PARIS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) April 18th.

Otago Witness, Issue 1177, 20 June 1874, Page 5

PARIS. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) April 18th.

The Press has received a "sublime warning, and perhaps on ih& whole not undeserved, that if it persisted in questioning the Marshal's office the law would be put in force. Tho red hot discussions were not in th« interests of the country, and instead of being liberty degenerated into license. The journals that have caused 4h» trouble must be thankful at receiving a timely hint, when it was in the power of the authorities to suppress them by a simple decree from the military governor. It is lamentable to have recourse to such measures, and Frenchmen appear to be still unaware that violence produces no good, and that writing down to-day what they had written up yesterday is not the way to produce conviction or to deserve respect. The grand and sensible majority of the nation desires the Marshal to occupy his o#oe for seven years, as the Assembly voted it to him, beyond yea or nay, and to "consolidate his position by organic laws is all the true people desire. As these laws will be presented on the resumption of business by the Chamber next month, the pitched battles to be expected can have but one result, and that a good one — the defeat of extreme parties who keep the country in hot water, by proclaiming they can save France by the magio virtue of their principle or their prescription. Indeed, France requires only to be let alone, for in truth the recuperation she has accomplished is the result of the energy of her Constitution, of her willingness to live outside all parties who are turbulent, frivolous, blind, or arrogant. It is she who remains calm, patient, and ready to work, while parties agitate round her in the interests of domination, seeking in ©very crisis an opportunity for triumphing, and resolving to destroy all when perceiving their chances are being lost. France has faith in her vitality. Constitutions may disappear, but peoples remain ; and it is only by means of a Government of concord that all can enjoy the fruits of equity and security. Such were the ideas professed by M. Thiers, and his successor will not be the less honoured in applying them, as he is resolved to do. The Legitimists and Bonapartists who seek the heritage of France are more turbulent than powerful. The people repel the first, and are hostile to the second. More than ever they wish to manage their own affairs themselves, and are only too glad that the Marshal, as in duty bound, will warn off intruders for seven years. If the Republic do not win the future by its sagacity and prudence, then the country may justly commence to despair. Sydney Smith once put in to Edinburgh in stress of politics. The journals having found angry and impracticable debates do not pay, for the present at least, have fallen back on such puerile matters as national education, art, plans for ameliorating the condition of the poor, and schemes for developing the resources of the country. The change is happy, and readers really feel thankful. It is pitiable to see the grand intelligence of publicists absorbed and lost in the inanities of politics, where nothing practical is ever produced save elegant phrases, sharp epigrams, and offensive personalities. Not that a people is expected to renounce its interest and surveillance respecting its political institutions ; on the contrary, political activity is commendable, proTided the politics be healthy, and kept in their proper place. Several public men, compelled to retire from business, devote their forced leisure to the rehabilitation of their character. The most industrious in this respect is General Trochu, who is writing the history of the events in which he was mixed up by instalments. The General has been most abused by the Bonapartists, and the cause seems to be that he considered the Empire lost even before it foundered on the 3rd September, 1870. Sedan toppled Imperialism into the abyss it had created itself, for the Second Empire had been digging its own grave since the retreat from Mexico. The General conclusively proves that since 1867, after the lessons of Sadowa of the previous year, he predicted, or rather photographed, the disasters that would overtake France were she to engage in a struggle with Prussia. Everything was to remake in France, and the mobilisation of recruits was next to a physical impossibility. He stated that Germany would assume the offensive by invading France, and it was on French territory the shocks would take place ; and in July, 1870, before a blow was struck, he announced to Oomte Daru that the Empire and the army marched to certain defeat. This was excellent foresight, but why did the General take command of the defence of Paris, promising victory from his torrential lorties, and swearing never to capitulate

till be had morally done so ? To crack patriots up to certain defeat is droll generalship. He also explains that the leniency of the Court Martial towards Flourens and the rioters of the 31st Oct., 1870, was in consequence of the zealous prayers of all the journals, without exception, for the exercise of clemency. The painful efforts of M. Ollivier at self-galvaniza-tion may be passed by with a smile. Not so with the Due de Gramont, ex-Foreign Secretary. He gave the nation to understand France could count upon armed aid from Austria, he even quoted an extract from the despatch to justify his assertion. The full despatch has been published, and there is no such promise held out, but a distinct declaration on the contrary of neutrality. France is lenient towards such criminal culpability. Thus we see, little by little, what was the Empire, its means, and its men — but France has anticipated all these disceveries.

The question of disposing of our dead being the order of the day, it is not uninteresting to learn how Paris dealt with, and proposes to deal with it, for a new cemetery has been purchased for her wants. Now nothing is so singular in the character of Parisians than their contempt for the living, and their reverence for the dead. They are the most sceptical and irrespective people in the world, having a disdain for all glories, an irony for all superiorities, a contempt for everything that is not its own. They hold neither to life nor the living ; indifferent to their past which they know but badly, and little careful of the future that they never foresee ; their loves of yesterday become their hates to-day, the hands that threw Marat in the common sewer were those that had carried him to the Pantheon ; they are inconsistent as the wind and perfidious as the sea— violent, ungrateful, and unfaithful by turns— but in one thing they are immutable— that of regarding their cemeteries as holy places, and in worshipping their dead with the adoration of idolatry. When a person dies in Paris the fact is announced to the family and friends of the deceased by a circular letter, the printing of which, in the orthodox space of two hours, forms fifty per cent, of the personal work of lithographic printing offices. Among the upper ten the widow never issues this letter ; she retires to her apartments for six weeks ; in less exalted circles the widow ever announces the sad event, not only in her own name, but in that of her children, and the immediate j relatives. The practice was, according to M. dv Camp, in former times more simple : the town crier announced the deaths, where they took place, and when the funerals would set out. These men were clothed in long white capes, with black notes of exclamation to represent tears, croßs-bone«J and skulls ; the children being frightened, and the dogs compelled to bark, the costume was abandoned, and the long black gown of lawyers substituted. It was the custom for the clergy to recite prayers on horseback, alongside the hearse, on its way to the cemetery, and the hearse itself was a huge Jugger-naut-kind of car with curtains, behind which was the bier and workmen ready to repair a break-down. These workmen passed their time en route play-i ing thimble -rig on the coffin, and drawing aside the curtain to make grimaces at the clergy. The poor were carried on porters' shoulders like a box, or on a brancard, and the porters had the right to deposit their burdens at the dram-shop doors while enjoying a drink. The burial of the dead in Paris is performed by a chartered company, that includes all interments under nine classes — everything supplied ; the first costing over 7000fr. , and the ninth about 19fr. The city pays the company sfr. per body interred, and out of receipts the company allocates 56 per cent, of its profits to support the various religions recognised by l aw _or If million of francs per annum. The company is also bound to bury gratuitously the indigent, which in 1873 amounted to 25,000 cases, against 19,000 nearly who paid. The rich thus bury the poor, and the dead defray the religious rites of the living. The company has in its employment 585 agents, 570 hearses and mourning ■ coaches, and 270 horses, and supplies a master of the ceremonies. It is the Government furnishes the officer with the three-cor-nered hat. He takes charge of the body at its domicile, heads the procession through the streets, and retires only when the last spadeful of earth has been thrown into the grave. The mutes do not like to be called croqnemorts, and they classify corpses as " salmon, herrings, and whitings," representing respectively the rich, the poor, and children. They are not sad employe's, though silent ; many are very gay, do duty in the pantomimes and chorus scenes of theatres, and some lead the dances in the public balls. In Paris 24 hours must elapse before the defunct can be buried, and the funeral must take place at the hour fixed by the authorities, and in the cemetery allocated to your ward, unless you

Share a family tomb elsewhere. The Church of the Innocents, to-day occupied by the Central Markets, was the Pere la Chaise of Paris in the sixteenth century. Yet it was so full that coffins had to wait their turn for a vacant spot, and the remains of children were packed like sardines. The portico of this Church was devoted to selling toys, trimmings, and rags ; and for a few sols one could write their letters. The place, as Voltaire remarked, was consecrated to the plague. The revolution of 1791 cleared away the danger, and Napoleon I. decreed the establishment of Pere la Chaise and other cemeteries. The poor have now a "space" to themselves in the "free trench," or more indignantly known as the fosse commune, and 63 per cent, of the interred claim the gratuitous grave. Spring is the best time to visit Pere la Chaise, when it is covered with violets and primroses, and the birds sing cheerfully, and that one can, in the words of Luther, envy the dead, because they repose. The tomb of Helo'ise and Abelard is most visited, especially by lovers and newlymarried people, who pay their tribute of admiration to sincere love ; the authorities have had to enclose the Gothic structure with a railing to prevent visitors engraving their names thereon. Political tombs are forgotten according to the times ; thus Lallemand, killed in 1820, has been eclipsed by the Revolution of 1 830 ; since that of 1848, Godefroy Cavaignac is overlooked, and Baudin has been forgotten since Sep« tember, 1870. The tomb erected to Lesurgues, the hero of the Courrier de Lyon is, however, remembered, for the benefit of Juries, if not of Judges. Pere la Chaise is now closed, but since its opening in 1804 till Ist January, 1874, it has received 688,477 bodies. At the cemetery of Montparnasse, there is a grave marked with a naked stone — no name, no date — the very weeds decline to grow near itit marks the remains of the aristocratic murderer, the Due dePraslin; 1600 Communists are buried near him. The "civil interments " are in the proportion of five per cent. Quarter-day, the 15th of April, is a fair test for the prosperity of Paris. It is the opinion that rents have been fairly paid, but that there have been an unusual number of removals to quarters less dear. This is common prudence, and means retrenchment ; besides, landlords are still holding out against any reductions, and prefer empty apartments to fair rents — the no bread to half-a-loaf. Society continues to be very gay, as such is ever the case after Easter and before breaking up for the sea side. The bourgeoisie do not feel inclined for villa residences, and adopt the plan of a Sunday ramble in the country and back to town at night-fall. Fine Arts appear to be the most lucrative business in Paris ; the exhibitions are as numerous as the sales, and good prices are to be obtained. All this seems to displease the true lovers of art, who see it reduced to a mere branch of commerce.

It is said Paris offers excellent opportunities for banking operations just now, as so many have "bursted" of late, that but few remain to transact legitimate affairs. The latest bubble, after incurring debts to be counted by millions, has been wound up by the police, much to the astonishment of many. The bank's premises were fitted up regardless of expense, in the most important part of the city, and the strong safe on being opened was found to contain exactly one franc and three sous ! Directors feel insulted when cast into prison to explain how the money goes. One of the grand Moguls of the bank — now the common topic of conversation, as it had a political connection—that has failed, rather than permit himself to be searched according to custom, removed his clothes, threw them at the police, and borrowed a less desecrated suit.

Another suicide has taken place in a cab, which since eight days has become the fashionable mode of self-destruction. On the present occasion the unfortunate was a collegian, aged 19. He took a cab at the railway station, directed to be driven to his Lyceum, and during the drive, he fired two balls into his breast. He was melancholy since he was plucked at the term examination. It is odd that, notwithstanding the Btate of siege, so many persons are provided with firearms. A project is on foot to reconstitute the order of the Knights of St. John ; an order forgotten rather than extinct. It numbers 280 members in France— all with blue blood in their veins. The object of the revival is to be ready to succour the wounded on the field of battle. The Geneva cross even will be opposed. The interest- in the lad who swallowed a dinner-fork continues undiminished The surgeons have had special instruments made to seize the foreign body the moment it appeared ; but the fork has not put in an appearance. The faculty conclude from this that the lad has no reason to feel either anxious or uncomfortable, and in addition he has been supplied with aooounts of peraona who have survived after

swallowing more seriouß matters— guard! eggs, bars of lead, pipes, &c. It is a common practice to bring dren affected with the whooping-cough to a gau factory to respire the air there. Dr Masoola has shown th*t it is the infusoria in the atmosphere that causes the paroxysm, and by taking prepared carbolic acid jujubes the spasms in the second stage of the cough are completely allayed. A little girl in a cemetery was observed singing over a tomb the " Casta Diva." On her retiring, she said to the observer, that was the favourite air with her mamma.

Rochefort, it is rumoured, will settle down as permanently as he can in Geneva, and will take charge of a journal to be published simultaneously at Brussels and London, and wherein will appear his revelations of the Second Empire.