The Sun.
London, England, 1852-10-25 00:00:00

FRANCE;

' We have received the Paris papers of S..:urday on
yesterday.
The strongest assurance of certainty prevails that.
all stock will be converted into one uniform Three
per Cent. The Moniteur of yesterday does not,
however, contain the looked-for decree to that effect.
The Constitutionnel announces that great additions
are to be made to the port of Havre. The harbour
ii to be increased, docks are to be established, and
new works are to be constructed for the defence of
the roads and ports.
The Moniteur contains a decree forbidding all lease-
holders of mines (concessionaires des mines), of what-
ever nature, to unite to his or their concession, other
concessions of the like nature, either by partnership
or purchase, unless-with the authority of Government.
The Chamber of Commerce at Brest has voted an
address to the Prince President, thanking him for
having given them the constitutive chamber they
possess, and while calling on him to assume the crown
echo the words of the speech at Bordeaux—the Em-
pire is peace. The Moniteur records the honourable
testimony of the British Board of Admiralty towards
Captain Bellot, the French marine officer who has
just returned from the Arctic Regions. The gallant
captain's own report of the endeavours made to find
Sir John Franklin is also given, confirming the par-
ticulars of Captain Kennedy's recital.
The same official journals contains a decree by
which an extraordinary credit of 200,000 f. is appro-
priated to the church of St. Genevieve, formerly the
Pantheon ; a second decree nominates the presidents
of different mutual aid societies ; a third gives formal
authorization to the Crystal Palace Company, or
Palace of National Industry ; and a fourth promul-
gates the convention with the duchy of Brunswick
relative to literary property.
The Pays has the following remarks on the subject
of the course to be followed with regard to the
Empire :
"If the empire is to proceed from the suffrages of the

nation freely -consulted; it is to the Legislative Body that
the right is reserved to proclaim this great event. _ We

have already said that this was not a vain formality, but a
fresh homage paid to the principle of national sovereignty.
the Legislative Body will not be a simple bureau for
counting the votes, it will be the authorized agent of the
people, to verify thecorrectness of the electoral operations
and to proclaim the votes of the ballot. In this point,
of view we repeat, the intervention of the Legislative
Body acquires a considerable political importance. This
intervention has a character the more serious, as what
sow takes place is not accomplished under the irresistible
pressure of any of those social dangers which lead people
beyond their own convictions. Violent revolution is

vanquished, anarchy is repressed, and order is re-estab-
lished; the government which presents itself to the
judgment of the people has not terror for its auxiliary.
It is in the midst of peace and of general prosperity
that it consults France, whose wishes echo in its ears
from the thousand voices of the enthusiastic crowd. The
nation acts in all its spontaneousness, and it also acts in
all its liberty. It is, perhaps, the first time in the history
of a nation which will have to declare itself on the na-
ture of its definitive institutions without having been
constrained to it by the troubles of a revolution. In
1814, France bent her head under the defeat of our
soldiers; invaded by foreign armies, she accepted
the government re-established by the allied powers;
but her choice had to be made between obedience
and devastation. In 1830, France was subjected to a
new dynasty, but the Kings of the elder branch
had fled ; the throne was vacant, and her choice was be-
tween adhesion and anarchy. In 1848 a triumphant
eseeute drove Louis Phillippa from the Tuileries, but the
rad flag and socialism arose with the terrible souvenirs
of 1793 ; the choice of France was then between the
Republic or terror. Now let us suppose, which is a thing
impossible—for it is the people who wish for the empire,
and the Government adheres to the national wish—let
us suppose that the majority of citizens declare them-
selves against the re-establishment of the Imperial
throne, there would be neither danger for society, nor
Fot individuals. Order would not be compromised, and
,he government with its actual power and form would
Swatch as energetically and as effectually over the general
safety. It is, therefore, in the strength of her liberty
and in the plenitude of her reason, that France is about
.o decide whether she will retain the present form of
government, or re-establish Imperial hereditary rights.
The government does not put this grave and solemn
question ; it proceeds from the wishes of all the repre-
sentative of the people, from the acclamation of citizens,
from the interests of all classes of society. In presence
of this unanimous declaration, the government could
not remain indifferent and insensible ; it has on this
point made a fresh appeal to the people, the only legiti-
mate dispenser of Sovereign power. But, we repeat,
ethilst so many other powers have been raised and con-
solidated by the fear of an evil which they might ward
against, the present one is founded and strengthened by
the conviction of the good which it is to produce. In
this solemn act of national sovereignty each of the great
'oodles of the State is to have its part. The Senate, the
guardian of the fundamental principles of public right,
has a situation defined by the Constitution itself ; it de-
clares the necessity of modifications of which the Con-
_ .

stitation is susceptible. The legislative, power, the organ
and authorised agent of the nation, verifies the votes of
the people, and proclaims its sovereign decision. In our
eyes it is a fine and noble mission that has devolved on
it. If, on the one hand, it guarantees the sincerity of
the vote, it is, on the other hand, a striking proof of the
confidence of the Government towards the deputies. Is
not the best government that which realizes the greatest
mount of good?—and in this point of view. what pre-
ceding Government has done more, or done it more
rapidly, than the Government of Louis Napoleon?"

BUSINESS DONE IN FORERIN RAILWAYS AT TUE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, Ocr. 23.
Chsirleroi and Erquelines, 151—Dijon and Basangon, 81—
Grand Junction of France, 4—Luxembourg, 7*—ditto
(Railway), 11—ditto (Canal), I%—Namur and Leige (with
interest), 8% —Paris and Rouen, 38—Paris and Strasbourg,
31*—Paris, Caen, and Cherbourg, 7%—Rouen and Havre,
171—Sambre and Meuse, Di—Western of France, lei.

LOUIS NAPOLEON AT THE THEATRE.

(Flaw tit times)
PARIS, SATURDAY, OCT. 23, 5 P.M.
I presume that the visit paid by the President last
night to the Theatre Fran9ais must be considered as
a visit of " State." It had been announced for some
days beforehand, and improvements and decorations
were made within the walls, and everything done to
welcome the Imperial visitor. The street was sanded
all over, and the fa9ades of this chosen temple of the
dramatic muse was beautifully illuminated. The bird
whose form and anatomy the Parisian ornithologist
has been most familiar with for many months past is
unquestionably the eagle. He has been exhibited in
every shape and material—in wood and iron, in gas-
light and in oil, in pasteboard and canvass, in silk and
satin ; and on every occasion, for ho is never off duty.
He last night rose with outspread wings, and in the
midst of glare, with his usual appendage, the star of
the Legion of Honour. To his right and left were
to be seen shields encircled with palm leaves, with '
resplendent stars in the intermediate spaces, and on
them the familiar initials "L. N." Lines of gas ran
all round the building, and the light they shed turned
the night into day. The Foyer displayed its new
decorations, and the walls were hung with portraits
of the eminent actors of the old Comedic Fran9aise,
and complete the series of the busts of the poets.
For some hours previous to the President's arrival,
the lower part of the Rue Richelieu had been crowded
with people, and cries of " Vive l'Empereur !" from
without, when the second act was just commencing,
gave note of his arrival. Accompanied by the usual
escort of cuirassiers, the Prince arrived in an open
carriage drawn by four horses, followed by another
of the same kind, and containing the officers of his
household. In that part of the street the pathways
are narrow, as also the streets on both sides; and the
escort drawing up in line, prevented the crowd
from thronging his passage. The President was
cheered on entering his box, which was hung in front
with crimson velvet drapery, embroidered with bees
in gold. The interior of the theatre displayed a pro-
fusion of tricoloured flags in clusters. The Presi-
dent, who was dressed in black, and wore the cordon of
the Legion of Honour, was conducted to his box by
the director, M. Houssaye. He was accompanied
by most of his Ministers. On his entrance, the per-
formance was suspended for a few moments, but, on a
sign from the President, it proceeded. All the pas-
stances, were
pas-
sages in the piece "Guns,' ou la Clemence d'Auguate,"
tragedy was
Which seemed to have reference to present circum-
stances,
waist encircled warmly applauded. As soon as the
of the house drayN:
over,h the curtain drew up, and Rachel,
igivraithi
clad in White,
Muse of with laurel, as the
the stage Was a fia'n appeared, with the entire strength
up behind her. At the bottom of
the words, an imperial crown surmount-
ingppreoseir III." Rachel advanced,
and bowing to the
only can recite, the followeinn
PAIR.
t's box, recited, as Rachel
L'EmpIRE g stanzas
EST LA
_ _

°lred'airain ;
Mjeosnuilsivit'e Mesutsdeedme-ai'rilbriset •
Quand vient l'heure de laonlv't
Je prend mon stylet souveraie6re2
n.
Phidias I'autre Promethee,
Qui des hommes a fait des dieux,
En son Parthenon m'a sculpree
Pieds sur terra et front dans les eieux.
nouveau cycle recommence,
Le vieux monde s'est reveille;
Deji, dans l'horizon immense,
L'eotile d'or a scintilla.

•
L'Empire c'est la paix :—paix qui sera fecoade.
Quand Dieu vent que du Nil les flats eoient assoupis,
Oi le Nil debordait jaillissent les epic :
L'Empire a debordi pour f6conder le monde

Continuant, cette couvre, i 1 pourra la signer,
L'hOritier du grand nom qui domine la terre ;
L'Empereur a legue la gloire, et non la guerre :
Triompher dans la pais, audjourd'hni c'est regner•
Grande niche en travail par lea beaus-arts charmee
Paris, rine autre Athenes ! Alger, uue autre Tyr !
Des landes a peupler, des villes a batir,
Voila 104 bulletins de netre Grande Armee 1