The Sun.
London, England, 1867-07-04 00:00:00

CORRESPO:

OH PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Wednesday Evening.
A despatch has been received in Paris from New
York, dated July 1, which seems to confirm the re-
port of the capture of Mexico by the Juarists. It
is again announced positively that the Emperor
Maximilian has been shot. It is feared that the
news is true, because it emanates officially from the
Austrian Minister at Washington, and the Com-
mander of the Austrian steamer Elizabeth, stationed
at Vera Cruz. A court-martial sat with closed
doors on the 27th of May to try the Emperor, who
was condemned to death on the night of the
3d of June, and the Escobedo party took the
most energetic steps to have the sentence carried
into execution.

The bulependance Beige, on the authority of a
despatch from Vienna, says the Emperor was shot
on the 19th of June. This statement has been re-
ceived in Paris several times, but now it has the ad-
ditional confirmation of the Memorial Diploniatique.
In the official report read at the Palace of In-
dustry by M. Rouher, there is a very just and im-
portant appreciation of the objects and results of
the Exhibition. One part of the report says :
" The obstacles which the Imperial Commission
had to overcome were very considerable. It was
requisite to transform the Champ de Mars, to raise
constructions which are the ornament of the park,
erect the palace, a vast monument, which extends
over a surface of 15 hectares, to install and class
the products exhibited, and to foresee and provide
for the wants of that immense agglomeration of
persons and things.
" The time to arrive at such a result was parsi-
moniously measured out. Only a few months were
allowed, and prolonged unseasonable weather inter-
fered with the employment of that time. The pro-
portions of the edifice, too, are much larger than
those of preceding Exhibitions. The surface occu-
pied by the Palace and its dependencies in 1865
was 15 hectares, ten hectares and a half in 1862.
In 1867 the extent of the Exhibition is more than
40 hectares, of which the Palace covers more than
a third.

" The number of exhibitors, which was 22,000
in 1855, 28,000 in 1862, is now 60,000. The
weight of the articles exhibited is more than 28,000
tons. By means of the railway communication to
the Palace, however, the enormous mass of articles
were brought with the requisite celerity and care,
although the greater portion only arrived at the
latter end of March. The motive power installed
to set the machines in motion represents more than
that of a thousand horses. The hydraulic service
affords a supply of water to provide abundantly for
a town of 100,000 souls. In spite of the gigantic
labours necessary to provide for these exigencies,
the work was completed at the time fixed.
" If we be not deceived, the judgment of the
public is that success has crowned the enterprise.
Every one was struck with the conception of the
general plan and the facilities which it offers for
comparison and study. Every one approves of that
law of unity which concentrates in the Champ de
Mars the fine arts, industry, agriculture, and horti-
culture, which were formerly disseminated in dis-
tinct localities, and which now present in the same
spot all the manifestations of human activity.
" Public opinion has now given recognition of
the fact that the edifice, criticised for a moment, is
perfectly appropriate to the object of it—that opi-
nion admits that the conditions necessary for clear
and methodical classification of the nations and
their products could not be sacrificed only for a
building of a monumental aspect, and that vast
naves would have overwhelmed the articles exhi-
bited, instead of placing them so as to be properly
seen."

The report proceeds to describe the utility of the
general arrangements of the galleries, the precau-
tions used to avoid danger in inspecting the
machinery, and the skill in selecting the proper
means of placing and seeing all the varied results
of human labour. It then passes a merited
eulogium upon the labour and impartiality of the
Juries, and concludes with this eloquent descrip-
tion of the results of the Exhibition :
" Thus the Universal Exhibition has revealed
fresh results of industry, and has initiated im-
provements which without it would have been
useless or unknown. It has brought to light that
law of the division of labour which is as produc-
tive between nations as between individuals. It
has afforded a striking consecration of those prin-
ciples of commercial freedom beldy inaugurated in
France by your Majesty, multiplied economical re-
lations between peoples, and presages for an early
period the problem of uniformity of weights, mea-
sures, and money. The International Exhibition
has led to even more valuable consequences. It has
dissipated inveterate prejudices, overthrown secular
hatreds, and engendered reciprocal esteem. Princes
and sovereigns, attracted by a noble hospitality,
come
bythtuorsensfrtioenrdeclyipwroocradtes in this
open to humanis temple of civi-
lisationactivity the prospect of calm horizons andstrengthen
the peace of the world."
What is here said is true to the letter. The
Exhibition is a it great fact," as the Times once
said of the Anti Corn Law League. French and
foreigners generally, if not unanimously, re-
pudiate the strictures originally, but faintly,
made as to the aspect of the Palace build-
ing, and acknowledge the opinion given in
the report that proper classification was more
important for the building than a " monumental
aspect." Even in the latter respect, too, public
opinion holds to the idea that the " gasometer," as
it was once called, is neither unsightly nor inappro-
priate for its purpose. M. Le Play has usefully and
indefatigably " done his duty," and more—and
scarcely a man could be found in Paris to deny it.
The ceremony on Monday has been aptly described
as the " Fete of Peace."
Cardinal Donnet, Archbishop of Bordeaux, met
with an accident the other day, which at first
seemed likely to be attended with serious conse-
quences. While the Cardinal was officiating at a
religious ceremony he rose from his arm chair, and
one of his assistants suddenly removed it, not think-
ing that he intended to resume his seat. The Car-
dinal, however, was about to sit down again, and in
consequence of the removal of the chair he fell with
great violence against the marble of the altar.
Great consternation arose. The Prelate was insens-
ible, but his forehead was bathed with cold water,
and he soon recovered.
An interesting ceremony took place at Bordeaux
a few days ago. M. Baroussel and his wife cele-
brated the bOth anniversary of their marriage by
the performance of the marriage rites a second time.
Children and grandchildren, forming a numerous
company, were at the wedding dinner, after which
the two old people found sufficient strength of foot
to dance the " Cossack."
A mysterious lady, " the Amazon," as she is
called, has lately excited a good deal of attention
in the Bois de Boulogne. She rides there on horse-
back every day, and so closely veiled that no one
can see her face. 'The
other day she alighted at a
cafe to take some refreshment, and there was such
a crowd that no one could enter. The lady, seeing
this, remounted her horse and dashed away at full
gallop, to the great disappointment of the curious.
All sorts of stories are in circulation in Paris about
this lady, but the only fact which seems certain is,
that she is a" great unknown," and is very rich.
In my account of the ceremony at the Palais de
l'lndustrie, I believe I omitted to state that, in
addition to the ten groups, a new section had been
lately created. This group was distingui,hed on
Monday by a white banner. Thu award to be
allotted to this section was for establishments and
localities remarkable in an eminent degree for social
harmony and the comfort of their inhabitants.
There was no trophy to distinguish this section, but
it displayed its white banner. Its station was op-
posite to the Throne, under the tribune of the dip-
lomatic body.

GRAND REVIEW IN HYDE-PARK.--A HINT IN
TlME.—Provide yourself with a good field-glass. At
CALLAGHAN'S, in Now Bond-street, at the cornor of Con-
duit-street, you may select from the largest stock in
London, in every variety of size, mounting, and price.
Matchless for great magnifying power and sharpness of
aefinition.