The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-24 00:00:00

Kiseellaneous Foreign News.

(From Correspondents of the Anylo-American Times.)
PARIS, June 20.
My classical lore sometimes gets jumbled together

- -
n the most admired confusion, especially when I

pass the ancient arches which now bear the respec-
tive names of the Porte St. Martin and the Porte
St. Denis, when I am apt to confound the Sequani
Allobroges, &c., with their more modern descend-
ants, particularly after a late dinner. If I mistake
not, however, there was a certain Polycrates, King
or 'Tyrant of Samos, who had arrived at such a
height of prosperity that when he threw into the
sea one of his most valuable jewels, in order to
change his luck, a fish was polite enough to return
it to him, taking the trouble, for that purpose, to
swim ashore with it in his mouth. I have been led
into this allegory by considering at the present mo-
ment the prosperous and prominent position of
France, though I by no means wish to continue it

so far as to hint at the probability of a reverse of
fortune. A u contraire, I think that France, secure
in the guarantee given by the Great Powers, in
which even England, though wishing to mix as
little as possible in Continental affairs, has con-
sented to join ; doubly fortified, also, by the
amicable conferences which the occasion of
the Universal Exhibition has enabled the Em-
peror Napoleon to exchange with nearly all the
monarchs of the civilised world ; relieved not only
from the dread of an immediate but also of a con-
tingent war, (for the Gazette de la Bourn states as
a fact that the Emperor of France will return in
October next the visit of his Royal brother of Prus-

sia), and public opinion, as regards a detestation of
war, has not only been manifested in the im-
mense popularity of the Exposition, but even
more practically in a proclamation forwarded
throughout the Continent by the committee of the
English Reform movement. France, we say, thus
freed from the possibility of any disturbance
abroad, her people occupied at home in enter-
taining all the other peoples of the known
world, her honour and her interests secure, has
now the leisure to regard her own internal im-
provements, and may look forward to greater
prosperity than she has ever yet known. The Expo-
sition still continues to maintain its popularity with
all the world, and whilst amongst the great
ones of the earth, sovereign succeeds sovereign,
in like manner deputations of working men of all
nations, chosen by their fellow-countrymen, and
workmen for their superior tact and ability, are
daily seen deriving information and experience from
a practical contemplation of the vast stores of in-
struction garnered within the walls of the Palace
of 1867.

The limits of my present letter will not permit
me to notice more fully this week the various
attractions of the Exposition. I hope, however,
shortly to devote one or two to that especial pur-
pose. The consideration of that most important
matter, an assimilated national decimal coinage,
was commenced on the 18th inst., the Baron de
Moustier presiding over the deliberations. The
following countries were represented there—Eng-
land, Austria, the Grand Duchy of Baden (whose
sovereigns, by the way, have arrived at Paris in-
cognito, under the unassuming titles of the Count
and Countess of Ebernstein), Bavaria, Belgium,
Denmark, Spain, United States, Greece, Italy, the
Pays Bas or Low Countries, Portugal, Russia,
Sweden and Norway, Turkey, and Wurtemburg.
The Viceroy of Egypt, whose arrival we an-
nounced in our last number, visited the Exposition
for the first time on the 18th inst. His Highness
has a special pavilion close to the Temple of Philse.
One of the apartments contains a plan, in relief, of
Lower Egypt. This is the only one open to the
public, the others being appropriated to the special
service of the Viceroy. It would be a loss of
time were I to attempt to describe every Eastern
palace or pavilion erected within the limits of the
Exposition ; it will be sufficient, therefore, to say
that the pavilion is an exact reproduction of one
in which Ismail Pacha, the present Viceroy, first
saw the light.
I do not know how far the certainty of an Euro-
pean peace, most probably, too, for a long period,
will affect what is termed the effective or
standing army of France. I observe, however, that
the Corps Legislatif has voted a sum of from four
to five millions of francs as a State subsidy towards
the maintenance of a suitable police force at Paris.
And, without venturing to express an opinion on
the capability of the good citizens to bear imposts
which have for aim and object their own safety
and good government, I pause for a moment
to speak with admiration of the capable and un-
assuming manner in which the police of Paris per-
form their duty. Have you lost your way ? A Ser-
gent de Ville is at hand to direct. Do you see a
crowd gathered together par suite of some extra-
ordinary occurrence? IS melts like magic before the
cocked hat and quiet manipulation of the same
official. Is a robbery committed ? If not arrested
at the instant, the plunderer escapes but for
the time, and, in short, without being in any
manner conspicuous the services rendered by this
efficient and intelligent body of men are of the
most valuable order.
The Venetian fete, and the regattas by night,
are postponed until the 25th. It is to commence
at nine in the evening, in front of the Champ de
Mars. For two days past the esplanade of the In-
valides has been occupied by brigades of workmen
engaged in erecting palisades, regulating the move-
ments of the people, who crowd daily in immense
numbers; to the spot where on Sunday next the
balloon, which has received the name of the
Giant, will ascend. For public convenience an
order has been given by the authorities that the
ascent shall take place at four o'clock p.m. precisely,
whilst the enclosures shall be evacuated at half-past,
in order to avoid the double influx of persons
coming from the Exposition. The Emperor has
been suffering for a few days past from an attack
of rheumatism, which prevented -him from re-
ceiving in person at the Tuileries the Viceroy of
Egypt. Prince Charles of Prussia arrived a few
days ago at the same time as the Grand Duke and
Grand Duchess of Baden. It is now almost certain
that the Emperor and Empress of Austria will visit
Paris in the month of July ; the coming of Victor
Emmanuel is, however, still doubtful. From the
MeLican advices it would appear that the interfer-
ence of the Washington Government has been pro-
ductive of good effect with Juarez, in regard to the
treatment of the captive Emperor Maximilian, who,
if a letter published in the French journal, as emanat-
ing from that monarch, and addressed to the
Emperor of Austria, be genuine, is treated without
unnecessary severity, and as an ordinary prisoner of
war. In the Enceinte of the Epordion, a small and com-
mon-looking tent, is shown in the Mexican Quarter,
bearing an inscription that it sheltered the unfortunate
Empress Charlotte amidst the ruins of Kochitlan
on the night of the sth of February, after the battle.
As the tent bears no specially distinctive feature of
Mexican nationality, I presume that it is placed
there rather as an illustration of the vicissitudes to
which even Princes are liable, as well as ordinary
mortals. It is to be regretted that the health of her
Majesty is in so deplorable a state. The Czar and
the Empress of Russia arrived at Varsovia on the
18th inst.; their reception was most enthusiastic.
The fashion of travelling incognito appears to
gain ground amongst the foreign potentates who
visit Paris at this moment. On Wednesday last
the Prince and Princess Royal of Saxony arrived
under the names of the Count and Countess of
Plauen. In the course of the week the Duke and
Duchess of Costa will be here under the titles of
the Count and Countess of Pollenzo. Great prepara-
tions are making at the War-office for another