The Sun.
London, England, 1839-12-31 00:00:00

Asia, the lawful influence to which Russia has
a tight, and which alone can insure the mainte-
nance of peace. This is the purpose of the pre-
sent expedition, and as soon as it shall be attained,
and an order of things conformable to the interests
of Russia and the neighbouring Asiatic States shall
be established on a permanent footing, the body of
troops, which has received orders to march on
Chiva, return to the frontiers of the empire." The
words marked in italics explain the real designs of
the Cabinet of St. Petersburg. It is not Russian
commerce that requires protection, but British in-
fluence which must be proved inefficient as a pro-
tection against the consequences of Imperial ire.
We trust this view of the question will not escape
the vigilance of Lord PALMERSTON when he
turns his eyes eastward after the honeymoon is over.

A Paris Journal, the Commerce, of Sunday,
has a letter from St. Petersburg, dated the 11th of
December, which states, that although the Russian
and English ambassadors at Constantinople were
acting in concert, and with every hope of success,
relative to the conclusion of a pacific Treaty be-
tween the SULTAN and the VICEROY, yet the
Russian Minister of War had ordered the Third
Division of Artillery, under General JESINE, and
a heavy park of artillery under Colonel TEODORON
LEHMANN to proceed immediately to Bes-
sarabia, to re-inforce the artillery of the army
of the South. It was likewise stated that General
YERMOLOFF was about to be sent by the EM-
PEROR to Persia, on a diplomatic mission to the
SHAH, but without superseding General DUHA-
MEL, the present Ambassador from Russia to the
Court of Teheran. General YERMOLOFF is to be
attended by a numerous body of officers of different
grades in the army, who will make an offer of their
services to the SHAH for improving the discipline
of his troops. Should this offer be accepted, Persia
will have as much cause to lament the consequences
as the Porte the morning after the battle of Nezib.
But here again the object is to destroy the growing
influence of England, and to recover the ground
lost by the occupation of Karrack.

The French Journals of Sunday contain very

little political news of interest. The several Com-
mittees of the Chamber of Deputies met on Satur-
day, and there was some sparring between the
leaders of the Opposition and the Ministers, but

they led to no result. The only revelation of any
importance was made by M. DUFAURE, the
Minister for Public Works, who stated in answer
to a question, that after the voting of the ad-
dress the Government would bring forward a Bill
for the reduction of the Five per Cents. The
Ministers further stated that Don CARLOS would
be detained in France during the continuance of
the civil war in Spain ; and that the Govern-
ment was quite indifferent to the presence of the
Duke of BORDEAUX at Rome. Upon the whole,
however, the Committees presented little political
enthusiasm, and none of the_ animation observable
at the opening of the last Session of the Chamber.
The Moniteur publishes a long official account
of the contests between the French and Arabs,
near Belida on the 14th and 15th of December,
but the details differ in no essential point from those
which appeared in The Sun of yesterday.

Our readers will observe that the official accounts from
Algiers relate only to the events of the 15th of Decem-
ber. It was on the 18th that the action was reported
to have taken place, in which the Arabs are stated to
have suffered great loss in consequence of a landing of
troops in their rear near Cape Matifon.
Unfortunately no confirmation whatever has yet been
received of this new success, the account of which was
transmitted by correspondents at Toulon on the autho-
rity of reports spread in that city after the arrival of the
Neptune and the Amazone from Algiers.—Journal des
Debats.

The Chartists sometimes indulge a fond hope
that the Tories would be civil to them were they
in power. They may undeceive themselves by
looking into the number of Fraser's Magazine just
pu.blisited.-;,..‘.. Stein dealing with the physical force
men" is there laid down as the rule for Sir Robert
Peel's Administration, when he can form one. The
Tories will admit of no physical force, but their
own. They are, par excellence, the organizers of
the men of steel ; they are marshallers of bayonets,
and they resolve on giving no quarter to the carriers
of clubs and pikes. Physical force Chartists ! the
Whigs would dissuade you from having recourse
to weapons—the Tories at once say you shall b e
disarmed and subdued.

The Marquis of Ailsa is suffering from a severe
attack of the gout, at St. Margaret's Isleworth.

MELANCHOLY VISITATION.—A very melan-
choly occurrence took place last week in the death of a
police sergeant, his wife and child, within a few hours
of each other, and all of whom were interred on Satur-
day in one grave, in a burial ground in Salmon's-lane,
Ratcliffe. The man's name was John West, No. 277
K, and his wile died on Tuesday in giving birth to a
child, now the only survivor of the family, and her
other child, who was about twelve months old, died the
next day. West, who it appears had of late been in
delicate health, was unable to withstand this double loss,
and expired a few hours after the child. The Police
Commissioners not only defrayed the whole expense of
the funerals, but ordered the infant child to be brought
up at their expense. The superintendent, inspectors,
and all the men that could be spared from duty in this
division of the force, followed the remains of the de-
ceased to the grave. The deceased sergeant was only
twenty-eight years of age, and he had been six years in
the metropolitan police force. He bore an excellent
character. I
CHRISTMAS BENEFACTIONS.—Christmas did
not this year assume the form which he is wont to wear
towards the poor ; he did not dress his head in snow and
icicles, and thus the husbandman was enabled to pursue
his honest labours ; but nevertheless much could be
found to mitigate within cottage walls, and we rejoice to
find that the children of wealth have liberally and bene-
volently stretched forth their hands to enable their hum-
bler neighbours to participate in the enjoyment of the
plenteous season.

SINGULAR ESCAPE.—On the evening of
Christmas-day a curious circumstance occurred to the
Bedford coach, on its way from Ampthill. When it
reached Houghton-gate the coachman got down to take
up the pole chain ; and, as there were no passengers on
the coach, he was obliged to lay the reins on the horses'
backs. When he was proceeding to mount the coach
again the horses bolted off, leaving him to follow as he
could ; and in this manner they travelled along to the
town of Bedford, which they reached in perfect safety.
BRISTOL SUGAR-MA RKET.—We have nothing
this week to report, the holidays having occasioned a
suspension of business.—Bristol Mercury.
The quantity of wheat exported from Limerick
since the Ist of Sept. last has been the one-thirteenth
part of the quantity of oats sent to the same destination.

. .
A medical gentleman residing near the Chain
Pier, of the name of Hodgson, hired a Newhaven boat
with three of a crew, for the purpose of shooting sea-
fowl a day or two since. A squall overtook them, and
the boat was thrown bottom upward, and three out of
the four perished.—Caledonian Mercury.
BLOOD LETTING PREVENTED.—Late on the
night of Christmas Day the Barnstaple Magistrates,
having received information on oath that a hostile meet-
ing was about to occur between Mr. Francis Ridd, of
this borough, surgeon, and Mr. James Lister, surgeon,
of Cobmartin, issued summonses for their immediate
apprehension, and the parties were brought up before
them, about eleven o'clock at night, in custody of Su-
perintendent Steele, and bound over, themselves in 100/.
each and two sureties of 5,1. each to keep the peace
towards each other for twelve months.—North Devon
Adveritser.
GROANS FROM A COAL PIT I—Great excite-
ment was created on Sunday last in consequence of a
report that a person had fallen into a pit (Barber's Field
Colliery) belonging to Mr. Banks, of Braidley, and
that groans were distinctly heard proceeding from the
same pit. A moment's reflection would have shown
the preposterous character of the rumour, as if a person
had fallen into the pit the odds were that he must have
been killed on the spot. But so great was the excite-
ment of the hundreds assembled, that nothing wou'd
convince them to the contrary till the parochial authorities
had adopted means for some one to descend. Accord-
ingly the two constables of the town, Mr. Fellows and
Mr. Charles Whitehead. watched the pit during Sun-
day night, and on Monday morning the descent was
made, but nothing was discovered but dead cats and
dogs, and some say a lion, which died when Wombwell's
collection was in this town. A similar report was cur-
rent a short time ago, and the proceedings in conse-
quence of it cost the parish a good deal of money, but
terminated as in the present case. The pit which was
the scene of the last supposed tragedy was not railed
nor enclosed in.---Staprdshire Examiner.