The Sun.
London, England, 1867-02-26 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

PARIS, Monday Evening.
The bulletin of the Moniteur states that the Par-
liament of Northern Germany was opened on Satur-
day at Berlin. The first sitting of the Reichstag
will take place on the 11th of March. At the open-
ing ceremonial of the Parliament on Saturday the
Queen of Prussia, the Princess Royal, the Princess
Frederic Charles, Prince William of Baden, Prince
Nicolas of Nassau, Prince Henry of Hesse, and a
great many foreigner Ministers and eminent per-
sonages were present.
The Bavarian Gazette states that King Louis has
consented to the resolutions drawn up by delegates
from the States of Southern Germany, and discussed
and agreed to by the Conference of Stuttgard. The
ratification of the resolutions by Bavaria has been
sent to its representatives at Stuttgard, Carlsruhe,
and Darmstadt.

The Emperor has recently paid several visits to
the Exhibition, and has been over the whole extent
of the park in the Champ de Mars. His Majesty
expressed great satisfaction at the whole of the
works, and was able to convince himself that it
would be possible to open the Exhibition at the
time appointed.
I glean some more interesting facts from the
Blue-book respecting the internal condition of
France. The internal navigation consists of 9,600
kilometres of rivers classed as navigable, and 5,050
kilometres of rivers and canals. (A kilometre is
1,000 metres, and there are 1,609 metres in an Eng-
lish mile.) Total, 11,750 kilometres. The most
important line of rivers is from Paris to Havre and
the sea by the Lower Seine, from Paris to Strasburg
and to the Rhine by the river Marne, from Paris to
Lyons and the Mediterranean by the Upper Seine,
the Zonne, the Saone, and the Rhone. For some
years there has been a constant increase in the
amount of tonnage at the maritime ports. In 1816
and 1847 the tonnage of the vessels which arrived
in those ports was registered as 12,531,500 tons.
In 1864, the latest period to which the accounts
have been made up, it was 17,638,000 tons, being an
increase of 5,106,500 tons. In this increase the
three great ports of Marseilles, Havre, and Bor-
deaux together give a tonnage of 1,895,000 tons.
Their tonnage had increased in 1861 to 6,745,000
tons. Among the other ports where the increase
was most prominent were Calais; at which port the
tonnage had increased from 334,000 to 477,000 tons ;
Brest, which had increased from 229,000 to 414,000
tons; St. Nazaire, from 20,000 to 316,000 tons ; St.
Malo, from 130,000 to 198,000 tons.
The total extent of railways conceded was, on the
31st of December, 1865, 21,033 kilometres, includ-
ing 613 kilometres to be eventually conceded. The
present position of railways is much the same, as in
the course of last year only two concessions were
made, that of the railway from Armentieres to the
Belgian frontier, 3 kilometres in length, and that
from Hazebronek to the same frontier, towards
Poperinghe, 14 kilometres in length. On the 31st
of December, 1866, the extent of the railway net-
work was 21,050 kilometres, viz., 9,776 of the old
network, and 11,274 of new lines. Some experi-
ments with electrical apparatus to establish com-
munication between the conductors of railways and
the engine-drivers was not successful, but an acous-
tic system, very simple and ingenious, is under con-
sideration, which, it is hoped, will effect the very
desirable and important object iu viow.

The works executed in 1866 with reference to
public worship had for object the restoration of
several cathedrals ; for instance, those of Albi,
Amiens, Autun, Montpellier, Pergueux, and Rouen;
also the partial reconstruction of the cathedrals of
Cambrai, Clermont, Moulins, and Troyes. New
cathedra's have been built at Marseilles and Gap
The religious seminaries of Contances, Nantes,
Rennes, Tarbes, and Tulle have been reconstructed.
In the Budget provision has been made both for
Protestant and Jewish public worship, by payments
to clergymen and the construction of churches or
synagogues.

Taking into account the cold weather, and that

it was the first Spring Meeting, the steeple chases
at La Marche yesterday went off with tolerable
success. The following is the result :—Prixd'Ouver-
ture or opening prize, 2,500 f., for horsez,:which had
never won a prize of B,ooof. at a steeple chase.
Bon Espoir, 1 ; Tim Meagles, 2. Some trifling
accidents took place. Amount of the prize, 3,100 f.
—Prix des Tribunes (handicap). Doge, 1; Mario,
2. Amount of the stakes, 3,osof.—Prix d'Essai,
for horses of 4 years old and upward 3. Maorie
Chief, 1 ; Said, 2. Amount of the stakes, 1,500 f.,
350 f. to the second horse. There will be races at
La Marche next Sunday.
The Court of Assize for the department of Vienne
has been occupied with a frightful case of violation
and murder. The evidence proved that on the 21st
of October last a young girl of 18, servant to ill.
Condrier, a gentleman of property, residing at La
Grelandi'cre, had leave to visit her parents. On
returning back through a wood she was accosted
by Louis Beaugeard, a returned convict, who, after
committing a horrible outrage upon her, cut her
throat. The evidence was complete as to the
commission of the crime. A knife stained with
blood was found in his possession, and a link of
circumstances left no doubt as to his guilt. The
jury gave a verdict of guilty, and the prisoner was
sentenced to be executed in one of the public squares
of Chatellevault.

The assumption as to the inviolability of corres-
pondence through the post-office brings to recollec-
tion a fact which must prove that the Emperor has
a respect for that great principle. Soon after he
escaped from his prison at Ham he wrote a letter to
the Prime Minister of Belgium, with a view to be
convinced that any letter which he might send
through that country would not be subjected to any
inspection at the post-office. The Miuister, in
reply, sent to the Emperor, then Prince
Napoleon Louis, the text of Article 22 of the
Belgian Code of Laws, which states that " the
secret of letters is inviolable, and that the law
determines who are the responsible agents of any
violation of the secret of letters confided to the
Post-office."

To-day the wind has been rather cold, but upon
the whole spring is in advance at least a month.
In the gardens in the environs of Paris the peach
and apricot trees are in bloom. There have been
violets and cowslips for a mouth past. The trees
on the banks of the river are getting rapidly green,
and those in the suburbs to the south of Paris ex-
hibit foliage. The lilac trees will soon be in
bloom. The chestnut trees planted in the park of
the Exhibition seem determined not to be behind
with the celebrated 20th of March chestnut tree in
the gardens of the Tuileries.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

THE FRENCH LEGISLATIVE BODY.
PARIS, Feb 26.

Yesterday evening in the Legislative Body M.
Lanjuinais addressed the House upon the inter-
pellation of which he had already given notice. He
acknowledged the importance of the concessions
granted in place of the debate on the address, but
maintained that the right of interpellation, con-
trolled as it is, was no right, but toleration.
lle regarded the decree of the 19th January as
irregular, and considered that the measures an-
nounced therein should have been authorised by a
Senatus Consultum.

M. Chesonlong stated that the majority of the
Chamber did not separate the Empire from liberty,
and pointed out the progressive development of the
national institMions since 1852.

M. Marie maintained that the suppression of the
address was illegal, and that it restricted the right
of discussion and the popular control of public

affairs.

M. Vintry, in reply, demonstrated that the right
of interpellation was advantageously substituted fur
the debate on the address, and spoke in refutation
of the attacks of MIL Marie and Lanjuinais.
M. Jules Favre concurred in the views expressed
by those speakers, and concluded his speech by
saying, " Let us maintain the address; it belongs
to us."
The discussion will be resumed to-day.