New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1876-01-08
VERSAILLES AS IT is.

iron REGULAR CORRESPONDENT OF THE TEIBUNE.l
PARIS. Dec. 18.-There is only one thing talked
about Just now in Parasitic election OF the 10 per
manent Senators. The elective process has been
going on for upward of "A week and turning out an
average of 10 names day; a day or two more will
complete the list. In the evening, on the Boule-
wards at the theaters, IN the cafes, the S0U the
paper which comes ont at nine o'clock, is pOunced
upon with extraordinary avidity You Will some
time since have received full news of tho reiterated
and i'll ito effect really very dramatic victory OF the
Left, and have moreover no warrant to examine
the political aspect of tho question But snch ques
tons have III Europe. moro than with us, PIC
turosque aspect ~ well, and of this latter IN the
present case. had glimpse the other day, which
found sufficiently entertaining. 1t was the first day
of the voting for the Senators ut the Assembly; and
repaired tn Versailles invoking dlscreetly as
foreigner may in such matter, good fortune upon
the Republican councils. II is very possible that
the proceedings IN the Assembly might not have
been found especially striking by an observer who
insists always on very novel and acute sensations
but certainly, taking one thing with another
deemed my afternoon decidedly rcmmcrative
There is entertainment enough, of a mild. misty
Winter day. in strOpg about that stately solitude
of Versailles Now that tho French legislative BODY
is permanently established there-the new Senate
Chamber has inst leen constructed. with eNtiaordi-
nary ceeIity-the melancholy of the place is littio
less intolerlblo than formerly and you may go and
enjoy its fine historic flavor with comfortable equa-
pmitY | have just been reading the fret INSTALL
nrent Of the new work by NJ. Tane, lately so aten-
lively expected" Les OIiencs dc la France Con-
tempornine'-in which he sets forth with his usual
yvidness and yigor the prodigiOus wasteiuluess oi
the manners aud customs introduced By Louis XIV.
His polnp0us architecture swallowed up millions ct
,.,ff n..s all
it is now being put may almost absolye him.
Versailles seems to have been made on pur-
nose TO offer haven of security to n Puiia-
fueut situated as the French Assembly Is
a Parliament for which the emotional character
of the population renders the national capital an nn-
safe abode Its stiffness and spaciousnes lis AIR OF
decency and dignity. all seem guarantee OF undis-
furbed deliberations. 1t had never appeared to me
before 30 have so much of this drowsy majesty.
had always been there in Summer, when the foun-
taus we've playing. the avenues green. ard the long
polished floors of the gildcd balls dotted with PARIS
hnliday-lakers or American tourists-loo&ing like
flies on horizontal mirrors But all deserted palaces
and gardens should be seenn the chill and loafess
season. Then nature seems to give them up to yOur
sympathy and they appear 10 take yon into their
confidence abridged my attendance in that musty
little red and gold playhouse in which the assembly
sits for the cake of wandering about The terraces
aud avenues of the park. The day had that soft
humid madness of which in spite of the ihyetcracy
with which Won are assured here that every biting
blast is 60, optional" aud which consequently piles
up your accumulated conviction that Ii Is Che nile
is really the keynote the oH6s as they say. of the
Paris " inter weather. The long misty alleys and
vistas were covered with soit of brown and violet
bloom which painter would have loved to repro
duce bur which poor lroser can only think Of and
sigh. As Il melts away in the fringe 81 the gray
treet0ps or dccpens in the Tcoesse5 OF th3 narrow
ing avenues IL is the most 81 arninF thing ia the
world. All the old Hebes and loTas ana hcpunes
there aTc more to q square rcd at Versailles than
in any old garden / know. and ! know, thank
heaven. great many-weIe exposing their sa'low
nuditie- as if in compliment TO the demcncy
of the weather. There is nowhere else, surely
such redundancy Of more loss chiscled
marble: it is forest of STATUES, well
as Of trees. My only complaint against tils
moldy mythology, however. Is that it is kept in a
,rle TOO Good repair; like everything el@c ia France
il is carefully odlaiRistrG There Of those
absent arms and diminished bosOms which So
abundant in Italy, and which seem 10 place rne in
communication with those departed generations in
recovery of whose familiar careSses ono may Emcy
them 60 have crumbled away. On ore e the great
shallow basins Of the fountains handful Of PEOPLE
wero trying So skate or very slcpry ice; every
one / noticed was IN lhe primary STAGE, OF skill
If there IL any amusement. however ahriti,c 20 Dee
picked NJ here il is wonderful how many person,
seem 60 have been eagerly waiting for j.. wa.
surprised, nevertheless at the skaters gt \cy5aes
Houndoring about gracefully. To learn 10 skate
requires OF all things. coniiauty of prfciice, aGd
that must be rGIs where tao Winter H. according TO
an excellent expression. not frank" I'm s0ine q
the great avenues where the clumsy oi coaches Of
the Bcurbous used So roN, Tho ltlc rci-lcggcd
soldiers o. the present Republic were lc1r'uug their
manual. Their cOrporalS wcro at them aud shifting
their mu1ets into the proper attitudes bat la spite
of all tle ugly things that lie behind it, the spectacle
looked cheerful enough in tbe watery sunshine.
Here aud there. in open places. couple of painting
conscrip.. were learning to 10 tho bugle-call The
bIeeman WAS marching them of their legs and
giving them "patterus" TO copy by. like the
flouTshes Of writing master. The T0pf fellows
were stumping along under his nose. purple in the
face with their exeriions. aud their repetition OF the
airs he had given had, indeed, many square
corners az schoolbOys f0arishes. But in the soft
impartial echo that melted away through the park,
ii seemed ~ Inc that thor notes sounded wei
his OWL.
One regards the present Assembly with an increase
If interest now that il is about 10 become hi orcal
As looked down upon the 500 not particularly
handsome or Individually impressive gentlemen whO
were chatting and edging their way about in the pit
OF the little thcator il was impossible not
10 philosophze trfe. great many foolish things
have been said there. bat one excellent thing has
been done. The Republic has been kept along the
SILVER cord has not been allowed altogether 10 loose
By hook and by crook. through thick and tln, 10y
something that seemed at times like clumsy acci-
dent The Republic has been weaDcd from babyhood