The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-28 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JANUARY 28, 1867.

official character. The Tribunal has decided that
M. Dentu has alone the right to publish a guide to
the Exhibition, and the appeal of Messrs. Lubigne
and Duquesne is dismissed with costs. This deci-
sion will cause some disappointment in the literary
world, as several publishers had made arrangements
to publish guides or hand-books to the Exhibition
of a more or less comprehensive character at a cheap
rate.

Lately much interest was excited about the head
of Cardinal Richelieu. A day or two ago there was
strong competition at Rouen among the amateurs of
valuable relics to obtain the cast of the head of a
renowned robber and murderer, named Duram(t,
which was put up to auction at that town. Duram6
was executed at Rouen on the 26th of January,
1708. It appears that some people delighted to
honour this brigand, for his portrait is still preserved
in the public library of that town, and some poet of
the day wrote a ver:c, which is still to be read under
the likenes-. There is rather a facetiols originality
in the register of his death. It is in these terms :
" Francois Duraind, aged 40 years, workman, born
in the commune of Bondeville-les-Rouen died sud-
denly on the 7th pluvoise, an. 6 (Jan. 26, 1798)
in the Place du Vieux, Marches, before mid-day.''
It is not mentioned at what price the fortunate
bidder paid for the cast.

M. Borella, a Spaniard, the proprietor of two
hotels, one at Madrid and the other at Valladolid,
has made proposals to the Imperial Commission to
supply during the Exhibition 400,000 dinners a day
at the price of if. per head. The dinner is to con-
sist of soup and three dishes.
Some improvements in progress in the Faubourg
St. Germain have brought to recollection a re-
markable building in the Rue Visconti—the ancient
Hotel do Ranes, built upon the kite of the Petit
Pre-aux-Clercs, where Racine died on the 22d of
April, 1699. Adrienne Lecouvre also died there in
the year 1730. Two celebrated actors, La Champ-
mele, and Hippolyte Clarion once inhabited the
Hotel de Ranes. These biographical facts are
recorded upon a tablet of black marble, which the
curious in such matters have an opportunity of
inspecting.
On Wednesday afternoon there was a tremen-
dous tempest at Boulogne-sur-Tier, and a violent
snow storm at sea, which it appears made it impos-
sible for sailors to distinguish objects even a few
yards off. Two fishing boats of Calais, the Eole
and the St. Joseph, were dashed about with great
violence while endeavouring to enter the port, and
several of the crew were drowned. The tempest
continued until Thursday. The communication
with the English coast was interrupted.
" There is many a slip between the cup and the
lip," says the adage, and the Civil Tribunal of the
Seine has given a decision which not only verifies
its truth, but exhibits the remarkable difference
which exists between the French and English law
as regards breaches of promise of marriage. It
seems that on the month of October last, M. C—,
a tailor, came to Paris from one of the Eastern
departments, in order to be present at
the marriage of his daughter. M. C. has
arrived at years of discretion, at least he
has seen the full accomplishment of fifty-
six years. While in Paris he was introduced to
the sister of his son-in-law, a buxom and capti-
vating lady of 46, who follows the useful occu-
pation of a cook. Mr. C. being a widower thought
he had not only the right to fall in love with her,
which he did, as the saying is, at first sight, but to
offer her marriage, which he did also. On his re-
turn home a tender correspondence ensued. The
lady accepted his offer of marriage, and she also
accepted sonic handsome presents which he sent to
her. The happy day, which was to make the cook
his own, was anxiously expocted. Although time
seemed to drag very
slowly along, the day at
length arrived, and the plaintiff and his friends all
assembled, as was mutually agreed, at the Maine in
bridal costume to fulfil the requisite formalities.
Nothing was wanting to complete the tailor's happi-
ness but the bride. Two hours of dreadful anxiety
elapsed, and still she did not come. At length
came, not the bride, but the unkindest cut of
all, a message from her, stating that she was not
disposed at that moment to say the fatal "yes," but
that she wanted several days for reflection. Some
days after she sent a letter refusing to fulfil her
promise of marriage, but offering to send back the
presents. Ultimately the action was brought for
the breach of the cook's promise, the tailor estimat-
icusp ftohrish earmloss n
amount
at t
h2e, spotOtifn.
plaintiff
estimatedm o Among th e
items tos dmakeam a g
his travelling expenses, the cost of living at his
hotel, and the cost of the presents. The Court gave
a remarkable decision, to the effect that "
appre-
ciating the liberty of marriage__a matter of public
order, which involves the right of breaking a con-
tract of union up to the latest moment," it rejected
the demand of the plaintiff, and ordered him to pay
the expenses. At the same time the Court held
that the right was not so absolute as to preclude an
action for damages under some circumstances de-
fined by article 1,382 of the Code Napoleon, but
that such circumstances did not exist in the present
case. And so the tailor lost his suit, his bride, and
his presents. He will probably be more careful
about a wedding present for the future.
I am informed that among the first bills to be
presented to the Chamber will be a bill for the
abolition of imprisonment for debt, which the Go-
vernment was desirous to pass last session.
To-day the weather has been extraordinary.
There was a violent wind and some rain, but it was
really warm, as warm as some days of summer.
Last Sunday the snow was abundant and the cold
prostrating.