The Sun.
London, England, 1869-09-01 00:00:00

PARIS CORRESPONDENCE.
TUESDAY.

The opening of the great debate in the Senate is now
close at hand, and the attention of our politicians is
becoming centred upon it. I have been told that the
President of the Senate has communicated to several
members his intention of taking an active part in the
debate. Whether this be welcome intelligence or no must
depend on the degree of faith which constitutional
Reformers put in M. Rouber's recent conversion to
Liberalism. Paris is the stronghold of polite _scepticism,
and the ex-Minister is thought over here to be looking
rather to his own restoration to power, in case of possible
eventualities, than to the immediate satisfaction of the
popular wishes. I hear that the amendment of M.
Sartiges's, which has been already discussed and rejected
by the commission, will reappear in the course of the de-
bate, when it will not be so easily disposed of. M. Sar-
tige's amendment is designed, as you may remember, to
modify the effects of a possible collision between the
Chambers. It allots to the Corps L6gislatif one part of
the Constitutional power, and it provides that all points
at issue between the two Houses shall be decided by a
mixed commission of Senators and Deputies. If the
public are not to be allowed to listen to the discussion in
which they take so deep an interest, the Deputies will be
more fortunate, and places are being reserved for them in
the Chaniher. As soon as possible after the ns
of the ceestitetional refoims, these gentlemen are to Lc
called upon to resume their latuuts in their own proper
province. It will not Le too soon, for a good deal of im-
patience exists on the subject, the Senate being certainly
rot regarded as the exponent of popular sympathies.

Wh;ther or no the Senate proves able to retain the
lion's share of authority in the Constitution it is evident
that the power and influence of the Corps Ugis-
latif are steadily augmenting. The article of the
Senatus-Consultuna, which permits the office of
deputy to be compatible with the exercise of
Ministerial functions has created no little excitement
among politicians IN ho are already discussing their chances
of election. M. Gressier has been talked of as a candidate
for Semme, in the room of M. Seneca, who will be raised
to the Senate, and General Lebeeuf will, it is said, come
forward for Orne, where the new Minister of War
has been staying for the last few days. All the Ministers
are in Paris, and will be present at the opening of the
debate. Some important financial measures are, I under-
stand, in contemplation, including a considerable reduction
in the duty on beverages in the Paris Octroi.
A new kind of transport ship has just been making her
trial trip in the Canal Saint-Denis. It is armed with only
one gun, of very large calibre, and furnished with a double
screw, which allows the vessel to turn with great rapidity.
The accounts of the Emperor's health are more and
more satisfactory, and it is officially declared that the
only thing from which he now suffers is weakness.
This is not surprising, considering that he has
been so seriously indisposed for twenty-one days. The
Moniteur states that yesterday morning the Emperor got
up at eleven o'clock, and prepared to work all day with
the head of the Cabinet, M. Contd. It appears, however,
that public confidence cannot easily be restored, and the
anxiety which prevails respecting the health of the
Emperor has been so great that the subject forms the
prevailing topic of conversation. The doctors in attendance
persist in their former statement that the Emperor was
not once in danger during the whole course of his illness.
The great desire which his Majesty feels to resume his
arduous duties has retarded his recovery, and it is
reported that he said to a homoeopathic doctor who
came to him, that he could not be idle, and must be set
up again at the risk of a relapse afterwards. The Empress,
does not seem in a hurry to return, which circumstance
might well serve to reassure the public, but it is easier to
create a panic than to allay it, and it will be some time
before the occurrences of last Friday are forgotten.

The Empress and the Prince Imperial will have delight
ful recollections of their Corsican journey, and nothing
seems to have been wanting to make it a complete success.
In expectation of the visit of the Empress to Constanti-
nople some curious arrangements have been made. It is
said that a couple of ladies who can speak French
will be placed in attendance on the illustrious visitor, and
that a Catholic chapel will be formed in the palace of
Beglerbe. It will be strange to see such an erection in the
house of the Commander of the Faithful.

General Todleben, the famous Russian tactician, has
Announced his intention of coming to Paris in
order to study the new military organisation and the
French progress in the art of war. The Emperor was too
indisposed to receive General Prim in his passage through
Paris, en route for Vichy, but it is believed that the recep-
tion will take place on the General's return.

THE MEMPHIS AND EL PASO RAILROAD.

We have heard a great deal on the subject of
Gen. Fremont's introduction of the Memphis and
El Paso Pacific Railway Bonds into the Paris money
market. The Philadelphia correspondent of the Times
coupled the proceedings in Paris with the Mari-
posa swindle, and some strong remarks have been
made in censure of alleged false statements by the
New York papers. Inquiry is showing that there
is much misapprehension on the subject in the
minds of the people. It appears tha:-, communica-
tions having reached the State Department through
Minister IVashburne relative to this railroad, cate-
gorical answers have been returned which might
have been saved the department if any one in
the French metropolis had filed a paper containing
the proceedings in Congress even to the extent done
in this, or would refer to the full summary of Con-
gressional proceedings given in Appleton's Annual
Cyclopedia, although both that book and our paper
are too recent for transactions which occurred many
years ago. A certificate by the Clerk of the House
of Representatives sets forth that that House passed
a bill by a large majority, granting to the company
the right of way through the public domain, but that
no subsidy was asked for or granted. In the Senate
the House Bill was presented by Mr. Morton, who
urged immediate action, but the Chairman of the
Committee on Public Railroads, as we last week
showed, got hold of the bill and kept it in spite of
Mr. Morton and the majority of the Chamber. It
is quite clear that Congress is desirous of forward-
ing the views of the company, and that it will meet
with very earnest support in the South is of course
beyond doubt. The president of the railroad com-
pany adds to the above papers a certificate that
the company has been regularly organized, and
has received large grants of land from the State
of Texas, but it did not ask for anything (nor
would it under Grant's Administration get any-
thing if it now asked), and therefore could not have
received anything from the United States Govern-
ment except the right of way. The line was one of the
three recommended by the Committee which sat be-
fore the war, audits route is among those marked on
the official map of the United States and territories,
published under the direction of the Hon. J. S. Wilson,
Commissioner of the Public Lands, The line crosses
Arkansas, starting from the right bank of the Missis-
sippi, opposite Memphis, and entering Texas close
to thelndian Territory, continuing to the Rio Grande
at El Paso, just below New Mexico, where it enters
the State of Chihuahua, and reaches through So
nora the Gulf of California. This is, as it is thereon
marked, but we are not aware what the company
now propose for its extension beyond El Paso.
Along the Red River Valley the land is, we believe,
very fertile, and there are well-grassed rolling table-
lands as it approaches the Rio Pecos° ; but the
country then becomes barren, with coarse grass and
no water; sands, salt springs, salt lakes, and salt
plains. The Southern route has always been a
favourite, for the simple reason that the country is
open all the year; that it is shorter, and, on the
whole that the land is more fertile; and Memphis is
undoubtedly a good railway centre from which to
start, not only commanding the enormous naviga-
tion opened by the Mississippi, but communicating
with all parts of the Atlantic coast by rail. If the
prospectus published in Paris, of which we do not
recollect to have seen a copy, asserted that the
United States guaranteed the bonds, or gave any-
thing in aid of the line beyond the right of way, it
was untrue ; but there is reason to believe that such
a statement was not made by or received the sanction
of General Fremont. The company may have hoped
to secure Government aid, and very strong lobby
efforts were made during last session in behalf of
some railway companies. But the President has
set his face dead against these grants, and rurel.asers
of such bonds wou.d be very ill advised who relied
on such assistance.—Anglo American Times.

The Sergeants' Mess Plate, competed for at
Aldershot on the 27th inst. by 10 regiments, Was
won by the sergeants, not of the 4th Battalion
Rifle Brigade, but of the 4th Battalian GOth Rifles.
A handsome testimonial has been presented by
some of the Cavalry Brigade at Aldershott to their
former chaplain, the Rev. C. A. Assheton Craven.
The testimonial consists of a richly-chased silver
salver, value £BO, and wasforwarded to Mr. Craven
on the breaking up of the Cavalry Brigade through
16ior-CienOrol White,