The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-07 00:00:00

FRANCE.

Some doubts are expressed whether the English
soldiers, so long and so earnestly expected, will
pass through Paris. The great obstacle is the
insufficiency of water in the Rhone, and particu-
larly at Valence. The boats have been much re-
tarded on their way down the river, and a telegra-
phic despatch, received from Valence, from a pri-
vate traveller, mentions the stoppage.
A gentleman, who has returned from a lengthened
visit in the central parts of France, mentions that
on his journey to Paris he mets crowds of young re-
cruits traversing the country in all directions to
join their respective. corps. The first pang of part-
ing from their families and friends was naturally
bitter enough, but they had been scarcely a day
on the road when the gaiety of the Erench charac-
ter returned, and most of those he met were singing
the co a ple ts Ia t ley composed for street vocalists, all
of course relating to the war, and predicting defeat
to the Cossacks. As they encountered each other
on the road, cries of " Vice ..mpereur," " A bas
les liusses" were loud and frequent.
The Greek Church in Paris is rather thinly at-
tended since the departure of the Russians ; yet
prayers continue to be offered up for the Czar, and
during the mass the prayer, which is not a short one,
is repeated not less than four times. It is related
that, on a recent occasion, his Imperial Majesty
requested the Holy Synod, of which one of his
aides-de-camp is the President, to shorten the mass
as much as possible. He was told that of course
it could be done, but that the service was length-
ened by the prayers for his Majesty and the
Princes ; if these could be abridged or left out, the
mass would be very brief indeed. This, however,
the Czar would not listen to, and the service re-
mains uncurtailed.

The Legislative Body had submitted to it yei-
terday a bill increasing to 140,000 men, instead of
80,000, the number of recruits of the class of 1853.

Prince Napoleon sets out on the 9th for the
Army of the East. He will arrive on the 10th at •
Lyons, on the 11th at Valence, on the 12th at
Avignon, on the 13th at Marseilles, and on the
morning of the 14th at Toulon.
Marshal St. Arnaud leaves on Monday for Mar-
seilles, whore he purposes staving about ten days.
The Moniteur contains a long report from the
Minister of the Interior to the Emperor on the em
ployment of part of the credit of 10,000,000 fr•
allowed for the improvement of the lodgings of
workmen in large manufacturing towns, by the
decrees of the 22,1 January and the 27th March,
1852. It states that a subvention of 200,000fr-
has been granted to the " Cite Napoleon," in
Paris, the first workmen's lodging-house that
was built ; that Messrs. Pereira have contracted
to build workmen's lodging-houses to the
amount of 4,550,000 fr., on condition of re-
ceiving a subvention from the government equal
to one-third of the expense, and that they have
already constructed two large buildings, one at
La Chapelle, and the other at the Batignolles, in
which they are bound to let single bed-room
for unmarried men at 20c. a-night, and apartments
for married couples at 7f. 50e. per superficial yard
per annum ; that M. de Heckeren, senator, and 11/I.
Kenaard have also contracted to build lodging"
houses to the amount of 4,140,000 f., on receiving
a subvention equal to one-third of the expense, and
that they are raising a vast edifice in the Rue de
Montreull ; and that M-ssrs. Puteaux, who have
obtained a recompence for the first plans, have
already built four houses on the Boulevard
Mazas, and are constructing six others at the
Batignolles and. at Grenelle. The report further
states that, in addition to this, workmen's
lodging-houses have been built and grants made
at M trseilles and Mulhouse ; and that arrange'
meats are in progress for building other houses at
Rouen, Lille, and other places. It also states that
an arrangement has been made for building 110
houses in groups, and surrounded with gardens,
in the Rues de Reuilly and de Picpus—these houses
being on a plan already adopted with success at
Mulhouse. Ou the whole the report declares that,
3,892,083 fr. have been granted subventions, and ,
that consequently 6,107:918fr. remain ti..) be granted
to make up the 10,000,000 fr. The accommodation
already provided consists, it says, ~bf 5,300 lodgings
for unmarried, and 800 for married workmen at
Paris, 150 for unmarried men at Marseilles, and
300 for married couples at Mulhouse.
There was a general rise yesterday on the Bourse.
The Three per Cents. closed at 631. 25c. for the
end of the month ; and the Four.ani_a_lialf
per Cents. at 891. 70c. ; Orleans Railway Shares,
1,030 f. ; Rouen, 812 f. 50e. ; H.wre, 410 f. ;
Great Northern, 722 f. 50e. ; StrAsharg, .695 f. ; New
Shares, 5151. ; Lyons to Paris, 785 f. ; Lyons tothe Mediterranean, 645 f. ; Western of France,
540 f. ; Bordeaux to Cette, 490 f. ; Great Central of
France, 3921. 50c. ; Lyons to GOLIOVA 415 f • Bank
of Credit Mobilier,4Bsf. • ,