The Sun.
London, England, 1868-05-27 00:00:00

rCHE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVEN

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CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, TUESDAY, May 1
The recent speeches at the Berlin banquet to tie
CuStoms Parliament have caused a considerable
here. The Government journals attempt to attenuate
Count Bismarck's'and Prince Hohenlohe's remarks,'arid
lay the flattering unction to their souls that the Treaty
Df Prague has been faithfully kept, for the line
pf the Mein has not been crossed by Prussia.
But the Opposition journals point out that virtually
this line has been crossed, for all the speakers referred to
the unity of Germany as an accomplished fact. In fact,
we now learn—though the information was carefully with-
held by the Havas Agency—that the President of the
Prussian Diet, Herr von Forkenbeck, proposed the toast
"To the German Unity," and that Herr Metz,
a Southern deputy of the Customs Parliament,
proposed "To the suppression of the line of
the Mein ;" and that Bismarck, so far from discoun-
tenancing these sentiments, made the speech with
which we have all been made acquainted, and which, as
the Libert says, " does not contain a single word insulting
to France, and yet every word is a threat." There can be
no doubt but that German unity is an accomplished fact,
and that foreign intervention would have the same effect
as is produced by a shake upon a freezing mixture—con-
vert the country into a compact solid mass. Why does not
the Emperor make up his mind to recognise this obvious
fact ? Or, if he is determined to prevent it, why did he not
seek to do so before. Every day is rendering that task
more difficult, and every day is reconciling the French
people as a nation more and more to the inevitable unifica-
tion of Germany. _

At present it would seem as if Napoleon, while pre-
paring for war, was very anxious to avoid an immediate
rupture. For instance, the Hanoverian officers at
Amiens who have refused to accept the King of
Prussia's
amnesty and return_ home, have been told
that, while they will be permitted to remain in
Amiens, they must not indulge in any manifestations
of animosity to the Prussian Government. In this matter
Austria appears to be working in harmony with Prussia.
It was Baron von BeuSt, according to all accounts, who
put pressure upon the Ex-King of Hanover to suppress the
situation, a newspaper published here in the interests of
King George. This is not the only indication of close
relations between the Vienna and Paris Cabinets. I hear
that the Marquis de Moustier has written to Baron von
Beust to point out in the most friendly way the ill effects
that would be produced by the proposed taxation of the
Austrian funds, and recommended him to find some other
means for supplying the wants of the public treasury.
Marshal Niel has written a long report to the Emperor on
the Chassepot rifle. It is highly laudatory of that weapon,
and states that the effect obtained by it at 1,000 metres
is better than that obtained by the old rifle at 400, and
twice as good as that obtained at 600 metres, which was
the utmost limit of that piece. This report is considered in
some quarters as an apology in advance for the Minister's
refusal to assent to the reductions insisted upon with so
much pertinacity by the Budget Commission.
There seems to be no chance of a speedy termination to
the French occupation of Rome. The Sicte mentions
that the military sub-intendant has just entered into a
contract for the supply of the French Military Hospital at
Civita Vecchia from June 1 to December 31.

The Government is just now deliberating very
anxiously with regard to the elections. It sees clearly
,Hoime inaugurated by the new press and
laws it must not carnmit itself to some of
tplus abtl
iue nmd ee re
ttihneg
the deputies, who are too Napoleonist to be prudent. It
is therefore proposed to bring out a number of new and
less objectionable Government candidates. M. Rouher
and M. Pinard have bad long consultations on the
matter, and each ministerial supporter has been the subject
of a deliberation whose decision will affect the deputies of
more than half the departments of Prance.

A petition is being circulated praying the Senate to re-
store the elective Municipal Council of Paris. The petition
has already received several thousand signatures, and is
said to be assured of powerful support in the Corps Leg's-
latif, which seems disposed not to let Baron Haussmann off
too easily. It appears as if the actual demolition of the Boule-
vard end of the Rue de la Paix had broken the camel's
backpatience. The inability of the city of
Paris
its engagements to the Credit Foncier
tof o publicmee t
within the period of the contract, which is avowed by the
appeal to the Legislature to allow the payments to be
spread over more than double the number of years, affords
formidable weapons to the Opposition deputies elected by
Paris, reinforced as they are by provincial, or rather
departmental jealousies in the Chamber.
Cardinal Bonnechose, in the course of his speech on
education, made a severe attack upon M. She, Professor
of Medicine, for materialistic and atheistic doctrines
introduced into the lectures to his class. This
morning, at the reopening of the course, M. Stse
received quite an ovation from his pupils ; and, judging by
the police precautions that had been taken, a disturbance
seems to have been apprehended, though none took place.
Cardinal Bonnechose had, however, previously addressed
a letter to M. Troplong, stating that the professor's words
had been incorrectly reported to him, and that he had
gone too far in his strictures. The Figaro, in relating the
demonstration of this morning, adds that a number of the
students who had assembled after the class in the yard
were locked in by the
police, and that it required the in-
tervention of the Dean of the Faculty to procure their
liberation. You know that the Figaro must not be always
taken very literally.
A violent thunderstorm burst over Paris this morning.
I hear that the lightning struck the well-known photo-
graphic establishments of Nadar and of Alophe, nearly
opposite the Grand Hotel, and also a house in the
neighbouring Rue Caumartin,
but without causing very
serious damage,

I'he birth of the new prince has given immense satisfac-
tion in Russia, where, perhaps, more than in any other
country of the world, the sovereign's relations to his people
are those of a father to his family. A salvo of 301 guns
announced the event. There would have been but 31
rounds if the child had been " only a girl." The Czar has
issued a proclamation ordering that the title of Imperial
Highness shall be " on all necessary occasions given to the
new-born grard duke, our well-beloved grandson." The
infant's names are Nicholas Alexandrovitch, and he has
been inscribed in all the regiments of the guards and
hussars in which his father is inscribed. He has also been
named chief of the 65th Regiment of Infantry of Moscow,
which is henceforth to be called " His Imperial High
ness's Own." Rather an infantile commander of infantry
this.

There has beer,
a splendid review •in St. Petersburg,
which was a thoroughly gorgeous spectacle. The Czar
expressed himself well satisfied with the conduct of the
troops, and gave them fifty copecks each. Sometimes
these military
spectacles are costly affairs. A few days
ago the Emperor, on the occasion of the fete of the hussar
regiment, made
a gift of 300,000 roubles from his privy
purse to be divided amongst the superior officers and subal-
terns of the Guard on active service.
The Constitationnel confirms the statement of the Libert4
that there is serious discontent in Malta, and gives the
following account of its origin. Before Sir Henry Storks
quitted the island he raised the salary of the Auditor-
General, an Englishman, from £5OO to £6OO. The Admi-
nistrative
against this measure to the Secretary of State for
the Colonies, but ratified the decision of the late governor.
iFiiiser:o:inies' b'
foNt7lei Council,
el composed of eight Maltese, sent a
members then resigned, and as the Council is an
elective body, the election of new members gave rise to
much excitement. One of the journals declared that the
Maltese were not Abyssinians. " Sixty-five years ago we
gaveourselvesa
si ta Y to England, and a constitution
was which
beeno
treated like puppets, and
u
ght to be respected. But
of
every day things become worse." " Why," adds another
paper, " does England always send us governors who
a tgranted
n years
ted to v
o u tl
pocket their salary of £5,000 for doing nothing? There
aro Plenty of other nations who would gladly take
charge of Malta. Let us endeavour to get rid of our pre-
sent oppressors." The Constitutionnel acids that England
takes no notice of these complaints, for she has eight regi-
ments in the fortress and a squadron in the port of La
Valetta. "Nevertheless, the English journals, so prodigal
with their advice to other Governments, should advise their
own to give some attention to the intellectual situation
of the Maltese population, deprived of schools and
given up to idleness, and consequently to pauperism.
There is only one opinion in Europe as to the miserable
state of the lower classes in the island of Malta."
Sir Roderick Afurchison sends some more letters to the
Times, touching the latest prosecution of the Ex-Governor
of Jamaica. The first is from the Hon. H. N. Addington,
who considers that the proceedings are now assuming the
character of a "persecution," and encloses a cheque for
£5O in aid of the "Defence Fund." In the next place,
Mr. Hamilton llume, the hon. sec. of the fund, calls
attention to the statement in Mr. Buxton's recent letter
that "it is notorious that sums vastly beyond all possible
costs are at his (Mr. Eyre's) disposal." lie asks what
right that gentleman had to make such an assertion,know-
ing full well that it would have been impossible for Mr.
Eyre to meet the expenses of the civil and criminal
prosecutions but for the generous aid of the public. " The
object," says Mr. Hume, " is to prev'ent the public sub-
scribing to assist the late Governor of Jamaica. It
remains to be seen whether such tactics will succeed."
The third communication is from Mr. J. Humphry, who
calls upon the public to come forward to defend the man
" who saved our colony," and who " should he held up to
every colonial governor as an example, not as a reproach."
At the same time he encloses a cheque for £3OO, by way
Of counterbalancing the £3OO sent by the hon. member for
EaSfeßnrreY towards the exPcPc§ 4f thci