The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-11 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROli OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Sunday Evening.
Reports are rife of several changes in the
Ministry, and to-day there seems more certainty
about these changes. The Marquis de la Valette is
said to disapprove of the policy pursued by the
Government in regard to the Roman question, and
it is possible that he may retire. Among the names
mentioned as his probable successor are those of
M. Rouher, the present Minister of Finance.
Several other names are mentioned in political
quarters.
The chief point of the discussions of the Paris
papers to-day relates to the participation of the
French troops in the late affair at Mentana. The
Siecle expresses its deep regret at the fact, and a few
of the other journals participate in this view. The
exact number of Garibaldians engaged in that affair
is still not known. Some of the Italian papers say
it was 6,000, whilst others estimate the number at
10,000. One paper says the Garibaldian force com-
prised no less than 15,000 men.
The vexed question as to whether the French
troops did or did not take part in the engagement
which has settled Garibaldi is answered in the affir-
mative by the despatches received by the Minister
of War. These despatches do not mention any new
fact of importance, but they state that a column of
5,000 men marched to attack the Garibaldians.
General de Polhes commanded five French batta-
lions. The Pontifical troops were under the orders
of General Kanzler. At 11 o'clock at night this
officer announced that the principal column which
had marched by the Via Notnentana had driven the
enemy to the fortified village of Mentana after a
sanguinary combat of four hours, in which the
French battalions took part. It appears that after
all the fire and fury denunciations of Garibaidi, his
shouts of Rome or death, and his faithful promises
to destroy the " monster" power of the Pope, when
he found that a French army had come to Rome,
he issued a proclamation, in which he quietly said,
with lamb-like meekness, that he and his bands
were "ready to retire from the theatre of war,"
and that they would " remain spectators of the
solution which our army and the French army
would give to the Roman question." This procla-
mation is dated Correse, Nov. 3, a fact which seems
to indicate that Garibaldi would have been very
glad if he could have avoided the encounter which
has probably put an extinguisher upon his folly and
bravado for ever.
Next year will have its Exhibition as well as
1867, and although not on the same scale of mag-
ui;icence and useful tendency, yet it will be a very
interesting one. It will take place at Havre, which
Napoleon I. used to call the maritime suburb of
Paris. Erected opposite to the ocean, it may
appropriately have the title of Exhibition of the
Sea. There will be models and plans of ships and
vessels of all sorts— -war ships and trading vessels
and boats illustrative of ancient and modern
navigation, propelled by wheel and screw, with
masts, sails, and armaments of all kinds ; life
boats, and, in short, all that appertains to locoruo.

tion upon sea and river. Included in this naval
exhibition specimens will be seen of everything re-
quisite to provision vessels and of the products from
far countries brought in them, and, of course, all
the instruments, signals, lighthouses, chronometers,
compasses, and everything connected with mari-
time commerce. Of course, the fisheries will not
be neglected, and endeavours will be made to have
specimens of every fish that swims in sea or river,
from the sprat to the whale, sea monsters and the
tiny fish which serve for epicurean appetites. The
Exhibition will include two great branches called
the Naumachies and the Vivarium. The Nauma-

chies were mimic representations of naval combats
given by the Romans in lakes on Pond's-day for
the purpose. It was under Julius Caesar that the
first excavation was dug for this purpose upon the
banks of the Tiber. These lakes were so contrived
that the moment the fight was over the water all ran
out. The Vivarium or Aquerium upon a grand
scale will be fitted with inhabitants of the water,
from the Seine and from the various seas upon the

earth. Perhaps there may be even a living whale

upon this vast Vivarium.

It is stated, from Florence, that General Cantoni
was killed in the late battle. General Stallo was

seriously wounded in both legs. Saloinne escaped
without any injury. Garibaldi, according to report,
will be tried for rebellion. His son, Menotti, is

;till at Florence.
Reports are in circulation of an insurgent mani-
'est° at Como, but the information from the most

respectable sources is that tranquillity has been

_
restored throughout Italy.
A family has been poisoned at the village of St.
Jean de Thouars by eating what was supposed to
be mushrooms. Two members have died, and the
rest are in a dangerous state.

I yesterday took a stroll through the Exhibition.
Although it is being rapidly curtailed in its fair

proportions, yet the scene is both interesting and

curious. It is a real Tower of Babel, where you
may hear all the languages in the world, and the

work of removal and destruction is carried on

with desperate energy. The mode of effect-
ing the operation is a study. The English,

quiet and steady, pull down their vast machinery
with ease and promptitude, and no excitement pre-
vails. The proportions of these vast machines are

removed almost as easily as the light valuable articles

of jewellery. The Prussian workmen go through
their work under the guidance of superintendents in
military costume. The Italians nuke violent

gestures, and talk, or rather bawl, in all directions.
____

They seem as excited as if Garibaldi were among
them. The Spaniards look moody and mAancholy

upon the empty cases. here is a Chinese looking
very busy, and there a Turk in deep contemplation

at the packing up of the rich Oriental stuffs, and
many other " unconsidered trifles." The French,

ever hasty and vivacious, illustrate the national

character in the way they go about their work. The

great circular Galeric Mobilier, of which I have so

often spoken, looks desolate ; the glittering marvels

are hidden from sight, or have been taken away,
whole sections and the produce of many lands have

been stripped, and disorder reigns in the Champ de
_ _

Mars. " Time is money ;" but alas ! the hand of

destruction has been raised against the clocks and
watches. But a few days since you could know the

time not only at Paris, but, if you were very parti-

cular about it, you could know bow it was going on

at Timbuctoo or Yeddo, at Samarcand or Botany
Bay, or even in the Cannibal Island. how changed
the scene. The great clock of M. Detouche, of the

Rue St. Martin, the marvel of the age, so accurate
and so perfect in its mechanism, pronounced by
many to have been the most wonderful piece of
manufacture and mechauism in the Exhibition, no
longer marks the hour—no longer tells the tale of
time with its loud and piercing accents. Its
fame, however, lives in the pages of all the
Paris papers, and in the recollection of millions of
astonished admirers. And all the other beautiful
watches and clocks are removed from every section,
so the visitor to the Champ de Mars is puzzled to
know the " time of day." A Mr. Day was knighted
in the winter by George 111., and it wns said that
the monarch had turned Day into Knight, and
made a Lady Day at Christmas. Last, not least,
the Restaurants have been emptied of their savoury
contents, and the beer and wine barrels are either
gone or empty. I will report more progress of this
work of devastation on another day.
M. de Lamartine, with his niece, is gone to
renovate his herlth in the salubrious climate of Nice.
The health of the great writer is not so good as is
desired.

An explosion of gas has taken place in the Rue
Lafayette, which has killed or seriously injured
several workmen.

The weather is not bright to-day, but it is
pleasant and warm for November. For three days
there has been a fog in the early morning, which
must have destroyed the idea that fogs are not
known in France.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE,

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

THE PAPAL STATES.
PARIS, Nov. 1

A despatch from Rome announces that a French
General entered Viterbo on the 10th with a mixed
column. The troops were welcomed with joyful
demonstrations.

The Pontifical troops have re-occupied Frosinone,
where they met with a similar reception, the
Garibaldians having rendered themselves very un-
popular there, in consequence of the heavy taxes
they had imposed upon the inhabitants.

A detachment had commenced taking possession
of the valley beyond Tivoli. No resistance was

expected.

In a few days a pamphlet will be published by
Dentu, entitled "Napoleon the Third and Europe
in 1867."

FLORENCE, Nov. 11

Reaf-Admiral Provano has been appointed
Minister of Marine.

Senator Montezemolo has been appointed Prefee.

at Naples.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs has addressed a
circular to the diplomatic agents of Italy abroad,
explaining the development and present state of the
Roman question. This memorandum enlightens
the Powers on the Roman question, and enables
them to decide whether it will suit them to accept
or not the proposal of France to meet in conference.

The King has signed a decree allotting 50,000 f.
to be distributed in aid of the wounded in the
Roman expedition, and of the families of the
killed.

PRUSSIA.

BERLIN, Nor. 11.

On the demand of the public prosecutor, Herr
Twesten has been sentenced by the Stadtgericht
of Berlin to two years' imprisonment on
account of the speech which he made in the
Chamber of Deputies on the subject of the adminis-
tration of justice in Prussia, and which has pre-
viously been the subject of prosecution.