New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-06-18
TOPICS OF PARIS.
DECADENCE OF TIE FETE DIEU-AN ORIG
NAL MEMORIAL-DISEASE OF THE
SHADE TREES

| Paris June 3.
To the nconoclastic and materialist spirit that
| now prevails on the banks OF the Seine we
are indebted for the loss Of one Of the most
popular and charming holidays OF the entire
year Until a few years ago the Fetc-Dieu, or
Feast Of Corpus Christi. used to be celebrated
with great pomp and solemnity, not only the
people. but also the authorities, both civil and
| military, taking part in the ceremonies, which
| included elaborate professions of the clergy
through the streets and public thoroughfares.
| So bitter has the antagonism Of the municipal
| council here become to everything pertaining Ia
| the Church that the Cardinal-Archbishop of Paris
| realized that any attempt on the part OF his
| clergy TO parade in the streets would practically
| constitute an invitation TO riot and public dis
| turbance by the less respectable portion Of the
| population. Accordingly, Fete-Dieu passed by al
most unobserved, the majority OF the metropolitan
churches contenting themselves with celebrating
| the festival on Sunday last, instead Of on June
I, and dispensing with the major part Of the
rites and in particular with the public pro-
| cession.
| There is small cause for establishment az TINS
attitude on the part Of the municipal authorl-
| ties for sine, ten DAYS we have had "a Prcsi-
dent Of the Municipal Council-that is to say, az
principal Mayor of the metropOlis-the eX-Com-
munist leader Alphonse IIumbert, who was con-
dcmncd 70 death in 1877? for the active part
| that he took in the more sangnirary features
Of the insurrection. He was. however. fortnnat"
enough to obtain Communication OF his sentence
TO penal scrvitude in New-Caledonia. whence
| he returned on the declaration OF the amnesty
Though rough in manner. IIumbcrt Is clever
writer, and during the Second Empire colldbora'eo
with Henri Rochefort in the attacks OF the latter
on Napoleon III and his court lie was mt
nitely more violent than the revolutionary Mar
! nuis do Rochcfort. and il was he who, during
tho Commune. is stated to have given the orders
for the summary execution Of Gustav Chandey'
VOL known and successful brother Journalist
With the flower festival in the Bois dc Bou-
! logne to-day ORGANIZED for charitable purposes
bccins the so-callcd Grande Scmaine.' or climax
Of the Partisan season. which includes the grahn
stccplcchases n Autruil tomorrow and the drihh
! Prix lust a week later Millincrs and fail"rS
are al their wits erd getting dresses ready lot
the affair." or rather. succession OF aiairs' anu
the livcry-stable keepers are adornInS tneir
carriages with fresh paint and varnish. The
! Chicago Exhibition does not seem IN any way
n have diminished the number Of visitors from
the United St,tcs who throng the city, ana th'
Grand Prix Of 1898 bids fair 10 prove even
. crootor attraction than usual. What | saw
|
of tho floral combat this afternoon rather as
,n,oin,cd mo n il was lacking in the GO ana
vim which charac'crizcs the conflicts of TINS Kihd
=, Xicc The poi.. however. looked lovely.
Tho long avenue leading "a In" cascade IL o'c-
o,a,cd with flags and banners. and IA soon
~ dark sets in the drives ana pains VIII y"
| LIGHTED up with colorcd lamps. electric "gi'S
and ryrotochric effects that will certainly give
il fine appearance Of n vast iairyi'hh
,m.ricon habtues NJ IN" Loncchamp' race
course will miss n III" Grand PriN IN" tamii'r ',''
odd npure Of old VI. I.upn th" father OF 'n'
French turf and the senior member OF inc r'''' '"
lockov club Of which he was on" oi III" io''n'''
Il. has lust died ~ the advanced az" vi 'iS"'
six having survived all his contemporaries III
cluding Lord Henry Seymour the fr'h'" W. -
| Moskown and the famous banker '"'''
, mt, So we'll known under hiS racing nam" OF
Major fridoln.- Another ono" PROMINENT
mombcr ~ The French turf. who has also lust
r,.sod away. and who used 10 be regular IN HIS
attendance az the GrdnA PrlX. i IN" Nico'h''
,cuado who PLAYED conspicuous part az tue
c,urt ~ IN. Tuil.ii.s. lie was the v"hn9'S'
son Of the first Marquis OF Las Marl'ua> wv
WEALTHY Spanish Hebrew banker who "s'apllH"'i
himself here during the reign OF LOUIS ",'PP
~. vicom,c ns.d 10 keep n racing stabl" az
GlaufIllN. "A
named in. Chateau de- Siyrv, at Fontain"bleau
where u. ns.d - give magnificent 'h"r'ai"''h''
/ liz. several other members Of the imperial court
notably NJ Henri Schneider. of 'r"usot' 'he
vieomr. married his -is'er-in-law. A. soon a. En-
n,es. ruooni, heard Of the death of her former
chamberlain and 'avoritc she FASTENED 10 IN"
rc.idcnc. Of the Nicomt,ss and prayed with her
f., an ,n,ir. hour beside the body of III" de-
co,sod noblcman She did not attend the funeral
in p.r.or but was represented 10y Prime" Murat
and ~ a lovely spray of POSES, Queen Isabella oil
Snain and Prince Victor each contributing ehor-
nous wrcatl>.
Society here is Just at the present moment en-
capcd in an animated discussion as 10 the correct
method Of distinguishing the three Duct"SSe' OF
Nortemart from on. another IL is but a month
AGO that the late Duke Of Mortcnart succeeded to
his uncle the president Of that ultra ari-tocraic
and most exclusive of clubs the Cerclc Agrcol".
Familiarity known ~ the Pommc de Terr". His
title has now passed 10 III" voting Count Arthur
de NlOri.mart. who succeeded his father ~ duke a
few days ago. and who l. barely thirty years
old His wife ~ n Counties, of Ilunolstcin. h"rrss
ON the maternal side 10 a part of the large fortune
Of the ducal hous, Of tzrs Tn" new dukes
mother was a Countess Of II. Aldcgondr. while the
widow of the old duke. who died month ago,
is a member of the noble family Of I.anrencin.
After much argument and discussion il has
finally been settled that the old lady is to he
styled hcnccforth rs iii" Dowag"r Duchess of
Mortcmar.; that her niece. the widow OF the
Duke just dead j. 70 dcsi .nate herself as Duchess
de Mortemart, nee 81 Aldcgonle and that the
consort Of the present Duke is to call herself
simply Duchess of Mort"mart. The young duke,
who is descended IN direct line from the cole
Lrated Athenais MarqIi>c d" Mont"span. tn"
Egeria # King Ioui. NV, is charmingly oil
fashioncd in his tastes, and not al all like the
member Of the French jcnnc>s orcr of to-day, and
bids fair in course of time 10 resemble his great
Uncle who perfect type of the French grand
scgncur of the old school.
IL will he remembered that last Year one OF
the best pictures in the Salon Of the Champs