The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-26 00:00:00

HOUSE RENT IN PARIS.

The Siede says :—" In these latter times, rents gene-
rally, and especialiy for small apartments, appear to have
risen too high. What is the cause of this We readily
believe that if the rise had been simply the natural and
normal result of the resumption of labour and the ac-
tivity of business, it would have taken place, as on other
occasions, gradually, asd not with the sort of suddenness
which has caused so many complaints. Evidently,
another cause has conspired with that one to aggravate
the effects of the increase. We do not in any respect
intend to dispute the great interest attached to the
immense works of demolition and rebuilding which we
see multiplied in all parts. Besides affording regular
labour to the working class, they luckily free the
capital of a host of old streets, which for the .most
part contained only poor residences ; they' contflbute
greatly to the health of the town and the welfare of
the inhabitants ; they prepare and facilitate new embel-
lishments ; and there is not a Parisian who does not
receive with joy, almost with enthusiasm, all the projects
for new streets, prolongations, enlargements, and
levelling voted every week, with admirable zeal, by the
municipal commission of Paris. For our part, we
cannot help feeling a veritable satisfaction whenever we

have to register the incessant testimonies of the
inde-
fatigable zeal of our tediles. However, in our moments
of calm reflection, we cannot dissimulate that all these
simultaneous demolitions, all these quarters which
disappear as by enchantment, occasion the forced
removal of a part of the population, and cause serious
inconvenience to the working class. It is notorious, in
fact, that 'the prompt disappearance of an infinity of
houses, let for the most part at a low rate, and their suc-
cessive replacing by edifices more or less splendid, render
it impossible for families not in good circumstances to
find henceforth lodgings on the same conditions as for-
merly ; that the competition which ensues reacts natu-
rally on the value of lettings ; that the proprietors, on
their part, do not perhaps regret very bitterly this situa-
tion ; and that the workmen are constantly constrained
to go to a distance from their workshops, and to seek
refuge at the extremities of the town, and even in the
suburbs, where they do not even always find it so eco-
nomical to live."

The illoniztr, as if anticipating the remarks of the
Siecle, says :—" After the 10th of December 1848, when
order was re-established, the Government endeavoured
to revive labour by means most in conformity with the
public interest and with a good municipal administration.
The population of Paris had considerably diminished ;
money was hid ; goods remained unsought in the shops
and stores ; materials and wages fell in price ; the num-
ber of apartments and shops to let amounted to 75,000,
and the floating population of the hotels and fur-
nished lodging-houses had fallen from 70,000 to
45,000 ; rent had fallen considerably, and yet suffer-
ing was to be seen everywhere, but principally among
the working classes, who were either without occu-
pation or who were employed on work of a sterile cha-
racter. To give employment and bread to the work-
man, it was necessary to reanimate the most fruitful
industry of all—namely, building. But how was that
to be done ? Were buildings to h raised on unoccupied
ground, or old quarters to be demolished in order to
open new streets through them ? It was not possible to
invite speculators seriously to erect new buildings when
the third of the existing lodgings were empty and when
rent had everywhere fallen. On the contrary, the
Administration, by pulling down buildings in order
to reconstruct, found the double advantage of restoring
value to building property by placing resources in the
hands of those persons who could give employment
and of replacing those narrow, winding, dark, and un-
wholesome streets by wide new ones, which by giving
more space around the public buildings would allow air
and light to' circulate freely. The most prudent and
most useful combinations have, however, their incon-
veniences. Undertaken on a grand scale, the demolitions
led to a very considerable displacement of the population;
at the same time, thanks to the re-establishment of con-
fidence, strangers and workmen again found their
way to Paris, and the floatiug population rose
even above the number of the best preceding
years. At present, there are in the furnished
hotels upwards of 70,000 persons, exclusive of
nearly 15,000 lodged in the hotels of the banlieue. The
natural consequence of this prosperous situation has
been a rise in rents, but at the same time, also, the
rate of wages has risen and become regular. However,
this amelioration has not been effected without pro-
ducing a momentary difficulty for persons with small
incomes or with moderate salaries, and, above all, for
non-resident workmen, the number of whom has in-
creased from an unexpected cause —the mildness of the
winter, which allowed the works to be continued almost
without interruption, and kept in Paris the workmen
who usually at that part of the year return to their
departments. But this state of things cannot last.
Private speculation is beginning to turn its attention to-
wards new constructions, which will soon re-establish an
equilibrium, and give to the labouring classes more
wholesome and more convenient habitations. On its
side, the Government is paying attention to the momen-
tary embarrassments of the working population. Already
a sum of three millions has been placed, by a decree of the
Emperor, at the disposal of the Minister of the Interior,
to be distributed in subventions to such landlords as will
enter into an engagement to provide wholesome and cheap
lodgings, and the administrative authorities are seeking
out all other means of remedying the inconveniences of
this situation."

TRADE or NEW YORK.—The commercial advices
from New York are wholly devoid of interest. The
stock and money markets were steadily improving, and
the rate of discount was 7 to 9 per cent. Regarding
the alleged discovery of new gold deposits in Oregon,
scarcely any further particulars are given, the only re-
mark being that they are situated in districts called the
Yakina country and Grande Ponde, and that their ex-
istence has been confirmed by the arrival of several
persons. From Panama it is mentioned that her Ma-
jsty's ship Dmdalus was understood to have left Acapulco
(Mexico) on the 18th March, with $2,000,000' specie,
the whole' of which she would take to England except
$700,000 that would be transmitted lid the Isthmus.
The steamer Unicorn was to leave Panama for Australia
on the gth of April, and the prospects of trade with that
country were of a nature to excite increased interest at
all the ports on the Pacific, from the demonstrations
constantly occurring that the Panama route is the true
one between England and Sydney.
MYSTERIOUS DEATH' IN THE RIVER THAMES.—Yes-
terday Mr. Baker, summoning officer of St. Clement
Danes, forwarded to Mr. Higgs information of the dis-
7,veerry_ .l
of the body of a young man that morning, in the
ies, off the Temple-stairs. The deceased, who
trousers
anal appearance, had on black cloth
were gilt studs inrhoiis•
waistcoat, with Wellin,,,rton boots. There
rowing aloue in a I') ,411irt, lint he bad no coat, and it
loatthat circumstance he had been
is conjectured f
There is some suspieio, and may have fallen overboard.
as
his
Pocketsin
lies
were turned inside out, and
r m
ai sr
el
twuerkntehtiess,suneodr
yaensytetrhdi anything to
tiot
as there was no money
lead to his identification.
THE COINAGE.
lnstt of March last, •
appears that in the quarter ended
the gold coinage made at the 11,:;'i
4,335,357/. 10s. 7d., and the silver coina,acnitrAteP
No copper coinage was made in the same quarter.

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