The Sun. — 1866-02-14 (London, England)

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.  (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)  PARIS, Tuesday Evening.  The discussion yesterday in the Senate was of an important character, being almost exclusively devoted to religion. The speakers maintained the necessity of supporting the rights and privileges of the Pope. Count Segur d'Aguesseau commenced by expressing his opinion that the treaty of Sept. 15 had created a perilous position in Italy, but he appreciated the great value of the Imperial Speech, which declared " indispensable the power of the Holy Father," and passed a just eulogium upon the manner in which the Pope had exercised his authority in the Roman States. The paragraph (9) recalled to recollection, also, that Rome was the city of the Holy Father, the capital of Catholicism. It also acknowledged that the desire of the Emperor always was that the Papacy should be respected by Italy, just as he wished, and wishes, that Italy should be respected by Europe. Such words and such declarations could only be received with gratitude by all French hearts, and by all truly Catholic hearts. After this exordium the speaker commented upon various points connected with the policy of France towards Italy, and expressed some apprehension of the views of the Italian Government in regard to Rome. Cardinal Bonnechose, as I had reason to anticipate, spoke at great length upon the subject of Italy. He criticised the passage respecting it, but said his vote would bo favourable, particularly as the Emperor had determined to maintain the temporal power of the Pope. Cardinal Mathieu deprecated the occupation of the provinces of Italy, and particularly those of the Pontifical States, but said he must look at all the poiuts connected with the question with a practical eye. lie did not believe that the Emperor had calculated all the consequences of the treaty of the 15th September, but he should adopt with entire confidence the paragraph under consideration.  Cardinal Donnet concurred in the sentiments of the two cardinals who preceded him. The paragraph was then adopted. Commercial and trading affairs, it is said, have improved so wonderfully in France within the last two months that the railway companies have found it difficult to expedite the goods entrusted for transmission. The Western and Eastern Railway Companies, instead of receiving an annuity from the Government as additional interest, intend to pay a considerable sum to Government by way of deduction from that received from it last year in consequence of conventions for the guarantee of interest. The sum to be paid by the Eastern Railway Company will amount to at least 1,500,000 f. M. Bougenier, historical painter, has just died at Paris. He was one of the oldest pupils of Gros, the eminent painter, whose labours adorn the domes of several of the churches of the capital. A Paris paper says that Bougenier was one of the men the most known in the world. His nose was of a peculiar shape. A daring hand traced it on the walls of Paris, and it was speedily sketched from one end of Europe to the other, and even on the Pyramids of Egypt. Bougenier, an excellent man, bore his strange popularity like a philosopher. The Salut Public of Lyons gives an account of a triple marriage at the village of Villars. At the same altar were married a mother and her two daughters. The same priest performed the marriage ceremony for the three wedded pair on the same day and hour.  A man named Poncet, who for years kept a wine shop at Vanves, in the vicinity of Montrouge, has committed suicide from disgust at being of the same name as the criminal just executed at Versailles, although there was no sort of relationship between them. The inquiries which have taken place respecting his property have led to the discovery that he was on very intimate terms with his servant girl, and that she and another lover had long been in the habit of robbing the deceased man.  The unprecedented weather is certainly a leading topic of the day. In the vicinity of Paris trees show signs of being ready to burst into leaf. In the reserved garden of the Tuileries are two weeping willows, which are as green as they generally arc in the month of April. The Moniteur takes up the subject as it were officially, and asks what has become of the predictions which presaged a terrible winter. The successor to the deceased weather prophet Mathieu de la Promo, himself a Mathieu, but Mathieu de la Nievre, expressed confidence that the Seine would be entirely frozen over on the 15th of January, and that there would be sledges on the Boulevards. On the contrary, says the Moniteur, the gutters could not make up their minds to freeze. M. Babinet, a member of the Academy, who is a fair authority upon scientific subjects, also predicted that it would not be cold this winter. He says, however, that he is completely ignorant of the cause of the absence of cold, and candidly confesses that he had no faith in his own prediction. M. Babinet expresses his apprehensions of drought this year, because, he says, no snow no water. Snow, too, he says, is required to wet the interior of the earth. Rain does not penetrate the land. It is too rapidly absorbed by the atmosphere, except in woody districts.  The fancy dress ball on Saturday evening, at he Ministry of Foreign Affairs, appears to have exceeded in magnificence those of the Tuileries. A Chinese Princess was brought into the ball-room in a splendid palanquin, which was used by Baron Gros, who, when ambassador from France to China, went to Pekin to dictate terms of peace to the Government of the Celestial Empire. It would be useless to describe the costumes ; they were the most brilliant and original of ancient and modern times. Madame Drouyn de l'Huys, the wife of the Minister for Foreign Affairs, had a dress of the time of Louis the Fifteenth, which she wore so gracefully and so naturally that it did not appear to be a disguise. The Tribunal Correctional of the Seine has been