The Sun. — 1869-02-27 (London, England)

OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.;  PARIS, FRIDAY, February 20. The debate in the Corps Legislatif still drags its slow length along. There can be no doubt that, as far as the discussion goes, the minority never had things mont completely their own way. Not only is there the primp question of spending an outrageous sum upon public improvements—carrying a good principle beyond all due limits, and imposing an intolerable burden upon the city of Paris—but there is the grave charge, which cannot be controverted, that M. Haussmann has raised large sums by irregular means. There can be no doubt that this has been done. The Government may extenuate the charge, but it cannot be refuted. Hence the Opposition ana enjoying the privilege of unlimited castigation of the Government. The majority has no effective reply, but they may comfort themselves with the consideration that they have their votes, and that the usual division will follow the debate.  The health of tha Imperial Family is not all that could be desired at present. The Empress suffers from a very painful, though by no means serious affection of the ear. Prince Napoleon is recovering but slowly, and every now and then is subject to fresh attacks of fever. Another invalid of note is in a far worse condition. No hope is held out of M. Troplong's recovery. The Emperor went to pay him a visit the clay before yesterday, but it was feared that the interview would be too exciting for the invalid, and his Majesty therefore retired. Although still upon what is expected to be his death-bed, the journals here are quietly discussing M. Troplong's successor. I have frequently observed indecent haste in English journals after death, but I have rarely known a dying man's post filled up by the canard mongers before the breath had left his body. That public attention is beginning to centre upon the elections, is amply demonstrated by the immense number of false statements circulated respecting the coming conflict. Victor Hugo, Ledru Rollin, Barbier, and Louis Blanc are all talked of as candidates, though one and all are evident impossibilities.  Count Von Goltz is still the nominal Prussian Ambas• sailor at Paris, the King refusing to make a change. But I hardly need say that that nobleman is dying in Prussia. He gets worse every day. As the approaching meeting of the (Ecumenical Council is exciting much attention, it may be interesting to recount the number of prelates who are eligible to take ,part in the proceedings. The Roman Catholic Church counts 12 patriarchates, 117 archiepiscopal, and 905 episcopal sees. If from this total be deducted 259 prelates in partibus, there remain 132 archbishops and 657 bishops of the Latin rite, and 7 and 63, respectively, of the Oriental. This latter comprises Armenians, GrecoRomans, Greco-Ruthenians, Syro•Maronites, Syrians, and Syro-Chaldeans. At this moment only 982 sees are occupied. Seventy is the regulation number of cardinals, but at present eleven hats are undistributed. The youngest cardinal is Prince Lucien Buonaparte, who was born in 1828.  There are some cases in which intentional homicide necomes excusable, if not justifiable. Some such principle seems to have actuated the Toulouse Court of Assizes in dealing with a somewhat remarkable case of murder. A young man of Montbazin, named Mercadit, aged 18, was charged with the murder of a neighbour, the paramour of his mother, a widow. He had found them late in the evening of the 31st December last closeted together, and in his indignation fetched his gun and shot the man dead. There could be no doubt of the facts, but the prisoner was acquitted, and the judgment is one which human sympathy will find it difficult to reprobate. _ . _  A notary of Jodoyne, in Belgium, has taken to flight, leaving behind him a deficit of no less than £32,000. H. was the depository of a very large number of poor people as well as many of the rich, and his villany will be produc• tive of very widespread distress.