The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-02 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Sunday Evening.
The Memorial Diplomatique, which is supposed to
be the official organ of the Austrian Government,
denies the truth of the many statements recently
made in regard to supposed military preparations on
the part of Austria. " Austria," it says, " has not
made the addition of one single man to her army.
It is very false that Austria has formed a camp on
the Austro-Prussian frontier between Terchen and
Bielitz, that the fortifications of Cracow have been
repaired, or that a million of florins have been set
apart for their repair. It is entirely false that
40,000 Austrian troops have been concentrated at
Theresienstadt, a short distance from the frontiers
of Saxony and Prussia. The systematic insulators
of warlike news at Paris are the agents of certain
lbankers at Breslau, from whom emanate those
alarming despatches."
A drama has been produced at the Theatre de la
Gait 6, with the title of Bas-de-Cuir, which will no
doubt have a tremendous run, for the decorations,
scenery, and effects are very novel and splendid.
The seven tableaux are each of a mystical or mar-
vellous character. The scene is laid in the wilds of
America, and various incidents are dramatised of

savage life about a century ago. There is a con
stant success of intrigues or massacres between the
Hurons and the Dewadas, in which a prominent
part is taken by the Chief Serpent de Fen, of the
Huron tribe. The Europeans fortunately find a
great friend in a sort of naturalised chief, but who
is a real Parisian. He dresses in skins like the
natives, and all his riches are his carbine, which he
calls the deer-killer, his beautiful horse Bull, and
Inca, a devoted savage, whose life he once saved.
One of the tableaux creates frantic delight.
A great human sacrifice is to be made
to the idol, and there is a strange procession
of savages with discordant music. The Idol, how
ever, has been undermined by the friends of the i
tended victims, and just before the sacrifice an
explosion takes place, and it is scattered into pieces.
The Indians are terrified, and take flight in disorder.
The crowning scene of all is the tableaux of the
cataracts of the Hudson, represented by real water.
The costumes and hydraulic effects are really
curious and dazzling. The extraordinary incidents
of this drama are aided by spectacle—a babel of
Ottowas and a dance of the Sikidis. The actors are
Dumaine, Deshayes, .and Charles Lemaitre. The
actresses who play the chief characters are Madame
Clarence, Madame Desmonts, and Madame Le
I merle.

It is now finally arranged that the Emperor, ac-
companied by the young Prince, is in the course of
the season to make a tour in various departments of
France. The festivities at Court and in high life are
about to commence. The concert at the Tuileries,
which was postponed in consequence of the illness
of the Imperial Prince, will take place to-morrow
week, April 9. The promenade, or rather ride, to
Longchamp, which for several years was rather on
the decline, has gone off this time with greater
effect perhaps than was ever known. The toilettes
of the ladies were equally novel and magnificent.
For months past the preparation has given constant
employment to the modistes and work girls.
During the late Religious season RosBllll'B
" Stabat Mater " has been the chief musical com-
position in vogue. To say the whole truth, the
musical mass of Listz does not hold half the sway
over the connoisseurs of Paris. The following cir-
cumstances are related in reference to the composi-
tion of the " Stabat Mater." In 1832 Rossini was
in Spain in company with M. Aguado, the celebrated
hanker, and the Marquis de Las Marismas. " Dear
friend," said the Marquis one day to Rossini, "I
wish to ask you a favour. Senor de Varela, a very
rich and powerful ecclesiastic of Madrid, whom I
love and esteem very much, is enthusiastically fond
of your compositions." " I thank him very much,"
answered Rossini." " You would thank him much
better and more," replied the Marquis, "if you
would announce to him your intention to dedicate
to him one of your musical compositions." " I will
think of it," said Rossini. Two months after this
conversation the_ " Stabat Mater" was in the hands of
Senor Varela, who, by way of acknowledging the
favour, sent to Rossni through M. Aguado a splen-
did snuff-box, enriched with valuable diamonds.
Miss Carter, the young American lady who was
the delight of the fashionables at the fetes at the