The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-29 00:00:00

1 nOitIESYONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(Fnom OtTR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, TUESDAY, Jan. 243.
It may surprise your readers to be told that the report
or M. Magne gave great satisfaction on the Bourse. It
did so for this simple reason, that, spite of the Army
Organisation Bill, those who read between the lines could
see that there was no likelihood of the peace of Europe
being troubled. There 15_ we are beginning to think,
nothing aggressive in either the Loan or in the Army Bill.
They mean simply this : the army of France must be the
largest and the best equipped in Europe ; the Emperor
wills it. By the way, 111. Magne has gained great credit
for the precision and explicitness of his language. It is,
perhaps, due to those qualities that his financial statement.
is one of the few that had been fully discounted on the
Bourse before it was made, and was not followed by a fall.
It is stated that small provincial capitalists will take up
the Hungarian in preference to the French loan. The
interest is very much larger, and the guarantee is con-
sidered sufficient.
The Prase concludes from M. Magne's statement that
to meet deficits and to cover projected expenses, the loan
will require ere long to be raised from 410 to 750 millions.
It is the policy of the supporters of the Empire to
attribute all the good things to the Chief of the State, and
all bad ones to his Ministers. When the ten journals wf're
condemned it was assiduously proclaimed that the Emperor
was displeased with the prosecution. I believe this alle-
gation to have been groundless, and that his Majesty
approved both the prosecution and the judgment. It is
long since a more unpopular net was committed by
any Administration. It would seem as if the in-
tense rigour of the existing press laws was being
applied to give a higher appreciation to the relaxations
which are alleged to be at hand. Meanwhile, the Emperor
is being plied by those about him who are allowed to give
advice to make his rlg brie more thoroughly in accord with
its democratic professions. He is advised of the feeling of
insecurity which pervades the country, and which, spite
of his personal popularity, cannot be allayed without
more freedom of discussion, of election, and of public
meeting. The Emperor's acts and language shew that he
regards such advisers though they may be near relatives
—as persons who do not understand his policy.
After the prosecutions of the ten journals, two amend-
ments were entered, with a view of being introduced into
the new press law, to define clearly the limits within which
the debates might be discussed by the press. It was sup.
posed that one or other of those would certainly be adopted.
A supplementary report just issued states that the com-
mission on the law has rejected both.
What freedom of election means in France has just been
exemplified at Lille. A large number of citizens requested
the Prefet du Nord to allow the candidates to meet the
electors to declare their views. This sagacious functionary
replied that it was not necessary ; it could only lead to a
useless agitation ; the opinions of the candidates were suffi-
ciently well known. Those who reason about universal
suffrage in France must bear in mind the circumstances
under which it is exercised.

According to the Libcrte, the majority of the deputies
regard the law on public meeting with growing disfavour.
They argue : It is a law against ourselves ; to vote it is to
commit suicide.

A strong .expression of public indignation has been
excited by the proposal of M. Haussmann to carry a new
street through the Cemetery Montmartre. To any civi-
lised people a ruthless proposal of this kind to disturb the
dead would be unwelcome ; to Parisians it was positively
odious. The subject was brought before the Corps
Ldgi,9.latif by Lanjuinais. Ile was listened to with pro-
found silence, and produced an unpleasant impression,
which the Government only partially effaced by giving
the assurance that the road would be carried over a viaduct
supported by arches, and that only two-and-twenty
tombs would be interfered with.

An act of disrespect to the dead is attributed to the
Russian Minister at Vienna, which is almost incredible'
It is stated that in the evening after the funeral of Maxi-
milian—when every outward respect was being paid to his
memory by the citizens of Vienna—the Russian Minister
held a reception at his hotel almost immediately opposite
the very doors of the convent where Maximilian was in.
terred.

We have the assurance of Prince Gortschakoff that the
" Eastern crisis " is not to be precipitated. He has in-
structed Russian diplomatic agents abroad to proclaim
that Russia will " under present circumstances do every-
thing in her power to avoid an explosion." There is a
growing Opinion here that the Turkish question is settling
itself, and that Russian influence over the Christian sub-
jects of the Porte is on the wane, and Western influence
increasing daily.
A capital retort is attributed to Prince 'Michael of
6ervia. France, Austria, and England united in remon-
strating with him on his warlike preparations. The Prince
replied that he had been compelled to arm in view of the
large armies that were being raised by the great Powers
of Europe. What could France say to that? The Sultan
is about to place an army of observation to keep a look-
out on Servia, Montenegro, and Herze,govina ; so we help
Turkey with our advice, and hinder her with our example.

The Exposé Succinct of the Army Law is attributed to M.
Dumas, senator, and member of the Institute. Airopos
of M. Dumas, author, a weekly paper states that he has
earned with his pen over 19,000,000 L—that is to say,
upwards of £760,000. Romancers often write with gold-
pointed pens in Franco. Somebody asked Dumas what
way he had taken to get through so much money. "Oh 1
several ways," be replied, laughing. His friend knew that
with him it had been " lightly come, lightly go."
The King of Greece is in luck. According to reports
from Athens, the Emperor Napoleon has made him a
present of two batteries of rifled cannon ; and a Belgian
banker has offered to negotiate for him a loan of £1,000,000.

According to a correspondent of the Indepenclance Beige,
Lord Clarendon has returned from his tour in Italy,
including the Neapolitan provinces, with the firm convic-
tion that the immense majority of the intelligent popula-
tion of the country are devoutly attached to the principle
of national unity. A return to the former state of affairs
is, he considers, impossible.

Political feeling runs very high in Italy. A few days ago
two of the deputies-1V and Assanti—came to blows
in the Palazzo Vecchio, a large room in the very precincts
of the Chamber. The quarrel originated in violent asper-
sions on the Right by Nicotera, and it was settled by a
duel with sabres, from which Nicotera receded with a severe
cut on the head. No importance can be attached to the
rumours current in Paris of an intended coup d'aat in Italy.
Similar rumours have been promulgated scores of times
before.

The Post states that the letters of some of the English
statesmen who are staying in Italy express a certain want
of faith in the political prudence of the Italian people.
This is said to go so far that, with reference to the Eoman
question, the position cf the Cabinet is undergoing a
change which may probably open new prospects of success
to the French project of a Conference.
The people of Vienna are delighted with the last
evidence which has been given of the triumph of consti-
tutionalism in the empire—the submission of the Com-
mandant-in-Chief to the Minister of War. Archduke
Albert, the victor of Custozza, is subordinated to General
Kuhn, the Minister of War. The War Office was sup-
posed to be the last region into which the new ideas could
penetrate.

The treaty of commerce between Austria and the Zo11•
verein is expected to be concluded at Berlin shortly. Mean-
while Austria and Prussia have renewed their conjoint
efforts to extort a treaty with Russia. Her tariff is a great
drawback to the commerce across the frontiers.

Count Apponyi, the Austrian Ambassador at the Court
of St. James's, is expected in London in the course of a
few days. His Excellency has been in Italy on a visit to
his daughter, who was recently married to a Prince
13 orgh ese.
An attempt is to be made to repress the abuse of freedom
of speech in the Prussian Chambers. Several members of
the Upper House have introduced a project of law which
would render an offending orator who could not be other-
wise pursued liable to be prosecuted before a special court,
formed of members of the Chamber. The action might be
commenced by the person injured, by the Chamber, or by
the Public Prosecutor.
•

It is announced that Lord Hobart, whose controversy
with " Historicus" has at length come to a close, is about
to proceed to Constantinople, where he was some years ago
'sent as commissioner to inquire into the state of Turkish
finance, in the capacity of resident director of the Otto-
man Bank, with a salary of £3,000 a year.
The London correspondent of the Manchester Guardian
states that committees of the Cabinet on whom the duty
devolves of preparing and elaborating, the measures to be
submitted to Parliament sit daily. It is believed that the
details of the Government plan of education have not yet
been determined on. The prudent minority who would,
without convictions, but from clew--!ighted views of
party policy, go with the times in favour of a con-
siderable expansion of the existing system, have hard
work of it to bring the majority of their col-
leagues to reason and the abandonment of their
old prejudices. It is understood that nothing will be
proposed this session regarding Ireland involving any risk
of political discussion among the Conservatives, with
whom Lord Stanley's speech at Bristol is taken for a
pledge that, whatever changes may ensue in the Adminir.
tration, he will adhere to his paternal faith. Without
some confession on his part, it was felt that he could not
hope to take the lead of the party on his father's resigna-
tion—an event which, it is generally thought, cannot be
very.l9;ig deferred