The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-20 00:00:00

FRANCE.
The first of the fancy balls so long announced
came off on Saturday night at the Tuileries. It is
described as being very splendid. The Emperor
appeared in the uniform of a Colonel of the com-
pany 9f the Garde du Corps, which is in course of
organisation. The Empress wore the costume of an
Albanian lady, and looked admirable in it. Vely
Pasha, the Ottoman Ambassador, was habited in the
gorgeous and imposing costume of a Turkish Pasha of
the olden time. His turban of the richest cashmere,
the tunic covered all over with gold embroidery, the
rich pelisse lined with fur as delicate as the most
delicate down, and the diamond-hilted poinard,
and scimitar, were truly characteristic. The Em-
peror spoke for some time with the Pasha, and
said, among other things, that he hoped he was
satisfied with him as he was about to send 10,000
turbans to Turkey—alluding, no doubt, to the
Zouaves. The Ambassador replied, that he was
most gratified at the sympathy and co-operation of
France ; that the 10,000 his Majesty spoke of would
be receive with enthusiasm by the Turkish people
and army, and that whether they appeared in tur-
bans or not, and whatever was the uniform they
wore, they would be received in Turkey as French-
men. The other costumes were varied and rich.
The Emperor and Empress entered the salle des
marechaux at nine o'clock, immediately after
which the ball was opened with a quadrille, in
which all the ladies were dressed as heathen
goddesses, the leader being the Princess Mathilde
as Juno. One of the ladies in this quadrille
was the beautiful Countess Potocka, to whom
Louis Napoleon paid his addresses, many years
ago, when a refugee in Switzerland. She was
splendidly attired as Diana, her corsage being of
!liver scale armour, the quiver for the arrows also
in silver, and the belt by which the quiver was
attached to the shoulder of the fair wearer being
richly studded with brilliants estimated at upwards
of three millions of francs. Immediately after the.
quadrille, Marshal Magnan, at the head of all the
French generals present, the whole of whom were
dressed in the costume of the Garde Francaise of
the time of Louis XV., filed off before the Em-
peror and Empress. The second quadrille was
led off by the Countess Maleret, one of the dames
d'honneur of the Empress. The third quadrille
was a military one, being called "De la per-
mission de dig heures," in reference to the well-
known engravings from which the costumes were
taken. The fourth quadrille was composed of
Hungarian and Polish costumes, and was led
off by the Comtesse Tascher de la Pagerie.
The Ministers were all dressed in the austere
costume of Ministers of the time of Henry IV.
Lord Cowley was in a magnificent dress of
white satin, said to be the costume of a Knight
of the Bath. It was remarked that both the
Emperor and Empress were particular in their
attentions to M. Hubner, the Austrian Minis-
ter, and that their Majesties continued for a con-
siderable time in earnest conversation with him.
The supper was laid out in the theatre of the Palace,
fitted up for the occasion ; it was beautifulty deco-
rated, and the coup d'&11 on entering from the ball-
room was beyond description fine. The rarest
shrubs and flowers were everywhere in profusion,
and gave the appearance of one of the enchanted
gardens we read of in romance. The party did not
separate till near four o'clock.
General M'Mahon, who has been in Paris for
some weeks past, is preparing to leave, and will
probable take a command in the expeditionary force
to Turkey. Several officers of the staff accompany
him to Toulon.
It is said that the long-talked-of modification of
the French Ministry will be carried but as soon as
war shall have been positively proclaimed. A war-
like manifesto isabout to be published, but it is not
quite determined whether it shall be in the shape
of an address to the Legislative Corps on its open-
ing, or as a proclamation to be published in the
Moniteur.
It is now stated and upon apparently good foun-
dation, that the visit of the Duke and Duchess of
Brabant to Paris is abandoned, or at least post-
poned. It appears that the parties concerned fee
ess
l
some alarm at the idea of allowing an Archduch
of Austria to visit Paris. It is now reported that
it is the King of the Belgians himself who will come
to Paris.
Some wags had got up the report on Saturday
that no less a personage than Prince Menschikoff
had arrived in Paris. At the Bourse the rumour
was so current that some people actually believed it,
but it at length was discovered that the Prince
Menschikoff in question was not the bully of Con-
stantinople, but a much more harmless animal, the
bceuf gran, who is to perambulate the streets of
Paris on Tuesday, and who has been called Prince
Menschikoff by the facetious farmer who had the
honour of rearing him. When the true version of
the story came out the capitalists who speculated
pour /a hausse on the news of Prince Menschikoff's
arrival, hastened to liquidate their accounts.
Orders, it is understood, have been sent from
the War-office to the military authorities in the de-
partments that all soldiers or officers belonging to
the army of Africa who are now in France on leave
ofabsence shall forthwithjoin their respective corps.
In official quarters the nomination of Prince
Napoleon to be Commander-in-Chief of the expe-
dition to Constantinople, is considered very pro-
bable.
It appears that active negotiations are going on
between the Government and the Paris bankers for
a loan. There are three candidates in the field.
It is probable that ultimately the house of Roths-
child will be the contractors.
The Council of State has at present submitted to
it for examination, amongst other matters, bills to
the following effect—to open an extraordinary
credit of 672,984 fr to the Minister of Finance
from the budget of 1854 ; to open a credit of
4,338,744 fr. to the Minister of the Interior, for the
establishment of telegraphic lines ; to allow the
town of Meaux to borrow 30,000 f. destined to
enable the mayor to reduce the price of bread in
favour of the poor ; to authorise the city of Orleans
to borrow 120,000 f. for the same purpose ; to per-
mit the acceptance of an annual sum of 2,500 f. left
by Mlle. Couturier to the poor children of the Ist
arrondissement of Paris, also of a legacy of 354,000 f.,
bequeathed by the same person, to the poor children
of Paris generally ; likewise several bills of a local
character.
Count Branicki, a rich Polish refugee, long re-
sident in France, has obtained grand letters of na-
turalisation from the Government, and been ap-
pointed a senator. Count Branicki, who was at
one time one of the aides-de-camp of the Emperor
Nicholas, is a man of enormous wealth, and has
contributed largely to many of the principal in-
dustrial enterprises in France. He was forced to
leave Russia on account of his liberal opinions.
The report was current on Saturday afternoon
that the Emperor Nicholas had sent stringent
orders to his fleet to attack, at all risks, any
Turkish vessels navigating the Black Sea. It is
to this that the fall in the Metalliques at Vienna is
attributed.
The Bourse was firm on Saturday, with little
business. It was mentioned by persons generally
well informed that a great banking house had con-
tracted to supply the Government with 100,000,000 f.
at 3 per cent., at 62f. 50c. The Three r Cents.
and close per
at 67f.
opened at 68f., fell to 67f. 70c.,
85c. for the end of the mouth. The Four-and-?,-
alf per Cents. closed at 97f. 45c. ; Orleans Rail-
way Shares, 1,078 f. 75c. ; Rouen, 8.90 f. ; Havre,
445 f. ; Great Northern, 740 f. ; Paris and tras-
burg, 722 f. 50c.; ditto,
Lyons, 822 f. 50c. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean,
New, 570 f. ;. Parts and
655 f. ; Western of France, 580 f. ; Bordeaux and
Cette, 538 f. 75c. ; Great Central, 440 f. ; Lyons
and Geneva, 455 f. ; Shares of the Bank of Credit
Mobilier, 617 f. 50c.