The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-30 00:00:00

FRANCE.

The Paris papers of yesterday had not arrived
when we went to press. We have, however, re-
ceived the following by telegraph :
M. Visconti has died suddenly.
The Bourse yesterday, which was dull at its
opening, closed with a rise. There was a rumour
of the Sultan having authorised Redschid. Pasha to
negotiate a peace.
The Three per Cents. closed at 74f. 30c. for the
end of the month, and the Four-and-a-Half per
Cents. at 101 f. 25c.

A decree of the Emperor appoints M. Stourm,
Councillor of State, to the post of director-general
of the Post-office.
An imperial decree authorises the formation,
under the guarantee of the city of Paris, and under
the authority of the Prefect of the Seine, of a bank
for the use of the bakers of Paris. It is to be
charged to pay for them the amount of their pur-
chases of corn and flour, and to that effect a credit
will be opened to each baker on the deposit of proper
securities. Every baker is bound to send to the
bank, within three days after each acquisition, a
declaration of the corn or flour purchased by him,
and these declarations will serve as elements to
make out the official prices for the month. The
bank is authorised to advance to the bakers the
amount of the deficiency which may exist be-
tween the price of bread, as fixed by the municipal
council, and the price resulting from the official
returns of corn and flour for the month. In order to
receive back such advances, the bank is to take as
a compensation the sums arising from the surplus
existing between the price of bread and that which
it ought to be sold for according to the official re-
turns. If advisable, the operations of the bank are
to be extended to the bakers in the other communes
of the Seine. The bakers' bank can, with the au-
thorisation of the Municipal Council, borrow the
funds necessary for the service with which it is
charged, and the expense of its administration is to
be borne by the city of Paris.
The Moniteur publishes a decree abolishing the
restrictions imposed by the rescript of the Bth of
February, 1826, on raw cotton imported into
France from Great Britain and the British posses-
sions in Europe. According to the said rescript the
produce of Asia, Africa, and America, sent from
England and her European possessionsinto French
ports was to be admitted for re-exportation only.
It is announced, in quarters generally well in-
formed on such subjects, that the Emperor is deter- I
rained to extend the principles of free trade, and to
reduce the excessive duties payable on the importa-
tion of various articles used in manufactures. An
Imperial decree will shortly appear, it is said, re-
ducing the duty on cotton thread. It has been
observed with pleasure that the great majority of t
the commissioners appointed to direct the arrange- t
ments of the Great Exhibition to be held in the
Champs Elysees in the year 1855 are Freetraders.
In the meantime, the partisans of the old system
are not idle. Petitions are being signed against
the reduction of the duty on English cotton
thread.

The Moniteur announces all the receptions that
are to take place on the occasion of the new year
by their Majesties. The diplomatic corps is to be
received at half-past eleven on the Ist of January,
and there is to be reception of ladies and gentle-
men in the evening of the 2d.
The Debats says :—" Letters from London posi-
tively state that the English Cabinet into which
Lord Palmerston has returned has agreed on the
two following points ; the temporary postpone-
ment of the Electoral Reform Bill, subject to a
fresh examination of the question towards the end
of the session, and the despatch of instructions to
Lord Redcliffe and Admiral Dundas for the imme-
diate entrance of the English fleet into the Black j
Sea."

clatter of the cavalry, coining down full spee
become audible, when a general panic seized tie
multitude, who fled in all directions, but t
win
for about 40 of them were arrested at andonce,
more during the night. Fortunately, no blood
was spilt, thro-oc,, to +l,-
.A°2'
kinds, did not 'make use of their firearms.

SPAIN.
The Herald() of Madrid of the 22d states that,
on the cone' usion of the treaty between Franceaild
Spain for the mutual pr.tection of literary property
the Eumeror of the French :las sent the grand 01'083
of the Legion of Honour to Count de San Luigi
President of the CouNcil (he was previously grand
officer of the order), has nominated M. Calderon av
la Ba.rc.i, Minister of F3reign Affairs, grand officer)
and his conferred other decorations on other Per,
offioially con3erued negotiatin;; the treatryd
'whilst the Queen of Spain has sent the gran
cross of the order of Charles 111 to the Ministers
of Foreign Affairs and the Interior in France;
and other decorations to other French functionaries:
The Queen had caused two reals to be distributed,
to each soldier of the garrison on the occasion 0
the birthday of the Princess of the Asturias. e
A deputation of senators and deputies of r#li
Liberal party had waited on the Minister of Jog"
tice, to request that a certain degree of liberality
t
should be allowed to the periodical press, anditAll'aii
the newspapers should be protected from suu_,,s'.
seizure, and editors from arrest by the local autZo
rities. The minister said that it was imPuss,l,
•
for the Cabinet to take the matter into consiu,d;
tion until the President of the Council should r
better.
A letter says that the President wag gettiiigt
better, and that he had been able to trailia6
business.
The letters from Madrid of the 23d say no at
of the third duel said to have been fought ill the,
capital, and consequently do not confirm the Iv
port of the death of M.. Soule.

SWEDEN AND DENMAR-"t
Letters from Stockholm of the 16th stateod tbas
King Oscar has invited the Diet to nonlill {lre
small number of its members, possessing its coo
confidence, to whom, as a secret commit
Government may make an important comm,ll,, 7bei
tion. It is believed that the Government "r
in this unostentatious manner to bring_ some 60
mentous facts connected with foreign affairs t°;,
knowledge of the Diet. The King has re-0rP.7,01
the higher departments of the military and 7,tgr
administration, with a view to securing gr'iies.
unity and efficiency in the event of hostili NO,
We also learn from Berlin that diplomatic nettref
tiations are pending between the Governineli the
Sweden and Denmark, having for their objectve,
conclusion of a league, offensive and defellsisesi
between the two States. Sweden is arming "Y_Aff
and land, and Denmark will immediately fe,.l'3.
her coasts, and place Copenhagen in a stay'
defence.

. GREECE.
;0100
We learn from Athens, Dec. 17, that a I'd Of
hurricane passed some days ago over the i51,_3130500
Spezzia and over Paros. A great many n° the
were destroyed, and the torrent formed by or
the rain at Spezzia threw itself with such
petuosity into the harbour that it broke the of
chorage of a great many ships, and threw them
to sea. Lattrly, some fishing-boats met no: 0
prienza, on the western coast of the Mnre,coe
French brig completely abandoned. Having 6,10
on board, they found it was called the rta'clliet
loaded with corn. Everything was in perfect
re
on board, the books kept up to the evening hef°,4:o
only the boats were wanting, and there were nno,
of blood in the captain's cabin. It would se
of
therefore, that the crew had revolted and go,t
in the boats. The brig was taken into Naval. 4
The Greek Government is making active search ,
the crew in case they may have landed in GO°o
•
An English merchant ship also, the Lord Collhlvd,
wood, has been wrecked off the coast of Etible
the crew have been all saved, and have been_.,
objects of every attention and care on the part
the authorities.

BELGIUM.
tei
The law on les Denrees Alimentaires was a 0,4
on the 28th by the Senate. M. Cassiers declared jo
adhesion to the absolute freedom of commerce te
corn, and observed that all the measures which b 8
hitherto been taken to restrain it have terminal
in results diametrically opposite to those intend
i
M. Anethan, who spoke on the other side, enci,r;
voured to demonstrate that the prohibition of
exportation did not necessarily diminish imPo;
tion. It is satisfactory to see that freedom in °.°,l,
coerce is getting better understood in Beigl'io.
The Senate and Chamber have a decided bias 'to'
wards free trade. The law was finally voted
without amendment.
The general discussion of the laws on the co{
tingent of the army f0r.1854 and on the Budgtbe
War for the same year, followed the reading n'Aio.
reports of the projets de loi relative to the inclor
cations of the impdt foncier, and on the free
portation of foreign coal, &c. Of' The law opening a provisional credit of 1,15°,
to the Department of the Interior was voted
out debate.