The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-02 00:00:00

Extraordinary Law Suit in Paris.

O
A very extraordinary family law suit concerning
he custody of two young ladies, aged respectively
20 and 17, occupied one of the Paris courts last
week. The plaintiff, M. Baisson, a gentleman of
property, living in the Rue St. Honore, is the father
of the minors in question by a first wife, who died
many years ago. M. Baisson has several children
by a second marriage. Immediately after the death
of his first wife he placed his two children, then in-
fants of tender years, under the care of his mother-
in-law, the defendant, &widow. This lady became
passionately attached to the girls, took the utmost
care of their education, treated them in all respects
as her adopted children, relieved the father of all
expenses for their maintenance, and made no secret
of her intention to leave them the whole of her very
large fortune. Under these apparently most happy
circumstances the utmost harmony prevailed be-
tween M. Baisson and the mother of his first wife;
he was able to devote himself to his new family with
the knowledge that his elder children were in the
hands of a tender, judicious, and wealthy relation,
whose greatest object in life was their welfare.
But a few months ago it happened that the eldest
Madlle. Baisson fell in love—a most improper thing
for any young lady to do according to French no-
tions. The rule of good French society is that a
girl until married is never to speak to any man un-
less in the presence of her parents or guardians, and
then only in monosyllables. A well-bred French
girl knows that she is one day to be married, and
looks forward to the event with pleasure, as one
which will give her an opportunity of making many
old schoolfellows jealous by the display of her trous-
But she is to have no preference on the sub-
ect. One day her father comes to her and says,
My love, I have found you a husband." To which
she replies, kissing her father on the forehead,
"Merci, mon pore!—who is it?" He gives the
name, mentions a proximate day for the wedding,
and then the young lady consults with her mother
about the wedding outfit. These well-known rules
were not regarded in the case of Madll6. Baisson's
attachment. Yes !—she absolutely formed an at-
tachment, and her rich grandmother, who had
brought her up and was prepared to do everything
requisite, humanly speaking, to make her future
life happy, was privy to it. The object of her at-
tachment is an army surgeon, a man of merit both
personally and through his foregoers. His father
was a distinguished general officer, and he himself
wears upon his breast a constellation of medals and
decorations attesting his good services. But his
only fortune is his commission, and on this sole
ground M. Baisson, when informed of the engage-
ment by his mother-in-law, peremptorily declared
that the army surgeon was no fit match for his
daughter. The father, who had been content to
delegate to her grandmother the entire care of his
daughter from her earliest infancy, came forward re-
solutely to exercise the stern parental authority
which the law gives him in order to prevent the
marriage of a girl almost of age with the man of her
choice, who had courted her with the approbation
of the relation who stood in loco parentis, and. had
been throughout her life her best friend. Al. Baisson
went to his mother-in-law's house, saw his daughter,

seau.

told her that he would never give his consent to the
marriage ; and, moreover, that he would no longer
allow her to live with her grandmother, and that she
must come away with him directly. The young lady,
in obedience to this parental command, packed up
her trunks and got into her father's carriage, which
was in waiting, but the carriage had only gone a few
yards, when sho suddenly opened a door, at the risk
of breaking her neck, jumped out into the street,

and ran back to her grandmother's. M. Baisson
thought it undesirable to make a scene by attempt-
ing then and there to bring his daughter away by
force. He contented himself by saying that he was
inflexible, and she would hear from him in a few
days,

When next he went to the house he was in-

formed that the whole family had gone away, and
had left no address. M. Baisson went over almost
all Europe in search of his daughters. He inquired
at all the German watering-places and at every town
in Belgium, but without any result. At length be

hit upon the expedient of sending a money letter to
the grandmother at her old address in Paris, and he
learned through the post-office that this letter was

delivered to the very army surgeon whose pretensions

:o his eldest daughter's hand foamed the casus Belli,

lie, found that the two girls were con-
cealed under false names in a Catholic convent in

Glasgow. Thereupon he brought an action against
his mother-in-law, requiring her to bring the girls
back to France and hand them over to his custody.
The Tribunal of First Instance made a decree in his
favour, and ordered the young ladies' grandmother

to pay I,ooof. a day for two months unless the girls

says

The last of " the Taylors of Ongar" has gone to
her rest. On the 20th ult. died, at Nottingham, in
her 85th year, the above-named lady, the widow of
the late Rev. Joseph Gilbert, but who was better
known in literature as Anne Taylor of Ongar.
Anne Taylor was a member of an essentially lite-
rary family. She was the daughter of the Rev. Isaac
Taylor, of Ongar, whose wife was the author of
works that were popular in the last century. Her
uncle, Charles Taylor, was the learned editor of
Calmet. Her brother Isaac was the well-known
author of the " Natural History of Enthusiasrc,"
and numerous other philosophical and religions
works. Tier second brother, Jeffrey, was the author
of many andtiymous productions, the-atief perhaps
of which was The Apostolic Age iftßritain; Her
sister Jane shared with her the authorship of a •r-ery
celebrated little work, older than -the century in
which it still lives, Original Poems for Infant
Minds.' One peculiarity respecting this work is,
that while poetry much more pretentious, but once
popular, has perished, these original poems continue
to be republished. From the period of their first
appearanCe down to the present year they contri-
buted a handsome annuity to the authors,--of late
years to the survivor of the two. This work was
among the first on which Anne Taylor was en,
gaged, and her last labour was devotea, as Coe
readers of the Athenzum will remember, to the
emendation of a verse in the most popular poem of
the whole collection, 'My Mother.' Anne Taylor
married, in 1813, the Rev. Joseph Gilbert, author
of ' The Christian Atonement, its Basis, Nature,
and Bearings,' and member of a Lincolnshire
family that contributed two officers to Captain
Cook's expeditions, one of whom has left in
manuscript his account of the voyage of the Reso-
lution and Discovery (1776-1780) in search of a
North-West passage. Although the Taylors of
Ungar have now all passed away, the literary spirit
of the family survives. Mrs. Gilbert's son Josiah
is, with Mr. W. Churchill, the author of the work
on the Dolomite Mountains, of which we had
recently to speak with much commendation.
Another son, Dr. Henry Gilbert, is known by his
Elucidations of Agricultural Chemistry ;' and
her nephew, the Rev. Isaac Taylor, has taken lite-
rary rank by his " Words and Places." Few whole
families have so completely belonged to literature
as that of the aged lady of whose death we make
record. The daytime of her life was one of varied
and useful labour; with labour, rest, and recreation
heartily enjoyed, and an exercise of abounding hos-
pitality in as pious and gay a home as ever illus-
trated the bright cheerfulness of a religious and
intellectual life. The evening of such a life was,
most appropriately, the calm evening of a long day
of sunshine and of shade, blending so quietly with
the night that it was hardly possible to say when
the one ended or the other began. In the loving
memories of her family and friends Anne Taylor
will not die.—Athenxtun.

In addition to the models of the various ironclad
broadside, turret, and other vessels built during the
last few years at Chatham dockyard which are now
in course of preparation to be transmitted to Paris,
to be placed in the French Exhibition, an order has
been received at the establishment directing a speci-
men of every description of boat used in the British
navy to be constructed at Chatham dockyard, for
forwarding, with the models, to Paris. The boats
will include the various descriptions supplied to a
man-of-war, from the 42-feet launch down to the
smallest dingey, all of the exact size. Besides one of
the ordinary ship's launches a specimen of a steam
launch is also to be sent to Paris, with the high
pressure engines complete fitted on board for driv-
ing the double screws. Two of the models of the
vessels in course of preparation have been completed
at Chatham dockyard, and transmitted to the Ad-
miralty for approval. An official letter has since been
received at the yard expressing their Lordships' un-
qualified satisfaction at the execution and finish of
the models, and directing that those in hand may
be completed and finished in precisely the same
manner. The boats and models are to be ready for
transmission to the French Exhibition by the Ist of

February. ,
The Journal des Debats has an interesting article
apon the subject of M. de Ricasoli's letter to the
Bishops of Rome who had left their dioceses, but
who have now returned. The Debuts compares the
doctrines propounded by the Italian Minister in his
letter to the celebrated formula of Count de Cavour
—" A free Church in a free State." It then illus-
trates M. Ricasoli's principles by the following
extract from his letter :—" By the side of the Ca-
tholic church a Protestant church is erected, the
Mussulman mosque and the Chinese pagoda. By
the side of the Catholic clergy the consistory of
Geneva and the Methodist congregation fulfil their
functions. Such a state of things does not en-
gender either confusion or lukewarmness. Why ?
Because neither religion demands from the
State either special protection or special privilege.
Each religion exists and is developed under the
shield of the law common to all; and the law,
equally respected by all, guarantees to each
equal liberty." In conclusion, the Debuts charac-
terises the letter as "a programme of reconciliation
between the Church and modern society."
A widow lady named Gravis, whose husband was
an army surgeon, is now residing at Calais, who,
although 99 years old, is in full possession of all
her faculties, and is in excellent health. She has in
her possession a relic, of which she takes great care.
Is is a spoon of boxwood, which was used by Marie
Antoinette while she was in prison at the Con-
ciergerie in 1793. Madame Gravis was in that
prison at the same time, having been incarcerated
by the Revolutionists. The spoon came into her
possession in this way. After the death of Robe
spierre, Madame Gravis was sent from the Con-
ciergerie to the College du Plessis, which was
converted into a prison. A Savoyard woman, who
had been condemned to death, attended upon the
Queen in the Conciergerie, was also sent to• the
College, where she also offered her services to
Madame Gravis. This woman sold her several
articles, and amongst them this spoon, which was
used by Marie Antoinette when her plate was taken
from her. Madame Gravis, regarding it as an his-
torical relic, purchased the spoon of the woman and

gave her for it the sum of 25 francs in assignats.
The Siecle, in refcrenc3 to the Speech of M. Bis-
marck, relative to the annexation of the Duchies,

" In whatever way the sense of the speech may
be tortured, it is difficult not to discover in it the
expression of the desire felt by the whole of Ger-
many to remain upon terms of peace and friendship
with France. The conduct of Prussia during re-
cent events may be judged with severity, it may
even be appreciated in the least flattering manner
as regards the feeling which we all entertain of the
influence which Prussian aggrandisment may have
in deteriorating the power of France ; but one con-
clusion must be arrived at. Should we prepare to
make war against Prussia, or would it not be pre-
ferablet
itowacchepNtefwaitGrmhefullyanay theecem facts,relations
donsoi
and
maintain peace
and good neighbourhood ?"