The Sun.
London, England, 1852-12-29 00:00:00

THE FRENCH EMPIRE.

The Patrie of Monday evening says :—" The
Emperor will leave Compiegne at half-past nine
to-night, and is expected in Paris at half-past
eleven. The Emperor would not have any escort
or any honours paid him. Prince Jerome, M.
Fould, Minister of State, the household of the
Emperor, and M. Baroche left Compiegne at one
o'clock."

We read in the Cologne Gazette :—" The French
Government is doing everything it can to bring
about a commercial treaty with Germany founded
on mutual concessions. If Germany, and particu-
larly Prussia, does not raise its pretensions too
high, a treaty between France and the Zollverein
may be expected."
The Emperor has settled the question of the al-
lowance to be given to his uncle (Prince Jerome)
and his son—now called the Hereditary Imperial
family. Prince Jerome is to have an allowance of
one million of francs per annum, with the Palais
Royal as a residence. Prince Napoleon is to have
300,000 f. per annum, and the Princess Mathilde
(Demidoff) 200,000 f. Workmen are at present en-
gaged in arranging the Palais Royal for the recep-
tion of Prince Jerome.

The Assemblee Nationale has the following on
the new English Ministry :

"The composition of tliis Ministry certainly gives
cause for astonishment. In only consulting the past,
the elements of which it is composed appear to be not
Very homogeneous. The dispositions, however, with
which the political men who compose it appear to be
animated, promise duration ; and if it does last, it will
certainly acquire considerable strength. The idea which
presides at the formation of this Ministry may be thus
summed up :—Abroad, the maintenance and develop-
ment of good and intimate relations with the three great
northern powers ; at home, the regular development of
the commercial policy of Sir R. Peel, slow but progres-
sive extension of political franchises and fresh activity given
to the measures for the defence of the country. There is
one important and capital point of the domestic policy, on
which Lord Aberdeen had need of obtaining from the
Whig members of the Cabinet, clear and concise explana-
tions and engagements. Lord John Russell and his
friends formally renounce their support to the application
of the secret ballot at the elections, which is demanded
by the Radicals, and which would be a more decisive and
disastrous blow to the old British Constitution than even
the Reform Bill of 1832. On this point, there could be
no difficulty between Lord Aberdeen and Lord Palmer-
ston, for the latter has always been opposed to the ap-
plication of that system. The mission which Lord
Palmerston will have to fill in the new Government is
clearly determined. Without losing any of his personal
importance in the council he will confine himself to his
special functions. As Home Secretary, he will have
the organisation of the new militia, and no one has
acquired a more complete experience than himself in
such matters, when under the most difficult circum-
stances, he was, 40 years ago, Secretary at War in the
time of the great wars between England and Napoleon.
The organisation of the militia equally engages the
attention of statesmen and the public in England. The
part of Lord Palmerston in the new Cabinet may be
defined by calling him the Minister of National Defence.
In a word, in spite of what there is wanting in apparent
affinity in the personal elements of which the new Eng-
lish Cabinet is composed, it is not in itself that serious
obstacles to its consolidation and duration will be found.
Lord Palmerston will confine himself to the sphere
assigned to him. Lord John Russell shows himself still
less exacting in his pretensions, for he is said to have
desired to have only a seat in the council without any
active ministerial attributions, and that instead of being
placed at the head of the Foreign-office he might :lave
only the nominal functions of Chancellor of the Duchy
of Lancaster. If at a future day this wish of Lord John
Russell should be complied with, he will doubtless be
replaced in the Foreign-office by Lord Clarendon. It is
now for the Parliament to decide on the future fate of
the new Ministry. The first attempts of this session
have had a result which was little foreseen ; there is now
every reason to hope that this ministry will obtain a
Majority, which will enable it to carry out its wise mea-
sures."

AFFAIR OF HONOIJR.—The ancient and usually quiet
borough of Bury St. Edmund's—which has recently
been plunged into a great state of excitement consequent
upon two closely contested elections, the majority, it
will be recollected, in the last case, being eight for Mr.
Oakes over Mr. Hardcastle—has been startled by a call
for twelve paces and pistols. Last week, when the ex-
citement of the struggle began to die away, it was whis-
pered that a challenge to a duel had emanated from
Nowton-court ; and when that rumour was confirmed,
and when it was fully known that such a challenge had
been sent to Mr. Hardcastle, the excitement was increased
tenfold. The gentleman who demanded this satisfaction
was Mr. Oakes, a banker, of the borough, living at Now-
ton-court, father of the successful candidate, and the
cause of quarrel was an observation in one of Mr.
Hardcastle 's speeches, which Mr. Oakes considered offen-
sively personal. He called upon Mr. Hardcastle to re-
tract, but as that gentleman refused, Mr. Oakes, who is
a magistrate for the borough, and a deputy-lieutenant
of the county, sent a defying missive after him into
Essex. The day after it was received at Writtle, Cap-
tain Sutton, of Bury St. Edmund's, as the friend of Mr.
Oakes, waited upon Mr. Hardcastle to receive the name
of " his friend" to settle the preliminaries_ Mr. Hard-
castle, however, decided on appealing to the law, and on
Friday, Mr. Headlane in his behalf, appeared before the
mayor and H. Le Grace, Esq., magistrate of the bo-
rough, and called for their intererence in the matter.
A private meeting of these magistrates was held at the
mayor's house, when Mr. Oakes was bound to keep the
peace towards Mr. Hardcastle for six months, in a per-
sonal bond of 2001., and two sureties of 1001. each,
and Captain Sutton in 1001. The affair, of course, has
caused considerable excitement in the borough.—lps-
wich Express. •
THE CONVICT CANNON.—Thirteen convicts, under
sentence of transportation, were on Wednesday removed
to the Bedford prison, from Newgate, to undergo the
first stage of their penal career, which is twelve months'
strict separate confinement. Amongst the number is
Cannon, the ruffian who so nearly killed the unfortunate
policeman Dwyer. Cannon appears in good health, and
is evidently subdued. His general demeanour evinces
a disposition to succumb to the conditions of his well-
merited punishment. The two first stages of his sen-
tence will occupy twelve years to complete, viz., one
year in solitude, and the remainder in the quarries, or
other equally severe labour. And should his conduct
not be in all respects exemplary during that period,
Norfolk Island will inevitably be his doom. The year's
probation will in a great measure determine this.
ACCIDENT ON THE LONDON AND NORTH WESTERN
RAILWAY.—On Christmas eve, as the five o'clock Bir-
mingham train to Manchester, Chester, and Liverpool,
was leaving the Penkridge station, and before it had got
into full speed, a Shropshire Union train came
up at a considerable pace behind, and, regard-
less of signals, ran into and destroyed a second
and also a third-class carriage, in the rear.
About 19 or 20 passengers were injured more or less,
but fortunately none of them were killed. A lady
from Liverpool suffered a fracture of the scapula,
and the Rev. Mr. Allen, of Hanmer, in Wales,
was much hurt. Mr. Conry, chairmaker, of Tur-
ner-street, Manchester, had the splinter bone of
one leg broken, and his head badly bruised. Two of
the injured passengers were from Manchester, two
from Stafford, three from Shrewsbury, and most of the
others from London, being passengers visiting their friends
in the country. Two of the injured had to remain at Staf-
ford all night, but were able to proceed on their journey
next morning. The other down trains were much detained
through the accident, and the five o'clock express
from London that evening did not reach Man-
chester until an hour after midnight instead
of at 10 o'clock. Mr. Woodhouse, superintendent
of the line at Stafford, was indefatigable in
his attention to the passengers, and procured surgical aid
as soon as possible. Mr. Norris, of Warrington, and Mr.
J. G. Harrison, surgeon to the company at Manchester,
were engaged in investigating the causes of the accident
on Christmas-day, and it was expected to be further pur-
sued, as was the inquiry by Captain Huish, yesterday.
It is supposed the engineer of the Shropshire Union
train could not stop his train owing to the slipperness of
the rails after coming in sight of the Birmingham train.
FATAL FIGHT AT DARTFORD.—Yesterday afternoon
at one o'clock, John Maloy, Harry Gibbs, and Joseph
Wise, all labourers at Dartford, were brought before
Thomas H. Fleet, Esq., at the office of Mr. Hayward,
charged with causing the death of Abraham Apted, on
the night of Friday. Mary Wise, wife of Charles Wise,
labourer, deposed—l live in Water-lane, Dartford.
About ten minutes before twelve on Friday night, I
went out to the marsh, which is near my house, and
saw there the prisoners John Maloy and Harry Gibbs,
and the deceased Abraham Apted. Maloy and Apted
were fighting ; presently they fell down, Maloy falling
upon Apted. My husband's brother picked up Maloy,
and Gibbs picked up Apted. They rested a little while,
and began squarinc, and fighting again. Apted kept
falling back, and Gibbs held him up and said, " Get up,
you receive all the blows, and give none." I said,
" Pray, Harry, don't let them fight any more." He
replied, " Oh, nonsense, they will not hurt each other."
Apted then stood up to fight again, and Maloy hit him
somewhere in the forepart of the body, I did not see
where, when he made a gurgling noise in the throat, and
fell backwards and did not move. I turned to Maloy
and said, " You villain, you have killed this man, and
if anything happens I will appear against you." He
said, "I did not strike a blow, and if you say I did I
will wring the nose out of your face." Gibbs picked up
Apted and Shook him, and I said, "Oh my, he is dead."
He replied, " Nonsense, he has only fainted." The
deceased was then placed on Gibb's back, who took him
home. Dr. Fisher was sent for, and when he came he
said he was dead. The cause of the quarrel appeared to
be that while Maloy was drinking in the Watermen's
Arms, Apted (the deceased) went in, took up Maloy's
pot, and drank some of his beer. This gave offence to
Maloy, and words arose, which terminated in the fatal
occurrence. The prisoners were remanded till Thursday,
t) await the coroner's inquest.
GERMANY. ALARMING ACCIDENT AT ARBROATH.—On the morning
The Emperor of Austria arrived at Vienna on of Friday the skeleton rafters for the new iron roof of
the 24th. the passenger station at the Junction Railway, Arbroath,
The lithographic news sheet of Vienna, which is extending in length to about 100 feet, fell with a tre-
said to receive its inspirations from the Austrian m mdous crash. The individuals at the station made a
Cabinet, has an article in its number of the 23d. on. miraculous escape. Mr. Allan, the station master, was,
however struck on the head by one of the rafters, and
the subject of the visit of the Emperor of Austria , .
to his uncle the King of Prussia. It states that though not dangerously, he is severely, injured. One
theof the wooden sheds was completely smashed. The ac-
visit is an affair of importance, as proving , the cident m be partl ascribed to the very tempestuous
rod. understanding between the courts, but that it weather ma
the want of the diagonal braces, to the
no connection with the question of the recog- erection of which the workmen were about to be put.—
"111011 of the French Empire, the Northern Courts Scotsman.

The Bourse was more than usually dull, and
public securities all declined seriously. The Four-
and-a-Half per Cents. opened at 105 f. 75c., and
closed at 105 f. 25c. for the end of the month ; the
Three per Cents. closed at 81f. ; Orleans Railway
Shares, 1,032 f. 50c. ; Rouen, 970 f. ; Havre, 520 f. ;
Great Northern, 885 f. ; Basle, 360 f. ; Paris and
Strasburg, 817 f. 50c. ; Paris and Lyons, 922 f. 50c. ;
Lyons and Avignon, 775 f. ; Western of France,
777 f. 50c. ; Caen to Cherbourg, 622 f. 50c. ; Bor-
deaux and Cette, 605 f. ; Shares of the new Bank
of Credit Mobilier, issued at 500 f., 835 f

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.
(BY SUBMARINE TELEGRAPH.)
PARIS, WEDNESDAY, 8.40 A.M.
Letters from Lisbon, dated 20th, report that a
Royal decree has been published, reducing all the
debts of Portugal to a Debt of Three per Cent.
after the Ist of January, 1853.
Mr. Bower has been acquitted.

THE CONTINENT.

ITALY.

A letter from Rome of the 20th, in the Univers,
says :—" The first formgn regiment in the service
of the Holy See has received a flag from the Holy
Father : it was presented to it after a solemn con-
secration by the Bishop. of Macerata, in which
place the depot of the regiment now is. This corps
IS destined to be the commencement of the Pontifi-
cal army. It is still far from complete, and the
Journals have frequently exaggerated the import-
ance of the enlistments made abroad, principally
in Switzerland, for the composition of it. En-
listments continue to be made, and the disposi-
tions of the recruits appear to be excellent. Many
of them have already served for several years, and
offer all desirable guarantees as regards instruction
and military discipline. It is then permitted
to hope that this corps, for the organisation of
Which the Pontifical Government makes very great
sacrifices, will respond to its legitimate expectation,
and will become one of the strongest supporters of
the temporal power of the Papacy. This brave
regiment wished that its flag should be blessed on
the day of the Immaculate Conception of the Most
tioly Virgin, in order to place itself under the pro-
tection of the celestial militia. The Neapolitan
Journals inform us on their part that the army of
King Ferdinand renewed on the same day, after a
review, its consecration to the spotless Holy Vir-
gin. This is a usage introduced by the pious Sing,
and it gives joy to his really Catholic soldiers."
The Cologne Gazette has the following from
Vienna, dated the 23d :—" The Court of Rome has
recently addressed to all the European Powers a
circular, in which it invites them to take a warm
interest in the state of things in the Herzegovine
and Bosnia, where the Christians are constantly
exposed to the persecutions of the Turks."