OUR CONTINENTAL LETTER.

New Zealand Herald, Volume V, Issue 1364, 31 March 1868, Page 3

OUR CONTINENTAL LETTER.

(I'BOSI OUB OWN COBBESrONDEST.) Pakis, January 26th. The Senate held a sitting on Tuesday last, M. Troplong in the chair. The bill to continue for a certain time an additional duty on alcohols in the " commune " of Mayenne was adopted, as were also two others, one granting 3,000,000 francs for works of communal utility, and the other allowing a credit of 400,000 francs in aid of the suffering Arabs in Algeria. Two local measures were likewise agreed to. The rest of the sitting was taken up with reports on petitions. A person named Clair, declaring himself to be a merchant, residing at Geneva, complains of having been the victim of an arbitrary sequestration, under pretext of mental alienation, in the private mad-house of St. George, near Bourg (ain), directed by the religious community of the chimes de St. Joseph. His brother, in 18G3, had got him detained there in order to obtain possession of the rest of the petitioner's property, a part of which he had already seized upon The whole incident was the result of a plot between his family, the Cardinal Archbishop of Lyons and Senator Vaisse, at that time charged with the administration of the department of the Rhone. M. Suin, the reporter, in remarking on the prayer of the petition which called for redress, stated that the language was ot the most wild and violent character, and would seem to almost warrant confinement in a mad-house. The Committee proposed $he order of the day, which was acceded to. Otfianother petition from eight masters of foundries in the

north, complaining of abuses in the commerce of metals from the execution of the Imperial decree of the 15th February 1852, allowing the temporary introduction of castings on certain conditions of caution money lodged, the Senators called for the printing of the report and adjourned the discussion to a farther day.

An interesting discovery of ancient silver coins and ingots of the Gallic period has been made at Gantrem. They are believed to belong to the period of the "Valsci Tolosati, inhabitants of ancient Toulouse. The coins seem to have been cut off the ingots, and, without regard to the form, but only to the weight of the pieces, stamped as money. A considerable number of them, and some of the silver ingots, have been secured for the museum of Rouen, remarkable for its collection of ancient coins, and illustrations of early metallurgy.

Public beneficence in Paris keeps pace with the wants of the destitute. The twenty soupkitchens of the Prince Imperial,' distribute daily from 40,000 to 50,000 portions. Thanks to the aid given by the civil list, each portion, consisting of bread meat, soup, and vegetables, costs only five sous. The kitchen of St. Owen, where the greatest wretchedness prevails, distributes gratis, daily, in the Emperor's name, upwards of 2000 rations. His Majesty is not satisfied with making personal sacrifices for the succour of the poor during the rigour of the winter, lie has invited the co-operation of the city of Paris, which has ordered the establishment of additional kitchens in the sth, 11th, 12th, 13th, 19th, and 20th arrondisscments. The city, besides, distributes fuel in large quantities, at the various offices of public charity, and the quantity of bread supplied to families who are assisted has beeen increased. The Paris Company for lighting and heating by gas has placed at the disposal of the general administration of public assistance 20,000 hectolitres (2J bushels each) of coke for the poor. According to communications from Nice, the mountainous district for a distance of a hundred leagues between Marseilles and Geneva presents at present a magnificent spectacle. The whole slope of the Maritime Alps is covered with a coating of the most dazzling whiteness. The height of these mountains is on the average 1,300 feet above the level of the sea. "What is most remarkable is that below this belt of snow a very mild temporature prevails, and all along the Corniche road the tbermometrical difference, with Paris for example, is at least sixteen degrees. When the glass marked 9 or 10 degrees below zero in the .North, it was at 8 above on the shores of the Mediterranean. A letter from Ostend, of the 12th instant, says: " The cold we experienced yesterday was so intense that the sea water fell to 0.1 below zero, and the temperature of the air during the night 6.7 below ; sea water, as is known, freezes at 2.7 below zero. The closing of the Scheldt by the drifting of the ice-blocks gives great activity to our port, as vessels bound for Antwerp have had to cast anchor here. The ice has not closed the Scheldt only, but also the Meuse with its Flemish and German tributaries ,so that the port of Ostend is the only one remaining free, and hence the animation that prevails hero. The death is noticed of M. Louis Boniface, sub-editor of the Const'ttutionnel, who was for nearly half a century connected with the Paris press.