The Sun.
London, England, 1868-02-05 00:00:00

are captured in vast numbers by the Lombard
peas ants. Larks from the neighbourhood of the
Lot, Lot et Garonne, Loiret, &c., whilst the various
species of water fowl, swans, ducks, geese, snipe, &c.,
arrive from Holland, Bretagne, Somme, and the
Bay of Arrachon. The financial estimates of
France for the coming year have been made public.
The sum required for the maintenance of the two
services, public works, maintenance of public order,
&c.,, Sze., amounting to the sum of 440 millions of
fralics, about a million and three-quarters sterling.
The, Democratic party have availed themselves of
this circumstance to make a final coup against the
proposal for the reorganization and amelioration of
the military service ; but the lovers of order will
scarcely imagine the security of the country and
the consequent re-establishment of public confi-
dence too dearly purchased at such an outlay, espe-
cially when the enormous sums are considered at
present lying idle in the coffers of the Bank of
Prance, principally from the timidity of capitalists,
which the feeling of increased security would pour
forth in a thousand channels to supply the great
arteries of commercial enterprize, and to react in
the prosperity of the country. A grand banquet
lbas taken place at Nice in honour of Admiral
Farragut, and amongst the distinguished guests
present were—King Louis the First, the Dukes of
Glucksburg and Parma, Prince Stirbey, and a host
of aristocratic names, assembled to do honour to
the American hero. A new piece has just been
brought out at the Theatre Francais, entitled " Paul
Forestier," which bids fair to create a furore in Paris.
The drama is exceedingly well put on the stage,
and the vivid colouring with which the author, M.
Emile Angier has invested the passions developed
in the course of the piece, does infinite credit to his
imagination as a poet. In its outline the play
bears a strong resemblance to the " Dame aux Ca-
melias" or " LaTraviata" of Dumas; and although in
" Paul Forestier" everything is brought right in the
end, and the curtain falls upon the triumph of con-
jugal happiness, there are certain points which I
fear would bring the drama below the standard of
morality required by an English or American
audience. A very brief outline will serve to give
the reader some idea, not, indeed, of the poetic and
beautiful language in which the plot is clothed, but
of the plot itself. Master Paul has formed a liaison
with a young lady, married and separated from her
husband, who, in respect to said husband, seems
perfectly capable of repeating the line of Byron's
heroine—

" The proof how much I can lova is, I love not thee."
The aforesaid liaison does not meet the approval of
Forestier, senior, who by a little intrigue induces
his son to believe that his mistress (Lea) is weary
of and deceiving him, and presses him to marry a
young and highly accomplished lady, who is quite
prepared to leave her convent for that sacrifice.
Paul appears to resemble _Midshipman Easy in his
younger days; you may lead him with a thread to
pick cherries, however much they may disagree
with him afterwards ; he yields, and is married
accordingly. All goes on merrily for three months,
when a certain Adolphe de Beaubourg, friend of
Paul, appears on the scene. De Beaubourg is a
sort of fop, always seeking hat the French term
les bowies fortunes, but seldom having the good
fortune to succeed. He confides to Paul that he
encountered in Italy a certain dame to whom
be laid siege for some time without the remotesb
prospect of success ; how, on a certain night,
as the clock struck twelve, she came to him
of her own accord, and on the following day he had
been turned out of doors and never since allowed
another interview ; how he has again discovered his
charmer in the shape of a widow living at Paris;
and lastly, his wish (not being over particular) to
offer her, through the medium of Paul, his hand.
Paul undertakes the office, and of course here au
explanation comes about, and the hero of the piece
finds out, first of all, the little game of his respected
parent ; and, secondly, that in her conduct towards
De Beaubourg, he has acted from feelings of jea-
lousy and revenge towards himself. Of course all
the varied feelings of old love, jealousy, disgust at
being deceived, &c., throw him once more at the
feet of his ancient mistress, who, however, resolves
for a change, to do the virtuous, and dismisses him,
favouring M. De Beaubourg with her hand, in order
to place au eternal barrier between them—a barrier
which, at the commencement, did not seem to pos-
sess any great weight in the way of opposition,
whilst at the same time Camille, the wife of Paul
to back her up, makes an attempt to kill herself,
taking care at the same time that Forestier, junior
and senior are in the way to prevent her. These
circumstances combined overawe Paul, who appears
a rather weak-minded character; he conspts to
live happily with his wife, and the curtain ?ails ac-
cording to the French press, with the final triumph
of virtue. There can be no doubt with regard to
this most attractive drama that the human passions
are vividly portrayed, that the language is im-
bued with the spirit of poetry in no ordinary degree,
that the interest is kept up from the commencement
to the fall of the curtain ; but the Parisian critics
may rest assured that if ever a translation or adap-
tation of " Paul Forestier" comes to England or
America the author will first of all have to answer
the pertinent question-
-44 Wet knows you on his moral carakter ?"

Our correspondent, writing from Naples Jan.
24, 1868, says :—The Duke and Duchess of Aosta
arrived last week. They had been long expected,
but the notice given of their actual arrival was so
short that their reception was not as brilliant as it
might have been. Besides, there is much distress
amongst all classes, and the view of a live Prince
is not enough to cheapen bread. It is to be hoped
that the Carnival gaieties of which there are plenty
in store will cause a little money to circulate.

Vesuvius continues to throw out lava, several
new streams having appeared, thus affording ample
scope for sight-seeing to the crowd of visitors.
On the evening of thel3th January certified state-
ments of the decision of the Senate pronouncing the
President's charges against Mr. Stanton unsustained,
and the removal from the Secretaryship conse-
quently unjustifiable, were served both on Mr.
Stanton and General Grant. At nine o'clock on
the following morning Mr. Stanton proceeded to
the War-office to take possession, but General
Grant had then gone to the Head-quarters of the
Army, leaving the key with his adjutant, which
was brought by an orderly to the Secretary. From
that office the General addressed to the President
the following note :--
" Head-quarters, Army United States, Jan. 14, 1868.
"His Excellency, A. Johnson, Thqsident.
" Sir,—l have the honour to enclose herewith a copy of
official notice, received by me last evening, of the action of
the Senate of the United States in the case of the lion. E.
M. &Anton, Secretary of War, according to the provisions
of an Act regulating the tenure of civil offices. My func-
tions as Secretary of War ad interim ceased from the mo-
ment of the receipt of the within notice.—l have the
honour to be, respectfully, your obedient servant,
(Signed) "U. S. GRANT, General."
It is stated that the President will decline to hold
any communication with Mr. Stanton, issuing all
military orders through General Grant, and, it
was said, but it is now denied, that Mr. M'Culloch
has ordered his department to hold no official
communication with the Secretary for War until
he states his determination. Indeed all the depart-
ments recognise the present incumbent, and the
Treasury honours his drafts. It is also announced
that both Generals Grant and Sherman have urged
Mr. Stanton to resign, but numerous members
of the Senate had written urging him to retain his
seat. After Mr. Stanton had become installed in
his office, he had an interview with General Grant.
He had -directed General Louis 11. Pelowze to take
charge of the office and resume his old place as
Adjutant-General; aad he had given instruc-
tions to his own clerks, who hal returned, while
those of the General had left ; also he had drawn his
pay, amounting to $3,000 for the period he had been
out of office.
General Butler paid his visit to Richmond on the
13th January, and was received by about 15,009
Virginian freedmen, who escorted him through the
city. In the evening he delivered an excellent ad-
dress, which was listened to with enthusiasm. He
sketched the history of the Government from 1789
to the war which ended with emancipation. He
described the effects of that measure on the status
of the blacks with force and clearness. The most