The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-23 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS,

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, TUESDAY, June 22.

The Emperor is now at the Camp of Chalons, engaged
in his periodical inspection of the war resources of the
country. From Chalons, it is now tolerably certain, his
Majesty will go to Beauvais on the 27th, and a speech is
generally looked for. Whether this part of the programme
will come off or not is not exactly certain. The

Constitutionnel thinks it probable, but cannot guarantee
it. I may mention that the moderate reformers here are
profoundly despondent at the aspect of affairs. The
Mackau letter and the honour conferred upon M. Jerome
David have discouraged them greatly. The letter to M.
Mackau is clearly against reform ; but the Emperor has
previously given manifestoes of this kind to the world,
and changed his policy afterwards. The elevation of M.
Jerome David to the dignity of Grand Officer of
the Legion of Honour is a fact which the
reformers cannot get over. M. David is an
" Arcadian," the chief of that select band, in deed ;
and I may explain that the Arcadians are the most un-
compromising supporters of linperialism. Despotism
pure and simple is their creed. They opposed very
strongly even the moderate concessions of the 19th of
January. To confer distinction at the present moment
upon the leader of this party is deemed very ominous
indeed. Hence a speech at Beauvais is looked for very
eagerly.
M. Dalloz has taken the initiative of opening, at the
office of the Moniteur Universe?, a subscription in favour
of the victims of the recent melancholy events at
St. Etienne. It is said that this proceeding has given
very little pleasure in official spheres, and the occasion
does look a little inopportune. But some of the families
of the men who lost their lives by the fire of the soldiers
are in a most wretched state, and the subscription is ani-
mated by pity for wretchedness, not sympathy with riot.
A very interesting account of life inside the Concier-
genie has been written by one of the captives arrested on
the boulevards during the late riots. This prisoner
was, or says he was, no rioter at all. He had
simply crossed the Boulevard Montmartre at a time
when it was deserted, and he and a friend were imme-
diately arrested by the police. They were carried off to
the guard house, where there were about 500 persons who
Lad been arrested on the boulevards ; a great
many among them were badly hurt—some with
black eyes and swollen faces, others mopping
up the blood that trickled down from wounds in-
flicted by knuckledusters. Most of them had lost their
hats, and had their clothes torn to tatters. At
three in the morning they were formed in column,
surrounded by police, Gardes de Paris, and hussars,
and marched off. Their destination was the Con-
ciergerie, where about 200 were immured—represent-
ing pretty nearly every class of society. The writer
rays :- -"There were fellows whose reckless, villanons
features were enough to inspire one with terror and loath-
ing. There were also highly respectable people, merchants,
tradesmen, journalists, and a few foreigners, among them
an American, who said that hewas employed at the United
States Legation. All, without exception, loudly protested
that they had done no harm, and complained bitterly of
their arrest. Nearly every man was engaged in writing
to his friends, and the gaoler, on the receipt of a small
clvueeur, undertook to forward the letters to their destina-
tion. All were much fatigued, but in the large hall which
we occupied there was not a single bench or convenience
to sit down ; neither was there any convenience of
another description, and as necessity has no law,
the result was as unpleasant to nose and eye as can
well be imagined. At half-past nine in the morning we
were marched out, and a brown loaf was served out to
each man, together with an earthenware platter, into which
a spoonful of soup was ladled, the look and smell of which
was quite enough for most of us. The platters and brown
loaves were converted into seats, and enabled us to get a
little rest. The prisoners were greatly cast down, and many
of them wept bitterly ; a few were exasperated to such a
pitch that we had to do all we could to prevent their
resorting to extremities which might have had very serious
consequences for us all. At three o'clock we were called
out, and received a ration consisting of a handful of beans."
This elaborate meal was soon followed bya transference to
the fort at Bicetre, where the quarters were scarcely any
better. The truth of this story is vouched for by the
IXbats, in which it appears. The writer will probably
beware of riots another time. _ _

Rumours, even when they are absurd, are sometimes
curious. Of this kind is the report which has circulated
pretty freely of late that the Count de Chambord, heir to
the French throne according to the Legitimists, has
resigned his claim in favour of the Prince Imperial, at the
request of the Pope ! It is hardly likely that his Holiness
would make any such request. The Emperor is, indeed,
the eldest son of the Church, but he is by no means the
most tractable.

The Count di Girgenti, who was called from Rome ten
days aeo to the residence of the ex-Queen of Spain, has
returned to the holy un.y. The
Prince has again endeavoured to obtain the abdication of
Queen Isabella in favour of the Prince of the Asturias,
and again have entreaties and argument in favour of this
course proved vain.
A young English nobleman who has more than once
figured in the chronicle of Parisian follies, is again the
subject of divers paragraphs in the Paris papas. It is
another case of ruin through the don i•nionde, After having
plunged into dissipation until his career was arrested by
the interposition of the law courts, this erratic nobleman,
who is brother to a duke, has at length been incarcerated
in the residence of his mother at London. His eldest
brother and his mother allow him a pension of £l,OOO a
year each, but only on condition that he remain on this
side of the Channel. The banks of the Seine are deemed
too dangerous for noblemen with a diminished patrimony.

TWEATY THOUSAND POUNDS DAMAGES

A breach of promise case has lately been tried in
Chicago which has created great excitement in the neigh-
bourhood. It has occupied six days, and has resulted in a
verdict for $lOO,OOO ! The plaintiff is a schoolmistress,
named Amanda Craig ; the defendant is a gentleman,
named Sprague, who has "plenty of greenbacks,"
on which it will be seen the lady has made a
heavy demand. The Illinois estimate of such matters
must, if we judge from the evidence, be somewhat
different from the English standard, or else the jury
accepted the defendant at Lis own valuation. A great
deal of correspondence was read at the trial, and the
following is a specimen of Mr. Sprague's epistolary
eloquence :—" Chicago, Oct. 19, 1865—my Dear amanda J.
Craig I have this moment received a letter from Connicut
new London returned to me that I wrote to you I sent to a
relation through o mistake she made a Great deal of
fun of me Because I denied of Going to Be mar-
ried (this letter lett the kat outt) she says I
must not Be mad at hear she says she wrote a
letter to Cincinnatti she says she will have some Good
fun mr sprague was Good a nuff to return the Letter to
me and that Lett the seacreet out why I did not Gett
letter from you will Please return the Leteer I sent you
through a mistake and I will send you the one that has
Been all the way to the yankees sttas for you to keep as
joak that is Plaid on me Booth By my Carelessness You
can send me a copp iff you Dont want to send the origion I
really Do nott Believe that lamin my right mind of the
time." Another letter gives an account of the writer's
illness, and promises to send " a Long Leteer as soon as I
gett Beter." The lady (Miss Craig) appears to possess
more education than taste, and her letters, in which she
professes undying devotion, are well written. In one of
them the following questionable compliment is made to her
correspondent. "The most artistic lines that could be
penned by other hands are as nothing to me when com-
pared with the lines of love and affection your fingers have
traced." Mr. Sprague, at the time of his acquaintance
with Miss Craig, presented a brilliant appearance, by the
aid of the tailor, hairdresser, and dentist. When Miss
Craig commenced to sue him he pulled out his
front hair, laid aside his teeth, wore shabby
clothes, and succeeded by various devices in making him-
self a complete object. The fair Amanda, however,
exhibited in court a locket with his portrait, which pro-
duced invidious comparisons, and rendered his sacrifice of
vanity to prudence useless. The jury, we may suppose,
having regard rather to the American standard of women's
rights than to the sense of the loss Miss Amanda Craig
had suffered by her hero's fickleness, awarded her the full
amount of damages claimed—£2o,ooo. The counsel for
Sprague will apply for a new trial.

It is rumoured in London city circles that, as an
acknowledgment of the very able and satisfactory alminis-
tit.tion of the present Lord Mayor, a large and influential
~ction of the Livery intend to. invite him to :leapt the re-
sponsibilities of a s..cond year of office.
Miss Sliedden's case wr.s before the House of Lords
on Tuesday for the twenty-11A time, the plaintiff herself
having occupied nearly the whole of that time in addresses to
the house, wanduring from one point to another. The Lord
Chancellor told her positively Le would not hear her after
that day.
..111E SIIEDDEN LEGITIMACY CASE. —ln the
Probate Court on Tuesday afternoon Lord Penzance
gave his judgment on the motion for a new trial
in the cause of Shedden v. the Attorney-Gene-
ral and fatrick (cited). Ile said that the reasons
for a new trial must be very strong indeed before he
would allow the whole case, tried so long ago, to be re-
opened. The only reason given for the proposed new trial
was the alteration of some post marks. There was no evi-
dence to show that this altered the bearings of the case. He
ti2eiefpre distpisLecl the application.