The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1857-04-30 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING.
The Acadeiny of Morfd and Political Sciences
vas on Saturday last the scene of a more animated
discussion than usually takes place in that tranquil
Assemblage of savans. Baron Charles Dupin,
hrother of the ex-President- of the Legislative
assembly, presented a report which he had drawn
up for the Academy of Sciences, on the -projected
..anal of the Isthmus of Suez. Baron Dupin is a
member of both learned bodies, and, anxious that
one should have no advantage over the other, has

communicated to both his views on that undertak-
ing. Baron Dupin is naturally a warm advocate
of a project from which doubtless he anticipates
great results ; of the report itself I communicated
a pretty full analysis about a month ago. In the
course.of the remarks with which he accompanied
the presentation of the Report on Saturday to the
kcademy of Moral and Political Sciences, Baron
Dupin alluded to the opposition alleged to be offered
to the undertaking by the English Ambassador at
Constantinople. M. Dupin, moreover, was pleased
to speak in rather strong terms about England,
in connection with the' doctrines of free trade,
and from the remarks he let drop it could plainly
he seen that you are all looked on by that gentle-
man as littla better than commercial hypocrites
M. Dupin did not exactly use the French word
which comes nearest to'` humbug," but the sense
was much the same. He startled his learned
colleagues by declaring that it was a mistake to
suppose that England was a country where free
trade was practised. While England, he said,
was ''trumpeting" forth her " libre exchange," she
was obtaining not less than 500,000,000 f. from her
Customs, and he instanced the manner in which
the silk manufactures of France are received in
England. England., in a won], was constantly
boasting of her liberality in commercial matters,
while she was in fact anything but what she pro.
claimed herself to be.

M. Michel. Chevalier, the eminent political econo-
mist, who is also a member of the Academy, stood
up and said that he could not help expressing his
astonishment that so judicious a person as their
learned colleague, M. Dupin, should have thought
it becoming to make himself ihe echo tit the syste•
matie defamation of England which certain persons
indulged in who were remarkable, some ,for their
inaptitude as manufacturers, others for their arro-
gance; and who constituted, among the industrial
classes in France, a minority small in number, but
employed in incessant agitation, Those persons
were in the constant practice of talking of the in -
trigues of England, hut it was only for the purpose
of masking their own intrigues, which had for
object the levying a perpetual tribute on their
fellow citizens by means of prohibition L---a tribute
to which they had no right whatever He again
expressed his surprise that such were the terms in
which a great and neighbouring nation was_ spoken
of in the Academy of Sciences ; and he regretted
sincerely that such should be the case. England
did not trumpet forth. her doctrines of free trade.
She had done more than that; she had practised
what she preached ; she had carried out the prin-
ciples she proclaimed, and while other nations
shared in the benefit of her policy, she did not
make reciprocity a condition for that participation.
After some further remarks the subject dropped.
It is difficult to account for the bitter feeling
which Baron Dupin occasionally exhibits when
alluding to England. M. Dupin has lived in
England, and is no stranger to the habits and usages
of the English people. Far from entertaining any
such feeling, M Dupin should rather feel grateful
to England, for it was during his residence there,
after the Peace of 1815, that he acquired whatever

knowledge he possesses on commercial, industrial,
and political subjects, and which has obtained for
him the title of savan. The most curious part of
the affair is, that ardent Protectionist or Prohibi4
tinnist.as he..ia, Baron Dupin was once a Free
trader, or, at any rate, a Liberal in commercial
policy. He once wrote a popular work for the
entertainment and instruction of the agricultural
population, and in it be covered with sarcasm a la
Dupin some unfortunate person who was, in his
day, as illiberal as Baron Dupin now is
To explain this change would be difficult did not
every one know the proverbial fickleness of the
Dupins. The chameleon is unehangeableness
itself when compared to M. Dupin aine. The
rapidity of the sensations and the mobility of mind
f M. Dupin (aine) have long been familiar to all

who know him. Mr. Dupin combines in his single
person several men ; he is author, advocate, judge,
president of various and conflicting legislative
bodies, orator, and—of which, perhaps, he is most
proud—a sayer of bon mots. A collection of
witticisms from M. Dupin would be valuable indeed.
This extreme versatility, which consists in being
" everything by turns but nothing long," is, it
seems, a characteristic trait of both brothers.
Baron Dupin was once a Liberal in commercial
matters, he is now a Protectionist, at least. He
once admired England, he now describes her, on
certain points, as not a bit better than she should
be. Next month, next week, perhaps to-morrow, I
may have to annhunce that Baron Charles Dupin
has shaken the walls of the Academie des Sciences,
Morales, and Politiques with denunciations against

monopoly.
The Grand Duke Constantine arrived here yes
terday by land at Marseilles. He was received by
M. Belmont, the Emperor's Chamberlain ; the
Baron de Bourgoing, Equerry; Colonel Fave;
Orderly Officer; General Bostolan, Commander of
the 9th Military Division; the Prefect of the
Bouches du Rhone, and the General Commanding
the same department. A battalion of Infantry,
with the band playing lined the streets, and the
Prince's carriage was - escorted by a troop of
Lancers. He dines to day at the Prefecture,
where the civil and military authorities are invited
to meet him. The explosion of the great
mine at the Frioul was to take place tomorrow.
The Duke will be present tomorrow at the opera
of the " Martyrs" (not of Sinope), commanded by
the Municipality, and he will leave Marseilles for
Lyons at twelve o'clock on Wednesday.
On the Grand Duke's arrival in Paris, which
will he on the 30th of April, he will be received
at the railway station by Prince Napoleon, who will
accompany him to the Tuileries. The reception room
at the railway station will be splendidly decorated
with French and Russian colours entwined, and the
arms of the two countries. The doors of the
reception room are decorated with sky-blue
velvet and gold fringe. Within the room,
which is fifteen yards square, there are raised
five stages, on which are placed sofas and arm
chairs covered with blue velvet, The floor is
covered with a rich scarlet carpet. A band of
music is to play outside the terminus, which is to
be decorated with French and Russian flags. To-
morrow (Wednesday) the directors of the Paris
and Lyons Railway will- proceed to Macon, where
they will wait to receive his Highness. Two
waggons forming a saloon, with a gallery, have
been sent to Marseilles to complete the train,
together with several first-class carriages. The
Russian Ambassador left Paris at ten o'clock this
morning to meet the Grand Duke. Two battalions
of the Imperial Guard will be on duty at the railway
terminus. The Imperial cortege will be escorted
from the railway station to the Tuileries by
a picket of cavalry- There will be no troops placed
on the passage, but all the military posts on the
road will present arms, the drums will beat, and, at
the Tuileries the ordinary guard of the palace
will pay to his Imperial Highness the honours due
to the Princes of the Imperial family. On his
arrival at the Tuileries, the Grand Duke will be
received at the foot of the staircase of the
Pavillon de I,llorloge by the Grand Master of the
Ceremonies, and the Grand Chamberlain. The
Emperor will meet his Highness at the top of the
staircase. Its Majesty will then conduct him to
the drawing room.where the Empress will be seated
surrounded by the officer„ 4nd ledies of her house-
hold. The presentation of the persons cpipposing
the service of honour will take place immediately.
During the stay of his Imperial Highness the fol-
lowing persons of the Emperor's household will