The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-20 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Wednesday Evening.
The following is the most interesting portion of
to-day's official news :--
" The Mogador belonging the French Imperial
Ma7rine left Civita Vecchia on Monday evening,
having on board the remainder of the French troops
from the Pontifical territory.
" The Journal Phalle asserted the other day that
the Holy See would not enter into any negociations
upon religious questions with the Envoy of the
Italian Government until after his Holiness was
acquainted with the contents of the Royal Speech
from King Victor Emmanuel. It is, however, now
known that M. Tonello was received at a private
audience by the Pope on the very day of the open-
ing of the Session. This reception was gracious
and cordial."
A young fellow, employed as an assistant cook at
a restaurant in the Palais Royal, has stolen a I,ooof.
note from his master, in acknowledgment of which he
sent him the following cool and off-hand letter :
" Dear and honoured Master,—For a long time I
have been sick of the kitchen, and I now have no
warm feeling for my furnaces. I wanted to change
my trade, but till now I had no opportunity of doing
so. You gave me a I,ooof. note to get changed.
I have not stolen it, but have only borrowed the
amount, and I will repay it, upon my honour. When
you receive this letter I shall have departed, for I
am going to Rome. They tell me there is very
rapid advancement in the regiment of the
education, my
ybecome an officer,
tup e
t Pontificaland Zinoyu acvo ensr. a g With
shall
not of the kitchen, but it is well understood.
That is my ambition. Forgive me for my forced
loan. I will retun you the money be assured. And
besides when I return, wearing a brilliant uniform,
with what pleasure you will say to me, That youth
owes to me all hisj happiness and all his glory.'—
Your ex and future officer, " ANTOINE W."
As soon as the restaurateur had the honour of re-
ceiving the above letter he decided upon not waiting
to enjoy the delight of seeing his cook in Zouave
uniform, but he gave instant information to the
police. The consequence was that just as the
Zouave officer who was (not) to be was taking his
ticket at the railway station at Lyons on his way
to Rome,the police arrested him, and Lummarily dis-
turbed his dreams of future greatness and glory by
taking him to a police court, in order to enable him
to enter into fuller explanations in regard to his
" forced loan."

The Empress has sent 500 f. for the relief of the
victims who were on board of the Evening Star.
One of the literary journals says, that in spite of
the supposed authenticity of the head of Cardinal
Richelieu just interred with the remains in the
Church [of the Sorbonne, M. Merimee, Senator,
possesses a similar relic, and that he has also docu-
ments to prove that the head was really that of the
great Cardinal. The circumstance may or may not
support the adage that " two heads are better than

one."

The nocturnal attacks in Paris seem on the in-
crease, and excite unusual alarm. As a young man
was passing along the Avenue Montaigne early on
Monday morning three individuals rushed upon him.
One of them had a knife in his hand and inflicted a
slight:wound. A passer-by saw the attack and gave
an alarm, which led to the appearance of the police.
One of the assailants is a young man of 22, who
says he is a groom. It is evident, from the knife
with which one of the robbers was armed, that they
were bent on mischief, perhaps murder.
There have been two more suicides in Paris since
Sunday.

The weather to-day has been dull and rather
rainy, but not cold for the season. The Seine still

exhibits a tendency to rise.
The King and Queen of Spain have returned from
their visit to the King of Portugal. They were en-
thusiastically received on reaching Madrid.
A telegram from Copenhagen announces that M.
de Blume, formerly President of the Council of Mi-
. nisters of Denmark, died in that capital on Sunday.
There has been an interesting meeting of the Ad-
ministrative Council of the Central Society for pre-
serving Lives in Cases of Shipwreck, under the
presidency of Admiral Rigault de Genouilly. A
report was read giving an account of the labours of

the committee since the last meeting. Some into

resting details were given relative to the machines
destined to shoot arrows to communicate with
vessels, according to the system of M. Delvigne.
The number of stations for saving life is now 80.
Various particulars were given in regard to the
augmentation of the means of effecting that great
object. M. Arthur Petit Didier, a shipowner, it
was stated, had made great exertions to forward the
object, and had formed many representatives in
foreign countries, and also subscriptions amounting
to more than 35,000 francs.

A well-known thief, Charles V., in the exercise of
his:profession, has caught a Tartar, or rather two.
The night before last he went into a wine shop in a
lonely part of the Batignolles kept by Mdlle. Jose-
phine. He took a glass of brandy and waited until
she was alone. He then rushed at her and said,
",You are in a lonely place ; no one can assist you.
Ido not like to shed blood. If you make any noise
I will strangle you. lam the chief of the Thugs of
Paris. Open your till and give me all your money."
➢ldlle. Josephine did not discover the propriety of
the request, and instead of giving the Thug her
money she seized him by the throat. He, however,
after a violent struggle succeeded in throwing her
down, and then went and took out all the money
which the till contained. Josephine, however, got
up again, and the struggle was renewed. Her cries

brought a woman, a neighbour, to her assistance ;
and they valiantly succeeded in binding the Thug
hand and foot with cords, and waited until a police-
officer should pass. A sergent de vile soon arrived,
and the two ladies consigned the Thug to his sympa-
thetic and tender mercy.

"SPECIAL AND URGENT APPEAL."

TO THE EDITOR OP THE SUN.

SlR,—Christmas is fast approaching, and in a few days
will be ushered in with all its usual festivity and joy ; it
behoves us then at such a time to remember the poor
who have not the means of providing a Christmas dinner
for themselves. The Plough-court Ragged School Relief
Fund was established in the winter of 1860, for the pur-
pose of providing the poor with coals, broad, tea, sugar,
rice, and potatoes, according to their several wants, the
money received through The Sun, forming the nucleus of
the same. Several cases have already been brought under
our notice, but we have not the means and wherewith to
relieve them. The committee take this opportunity of
informing your numerous readers that they hope to con-
clude arrangements at Christmas whereby they will be
placed in possession of a suitable building wherein to
carry on their numerous operations, in addition to several
new ones, but before they can conclude them the com-
mittee require about .£l.lO to pay off their present liabi-
lities, and for fitting up the new promises —their school-
house having beeen purchased by the guardians
of the poor for the West London Union for
the purpose of a casual ward and relieving
office. The committee, however, appeal with every
confidence to your numerous readers for help both
for the relief fund andj the now school, feeling sure
they have only to make the fact known and the necessary
funds will be at once forthcoming, and the minds of the
committee relieved from all further anxiety on that score ;
and, in conclusion, I will only say in the words of the poor
negro, " God's work must be done, and I may be dead,
Therefore, freely ye have received, freely give.' "
Subscriptions, donations, and parcels of left-off clothing
will be most thankfully received by the following :—Ragged
School Union, 1, Exeter-hall, Strand; the Superintendent,
Mr. J. G. Upton, 12, Yardley-street, Wilmington-square;
the bankers,: Messrs. Smith, Payne, and Smiths, 1, Lom-
bard-street, E.C. ; or sent to me, by whom they will be
most thankfully received and acknowledged.
I remain, your obliged servant,
Tacos. BEBBISH, Hon. Sec.
27, Bedford-street, Covent-garden, W.O-/
Dec. 15, 1866.

MADAME TUSSAUD'S.—The Christmas holidays
wo:trust, bring joy to many, and among the various
amusements in the metropolis none will be found more
worthy of being patronised than Madame Tussaud's ad-
mired waxwork exhibition in Baker street. Among the
life-size portrait models is a bridal group of the Princess
Helena with Prince Christian, also effigies of John Bright,
Esq., M.P., and the late Richard Cobden, Esq., M.P. The
truly magnificent Court dresses are rich and costly in the
extreme.

LATEST INTELLIGENCi

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

THE WITHDRAWAL OF THE FRENCH
TROOPS FROM MEXICO.

PARIS, December 19 (Evening).
The Moniteur de Soir, in its weekly politica
bulletin, says :

" The expeditionary corps in Mexico continues its
movement of concentration without encountering
any serious difficulties. At the same time the
necessary preparations for the return of our troops
are actively prosecuted upon a large scale. The
transport Var has already left for Vera Cruz.
Other vessels will start for the same port without
delay. The squadron destined to bring back our
troops will be promptly assembled, and all measures
are taken that the evacuation en masse may be ac-
complished within a brief period.

M. FOULD'S FINANCIAL REPORT.
PARIS, Dec. 20.

The financial report of M. Fould has been pub-
lished to-day. The Minister shows that owing to
an increase of 45,000,000 f. in the revenue, arising
from indirect taxation, the Budget for 1866 will be
definitively balanced. Relative to the rectified
Budget for 1867 the Minister estimates the surplus
revenue yielded by indirect taxes at 90 millions, and
points out other resources. He concludes, there-
fore, that this Budget will also be in equilibrium.
Notwithstanding the considerable expenditure ne-
cessitated by new armaments, and the return to
France of the troops from Mexico, it will not be
necessary to impose new taxes or to appeal to public
credit. The Minister estimates that the ordinary
Budget for 1868 will show a surplus of 121,000,000
francs.

No credit is demanded in the Budget for 1868 in
respect to the new organisation of the army, the
Emperor having determined that the necessary
expenditure should be provided for by special bills
on the presentation of the rectified Budget for 1868.
M. Fould states that there is every reason to anti-
cipate that the State will then be in possession of
more than sufficient resources to meet these re-
quirements.

The Ministerial report then says :—" Some appre-
hensions are created by the new military organisa-
tion of the army, which will, however, be dispelled
by the certainty that the proposed changes have
only be caused by the necessity of placing the mili-
tary forces of France on a footing equivalent to her
position in Europe and to the development of the
military institutions of other States. The country
will see in this measure a fresh guarantee of peace
and security for the future."

HUNGARY.
PESTII, Dec. 19 (Evening).

Count Majlath has arrived here.

The Upper House of the Hungarian Diet has
voted by a large majority the address passed by the

Lower House.

Baron Bay, former Chancellor, and Count
Forgach spoke in favour of the Address, which was
opposed by the ex-Minister Herr von Szesen.

The Tavernicus Count Senycy spoke in defence
of the Government, and expressed the wish that a
compromise might be effected in principle in order
to tranquillise the non-Hungarian provinces. Count
Senycy was confident that Hungary, by accepting
the principle of common affairs, would become the
centre of gravity of the Empire. In conclusion,
he stated that his Majesty was determined to re-
establish the constitution of Hungary.

BELGIUM.

BRUSSELS, Dec. 20.

On the proposal of the Minister of War a Royal
decree has been published appointing a committee
to inquire whether the present organisation of the
army is adequate to the national defence.