The Sun.
London, England, 1852-06-05 00:00:00

Varittion+

FRANCE.

The Patrie says—" We are assured that a Bill
relative to modifications in the postal tariff will be
soon presented to the Legislative Body. This Bill will,
it is said, contain among other clauses one for the re-
duction of the postage on letters in the interior of
Paris from 15 to 10 centimes, but only when
prepaid."
There is a long article in the Debats on the decree,
of the 20th of February, which authorises the trans-
portation of convicted criminals to a penal colony.
The writer does not take a favourable view of this de-
cree, and considers that the example of England,
which is now substituting as much as possible peni-
tentiary discipline at home for transportation beyond
the seas, ought to have been followed in France. This
is a subject on which there will be much difference of
opinion, but it must not be forgotten that the want of
a penal colony for France has been frequently assigned
as the chief. cause of the prevalence of crime in the
capital, to which liberated convicts have returned
from the bagnes more vicious than when they were
first sent there, to repeat their offences against
society. It is proved by the returns of the
Minister of Justice, that the most heinous crimes in
Paris and other large towns are generally the work
of liberated or escaped convicts, who, if they had
been transported to a distant colony, would have
found it almost impossible to return to the mo-
ther country at the expiration of their penalty, or who
would have obtained sufficient means of subsistence
for themselves and their families to prevent the desire
of return. The Debats thinks that the evil, which
has been one of the great arguments in favour of
transportation, might be prevented by penitentiary
discipline, or the adoption of the cellular system. It
may be right in the view that it takes of the question,
and there would perhaps be an economy to
otheStthaatet
in adopting it; but everybody is not convinced
the cellular system is efficacious. Nor does it follow
that, because England exhibits a desire to abandon
the system of transportation, France should hesitate
to make an experiment of it. The colonies to which
England has sent her convicts have become to such an
extent the resort of honest emigrants that the influx
of criminals is productive of injurious consequences
to the honest and constantly increasing population,
and the most earnest remonstrances have been made
against it. At Cayenne there is no emigrant popu-
lation to be injured by the admission of criminals, and
the objection which becomes capital as regards
England is.comparatively without force in France.
The furniture,
paintings,
&c., of M. VICTOR HUGO
are advertised for sale by auction ; and that gentle-
man, with his family, is about to take up his residence
in Jersey.

GERMAN Y.
The Austrian Government has concluded a postal
arrangement with that of Rome, by which the states
of the Church are incorporated in the Austro-Ger-
man postal union.
Prince DE COLLOREDO-MANSFELD, Marshal in the
Austrian army, died on the 28th ult. at Gfrefenberg.
The Augsburg Gazette says "Tie final protocol
of the conferences of Vienna has been ratified by all
the governments interested, and the idea of the
Auatro-German customs' union is gaininggroundiboth
with the governments and the populations. It has
even obtained the support of the great States."
The Emperor of AUSTRIA returned to Vienna on
the 31st ult. from his Adair, to Prague. He sass shortly
to st out for Hungary; and it was said that, on his
arrival at Pestb, a large amnesty would be proclaimed.
The Berlin journals state that the deliberations of
the Gaston:;' Congress do not advance. A sitting was
to hive taken place on the 30th ult., but was post-
poned to the 7th inst.
A letter from Vienna, of the 26th ult., says
" The constructiou of locomotives has within a short
time increased considerately amongst us, there being
at present not less than 27 :manufactories in the neigh-
bourhood of this. city. OZP, of these establishments
has, within the space of a year, furnished 193 Iccomo-
tives, 146 tenders, and 1,526 carriages oZ various
kinds, the value of which is estimated at,23,100,000f.
This establishment employs 900 workmen."