The Sun.
London, England, 1854-01-02 00:00:00

FRANCE.

The levee usually held on the Ist of the new
year took place yesterday (Sunday) at the Tuileries.
The Ministers, grand functionaries of State, the
Judges of the Courts of Law, the Cardinals, and
Bishops, Canons, Marshals, Generals, and superior
officers of the National Guard, the members of the
Diplomatic Corps, all in the costume of ceremony,
were punctual in attendance. The reception was
held in the throne room, where the Emperor and
Empress stood under the rich canopy. It was
stated on Saturday the probability that the Em-
peror would address a few words at the moment the
representatives of the foreign Powers presented
the salutations usual on such occasions, and, asmay
be easily believed, a good deal of suriosity was
manifested on the subject. After saying a few words
to the Nuncio, which were not overheard, the
Emperor addressed the other members of the
Diplomatic Corps, and said in substance, and very
nearly in words, as follows :—"I sincerely hope to
be able to maintain the relations of amity which
now subsist between my Government and the
Sovereigns whose representatives you are ;" and,
turning to the Ottoman Ambassador, he added,
" My good wishes, my sympathies, and my efforts
are in favour of your Sovereign, and you will be
good enough to communicate what I say to him."
He then bowed to the Ambassadors, and the rest
of the ceremony proceeded. The expression of the
human countenance is not always an infallible
means of ascertaining what the secret thoughts are,
and the features of the Emperor less than those of
any other man can be taken as an index of what
is passing in the mind ; but one or two persons
standing close to him at the moment he spoke
the words, the substance of which is just given,
thought they could read in his face the convic-
tion that the Emperor of Russia does not or will
not imitate the Porte in its acceptance of the
propositions of the Vienna Conference ; but they
could also see that the mind of Louis Napo-
leon was made up to the worst, and that he will
not flinch whatever be the consequence. No intel-
ligence of an official character has been recei ied
from St. Petersburg announcing the intention of
the Czar, and it is stated that what has been already
said on that subject is premature. Such may be
the case, though the belief is that that decision is
too truly guessed at ; and it is certain that evn

among official people nearly all hope of hi.l accept-
ance is given up.

There, had been a great crowd at the Tuileries
yesterday (Sunday) in consequence of the i:Ariciai
receptions.

The Ai oniteur announces the nomination of
eight general officers and fourteen colonels, on the
list of the Etat-Major-General, and the di3tribu-
ton of a great number of crosses and military
medals.

Many couriers were overdue.
The commission of the Universal Exhibition a--
sembled on Thursday, at the Palais Royal, under
the presidency of Prince Napoleon. His Imperial
Highness, after reading the decrees instituting the
commission, pointed out the programme of its
labours in the following terms :

" Gentlemen—The Emperor confides to us a noble and
honourable mission, in which France will show herself
worthy of her name by the eagerness tvith which I.er
artists and her manufacturers will respond to the appeal
which is made to them. Our duty towards foreigners is
to receive them with a liberal and friendly hospitality.
All opinions in matters of political economy are repre-
sented here, not to enter on fruitless discussions, which
are foreign to our mission, but to co-operate with equal
ardour, whatever may be our point of view, for the
success of that work, which is to illustrate the France
and Europe of the 19th century. On this point, gentle-
men, we must all be agreed. The Emperor has testified
his high impartiality in assembling in the same body the
leading men in politics, sciences, arts, manufactures, and
commerce. For the first time a universal exhibition of
the fine arts will be added to one of industry. It be-
longs to our country to set the example of this alliance,
which so well suits our initiatory genius. I hope,
gentlemen, that the most entire confidence will preside
over our relations, and I ask from You for your Presi-
dent that indulgence of which he stands in need. Feel-
ing my insufficiency for the great mission which the con-
fidence of the Emperor has confided to me, I shall at
least devote to it my most ardent zeal and a firm will
to perform it well, which is the first condition of suc-
cess. The questions which we shall have to solve are
numerous and complicated, and are connected with a
multitude of different interests. I propose to submit
them successively to your decision, as they may present
themselves, in order not to overburden ourselves uselessly
at the commencement of our labours. They naturally
divide themselves into two great parts : those which
may require decrees on the part of his Majesty, and
those which we can solve on our own authority. In
execution of the decree our first operation is the nomi-
nation of the vice-president of the General Commission,
and of the two vice-presidents of the sections of manu-
factures and the fine arts. I shall afterwards request
you to give me a sub-committee to assist me in the exe-
cution of the measures which you shall have decided
upon. The business can only be managed in a practical
in,triner by a small number of persons, who shall devote
to it their special aptitude and their time. The first
question to be examined by that sub-committee will be
the drawing up of regulations for the prompt despatch
of the numerous affairs which we shall have to settle.".

The Commission, and the two sections of whidt it
is composed, then proceeded to the election of the
vice-presidents. President Troplong was chosen
vice-president of the General Commission, M.
Baroche, vice-president of the section of the Fine
Arts, and M. Billault, vice-president of the section
of Agriculture and Manufactures. The Commis-
sion having requested Prince Napoleon to appoint
the members of the sub-committee, the Prince,
after conferring- with the Ministers of State and
of Public Works, and the vice-presidents, ap-
pointed as members of the sub-committee—MM.
General Morin, Legentil, Schneider, Emile P -
riere, Leplay, de Lesseps, Duke de 'Souchy, Vis-
conti, and Henriquel Dupont. Lord Cowley
assured the Commission of the co-operation of
England in this grand solemnity, of which she had
furnished the first example, and congratulated
himself on being called on to take part in the
labours of the Commission. Prince Napoleon, in
his own name, and in that of the Commission,
thanked Lord Cowley.
Matters having arrived at that point when all
hopes of a settlement of the question, except by
means of an appeal to arms are now nearly at an
end, the moment is come for energetic action.
France is not idle. Her preparations for every
emergency have been going on for some time steadily,
surely, but without noise or bustle ; and letters
received from Toulon state that the greatest acti-
vity reigns in that harbour with a view to mili-
tary as well as naval preparations. Three screw
steam frigates have been just despatched to the
Levant, and, should it become necessary to send
a military division to the East, there will be no
deficiency of transports. When the combined
fleets enter the Black,Sea it will not be for the
mere purpose of cruising, but to remain there pre-
cisely in the same manner as the Russians have
established themselves in the Principalities.
The Assembles says—" Lord Edward Seymour,
well known in racing circles in Paris, has just died
at Boulogne-sur-Mer. He was 52 years of age,
and unmarried." This must probably refer to Lord
Henry Seymour who has lived at Boulogne since
the revolution of 1848.

At two o'clock on Saturday afternoon the bands
of the National Guard and all the regiments of
the garrison of Paris, assembled in the court of the
Tuileries to give their Majesties a newy-ear's sere-
nade. The Emperor and Empress appeared in
the balcony " d'Horloge," and bowed their ac-
knowledgments to the troops. They atLerwards
took an airing in the Champs Elysees in the
Emperor's new sledge a la Busse.
The Emperor of the French some time back gave
directions to the Minister of War to prepare a re-
port for him, giving an exact detail of the present
situation of the French army, to be accompanied.
with a statement of the number of men that France
could, if necessary, place without delay on a war
footing. This paper, it is said, has been lately sent
in, and the number of men which could be em-
ployed as just stated is set down in it at 1,250,000.
An analogous document has been applied for from
the Minister of Marine, relative to the naval force
of the country in vessels and men ; as well as a
special report on the best means of conveying by
sea 40,000 men. That Minister's report is expected
to be ready before long.
Public securities declined again at the Bourse
on Saturday, in consequence of the quotationsfrom
the London Stock Exchange coming lower. The
Three per Cents. opened at 73f. 60c., and fell to
73f. 30c., at which they closed for the end of the
month ; the Four-awl-a-Half per Cents. closed at
100 f. 75c. ; Orleans Railway shares, 1,165 f. ;
Rouen, 1,040 f. ; Havre, 492 f. 50c. ; Great Northern,
867 f. 50c. ; Paris and Strasburg, 810 f. ; Paris and
Lyons, 907 f. 50c. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean,
745 f. ; Western of France, 680 f. ; Bordeaux and
Cette, 615 f. ; Great Central, 512 f. 50c. ; Lyons and
Geneva, 505 f. ; Shares of the Bank of Credit Mobi-
lier, 730 f.