The Sun.
London, England, 1852-07-15 00:00:00

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Constitutionnel has an article on the report
tpresented
ost
nue) tehpi
,et
although
Intnhgnofl
ui
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sv
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is
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ms Commons
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Thevo ef
free-trade principles in France, as being likely to in-
n England
reduction
so much increase the consumption that the
judrencthtieonpuobflticnetrdenatsiuersy,nnseeFmresnteohtl,viin.nkestihat a large
amount of revenue to the State would be rather in-
creased than diminished. The Comstitutionnel re-
egga
ur s
ty. the. reduction
bael s as a
nodoubt measure t
hat a
large
prescribedr ed
übcy.
on
wouinld lEeandgtloanadn,
and be of great benefit to the French growers.
etinoonrrnonfustheincdruetayseonnf Frenchconsnavinipntes i
There are certain French wines which are at once
wholesome and cheap, and which please the
English taste. The duty on some of these wines
in England amounts to three times its original
cost, and acts therefore almost as a prohibition.
Good Beaune, for instance, if there were no duty,
could be had for sixpence per bottle in England, and
Picardan, an excellent substitute for sherry, for about
the same price. If, therefore, the duty in England
were to be no more than the cost of the wine, the
English would have a choice of some ten to fifteen
good wines, at a total cost of about one shilling per
bottle, and none but the very poorest persons would
be unable to drink French wine. The reduction of
the duty has long been talked of, but, considering the
advantages that it would hold out to this country, the
Governments in England have always stipulated for
some concessions in favour of iron, coals, or other
articles of British produce. Fifteen years ago the
Governments of France and England had en-
tered into serious negotiations for the recipro-
cal reform of their customs' tariffs, and Sir
HENRY BULNTER and Dr. BOWING were appointed as
Commissioners of the British Government to discuss
with the Commissioners of the French Government
the bases of a new commercial treaty. These labours
oontinued several months, and were proceeding sa-
tisfactorily, when they were suddenly broken off by
M. THIERS, who was then in the French Cabinet.
The only motive assigned for this proceeding was the
improbability of inducing the Chamber of Deputies,
which at that time was composed in a great measure
of monopolists and anti-Free traders, to consent ; but
it was, we understand, the opinion of the English
Commissioners that, if the Government had been sin-
cere in its professions, its influence on the Chamber
would have sufficed to bring the affair to a satisfac-
tory result. The obstacles which then existed to a
mutual reform of the tariffs of the two countries,
with a view to new international advantages, do not
exist now.
Bou Maze, the Algerine chief, has escaped from
Ham. The Courrier du Pas de Calais of the 13th
says :—" On Saturday night Bou-Maza, who was
detained prisoner in the citadel of Ham, succeeded in
effecting his escape. All that is known of the matter
is that he took the railway at Montecourt, and that
he had with him a miller's man, who used to act as
his servant. The only luggage that the fugitives had
with them was a trunk and a carpet bag. The news
of his escape was immediately transmitted to the
various authorities."
The Impartial de le ...lleurthe says :—" The Go-
vernment has just extended to the Protestant minis-
ters, and the ministers of the different sects paid by
the State, the indulgence which is extended to Ca-
tholic ministers, of being exempt from the oath."
It is stated that the President of the Republic was
most anxious to be accompanied in his journey to
Strasburg by 111. Fould ; but that when the proposi-
tion was made, the ex-Minister expressed his regret
that he was unable to accept the invitation in conse-
quence of previous arrangements for a visit to the south.
The answer did not appear, however, sufficiently deci-
sive ; and a second intimation is said to have been
made on the same subject, but without success, and M.
ab This
set out on the journey be had originally ar-
ranged.whtiheeh
con-
jecture as to the probability of M. Fould re-entering
th e Cabinet,
inet, ios has given rise to a good deal of f
prelude.the
Othersto
doubtjoin t the e
mPurceh-
sident was to be that such a result would have taken place even had
M. Would consented, but believe that the attention
shown to the ex•Miniater was more apparent than real.
A letter from Marseilles of the 10th inst. states that
a dreadful storm, accompanied with thunder, light-
ning, and torrents of rain, fell on Wednesday last on
the town of Auriol and the neighbourhood. An un-
fortunate peasant, who was sitting in his kitchen
smoking his pipe, near his wife, who was rocking
her infant in a cradle, was killed by the lightning :
the woman and child were not hurt. At the country-
house of Notre Dame, belonging to M. Remusat, two
children and their grandmother were severely
wounded.

A letter from Montauban of the 9th states, that the
torrents of rain which fell on the 7th inst. caused con-
; siderable injury to the canton of Lauzerte. The wheat
which was cut in the fertile valley of Baignelonne
was all swept away by the overflowing of the river.
The poor farmers, who had already suffered severely
from the hailstorms, are in a state of desolation. The
communes of Denfort, Montagudet, Miramont, and
St. Nasaire have likewise suffered severely.
A letter from Nyons, in the Drome, of the 10th
instant, says, that the communes of St. Maurice and
Vinsobres had been ravaged on the afternoon of the
rth inst. by a terrific hailstorm. The hailstones,
which it is said were as big as walnuts, had com-
pletely destroyed the wheat which was not yet cut
and stripped the vines of their leaves.
A letter from Bergerac of the 10th inst. adds,
that such heavy rains as followed the storm of the
7th inst. had not been seen within the memory of
man, Three houses were demolished in the village
of Monleydier and the materials carried into the
Dordogne.
Accounts from Auch, in the Gers, state that a fresh
disaster bad befallen that department, already
cruelly punished in the course of the present year.
A water-spout fell on the canton of Nogaso on the
Btb, and caused immense damage in the communes of
Manciet Sorbets, Saint Martin, and others. The rain
onfell the following day to the depth
g
two hours and a half. The
plainsof two feet with water which could not find a
passage, At Saint Flower likewise the damage is
immense : fortunately no lives were lost.
Government Securities were feeble at the Bourse;
shares were more firm. The Four-and-a-
-i n
were torrents
covered
v edruerdi
railwayll7
per Cents. opened at 102 f. 95c., and closed at
102 f. 90c. for the end of the month; the Three per
Cents. closed at 72f. 5c.; Orleans Railway Shares,
1,3601.; Rouen, 892 f. 50c.; Havre, 347 f. 50c.; Great
Northern 631 f. 25c.; Avignon, 460 f.; Basle, 291 f. 25c.;
and Strasburg, 611 f. 25c.; Paris and Lyons,
68 •
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LoNDO _
.N STOCK EXCHANGE, JULY 14.
Dutch Rhenish, 5 Tg
Paris 50c.; Great Western, 575 f.
East Indian, 2714—Luxembourg, 5%
67/e7iNorthern of France, 25—Faris
andaris and Rouen, 347A—Rouen and Havre,
13%—Sambre and Meuse, 5 •
—Namur
aLrayou Lyons, andl7 'ALler—ge,