, 1865-01-19

1ltical.
From Our Special Correspondent
Paris, Tuesday, Dec. q, 1881.
TIE arc in mid-winter and experiencing az
sharp touch Of frost as is often met with in
this portion Of Europe. The Thermometer
marks ten degrees Of cold, OF fourteen dcerees
Fahrchneit. The basins In our public gar
dens, the lakes in the Bois do Boulogne. haya
long been bound up in ice and covered with
groups Of skaters, The Seine, after sending
down its floating blocks for some days past,
has now been fairly brought to stand still
bJ tia chill blasts from The North, and will
be trasersaRle in another four and twenty
bours, II this nipping Temperature lasts Is
long. But we arc as yet without SNOW; the
sun shines brilliantly, and the Parisians ase
enjoying to tho full this seasonahlc Christmas
weather. The principal Boulevards are now
lined throughout with the gay stalls of am
bulatory merchants, who are allowed BIZ the
corporation and the police to set out their
tempting small wares in this fashion, for a
week previous to and a. week nftcr New
Years day, for the cdiicalion Of children and
those whose pockets arc not equal to more
e5psps've ps4 This T9SrG is
Comfort and plenty among tho labor
ing classcs, and all seem able to spend
iriGe upon The little Injuries and amuso-
ments Of the season. Wages arc high. work
abundant, aud money plentiful. Tradc is
brisk in the capital, aud the accounts from
Lyons, and even from the manufacturing ci-
ties Of tue north, are more favorable linn
could have been expected from TIC state Of
things only year ago. Looking oyeF some
Customs returns which have been lust NIB
lslcd, sec that tue entire commercial more
mcnt Of the French Empire had reached. for
the Year 1850. the handsome figure Of nearly
seycn 1nll1iards Of francs, that Of Great Britain
than nine aud 4 half millards Of the sa1ne cur
rency. This looks like rivalry indeed. The
Increase on.the previous year IS53) is stated
at eight hundred and fourteen millions. But
If the four previous years be taken together.
the increase Of French commerce oyer that
period, despite the enormous deficit created
BY the troubles in America, represent yerY
nearly so per ceut. For the year in question.
lsG3, these same returns, only just now com.
pletcd, show that very nearly four-dflhs Of
the exports and Imports Of French commerce
must be set donn to the account Of Europe,
viz. ,s5G millions Of the former, and a,3S5
Of the latter. The American continent,
m the contrary, eyen including the small
French colonies, only counts for nine hundred
md forty millions In the traffic Of the French
:mpire. A remarkable feature In these re-
.urns is the immense increase Of French ex-
ports to England. Within the five years an
.ccedent to 1863, these have advanced from
Sc 600 GOO to ,0i0 900; and thc entire traffic
between the two countries for 1868 is set down
ut ], ,732 600, It is evident that France is i'm
b!bing taste for commercial enterprise and
speculation, which is likely to make her pco-
ferc with the adairs Of other nations, or dis
tuEb in any way the peace Of the world.
I find amongst men uf business a very
gloomy estimation just now taken Of the
aspect OF affairs In Spain. No one seems to
know precisely what tie late speech Of the
portyud. People who are much involved in
Spanish transactions, commercial OF financial,
10 not conceal their uncasiness, though, they
hardly lnow on what grounds it rests. There
is general anxiety on the subject, and a
great desire to know what measures will bc
regards St. Domingo and other matters.
The people Of Italy are coming to Tue finan-
cial assistance of their government in man
ner which would not he unworthy even of
American patriotism. The Minister Of FL
naucc asked for prepayment vi the direct
taxes Of 1865. The city Of Turin has at this
mc,aent Paid in advance the entire sum due
from lis position Of capital. AT Palermo, the
brokers lave contributed the entire amount.
Eye.yN hele tho same readiness has t,een dis
played to come to the assistance of the COM
mon country.
The -Nonitrnr renominates NJ. Troplony
President OF the Senate, in anticipation Of the
approaching session Of the Legislature. The
Emperor las appointed N. Cont, a Corsican
Deputy, to be his private secretary, in the
place of Il. Afocquard. The grand receptions
for the morning OF the Tour de IAN are m
nonncrd. Alas! no American Minister will
b. Il ere TO rcpres. Mt The Government Of The
United States!