The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1852-05-05

Of Sale Napoleon. and the Place Carrousa that of
Place Napoleon.
| never hear the name of M. Arnaud without an
rrepressibe inclination TO laugh at incident of
which he was the hero last summer. You remem-
Der that during six months of the year there is
m.weekly balloon ascension from the Hippo
drome--on Thursdays and Sundays. When The
President went to Dion, to be present at the 80
lemn opening of that section Of the Lyons railway,
the blessing OF Heaven invoked by number
OF priests upon whole cohort OF locomotives
drawn up together upon parallel tracks. The idea
occurred 10 NJ. Arnaud that it would be most
capital thing to get his balloon blessed, too! The
asking Of the Divine protection upon its adventu
rous pate might pcrhaps shield it from disaster,
and collect a mighty crowd within the Hippo
drome to witness the laying on of hands-whereat
the treasury would rejoice. SO he wrote to the
Archbishop of Paris making known his desires,
and requesting, if perfectly convenient, the pre-
sence of Il detachment OF the metropolitan clergy
to perform the unctuous ceremony But the bal
loon was never blessed. though it has been much
nearer to heaven than any of the Dion locomo-
lives.
l wrote you in my last Of the mission contlded TO
M. Quentin Bauchart in the southern departments.
During the fortnight we have regular accounts OF
his proceedings, and Of the pardons extended to
the political prisoners of December. have no rea-
| son to change the opinion that have already ex-
pressed upon this subject The increasing prod-
gality with which the Prince President's clemency
is showercd upon all who seem to fall In its way, s
stronger proof OF the innocence OF the prison.
ers, or Of the vague and insufficient proof upon
| which they were condemned. Saturday, for in
stance, we received Geographic despatch Civ
ing the details of nj Baucharts Jail delivery at
| Toulon. In Fort Lamalque were confined two
hundred and seventy nine individuals, sentenced
to transportation by the military tribunal of the
department of the Bases Apes for arsenic guillo-
tinstic, and other like virtues. III. Bauchart
looked over the evidence, informed himself little
of who the prisoners were, what had been their
previous course of life, &c, &c, and then set
two hundred and sixty Of them free! And such
has been nearly the ratio of the liberated to the
whole number imprisoned throughout Southern
France. 1t is useless call this clemency; for if
the men deserved transportation, il is stark mad
ness to let them loose again upon society. General
Caurobert in the Central Department, and Colonel
Espcnasse in the western, have been also proving
the extent Of their ability, that If Louis Napoleon
has forced himself to be accepted as the saviour oil
civilization, 1t has been by deeply calumnatng
the country, and representing its civilization as
seriously, dangerously compromised.
We learned by the late mail from India that the
inhabitants of Isle Bourbon, no had at that time
intelligence from France down to last October had
been eecting delegates to the late National Assem-
bly,, and had actually also held Presidential
election, in which M. Louis Napoleon BonapaIte
received msjority Of the votes, in spite OF the con-
sttution Of lS4S, which made the President ineli-
gible to second term. The delegates elected were
to start for Marseiles by the very next packet and
have probably learned ere this, at some one OF the
way stations, that France has once more changed
her institutions, and that the constitution under
which we happen to be living at the present mo-
ment considers colonial and Algerian representa-
tives very much below par, and refuse TO have any
thing whatever to do with gentlemen who have
sprung from universal suffrage beyond the sea.
The corporation Of grocers of this good city have
Of late been agtating question TO which may
give the name Of " the carly closing movement 7"
Until within few years the retail grocers hava
shared with the apothecaries and cigar sellers the
obligation to remain open throughout the year,
Sundays and holidays and all, from carly morning
| until ten O'Clock at night. In summer evenings il
often happens that not an ounce Of brown sugar or
a stick of barley candy is sold after seven; and,
while the rest of the city is amusing itself upon the
Boulevards or at the Champs Elysees, the wretched
| grocer is stuck fast behind his counter, burning
gas and candles to no purpose, and wasting his
substance in the interest OF an ungraeful people.
During six nights of the week they are willing to
endure what they cannot cure, but vigorous effort
is being made by one. half Of the fraternity to in
duce the other TO shut their doors 1T sunset Sun
DAYS and holidays. The latter half are naturally
reluctant, because of the hap. hazard custom that
may be attracted to their ts in consequence Of the
closed shutters Of their brethren and the dimnu-
ton Of the supply But they likely TO yield in
the end, and to be forced into the enjoyment Of a
few hours' fresh air on that soyenth day Of hal
lowed repose from toll.
The late simultaneous arrival in Paris Of two
American mails, which left the United States three
days apartthe first by the Niagara, and the second
by the Pacifc-hss Gale ed forth from the Debos some
very complimentary remarks upon the thorough
whipping the Collins shps have given the vessels
of the Cunard line. This IL the more remarkable,
rs Paris being interior city, and the seacoast
miles and mics below the horizon, the people feel
but little interest In the chronicles Of the ocean,
and the editors rarely alludo 10 them. but
during the past year, and especially during the
winter, the supremacy Of the American line has
been 80 marked, tina, NJ. Berth went little out Of
his way 10 give II passing notice.
The Garden Of Plants has been enriched within
all parts Of the world-such a rhinOccros from
| Morocco; a lion and two cube, male and female,
| from the vicinity Of Constantine; genet. porcu
pines monkeys, dromedares, garellcs, an ostrich,
and several eagles, from othe- parts Of Algeria;
n lama or two from South America; a bull with
out HORNS and n wild boar from China wbose belly
drags upon the ground as he walks; and, lastly,
merino sheep, whose tail, in the mos, bushy part.
10 fifteen inches through.
The sale by auction Of the fret portion Of Louis
Phirppe's library has just been concluded, havin z
occupied twenty seven dsys, and having produced
$50, 900 froncs. IL has been attended throughout
by the agents Of the Emperor Of Russia Of sevorsl
rich American antiquaries, Of English lords. and
OF the British Museum. The prices paid were gen.
orally high, ns very many Of the works sold we're
in black letter, and consequently the only copies
in existence La Croniqlis Francoyss, composed in
rhyme by order of Francis and written with the
pen upon vcum, and forming five volumes folio,
brought a. so francs. The history Of the roy P0ce-
forsf the most ancient and curious rhivalric
chronicle in existence, printed in 1878 at Paris,
comprising sir folio volumes, sold for 900 fr.