New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1858-04-27
AFFAIRS IN PARIS.
From Our Own Correspondent.

We had grand public fete here last Mond'y'
on the OCCASION of the opening OF the new bou'e.
ward de Sevastopol. Novel in its hind, tas lete OF
streets and sewers wss for ell that met the eye as
brilliant and entertaining Feast Of Eagles, Feast
of Reason, Feast of Pixies, any other IN the tohs
catalogue Of Partisan public pomps, aid ven
worth thinking and talking about lite. oucn
his Msesty's opinion, at least, and / don't mind
SAYING that agree with him. He was present aud
made speech. He came on horseback with good,
free shooting space between him and sPencId
train of Generals, Ada, &c, the road on either
side lined with soldiers. BE returned byth Bonle-
wards, where were no soldiers. He and the En-
press, who followed in 81 open carriage, were
pree.ed-so an English friend who Was looking on
tells ne-with more than ordinary eoshuslasm by
the mas of spectators. Tie topic Of his discourse
was that plan Of "eity improvements when eA-
tends from the Bois de Vincennes 10 the Bols dc
Boulogpe. and from the Barriefe de Saint Denis to
the Barriere dEnfer. II has been greatly ex-
tended since its first conception lne woik mss
been going on for eight years, a. an immense outlay
of money its ccmpletcp, ss at present caicuiated
will REQUIRE ten years more, and on outlay
$50 coo. COO francs Of which sum 6OOOO,OOV, a
proposed BY bill now before the Legislature, shau
be paid by the nation, the rest by the city; Inc
public works and their cost are followed up by prl-
vate enterprise aud expenditure in still larger proper
tons Individuals build up faster even than the ml'
nicipaiy tears down, and are fast filling up win
solid elegant structures the vacant lots that were so
numerous few years ago in the newer quarters OF
the town 1t is almost impossible TO convey To
stranger or 10 any one not recently familiar with
Paris correct notion of the material changes that
have recently taken place. The foreigner who ar
rives here to-day would find city map of lS45 as
poor guide for his town walks, as achart OF Europe
before 1889 for his Continental tour.
American urbiculture has produced certain new
seedlings that for mere size, luxuriance and rapid
ty of growth are unsurpassed; but the Paris varl-
ETY., if it has not covered quite as much ground as
the wonderful productions of our new Western soil,
has spread remarkably and at the same time is solid
and Handsome From 1882 TO 1857, inclusive, l,165
houses have been pulled down in carrying out the plan
of public works; private enterprise during the same
period, has constructed over $4,000 houses. The
high price Of rents still maintained notwithstanding
this great increase, is explained partly by the gen.
era rise in price of all saable things, and partly by
the great increase of the commercial, trading labor
ing and pleasure. seeking French and foreign popu-
ation OF the metropolis.
The prOverb says that all is not gold that gitters,
Paris-seeng in the execution of the plan referred
to above nothing more than establishment. But it
is equally true if not prOyerbia that not all gold
gitters the best of it lies in the rough and under
ground. The "pan" is sanitary as well as 9sthe-
tic Under the Boulevard, under the new Rivol,
stretches an enormous sewer, receiving from It's
branches and carrying out to the Seine all sorts OF
tributary dirtiness from one great quarter of the
town. 1t is II feet broad and IL feet high, and
some three miles long, great subterranean river
channel. Within it il an aqueduct of pure water
conducted in great iron tube, to furnish the part
of the city it trayerses. Another sewer OF similar
form, to drain of the impurities Of another part OF
the town, il now in course of construction, and
when completed will have length of 1000 metres.
Most Of the new broad thoroughfares cut through
and clear away old, narrow, sunless, alrless,
abyrinthine streets, formerly nurseries OF disease
and death. SO much for the sanitary side.
The "plan' 10 also economical in its purpose.
The demolition and construction raise IN, value OF
property; the new streets are also specially ar
ranged so as to open and shorten easy communities
ton between the different railway depOts, situate
on the outer sides of the town, and the centers of
business. Very closely connected with these is the
political military purpose Of the PLAN
Its execution began by clearing away free spaces
about the Tuieres and the Hotel de Vile, 80 that
large bodies of troops can form and act about those
two buildiDgs-he first objects Of attack for reyo-
utionaiy Pals. Insurgents will no longer be pro-
tected in their approach or in carrying on the siege
by the narrow crooked streets and high houses that
formerly closely surrounded them The new Boule-
wards are 50 many military roads, broad, straight
and nincumbered, running through the very heart
of what as respects any Government seated at the
Tuileries, has always been the heart OF the
eneny's country"-destroying the most danger.
Gus, ard giving ready access for large bodies OF
troops TO the rest of those dark street defes most
IL ii If Do al ufi md
Instructions. They also secure ready communities
ton between the center of command and the enOr-
nous new barracks of the Hotel de Vile and the
Chateau d'Eu az well as the smaller barracks and
by means of the railway, with the out-of-tOwn
garrisons.
TIE objects of this truly large plan are material
moral and potical-tO enrich, bcautify, purify ard
fortify Considered merely as plan, there is
something grand and fine in it. There is French
logic and completeness, and almost philosophical
coordination of parts, exciting the admiration like
similar qualities in their last dozen Of political
situations. If its three trst.named purposes are
successfully carried out the success of the fourth
will hardly need 10 be tested. But if poverty, ugl
ness misery and death, will still make home here,
il is hardly probable that freely communicating bar
racks and Macadpm substituted for paving stones will
prevent hard-pressed discomfort from finding it's
way again TO the sale de tr6ns in the palace. The
comfort is, that something of good has been saved
TO France out Of each of the numerous petite con.
,titutona constructed and demolished since 80, so
the new Bouleyards will continue to crafty the eye
and give currents of fresh air to future Parsians,
and the sewers will carry away their dirty water,
long after the NapoleOnic dynasty is blown, swept
or washed away by whichever fguratiye instrument,
hurricane, bosom or food the next revolution is
fguratively designated. And this else remains of
the plan-not, perhaps, the least regarded of its
ms puY sps in hq m
TO Napoleon iii. 1t Will be bis arch of triumph,
spanning the whole city.
Commercial matters, if We are to believe Iaunsy,
the best accented Of authorities ON this auhct are