New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1892-11-06
TOPICS IN PARIS.
THE MARQulSE DE BlOCQCEvILLE-vICroR
HUGO's MANUsCRIPTS-DRINKING IN
FRANCE

The season, which was giving fair nromisa ~
being very brilliant one. has been saddcned a,
its very outset, at least 80 far as the r,uho,r,
81. GERMAN is concerned by the sudden and
most xpected death of the Marluis do ploc,u.-
Vile. Partisan society has lost distinguished
representative IN the person of the MARQUIS,
whose salon was celebrated in the word Of Lar
tefs. arr ana science Greatly admired under the
reign Of Louis Philippe, she became the friend
Of Queen Amelie and Of the Duchess d'Orle.,.
At that period she was the handsomest woman IN
Paris. She was the daughter of one of the m,s,
i!lustrious lieitcnants Of Bonaparte, Marshal
Dayolst. 10 whom she bore striking resemblance
and whose memory she worshipped up T., her
last moments. She wrote several works NJ .
mystco- philosophical character, but her chic,
literary production the volume she devoted
10 the career Of her father. She became widow
in 1853, and, although still beautiful, declined
numerous offers Of second marriage She had no
children, and lived with her neces the Duchessos
Of fcltre and D'Albuiera. She was above all a
arande dame, whose grace and elegance Joined
TO her beney0 lcnce. made her one OF the few re-
naming stars of the fashionable world in the
old Faubourg 81. German, which il fast dyinz
ont.
Her influence WIS Of the strange, captivating
ordcr-that is, above mere politics, and although
toe literary efforts of the Marquise may be looked
upon pedaniic, they exactly reflect the rare
distinction Of the writer. During the Com
mune some of the insurgents came to her man.
sion to plunder il. She came forward bravely and
pointed 10 her fathers portrait She then gave
them food and money ard sent them away.
At the end Of the Commune she not only concealed
one two Of the chiefs, but allowed them
pension One died some years ago, and the
<,.. l1x- how. thcta ti.I
for mourning the loss of his benefactress the
Royalist Marquisc De Rocquevillc.
The hotel OF the AIarquise is situated on the
Ouai Malaquas close 10 the Academy and was
the rendezvous Of nearly all the eminent persons
Of The day. Her death il an jrreparsble loss
70 the noble Faubourg, ana her celebrated Mon,
day receptions" given during so many yeare
at her town house, anciently the residence Of
Cardinal Mszarin, will be deeply missed by all.
Another blight on the coming winter, though
belonging :, an entirely different order Of things
is the fac: that the IIippodromr, which may he
fairly termed Plrisau Institution, i, about to
disappfar az the lease hereof has expired and
The land has been sold ~ building purposes OF
late years the extremity Of the Avenue Marceau
and Of the Avenue Montague nearest the river,
with the surrounding neighborhood, have become
extremely fashionable. Handsome ard costly man.
sionS have sprung up on every slle and mo
ground on which the IIippodromc stands has b.
come TOO valuable for occupation by a show Of
that kind. II is probable that the site will ne
occupied by the magnificent town residence of ono
Of the wcathirst members of the Chamber OF
Deputies The huge Hppodrome building, with
It, immense area AMI its sliding roof, was con-
struc;cd IN such manner TO take TO pieces,
and rumor SAWS that it Ray be erected somewhere
in Grcnele, near the Champ dc Mars. As
IIppOdrome for the patronage Of the better
classes. the building must bc said 70 have some
what run it, course. Nevertheless, il must Ia
acknowledged that il will be missed, for il was
favorite rendezvous for the Monde on Ton
s'amnse.T it had is might" when the fair sex
looked as il they had been subjected to a shower
of diamonds, and it was always place where
pleasant evening could be spent.
1t has been frequently stated that since the
war drinking habits have increased Ill France
10 an alarming extent In 1869, according 10
recent statistics there were 363,sio caoares, or
dramshops, in France, being one for every eighty
seven Inhabitants Since then. by reason OF the
annexation Of Alsace- Lorraine, France has lost
600 600 inhabitants. but the cabarets have in
creased to 10000. In 1850 the consumption of
alcohol was 5sj.U0O hcctolitres of alcohol, Or
IL
now risen 10 .G69.lSl hectoliIges or 4.AO litres
per head The alcohol formerly was distilled from
wine; il is ncw made from fruit and grain, tho
effects Of which on the human organism are dele
ferrous in the extreme The increased consump-
,icn Of ahsnthe is specially attended with the
most deplorAhle results. aud il is more than time
fo, the Legislature 10 interfere in order to check
the growing evil.
According 20 a decree issued by the Govern
mont the Conservators Of tue National Library
have been empowered 10 take over the addih'nal
Manuscripts Of Victor Hugo which were offered
by the family OF the poet 10 the state Inc
transfer will be shortly affected. and the institute
ZION in the Rue de- Richclicu will, therefore. soon
be- enriched by an interesting collection OF
souvenirs of the great French bard. The manu-
scripts arr OF a politcll philosophical and private
character The library already contains the mihu-
.cripts If Metre Dame de Paris the " Ml~F-
ables." Ruy Bias" the "Legcnde de' Si"el'''
the "Ortntals" and other famous works lhere
are also letters to Lamar;inc, and Eillcmain III
ono OF the epistcs j. found the following ut''-
ance about the author of Faust 4; "Ie N Anne pas
Goethe. Lhommc me- gate le poete' lhere
are likewise some drawings by victor HUGO
in ia, colection-one very finished in execution,
ronresentinr a Gothic cathedral, and another q
swis, landscape lmned at Lucerne in 1889
We IRE ~ thoroughly accustomed to regard
Algeria as part an parcel OF France that IT seems
dincult 10 realize that there are people still
living today who witnessed the planting OF tho
first French FLAG on Algerian soil, on June Ia.
1890. One OF these veterans has just died az
the age Of asNty-ave AZ DnnkiR. He formed
rart of the crew of the French maS-ot-wal
Th,ts. and il was 10 him that was infras'eu
the duty of hosting the flag in question: cere'
mouy which secured for France dependency
that, Oh the whole. has been source of einpat'
rassnent rather than benefit The cause when
led 70 the annexation Wa' somewhat humorous
ana On ,ha eve of some Mahometan festival