The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-08 00:00:00

FRANCE.

The Paris journals of yesterday have again been
delayed by the prevalent winds.
The Emperor left Paris at a quarter to four on
Thursday afternoon for Compiegne to meet the
King of Sardinia. MM. Fould and do Morny,
Lord Cowley, the Marquis of Hertford, and Count
Walewski accompanied his Majesty. The King of
Sardinia was expected to arrive at Compeigne at a
quarter past six. The weather, which for several
days had been detestable, improved on Thursday.
There was a brisk but mild west wind, which was
drying up the mud, and there was a fair promise of
tolerable hunting weather for Friday. The Em-
peror and the King were expected in Paris on
Friday evening. His Sardinian Majesty will
stay but a few hours in the capital, for it is an-
nounced that he will be at Lyons on Saturday, at
Charnbery on Sunday, and that he will leave the
latter place for Turin at eleven on Monday morn-
ing. Baron Rothschild, as president of the
Northern Railway, went to London to meet his
Majesty and conduct him to Paris. The Empress
accompanied the Emperor to the railway station.
Her appearance at this time of the year in an open
caleche excited some surprise, and was considered a
proof that she must be in robust health.
On the question of peace no new fact of impor-
tance has occurred. But it is easy to perceive
from what is said in trustworthy quarters that
much confidence seems to be reposed, this time at
least, iu the sincerity of Austria.
A second despatch from Vienna, dated yesterday
evening, says emphatically, "It was at the bourse
that the report of the taking of Kars was cir-
culated." The inference intended to be conveyed,
that the news is not true, is probably a just one.
The numerous friends of Mr. Locke, M.P., will
learn with satisfaction that the hon. gentleman's
progress is very favourable. His medical atten-
dants no longer apprehend any ill consequences
from his serious accident, and they express their
confidence that he will soon be convalescent.
Collignon, the hackney coachman who murdered
his fare to revenge himself upon him for having
complained of a palpable overcharge, was executed
on Thursday morning. His demeanour since his
condemnation had been almost indifferent. He
was civil to everybody who approached him, liked
to gossip with the gaolers, and was often heard to
hum lively tunes. In the morning, when the chap-
lain announced that his last hour was come, he
said, "I do not wish to be a monster. I repent
of my crimes, and ask pardon of God and man."
At the scaffold lie said, like Charles the First,
" If I tremble, it is from cold and not from fear."
It is said that the Credit Mobilier has lent eighty
millions to the Government.

RUSSIA.
(From the Times Correspondent.)

BERLIN Dec. 4.—1 telegraphed to you this
morning the latest news that we have here from
Russia, to the effect that there is a grand Council
of Ministers about to be held at St. Petersburg,
which all available Commanders of the various
armies, for instance, Generals Grabbe, Berg,
Paniutine,andßudiger, together with all the avail-
able Admirals, are summoned to attend ; the high
officers commanding in the south and in Asia
Minor are not among those summoned.
According to another version, it is not a Minis-
terial but a military council which is to be held in
St. Petersburg ; this appears much more likely to
be the correct version, seeing that the highest
military and naval functionaries are summoned
to attend it. The other version, however, makes
the exception of the officers commanding in the
south (who are not summoned to the Council)
to apply only to the Admirals, which does not bear
on it an appearance of correctness. Already,
before November 27th, Vice-Admiral Mitkoff,
the commander of the 2d division of the fleet,
had arrived at St. Petersburg from Revel, as
well as General Sievers, the Commander-in-Chief
of the Baltic corps. Many other high,officers
were even then expected to come 'op to the capital
for consultation with the Government. Generals
Grabbe and Paniutine, however, were not looked
for till towards the end of this month. Gene-
ral Gascliewich had also at that date returned
from a tour in various Governments, and a number
of officers of the Guard, at present stationed in
Lithuania, was also on furlough at St. Peters-
burg, but there was no talk of the Guard itself
returnir g to the capital, or leaving its present
quarters at all.
A St. Petersburg journal was lately about to
publish an article, indicating the speech of Louis
Napoleon at the close of the Exhibition as a threat
addressed to the Conservative interests of Europe;
the article in question,, however, was suppressed
" by command." Anything that can be construed
into an offence by France *anxiously avoided, and
it is no longer the fashion to designate her policy
as revolutionary and forming a contrast with that
of Russia. The Emperor Alexander's words in his
general orders addressed to the army of the Crimea,
which speak of a " powerful and valiant enemy,
that shuns no sacrifices," are understood in St.
Petersburg to be intended solely for France.
From aSt. Petersburg letter in the National
Zeitung it is evident that the position of General
Mouravieff before Kars is considered in the capital
to be endangered by the landing and advance of
Omer Pasha, in connection with the simultaneous
advance of Vely Pasha from Erzeroum. In the Cri-
mea, "which is being held stillfrom political motives,"
it is expected that the activity on both sides will be
confined to mutual observation for some time to

come. The closing of the navig ttion of ,llc. Sea of
Azoff is looked on as securing the left and rear of
the Russian forces there against any possible attack.
The arrival of winter is hailed with joy as Russia's
best ally. By cutting off the approach to the coasts
the winter dispenses with the necessity of the mili-
tary force being split up and divided into insignifi-
cant detachments ; the troops that will thus be set
at liberty are to be applied to the erection of fresh
or the repair of existing fortifications of the coast
which have lately been found defective.
A letter from St. Petersburg, of the 25th ult.,
says :—" Admiral Paniutine, commandant of the
Russian squadron in the Pacific, has just arrived
here, but nothing is known of the fate of his squad-
ron. M. Kokoreff, a merchant of Moscow, has
just given 100,000 silver roubles for the army.
Sledges yesterday made their appearance for the
first time this season in the streets of this city."
By imperial command, a grand review took place
at Warsaw, on the 29th, to celebrate the anniver-
sary of the defeat of the Polish revolution. After
a grand military parade, which took place at 11
o'clock on the square of Saxony, the Russian Arch-
bishop Arsene performed, in front of the Polish
monument, a mass for the repose of the souls of
the Emperor Alexander, his brother the Grand
Duke Constantine, and the persons who perished
on that day victims of their attachment to the
established Government.

This ceremony, says the Independance Beige, the
real object of whioh is not at first obvious, will pro-
duce abroad considerable sensation, when it is
known that it is the mere preliminary of the pub-
lication of an Imperial manifesto of amnesty
granted to the country as a recompence for the 25
years' repose and calmness it has enjoyed. As
that manifesto was only signed by the Emperor on
the 29th of November, its tenour cannot be known
for some days. The illness of Marshal Paskiewitch
is becoming every day more serious.