The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-12-31
LIFE IN PARIS.

! PARIS, December 3, 1857.
Close Of the Hunts at Compisgne-T The Meetint
| OF the Legislative Body-Mr. DUNN. Attor
| meg GeneraI-The Money Crisis-A Deplo
,ubte Accident at the Citad1 of Vincennes-
| Madame de Wilhorst, of Ne,o York CITY
Curious Statistics-A Letter of Madame d.
Aatntenon-LiUing IN Paris-An Erampl
| Day. WV '''
TO the Editor Of the National Era:
We are without political news of moment
The time of the meeting of the international
Congress is not yet made known; and until il
IS, things must remain in -statu quo. T.
Emperor Napoleon has closed the hunts at
Compiegne for this season, and has returned TO
the Tuilleries.
The legislative body met on the 18th ultimo,
and is now regularly at work.
Monsieur Dupin, President of the National
Assembly of the last Republic, and executor of
the will of Louis Philippe, has accepted from
The hands of the Emperor the office of Attorney
General, to the great establishment of the public.
Monsieur Dupin is seventy-five years of age,
and possessed of riches. But such is the incor.
sistency of politicians.
The money crisis seems to have subsidized in
France. In Berlin and Hamburg the failures
are numerous, and it is feared that some of the
tlrst houses of those two places will yet have to
suspend. Russia, alone, seems to be free from
that epidemic; which is very natural, since she
has but little or no commerce.
On Sunday morning, the 3Oth ultimo, de.
plorable accident took place at the citadel Of
Vincennes. The interior of the butressed en-
as 81
suddenly fell in with tremendous crash, bury.
ing some twenty soldiers on guard, and several
others confined in room above, used "a a
military-correction room. OF those twenty-five,
three made their escape, and one was rescued
unhurt after remaining five hours under the
ruins. The Emperor, on hearing of the mel.
ancholy catastrophe, went to the spot to visit
the survivors, and left q sum of money with the
commander of the citadel, to be distributed
among those who had labored, with indefatiga.
BILE zeal, to release their companions in arms.
Madame de Wilhorst, from New York city,
well known to your readers, made her first ap-
pearance on the Partisan boards as the sprightly
widow of Donizetti -" Don Pasquale." She
was most favoraby received by the audience !:
and her rich and energetic voice, good school,
and fine acting, called forth repeated applause.
in which many of her countrymen present took
a lively part. 1t is reported here that her hus.
band has inherited q large fortune, making
them quite independent of the emouments of
the profession, and that her love for the art
alone induced her to go on the stage as an am.
ateur. We take the following from the Cour.
rier de Paris:
Madame de Wilhorst was very well received
She has school, and is distinguished in per.
sonal appearance, but her voice is not faultless.
When compared, however, with the vocalists of
the present day, Madame de Wilhorst would be
justified in saying, as did the Able Morellet-
Je me dedGigne quand .je me regarde, naais Re
me prise fort qmand je me compare"
La Presse recently published some curious
statistical facts in regard to Paris showing that
the comforts of life are enjoyed only by very
small number of the inhabitants of this great
metropolis. he states:
l. There are 385,242 families in Paris, of
which $4,000 occupy lodgings consisting of
two rooms, for which each family pays a yearly
ICAt VI 90 0OAAIe, Ot,UVO tdtulllcB pay from 81
to so dollars rent; $1,000 families from so to
100 dollars. The remaining 10000 families
pay over 100 dollars year, and there are Only
1902 who pay over 500 dollars a year.
2. There are about 100000 paupers in.
scribed, and about 100000 receive aims from
public institutions.
3. There are 342,52O working people of both
sexes in Paris.
4. The population of Paris consumes one
tenth of the entire production of France. A
Partisan annually consumes as much meat as
ten inhabitants Of some of the departments.
5. The amount of the revenue of the Paris.
ians is estimated at about four hundred millions
of dollars, and is obtained from three principal
sources two hundred millions. of dollars
through commerce and industry. The Gov
eminent annually spends one hundred millions
Of dollars in Paris. One hundred millions Of
dollars is derived from floating population of
about sixty thousand strangers.
The time has passed when an income of q
few thousand dsllars was q sufficient sum to
live in style, keep carriage and horses, and a
score of servants. Madame de Maintenon, in
letter dated 1878, addressed to her brother,
Count d'Aubigne, made an estimate of daily
expenses for himself and his young wife, three
coachmen, aud valet de chambre: Fifteen
pounds of meat, at five cents pound-in ali,
three francs fifteen sous two pieces of roast
two francs ten sous; wood, two francs ten sous;
bread, one franc ten sous wine, two francs ten
sous fruit, one franc ten sous candles, eight
sous; wax candles, ten sous-in all, fourteen
francs thirteen sous day, (about three dollars
For house rent, tive hundred dollars. Calcula-
ting the whole expense, it would not amount to
over two thousand dollars a year a sum scarce
" sufficient for the maintenance of very small
family aid one servant at the present prices Of
provisions. Everything has increased so enor-
mously in price, that it is incomprehensible to
me how the laboring classes exist at all, at the
present rate of the necessaries Of life.
The mode of living here, however, is certain
ly very different from that in the United States.
Several families live in one house, each occu.
plying one story. The ground floor is generally
used for stores or shops, over which comes q
half story, called the entire sole, with low cell
ings. Over the entire sole is the belle Etage, or
first floor, then the second, third, and 90 on up
to the ssansardes, (aitic;) over them are the
tdbaLierreS, or servants' rooms with horizontal