PARIS.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume III, Issue 314, 9 October 1875, Page 2

PARIS.

(from our own correspondent.) August 7. The Prefect of the Seine, M. Duval, has managed to bring a hornet’s nest about his ears. He does not seem to have derived much benefit from his late official trip to London, in the way of prudence and tolerance. After the parents of the students of the College Chapel had assembled in grand toilette, upon the express invitation of the heads of the institution, and according to time-honored custom, to be present at the ceremony of the distribution of the prizes, the Prefect without previous warning, and without any explanation, ordered the ceremony to be dispensed with, and the doors shut in the faces of the parents, many of whom had come from a long distance. The Prefect is a Government agent, and is only an additional proof of the animosity that animates the paid servants of the Republic, against that Republic which has been voted without, and against them. The governing body of the college is composed of members of the Municipality, and the latter is Republican. This explains the reason of the Prefect’s arbitrary conduct, and also the littleness of his politics which objected to the President of the Municipal Council of Paris, being invited to the London banquet, because he was a Republican. “ AVould an’t were midnight, Hal, and all well.” In the neighborhood of the river Marne, and indeed also on the banks of the Seine, quite a phenomenon takes place every last week of July or early in August,, that of showers of flies, during the night; they are of the “ ephemeral order,” and melt away in the course of twenty-four hours The spots where they tumble attract all the fish in the neighborhood and it is a kind of a free fight between gudgeon, carp, tench, &c., as to which shall fare , most sumptuously, in the mean time the fishermen have been

placing their nets in position, and finish by glorious hawls. . There are 2,600 private teachers in Paris, professing various branches of knowledge ; henceforth they must be registered, and produce evidence of their capacity wherever they are charged with the instruction of a French child. Madame Michelet, the wife of the celebrated historian, has published a pamphlet full of really elegant extracts from the writings of her husband touching graveyards in general, and the cemetery oT Pere Lachaise-in particular. Why? She has appealed to the courts to Order that she be at liberty to transport her. husband’s remains from the. village cemetery at Hyiires, to Pere Laclgiise. She is opposed by Michelets son-iuj-law, who married one of his daughter by his first wife. Michelet was a s/ttmin . of Paris, was reared in the vicinity of metropolitan cemetery, expressed a hope and the wish to be buried there, among friends whom he loved or admired. As fate would have it, lid 4 requested in his will, that he be interred in the nearest cemetery to where’he might die ; thdi would be in Pere Lachaise, near his house. But he retired to Hydres to ohjoy its milder climate, and died there. His son-in-law, from no other motive but - a dogged adherence to the literal reading of the will, objects to his remains ' being disturbed, and hence, the point to be decided by the law. The new Opera will give masked balls this coming season ; at one time the suggestion of such an idea was considered to be barbaric. But times have changed, the opera must he a paying concern, as well as being a monumental toy. The “ Ladies of the Lake ” will be admitted, and so their presence is-Sure to secure*! full house. Last year the charity masked ball given at the new opera by special favor, was a downright failure; it was a goody-goody gathering, and the public decamped precipitately, finding guaranteed propriety insipid. Vice then seems to be the spice of life. The -Cafe concerts, which generally have their fling at the weak points of every nfitibn—'Germany for the time being accepted^—as other nations crack jokes at the expense of the t'rench, intend to exempt perfide Albion from their fun, as a compliment for 4he handsome manner she came down for the Inundation Fund at Toulouse. The markets commened to be full of new grapes ; the fruit is not yet quite ripe, and clearly shows stands in need of sunshine. When shall that tims be seeu ? Trade reports are not quite so good, nor are business prospecte looking bright. “ Dampness ” everywhere.