The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1869-05-07
PARIS LETTER.
CORRESPONDENCE of the Richmond Dispatch.
PARIS, FRANCE, April 81, 1862.
THE "BELGIAN QUESTION"

nearly On the tapis, and notwithstanding
all sorts of assurances" that no difficult
flea were in the way, the real point at issue,
the concession of the Belgian railway to a
French company, is at present where it was
in February last. NJ. F,ere- Orban. the
special envoy from Brussels, dimes every
where and as much as one pleases, but he
refuses all concession, and in guarding his
railways he maintains q non PoSSamhS
worthy of tho Pope himself. 1t will be q
serious check to French diplomacy If the
misunderstanding cannot be arranged.
France has "her back up" respecting the
affair, and must not be " stroked the wrong
way" The failure to discover an honors-
| BILE solution for all parties would quickly
cause q fall in the political barometer. The
French Minister of War is all ready. He
has coo, 600 men under arms, the srsenals
are filed to repletion, the geldiers have q
stock of shoes that would suffice them to
travel over all Europe, and q week can
bring them to the frontier. "Would it
were bedtime, Hal, and ell vas WE'LL"
TIE EMPEROR 20
completed his sixty-frst year on Tuesday.
l cav him on Saturday last as he rode down
the lines of the troops, which were being
reviewed in the Court of the Tuilieries, and
never observed him look better. He was
fresh-hed none Of that csre-worn express
sion which six months ago gave rise to SO
many anxious surmises. He rode his
charger with ease, and seemed in the best
of spirits and full of energy. II q bu de
peau de la tontaine de Jouvence. He feels
certain of the elections. He has rallied
public, opinion to him by the excuses Of
some Of those Jecobin rtiinions, and his
letter recommending that the vieuE debris
of the, army of the First Empire be pen
sioned,-some 20, 900 soldiers-so IS to give
each brave not less than $50 francs a year,
has added to his popularity. Some, Of
course, say it is an election dodge. BE it
what it may, the poor old soldiers wanted
it, and, with Sancho PaDza, We won't look
the gift horse in the mouth. ~
The Emperor, it is said, intends placing
on the Arc.de-Triumphe q group represent
ing the apotheosis Of his uncle. I was
about abiding to another army-40,O0O
strong that required a reoommendatory
letter to the Minister of Finance-of ano-
ther edi6ce that wanted its C0urOnnement.
I refer to the poor teachers of the national
schools, whose claim Of two and q half mil
lions of francs, to be added on the " e5,i.
mates" supplied by the Minister of Public
Instruction, was somewhat ignominously
rejected by the Chamber during the week.
A note has just appeared, however. in the
Journal 0ficiel promising that this most
useful, but most underpsid, class Of public
servants will be remembered in next years
h,l-a& ILL., E~-o~or 10, lava hnra n 0ar0
popular act, and M. Durny, the Minister Of
Public Education, is also entitled to thanks.
This Minister, fttingly called the Hsus-
mann of public instruction from his many
and great reforms, is deserving well of the
country. His acts are better than his quiet,
modest, melancholy elcquence.
~ rs ANOTHER GOOD REFORM
has been promised by the Minister of the
Marine namely, the intention of the Gov
eminent to grant to the colonies the right
of having, and electing by universal suf-
frage, municipal councils. By-and-bye
they will be authorized to return deputies
to the legislative assembly, as did Algeria,
before the coup d. ctat. One Of the great
causes of the ill-working Of the French
colonial system is attributable to the pre-
ponderance of the military element in the
| Administration. One Of the most enter
tanning debates on the estimates was that
Econnected with the navy. The Minister is
Admiral Rigault-de Genouilly, the best
dinner-giver in Paris after Baron Hauss-
MAINLAND whose parties Why, there is
not q pretty lady in Paris but would I" brain
you with her fan" il you limited q fault
or hesitated dislike. Well, this " old salt
has the very exact resemblance to q priest
what be most dislikes. His hair is long
and falls on his shoulders, and he is but
toned up to the chin. he defends his budget
like q Peter the Hermit. He delivers his
close, trenchant arguments as he would his
arguments from the quarterback. He lite
rally "runs down" his antagonist-mss-
sacres, pulverizes him-and when he at last
Subsidies" he never fails to signal his
l%ieutenants to " ram "-the enemy. He said
to the GROWERS that he would carry out ell
their reforms and experiments if they
voted him the necessary millions to do so.
Il ELECTIONS =.
still occupy all attention. The Chamber is
rapidly getting through the budget, and
millions are being voted with q auickness
sufficient to produce q vertigo. Prince Ma
poleon has at last set out on q voyage to
Italy, Dalmstia, "Nova Zembla, or the
Lord knows where,'' SO as TO be away
during the elections. The opposition are
becoming 80 d~isorgsnized that if their dis
putes continue the party will soon be no
where. Their members are divided, have
no cohesion, and each desires to be o Caesar.
No wonder the ~Bonspartists are in high
feather.
BISMARCK.
Some journals, which constitute them
selves 9 kind Of police de sdretf, discern in
the summer exercises Of Bismarck's troops
preparations for war. But in fact Germany
is only doing the same as her neighbors-
getting and keeping ready. 1t ia rumored
that the relations between Berlin and St.
Petersburg are not 60 intimate as hitherto,
and that the Gear ia more inclined to firt
with Francis Joseph than King William.
1t appears that . number Of Saxons resi-
dent in Dresden have sent in their. claim to
receive the benefit of the Emperor's letter
according q pension to the soldiers Of the
First Empire. As they have made good
their claims, and have had them allowed
for tine Saint Helena medal, it will be Curl
Gus to see how their lei demand will be
met. II their example should be followed
by the Bavarians and Poles, who also did
Napoleon the First good service, there is
nothing left for Napoleon the Third but to
command the putting upon the market Of
fresh loan.
SPAIN.