The Express.
London, England, 1868-05-20 00:00:00

OUR PARIS LETTER.

(now OIIR OWN CORIUMPONDFNT.)
PARTS, TUESDAY EVYN!‘...
The A reetir Nat iwial gives the following t
nation of the rumours frequently repeated, arid ai
often contradicted, that the Emperor and Eoil•rt.4
were about to visit Berlin :

The King of Prussia. when be came to the I
Exhibition, naturally invited the Emperor and bri
to return his visit. The invitation having been 4. ~ •
the question presented itself this year when ell..
visit would come off. The Frenoh ambassador at
received instructions to take soundings baf r• sz,
time was fixed. Now we learn from a sure so•a.c• that
the result of M. Benedetti's inquiries led him to r•cos,.
mend that an excuse should be sent, lfe caste t,. the
conclusion that the reception by the population of It.
would not be satisfactory to their Majesties. WI„•^
rightly or wrongly, it is believed in Berlin that :.
Cabinet of the Tuileries seeks to prevent German
and in consequence of M. Benedetti's report the projeckvl
visit is given up.

Two of the leading protectionists in the Corp,
Legialatif have backed up their doctrines by
heavy and eccentric wager, which, according t .1
paper circulating in the lobbies to-day, is thus
worded :

We, the undersigned, pledge our honour to lodge Ira!:
the Empress the atm of one hundred thousand francs, to
be distributed among a hundred poor families, to
selected by her Majesty, if, aft, r an inquiry by four cc,.
patent jurors with the President of the Corps Lsgiidst:i
in the chair, it is not proved that " Table No. I of tie
United Imports and Exports," page 31 of the g,nerd
table of the commerce of France, published I,
the customs ►uthorities for 1866, does not compro:
in the sum of 2,152,000,000 fr. remaining after the
deduction of the 5,974,000,000 fr. under the Leal of
" special commerce," from the 8,126,000,000 h. forroth;
the total of the " general commerce of imports and es Ire
united," an immense majority of articles reckoned twice
over in the sum of 2.1'i2,000,000fr., namely, once too
their entry and once for their exit. We repeat that or
undertake to pay the above sum of one hundred tboustal
francs if our opponents, who pretend that the ,lothle
reckoning which we point out does not mist.
lodge • like sum in the hands of her M.yity.
to be applied as aforesaid, in case the jary
should decide against them. The jury is to be chosen ball
by ourselves and half by our opponents, and the Presidett
of the Corps Legialatif to have a casting vote.
Done at Paris, May 16, 1866.
JULIUS BRAME.
A. POUTIII•QUERTIF it. •

to Thhaisv
eisa
nay:very
gr c
toducl. owuist
hdoca
buemteonfttihoer
Rol e
rgti
to sign. Of course the Empress cannot be advised
Auguste fittingf o r
Cothfheev
aaChevalier
legislative
gmijurisdictionlaetniv
eo
to
t: f la
assembly.
is
than
omreth. thespeakerThe Presae, however, alleges that M. Roulier
and
le ai
the wager. From all I have heard the challenge is
a mare's nest. It is true enough that many parcels
of goods are counted twice over, but only in pur-
suance of very old routine habits, and althouzh
the system might be ameliorated the figures woe
perfectly well for the purposes of comparing tho
movement of trade with former years, and it is
only in that view that the government uses them.
The government has sustained a severe electoral
defeat in tho Tarn. M. Gorsse, the opposition candi.
date, was returned by 19,845 votes against 12,598
given to the prefect's nominee, M. Gaugirau. The
opposition in the Tarn took courage from their
strength, as evidenced by the first trial a fortnight ago.
Not only did the 6,639 electors who in the first ballot
voted for M. Decazes follow his recommeudatiou
to vote for M. Gorsse, but upwards of 1,000
abstained before came forward to swell M. Gorsei
majority. On the other hand, the official candi-
date, in spite of circulars from the Prefect, declar.
ing that M. Gorses was an enemy of the govern-
ment, polled 1,376 fewer votes than he did before.
This is the moat important defeat of an official
candidate that has ever occurred in a
country district. But what shall be said of the
childish interference of the Minister of Interior
in keeping back for twenty-four hours news which
must necessarily come out 1 Yesterday the govern-
ment journals triumphed in the victory the
government candidate in the Aviege, although he
had upwards of 1,000 votes less than in 1863, and
for a miserable country district. Only yesterds.Y
the Conatitutionne/ and Petrie sang lo po about
the government victory in the Arii,ge, although the
minority there was upwards of 1,000 stronger than
in 1863. M. Pinard, these journals said compile
cently, has had the satisfaction of seeing unirerssl
suffrage confirm his choice ever since he has been
in office. The result of the Tarn election is a heavy
blow. The Moniteur du Soir sneakingly gives the
figures, while omitting to say that M. Osugiran.
the defeated man, was the official candidate, od
shrinks from the usual announcement, " M. Gorge
was elected." It leaves its readers to draw that
inference from the figures, justly confident that
many of them will not be at so much intellectual
trouble.
It seems that the complaint of the Diboes that
the telegrams with the result of the Tarn elections
were kept back by government is not well founded.
Elections generally take place on Saturday and
Sunday, but that of the Tarn was fixed for Sunday
and Monday, so that the result could not 111.. t:
been telegraphed in time for last night's @venal.
Para.
The Bourse presented no remarkable feature.
Bente fell sc. In other securities there was very
little change.

iSeIPIiNTS OF THg ABYSSINIAN
CAMPAIGN.

The latest letter published by the Daily NemA,
from its !racial correspondent with the Abyssinian
Rep.dition is dated April 17. It narrates a variety of
Interesting incidents that occurred before end after
the fall of 31agdela.
it appeara that when Sir Robert Napier wrote to Theo.
dote to demand the release of the captives, and requiring
the King to go down himself to the British camp, a promise
mss given that be should be honourably received.
Ti this Theodore returned a most insulting answer,
sending back General Napier 's note, with a memorandum
attached, asking who was he, the servant of a woman. that
be dared address the King of Abyssinia in this fashion.
Having despatched this missive, be drew a pistol, and
endeavoured ti shoot himself, but his arms were pulled
aside by some of his still f..ith!ul attendants. After this
attempt on his life a complete reaction set in, and
he forwarded a comparatively humble message to General
Napier, promising the captives, who were sent that
night, but saying that he ...meld not give himself up.
He told our prisoners that in some respects he would not
mind surrendering himself to the English. as be knew we
would treat him well, but that if he did so, his own
osantrymen would despise him, and if they met him, spit
at him, and that he would sooner die than be degraded
is their opinion.
''

After the battle on the 12th the King tried to induce
his men to follow him in a night attack on the British
camp, but without niece's, and he then retired into Nag-
dela with some hundreds of Lis followers, who avowed
their readiness to die with him. At a later hour he called
OD hie soldier, to accompany him in an escape from the
fortress, but only fifty of them complied, and he adopted
the summary method of shooting two to reduce others to
obedience ; but this terrible rumple had no effect.
It is said that during the conflict he wounded
two of the British soldiers, and that he was
himself shot in the leg, but the writer repeats the
assertion that death was by his own hand. When he saw
two of our men approaching him, and be found his choice
limited to death or capture, he put his pistol to his mouth
and slew himself. _ .

The savage tribe of the Gillis seemed disposed to
give the British forces some trouble. No doubt they
prevented Theodore from escaping, and in that re-
spect did good service; but in other respects they appear
to bave been worse than a nuisance. A hundred of them
had advanced upon our mules going to water for the pur-
rase of cutting them off. They robbed, mutilated, or
murdered the Abyssinians who had quitted the mountain ;
and had even the audacity to crawl between the British
sentries for the purpose of making an attempt to carry out
of our lines mules and two Abyssinian women servants of
the late prisoners. The correspondent says:
•• The Gallas had been requested by us to invest Mag.
data upon the south and east, and not to per-
mit a man to escape ; a demand with which they wil-
lingly and efficiently complied, but which they wish still '
to consider iu force. The pioneers have been obliged to
shoot ten of our wild allies, and a few more have fallen to
the Snider of the 4th, and to Captain Murray's Arm-
'wog guns, but they still persistin committing all species
of atrocities on such of the late garrison of /deplete as
they csu catch. We had on the 17th, and the number has
Dino- been probably added to, twenty-three prisoners, six
so used of murder, eight of plunder, and the remainder of
mutilating Abyssinians in the moat horrible fashion."
Important as the overthrow of Theodore's power in
Abyssinia may be, there seems to be, as one result of this
cau.paign, a terrible prospect in view for those of his fob
'parrs who have managed to escape from Ilifsgdala.
•• In all at least' .5,000 souls have left Magdala, whose
berets having been formerly against all men, will, now
tlt A their lamer is broken, experience great difficulties,
not only in tiding an asylum, but even in being permitted
to . tilt, as many a peasant will now be anxious to safely
sern4c the death of a father or a brother. Great as is
the misery which we have caused by breaking up this nest
of robbers, we have the consolation of knowing that it
doe, not equal that which they must inevitably, as the
ve,y condition of their existence, have produced had they
bean slbwol to run their course for but one more year."
The correspondent says it was intended that the army
should proceed homewards in three divisions, leaving on
the. lath, 19th, and 20th.
'• It is not improbable that the army may return by
Moak the emoted of Kassa, and by the ancient city of
Asum this .0111 I e a useful display of our power for
wn,l would not be much of a detour, as
wt part from the route by which we advanced at
Adabag.i. awl return to it at Goon-a-Goona."
The writer adds that in all probability the bulk of the
forces will have embarked before the middle of June, ex-
celetine, perhaps, a native regiment, which may be left
woe leeeentles longer at Zoula to clear away the accumu/a-
tieu ut -to..

Thr Metropolitan Board of Works have at length
in el, aimngemente for the paving of the portion of the
Ti elsti Embankment between Westminster-bridge and
ta.. Toatatalr. adapted for foot passengers, and the pro.
• ite. it it thought, will be thrown open to the public in
..id 3 mouth from the present time.
L °SSW. .We understand that her
M •-t y's government will in no case resign ; but that on the
contingency of their being beaten on Friday next on
raularnsory lall they will stone proceed to dissolution.
no opportunity present itself on Friday evening
f.. ::•.,.ing the second reading of the Irish Church
1. • . Mr. t.L,lstoue will press on Monday evening that the
commenced before all the other orders of the
c.n:lu.ling those fixed by the government. It has
1. ritimated to Mr. Serjeant Armstrong, by the
or msry opposition agency, that no encouragement will
I to his vote of want of cocfidence motion ; the
I. is of the liberal party considering that such a step
• interfere with the progress of the Suspensory Bill,
• oth.rwise disarrange well-concerted organisation.
7`.• negotiations regarding the grant of a charter
ta it. I:oman Catholic University of Ireland
a roans to an end- The conditions which
ti
.rovertnnent sought to impose upon the prelacy
. I to satisfy Archbishop Leahy and Dr. Derry,
Co., were charged by Cardinal Cullen and his suffragans
ar&a the office of communicating with Lord Mayo. The
.•[..spondence between the Irish Office and the prelates
•piestion was laid upon the table of the House of Coin-
•lie last night.—Owl.
VoLUSTECR BRIGADING —A memorial was re-
ert.tly addressed to the Secretary of State for War by the
Volunteer Association of the county of Devon, suggest-
ing the expediency of making a special grant of public
mosey "to to applied to purposes of brigading the volun.
ti tra, either alone or in conjunction with regular troops,
fir instruction is brigade movements, either at special
told days, in camps, or other aggregate assemblages."
The council urged that the real efficiency of the volun-
teers could only be tested by such means, and that as
the object is purely national, the coot ought
not to fall upon the volunteers themselves, or
rest for its provision on the voluntary contributions of in-
dividuals. Lord Longford's reply was to the effect that
Sir John Pakington had no " special funds" at his dispo-
sal for the purposes suggested ; but that in the estimates
for the current year the allowance for outlying corps of ad-
ministrative regiments and outlying companies of corps
bad been increased from 4s. to

.1 Paris letter, iu the anette de Lausanne, says

—" I have gone to Versailles to see the works of defence
tt,cuted at Satory. They are truly formidable. Not
ovly has the whole plateau been surrounded by circular
t.rtificitions, but advanced worki also have been con-
structed as if fora grand stronghold of war. I bad some
rorversation with a superior officer about the motives of
t'••• project. He pointed out th►t places like Metz, Lisle,
other frontier fortresses might possibly, by surprise
• tb. rwise, fall into the hands of the enemy. Under
• circumstances, the war material of Fmetie must be
L• , place of shelter, and, in consequence, the frontier
"t. and centres of supply will in future only contain
wl,tr,• r may be necessary for their own defence. Satory
we.. I. ,twered by the city of Paris, and will therefore run
fw 1... whatever."

kttur from Peeth, dated the 14th, says :

.nut dAndrassy yererday gave a ball at which the
L I,ror Francis Joseph warn present, remaining more
twu hours and seeming to enjoy being in Hungarian
• i%, where an absence of constraint and a natural
e••' Pre% ail. Perhaps no monarch ever pared au
LU34, ea pleasantly, at a party in which there were at

Boren individuals rho;or de►th•warrants he had
L.ti...ll.igned at different times ; and never also, I rcu.t
sh• .11,1 a company show more deference to • Sovereign.
Ta• ' ht, who was hanged in effigy in 1549, set the
MM. Palesky, Menke, sad &wank& were

The .A(1 manufactory of Aubusson carpets, so
E, .1,,,t,,1 for the richness of their texture, and for ex.
"LW** Ant 7 of design and colouring, bat just been sold
63, as.ctiou for 365,000 fr. It belonged, to the &eine,
•Ilkstirouse de I Menai&

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—(THIS DAY.)
The SWAIM took the chair at twenty minutes pest 12.