The Express.
London, England, 1861-06-04 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

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PARIS, MOYDAT EVMI72IIO.

Notwithstanding the positive announcement of
the Droit, the Petrie thinks it impossible that the
trial of M. bfirs can come on BO early as Thursday
next, June 6. His advocate, M. Mathieu, has not
yet received a copy of the depositions, and in all
probability neither judge nor counsel will be ready
at so short a notice.

The trial of M. Blanqui, the "instruction" of
which has been conducted with so much secrecy
that nothing was heard of it yesterday, is fixed for
Friday next before the seventh Correctional Cham-
ber. He is exulted of having been within the
last three years a member of a secret society, of
which he was the founder and the chief. His
alleged accomplices included in the indictment are
Madame Julienne Fr4meaux, staymaker ; A.
Senique, sculptor; Louis Henri Chaumette, jour-
neyman printer ; F. J. Vesgion, shoemaker ; F.
Florian, journeyman printer. This political pro-
secution, which, ou account of the celebrity of
Blanqui's name, promises to be very interesting,
drops upon us as it were from the clouds. Nothing
is more elastic than the expression "secret society,"
and few things can be more odious than a prosecu-
tion for belonging to one, unless provoked by very
grave reasons of state. The police must know
much more than the public if secret societies are
now dangerous.
The Court of Accounts has discovered and
reported a very gross case of mal-administration of
public funds on the part of the Prefect of the
Eure. The sum fixed by law as the value of the
furniture which he is entitled to have in his
official residence is 64,000 fr. ; but he, being a man
of taste and refinement, has made the public pay
to the tune of 111,230 fr It appears that he was
enabled to finger the money by appropriating, of
his own authority, the surplus of funds voted by
the Council-General for the Foundling Hospitals
beyond the wants of those establishments. This
is an instance of the evil working of one of the
Emperor's decrees, which, with a view of weaken-
ing the popular and strengthening the adminis-
trative element of government, enables prefects to
effect of their own authority what is called a
eirement--that is, a transfer of funds voted for one
purpose to another and a different one in case of
the money not being wanted for its original desti-
nation. It is not yet known what the government
means to do in consequence of the exposure of the
cool proceeding of the Prefect of the Eure. Of
course the eirerae at of which I have spoken,
although it gave him the power to get the money
in question, affords no shadow of justification for
his applying it for the purpose of beautifying his
own residence in defiance of an express limit fixed
by law.

At the Bourse the state of Count Cavour's health
was anxiously discussed. The weight of the evi-
dence-is that he is recovering ; but such frequent
bleedings indicate alarming symptoms. The Rente,
after showing a good deal of firmness, and being
quoted as high as 69fr. 40c. and 69fr. 45c., gave
way in the afternoon, and closed for cash with a
fall of 20c. at 69fr. 10c., and at Saturday's price,
69fr. 30c., for account It is feared that the Bank
of England may raise its discount on Thursday.
Mobility fell llfr. 25c. Railways were from lfr.2sc.
to 2fr. 50c. lower.

In the Exhibition at the Crystal Palace there is
a portrait of a dog of that nondescript and mongrel
Mee called " Paris breed." But to this plebeian
dog there attaches a history which ought to trans-
mit his name to posterity aide by side with that of
Bethgellert. He is called Mustapha, and this is
his story :—Mustapha was the !property of • boat-
man of St. Cloud, known on the river by the
nickname of " Robert the Strong." Times being
bad with Robert, and his family large, he found the
lately-imposed dog tax so serious a charge upon
his budget, that he reluctantly made up his mind
to sell poor Mustapha. But the dog, who at the
best was of small value, had at this time a disease
upon him, and no bidder could be found. After
many couaultations in family council assembled
the fiat went forth that, sad as it was to think of,
Mustapha must be drowned. Early ono morning
the boatman gave the unsuspecting dog his last
breakfast, which was something more copious than
usual, and then set out with him to the river-side
to execute the sentence. Vu his way Robert
stopped at Jaquet's wine-shop, on the St. Cloud
road, where he swallowed two or three glasses of
brandy to screw up his courage for the dread work
that was to be done. He then, followed by his
victim, got into a boat and rowed into the middle
of the Seine. As Mustapha was a good swimmer
the man took the precaution to tie a great stone
round his neck, and then, turning his head away,
pushed him into the water. But the stone was,
after all, not heavy enough to prevent Mustapha
from swimming, and with painful efforts he at-
tempted to regain the boat. Thereupon Robert
took up a pole and pushed at the animal to keep
him off, but in the movement lost his balance and
fell into the river himself. Not being able to
swim, he speedily disappeared, and the people on
shore who had assembled to witness the execution
of the dog, fully thought that he and the boatman
were drowned together. But their anxiety was of
short duration ; for Mustapha, breaking with his
paws the string which attached the stone to his
neck, caught his master by the collar, and brought
him safely to shore. A gentleman who was riding
by while Mustapha was shaking his wet coat in-
quired of the spectators of the scene what bad
happened, and ou bearing the story, at once offered
ten napoleons for the animal, a proposal which was
joyfully accepted. Mustapha was taken to a canine
hospital and speedily cured of his malady ; and he
now lives in luxury with his new master, who is an
intimate friend of the painter to whose art the
public is indebted for the lineaments of the generous
dug.