The Express.
London, England, 1868-01-09 00:00:00

EXPRESS FROM PARIS.

(PRON OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, WEDNESDAT ETINING.
The first court ball of the season takes place at
the Tuileries to-night. The Duke of Beaune, being
in mourning for his wife, has delegated the func-
tions of grand chamberlain to Viscount de Lafer-
ribre, and has left Paris with his son and daughters

for Nice.
M. Haussmann is about to make his debut as a
government orator in the Corps Legislatif. The
Emperor has delegated him specially to reply to the
interpellations authorised by the bureaux on the
proposed now cemeteries.
A meeting of the brilliant phalanx of counsel
retained to defend the journals prosecuted for
illegal reports of the debates will be held this even-
ing at M. Berryer's chambers. The following is the
list :—M. Senard, for the Opinion Nationale : M.
Berryer, Union; M. Allon, Epoque ; M. Andral,
Gazette de Prance ; M. Mathieu, La Prance ; M.
Jules Fevre, A emir National ; M. Ed. Laboulaye,
Revue Nationale; M. Picard, interet Public; M.
Gatineau, 6/knew d'Bure-et-Loire ; and M. Cres-

son, Presse.
There is a rumour that M. Pinard, the new
Minister of the Interior, who has taken the initia-
tive of this most unlucky prosecution, is at this
moment coldly looked upon for indiscreet and ex-
cessive zeal. The coup d'itat law on the subject
could not be branded with a more flagrant reductio
ad absurdum than the success of this prosecution.
The Procureur-General will not venture to adopt
the argument which the Pays impudently sticks
to, although the !Abuts has anticipated the refu-
tation which I gave of it, that the practice of the
English papers is entirely in accordance with French
legislation.
Some emotion was produced, a few days ago,
by the news that the Prefect of Police had ordered
an " inquiry " into the circumstances under which
a person arrested at the Porte St. Martin Theatre,
for hissing Mdlle. Silly, was released in obedience
to the general clamour of the audience. It was
supposed that such a concession on the part of
authority to public opinion would be severely
blamed. The authorities have very adroitly got
out of the matter without either denying or
affirming the right of the public to hiss, and
without questioning the right of the police to
arrest anybody they please. The result of the in-
quiry :is that the man who hissed was arrested
by the orders of an employ; of the theatre, of which
the soldiers ought to have taken no notice. The
Prefect of Police warns the manager and the ser-
geant commanding the guard that, according to
law (a very old law, dating from 1791), the guard
has no right to enter the interior of the theatre
without express orders from the proper civil officer.
The great question of the day, or rather of the
evening, is whether or not there is a thaw 1 At
5 o'clock I saw Chevalier's thermometer in the Rue
de la Bourse, just a quarter of a degree above
freezing point ; but on the Boulevards and in the
broad streets open to the wind it is yet freezing,
and the omnibus horses not "roughed, as they
ought to be, are continually falling. It was as dark
in Paris during the greater part of the day as it
, often is in London when fogs prevail ; in many
shops and counting-horses the gas was lit the
Iwhole day long.
The Marquis de Maubreuil d'Orvault (husband
of Mdlle. Schumacker) is in treaty with an eminent
bookseller for the publication of his memoirs in
ten volumes.
The Bourse was very gloomy. Many orders for
sales arrived from England and Germany. Rentes
fell 12c. for cash and 20c. for account ; closing at
68fr. 67p., and 68fr. 62ic. Italian fell 22ic.,
closing at 41fr. 7771 c. Mobilier, Credit Foncier,
Comptoir d'Escompte, and the railways, were from
Mr. to Mr. lower. In consequence of a paragraph
in the Alimiteur relating to a successful experiment
with anew kind of gas, the shares in the Paris Gas
Company fell from 1,460 fr to 1,425 fr.

The Paris correspondent of the Post says .
"Sledges have during this winter been more numerou
than formerly ; some of them are fantastic and even ar-
tistic in their decorations. The demi-monde, as usual,
take the lied in this locomotive novelty; their sledges are
sometimes adorned with a carefully-modelled swan, dying
cupids. grotesque dragoon, and such conceits as appear to
hare their origin in Russian models. The fair drivers
adopt coquettish hats and expensive furs, and certainly
obtain the main object in view, namely, conspicuous not*.
riety. The carriages of the aristocracy drive round the
frozen waters, and in elegant toilettes the ladies walk down
to the borders of the lake and watch the animated scene.
The Emperor and the court visit the Bois de Boulogne
daily. The Seine continues to present the same snowy-
white aspect, and the thickness of the ice has considerably
increased."
The congress of Russian naturalists assembling
for the first time in St. Petersburg to-day, will hold three
general meetings, the last of which will be on the 16th.
There will be six sections, in which subjects connected
with the various branches of natural history will be dis-
cussed.
The winter set in this year at St. Petersburg
with unusual severity. Nearly the whole of but week the
°old was excessive, and there bas been much suffering in
consequence. At Serpoukhoff, a town beyond Moscow,
twelve persons were found frozen to death.
Messrs. J. B. Lippincott and Co., of Phila-
delphia, announce the publication of a series of letters
from London, written by George Mifflin Dallas, then
minister of the United States at the British court, during
the pars 1856, 1867, 1939, 1859, and 1860. They are
eared by his &mister Julia, and are chiefly letters to
William L. Marcy and Lewis Case, at that time secretaries
of state, and refer to public affairs. The greater pert of
these were prepared for publication by Mr. Dallas before
his death.
Gaiigaasii says :—" The fountain of St. Michel
A letter from Taurie, of the 12th November, in presents at this moment a most beautiful appearance. The
theMoniteter,givee some details of the marriage of Mosaffer
Eddin Mina, heir to the throne of Persia. The prince la two bronze drapes have become really Melons animals.
The water which they spouted forth has become !mean in
only sixties years old and the princess of the same age. I each a manner as to form immense horns, supported oft
The primer occupied WAY-Wee dere le bee journey ranges of stalactites rising from the pedestal beneath.
primer
Teheran to Tends. The eorties was Prinaded 117 i From the three basins above each other, columns of
about a hundred besets of burthen, horses, mules, or erreels, ice of the meet fantastic ferias. The effect is
wmaitnerreikss this
eee,
earning meant' . carpets, tents, and the =gag of the 1 and crowds of persons assemble every day to
bride ; then followed a number of led horses covered with ' beautiful spectacle
magnificent housings, and next the carriage oostainingthe ROYAL Human' Soctsrr. —The ha/f-yearly
princes', who was to all eyes behind the mahogany meeting of this society wee held yesterday afternoon at
blinds. The procession was accompanied by violins, num. , the offices, No. 4, Trithr*r.eqoare; Mr. Baker (the tree.
pets, and eaeabouriaea, mingling their sounds with the ; surer) in the aria. It appeared from the balansaebeet
military band sent from Teheran. Then came mules oar-th
lls 9d it rho rmsthound.fw theof theyeart,reigureri"lading_ the WAD", ^.lUf7l.
ming pshumnins closed with curtains and 'imbibing the 11867, was 3,1671. 7d.: and tat "of January,
the expenditure
women et the princess's suite. I amounted to 2,6931.12 a. 9d., leaving a balance of 4731.
The Hungarian Ministry has ordered that all the 7a. lOd. to the credit of the society. Silver mows were
PIA °t ih° Hicks, for the gallant resaleof Miss Anne Farre and
I awarded to Mr. W. R. Whit*, Mr. L. L. Brett, and Mr.
announeementa of railway regulations in that
empire shall he in the Bangui= language and in German. Miss Jane Benham from drowning, at New Qua , Corn.
the former to precede the latter, in order to show that it is wall, on the 14th Anon, 1867. A silver medal was
the original and German only a translation. I awarded to Lieutenant J. B. Johnson, of her Majesty's
The largest share of the emigration from the ship Linnet, for his exertions in saving the mew of the
Continent of Amps to America continual to be from i ra° bsr brvirnntsamaadtai wass voted :a Mmte T. leg et June.
ossessay. 1867n0 fewer than 74,000 persons left 11/944.1, sad oortifeakes ea vellum to H. Potter, T. Dray,
Bremen for the New World, the peatea member of whom • (A. 8.), J. Peasfield, end Ilderaader Lumen, of the same
were from Bohemia and the &stern province of Plena. vessel, for toriwelleienios rendered by them on the same
nedels
also
The Archbishop of Poems, Count Ledochowsky, tam,' cms, Dawns,. and Biolrrd awarded Sub-11.%
has pot addressed to the day of his dosses a cdraelar pate, for saving George Reiland, sessaan, who fell over-
arm& bee greatly dissontanted the Polish pram. The board from MILS. Setlsj ea the 26th of June, 1867 i_go
vibes oppose oil gertisigestea of the dery in the Polish Dr. CeeliPbe_..llneuelass. who saved pan of the ewe the
Island on the 7th of May, 1867, and I[alhays.
aceoa bad wu stove in by the sinf at Asdamsa
rrd.bisaatbalilliseharehthalifor the development opuMen.strt ofthilidu2loarn gunner of H.M.S. Cambridge far
smog the people, who fell overboard at Spithead tlre 17th of July. 1867.