The Sun.
London, England, 1862-03-05 00:00:00

RAILWAYS.

Cash. Account.
Orleans 1375 138. 50
Northern
New. ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 1077 50 108 50
Geneva
Southern
Western ........
Eastern - ..........
Sardinian ..............
Austrian ........
Lowbard .............

- - -
730 - 735 -
655 _ 542 50
591 25 .. 590 -
362 50 356 -
502 60 .. 503 75
540 - .. 543 75

ITALY.
A Turin letter in the Constitutionnel gives the
following as a summary of King Victor Emmanuel's
letter to Baron Ricasoli :
" His Majesty commences by expressing his re-
gret at seeing that his ministers consider the situa-

tion sufficiently grave not to hesitate throwing the
country into the uncertainty of a crisis. As for
himself, he cannot decide either to accept or to re-
fuse the resignation of a Cabinet without being
beforehand more fixed in the opinion of the Parlia-
ment. The last political vote of the Chamber of
Deputies cannot be interpreted by him as a vote
of confidence obtained by the assistance of that
majority of which, in Constitutional States, every
minister should be the personification. The minis-
try obtained that vote principally by making a large
concession to the extreme Left, which rendered the
signification of the vote rather equivocal. Conse-
quently the King, while reserving to himself a full
liberty of deciding on the resignation of his minis-
ters, engages them to inform the Parliament of it
at its first meeting, which will take place on the 6th.
of the month. The King then replies in detail to
Baron Ricasoli's letter, and regrets that on several
occasions the ministry of Baron Ricasoli should
have departed from the policy followed previously
by Count Cavour and himself, and by means of
which Italy had been constituted. To the reproach
which Baron Ricasoli respectfully made to him of
often consulting other counsellors, the King replies
that such a course is not forbidden by his duties as
a Constitutional Prince, and that if the minister
wished to make a grievance of it, there would 'at
least be much to say on both sides."

AMERICA

GREAT FEDERAL SUCCESS.

(PER AMERICA, BY TELEGRAPH TO BOSTON AND
FROM QUEENSTOwN.)

NEW YORK, FEB. 18, MORNING.

The Confederate garrison at Fort Donnelson,
with Generals Buckner, Bushrod, and Johnson,
surrendered conditionally on the 16th inst., after
three days' hard fighting.

The Federals captured 15,000 prisoners and, an
immense quantity of war material.

General Floyd, with 5,000 troops, escaped during
the night.

Fort Donnelson was attacked from the river by
six Federal gunboats, which were badly disabled
previous to the surrender.

The Federal land forces captured the upper re-
doubts which commanded Fort Doncelson.

In the course of the attack the Confederates cap-
tured one ] ederal battery, which the Federals re-
captured.

The Federals are supposed to have numtered
about 40,000, and to have had 300 killed, 600
wounded, and 100 missing.
The exact number of the Confederates is uncer-
tain. Their loss is supposed to have been likewise
heavy.

General Grant, who commanded the Federals,
has been promoted to the rank of Major-General.
The Donrelson victory has caused intense excite-
ment throughout the whole Northern states.
Arrangements are being made for a mass meet-
ing to be held throughout the country on the 22d
inst. to celebrate the victory.

The news was reeeived in the Federal Congress
with enthusiastic cheers.

Commander Foote, with two gunboats and eight
mortar boats, has proceeded from Don nelson up the
Cumberland River to capture Clarksfield (Ten-
nessee.)
It is supposed that the Confederates will offer
further resistance at Clarksfield.

The Confederates have entirely evacuated Bow-
ling Green, and it is considered probable that they
have concentrated their whole force on the Cum—
berland River.

The Federal General Buell has likewise assem-
bled a force of 80,000 men on the Cumberland
River.

The Federal Generals Nielson and Mitchell will
move on Nashville via Franklin.

A despatch from Fortress Monroe states that it
is reported from Norfolk that fighting had occurred
near Savannah, and thdt that place had probably
been captured.

In Missouri the Federals were still pursuing
General Price. The Federals had captured several
officers and a considerable number of privates be-
longing to General Price's army.
The !veto York 7 imes considers it fortunate that
the Federal Government has reserved its action
on the Mexican question, as the Federal Govern-
ment is thus free to pursue a policy which in due
time will restore independence to Mexico and ex-
tinguish European hopes of a monarchy in the New
World.

The committee on military affairs have reported
on the bill appropriating 100,000 dols. for survey-
ing the telegraph route between San Francisco and
the Amoor river.

The report of the survey is to be presented before
January, 1863.

RAILTV..4Y AND PUBLIC COMPANIES
IN PARLIAMENT.

COMMITTEES ON RAILWAY BILLS.
EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY AND OTHER COM-
PANIES AMALGAIIATION.—Yestei day the commit-
tee appointed to inquire into the numerous pro-
posed new railways for the accommodation of the
Eastern Counties district met for the first time la
committee-room No. 4, of the House of Commons,
Mr. Hassard in the chair; the other members being
Mr. I. B. Smith, Mr. Humberston, Mr. Adam,
and Mr. Stacpoole. The committee-room was most
inconveniently crowded by the parties promoting
and opposing, and the caairman intimated that the
committee would first take into consideration, out
of the twenty undertakings before them, the bill of
the Eastern COMA ties Railway and other companies
and by which it is proposed to amalgamate, upon
Imutual terms, the Norfolk, Eastern Union, East
Anglian, and other railways, with the Eastern:
Counties, from whom, andfrom local corporationsy
and others connected with the question, there were
no fewer than 40 petitions deputing the expediencf
of the whole question of tie proposed amalgama•
tion, as
.calculated to confer a monopoly, and to
be injurious to the interest of the public. Mr.
Hope Scott, Q,C., Mr, Merevether, Q.C., and Mr.
Sergeant Burke appeared forthe Eastern Counties
Company in promotion of the measure ; and Mr.
Denison, Q.C., in the abseice of Mr. Sergeant
Wrangham, and Mr.Rodwell, and other counsel for
the opposing parties. Mr. Hope Scott having opened
the case at considerable lengtl, and laid before the
committee all the facts connected with the proposes
amalgamation, which he con ended would be of
public advantage by consolidating and economising
the management, Mr. Denisor took a preliminary
objection to the committee's proceeding with the
bill on the ground that there tad been no reference
of the bill to the Board of Tilde, and that the bill
had not bten submitted to his clients, the East
Anglian Company, until after it was deposited with
committee Parliament.
do v e Therrul e roomte
objection,
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t theat
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tsnbeingAsu
Wednesday, till 2 o'clock.
In the committee on the South Western and
Devonshire Railways district, the members being
Lord Stanley (chairman), Viscount Holmesdale, Mr-
vv. J. Legh, Mr. Onslow, and Mr. Seely, the first
bill taken was the

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ferred for ultimate approval to Mr. Massey, the
chairman on unopposed bills.
LONDON AND SOUTH WESTERN RAILWAY
(ADDITIONAL POWERS) BILL.—The committee
next proceeded with this company's bill, the object
of which, as stated by counsel for the promoters, 15
to make a branch from Wareham to the Purbeel
clay district, to enlarge the Nine Elms, and wideo
the Vauxhall-station and at the Sou,hampton ter-
minus, and lay down additional rails; to lease the
Chard and Wimbledon Railways; to regulate the
company's share and stock capital, now declared to
be £9,207,316, and of their debenture debt of
£3,471,916, exclusive of their present debenture
stock of £356,084; to authorise them to raise
£500,000, and borrow £166,666. Evidence having
been taken, the clauses relating to the Chard
Railway and the Wareham branch were with-
drawn ; and the opposition of the London 08°
Light Company, who objected to the clause em-
powering, the railway company to take the addl."
tional land at Vauxhall on the ground that they
might require it themselves, having been overruled,
the committee, having declared the preamble of the
bill proved, adjourned to this day at two o'clock. e
The committee on Municipal Improvements, 0.1
which Mr. W. 0. Stanley is chairman, proceeded
with the consideration of the Barnsley Local Board:
of Healths Bill for Waterworks, &c., and that of
which Mr. Hope is chairman, with the bill of the
Tranmere Local Board, in the county of Chester, to
enable them to make divers local improvements.

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