The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-19 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, Thursday Evening.

Luxembourg is still the great topic of the day.
Upon this important question the Siecle says :
" The latest most reliable reports relative to the
negociations about Luxembourg are rather pacific
than warlike. At the same time it will be well
not to place hope upon illusions. France cannot
draw back. She has taken on hand the just cause
of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, and she can-
not abandon it. She may accept any honourable
compromise ; she ought to do so, and no doubt she
will. But what she cannot allow without weakness
is that Prussia, in spite of treaties and natural
right, shall persist in her claim to occupy upon our
frontiers a fortress which does not belong to her,
and which is directed against us. If there be any
moderation, any prudence in the Prussian Govern-
ment she will yield upon this point. Her honour
will not suffer in the least from this act of
justice, and peace will be preserved. All de-
pends, in our opinion, upon the conduct of the
Cabinet of Berlin. It only remains to ask, if
we may reckon with any confidence upon the
prudence and moderation of the Prussian Govern-
ment ? The paragraph in the speech of the King of
Prussia on closing the Parliament, which alludes to
the present complications, has not a very precise
meaning, and it would not be prudent to consider
it as a declaration without reserve in favour of
peace." The above extract is full of gravity and
interest in various points of view, but it is essentially
important, because it proves so strikingly that all
parties agree in applauding the -noble and pacific
policy of the Emperor and his Ministers. In the
course adopted by Napoleon in regard to Luxem-
bourg, he has consecrated and fully developed his
celebrated declaration—" The Empire is Peace."
The Siecle, ever so ready to criminate and attack the
Government, is foremost in acknowledging and
applauding this great proof of the Emperor's good
faith, and pacific and conciliatory spirit, and, from
this moment, if any doubt of it could have existed,
that doubt must vanish for ever. Never before was
there such unanimity among press and people in
doing grateful homage to the wisdom and patriotism
of their ruler.

There was a Cabinet Council yesterday at the
Tuileries under the presidency of the Emperor.
The Moniteur, in reviewing political affairs, has
the following :—" The principal organs of public
opinion in England express satisfaction at the result
of the debate upon the Reform Bill, and render
homage to the wisdom and talent displayed by Mr.
Disraeli in the course of the debate. If another
course had been adopted the Reform question might
have led to serious disturbances. The difficulties
of this important and delicate subject could only
be overcome by a system of mutual concessions,
and by a sort of compromise between the Liberals
and the Conservatives.
" The Italian Ministry is now definitively formed,
and the President of the Council, M. Rattazzi ex-
plained the proposed policy of the new Cabinet to
the Chamber of Deputies during its sitting on the
11th of April. The Ministerial crisis, which has
just been terminated in Italy, was not of a charac-
ter likely to throw obstacles in the way of the ten-
dency to a closer connection between the Cabinet
of Florence and the Holy See."
The attitude of the population of Rome since
the Convention of the 15th September has come
into operation leaves no doubt respecting the feel-
ings of the subjects of the Holy Father. They
seize every opportunity of testifying ther veneration
and gratitude to Pius the Ninth. On the 12th of
April they celebrated,
anniversary of the day on which his Holiness, after
his exile at Gaeta, re-entered Rome in the year
1850. with great enthusiasm, the

The King and Queen of Portugal are expected
in Paris in a few days. On their way to thii capi-
tal they intend to pay a visit to the Court of Madrid,
where splendid fetes are in preparation to do honour
to them.

A letter from Jerusalem states that the works for
the demolition of the grand cupola of the Holy-
Sepulchre was resumed immediately after the com-
pletion of the temporary shelter, and that a great
portion has been demolished. It is hoped that in
the course of May the reconstruction of the requi-
site receptacle will be sufficiently advanced to re-
ceive the cast-iron roof of the new cupola.
The great annual horse fair on the Boulevard
Bourdon has just commenced, and bUsiness has been
unusually brisk. The quantity of pork usually
sold here is estimated at no less than 100,000 kilo-.
are fitted
dlyup
is above that average. Temporary shops
grammes, or more than 200,0001b5., and this year
the supply
throughout the whole extent of the
Boulevard, and the scene is very exciting. Beyond
that point there is an immense number of shops,
where articles of all kinds are sold,

been destroyed by
The largest cotton spinning factory in France,
that
n a
gti the P
tFdo
gCe
rhaasv,ainlaiss, near Villefranche.
fire. The building occupied a space of more than
be
lonto
oAoin.
80 metres. The loss in looms and machinery is im-
mense, and the insurance will cover only a small
portion of the value.
The preparations for the coronation of the Em-
peror Francis Joseph as King of Hungary proceed
with great activity. As already announced the
ceremony will take place on the 26th of May.
The crown, which has obtained great celebrity, is
formed of two parts. The upper circle, called the
Latin crown in consequence of the inscriptions
upon it in that language, was given to St. Stephen
by Pope Sylvestre 111. It is surmounted with a
cross. The lower circle, called the great crown, was
a present from the Emperor Ducas to King Geyza.
This double crown, ornamented with 50 rubies, 50
sapphires, and 338 pearls, is, however, less valuable
as a work of art than for its religious and historical
antiquity. A writer in a German paper, describing
this famous crown, says it was indeed a magnificent
idea of the Holy King, Apostle of his Tartar people,
to ask the crown, not from a neighbouring emperor,
but of the Vicar of Jesus Christ. That gives to the
royalty of the Huns, formerly the terrible devastators
of Europe, a seal of Christian greatness. Dating
from that remarkable fact, the royalty became a bul-
work against infidelity, and acquired the Apostolic
title inherited by the Emperor of Austri.t. The
King of Hungary has a right to have a cross borne
before him. His sword is the hostage left him by
St. Stephen to defend Christianity.
The Imperial Commission have not neglected
anything which can tend to the comfort and con-
venience of visitors to the Exhibition. In addition
to a telegraphic office, there are no less than eight
letter boxes, situated as follows:—Avenue de la
Bourdonnaye (Park), Rue d'Alsace (do.), Porte de
Jena (do.), Entrance of the Rue des Indes and the
Rue d'Angleterre (do.),
Porte Kleber (do.), Porte
de l'Ecole. The Paris letters for England may be
posted up to 6 o'clock in the evening to a quarter
past 6 for an extra 2d. stamp, and to half-past 6
for another extra 2d. stamp. At the Exhibition
letters may be posted up to nearly the same time,
viz., a quarter to 6, and for half an hour later for
the same extra stamps. The first clearing of the
boxes takes place at 6.57 a.m. in the morning, and
the last so late as 9.47 p.m. The clerks speak
almost all living languages. There is also a money
order office, where money may be sent to England
at the same per centage as in that country. The
pound sterling is calculated at 25f.

To-day has been a magnificent summer day, and
has naturally attracted large numbers of people to
the Champ de Mars and the Agricultural Exhibi-
tion at Bilianeourt. It is called an Agricultural
and Horticultural Exhibition, but, in truth,
will be an Exhibition unrivalled for attraction and
interest. The beauty of the locality is such that it
would well repay the trouble of a journey from
London to Paris for the exclusive purpose of seeing
it. But the name of its attractions is legion. There
will be theatricals, dancing, concerts, literary and
scientific meetings, and all sorts of curious and sur-
prising exhibitions. The facilities of locomotion to
and from Paris are very frequent and cheap. With-
out the grandeur of the great Exhibition, it will
nevertheless stand unequalled for novel spectacle
and rational amusement. Creature comforts will
be obtained without the ithpwitions pract:s.d else-
where, should not omit to mention that the annual