The Sun.
London, England, 1866-12-29 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS,

_ip.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Friday Evening.
There was a Cabinet Council yesterday at the
Tuileries, at which the Emperor presided. The Em-
press was not present, and it has been remarked that
her Majesty has not attended the recent Cabinet
Councils.
The return of the bishops of the Neapolitan pro-
vinces to their respective dioceses continues to be
effected without difficulty. Cordial relations are
being established between the prelates and the Ita-
lian authorities, and the populations everywhere
evince their satisfaction at the return of their bishops
in the midst of them.
The Russian Government has issued an Imperial
ukase, making some important changes in regard to
the effective state of its military fleet of the Black
Sea. The following are the particulars of the
regulations for the future' composition of
the maritime forces of Russia which now
navigate those waters. The station on the
coasts of Mingrelia, the principal points of
which were the towns of Soukhorim-Kaleh and
Novoroff, is suppressed. The establishment of
Nicolaieff (a military port in the Government of
Kerson) will itself be shut. The Imperial Govern-
ment will only reserve to itself in future the admi-
nistration of the lighthouses, the telegraphs, and
the hydrographical establishments. There will
only remain armed five small steamers devoted to
the service of the Russian Embassy at Constan-
tinople, and that of the lighthouses of the cruising
points on the coast of Mingrelia and Asia Minor.
The flotilla of the Caspian Sea is also reduced to
three steamers, destined to cruise near the coasts to
prevent piracy. The position of Nicolaiewski, on
the borders of the river Amour, centre and provi-
sioning point of the Pacific station, the Indies, and
China, will also be considerably reduced.
A young garotter, who attempted to ply his
vocation on Christmas Eve, found himself very
much out of luck, as an account of his doings will
testify. Auguste N., a young man about twenty,
is a cook—at least he says so. This may or may
not be. What is certain is, that about midnight
instead of being engaged in his useful profession of
fortifying the stomachs Of those who were keeping
up Christmas night he was wandering and gaping
about the Boulevard de Grenelle. His object, pure
and simple, was to ascertain if by chance there
should happen to be a stray sleeper on the benches
which line the Boulevard who might have a toler-
ably well-filled purse in his pocket. Such a person
there appeared to be who was sleeping, and
indeed snoring, on the bench at the extremity of the
avenue. Auguste advanced stealthily on tip-toe,
and what was his joy on perceiving :by the light of
the moon that the sleeper had a splendid watch chain
glittering over his waistcoat. What a prize !
Auguste did not hesitate a moment in endeavouring
to become possessed of it. Who would have thought
it ? When Auguste made a snatch at the chain, it
resisted, and, what was worse, the owner of it re-
sisted also, and seized the thief by the collar. At
the same instant three other persons made their ap.
pearance, and aided the sleeper with the watch
chain to conduct him to the police station in the
Rue de Violet. The explanation of Auguste's mis-
hap is this. There have been of late several rob-
beries with violence in the neighbourhood in ques-
tion. The gentleman with the chain who had excited
Auguste's cupidity was no other than a policeman in
plain clothes, who, with his colleagues, had been
advised to keep a close watch in the neighbourhood.
lie was not asleep, but, on the contrary, was
wide awake. Another mortification to Auguste,
arising out of this adventure, was to
learn that a bait:had been prepared for him. The
splendid gold chain which tempted him to folly and
crime was made of brass. The policeman, with a
malicious desire to impart useful knowledge and
give to Auguste an opportunity of hearing some-
thing to his advantage, mentioned the interesting
fact on the way to the station.
The members of the Scientific Congress, recently
held in Provence, had an opportunity of tasting a
savoury culinary novelty. The proprietor of the
Hotel Noailles, at Marseilles, where they dined,
invented a dish which he called the Scientific Con-
gress sauce. In the middle of the dish figorpil
York ham, surrounded with truffles, sweetbread,
chicken, mushrooms, and other nice ingredients.
They were all covered like a mummy in papyrus,
skilfully and artistically decorated. It is not often
that a landlord's sauce is so well relished.
The Courrier du Senegal, received to-day in
Paris, states that the yellow fever has broken out
with great severity at Glom, and has made nume-
rous victims. The population had taken refuge at
Dakar on the Grande Terre, but there were an im-
mense number of deaths on board the ships on the
station and in the garrison.

A curious instance of the instinct of a carrier
pigeon is mentioned, and proofs are given of the
authenticity of the account. The bird had received
some injury on the breast, and it sought some herbs
from the fields, with which it covered the wound,
and it is now almost entirely healed.

The municipal statistics of Paris for the month
of August present some interesting facts. During
' that month there was not a single fine day, for it
was always cloudy or stormy, and there was rain
on 25 days. The number of births during the month
was 4,463—viz., 2,221 boys and 2,242 girls. The
nuinber of deaths was 5,885—viz., 3,025 men and
boys, and 2,860 women and girls. The superiority
in the number of deaths over that of births which
was exhibited during the preceding month is attri-
buted to cholera, which, in the month of August,
caused 2,386 deaths. Nevertheless, in spite of the
epidemic, the number of births in the 12 months
from August, 1865, to August, 1866, was greater
than that of the deaths, for the number of births in
Paris during that time was 54,230, whilst the num-
ber of deaths was but 53,100. The number of
marriages was 1,458. Out of this number of happy
persons, 53 men and 143 women could not write
their names to the marriage register, and yet the
Government is unceasing in its endeavours to pro-
mote the education of the people.
A handsome monument has just been erected in
the cemetery of Montmorency to the memory of the
great Polish poet, Adam Mickiewicz. It is the
work of one of the most eminent French sculptors of
the present day, M. Auguste Preault, and affords a
proof of the sympathy between French art and
Polish independence. A portion of the cemetery of
Montmorency is specially devoted to the interment
of deceased Poles.
On Christmas night the Duchess de Mouchy,
formerly the Princess Anna Murat, gave birth to a
son. The health of both is satisfactory.
It is stated the Marquis La Rochejaquelain is
seriously indisposed.
An extraordinary quantity of snow has fallen
during the last few days in the valley of Tigre
(Savoy). A violent tempest has prevailed and
immense avalanches have been precipitated into the
valley. The snow is two inches in depth. There
has been a completeinterruption in the communica-
tions. In Paris the weather continues mild, but
rather dull and stormy. The rain, however, has
not persevered.

We (Law 7 imes) learn with regret that the Inns
of Court Volunteer Court—the " Devil's Own," is
declining both in strength and efficiency. At the time of
Colonel Brewster's death the corps was perhaps the most
admirably drilled and organised corps in the metropolis,
and this was owing in no small degree to the colonel's
obstinacy in adhering to the method of drill which he
deemed the best calculated to promote the efficiency of a
volunteer corps, although that method was in a degree
opposed to the views of the War-office. A new system
has been introduced since Colonel Brewster's death, and
wo are informed that nine officers arid a proportionate
number of privates have resigned.
OYSTEIt U UMBO.—MiX well one tablespoonful of
flour, and one of lard, and brown the mixture in a
frying-pan ; take the liquor of two quarts of oysters, set it
on the fire, and when it boils add the browned flour with
chapped leaks and parsley ; then put in the oysters and
let the whole simmer for fifteen minutes ; next sift into it
a tablespoonful and a half of powdered sassefras to give it
the fillet; leave it two or three minutes longer on the
fire and servo it very hot. No spice but black pepper.
This dish will require more or loss time to prepare, ac-
cording to the ingredients of which it is composed. For
chicken or turkey gumbo the fowl must first be fricasseed.
Any good cook will understand how to make a piquant
and palatable stock of whatever she may select for her
zuwbc4-271e QUM.