The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-18 00:00:00

CORRES

id PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS. MONDAY, May 17.

Paris has relapsed into a state of complete calm. So far
as all present signs go, this, the last day of the public elec-
tion meetings, promises to pass off quietly. Yesterday
not fewer than seventeen electoral meetings—one journal
says nineteen—were held, and there was not the
slightest disturbance at any one of them. Whether
the exhortations of the Liberal papers or the
edicts of the Prefect have produced this effect it is
difficult to say, but the fact is none the less satisfactory.
There was some very hot and exciting discussion yester-
day, beyond doubt, but in no case was the ordinary fire of
a Paris political meeting exceeded. The dangerous
moment—the departure of the audience--in no case gave
rise to any trouble.
The election news is of course multifarious and impor-
tant. Without entering into useless details about M.
This and Baron That, I may remark that in Paris the
field is left more and more clear to the Opposition. In 1563
the Government contested every circumscription ; in 1869
it scarcely spews fight at all. But as the Left
cart ied all the divisions on the last occasion, this absten-
tion on the part of the authorities is of no great import-
ance. The Opposition can do no more than elect its men,
with the additional enjoyment of being able to afford the
luxury of an internecine struggle. M. Emile 011ivier has
become more and more in receipt of Government support,
and his chances Lave waned in proportion. Everything
at present looks favourable for the exi reme men. But
Paris always did and always will elect opponents of the
Government. The important question is, what will the
provinces do?
Beyond question the new City of Paris Loan has proved
a great success. For the last few days the Paris Municipal
Council, the Mayor, and several hundred clerks have
been employed in the exhilarating task of opening and
classifying the immense number of letters con-
taining applications for allotments. This work is
of truly Herculean dimensions. It occupies no fewer than
150 tables. On Friday evening the amount of the sub-
scription was 110 times the sum asked for; and there still
remained 30,000 lotters to be opened and sorted, and the
result of subscriptions in four or five departments more to be
received. The 30,000 letters last arrived at the Hotel de
Ville were to have been all examined in the course of
Saturday. The mass of securities and bank notes forming
the unprecedented avalanche that has fallen on the HOtel
de Ville completely fills a small room, which is strictly
gnarled night and day. All other business is suspended
for the time.

It is said that the Queen of England has written an
autograph letter to the Emperor :Napoleon, thanking his
Majesty for the attention shewn to the Prince and Prin-
cess of Wales during their late stay in Paris.
The rare sentence of death has been passed by the tri-
bunal of Hainault, in Belgium. The crime was one of
exceptionalborror. Awoman, named Descamps,was charged
with murdering her granddaughter, an infant, by imbed-
ding needles 'fra the child's head. The only motive alleged
for this barbarous crime is that the prisoner did not like
to see her daughter, who is married, have a family. The
woman seemed utterly overwhelmed on hearing the sen-
tence ; but the audience attempted applause at the deci-
sion—not a charitable proceeding, notwithstanding the
barbarous character of the murder.
Another trapeze accident has occurred. Whilst the
gymnast Bounaire, who performs at the Cirque de
l'lmperatrice, was springing from one trapeze to
another he missed his bold, but succeeded in
seizing hold of a rope which hung from the ceiling, and
down which he slid so rapidly as to knock to a distance
one of the men who stood below to hold it taut, while he
himself struck against a heavy weight suspended for the
same purpose, and fell rather heavily on the ground. He
had evidently suffered a severe shock.
A duel of unusual determination took place at Anvers
between two officers a couple of days ago. Both
officers were captains. One had used insulting
language to the other in the presence of the:r
comrades, the officer to w'iom the offence was
- retorted in very free language, and a duel to the
death was resolved on. Three pistol shots were exchanged
without serious effect, one of the combatants being very
slightly grazed on the left arm. Tile fourth pair were
loaded, but one of the weapons missed fire. The
other duellist discharged his in 1113 air. This
magnanimous proceeding did not, however, terminate the
conflict. A fifth charge was made, and it was agreed that
instead of remaining at twenty-five paces, the distance
hitherto kept, each combatant should have the right of
advancing. five paces. The reduction of the distance
immediately proved decisive. The officer who had spa• ed
his adversary's life was shot in the head, and, it is
mortally wounded.
_

feared,