The Express.
London, England, 1868-12-28 00:00:00

OUR PARIS LETTER.

(TROY OCI OWN

PARIS, SUNDAY Enormo.

The Consfiliitioniad, taking no note of the doubts
expressed by the France, continues to speak of
the meeting of the conference as a thing
" almost settled." As to the basis of its de-
liberations this organ of a section of the ministry
Benno difficulty whatever. It regards as equally
out of the question the transformation of a
conference ad lwe into a congress to discuss all
manner of European questions, and the sugg,•s-
tion that the conference can possibly be
called upon to strip Turkey of any of its
rights. Ergo the bases of the conference are to be
found in the Turkish ultimatum, and the only
thing necessary to maintain peace is that the
powers should enforce all that Turkey demands.
This language is not so essentially different from
that of the France es appears at first sight. It
is not Lana fide. It seems to me inspired by some
member of authority who knows that tho Con-
ference will come to nothing, and therefore pro-
pounds impossible conditions. All who treat of
a conference as affording any ground of hope
assume that it can only be based upon a
compromise making great concessions to
Greece. The France, in which (without swearing
by it) I have more confidence than in the Cusati-
tationael, rejects, as " false or premature," all the
news accredited by that journal. A tissue of
false news was published by the lndepenolonee
Beige yesterday under the head of a telegram from
Berlin. It is not true that January 2 has been
fixed for the meeting of the Conference ; not true
that the French government has issued invitations
to plenipotentiaries to attend ; not true that
Prussia took the initiative of proposing a Con-
fereace ; and, above all, not true that Turkey has
agreed to join in it. The only vestige of truth in
the despatch of the Independence is that the
powers are agreed in principle that a conference.
if possible, would be a very good thing.

The Prince of the Asturias sent the Prince Im-
perial a splendid writing desk for a Christmas-box
on Dec. 23i. The present was returned the next
day by a large _sago of toys, which the Prince
Imperial took to the Pavilion Bohan himself. I
do not think these and similar interchanges of
courtesies have any political meaning whatever.
It is easy to understand that the Empress (for-
merly Mdllo. de Montijo) feels enormous pleasure
at the power of patronising the Queen who was
once her sovereign, and, moreover, she is very glad
that her son should have a playmate somewhat
nearer his own rank than the sons of Dr. Connote'
and the late Count Walewski. On the other
hand, Isabella, in her fallen state, cannot but be
pleased at being treated as an equal at the palace
of a reigning monarch.
Prince Napoleon, who it was announced a few
days ago had been slightly indisposed, has been
quite seriously ill. Ito is confined to his bed in
the Palais Royal. The lust bulletin is :—" His
imperial highness had again a slight attack of
fever yesterday eve g. He has passed, however,
a tolerable Hight, and the improvement in his
state seems likely to coutinue."
The Marquis de Moustier is still too unwell to
be moved from the Ministry of Foreign► Affairs.
Father Hyacinth, emulating the example of
Father Lacortlaire, is a candidate for a seat in the
Academy.
The Emperor, in return for a proof copy of M.
Gustave DoK's Illustrations of Dante, sent the
artist • pencil surmounted with a large diamond.
The following autograph letter accompanied the
present :—" Monsieur Dork,—Your pencil pro-
duces such beautiful things that I should be
pleased if you would do something for my sake
with the pencil I now send you.—NArohams."