The Sun.
London, England, 1866-03-01 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FRO3I OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Wednesday Evening.
According to what is called the news of the day
there is to be another conference of the Powers
forming part of the Treaty of Paris, in order to
make a fresh arrangement relative, to the govern-
ment of the Principalities. France and Austria
have taken the initiative in demanding this new
proposition for the settlement of difficulties.

The discussion on the address proceeds in the
Corps Legislatif with no lack of " sound and fury"
on the part of the Opposition, but without any
specific purpose. Yesterday the hero of the sitting
was M. Latour du Moulin, who, with many rheto-
rical flourishes and some acrimony, wound up his
demands simply by saying, that he did not want a
radical change in the Constitution or anything Uto-
pian, but simply " practicable progress." The sit-
ting in the Corps Legislatif was very strong. M.
Glais Bizoin having made some puerile observa-
tions, M. Rouher, Minister of State, properly
termed them pasquinades, and not political argu-
ments. M. Jules Simon said it was an offence
against the country to treat a Deputy in that way.
It was not discussion. The Minister, however, was
well supported in his determination not to allow
impertinent hallucinations. M. Didier went to the
Ministerial Lench and said, " You have done per-
fectly right." A Deputy said he wished to call the
Minister to order, but the majority of members
were of opinion that it was the interrupting mem-
ber who should have been called to order.

M. Lefebvre Durufle, in presenting a petition to
to the Senate from M. Louis Martin, shorthand-
writer to the Corps Legislatif, praying that instruc-
tion in shorthand should form part of university
education, entered into some interesting historical
particulars upon the subject. He found, he said,
from his researches, that Cicero adopted an abbre-
viated mode of writing, and Seneca composed a
dictionary of signs representing words most fre-
quently used. King Titus studied the art. Zeno-
phon and the disciples of Socrates used the short-
hand of Tiron, which was the first brought into
general practice. Cicero, in his 32d Epistle to
Adieus, says, " You could not decipher a passage
in my last letter. lam not astonished, for I used
abridged notes." Charles the First of England
wrote an account of his misfortunes in shorthand,
not wishing every one to know the political errors
of his people. M. Darufle presented to the Senate
specimens of shorthand of various epochs. An in-
ventor of one of these systems said, "To shorten
labour is to prolong life." M. Hippolyte Prevost,
principal shorthand writer to the Chambers, has
invented a system of universal shorthand. The
speaker, after contending that it was very easy to
become perfect in the useful art of shorthand, men-
tioned that, at a school for young ladies at Troyes,
in 1846, prizes were distributed to several of the
pupils, who had obtained great proficiency in
the art.

M. Babinet, of the Academy of Sciences, describes
a curious eclipse of the moon, as it will be seen at
Paris on the 31st March. From 54 minutes past 3
in the morning till 32 minutes past 5 the moon will
be entirely obscured by the shadow of the earth.
She will only emerge after the time of setting. The
moon will be at the full on that day. The time for
the setting of the moon will be 44 minutes after
five in the morning. As the sun will rise at 42
minutes after five, the two planets will be seen at
the same time on the horizon, one in the east and
the other in the west, with a disc partially obscured
by the shadow of the earth.

Mademoiselle Patti, it is said, has just signed an
engagement with the director of the Opera at St.
Petersburg, according to which she is to receive
10,000 f. a night, and is to sing eight times a month.
For her professional services she will thus receive
the moderate sum of 20,000 f.

The Opposition papers, being very much at a
loss for criminatory charges against the Ministry,
for a fortnight have accused the municipal autho-
rities with interfering at the elections. These
accusations, however, have been triumphantly
refuted.

Winter has come back to-day. We have had
snow, sleet, rain, wind, and excessive cold.

Provident Clerks' Benevolent Fund.

We have great pleasure in directing the atten-
tion of our readers to the report of the 25th meet-
ing of this fund, which appears in our columns of to-
day. The respected Treasurer, John Abel Smith,
Esq., M.P., who has held that office from the foun-
dation of the fund, presided, and we cordially en-
dorse his remarks on the importance of the institu-
tion, and'on the remarkable progress of the class of
which it is the sole representative among the bene-
volent institutions of the country. His obser-
vations on the intellectual progress made by
the class is perfectly correct, and the striking cases
he quoted of a Government clerk who, while punc-
tually discharging his duties, found time so com-
pletely to master the cuneiform character as to
publish a lexicon of it, is by no means a single
instance of intellectual activity. Indeed, if another
instance were wanting, we might point to the un-
tiring literary labours of one of our first modern
novelists, Mr. Anthony Trollope, whose official
duties are by no means those of a sinecure. In
the Bank of England, too, and in many large
mercantile establishments, are numerous instances of
gentlemen holding official appointments and fulfilling
their duties with energy and exactitude, but finding
ample time in their hours of relaxation for deep and
careful study and for successful practice of the arts
and science.

Among a class containing such members it is by
no means surprising to find that a fund bearing their
name and identified with their interests has
flourished and progressed. The only wonder is
that its improvement has not been even more rapid
and extensive. There is no want of recognition of its
merits among those best qualified to judge, as the
names which stand at its head amply testify. While
such trustees as Messrs. Baring,
Crawford, Hankey,
and Rothschild are found connected with an institu-
tion, whether of a charitable or commercial nature,
the public may feel satisfied that the management
is not only honest, but efficient ; and the compliment
paid by Mr. Smith last evening to the directors and
the Secretary for their gratuitous services was well
merited.

We are glad to learn that the directors, after
an interregnum of five years, have decided on
organising a festival dinner in aid of the fund tin-
der the presidency of Mr. 11. w. Crawford, M.P.
Of the success of the effort we have no doubt, as 25
years of unbroken prosperity is a tolerable guarantee
against• anything in the shape of failure.

Under the title of Scientific Opinion a new
weekly journal is about to appear, to do for scientific
readers what is done by Public Opinion for general readers.
Its plan will include reports of the scientific societies,
home and foreign ; short notices of scientific works ; and a
department of " Note; Queries, and Memoranda" on
scientific subjects.

THE BALLOT SOCIETY.--The annual general
meeting of the members of this society was held at the
society's offices, 61, Cheapside, on Tuesday last ; Mr. M.
E. Marsden, one of the treasurers, in the chair. The an-
nual report and balance-sheet were read, and the adoption
of them was moved by the chairman, seconded by Mr.
Sydenham Nodes, and carried unanimously. The re-ap-
pointment of the treasurers, hon. secretary, and committee
was moved by Lieutenant-General T. Porronet Thompson,
and seconded by Mr. Man. This resolution was also carried
unanimously.