The Sun.
London, England, 1867-04-18 00:00:00

TIM SUN, LOIN t ONX THURSDAY EVENING, APRIL 18, 1867

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Wednesday Evening.
A private despatch states that the delegates of
Northern Germany have given to the Reichstag
their views respecting the change introduced by the
Parliament into the Federal Constitution. On
comparing the changes of the text of the 30 articles
it appears manifest that about half of them have
been subjected to modifications. Nevertheless it is
believed, although these changes are all more or less
radical, that there will be agreement upon the sub-
ject. M. de Bismarck announced that the Federal
Government would consent to most of these amend-
ments in the Constitution.
The Legislative Body, after agreeing to the law
respecting municipal councils, and that conferring
a national recompense upon M. de Lamartine, have
adjourned for the Easter holidays till the 25th inst.
The sum voted is 500,000 f., which he can bequeath
by will, and he will receive the interest of it during
his life at 5 per cent.
The Italian Senate, constituted into a High Court
of Justice, has given its decision upon the charges
against Admiral Persano. They have declared him
guilty of disobedience, incapacity, and negligence,
and have sentenced him to the loss of his rank, and
to pay the expenses of the trial.
The Moniteur says it has received from Port-au-
Prince some further particulars of the events which
preceded and followed the fall of President Geffr*.rd.
Seeing the imminence of the crisis, the President
had made modifications in his Ministry, and con-
voked the Senate within a brief delay in order to
surrender his post into their hands. An insurrec-
tion having, however, broken out in the meantime,
the President profited by the unexpected arrival of
the French aviso, the d'Estaing, and with the assist-
ance of the French Consul embarked with his
family. The Council of Secretaries of State imme-
mediately assembled, and declared itself in perma-
nence until the constitutional appointment of a new
President. Among the candidates for the office
are General Paul, who is supported by the Senate ;
General Petion Taubert, and General Niszaze Sa-
gette, who diverts the resistance at St. Marc, and
who was the chief cause of the departure
of M. Geffrard. At the date of the 16th
of March order reigned in the Haytian Republic,
where, however, French interests are not in the least
compromised. The Aviso d'Estaing had returned
to Port-au-Prince on the 22d.

The Memorial Diplomatigue has some informa-

tion respecting the supposed policy of England,
which, in spite of its claim to official authority,
must be received with what the French papers call
" reserve." It says that England will not Le con-
tent with merely giving an opinion in regard to the
treaty of 1839, quite opposed to that of the Cabinet
of Berlin, but that she is disposed to insist that the
Luxembourg question shall be solved in conformity
with the wishes of the population and the interest of
the French Government. It adds that England,
Austria, and Russia are unanimously of opinion,
contrary to the claim of Prussia, that the guarantee
stipulated by the Treaties of 1839 does not give au-
thority to Prussia to occupy the fortress of Luxem-
bourg. In consequence Prussia is becoming more
conciliatory.

The transport Porsone bas sailed from Oran with
orders to proceed to Madeira to take on board a
number of negroes coming to Paris from all points
of Senegambia, to visit the Exhibition. These
negroes belong to the aristocratic portion of the
people under the sovereignty of France, and were
brought to Madeira by one of the French ships on
the naval station at Senegal.

As the Exhibition was opened precisely on the
day which was fixed there will be the same punc-
tuality in closing it upon the day announced, the
31st of October. A Russian Company, it is said,
have purchased all the materials used in its con-
struction. In class No. 66 bis, there have just been
placed the two small boats exhibited by the Empress,
a caique, and a Venetian gondola. The Imperial
Commissioners of the class sent to her Majesty the
usual exhibitors card, with her portrait in the corner.
It has the following inscription Class 66 bis.
Her Majesty the Empress exhibitor."
The Mexican temple, which is now installed in
the Park, is an exact imitation of the temple of
Bochicabo, after studies made upon the spot by a
scientific mission sent by the French Government
to Mexico.

One of the Paris papers seems to have later in-
formation than that of the Moniteur upon the sub-
ject of the Revolution in Hayti. At all events, it
says that General Hissage Sagot, commandant of
St. Marc, has been appointed President by the
Provisional Council, with Saluave and Delorme as
members of the Consulting Council. A proclama-
tion had been drawn up to the people and the army
by the Council of State, inviting the people to re-
construct the edifice destroyed by fatal passions and
deprecating political agitation. It calls upon them
to remain calm and to avoid political agitation. It
concludes by expressing its desire to provide for the
safety of the country, and professes to uphold the
principle of liberty, equality, the Republic, and the
Constitution.

The son of Baron de Budberg, the Russian Am-
bassador, who was so seriously hurt by being
thrown from his horse, is pronounced to be now out
of danger, and his recovery is proceeding in a
satisfactory manner.

The Spring Regatta of the Paris Sailing Club
took place on Sunday at Argenteuil, although a
perfect tempest prevailed, and the attendance was
good. Only three boats contested for the prize—
Temps (belonging
to M. Carpentier), Ariel (to M.
Bateman), and Marie Gabrielle (to M. Benort
Champy). The prize was won by Marie Gabrielle,
who, for the twenty-fifth time, arrived first.
The Academy of Medicine of Belgium has
offered a prize of 1,200 f. for the memoir which
shall best describe the causes, symptoms, and nature
of the contagious fever among animals. The
memoir is to mention the various species of
animals which are the most susceptible of contract-
ing the disease, and to point out the various
characteristics by which it is distinguished. The
competition is to be open until the Ist of January
next.

A curious manuscript was sold at the last
public sale in the Rue Druot, which was written
by the celebrated Vidocq, once the head of the
Police de Suret6, or Detective Police. It forms a
large dictionary of the slang used by French thieves,
withda
lAgBlt3osts sh. ae r
eyvn ored
d ofoec xathdiedplanatione S some
s o
af
cgt
ohb
eight
oorf terms. It is
nine
ne
petition years
dagaote.
e da
t toh
itah e
second hulks
ao
or o te rs as
inosn-
p sentort
abtyi
0n rtiom noaul si c oxn dvernn
to the Throne of France in 1815. In this petition
the thieves recall to the recollection of their beloved
Sovereign the fact that upon his return to the
Throne in 1814 they sent him a petition praying
for pardon, and that since that time (during the
100 days) " they had done nothing but weep at his
absence." " But, oh King !" says the petition in con-
clusion, " your return has revived our hopes." The
petitioners promise the King, if he will pardon
thatthem,
thtehy wattin they will not repeat their sins, and
sing a
mass to his honour. I am
not aware whether this document terminates with
the formula once suggested for a petition from
and your petitioners will ever prey."
An astronomer of Marseilles has discovered a
in right ascension 225
attorneys—'&
Australles declination of 2 deg.
new small comet near the star Gamma, of the
The comet has the aspect of a diffuse
nebulous body, of from 4 to 5 min.
d2c
gn constellation e4i11151.a tahne d Siena
7
in diameter,
rather more luminous in the centre, and without
a tail. The movement of the comet at present is,
in 21 hours, of only a few minutes in right ascen-
sion, and upon the same parallel of declination.
The weather has been fine and agreeable to-
day, and there has been a larger attendance and
more animation than I have yet observed.
At one of the Paris papers a piece is now being
played, which is full of the most. outrageous co-
nundrums. Here is a specimen :—The question is
asked, Of what use are cannon ? The answer is,
They have served to increase les dettes aux nations
(detonations).
The result of the further discussion on the law
for the abolition of imprisonment for debt was
that the Chamber agreed to the article sent back
to the committee. It is a very exciting topic with
the commercial world. The point now to settle
is whether the punishment of imprisonment for
debt is to be retained in case of non-payment of
damages in civil suits. The advocates of imprison-
ment
fordebt a maintain
manyfavourable
thei r argument
modifications
have chiefly on
the ground that
been made in behalf of the debtor. A legal writer
calls attention to the severity of the law in regard
to debtors in the time of the Romans. One of the
provisions was that if after a delay of 30 days the
debtor refused to pay his debt, and no one would
become security for him, the creditor might take
him home, tie him by the neck, and put chains
on his feet, but not of a heavier wei •
ght than 151bs.
At another period the creditor, • • after giving three
days' notice to the debtor,
might, in case of non-
payment then, take his debtor to the public mar-
ket and there expose him during three days, and
cause a crier to proclaim from time to time the
amount of the sum of which he had been defrauded.
If a man became indebted to several creditors
they might, after a notice of three days, cut his
body into as many pieces as they liked, or the
creditors might sell the debtor to the foreigners
who lived beyond the Tiber. It was Louis XV.
who instituted the Gardes du Commerce, or the per-
sons who take debtors into custody. They now
form a regular corporation, at the head of which
is M. Perrin ; the secretary is Di. Lespart. It is
stated that a member of the corporation once
asked a poet whom they shoull select as their
patron saint. "You must not seek for him in the
almanack," replied the p3et, " but in the Bible.
Let it be Joshua, for he tried even to arrest the
sun." Under the existing system the creditor is
bound to provide food for his debtors in the Rue de
Clichy. In case of default in finding reasonable
and proper food for the debtor the om"ssion en-
titles the debtor to his discharge. When the
news that the article was agreed to by the Cham-
ber reached the prison it was read aloud by one
of the prisoners, and there was immense enthu-
siasm. The prisoners asked for permission to
illuminate the prison at night. There still exists
in the garden of the Tuileries a café at which a
debtor was arrested, but he pleaded before the
tribunals that a person in a Royal residence was
privileged, and the court set him at liberty.

THE NEW LIBERAL 44 WHIP."—The division of
last Saturday morning on Mr. Gladstone's amendment was
the last in which Mr. Brand will appear as "whip'' to the
Opposition. After the Easter recess his place will be taken
by lir. George Grrenfell Glyn, the member for Shaftesbury.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, April 17th, 6 p.m.

The Supreme Court has subpoenaed Generals
Grant and Pope and Mr. Stanton to answer the
complaint of Georgia next September.
The Great Eastern has sailed for Europe. The
City of Boston has arrived out.