The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-06 00:00:00

NG, MARCH 6, L 69.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, FRIDAY, March 5.

The Government has had a very uncomfortable time of
it. When the amendment of M. Gueroult was rejected, it
was fondly hoped that the contract with the Cr&lit Foncier
would be ratified, and that the Ministers would escape from
the castigation to which they had been subjected. But the
dream was vain. As I mentioned before, the rejection of the
amendment settled the question of the contract, but still
the Opposition managed to prolong the painful and haras-
sing debate. They endeavoured to reduce the octroi duties,
and fought so persistently that at one time it was rumoured
that M. Rouher would give up the contract, and provide
the required money by a loan. But, after a fortnight's
utter humiliation and disgrace, the Government is now
getting into smooth water. Yesterday the Corps L6gis-
latif took a decisive step in the discussion. The first
article of the law was voted by 184, GO being in favour
of sending back the loan project to the consideration
of the commission. As the first article is the pons
asinorunt of the whole bill, the Government may now
consider itself out of danger. The minority—GO—is very
considerable for the Corps Legisl3.tif, and shews how
deep is the impression made by the polemic victory
of the Left. Several Imperialists voted with the Oppo-
sition, and more than one urged M. Rouher to give up the
contract, and substitute a loan. It 11733 in fear of this
result that the shares of the Crddit Foncier have cone
down so heavily during the last few days.
If the public likes not M. Emile 011ivier, it is deep'y
interested in his book. The first edition vanished in a few
hours, the second has followed, and already a third is
required. All France will soon have read the Emperor's
remarkable letter in which he expresses his desire to
grant liberty to his people, but is afraid that if he
does it evil consequences will follow. This letter
was, of course, not published without the Em-
peror's permission. In short the position is something
like this. M. Emile 011ivier proposes a plan of reform,
and the Emperor accepts it, stating in an autograph
letter that he is desirous of making concessions pro-
vided it can be done with safety. He would like
one series of concessions to be final, the edifice to be
crowned ; for the appearance of granting liberty under
the influence of fear would injure the prestige
of the Crown. Yet when the reforms appear they are
partial, meagre, and unsatisfactory. Is it probable that
A letter in which the Emperor laid down a policy which
has never been adopted would be given to the world
without some ulterior motive? I.cannot persuade myself
that this book is intended merely as a retrospect. On dit,
that the publication was delayed on account of the frequent
use of the personal pronoun " I." There were so many
Je's in the manuscript, that the printers had not " j's"
enough, and the book had to be stopped a week in order
to get them.
The Belgian Railway affair is not quite over. The la w
which passed so rapidly through the Brussels Chambers
gave the Belgian Government the power to forbid any
concession of the Belgian line to a foreign company.
But the question is, how far will the Government use this
power? Will it forbid the concession of the Luxembourg
line to the East of France Company, which was the cause
of all the recent hard writing in the• Paris papers? The
lifoniteur is informed that the French Ambassador has
been instructed to prevail upon the Belgian Ministry to
grant this concession. M. de la Gueronniere will be
empowered to exercise much pressure in order to bring
about this result. The Patric has a milder version of
this story, asserting that the French Government will
endeavour to bring about a mutual understanding between
the two countries. What sort of an understanding
this may be I cannot well perceive ; for Belgium must
either refuse or grant permission for a French company to
make use of its lines. The dispute does not appear
to admit of compromise.

Some neat things in the way of mechanical contrivances
have been put upon the London stage, but seldom or
never has anything been seen equal to the scenic effects
in the " Madonne aux Roses," at the Gait 6. There is an
Italian landscape with sunlight, the peasantry dancing
and the cattle lowing—a perfectly artistic group. Then
there is a feast given by Omar in his ducal palace, the
magnificence of the last being represented with wondrous
exactitude. Lastly, the banquet ends with the burning of
the palace. Artificial flames are produced, the wood
crackles, roofs fall in with a thundering crash, and pinna-
cles glow in wreaths of fire. Hundreds of burning objects
—beams, pieces of the roof and wall—are tossed
about ; the reality of the picture is almost pain-
ful. The palace which is thus burned takes six
I'ours to put up. The stage is covered with sheet-iron.
There has been lately discovered at Dax, in the Landes,
within a few yards of the railway, a vast bed of rock
salt, more than a mile in diameter and over a hundred
feet thick. It lies at a small depth, and is of great purity.
A company has been formed to work this treasure.
The papers are full of reports of the Montauban poison-
ing case. All the accused except one have confessed their
guilt.

THE 'FEATHER TABLE.-THIS DAY.

METEOR OLOG ICA L REEORTS.