PARIS.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1930, 13 October 1874, Page 2

PARIS.

>•*■ [from our own correspondent.] August 8. "Hush, my dear, lie still and slumber !" s the parting message of the Assembly to France. A suspension of hostilities has been accepted till the early days of De:ember, when the old, old story of deliberately organising nothing will be repeated ad nauseam. The prorogation, oddly enough, has acted like a composing draught on the over-excited nerves of the nation. Nothing serious or disturbing is to be expected during the vacation. Parisians may sleep in peace ; the Marshal is a trusted sentinel, desiring not to be relieved from his watch for six years. After him the deluge — though the country survives deluges as successfully as invasions and revolutions. Of course the Monarchists may be expected about the" end of autumn to indulge in their playful game of fusion, not the less attractive because played out. The amusement may be considered as serious when the people fall in love with the white flag and the army solicits it. As if the President were not sufficiently vigilant, the Assembly has appointed a Committee of its members called the " Permanent Commission," on account of its ephemeral duration, io give the alarm in case of danger. Many believe since no Bonapartist has been elected on this Commission that its duties will be next to nominal. The future belongs to MacMahon ; he cannot but see that the day will some when the Assembly, adding proof upon proof of its inability to pass constitutional measures, must be reminded by the Marshal that it had better go away. Perhaps the fear of the unknown has led the majority of the deputies to reject the motion for voluntary dissulution, as out of pure impartiality it has refused to establish Monarchy, Republic, or Septennate. Likely the latter has now the most chances of success, because MacMahon backs it up, and every day tends to show what he wishes, the Gods wish. The Legitimists in the Assembly lay down the law and expound the prophets for the movement ; they are 70 strong, and form a Pyrrhic phalanx when the existence of a Ministry is at stake, they are more beloved now since the Imperialist vote is discarded as not respectable. These seventy of the divided Monarchists are resolved to ruin or to rule the State. It is their friends that place the desire of a disunited Italy, and an admiration for Don Carlos, above their patriotism. Happily they are not France. AfterJMarshal MacMahon, the man who next has made the greatest progress during the Parliamentary year now terminated is Gambetta. He has conclusively shown by his late speech, that he is the first orator in France, and is daily edu- . eating his party to be more accommodating towards political divergencies, and not to forget that neither the world nor France can be shaped according to rigid formulas ; that the wants of man being varied must receive a varied treatment ; that compromise is more practical than inflexibility. The Republicans have also to continue to act wisely and to wait patiently, to obtain the ratification of the Republic— which is the legal form u£ gOTGrnmout ah [JicSßlll — ab the end Of MacMahon's term of office. Nothing can make sage Republicans rue, if they but to themselves do prove but true. Impatience and intolerance have ever been the cardinal vices of democracy in France, and Gambetta does more than republican work in endeavoring "to make former time shake hauds with latter." By means of the dissolution, the ambassadors of France, who were something like fixtures at Versailles, will.be able to now represent their country at the courts to which they were accedited. Their absence being quite unfelt is not a crowning tribute to their utility. Likely their labor grows "luxurkm3 by restraint." The government, by an intelligent impartiality towards the press, by not laying its heavy hand exclusively on tho3e journals that cannot see politics in the same light as it does, could bring the country round to a less combative state of mind, to a more conciliatory disposition for the discussion of those constitutional laws that must be framed, if not by the existing, by a new Assembly. The state of siege is a terrible weight, an incubus on journalism, and it is to be regretted that the authorities do not see their way to govern without it. Greater consideration towards the press would lessen its drawbacks. Might not the idea be tried, instead of suspending a political journal, and so throwing numbers of persons suddenly out of employment for a fortnight, to prohibit the sinning print from writing on political matters for a certain time ? For strangers and sojourners, the effect would be at all events to enable one journal at least to be read, and natives might become so accustomed to the change as to regard a military order to a newspaper to cease political firing, as a god-send. In all the din of political solutions France does not lose sight of the main chance, the finances. New taxes are required not only to meet current, but increased expenses. The latest deficit is 65,000, OOOf. By prolonging the period for repaying the Bank of France its advances, or emitting Treasury Bonds if it declines, a sum of 40,000,000 f can be provided for. The remaining 25,000,000 f constitute the real difficulty, and since the indirect imposts cannot be further increased, nothing is left but to put the burden on the contributors of direct taxes, by increasing in three sections of these the present rates by two sous, which will be an augmentation of four or five per cent, for each payer. The tendency of the estimates is to go on swelling ; so many things require immediate reoiganisation, and so few can afford to wait. The harvest and vintage promise to be excellent, and if nothing unfavorable arrives this good result will tell in improving the feeble state of commerce and industry, and so render more productive the yield of indirect taxes. It is quite a pleasing sight to witness the city full of happy boys and girls, all liberated for two good months from desks, classes, and books. The improved physical education that young France is undergoing since some time past is bringing forth fruit an hundred fold. The pupils have less pallid looks and possess an air of good health. It is also remarked that since out-door exercise has been more extensively indulged in, there is less broken victuals in the boarding schools. Though there are many persons still in want of work in Paris, the city has a more, ani-; mated air j shops look brighter, and business is a little improved. Possibly this '

3 owing to the belief that France will not >erish despite her representatives doing lothing to endow her with a fixed Government. English and American tourists lave the air of being more at home in the itreets ; renewed visits will only make jach trip the more pleasing. Paris las not lost in attractiveness, nor perhaps in - its influence either It " ;s not only the.entrepot general ef France but indeed of the world. The city does lot produce all things, but it seems to reproduce everything ; it is a grand instrument of assimilation, and the great instrument of distribution. All that one may require is not manufactured in Paris, but all nob the less comes here, passes by, 3fcops, takes the air as it were. It is just the same in ideas ; which are not all born in Paria, -bnt certainly all take out a .' patent here before commencing to make the tour of France and of the world. There is an increasing demand for houses and apartments since there has set in a desire— necessity oblige — to let them 'at conscionable prices. In 3871, 77 per thousand lodgments, &c, were to be let; that figure is now reduced to 50, before . ; the war it was .31. In 1801 the Municipal receipts were 12 _ millions of francs ; in 1870, 345 millions ; in 1872, 490 millions. , The increase of late years is owing to , freshly imposed taxes to pay off- the -m- ; perial cost of converting the capital from : brick to marble: There are the same number Jews in France as in England, viz., 100;000 ; Russia contains more than one-half of the total number — over four millions— of Jews in Europe, and Spain, at one time their stronghold, does not now include any. Germany, or the Sclave districts, are the head quarters of the Jews, and German is their favorite language, as '. Germany is their palladium. The most distinguished Jews are Germans or speak only German, and occupy the foremost place with their co-religionists. Being persecuted, the Jew became nomad, but ■ not wandering like Bedowins of Arabia and Africa from steppe to steppe, but from city to city. Before being German, European Jews had been Spanish. Expelled from Palestine, they ultimately • followed in the wake of the Arab; besides J learning and science, they had a marvellous aptitude for affairs, merchants, politicians, doctors ; they organised what the Arabs conquered.' In Spain the Jews were once as prominent as they are today in Germany ; and after being expelled by Charles VI. from Spain, they emigrated to Germany. Austria may truly be considered as being of Jewish, creation. The due Leopold, who held Richard Cceur de Lion prisoner, had for minister of finance, a Jew. The Jews assimilate themselves very easily to the institutions of the country where they reside, and obey loyally the laws that may be imposed on them, for they never abandon their nationality, and being more > numerous to-day that in the time of David, feel they are anything but a lost nation. The Jews are French, English; German, &c, because the laws compel them to be such, and they wisely bow, while remaining ever first a child of Israel. The knife with which Charlotte Gordayr stabbed Marat has never been found, but" in the museum of Caen, the box is shown which contains eleven knives, the twelfth and missing one being that' which Charlotte took with her to Paris. : The knives are of beautiful workmanship, with carved .■ silver mountains, and tapering towards a { point like an Italian stylet. They are. of English man uf acture. A celebrated artist lately gave a dinner where eight of the eleven knives were employed at tables Perhaps it is not altogether correct to say the twelfth knife is lost, as several per- ■ sons pretend to possess it, just as others do respecting Voltaire's cane, and' the Qross of the Legion of Hdhor that Napoleon wore pending : the -battle of Austerlitz. .'.':•'■ :' : • Associated with historical curiosities is the exhibition how in course of brgariisa-; tion in the Palace of Industry. , It will be devoted in a word to old clothes from an artistic point of view ; and will comprise specimens of raiment worn by kings) kaisers, and popes, civil and military uniforms, and theatrical costumes, from, if possible, the Fall 'of Man. Then all collateral evidences of dress, in painting 3, sculp- '[ ture, vases, stuffs, &c, will be also exhibited, along with works on art in general. ; We will make old Madame Tassand shake in her grave with envy. ... : ; The season is to astronomy, and the camet is the newest of visitors. From a little treatise on the revolution of the : ; planets, the motions of the sun and moon are made just as easy as the use of globes in a young ladies' boarding-school. The sun and the moon were a well-matched couple, who since the creation lived in perfect harmony, were a model of conjugal affection, and were consequently/ 1 blessed with a numerous family called - stars. One fine day, however, the sun, fatigued with the monotony of his happiness, sought a new love ; the moon believed the absence was only momentary, such as the best of husbands may, iriau unguarded moment, err from the rightpath. She supplicates him ever since to return to his better nature, and shows her pale visage as the evidence of her distress. But he does not jome back, thus the moon rises without noise, aud quietly on the borders of the horizon, to perceive once again her unfaithful partner, who blushes a fiery red as he hastens to disappear. ■■'•...> In the unhappy frequency of suicides that daily take place in Paris, many are marked by their eccentricity, few belong to the Upper Ten, hence the peculiarity alone respecting the death of Rothschild's step brother-in-law, who fatigued with life, its surfeit pleasures, and the hum--drum of making money one day and losing it the next, tucked himself up under the bed-clothes, the better to suffocate himself, in case, the revolver failed to scatter what little brains remained with him. Other, singularity, he was a Jew, a people rarely addicted to such iolly t Another unfortunate, not confident he was sane, hanged himself in the Bois de Boulogne. To put the matter beyond all doubt he made a detailed statement of his accounts, ordered his brother to pay & few francs at a wine-shop, a few sous to a tobacconist, a trifle to his laundress, and a franc he had put down his name for towards erecting the new cathedral of the Sacred Coeur at Paris, fle begged his brother also to take off and wear the new pair of boots to be found on him, before "nailing him up for ever;" Lesslugubrious is a bridegroom who had ..to; be given over to the police for making love to his mother-in-law. The latter, after the excitement of the day, retired to a moonlit arbor belonging to he hotel

where the wedding dinner was given — it was here she was surprised by her son-in-law, who clasped her by the waist,swearing he doated upon her ; and would never leave her. Her screams brought the "beat man " to the rescue, who finally had to call in the police to lock up the traitor till he became sober. The ladieß' floating bath near the Pont Neuf has just been the scene of excitement ; one of the lady divers brought up a bundle that had floated into the reserved pool. On being opened, it was found to contain the remains of an infant. Jacob served seven years to obtain Rachel, and the Princess Bauffremont has ■worked exactly seven years, day for day, to obtain a separation from her husband. Since August, 1857, she has devoted a I rare energy to the task, and alone had J courage when lawyers to lose hope, de- 1 feated in one court she carried it to I another, until at last she has won. She thus saves her immense fortune. A very beautiful map of France just executed in relief and chrorao-lithography, ia unique in its kind, and gives an exact idea of the physical conformation of the country. A writer concludes, that the work proves beyond question that Providence destined the Rhine as the natural boundary of France. The old Adam is still alive. A commercial firm in announcing the death of a partner surrounds the new price current with a mourning border. Judge to a convicted thief: — "What have you to say before I pass sentence ?" "To pass a little sentence on me, mon jtige, as if it were for yourself."