The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-16 00:00:00

NING, MARCH 16, 1868.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROU OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, SUNDAY, March 15.
M. de Kerv4:nen has written to his brother deputies;
requesting them to authorise the prosecution against him
which the Paris journalists have demanded liberty to insti-
tute. This is somewhat bold on the part of M. de Ker-
vdguen. The more this matter is investigated the Worse it
turns out for him and his colleague, M. Cassagnac, of the
Pays. It will be remembered that the charge which these
worthies made_ against the Ss.: sae was based upon an alleged
letter written by S. Crispi, who was in the Italian
Government in 1860. Signor Crispi now writes to say
that he has kept a copy of his letter to M.
La Varenne, and that, so far from authorising that
jobber to buy the Paris press, he expressly refused
to have anything to do with the matter. His
reason was, that the best part of the Paris journals were
already supporting Italy spontaneously. These are his
words : " We have for us the Slade, which has long been
nobly devoted to the Italian cause, for it represents the
cause of nationalities. We have also for us the Opinion
Nationale. We are not, then, driven to beg from door to
door for the insertion of a few lines in our favour at the
gates of the great Paris journals." After the clear proofs
of their fasehood it is impossible to denounce too strongly
the malignant treachery of the men who made their whole-
sale accusations against the Paris journalists.. As one of
the accusers was himself a journalist, I am compelled to
suppose that his calumny was of that kind described by
the precept Honi soft qui anal y poise.
Prince Napoleon's movements continue to excite mor.
and more interest. Instead of coming back to Paris he
has gone to Saxony, and the gossips now affirm that the
object of his mission is to endeavour to prevent—peace-
ably, of course—the union of South Germany with Prussia.
Only, say the gossips, what mean all these prepaiations
for war in France ? Are they intended as a threat to
Prussia if she does not behave herself ?

There is no doubt that the riots at Toulouse were very
serious. They have caused great uneasiness to the Govern-
ment. The rioters shouted, "Down with the Empire I"
" Long live the Republic !" General Goyon, the com-
mander of the district, who happened to be absent, hastily
returned, and issued a strong proclamation, declaring that
" young men, misled by a false interpretation of the Army
Bill, have dared to join with the scum of the earth—old
convicts, and notorious agitators, in culpable manifests;
tions. Order, public security, and respect for persons and
things, must be assured. Let all honest and quiet people
have full confidence in me. It is not the first time that I
have found myself in face of an enzeute: and now, as for-
merly, I shall know how to put it down." This
does not read quite as if the danger were passed. Six
arrests had been made ; among them a man who has been
fifteen times sentenced by the tribunals for theft and other
crimes. Two agents of the authorities were severely hurt.
We learn, also, that there have been disturbances at
Nantes, but hare no particulars.
M. Schneider, though better, and able to walk out, has
resigned his post as President of the Corps L6,gislatif. It
was, perhaps, rather surprising that so busy a man as the
proprietor of the great ironworks at Creuzot must be,
should ever have taken this post. Rumour says that
Baron Jdrome David will be the new President. It will be
a very unpopular appointment. His extreme unfitness for
the post was shewn by his refusal to give a hearing to the
journalists attacked by Kerv6guen and Cassagnac.
M. Peyrat, who came out of prison last week, has not
lost much time in resuming his employment. The Avenir
National contains an article written by him on the im-
peachment of President Johnson.

We expect on Tuesday an important pamphlet. It is
entitled " Les Titres de la Dynastic Napol4onienne," and it
is said to have been written in the Tuileries.
The 21Ioniteur announces a large number of decorations
to be bestowed upon the Maires in honour of the Prince
Imperial's twelfth birthday to-morrow. There are nearly
100 of them who are to be made Chevaliers of the Legion
of Honour. The non-decorated mayors will be able to
console themselves with the thought that they will be like
the plain-dressed Lord Castlereagh at the great gathering
of Kings and Ministers at Paris in 1814, bien distingues.

The editor and the printer of a pamphlet calling upon
the Hessians to rise in behalf of their old Elector against
Prussia have been seized and carried to Berlin, where they
will be tried for high treason.
The Florence correspondent of the Times describes the
very stormy scene which took place in the Italian Chamber
of Deputies last week. During the debate on the forced
currency certain members moved a series of resolutions
which were accepted by the Government. An attempt
was then made to add another resolution to them, the
effect of which would have been equivalent to a vote of
want of confidence. The Government protested that it
was too late to make this addition, and were supported by
the President of the Chamber. Then ensued a tremen-
do!:s uproar—"an infernal tumult" the President called
it— in the midst of which he put on his hat, and brought
the sitting to an abrupt termination. At length he
Opposition were compelled to give way, and the positio of
the Government is said to be so greatly strengthen by
this incident that in all probability Count Cambray-Digny
will carry his Budget without further difficulty.

An attempt has been made to shoot the Prince Royal of
Saxony as he was riding. As usual, the would-be mur-
derer missed his aim. On being arrested it was found that
he was mad. He was an u'nbrella maker.
The Prince Imperial of France is a candidate for ad-
mission to the Canoe Club. His claim is not very
apparent.

The state of trade in Paris is very unsatisfactory. The
Morning Post's correspondent says the number of bank-
rupts declared during the last two months exceeds by
one-half the usual average of failures at this season of
the year. The export trade with most countries has
fallen off considerably this year. The Americans are
not buying as usual ; England is doing less with French
goods ; Italy and Spain are poor; Austria economises.
Much uneasiness is felt about the influence of the city of
Paris in obtaining loans. Having assisted in the ruin of
the Cnidit Mobilier and the Cr6dit Immobili2•re, it is now
feared the Cr&lit Foncier, the most solid of all the finan-
cial societies of France, may be compromised in large
transactions with the city.
The Reorganisation of the Army Bill is causing almost
as much opposition in Belgium as the similar measure did
in France. However, the Belgian Government appears to
be master of the situation, and the important clauses of
the measure have been passed by large majorities.

Russia was always inclined to play the part of the wolf
in the fable of the wolf and the lamb. We now learn (hat
the Journal de St. Petersbourg wants to know what Austria
means by her conduct in the East. Persuade the Sultan
to give concessions to his Christian subjects, and inform us
what Austria's intentions are, says the Journal, and there
will then be a better chance of preserving peace.
The Temps publishes a terrible letter from Algiers. The
writer describes the most horrible scenes which have taken
place at Oran. The starving Arabs have turned can-
nibals. In one place the neighbours had been attracted to
a house by a smell of roast meat, and there they found a
woman and two children devouring the body of a third
child. During the night subsequent to the discovery one
of the two children died. Its fearful meal had proved too
much for a stomach enfeebled by long fasting. The Temps
has now opened a subscription for the Arabs, and heads
the list with £2O.

The Post rather severely takes Mr. Disraeli to task for
having submitted to the House of Commons proposals
which he is certain cannot be accepted. Public business
is delayed, Scotch and Irish Reform Bills are post-
poned, and a fair prospect is opened of the present
session terminating with a legacy of heavy arrears
for 1569, and of a delay of dissolution until 1870,
during all which time Mr. Disraeli thinks himself assured
of his tenure of office. It is more than extraordinary that
in presence of such tactics the Liberal party should find
itself demoralised. A little Church Cave, anti-disesta-
blishment, has been started in their ranks ; but it numbers
only six, while the wildest rumour has not more than
doubled that number. If, then, Mr. Gladstone should be
able—as he ought to be—to announce a distinct and simple
policy, our contemporary might well expect the majority
of the House to rally round him and yield effective
support.

There seems also to be a growing conviction that the
House of Commons will not permit the number of its
members to be increased, in order to give ten addi-
tional representatives to Scotland and at the same time to
preserve the nomination boroughs. Of course, if Mr.
Disraeli sees as a certainty that Mr. Baxter's instruction
will be carried, he will assent to it, in a modified form,
without a division. At it stands, it plainly interferes with
the maintenance of one of the five points mentioned in the
Edinburgh speech, namely, that the representation of no
borough should be entirely abrogated. The difficulty, it
is understood, is in process of being got over in this way:•—•
On proper assurances being given that the Government
would assent, as they are now inclined to offer, Mr. Bax-
ter's motion will be altered to the effect that the committee
have power, not to disenfranchise any single-membered
borough, but to take the required number of members
from double-membered boroughs having between 10,000
and 12,000 of population—and that without reference to
whether the additional members for Scotland shall be seven
or ten.

The boroughs with populations of between 10,000 ana
12,000 which now return two members each are Barn•
staple, Beverley, Bridgwater, Grantham, Newark, Peter-
borough, Pontefract, Tamwortli, Tiverton, Truro, War-
WiC3C, and Weymouth.