Our Paris Letter.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2086, 10 September 1875, Page 2

Our Paris Letter.

(BY Otm OWN COEREBPONDENT.) Paeis, July 27, Political.

The reason why the dissolution is not voted is, because the deputies do not wish it. Out of 730 members, only 155 hare sincerely shown they are not afraid of their electors. The Bonapartists play the best role in the comedy; they propose the dissolution for a day fixed, speak to the motion, and then vote against ifc. The nation, however, has long ago noted such farces. The Orleanists believe,' that by postponing for three months longer the legitimate aspirations of the people they will be able to make political capital out of the delay. This is sheer delusion ; their hesitating and equivocal conduct only clinches the nails in .their coffin. The delay tends not to make the nation monarchal or less republican, but more radical. The ministry has only acted up to its programme, the maintenance of the provisional, and the administration of the uncertain. It stated it would leave to the Assembly the freedom to fix the day for its dissolution, and when a date was proposed, ministers step in to oppose it. This kind of conduct destroys all confidence in the declarations of the authorities. The work of the Assembly is finished, hence the greater reason for its remaining : wh.ile there is life there is hope, and time works wonders; the little strength that that body possesses, is employed to struggle against death. Having voted a Constitution the deputies oppose- its working. Vague promises about dissolving, at Paques ou la Trinite, are not believed in ; there is no reason why the Assembly in its conduct ought not to decree itself a fixture; it has nothing to gain from public*opinion ; it is opposed to it as are the poles. The Chamber amuses the nation, however, that it will retire, as the barber premised "to shavo to-morrow iov nothing." The morrow never came. This is seriously bad. • ' | Educational. The positions of teachers of the j primary schools, after years of agitation and of hopes deferred, have at last received an" instalment of justice. The salary of every classed teacher has been accorded a uniform in crease of lOOfr., and to the credit of the humanity of the much abused Assembly the vote was unanimous. The locality contributes towards this remuneration, by a tax equal to one farthing added to the rates of the direct imposts. Later, pensions will be also augmented. The salaries "of the teachers of the national schools, are in the case of males, 900fr. to 1200fr, and for females 700fr. to 900fr. per year. An African VisitorThe Sultan of Zanzibar has adopted the best means for recommending himself to the Parisians —that of dispensing with all barbaric pomp, and conducting himself as a private gentleman. Did he fall back on diamonds, he would bo laughed out of the city. The inhabitants will never forget how they were "sold by the Shah, and an imbecile pawned on them. Unfortunately the Sultan has arrived in our dead—and in addition, wet season; he has been at the Opera, the simplest of spectators ; but there was nothing gala in the representation, and his'intelligence measured the fele accordingly. He is not sufficiently known to succeed in raising a loan, which is as great a financial drawback as if he were too well known —like Spain for example. Belief of Toulouse Sufferers. The subscription fund for the distressed at Toulouse has now reached the figure of nearly 10 million francs. The praise is unanimous respepting England's appointing two delegates to distribute her grateful munificenpe. It is $o be feared £hat politics still weigh with the French distributors, and also not a little of clerical influences. Accord tbe succour first, so that the left hand may not know what the right.doeth, and then when people are in a fitting state of mind, open parallels to convert them. By the by, how does it arise, that it is ever the poor and the needy that are most vigorously bombarded to change their faith and religion ? Want

is the grand element counted upon by all besiegers, whether to compel fortresses or consciences to capitulate.

More. Illustrious Visitors.

Like Guzman, kings know no obstacles; the Sultan of Zanzibar arrives with the exactitude of an astronomical table; and his confreres pass to and fro heedless of storms, rain* and thunder. To be sure, their trade is not an enviable one, and their hard times are peculiarly hard. To an Austrian Archduke is to be added as visitor the King of the Belgians. But Leopold 11. is popular with the French ; he is a good king, and not only .loved by his subjects, but esteemed by them. His effigy on the coin is a very faithful portrait of His Majesty, and which is an exception to the rule. His nose and chin are drawbacks, but the soft dreamy eyes and blonde, Austrian whiskers, give him a distinguished air. He is too tall, so that when he bows, he does so awkwardly, and in addition he is shortsighted. He loves quiet, silence, an intimate chat, and tea; his queen is the contrary ; prefers movement, noise, hunting, sp'^£foj(and theatricals ; she goes to the theatre "with som"e of-fear ladies nearly every evening, leaving her husband to his pictures and statuary. Suffering somewhat from spine disease, the King of the Belgians rarely appears on horseback—he prefers a landau. In habits he is thoroughly English, and makes no secret of his preferences for Great Britain. After the Duke of Sutherland, Leopold 11. has the handsomest dressing-room to be found in any country. A Queer King. M. Tirsat, in his recently published work on Germany, introduces to our notice some portraits • of the minor sovereigns of that country. The King of Wurtemburg has the least prestige of any known ruler in his o^n dominions. He is the plaything'of his courtiers, and passes the greater part of his time eating bonbons and beating the devil's tattoo against.j;he window panes. He 13.a per-; feet autocrat, however, on the subject of j fashions, and regulates himself the toilettes of the Court ladies. He has the German habit of homeliness; thus he descends each morning to see that the boots and shoes are well blacked, and bottles his own wine himself. Crowned heads before now have passed their time killing flies. He is surnamed " Charles the Bold/ because he could not be prevailed upon to head his own troops in 1866 against the Prussians. When he rides the horse must be specially fatigued by being worked the preceding night; his features are vulgar, and he is small in stature ; at any moment Bismarck desires he will cover his throne with brown Holland and pass his days fishing with rod and line. Politics and diplomacy never exact from him a thought, but then he is an authority on cravats and ribbons. His chief amusement is playing with his beard : one day it is patriarchal as that of Moses', the next short as a Zouave's, and then his face is as clean shaved as an actor's. _ His courtiers must follow suit, for he is as punctilious as Louis XIV. • However, pigmies are pigmies still "though perched on Alps. He is married to Olga, daughter of the late Czar; she is " the King; " chivalrous, witty, and handsome; she leaves her husband to look after the house, she takes care of the state. They were married in Palermo, and two orange trees were planted in honor of the occasion; every year the fruit is presented to their Majesties. The present .Russian Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prince GortschakofF, won his spurs by arranging this marriage. The dream of every Wurtemburger. is to become, not a corporal, but an inn-keeper; the King is the proprietor of two restaurants and a cafe —one is in front of the palace. He is thus the first restaurateur in his own dominions. Journalistic. The Figaro journal has introduced an innovation ; the first column on the first page is a daily memento of the chief sights and events of the city that hardly ever find their way into any journal either by advertisement or special paragraph. Thus such a restaurant has a special plat to-day ; such a shop a famous picture; the central market display such luxuries; if a spectacle be on the tapis you are informed the best moment to attend to observe the fashionable crowd, and the proper time to retire ; what meetings are to be held ; what marriages to be celebrated ; what sumptuous funerals to come off. It is a kind of note book compiled by men upon town, who have argus eyes arid admission everywhere. The cost of preparing that column of really valuable mems. is said to be equal to the fourth of the total expense of the writing for the entire journal. Further, in the same newspaper, the. matrimonial advertisements bristle with proposals from heiresses to find husbands, and from husbands " without fortune, but the brightest political futures," seeking wealthy wives—age, religion and legitimacy even being no disqualification. ■ Gossip. A good deal of gossip.:,is^king place over the legal /separation of the Prince and Princess de Sagan. They are politically Orleanists with no objectionable shades of Imperialism; the Princess is the leading elegante in Paris high life, and it was at her mansion that the Prince'of Wales last autumn received the most royal welcome. The three most prominent and beautiful ladies in- the fashionable world are now separated from their husbands. The story is related of a Frenchwoman who desired to be married in order to enjoy the sensation of being a widow; it does seem that some of her sisters envy the position of marriage in order to enjoy the luxury of a legal separation. Wedlock does seem to resemble the definition of a fortress, where those outside wish to enter, and those within'to get out. Mile. Koch, the pretty daughter of the guillotinist of all France, has been married to a Government clerk; in order to avoid a crowd, anxious to see the "King of Terrors, 1' the marriage had to be celebrated at five in the morning: she is a dress-maker. Boch had all his "assistants" at the banquet; everybody must live.

A distinguished clergyman, the Rev. P. Remy is now in Paris; he is a missionary in China and Thibet: some years ago when he went to the latter country he Was ordered' to be executed' ffir teap.h,ing heresy; he was condemned to be quartered ; to be drawn by four horses, one attached to each arm and leg ; the missionary had such strength as to resist the martyrdom, pending a few minutes, whiph. go favourably impressed the judge, that he ordered him to be liberated, and declining the honor of executioner, was allowed to preach as he pleased. A young American girl a few days ago

stopped with her friends in a: crowd jto observe a carriage accident. She had very long hair.hanging over her shoulders, which some thief completely cut away. A "Rape of the Lock" is quite a new industry. If the young lady remains a short time in the city, she may be afforded the opportunity of purchasing her own property in some hair-dressing establishment.

The times must be hard for the republicans ; a country Mayor was commissioned by the Town Council to purchase the bust of our Lady of the Republic for their chamber; the image would keep the faithful warmer in their attachment. The poor Mayor has been detected higgling about a second-hand bust. The Municipality of Paris, very republican, is accused by their opponents of not knowing how to correctly spell the names of some of the streets recently baptized. M. Bousquet has been entrusted with the revision of the Japanese laws, that is, to adapt them as far as can be to the Code Napoleon. He writes Home that the Japanese officials are carried in" their^^ chairs at a pace worthy of the winner o^P the Derby, in order that the people would not be scared in case the contrary was the custom, and that chance compelled them to move in seven league boots. It was a dangerous affair to present a petition to a "gorodjio" to redress a grievance ; thus one forward native succeeded in doing so; the prayer of his petition was welcomed, but he was not the less condemned to be crucified along with his wife; their children to be decapitated in their presence, and their goods confiscated: those who joined in the petition-were banished. Even at pre« sen£: one of the sovereign people, it seems, dare not discuss with, an officer; if the latter says a thing is black, although it l>e white, black must be accepted as the order of the day. It*Wtas thepractice to execute a -prisoner the moment after he was condemned, which resembles much the drumhead courts martial of outerbarbarians; ■ it was death for stealing 60fcif 1 bu.t the English statue book, till not many years ago, could inflict hanging fpr a burglary where sixpence only was taken.. To touch the "property of the "Shogoun" was parricide, ana entailed death; if a small boy killed one of his ducks, or climbed his garden wall, he was condemned to die. Mi Bousquet advises the Japanese authorities to remember Montesquieu's advice to other reformers of people: " Never to strain the manners of a nation, and so protect its virtues from incoveniences.".:

Stendahl left three volumes of a life of Napoleon I. Up to the present no one has Been able" to decipher his penmanship. Mr SmithboErthe British Museum ought to try his skill on the manuscript. In the" Bois de Boulogne the young son of a Brazilian nobleman rides everyday with a monkey for companion on another pony; the footman walks behind in powder and bag wig like a beadle of forty years standing, sixty paces from the cavaliers.

The poet Bernis addressed some stanzas to Mmc de Pompadour as the shortest road to fortune; she secured him a pension of 1,500 pounds a year, and-apart-ments in the Louvre ; she also presented him with a piece of Persian carpet for his study; he encountered Louis XV on his way and explained as to the carpet; " since the 'Marchioness has given you the carpet allow me to pay for the nails. 1' and he slipped fifty louis into the hands of the little abbe.