NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 153, 12 January 1871, Page 7

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

The official documents which have fallen into the hands of the new French Government prove that with the exception of the Orsini and Pianori conspiracies, and the rising at La Villette, alleged plots which made a sensation under the Empire were got up by the police. The last of them was arranged by MM. Pietri and Bernier, the Juge d 'lnstruction, in order to produce on the public mind an impression favourable to the plebiscite.

The Empress, with a few attendants, takes daily walks in the village of Chislehurst and on the common. Sightseers are not so plentiful as was expected, if we except Sundays, when Her Majesty attends the beautiful little Roman Catholic chapel. It is, however, pleasant to see the great respect shown to her by all classes. The Prince Imperial generally accompanies the Empress, attended by his tutor and guardian. Catubden Place, the residence of the Empress and her son, is an old-fashioned residence, standing in its own grounds, adjoining Chislehurst common. This estate is the property of Mr. Strode, a gentleman of large fortune, who has been for some years on terms of intimacy with the Emperor Napoleon. It was at Mr. Strode's earnest request and solicitation that the Empress took up her abode at this gentleman's mansion.

Colonial literary men cannot complain of the " lines into which they have fallen "in London. Mr. Fargeon has been credited over and over again with being a perfectly legitimate successor of Dickens and a " master of pathos." His "Joshua Marvel" is everywhere spoken of in the highest terms, and whenever he contributes an occasional article to the magazines, it creates a sensation. Mr. R. H. Home's "Drowning of Shelley," in the last number of " Fraser," has brought him no end of readers, and other articles from his pen are eagerly waited for.

New Zealanclers are on the wing in rather large numbers. Sir Charles Clifford left by the Southampton mail on Saturday last. Dr. Featherstone left the next day by a somewhat circuitous route for Brindisi. Mr. Dillon Bell has also started, x^ll these have made a rendezvous at Suez, and, if fortunate, may be expected to spend New Year's Day in New Zealand. Mr. Knowles left Liverpool in the steamship Zai-ifa, for New York, on the Ist inst. He will travel thence to Sau Francisco by r-til, and will report on that route to the New Zealand Government. He will, in all probability, arrive at the island by the middle of January. The New Zealand Commissioners and Mr. Knowles have won " golden opinions " from all sorts of men during their stay in England, and their visit must result in benefit to the colonies for which they have worked so well.

South Australian flax is in considerable favour in the London market. Its mode of dressing and getting up is highly spoken of. Some large parcels have been sold lately at 40s. to 465. per hundredweight. If these prices will pay, there is an opening here for large quantities. On the night of September 17, a man fell from the mainyard-arm of Her Majesty's steamship Rapid, on her passage from Torragona to Gibraltar, lie struck heavily against the gunwale of the boat, and fell into the sea. With the rapidity of lightning, one of the officers, Sub-Lieutenant Forbes, plunged in after the poor fellow as he drifted astern, and with great difficulty succeeded in supporting him until a boat could come up. So nearly, indeed, had his heroic selfdevotion cost Mr. Forbes his life, that when rescued both he and his burden were already sinking beneath the surface. When brought on board, the man was perfectly insensible, having sustained a fearful gash on his head, and his gallant deliverer was more than half drowned. Such golden deeds are the glory of the service.

From the " Home News " we extract the following shipping intelligence :—Arrivals: — Arrivals. — From Canterbury: Caduceus, Celestial Queen, and Jessie Readman ; from Auckland : Ismay and Huasquina ; from Wellington : Gloucester. Departures.— For Otago : City of Dunedin, October 22nd ; Christian M'Ausland, October 27 ; for Wellington : Celaeno, October 14 ; for Auckland. Queen Bee, October 24; for Nelson : Wild Duck, October 29.

We hear from Paris that M. Jules Favre has suppressed thepensions of all literary men and dramatists who do not prove their need of such assistance ; that he has reduced the salaries of many officials — for instance, a Councillor of State will henceforth receive but 15,000, or 12,000, or 10,000 francs ; a sous-prefect, GOOO or 5000 or 4000. .The official salary of a Minister of "stato-ia cut down to 50,000 francs ; but the present Government refuses to accept any pay Whatever. These economies, with the abolition' of the Civil List, 26,700,000 francs, and of the Senate, 5,500,000 francs, are expected to make a saving of at least 50,000,000 francs per annum.

The correspondent of the " Cologne Gazette," writing from Versailles on the 21st Oct., states : — " We are now informed of the appearance of a maid,' a modern Joan of Arc, who has suddenly sprung up from the department of the Loire Inferieure, and who is to inspire freab, courage and new hopes

into the hearts of the French. This inspired young woman, Avho, like unto her predecessor in the rei^n of Charles VII., lias visions, and has lizard the yoiceof the Mother of God, does rot appear to consider it necessary this time to submit herself to an examination as to whether she is in communication or possessed by the ' powers of darkness.' In the present case also the ' maid ' wears neither armour nor sword, but a long black robe, rib doubt to denote her sorrow as to the position of her mother country. Up to the present time the superior command of the Army of the Loire has not been entrusted to her. Nevertheless, she marches at the head of the troops who are still in Tours, and carries before them a silken banner, upon which is painted the Holy Virgin with the infant Jesus; and in fact the whole affair looks as if the advisers of this new paragon had been guided by a zealous study of Schiller's ' Maid of Orleans.' This information, although a seeming fable, has been stated officially from the headquarters of the Army of the South."