The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-22 00:00:00

THE LATE MR. MERLE.

It is with sincere regret that we announce the death
of Mr. Merle, the foreign editor of Galignani's Mes-
senger, which occurred on Friday morning at his house,
in the Rue Chauveau Lagarde, Paris, after an illness of
three or four days. He was the Nestor of English
journalists in Paris. Many years ago he was editor of
the Courier, and subsequently, we believe of other
journals in London. He was also for a long while the
London correspondent of the Journal des Debate. For
more than a quarter of a century he has been attached
to Galignani, and during the same period he was the
Paris correspondent of the Globe. He was one of the
very few men in the world who could speak and write
the French and English languages equally well. He
bad great conversational powers, an extraordinary
memory, and a slued political judgment. His mini
was a perfect museum of anecdote, and be was ever the
best authority on the subject of the " latest news " of
the hour. His appearance in Galignani's little conver-
sation chamber was always the signal for a rush from
the reading-room adjoining. There, surrounded by
numerous friends of various nations, who put down their
newspapers to listen to the result of his morning's
reading, his fine Cieeronian countenance might be seen
suffused with good humour, while for a few moments he
playfully parried the eager questions addressed to him
in various accents and languages. When silence was
obtained he was wont in silvery tones and fluent speech
to give a succinct, and invariably accurate, account of
the most important intelligence arrived by the morning
mails from different parts of the world, and to add his
own opinion of the bearing of the new facts upon the
political situation. He was as good a listener as a
talker, always lending a candid ear to every suggestion,
and treating opinions adverse to his own with good-
natured deference and respect. Mr. Merle was greatly
esteemed by all who knew him, and his loss will be re-
gretted by a large circle of friends both in France and
England. Among his personal friends were Lord Pal-
merston and General Sir De Lacy Evans, both of whom
sought interviews with him when they were lately in
Paris.—Daily Mir&

CABINET COUNCIL. —A Cabinet Council was held on
Saturday
afternoon at the Foreign-office, Downing-
street. The ministers present were the Earl of Aberdeen,
Lord John Russell, the Lord Chancellor, the Marquis
of Lansdowne, the Duke of Argyll, the Earl of Claren-
don, Sir George Grey, the Duke of Newcastle, the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer, Sir James Graham, Sir Charles
Wood, Earl Granville, the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert,
and Sir William Molosworth. The Council sat three
hours and a quarter.
Lot d John Russell, Lord President of the Council,
will give a dinner on Saturday next, the 27th inst., at
his residence in Chesham-place, to the Cabinet Ministers
and the great officers of state of the Queen's household
for the purpose of settling the roll of sheriffs for England
and Wales for the present year.
The Marquis of Lansdowne arrived in town on Satur-
day morning from his scat, Bowood Park, Wilts.

Lord John Russell left town on Saturday evening for
Pembrol,e-ledze, Richmond-Park. The noble lord comes
to town for the season to-day.
Viscount Palmerston continues at Broadlands, near
Roinsey, Hants, and WOO absent from the Cabinet Coun-
cils on Saturday and the previous day. The noble vis-
cpunt and viscountess are expected to arrive to-day at
their residence in Piccadilly, from their country seat,
where they have been entertaining a succession of vi-
sitors during the last three weeks.
The Right Hon. Sir Charles Wood and the Right
Hon. Sidney Herbert have arrived in town for the
season.
The Right Hen. the Speaker of the House of Com-
mons will arrive in town to-day, from Hampshire, for
the re-assembling of Parliament. The right hon. gen-
tleineman will commence his Parliamentary banquets on
Saturday week.
The Right Ron. M. T. Baines, M.P., arrived in town
on Saturday, from Yorkshire.