The Sun.
London, England, 1866-04-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 11, 1866.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

Hardly any' one at the present day openly declares
himself against Reform, the most rigid Conserva-
tives admit the necessity of " a well-considered
measure ;" but when it comes to a question of
detail, when theory has to be put into practice, there
is an immediate transformation. Harlequin's wand
is nothing to it. The theories are still advo-
cated loudly and loftily, but the reduction of
the franchise, the addition or removal of a
single borough, the bare admission that
the voter needs some more effectual protection than
he at present possesses, at once bring down the tem-
Trature of the enthusiasts to freezing-point.
he obstacles which they perceive are insuperable,
the danger* which they foresee are worse than those

Austria and Prussia are still hard at work in
provoking each other, and in patching up the quar-
rel in a temporary style, only to renew it at the
earliest opportunity. The Austrian reply of the
Olbl, was moaerate in some respects, belt It UICI riot
suit the fancies of the Prussian Minister. Pro-
bably the chief cause of offence was, that the Note
demanded that the Prussian armaments should be
discontinued, or else it was said that Austria would
appeal to the Federal Diet. It was said at one time
that the Prussian Cabinet had replied to this com-
munication in a favourable manner, but
that report has now been contradicted ; and
we learn that, although no official com-
munication has been received, it is because
that the Prussian Government have decided upon
the nature of their reply, and that its tenour is not
of a favourable character. Herr Von BISMARCK,
indeed, does not agree in the sentiments expressed
by the Austrian State, as to the perfect good-will
and friendly disposition of the Austrians. Prussia,
it is affirmed, has only adopted the necessary mea-
sures for self-defence, and will not "strike unless
stricken." It can be no matter of surprise to any
one that Count BISMARCK declines to allow the in-
terference of the Bund, because he has always indig-
nantly repelled such a notion. It is really astonish-
ing to what lengths this wily politican can go ; he
is always ready with a reply to any demand, and
thus he is going to assert that the Minister President
will soon announce that Prussia is not bound by
Article 11 of the Act of Confederation.
As for the notion everywhere prevalent that the
Emperor of Russia was about to mediate between
the German Powers, it is shown to be erroneous.
General Von RICHTER did not go to Berlin
to present the letter to the King of PRUSSIA,
and hence he could not have effected anything
in the way of entreaty and explanation. The
CZAR, it is now said, has only requested the
Sovereigns of Austria and Prussia to inform him
why " they are making such great preparations "
for war. General Von RICIITER of course saw
for himself the truth of these reports concerning
the extensive preparations of Austria, and he said
that he was annoyed at the ignorance of the
Prussian Minister President on such a subject. It
is said that Count BISMARCK has sent out non-
official agents, and the information they send him
suits his purpose, indeed he has been, it is asserted,
greatly misinf ormed,while his agents have themselves
been sometimes " tricked" in their turn. Time
produces many changes in the same individual, and
certainly King WILLIAM is no exception to the rule.
He has altered greatly both in practice and profes-
sion from what he was some time back. Many
years ago a deputation from Frankfort waited upon
him to offer the Imperial Crown to him, and he re-
fused in the most positive manner to go to war with
his fellow-Sovereigns. " I could not resolve," he
said, to
place myself at the head of a Prussian
army,in order to subjugate a German country or
province." Certainly his MAJESTY has seen fit to
der ao bf
ay sincen ex in then,
awl
ht cer hn
he
in spite of all
Schleswig-Holstein Duchies,
is
0
has opinions
entertained
they c notionconsiderably
course. It is
efforts made to dissuade
uttered against the unconstitutionalm and all the protests
stated by some of the Berlin journals that Prussia
certain not to accede to the demands of Austria
that she should disarm, which no doubt is true, and
of course the consternation in certain quarters may
be conceived. The merchants of Berlin will to-day
address
fultsoettthleemKeinntrr,
of
presenthope that aatna whthiceh
• difficulty expresses
ata
present existing between Austria and Prussia, may
be come to. This shows the extremities to which the
affair has proceeded.
If war should be the result of all these squabbles
the Government will not find themselves
supported as they did in the case of the late war,
because the people of Prussia will naturally ask for
what end they are to be draggA into collision with
their neighbours, and what it is they are fighting

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Tuesday Evening.
The telegraph having brought the news that
Prussia Las submitted its project for the reform of
the Confederation to the Diet, and the Note of
Prussia in reply to that of Austria being in the pos-
session of the Public, there is, for to-day at least,
a cessation in the warlike news respecting Germany.
The news from Italy is that Victor Emmanuel, in
imitation of the Government of France, preserves a
position of neutrality in regard to the dispute be-
tween Austria and Prussia. For the present, at all
events, there is no confirmation of the rumour in-
dustriously spread a few days ago, that Italy and
Prussia were about to sign a treaty of alliance, hav-
ing for object material defence and assistance should
eventualities in regard to Germany render it de-
sirable. _ _

-----
M. Boillot, the editor of the scientific departmen
of the Moniteur, gives a very interesting account in
that paper this morning of the thunderstorm on
Sunday night, and completely confirms my impres-
sion that it was of an extraordinary, if not unpre-
cedented character. In his description of it he says,
that the storm broke forth suddenly in Paris about
eight o'clock in the evening, after a warm, but not
overpowering day. The flashes of lightning suc-
ceeded each other after half a minute, a minute, and
at the utmost, two minutes interval. The thunder-
claps were loud, and denoted that the clouds were
very low. There was a lapse of a second and a half
between the perception of the lightning and the
noise of the thunder. This gives a distance of only
510 metres of the stormy clouds from the earth.
Thus the thunder fell several times in Paris. At ten
minutes past nine the flashes of lightning succeeded
each other at intervals of three seconds, and at a
quarter past nine eight seconds were countedbetween
the lightning and the noise of the thunder. The
storm, therefore, appeared to be receding ; but at
two minutes to 9 two seconds of interval only sepa-
rated the electric light and the clap of thunder ;
the meteor, therefore, becoming nearer. It was
therefore supposed that several storms were crossing
each other. At 10 minutes past nine the thunder
came from the west and north-west, giving a con-
tinuous light, diminished only occasionally by the
clouds. From 21 minutes past nine the average
time between the noise of the thunder and the
lightning had increased to 7 seconds. It was clear
that the phenomena was passing away. Neverthe-
less, towards 25 minutes past nine, there were only
4 seconds of interval. With the sky covered with
clouds and an abundant rain, lightning traversed
the sky from the zenith to the west, spreading a
white light to within about a thousand yards of the
surface of the earth. The storm was nearly over:about
11, but the rain fell in great abundance. It did
not cease till half-an-hour after midnight. The storm
created great alarm everywhere. It was of a
character very rarely seen.
The march of music in Paris may in a certain
degree be estimated by the increase in the manu-
facture of pianos. In 1817 the number of pianos
made in Paris was 187, occupying about 3,000
workmen, and the produce of their sale was 12
million of francs, one million of which sum was
for the amount of exportation. Iu 1865 the value
of the instruments made in Paris and sold to
foreign countries was eight millions of francs. M.
Perrin retires from the direction of the Opera, and
is to be succeeded by M. Nestor Roqueplan, the
musical and dramatic writer of the Constitutionnel.
M. Roqueplan was director of the Opera from
1847 to 1854.
A widow lady, named Hainfroy, has just died at
St. :Aquilin-de-Pacy, in the Department of the
Eure, who was born on the 31st October, 1765.
She was consequently aged 100 years five months
and three days.
Castex, the man condemned to death for the
murder of a child at St. Denis, under revolting cir-
cumstances, which were stated at the time, was
executed on Monday morning. The prisoner was
quite prostrate. Ile made no confession. The
storm on Sunday night seemed to have frightened
even the leaders of scenes of death, for it is many
years since such a small number of spectators as-
serabled in the Rue de la Roquette on an occasion
of the kind.
I informed you some time ago that there would
be a suspension of the sittings of the Congress on
the Danubian Principalities. The statement now
is that the Conference will not reassemble until the
people of Roumania shall have elected the new
Chamber of Representatives.
A recent official announcement, that the Emperor
had devoted a sum of 80,000 f. from his private
purse for improvements in the Dombes, requires a
little explanation. Tle Dombes is a vast territory
between La Bresse and the Lyonnais. A portion
of it is arid, and the other part marshy and sterile.
The monks of La Trappe have undertaken to im-
prove it and make the land fertile and productive.
In the Dombes was once a vast capital named
Trevoux, and in the middle age it was a fortified
town. In the time of Julius Caesar it Was occupied
by the Seguisiani and the Ainbuni. In 1560 the
Principality was restored to the house of Montpen-
sier, which was wrested from the Constable of Bour-
bon in the year 1527 by Francis the First. The
Parliament of Dombes was suppressed in 1775. As
to the Trappists these monks were formerly beggars.
The Trappists were originally a community professing
mortification. They made fasting a virtue, and taught
the doctrine that men should ever be thinking of
death. Their greeting when they met each other
inTdhuseytrnyoravn,
and utility,
apply themselves to works was Brother, we must,die."
and they have changed their salutation to " Brother,
we must work," Hence their determination to ler-