The Sun.
London, England, 1868-06-30 00:00:00

IJORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS:

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, MONDAY, June 29,

The Imperial family are passing a quiet time at Fon-
tainebleau. The live quite en famine, and take frequent
drives into the forest. Last week they dined in the open
air. The Prince Imperial is pursuing his studies regu,
larly. Yesterday the Empress received the committee of
a local horticultural society, who presented her with a
basket of the most beautiful flowers and the choicest fruit.
The rose-growers of Brie-Comte-Robert are going to pre-
sent her Majesty with some of their finest roses.
The France, which is very often incorrect in its state-
ments, gives a list of diplomatic changes which are about
to take place. They are chiefly among the secretaries
of the various legations, and I will not trouble you with
all the names. I- may mention, however, that M.
Gobineau, our Minister at Athens, is going to Brazil, and
that M. De St. Ferr6ol, now first secretary at Washing-
ton, is going to take the same post in London.
The Etendard to-day gives a formal denial, in its largest
type, to the various statements which have appeared during
the last day or two respecting the elections. This denial is
only another instance of the disagreement which exists
between the semi-official journals. It was the semi-official
Patrie and the Pays which told us that the prefects had
come up to Paris, and that the question of the elections
had been debated in the Council:; and it is the semi-official
Etendard which denies these statements. With these dis-
agreeing doctors, what are we to do or believe? I have
very little doubt that the question at issue has been
discussed. If it is not still under consideration
I fear that the inference must be that the Emperor is not
sufficiently assured of peace abroad to enter upon the
electoral campaign at home. He is said to have expressed
great satisfaction at the progress made by the troops at
Chalons. His exact words have not reached us, but 1
have no reason to suppose that they had any political
importance. Meanwhile, the Imperial yacht Aigle has
been ordered to get ready for sea, and it is supposed that
Napoleon means to make a trip somewhere, but where we
do not know.

The seizure and the prosecution of MM. Picard's and
Favre's new journal L'Electeur has produced a very bad
effect. The article which has given offence is entitled
" Grandes manceuvres electorates," and is written by M.
Jules Ferry. The conductors of the journal are accused
of exciting to hatred and contempt of the Govern-
ment. Even the semi-official France expresses regret
at this procedure on the part of the Government so soon
after the passing of the new press law. The editors of the
Etecteur announce that they will republish their first
number (excepting the incriminated article) with their
second, so that their readers may not be deprived of it.
At a recent meeting of the Academy of Sciences twe
medals were presented to MM. Mathieu and Dupin, tc
commemorate the 50th anniversary of their election,
Claude Louis Mathieu was born in 1783, and was about sixty
years ago attached as astronomer to the Observatory and tc
the Bureau of Longitude. In 1809 and 1812 he obtained
the Astronomy Prize, founded by Leland, and in 1817 he
succeeded Meissier in the Academy of Sciences. He
married the sister of Francois Arago, and followed hie
brother-in-law to the political stage, and became a mem-
ber of the Constituent Assembly in 1848. Since then he has
given himself up to scientific work. Baron Charles Dupin
was born in 1784. Be was a sailor, and engaged in the
great war with England at the beginning of the century.
He took a very prominent part in politics at the fall of
the First Empire, at the revolution of 1830, and at that of
1848. He was an advanced and consistent Liberal. Scien-
tifically he is known by his works on political economy.
The biographical notice of him in Vapereau occupies nearly
two pages. He is the brother of the still more celebrated
Andrd Dupin, who was born in the year before Charles.
I am sorry to say the Comte de Montalembert has had
another attack of illness at his scat, 11oche-en-Br6my,
Cote d'Or. Your readers are, no doubt, aware that this
illustrious writer has long been suffering from bad health.
The number of ships totally lost on the French coast
last month was 171, 84 of which were English, 35 Ameri-
can, 13 German, and l 2 French.
There is some news of interest from the provinces
to-day. A vessel named the Emma, with 751 barrels of
petroleum on board, took fire in the port of Havre, and
soon became an incandescent furnace, vomiting smoke
and flame to an enormous height. Surrounding
vessels were threatened with destruction, but by great
exertions all were saved except one, which was much
charred. From Marseilles intelligence has been received
of an extraordinary series of robberies in that city.
Two or three years ago a band was formed, which embraced
the opportunity of making its debtlt one evening in an open
promenade called the Prado. Here the robbers struck
down AN ith a hammer a merchant who was taking a walk
with his wife, of course relieving him of his valuables.
Other night attacks followed, until a panic seized the
entire city. At the end of last year, again, a band of
Italians overran Provence, and some of the leaders
were ultimately arrested and executed. No salu-
tary effect was, however, produced, for shortly
afterwards the papers reported a series of garottes,
which have been renewed during the last few
days with sti 1 greater frequency. Amongst the more
sensational proceeding!, a rich merchant received a letter
demanding a sum of money (to be carried to a certain
place), an I threatening him with consequences. He took
no notice of the communication, and soon he received
a box, apparently containing a book. Fortunately,
he opened this with care, and the escape of
some grains of powder caused him to remit his present
to the hands of the authorities. The packet was found to
contain explosive material which would at least have
maimed or disfigured anyone unwary enough to ignite it.
A rich proprietor received a similar demand, accompanied
with the threat of carrying off his youngest child. Mean-
while, the police have accomplished nothing. The incom-
petency which cannot interfere with a series of crimes of
this description is something which your readers would
think strange, even in England.—A girl in the district of
Pas de Calais has been condemned to ten years' imprison-
ment for drowning her child. She had been seduced by a
magistrate, to whom fell the unenviable task of making
the preliminary inquiry. He was cunning enough to
escape compromise.

THE WEATHER TABLE.-THIS DAY.