The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-22 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, Sunday Evening.
There was a Cabinet Council yesterday at the
Tuileries, the Emperor as usual presiding.
A Vienna paper contains a letter from Miramar,
which states that a consultation of physicians had
taken place, and that they had declared that the
Empress of Mexico was completely cured. Her
Majesty was about to make a journey of con-
valescence.

Count Tecchio de Raya, agent and consul-general
of the King of Italy at Bucharest, has been received
at a formal audience, and in the presence of the
Minister of Foreign Affairs had presented his letters
of credence to the reigning Prince of Roumania, as
Minister at that court.

A decree, dated the 17th of January, is published
in the Moniteur for the Minister of Marine and the
Colonies, reorganising the corps of paymasters of
the navy. Among the new regulations is one to the
effect that the paymasters shall no longer be chosen
from among the officers and agents of the marine
corps, which will facilitate the advancement of per-
sons employed in the pay department. Another
regulation is that writers shall henceforward be
subjected to examinations, so that only young men
possessed of a certain degree of instruction will be
enrolled.

Some very interesting details have been submitted
to and approved of by the Emperor connected with
the census which took place in the latter part of
1866 relative to the population of France. They
have been arranged by the Marquis de la Valette,
the Minister of the Interior. It appears that in
spite of the evil influence of the epidemics which
have prevailed during the last five years in nearly
every part of France, in spite of the causes
of indisposition which particularly affected
certain regions, for instance, the silkworm
disease and (that of the vines, the cotton crisis,
and other circumstances, the increase of popu-
lation was not reduced. The 89 departments of
France contained, in 1861, 37,386,161 inhabitants.
According to the census of 1866 it amounted to
38,067,094 persons, thus giving an increase in five
years of 680,933 inhabitants. in this calculation
the soldiers and sailors who, on the 15th of May,
1866, the date of the Army census, were employed
in Algeria, Rome, Mexico, and in the colonies, and
naval stations, amounting to about 150,000 men,
are not included. The population is thus divided :
Males 19,014,109 ; females, 19,052,985. Total,
38,067,094. The increase during the five years
(1856. to 1861) in the ancient 86 departments was
677,738. In 1866 it was 673,797, or a compara
tive diminution -of 3,941; but this small
difference is more than compensated by the
increased number of troops who were absent from
France, and was, consequently, not included in the
census. The three new departments give 787,392
inhabitants to the general increase, which thus
amounts to 680,933. Fifty-eight departments are
in progress, and give an excess of 787,392 inhabi-
tants. In the other 31 departments the diminution
is 106,459. The chief increase, of course, was in
the department of the Seine, which includes Paris.
It amounts to 197,256. The greatest diminution
was in the department of La Manche, and amounts
to 17,522. In the Bouches du. Rhone there was an
increase of 16,155. In 1861, of 86 departments,
57 showed an increase, and 28 a decrease. The
proportion was about the same in 1866. The
decrease is chiefly to be attributed to the
emigration of the inhabitants to more in-
dustrial localities, where . higher wages are
paid. This change, however, does not exclusively
refer to large towns, as the tables prove. As a
summary; these tables show that there has been a
sensible amelioration in the movement of the popu-
lation after 1856. The increase in the last ten
years (exclusive of the three new departments) was
1,358,671; whilst for 1846 to 1856 it was only
738,878. A comparison of the figures shows that
the population progresses, and is commensurate
with the development of the
general prosperity.
The Messager du Midi of Thursday last states
that the snow had then ceased to fall, and the
atmosphere had again become bright and clear.
The communications had again become free. It is
stated from Nismes that so much snow had not
been seen since 1855. The snow there was at an
average depth of half a yard. Similar accounts
are given from other towns. In Paris to-
day, although it has been bright sunshine all day,