The Sun.
London, England, 1868-12-09 00:00:00

AMERICA.

The Session of Congress has commenced, and the last
message of President Johnson was submitted to the House
yesterday. It contains some important statements. It
announces that the Alabama negotiations are not yet com-
plete. The message states that certain portions of the protocol
which were not approved by the United States were returned
to England, and the resignation of Mr. Disraeli's
Ministry is regarded only as a temporary hindrance to
the prosecution of the negotiations. The United States
offered mediation between Paraguay and Brazil, but the
offer has been declined. The fear of an Indian war is
expressed, and the policy of reducing the army by with-
drawing troops from the South is favoured.

(From the Anglo-American Times.)

PARIS, Dec. 3.

The Court being still at Compiegne and the elite
as yet at their chateaux, Paris is socially parlant
somewhat dull. The opera, the theatres, the con-
certs are,of course, well patronised; and at the Bois,
on fine afternoons, numberless vehicles attest to the
presence of many strangers here ; but the monde
has yet given no signs of that activity which we
are told is to render the coming season one of the
gayest we have had for years. It appears that last
winter the contre coup of the Exposition season was
sensibly felt here. There was less extravagance,
fewer balls and fetes, so that the Paris fournisseurs
had a hard time of it, and as they employ so many
workpeople, the latter naturally suffered also. It
has seemed a constant preoccupation of the autho-
rities to furnish to the working classes ample em-
ployment, hence great concern was expressed as to
the unpleasant state of affairs above referred to ;
and it is understood that this winter the Court,
the Ministerial and Diplomatic circles will vie with
each other in giving fetes, the one more brilliant
than the other. There are to be masked balls,
fancy-dress balls, private theatricals, grand numer-
ous dinner parties ; in short, the fiat will go forth
that the monde is expected to amuse itself largely,
and in consequence spend much money among that
class of people who grumbled so last season. I
was conversing a few days since with one of the
leading milliners of Paris, and she expressed much
regret at the fact that of late years the Americans
all go in the winter season to Nice, Pau, or Rome.
The parties in question, as I was assured by the
milliner, are the very best customers for her.
" Nothing is too expensive for them," said she,with
a sigh, as she reflected that so many have already
departed for the more genial climes above named.
She related many instances of the length to which
les belles Americaines went in the toilette line. "They
seemed to have but one concern—one care—their
dresses were to be the finest, the most expensive."
It may be added that, taking advantage of the am--
bition thus displayed by the New York, Boston, or
Philadelphia belles, the Paris tradespeople became
so exorbitant in their charges that the purses of the
fathers or husbands were sadly collapsed, and now
ces messieurs prefer spending the season in capitals
where less show, less style, are kept up. Years
since there were many American salons here, and
great was the extravagance and luxury displayed
therein. Now -there are fewer wealthy Americans
who reside here during the entire season ; they
thus escape the heavy expense which fashion entails
at present. The time when Paris was a cheap
residence has gone by, and none but the more
wealthy may hope to keep the front rank. Still
there are many American families who have made
Paris their home, and who form a circle very
fashionable and distingue, and it may prove inte-
resting to the readers of your journal to be kept
an courrant with American life in Paris. Last
season the salons of General Dix, the United States
Minister at that Court, were a pleasant place of
rendezvous for his countrymen and the notabilities
of the Paris monde. Since then the daughter of
the Ambassador has married, and this season the
receptions of General Dix will not be on so large a
scale. I hear that Mr. Phalen, an American gentle-
man, who has long resided in Paris, and whose
daughter married the Comte Paul de Gabrial, is to
open this season the salons of his splendid residence
just erected on the Avenue de Rome. Among the
Americans newly arrived, who are to pass the win-
ter in Paris, may be cited the following persons :
Mr. Chas. Toppan and family, Mr. George Kemp
and family, Mr. James Findla and family, Mr.
Robert S. Weeks and family—all of New York;
Mr. S. P. Dewey and family and Mr. Donahoe and
family, San Francisco, California. Mr. Fettridge,
the well-known American gentleman, who, as the
author of " Harper's Guide Book to Europe,"
has rendered so much service to Americans,
is to pass the season here. He has secured
fine apartments is the Rue Auber. Mr.
Fettridge has his family with him. Though the
season is far advanced, a great many Americans
arrive here each week, and the registers at the dif-
ferent bankers are filled with new names. As a
general thing the parties in question are all to fol-
low the same route. They will visit Nice, and then
on to Italy, passing in the spring through Germany
and returning here to spend the months of May
and June,' at which time of the year Paris is a
delightful residence. Thera are to be this sea-
son a number of Americans on the Nile, as it now
is becoming quite the thing among our country-
men to make the Eastern tour. The approach-
ing debut of the artiste Miss Minnie Hauck at the
Italica here is creating some sensation in American

circles. She became from the first a favourite in
New York, and those who heard her sing there
anticipate a success for the artiste here, all the
more as she was so well received in London. We
are quite proud of the enormous success of
Patti, whom New Yorkers claim as an American
artiste, and hope that Miss Hanell may likewise
assume a front rank in her profession. While on
this subject, I may notice the fact that Patti was
quite ill last Tuesday evening, and could not sing.
The disappointment was great. She was to appear
in the " Barbiere" for the last time this season, and
the house was filled to overflowing. The moment
it became known that Patti would not sing the
immense audience dispersed, and in not the best
order—the grumblings of some parties being all the
more bitter from the fact that whereas they had at
the Agences des Theatres paid a great advance on
the actual price for seats, the administrators of the
opera of course returned, but the price as it stands.
It is said thatoverl7,ooofr were repaid, and this loss
must cause the management all the more to appre-
ciate the value of La Patti's services. At the Palais
Royal Theatre a queer scene took place the o'her
night. A new play, "Le Roi d'Amatibon," was
deemed so absurd by the audienc) that they
hissed down the curtain and would not per-
mit the play to proceed. The stage manager
in vain attempted to appeal from the noisy deci-
sion. He was driven from before the curtain by
the hootings of the audience. Considerable anxiety
is expressed here in literary circles concerning the
fate of Mr. V. Sardon's new play, "La Devote,"
which is a satirical hit at bigotry. It is said that
the Censure were afraid to meddle with this, and
that the MS. was sent to Compiegne for a higher
decision. Awaiting this the artists of the Gymnase
are busily rehearsing "La Devote." Messrs. Norton
and Co., the popular American bankers here, have
succeeded in procuring an admirable likeness of the
President Elect of the United States—General
Grant. It is pronounced by those most familiar
with the General to be really a work of art.