rector. The profits of this
establishment in 1839 to the government were 66,001,841 francs, upwards
of 2,500,000L. We will now proceed along the quai, and notice the
bridges; first the Pont de Iena, terminated in 1813, it is completely in
a horizontal line, and is certainly a perfect structure, uniting
elegance, beauty, and simplicity.

The Pont des Invalides is a handsome suspension bridge for carriages as
well as foot passengers; a toll is paid in passing over it. Pursuing our
course eastward we arrive at the Palais Bourbon, and Chamber of
Deputies, which was erected by the dowager Duchess of Bourbon, in 1722,
begun by the Italian architect Girardini, and continued by Mansard. It
was afterwards much enlarged when possessed by the Prince de Conde, but
not completed when the Revolution of 1789 occurred. In 1795 it was
appropriated as the Chamber for the sittings of the Council of Five
Hundred, and next occupied by the Corps Legislatif. At the Restoration
in 1814 the Prince de Conde retook possession, but so arranged that the
portion which had been converted into a locality for the sittings of the
Legislative Assembly, and which had been partly rebuilt, should be
appropriated to the use of the Deputies, and finally was bought by
government for 5,500,000 francs. At the death of the Duke de Bourbon
this palace devolved upon the Duke d'Aumale, and is leased to the
Chamber of Deputies for the residence of the President, but will soon
become the property of the country by a negociation at present pending.
The entrance of the Palais Bourbon is by the Rue de l'Universite, and
being approached by a long avenue of trees has the air of a country
seat; formerly the apartments were gorgeously furnished, now simple
beauty and utility alone prevail; there are a few good pictures, and one
room decorated with bucks' horns, and different emblems of the chase;
there is a large garden laid out in the English style. The grand front
of the portion styled the Chamber of Deputies is exactly opposite the
handsome bridge called the Pont de la Concorde, and is from thence seen
to the best advantage; it is a noble massive building with colossal
statues of Sully, Colbert, l'Hopital, and d'Aguesseau, there are besides
several allegorical figures, and 12 noble corinthian columns,
supporting a fine bas-relief recently completed, approached by a flight
of 29 steps; for so much weight as there appears in this building, I
should say there was not suffici