New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-02-26
CITIES ON THE SEINE.
TOPICS IN ROUEN AND PARIS.

| PARIS Ian 3l-The Seine considered from .
| commercial point of view, is unique among rivers.
| AT its mouth Is Havre which though seaport ana
| the second commercial city OF France, mas
slightly smaller population than Rouen, eigh'y'
eight kilometrrs inland; with Paris the iargess
capital on the Continent, 40 kilometers hignes
I'D It would be much the same II on the hudson'
| New-York, BROOKLYN, jersey City ana Tue snSneI
cities which surround the metropolis were 10 c'ahso
places with Albany, and Poughkcepsie were 70
ouintuple her present population But my oolecs
in referring to this curious reversal OF the Datur%
order of things is to call attention to Rouen, city
destined TO be of greater interest 10 America IN the
near future than il is at the present moment. Moss
Americans know especially if they have travelled IN
| Northern France that R0uen IL famous ior i's
| Gothic cathedral and as being the spot where tho
| Maid of Orleans was burned; but few are aware OK
! the fact that it is the fourth commercial city OK
France; that-so Captain Chapman, the Engi'sn
| Consul informs melt is the second for BRUSH
trade; that ships of 900 tons can now come np
the river its quays--ii Nr. Powell, the president
OF the Tribunal of Commerce. is not mistaken; ana
lastly that the energetic Society for the Defence or
the Interests of the Valley of the Seine hopes ero
| long TO render it possible for the largest ocean
| steamers to do the same This plan TO make the
! ancient capital of Normandy seaport, II the ex-
preston may be permitted is Of considerable I'M
pOrtance to America. for when that dag arrives tho
| two million and more people of Paris will live on
! American meat aud the proposed steamship
| line between Rouen and New-Oreans will become
| fact; the Southern Pacific Railroad, which has JUST
been completed and which links the Pacific coast
with the Gulf. will make 1t possible To send CALI
fornia grain into the heart OF France and Southern
cotton will be shipped the doors of the factories
of Normandy the centre of French cotton manu-
features.
A few DAYS ago went down to Rouen, two hours
ana half by rail from Paris, to banquet gwen
by the society already mentioned IN honor OF NJ.
| Yauthier. an eminent French engineer. who mas
made a special study OF The improvements necessary
to open the Seine to ocean steamers Senators.
Deputies journalists merchants, all the leading
personages of Rouen, and indeed OF Normandy, wero
seated around two long tables and If Their acts
| are to be Judged by their enthusiasm, it will net
| be many years before ROuen will become a second
Glasgow. Mr.. Rhodes, the Untel States Consul at
Roucn and Minister Morton, were both invited TO
the banquet. but the former absent from the
city and the latter was detained at Paris. Mr.
Morton. however has promised 10 visit kouen III
the spring with his family, and Judging from re-
marks let fall in the banquet-hall predict that he
will have a very hearty reception. Rouen has
strong sympathy for America. which her principal
merchants, in view OF the approaching enlargement
|
! ing
| | had the pleasure of meeting VI. Alexandra
| Dumas a few DAYS ago at his hotel IN the Avenue
! yilliers. and the conversation falling upon tho
awarding or rather the non-awarding, OF the prize
| for the hes; work on The Woman Question"
| established ut the French Academy some live or six
years ago by Mrs Botta, of New-York asked NJ.
Dumas for some information on an episode which
created no little comment last summer both here
| and in the United States. SWELL, said Inc
| amable Academicau tie books sent in for tho
| competition were referred to me to report upon. L
considered the little volume OF NJ Leon Richer, ono
| of our radical publicsts and reformers' 10 ne tho
hest though knew it would not pass muster, as
the Academy, by its very nature, must be old
fashioned. And then. too, the title. La Femme
| IibreJ WAS enough to condemn IL in the eyes or
nv colleagues | wrote out my report the night
before but when LAID it before the company It
was voted down. | the only one who stood by
| it even Legouye against me-"
| Curiaus to see this Report of the author of Les
| Femmes aui Tucnt ct les Femmes qui Votent," L
have been to considerable trouble to unearth it in
the archives of the Academy, for not having been
accepted it has never been published. he docu-
ment is long ably written and is n vigorous attack
upon the lamentable position of French women
under the Code Napoleon. The report closes with
these words: "The parallel established by NJ.
Richer between America and France is another
reason why his book should receive the Botta prize
Evidently Mrs. Botta. an American citizen. proud
of the situation enjoyed by her sex IN her own
country, would like to France follow America
in hese wise and useful innovations. She asks our
opinion: we might have refused TO give IL, but we
havc not done So We have evidently had our
reasons for SO doing perhaps our regrets. We often
very Justly invoke the authority of Madame do
| dofM tn
two celebrated women were alive. we would not
think o giving them a seat among us. We have
probably been struck 10y this contradiction, this
iniuStice and we must have said To ourselves: liz
woman is mans equal in Intelligence aud virtue.
why may she not also be his egus l" s Whs1 N Inc
Fenmes qui Tuent ct les Femmes qui Notcnt ap.
peared. more than a year ago, people SAID, Bus
Dumas is jester" This modest Report pigeon
hoed at the musty old Institute, proves that Dumas
is more in earnest than tho puolic magues. Be-
fore leaving this snbjsct may repeat here 9nes;
! t,nn that has been put TO me by several liberal
F t'Dm why hasn't Mrs. Botta protested
against the action of the Academy last summer in
The non awarding of the PrlX BottaT One gen.
tlcman told me he understood that Mrs. Botta was
deadl n. u ,.. ,,;,, y Tho MI.
Of NJ Charles Bigot of the &Ihme Steele, one OF the
hest conservative Republican journals of Paris, and
the daughter of the American artist hsaly. has
recently published, in the Rerae P0hnque es
Lineroirc the little blue Review, which Is grow
ing IN influence every year and IL already the most
important French periodical alter the famous kerae
dcs De,.r MOndes a complimentary crifiqne OF tho
Am,rco- european ronances of HOwels aud Henry
Lanes who are thus introduced 10 the French pub.
lie which has to be frequently reminded that all
the worlds nOvests do not live III Paris. Bnt, ny
the way, HowelIs and James are not to have ~, tila
in the next number of the Rerue des DeaJ Mondes %
short story, "LAbbe Constantine" IN which tho
chief actors are Americans, and especially american
women of the Paris colony, and OF winch 'he Hofai
Is the old, Old one in the eyes of Foreigners W.,
that all Americans are made OF money; ,s;n,
Though President Angel, who has bren spending
two or three weeks here, will probably arrive nc
Sew-York before this ietter-he was to sail last
Stnrdav-it 10 not late TO record how SURPRISED
.nat ranv Frenchrnen were TO learn that be and