The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-10 00:00:00

SHIPPING INTELLIGENCE—This day.

LONDON, March 10.—Wind this day at noon—South-
Westerly; moderate breeze and fine weather, but rather
cloudy.
PORTSMOUTH, March 9.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Her
Majesty's ship Black Prince, from Plymouth; her Ma-
jesty's ship Himalaya, from the Clyde. Sailed—Princess
of Wales, for Demerara.
PLYMOUTH, March 9.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Roman,
screw steamer, from Southampton for the Cape of Good
Hope.
Maggiore, from Sulina ; Moulnor, from
Manor, March 9.—Wind N.W.—Arrived—Racer, from
.
MMaauulxiittiiusus.; Figha

_
Clams, March 9.—Wind N.W.—Sailed—Lord Har-
dings, for Jamaica.
SOUTHAMPTON, March 9.—Wind N.W.—Sailed—San
Jose, for St. Jago de Cuba.
CARDIFF, March 9.—Wind N.W.—Sailed—Tyne, for
Havannah.

FALMOUTH, March 9.—Wind S.W.—Arrived—Norman,
from Mauritius. Sailed—Clara Rake, steamer, for St.
Thomas.

OFF namounr, March 9.--Wind N.W.—Arrived—
Woodland, from Cardiff for St. Jago de Cuba.
PENZANCE, March 9.—Wind N.E.—Arrived—Blancho,

from

The New Spanish Press Law.

MADRID, March 5.

The following is a summary of the new Press
Law, introduced by the Cabinet and read yesterday
evening in the Senate :
" All printed publications are considered clandes-
tine which do not state the establishments whence
they are issued, or that are published without the
formalities required by law.
"In order to publish a periodical, notice must be
given to the governor of the province and to the
press judge of the title of the publication, the name
of the director, and of the office where it is to be
published.
" Two , hours before any publication is put into '
circulation two copies of the same must be delivered
to the governor of the province or the mayoralty of
the town if it be not a capital, and two others to the
press judge. A sealed receipt will be given on pre-
sentation of the copies.

" The author, the editor, and the printer are
jointly responsible for the due fulfilment of the pro-,
visions of the law with regard to printed matter ;
and if this be a periodical, the director, instead of
the editor, will be responsible.

" The press and all its effects are specially and
primarily amenable to all consequences resulting
from judicial and gubernatorial decisions in abuses
of the press.

" If the proprietor of a printing establishment be
incapacitated from fulfilling his duties, the publica-
tion must be suspended until the requirements of
the taw are fulfilled.

" The author of any printed matter is held to be
that person who can be legally proved to have pro-
duced the original manuscript which served as the
printer's copy.

" The director is considered to be that person
legally proved to have arranged its publication in
the printed periodical.
" With regard to clandestine printing, all those
are held amenable to the law who have fii any way
contributed to the publication and circulation of the
matter.

"An offence against the press laws is considered
consummated when the printed matter is published.
If, when it has not yet been published, and the
copies have been delivered to the governor and
the fiscal, any contraventions of the law are found
to have been committed, the responsible persons
will be considered guilty of a frustrated offence.
" Publication is considered to have taken place
when two or more copies of a periodical have been
distributed, when it has been offered for sale in any
place or left in any public establishment, or when
copies have been sent to the post.
" Offences may be committed through the press :
—l. Against the person and dignity of the So-
vereign. 2. Against the security of the State. 3.
Against public order. 4. Against society. 5.
Against public morals. 6. Against foreign So-
vereigns. 7. Against private individuals."
Here follows a series of articles stating the cases
in which-the offences just expressed are held to be
committed :

"No offence will be committed in writing, pub-
lishing, or censuring official proceedings, or the acts
of public functionaries in the exercise of their duties,
always provided that no calumnious imputation be
made.

"Offences committed against the Sovereign and
the security of the State will be punished by minor
imprisonment and fines of from 12,000 to 36,000
reals. When the offence has been frustrated, the
punishment will be correctional imprisonment of
from seven to 36 months.

" The offences perpetrated against public order
incur the penalty of correctional imprisonment in
terms of seven to. 36 months, and fines of from
10,000 to 30,000 reals. If frustrated, imprisonment
from one to six months.

" Offences against public morals will be punished
by imprisonment from one to six months, correc-
tional imprisonment of from seven to 36 months,
and fines of 5,000 to 10,000 reals. If frustrated,
two months' arrest.

" The circumstance of clandestine publication is
onsidered to aggravate the offence, and will incur
the maximum penalty.
" Offences against foreign Sovereigns will be
punished by imprisonment of one to six months, and
fines of 4,000 to 8,000 reals. If frustrated, lin- pri-
sonment of one to 15 days,

" Offences against private individuals, consisting
of calumny or insult, incur the penalty of imprison-
ment of one to six months, correctional imprison-
ment of from six to 36 months, and fines of 2,000
to 20,000 reals. When the offence consists in pub-
lishing private family events, affairs, or documents,
the penalty will be imprisonment of one to six
months, and fines 1,000 to 10,000 reals.
" The parties aggrieved in the cases just cited are
entitled to claim damages. No indulgence can be
ceded for these offences without a written pardon
being obtained from the aggrieved party. Should
the committal of the offence be frustrated a fine will
be inflicted of 200 to 500 reals ; while in common
Taw one judge takes cognisance of criminal cases in
the Court of First Instance, there will be a special
press judge in Madrid, Barcelona, and Seville. In
the other cities the judges of first instance in -com-
mon law will act—the senior judge taking prece-
dence when there are more than two in one locality.
"In cases of press offences the judge of first in-
stance will proceed in the same manner and under
the same responsibility as in all other common
offences, and proceedings may commence as soon
as the judge may determine after the receipt of the
two copies of the publication.

" Appeal may be made against the sentence of
the judge to the audiencia of the territory, and all
the resources may be used which are authorised by
the common law in other criminal matters.

" The period within which penal action may be
taken against the offences specified in this law is
60 days when the offence has been committed by a
periodical, 90 days if by a pamphlet, 120 for a book,
three months when the offence is insult and calumny
against persons residing in the Peninsula and the
adjacent islands, six months when resident in the
Antilles, and one year in the Philippines.
"In the case of errors and the, publication of
false or distorted statements respecting persons,
tribunals, corporations or associations authorised
by the law, the periodical will be obliged to gra-
tuitously insert, within three days, a rectification of
the statements in question.
" If errors are also committed, such as distributing
copies without observing the necessary formalities,
treating religious affairs without the competent
authority, not publishing within three days the
rectifications addressed to the periodical, and endea-
vouring in any way to render illusory the responsi-
bility of, the persons really amenable to the law,
these errors will incur fines of 200 to 4,000 reals.

" Appeal may be made from the fines imposed by,
the mayors to the governors, and from those im-
posed by the governor to the Minister of the Inte-
rior when these exceed 3,000 reals. No appeal can
be made from the decision of the Minister. Should
any person upon whom a fine is inflicted be insol-
vent, he will undergo the corresponding term of
imprisonment according to the provisions of the
penal code.

" The previous censorship of dramatic works,
novels, &c., continues in force, and the judge will
obtain the sanction of the ecclesiastical authorities
before giving his own, when such writings treat of
dogma or morality."

A PRUSSIAN SQUADRON FOR THEIPIRSUS.—It is
asserted that an order has been issued for the despatch of
a small Prussian " squadron," a corvette and a steam gun-
boat, to the Pincus and Constantinople. The object is not
only to exercise the crews at sea, but also to watch over
Prussian interests in the East, as it is feared at-Berlin that
conflicts may arise in Greece, and -that Prussian subjects
residing there may be imperilled in person and property.
During the last few days there has been rather
less animation exhibited in the Foreign and Colo-
nial Produce Markets. The public sales of tea have
proceeded slowly without any material change in
prices. Sugars have been in limited demand, but
at about previous rates, while coffee, rice, fruit, and
spices, have remained without variation in values.
In the tallow market there has been a depression
in prices for both present and future delivery.

The Empress of the French and the Holy
Sepulchre.

The following is a translation of the circular ad-
dressed to the Sovereigns of Europe by the Empress
of the French, relative to the Holy Sepulchre :
" Travellers who visit the Holy Land are asto-
nished at the dilapidation which the dome that
covers and shelters the Holy Sepulchre has pre-
sented for many years. They ask how it is that
the Christian Powers have not hastened to put an
end to a state of things afflicting to the faithful of
all communions. The reason, it must be said, is
that on this land, stained with the blood of the
Redeemer, which has been the cradle of the
religion of brotherhood, of peace, and con-
cord, pitiful rivalries exist between the dif-
ferent communions, and that in course of
time these rivalries have become serious dissensions.
Formerly the Latins re-built the dome and orna-
mented it with inscriptions and emblems which re-
called the kind of precedence they then possessed
in the enjoyment of this monument. The dome
was burned in 1808, and circumstances having given
the Greeks a preponderance in Palestine, they pro-
fited
by it to re-construct the church, to the exclu-
sion of the Latins. In their turn they applied
themselves to covering the monument with inscrip-
tions and images borrowed from their language and
liturgy. At present, Greeks and Latins confront
each other. One party demands the re-construc-

tion of the dome as it existed before 1808 ; the
others demand a re-construction favouring their
claim of possession or of vested rights. Two great.
powers, France and Russia, animated by the
most honourable sentiments, have sought to put an
end to these deplorable manifestations. They first
endeavoured to come to an understanding among
themselves, then with Turkey; and on Sept. 5, 1864,
a protocol was signed at Constantinople, establishing
the accord of the three Governments, and indicating
the conditions agreed to with a view of carrying out

in common the reconstruction of the dome. But
when they proceeded to execute the project, when
the architects had prepared their plans, and it was
necessary to interpret some slightly-dubious clauses
of the protocol of Sept. 5, new dissensions arose
under the influence of local rivalries. Nothing
was done, and all was once more left in uncer-
tainty. During this time the ruin of the dome became
more and more imminent, the personal safety of
the pilgrims who came to pray at the Holy Sepul-
chre was endangered, and the evil increased until it
became a scandal. How could an end be put to this
condition of affairs? It was a pious Princess—St.
Helena, the mother of the Emperor Constantine--
who, at the commencement of the fourth century,
caused the pagan temple built above the grotto of
the Holy Sepulchre to be demolished, and on the
same spot raised for the first time the sanctuary
destined to cover the tomb of Jesus Christ. Why
should not the princesses of all Christian countries,
animating themselves with this glorious memory,
come to an agreement to carry out at last, under
conditions worthy of themselves and of Chris-
tianity, the work in which the efforts of diplomacy
have not hitherto been able to succeed ? Who
would refuse to listen to their voice when,
placing themselves beyond the region of poli-
tics, strangers to all contentious ideas, they
would speak in the name of piety and of Christian
charity, and would address an appeal to the faithful
throughout the whole world on a subject which
ought tq be equally dear to all ? But, in order that
the work should completely respond to the spirit of
Christian conciliation which has inspired it, the
simple reconstruction of the dome should not be the
only object aimed at. It would be advisable, after
having obtained the consent of the Sublime Porte,
to entirely rebuild the Church of the Holy Sepulchre
on a new plan, and on a larger scale, so that
it might afford accommodation for all corn-
munions. Thus, for example, there should be on
one side a chapel, and even a nave, consecrated
to the use of the Latins, and on the other a nave
and a chapel reserved for the use of the
Greeks. The principal nave should be open to all,
and the access of the faithful to the Holy Sepulchre,
at present so difficult, giving rise to frequent dis-
turbances, would be freed from all hindrances. The
majesty of the new sanctuary should as much as
possible equal that of the sacred associations which
Are recalled by these sacred places. For these
reasons a competition might be opened, in which
the architects and artists of all countries should be
invited to take part, and an international jury might
select from among the designs sent by them that
which, in a purely artistic point of view, might be
deemed the most worthy of so great an idea. As to
the funds necessary for commencing and completing
without delay the new Church of the Holy Sepulchre,
they could be furnished by a universal subscription,
at the head of which all the Christian Princesses
would no doubt vie with each other in inscribing
their names.