The Sun.
London, England, 1853-01-14 00:00:00

THE FRENCH EMPIRE.

The state of the Bourse, and the long-continuel
daily decline in the price of the Rentes, form the
chief topics of discussion in Paris. The closing
prices yesterday afternoon of the Three per Cents.
were officially reported at 70f. 60c. for the account,
being a fall of 50 centimes on the last rates of the
previous day; the Four-and-a-Half per Cents.
nents.tim
were
quoted 104 f. 60c., being a decline of 6
on the opening rates the same morning. The
in
lianks
stock, railway and assurance shares, and, fine,
all other investments, partake of the same panic,
and transactions for cash were effected on almost
any terms. This state of things naturally gave rise
to many ill-natured reports, one of which went the
length of asserting that a person of high official
standing in the Government had been guilty of
some unprincipled jobbing on the Stock Exchange.
With reference to these scandalous stories which,
it was said, chiefly affected the Minister of War,
and which alleged that, being unable to pay his
losses, he had been executed, while others said he
had been saved by subscriptions got up amongst
the agens de change, and others again that M.
Fould had, to save the credit of the Government,
ordered the money to be paid, the Moniteur, in
reply to all such inventions, contains the following
decisive note :--
"Public opinion has latterly been pre-occupied with the
situation of the Bourse, and of certain operations in which
tho name of a public functionary of a very high order has
been implicated. It is known that the habitual tactic of
the enemies of the Government consists in spreading about
each day the most absurd and false news regarding its in
tentions and acts, and in seeking, through despair of other
means, to disparage the men who afford it the most useful
support. The Emperor, however, who desires to found
the influence of his administration upon the respect inspired
by the probity of functionaries of all degrees, has felt
moved by rumours which have moved even him. He
wished to know the truth as to their nature and origin, and
ordered investigations, which have furnished the most in-
contestable proof that those rumours have no sort of
foundation, and are the result of an odious calumny."
The Moniteur confirms the fact mentioned of the
reception of the Turkish ambassador.

The following naval appointments have taken
place :
Captain do la Graudiere to the command of the
corvette L'Eurydice.
Captain Leps to the command of the brig La-
perouse.

- Lieut. Ferre to the command of the gabarre La
Sarcelle.

Lieut. Cornequel Dubodon to the command of the
gabarre La Pintade.
Lieut. Thomassy to the gaellette L'Estafette.
Captain le Saulmer de Vaubello to the steam-
frigate Le Sane.
Captain Sagot-Duvauroux to the steam aviso Le
Requin.
Captain Dupourg to the steam aviso Le Marceau.
Five columns are filled with names of persons
decorated with the Legion of Honour, followed
with various appointments to places.
The same journal contains the following gratify-
ing announcement :—" We made known, the 29th
December last, that the number of pardons ac-
corded by his Majesty 4,0 political prisoners con-
demned by the mixed commissions amounted to
1,232. By two subsequent decisions, the Emperor
has admitted to the benefit of his clemency 383
persons, that is to say, 180 the sth, and 203 the
Bth of January. We now learn that by a decree
of the present date 80 more prisoners have either
been liberated or have had their sentences miti-
gated. The number of pardons accorded by his
Majesty to persons condemned for political causes
by exceptional tribunals amounted to 1,695."
The first Imperial ball, whose announcement
has agitated the whole of the gay world in this
gayest of capitals, kept so many on the tenterhooks
of expectation, and which has called forth the ex-
ercise of as much diplomacy as would have made
the fortune of half-a-dozen Talleyrands, took place
on Wednesday night. It is calculated that the list
sent in from the English Embassy alone included
not less than 220 names. The card for the ball was
in this form :

" Par ordre de l'Empereur, le Grand Chambellan a
I'honneur de prevenir M. - qu'il est invite h passer
la soiree au Palais des Tuileries, le Mercredi, 12 Janvier,
h 9 heures.

"Duo DE BASSANO.

" On est pri6 de remettre cette carte en entrant."

Though the hour mentioned was 9 o'clock, yet
.ong before carriages began to arrive at the Court
of the Palace. There were two sets of tickets—
those of a rose colour procured an entrance by the
Pavilion floor, and were set apart for the members
of the Diplomatic Corps and the higher func-
tionaries of State ' • and white tickets for the other
persons, who had access by another entrance on
the same side. The Emperor entered the State
apartments precisely at 9 o'clock, and proceeded to
the throne room, where he received such persons
as were specially presented to him by their respec-
tive ambassadors. About 10 o'clock a general
movement was observed in the saloons leading
to the throne room, and soon the Emperor ap-
peared, with Lady Cowley leaning on his arm, and
followed by the Ministers, the members of the Di-.
plomatic Corps, the officers of the household, the great
functionaries of State, and the ladies and gentle-
men who had just been presented. Louis Napo-
leon was dressed in the uniform of a general officer,
with the'riband and star of the Legion of Honour.
He wore shoes with small diamond buckles, and
white silk stockings with diamond knee-buckles.
The Ministers, and several other public function-
aries, were similarly habited. The Emperor looked
well, and appeared in excellent spirits as he passed
along between the rows of gorgeous uniforms and
costly dresses of ladies, bowing to the right and
left. He proceeded at the head of his brilliant
cortege to the Salle des Marechaux, where dancing
at once commenced. The Emperor had for his
partner the lady of the English Ambassador. Ar-
rivals continued almost without intermission till 11
o'clock, and soon the magnificent saloons of the
Palace were filled, yet not inconveniently so.
Dancing continued with spirit till near 12 o'clock.
The Emperor had danced with Lady Cowley, the
Princess Mathilde, and the Countess of Teba—the
last one of the most beautiful women in Spain. He
then sat down, with the Grand Chamberlain stand-
ing or seated behind him, and looked on at others
dancing, or walked about with a lady leaning ou
his arm. It is but fair to say that one of the most
conspicuous for the vigour and energy of his danc-
ing was Marshal Magnan, whose movements did
not seem in the least encumbered by the weight
of his new honours. At 12 o'clock the Emperor
led the way to the supper room. The feast
was laid out in the theatre of the Palace,
which was also richly decorated for the occasion.
In order that the repast might be enjoyed with
more ease, it had been arranged that the ladies
should sup by themselves, and the men after. The
Emperor was followed by a numerous cortege of
ladies and gentlemen. When the folding-doors
which led from the long gallery to the vestibule
through which you pass to the theatre, were thlown
open, nothing could exceed the brilliancy of the
spectacle. Around the semi-circular apartment ran
a buffet laden with refreshments. The number of
tables laid out were 40 ; they were round, and each
provided ample accommodation for 14 persons.
Meat; of every kind, and wines of every vintage
were supplied in abundance Besides the bril-
liant light which flowed down from the lustres
which hung from the ceiling, three silver
branches, with three or four lights each, were
placed on each table. An elevated gallery ran
round the hall, and two bands of music played
the
most select airs alternately during the whole
time. The favourite air, " Partant pour la
SYrie," was always sure to be heard wherever Louis
Napoleon made his appearance. It was remarked
that the plate bore the initial " N.," with the
the
Im-
perial crown, while napkins—at.laenads t
themany d
a to.
ef
them—hadthe letters
o , marked on them. Supper was over at two
'011840ck7," but more than an hour previously the Em-
peror returned
to the Salle des Marechaux with
many of the ladies, and dancing was resumed with
even more earnestness than before. At three o'clock
the company
the Emperor.was began to thin, and before that time
td. retired to his private apartments.
till four o'clock.
Dancing
10c., rose to 105 f. 15ac
The Four_ancrta_ui
per Cents. opened at 105 f.
at
10. if fell subsequently to 105 f.
50c., and closed
Three per Cents. closed at 79f.
992 f. 50c. • Rouen,
60c. for the end of the
month,. and the
977 f. 50c. ; Havre, 50;01..ari)sc's.,n;_
60c. • Orleans Railway
Great Northern,
;Lyons n dtoSter,sburg, 787 f.;
830 f.; Basle, 347 f. 50c.
Paris and Lyons, 865 f.
. ; Caen to
mo_
.ancon, 520 f. ;
b6ll.lTheefr. 'VI
(issuede diterraat-
nean, 705 f. ; Western of France
Cherbourg, 620 f. ; Dijon, and France,
Shares of the Bank of Credit
500 f.), 770 f.