The Sun.
London, England, 1862-12-31 00:00:00

THE GREEK REVOLUTION.

(From the Times' Special Correspondent.)
ATHENS, DEC. 20 (Afternoon).
Decidedly Fridays and Saturdays are the days
for a change in the situation. Four weeks ago on
those days the demonstrations began in favour of
Prince Alfred, the week after the agitation for the
plebiscite, a fortnight ago the election of the Sove-
reign and of the representatives for the Assembly,
last week on Saturday the collective note was signed
by the three Ministers here, and the news arrived
of Mr. Elliot's mission, and to-day the news ar-
rived of the refusal of King Ferdinand of Por-
tugal. Already last night there was a rumour to
that effect, without anybody knowing exactly where
it came from; to -day these rumours are confirmed
by a telegram received by the Government from
London. According to this, King Ferdinand re-
fuses on the plea that he does not wish to leave
Portugal.
The effect is as if a great impending calamity had
been removed. It is only at this moment that
one can thoroughly appreciate his unpopularity as
a canoidate. Any candidate supported by England
and France could not but produce a certain im-
pression on all thinking people, above all, con-
nected, as he was, with such palpable advantages
as King Ferdinand has been shown to be in the
prospective. The reasoning classes tried, there-
fore, to suppress the dislike which he excited, and
began to discuss it ; but the very manner in which
he was discussed showed a determination to find
every imaginable fault with him. He was a Catholic
and a German; no one had ever heard of him;
he rvresented nothing which could excite en-
thusiasm ; no one could, therefore, espouse his
_ _

cause, and make him popular and acceptable. The
fact was, that the transition from Prince Alfred to
King Ferdinand was too great and too sudden.
The popularity of the former is as much matter of
feeling as of reasoning, not only among the mass of
the people, but among the educated classes and
even the politicians. He is the beau ideal of the
future King of Greece, possessing all advantages
and not one fault. His name had become synony-
mous with all that is good and grand ; it was a
guarantee and a promise. It represented wealth,
prosperity, and constitutional Government, honesty,
and morality. In one word, it was the symbol of
national regeneration, and Prince Alfred is the first
love of the fair Hellas. Even the most accomplished
suitor would have but a poor chance against " Al-
fredaki;" how much one less who, whatever may
be his good qualities, does not at all appeal to the
imagination! The very name Don Ferdinand grated
on the ear of the people; it reminded them of
Roman Catholic priests, who go here by the title of
Don. Both his native and adopted country are as
mythical in the eyes of the mass as Scythia once
was in those of the Old World. Mr. Gladstone or
any English nobleman with a great -name would
have had more chance of taking hold of the popular
mind. And, after all, in popular movements such
as the present such follies cannot be altogether lost
sight of; the refusal, therefore, of King Ferdinand
himself, if confirmed, is only a happy solution
where failure was unavoidable. It is considered as
the only good news this week from Europe.
In vain have all the papers and letters been
scanned and turned over which came by the last
mail. There is not a ray of hope in them for the
accomplishment of the national wish. The conti-
nental press probably foresaw this general gloom
and disappointment, and it was really kind of it
to try to excite a little hilarity by its accounts of
the state of Greece, of the bloodsheds, rows, of the
regime of terror, of the clubs which don't exist, of
the fury during the elections, of the attacks on the
French Legation, of the French, Austrian, and Rus-
sian marines, which alone keep us in order and pre-
vent a general massacre. As every one on the spot
has been long agreed that this has been, and is still,
the most respectable and dullest revolution the
world ever saw, it is pleasant to read the amusing
manner in which this dullness on the spot can be
made highly entertaining and exhiliratiug by skil-
ful hands—in the distance.

From different local causes the elections have been
delayed iu several provinces, and above all in the
Greek communities abroad ; the consequence is that
only about 100 out of 300 deputies have arrived
hitherto. There was a talk about putting off the
day of the opening of the National Assembly from
the 22d to the 30th, but it has been decided to keep
to the date fixed and go through the formAlity of
opening, although real business can scarcely begin
before another week. The whole ceremony is to be-
gin with a prayer, then will follow the instalment

of the President by age, and then the prorogation
for a few days. The programme is not yet out, but
I am assured this will be the Order of the Day. To-
day the Deputies who have arrived are to hold a
\
preliminary meeting to agree on the President by
ge.

eilnib
the 1•14,
Majesty ,?r of the officers who were exiled after
Captain PA'a affair are giving a dinner to-day to
,i 3 Zkvand to some of the officers of her
gratitude as token of their esteem and
, fo? thsienlicea,ll4
you will reraemberYlia
rteby shown to them during
their journey to
ou board the Pelican. As
tilthee;rqronhbc3r:):l73 availed them-
Nauplia, all those wrceirFling to the capitulation of
to go could embark
English men-of-
wona
rb
whichoar. d o f
wereeither
n
selves of the offer, and
"Lem Went on board
the relian,

RAILWAY AND OTHER COMPANIES.

BURTON-ON-TRENT AND SOUTH LEICES

TERSHIRE.

The Parliamentary estimate for the proposed line
from near Hinckley to the Leicester and Burton
line of the Midland Railway at Desford is £60,000

INDIAN TRAMWAY.

A special general meeting of this company was
held yesterday at the London Tavern, to consider
the policy of proceeding with the construction of a
line of road in the Bombay Presidency; Sir Mac-
donald Stephenson in the chair.

The CHAIRMAN said they had met to consider
the policy of proceeding with a tramway in the
Bombay Presidency, for which the board had re-
ceived a tender from a responsible contractor. The
line referred to would connect the Palej station of
the Bombay and Baroda Railway with Jumbooseer,
in the cotton districts. The contractor was Mr. G.

Wythes. The company was formed in the early
part of the year, the object being to supply the
greatest want of India—cheap intercommunication.
Most of the members of the board knew the country
well, and, having personally experienced the evils of
the want of roads iu India, had suggested those most
needed. The terms proposed by the Government had
proved inadequate to raise the required capital, ex-
cept to a limited extent. The remedy was simple,
and the board had taken the most effectual means to
provide it. They had induced their colleague, Sir
J. Login, to proceed to India to state to the Govern-
ment that the terms originally proposed were insuf-
ficient, and that, unless those important works were
to be indefinitely postponed, it was indispensable
that new and more liberal terms should be at once
conceded. The subject in all its bearings would,
therefore, be promptly brought under the recon-
sideration of the Government of India and of the
Home authorities, and the board looked forward
with confidence to an early and satisfactory termi-
nation to their negotiations. Some months must
necessarily elapse before those terms could be ob-
tained, and it was especially with reference to the
course to be pursued in the interval that the board
were desirous to take the opinion of the shareholders.
Although the capital had not been subscribed to the
extent anticipated, the subscriptions amounted to a
sufficient sum to enable the company to proceed with
one line experimentally which might be completed in
18 months under contract and would confirm the value
of those works and yield a fair rate of remuneration
upon the outlay. It was for the meeting to decide
whether the line should at once be proceeded with.
Under the circumstances, he thought the course sug-
gested would be the wisest and best—while requir-
ing from the Government of India amended and
adequate terms of support as the indispens able con-
dition of proceeding any further with those works,
the urgent necessity for which was admitted
throughout India, and by no one more strongly
than by the Government, to at once construct one
short line. This would demonstrate the utility of
such lines, and their remunerative character. If the
meeting approved those views, they would be car-
ried out by the board with all possible despatch and
economy. Although the terms were not such as to li
enable them to obtai❑ a large amount of capital,
they could not incur much risk, and might do much
good, by placing those works in their true character
before the public. As to further operations they
could then await the return of Sir J. Login, and
the result of the new negotiations with the Govern-
ment of India. He concluded by moving the fol-
lowing resolution :

" That the shareholders approve the course sug-
gested of undertaking the contract for the road from
Palej to Jumbooseer, being a short line capable of
easy and early construction at a fixed contract cost,
and forming an important link between the cotton
districts and the trunk line to Bombay, on the un-
derstanding that the Board will not enter upon the
execution of any more lines until the Government
of India shall have conceded such terms as in the
judgment of a special general meeting, to be con-
vened for the purpose, shall be considered satisfac-
tory."

In reply to a question, it was stated that the con-
tract for the intended line would amount to £62,000,
but, including interest at 5 per cent, per annum
during construction, and other charges, the total
cost would not exceed £70,000. Between 5,000 and
6,000 shares had been recently taken up in India.
The motion was then carried unanimously.
The CHAIRMAN moved a resolution to the effect
that the meeting desired to impress upon the Go-
vernment the policy of encouraging by every means
in their power the construction of light railways or
tramways throughout India in connection with the
trunk railways now approaching completion with
a view to develope tho resources of India, and to
render the railways productive at as earlyas a period
as possible.