The Sun.
London, England, 1869-07-14 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE PROM PARIS,

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, TUESDAY, July 13.
The reforms have met with a generally favourable
reception here. Of the more moderate Liberal papers
the Temps is, perhaps, the most critical. It does not wish
to deny the value of the concessions made by the Emperor;
but their true character is not precisely given, and it re-
mains to be seen iu what shape they will come from
the hands of the senators. The Temps therefore blames
the Tiers Parti for withdrawing its famous interpellation.
If the Moderate Liberals did not persist in the demand
for Ministerial responsibility, they might at least ba,, e
demanded that the obscure points of the Emperor's pro-
gramme be explained,its various stipulations more exactly
defined. The Journal des Debuts, without wishing
to commit itself to a judgment which can only be certainly
expressed when the Senate has finished its work, believes
that the people of Paris will give these concessions a
hearty welcome. It is impossible to be wrong in saying
that the reforms must have a great and beneficial
effect. The Republican SRe/e thinks that when the
C hamber wishes further reforms it will now be able to
obtain them easily. The Constite t fennel calls the change
a great step in the direction of parliamentary govern-
ment, and the Libute says much the same thing. As to
the Imperialist journals their opinions may be taken for
granted.

The Ministry have resigned and M. Rouher has gone.
This is a great fact. When the Cabinet is reconstituted the
changes will be found to have been few, but the retreat of
the great Imperial phantom will console the nation for the
presence of the minor shadows. The Emperor's decision
to part with his most faithful servant looks like a
guarantee of his wish to carry out the new reforms
thoroughly. Not only will the Ministry of State know
M. Rouher no more, but the Ministry of State itself
will disappear. This is another all•important
decision. The Ministers of Finance, Interior, War, and
the Navy will remain. The portfolio of the Emperor's
Household is suppressed as well as the Ministry of
State. The department of Commerce will be sepa-
rated from that of Public Works ; M. Gressier
will retain the former, and M. Louvet will
take the latter. M. Segris will become Minister of
Justice. M. Chevandier de ValdrOme will take a new
department—that of the Post Office and the Telegraphs.
M. de La Valette will retire, but it is not known who wilt
succeed him—very probably the Ambassador at London.
Of all the changes the retirement of M. de La Valette is
most to be regretted. It will be seen that these removals
are not important except in the one case of M. Rouher.
Neither 011ivier nor Buffet, the leaders of the Tiers
Parti, will form part of the new Government, which will
remain an essentially Imperialist one. The suppression of
the Ministry of State, and the retirement of the states-
man who holds it, is the one feature of the crisis which
will inspire confidence.

The appearance of the Legislative Chamber yesterday
was probably the most brilliant that has been seen under,
the Empire. Prince Napoleon and a host of smaller cele-
brities, the Princess Marie, and a flock of lesser luminaries,
especially deputies' wives were present. There was not a
vacant seat in the House, and the heat would have been
much more endurable if one seat had not in many cases to
do duty for two. M. Rouher was very pale and wan,
and he read the Emperor's message as if it was his own,
death warrant, which, in a sense, it proved to be.
When he had finished his performance, which wag
executed in a very tremulous manner, the Chamber
partially emptied, and the House proceeded to
" constitute " itself by the election of secretaries. All the
six chosen were Imperialists or,men of the Third Party;
but it is worthy of note that the Opposition candidate, M.
Magnin, got ninety votes—a number which may be taken
as indicative of the full strength of the Left previous to
the change of parties which the reforms may bring about.
To-day there was a short and stormy sitting. The
Chamber met only to be prorogued—a step which the
Emperor thinks necessary, in view of the coming changes.
M. Schneider pointed out that the prorogation was the
natural issue of the Ministerial crisis, for, in fact, at that
time there was not a Minister in the House; but the Left
would not be satisfied with this explanation. 31.
Jules Favre complained of the prorogation on the ground
that all the elections were not yet confirmed. Fifty-
five seats yet remained unvalidated. Was it fair, asked
M. Favre, to leave these gentlemen for an indefinite
period in such a state of uncertainty? He declared that
the prorogation was improper (inconvenant.) Other depu-
ties of the Left spoke to the same effect, but though they
succeeded in creating a tremendous uproar, they did not of
course retard the prorogation. The Chamber broke up in
the midst of the most lively agitation. As to the merite
of the case, I may remark that as the fifty-five unfortu-
nates who have not been " confirmed " are almost all
Imperialists, it is strange that the Radicals should trouble
themselves about their fate. On the other hand, it may
be urged that the verification of powers is a matter which
does not require the assistance of the Ministers, and that
the prorogation of the Corps Legislatif before the right of
all its members to sit has been finally ascertained is quite
without precedent.
On Monday M. Schneider, the President, had informed
the deputies that they would meet to-clay to continue the
verification of powers. When they did meet they were
confronted with this decree of prorogation. Nobody, not
even the President himself, expected it. The Chamber
has been dissolved without accomplishing the work for
which it was specially convened. The Temps looks upon
the proceeding as inexplicable.
The trial of the hotel-keeper Pontlevoy, whose story I
told you yesterday, has terminated. He was charged
with attempting the murder of his wife, and with actually
killing her paramour, in pursuance of a deliberate P 1313,.
and not in the heat of vengeance. But though there w 36
no disputing the facts, French juries have no mercy for
victims of this kind, and Pontlevoy has accordingly been'
acquitted. The invariable result of these trials in France
—and unfortunately there are a good many of them',
ought to be a caution to such offenders as the man wiloll/
Pontlevoy disposed of.
What the papers truly call "un sanglant drame
just happened in the Gard department. A man who he',
been separated from his wife for some time on account o£
her misconduct, decided, after a philosophic train ?f
t
e,
thought, that life was no longer worth having, and that
would therefore take leave of it. He proceeded to the
house where his wife lived, stabbed her, and cut his own
throat. In his waistcoat pocket was found a letter stating.
that he was perfectly sane, but hehad found life insupP°rt
able. He had therefore made all preparations to give e;
little trouble as possible. Those who found his body were
to carry it to his residence, where they would find 13io
coffin, which had been ready a long time, and a sufficient
sum of money to pay the cost of his burial. He had Ii
wise thoughtfully provided several bottles of cll.
liquors, in order that those who kindly performed the 1.”:
offices for him might celebrate the event with suital)Lu
rejoicing.

RAILWAY COMMUNICATION BETTYS
ENGLA.ND AND WALES

A scheme for a new and improved railway oommunicatinti
between England and Wales has just been proposed by 311'1'1
Hamilton Fulton, the engineer, which will shorten the *IT
tance between London and South Wales by 25 miles.
more important change will be effected in the gradients.
the Stroud Valley line these vary from 1 in 60 tot
whereas in Mr. Fulton's line they are not to be steeper that",
lin 200. Should this project bo successful, it is expetiee..4
that tho traffic in coals, iron, 3.7 c , would increase raPtth'l:l4
It is estimated that in coals alone an increaSe—
traffic of two millions of tons would avuilop
pass over this line. This is not the first scheme of tre
kind which Mr. Fulton has propounded. Five years ag°
proposed to cross the Severn, near Chepstow, by a 12,
level bridge, and an act was obtained for the constructs
of the line, but the powers of the act have now exPire DJ
The new railway would pass from Wootton Bassetb9Malmesbuty and Thornbury, and pass under the Severtj'
tlf
a tunnel, to join the South Wales Railway. Its total 104.4
would be 401 miles. Tho length of the tunnel, which
substituted for the high level bridge of the fore;
scheme, would be about three miles. Its construction doh
not offer any great difficulties to the engineer, as it
care
run through rock and* red marl, which would sec toi
it from irruption from the river, and would be at so srac,.j
a depth that any number [of shafts could be construtottivt
at a small expense. The estimate is £1,200,000, tt
£29,000 per mile, and the projectors of the scheme °.° od,
fident of Government support and assistance. 9-3e5: f
•
ticipAte a high rat there
traffic of £l2O per mile passes over the line weeldYt vt.
would be more than 10 per cent. upon the prefl°°d °
lt
lay after deducting 50 per cent. for working exPensf,!i,, aS
is believed that the receipts will be greater than '''G'rest,
the line will be a short link on the main through the South,
Western Railway, and la, g interests are involved in 04
ei
Wales, London, Br'stol, Watoiferd, and other parts' vs
towt a in the south and west of England will by rneesviitb
this new route obtain Nia Bristol ,direct railway ester.
Wales, and so save a circuit of 55 miles by I°grll_ fall
Bristol, it is Said, rt coin aan export trade, and '
ton's railway is the first step towards its attainment*
Of -thy
The death was announced ou Tuesclal .11
1104.. Canon Thornton, the oldest clergyman in
diocese of Peterborough. He entered 83-dal.! prey College, Cambridge, in the first year of tuu.as
n the
century, and took his 8.A.. degree in 1804._.1)1' fell
ordained in 105 by Bishop Spencer Mandan,Mandan,lowing year was instituted to the ,Rectory of 4
0,.„ Ras
which ho hold up to the time of his death. in 184 :: .9
GAO
nominated by Bishop Davys to an LonoF,rY
ReletiggiNgl; .C(0;001. ,