The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-02 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PAnis, JAN. 1.
Prince Metternich Winneburg, Ambassador Ex-
aaordinary of the Emperor of Austria, was received
yesterday by the Emperor N apoleon at the Tuileries
in private audience, in order to deliver to his
Majesty the insignia of the order of Saint Stephen,
conferred by the Emperor of Austria upon the
Prince Imperial.
In placing the insignia of the order in his
Majesty's hand, the Ambassador said :
" Sire,—Wishing to afford your Majesty a fresh
proof of friendship, my august Sovereign has
charged me to deliver to the Prince Imperial in his
name the insignia of his order of Saint Stephen.
His Majesty desires that the heir to the throne of
France should early learn to appreciate the sincere
interest which he entertains towards him, and which
will never cease."
The Emperor, in his reply, said he should him-
self thank the Emperor of Austria by letter for the
proof of interest thus displayed towards his son, and
for which he was deeply sensible. His Majesty
added that the Prince Imperial would always re-
member this high mark of solicitude on the part of
a Sovereign for whom his father professed a sincere
friendship.
A Council of Ministers was held at the Tuileries
on Saturday, the Emperor presiding.
The King and Queen of Portugal with the Prince
Royal arrived at Lisbon on Saturday evening. Their
Majesties were in excellent health, notwithstanding
the fatigues of their long and rapid journey.
The Moniteur announces the following promotions
in the Emperor's household :—Gen. Fleury, Senator
and First Equerry, to the dignity of Grand Equerry ;
General Prince de la Moskowa, First Huntsman, to
the dignity of Grand Huntsman ; M. Davillier
Regnault de St. Jean d'Angely, Commanding
Equerry, to be First Equerry to the Emperor ; and
General the Marquis de Toulongeon to be Chief of
the Emperor's shooting equipage.
In the Paris corn market last week business was
very quiet, with but trifling fluctuations in prices.
The four marks of flour were quoted with an ad-
vance of 25c., at 52f. 50c. the sack of 157 kilos.
Wheat remains at 28f. the 120 kilos. ; rye has de-
clined 25c., to 18f. 25c. the 115 kilos. ; barley is
unchanged at 17f. 25c. to 17f. 50c., the 100 kilos. ;
oats have improved 50c., the price being 21f. 50c.
the 100 kilos. At the cattle market at Sceaux,
oxen sold at If. 4c. to If. 42c. the kilo. ; cows at
86c. to If. 26c. ; calves at if. 54c. to lf. 92c. ; and
sheep at If. 34c. to if. 64c. At Poissy the prices
were If. 4c. to if. 46c. ; 88c. to if. 30e. ; If. 58c.
to if. 96c. ; and lf. 30c. to If. 62c. respectively.
At the last sitting of the Academy of Sciences,
M. Mathieu presented the academy with the
" Annuaire du Bureau des Longitudes for 1866,"
and M. Serret the first volume of his " Algebre
Supdrieure," third edition. M. Leon Foucault pro-
duced a new apparatus for regulating electric light.
It keeps the two charcoal pencils at the distance
required by an automatic motion which pushes
them forward or draws them back as occa-

sion may require. The two sets of clockwork
which produce this effect communicate with an
electro-magnet, which, as it bends either to the
right or left, puts the corresponding set in mo-
tion, and when in an intermediate position stops
the motion of both. But in order to establish a con-

nection between the two sets, so that the one may
not be independent of the other, M. Foucault has
introduced a sun-and-planet wheel which acts on the
catch of the electro-magnet.—A paper was received
from M. Plateau on the muscular force of insects. The

principal results at which he arrives are these :-1.

Except in flying, insects have much greater power
of traction than vetebratie. Thus, while the
draught-horse can only exercise a force of traction
equal to two-thirds of its weight, the cockchafer

can draw fourteen times its own weight. 2. In the

same groups of insects the smallest and lightest
have the greatest power of traction. And these re-
sults M. Plateau considers as not proceeding from

muscles of a comparatively larger size, but from

-
greater muscular activity. A letter was received

from M. Manuel Diaz, of Caracas, concerning several

inventions of his ; one especially, which consists in
applying air-balloons to various purposes by towing
them along just as boats are towed along on rivers;
another for turning to account the impact of the

waves on the sea shore, and a third to be applied to
railway engines that are to go up steep slopes.
Amongst the novelties in toys on kale in one of