The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-26 00:00:00

THE FRENCH EMPIRE.

The Legislative body met to-day, M. Billault
presiding. The minutes of the last sitting having
been read and approved, the President informed
the house that he had received another letter from
M.:Bouhier de l'Ecluse, in which he stated that he
did not consider himself obliged to take a fresh
oath to qualify himself for continuing to sit as a
member. The President had merely replied that
the law was precise and imperative, that he had
given him fifteen clays in which he might take the
oath, and that if he allowed this period to pass
without fulfilling this obligation, he should be con-
sidered to have resigned.
M. Bouhier de l'Ecluse then requested permis-
sion to speak, which the President refused him ;
but as he persisted in endeavouring to address the
house, the President rang his bell so violently as at
last to drown completely the voice of the hon.
member, who sat down amid general laughter.
The President then introduced several bills of
local interest, after which the house rose.
It was said yesterday at the Bourse that the de-
legates of the railways of Normandy had at last
come to an and erstanding on the conditions of the
amalgamation. It was said that the Rouen Com-
pany would obtain 25 new shares for every 12 old
ones, which would be equivalent to the price of
about 1,041 f. 25c. ; the Western were to be ad-

mitted at the price of 750 f. Cherbourg at 622 f. 50c.,
and. Havre at 500 f.

Marshal Narvaez, says the Patrie, has just ar-
rived in Paris. He is to quit France in a few days
for Vienna to fulfil the mission given him by his
government.
The Journal du Puy de Dome says :—The Em-
press very graciously received the present of lace
which a manufacturer at Puy sent her immediately
after her marriage. The Emperor has just trans-
mitted through the mayor a large order to the ma-
nufacturer in question. Among other articles aro
a large shawl of Alencon lace, several lace flounces,
a quantity of rich black guipure, for the manufac-
ture of which Puy is famous ; and a quantity of
white blonde, which is also made there in great
perfection. The manufacture of lace at Puy occu-
pies no less than eighty thousand women.
It is said to be seriously in the contemplation of
the Emperor and Empress to make a journey in the
spring to the south of France, and particularly to
the Pyrenees, from Bagneres-de-Bigorre to Bayonne
and Biarritz. Louis Napoleon is at this moment
hurrying forward the works which were commenced
some years since at the Chateau of Pau. The Em-
peror, who takes a lively interest in everything
which reminds him of his mother, wishes to visit
places through which she so often passed, such as
Luz, St. Sauveur, Cauteretz, and Gavarnie, all
those picturesque mountains which, it may be al-
most said, are no longer France, and are scarcely
Spain. The Empress herself, since 1845, has almost
always passed the summer in the Pyrenees with
her mother, and she will be glad to revisit them.
A remark made by her at a late reception to a
deputy of one of the southern departments confirms
us in the opinion that this journey will take place.
We have further to state, as certain, that in
the Council of Ministers yesterday the wish of the
Emperor was adopted in principle for opening a
universal exhibition in 1854, to which all countries
will be invited to send their productions. The
Exhibition will take place in the Crystal Palace in
the Champs Elysees, which will be constructed as
rapidly as possible.
A letter in the Independance of Brussels states
that a treaty of commerce has just been concluded
between France and Tuscany.
His Excellency Lord Cowley arrived in Paris
yesterday morning at ten o'clock from England.
Thursday, being the anniversary of the revolu-
tion of the 24tn of February, several processions of
ouvriers filed past the Column of July, in honour
of the day. The police, who do not appear to have
been aware of the intention of the Republicans to
make any such manifestation, were taken by sur-
prise, and about ten thousand persons filed past be-
fore the affair could be stopped.
By the weekly return of the receipts on the
Northern of France Railway, it appears that the
receipts for the last week amounted to 552,836 f.
98c., while for the corresponding week of 1852 they
amounted only to 452,550 f. 2c. The total receipts
from the Ist of January to the 18th of February,
1853, are 3,952,514 f. 34c., while foi the corre-
sponding period of 1852 they were 3,125,4261. 86c.
The receipts on the Orleans Railway with its pro-
longations for the week ending the 19th February,
1853, amount to 526,346 f. 29c.; for the correspond-
ing period of 1852 they were 472,225 f.
A general meeting of the Western of France
Railway took place yesterday, when a dividend of
141. 75c. per share was declared payable on and
after the Ist of March next. As 6f. 25c. had been
f already paid in July, the whole sum for the year
. was 21f., or 13 per cent. on the capital paid up.
The traffic of the line was steadily improving. The
amalgamation with the other lines of Normandy is
not completed, but is advancing towards a conclu-
sion. What was proposed was to give to each
Rouen share of 500 f. paid up, two new shares of

tho amalgamated company ; to each Western share

on which-250f. had been paid up, one new share of
500 f.; for every nine shares of the Cherbourg
Company, with 100 f. each paid up, four new shares
of 500 f. ; and for each Havre of 500 f. paid up, one
new share of. 500 f.

Letters from Bayonne of the 20th state that the
Harmony galliot, of Wexford, went ashore near
that place on the 16th, but was got off on the 20th.
On the same day the brig Resolution, of Limerick,
coming from Falmouth, went ashore and was com-
pletely lost ; the crew saved.
The public funds were flat yesterday, in conse-
quence of a rumour which was generally spread,
but which turns out to be incorrect, that the Em-
peror of Austria had had a relapse. The Four-
and-a-Half per Cents. closed 10c. lower than yes-
terday, and the Three per Cents. 70c. lower.
Railway shares were also flat, and there is a con-
siderable decline in most of them. Exchange on
London (short), 25f. 7 c. ; ditto (90 days), 24f.
92ic.