupe, Domi-
nique, 12th • Nevia and St. Kitt's, 13th ; and St.
Thomas, 146..
The steamer Kaikoura, with the Australian and
New Zealand mails, arrived at Panunia on the sth.
She left Sydney on the Ist June. and encountered
heavy weather between that port and Wellington.
She left the latter port on the Bth, and for the first
14 days experienced bad weather, and lay to one
day for repairs to engines. The Kaikoura had
' 290,000 dollars in gold, and a full complement of
passengers. The news from Australia has for the
most part been anticipated by the overland mail.

JOHN BROODEN'S GOLD CHAINS by troy
weight, at realisable value, and the workmanship at
wholesale tuanuktcturcni prices. The gold in the chains gua-
ranteed, and repurchased at the price charged.
" Ifere's the note.
How much your chain weighs to the utmost cant,
The fineness of the gold, and charge for fashion."
AltfiariAßL
Manufactory, 16, Henrietta-street, Covent-garden, Landon.

BROWN and POISON'S CORN FLOUR
for CRILDRK\•3 DOM

To obtain extra profit iry-tiZ.Zale ;:thir"lcinds ere sometimes
sterei Instead et BROWN sod POL40:411.
".101111 Browns," "John Poison." is signed by the makers on
such packet.

BR ZAKF AS T.-EPPS'S COCOA.

gite engtoo•

To cORRES PUNDENT.

Advertisements latiniedf47;'72lle—Eipnei," Tendon IMAM;
Taper, man be at the Moe, 10, Bouvadreirest, by Two
o'clock on the day of pnbilcatbon.

DRURY LUIZ.

Tess Trwsno, TRAfICASVAL JAZIC. Kern. Roars and
Neville Maoism,. Alleyna and Thaaapaia—To ooselode with
THE GREAT Cil it. Messrs Co , M'lntyre. Villiers, trying,
Rowe, Fit/Junes, & Warner: Ye.lamea 'Abelson Ls Mims.

HAYMARKET.

THIS ETINING, THE UWE CHA'AL Marrs, Cldppoodale.
Bowe, Rogers. Kendal, Clarke, Weatherby, Ac.: Mesdames
&diaries. l'hipperedale, Burke, hc.—TD PARIS AND BACK
?WK I:::.—And TILE RIFLE, AND 110 W TO USE IT.

PRINCERff6.

Tms Emma. TOE DAY A FElt TIIK WEDDINO.—TAE
)lAN 0' AIR.LIE. James harebell. llr. Herman Vesta; Mears.
F,. Price. Forreater, Gresham, Maclean, and Ellertun : Mbar, E.
Stuart, Nelly Moore, rte.—And THE CLOCKMAKEICS HAT.