The Sun.
London, England, 1865-04-08 00:00:00

enemy.

The Navy Estimates of this year seem likely to
give rise to a good deal of discussion. Last even-
ing, on the vote for the artificers' wages, Sir F.
SMITH asked for an investigation into the question,
wild asserted that there was a good deal of dissatis-
faction among the workmen employed in the public
dockyards. It would seem, however, from Mr.
LAIRD'S statements that these complaints are not
altogether well-founded.. The hon. member for
Birkenhead, who must certainly be allowed to know
something of the matter, observed that the average
wages in Birkenhead and Liverpool were not more
than 255. per week, on account of the irregularity
of the employment,'Whereas the Government pay
was 275. Some time since certain employment for
12 months was offered at Birkenhead at 365. per
week, but no Government employe applied for it.
In other respects, he thought the men employed
in the public establishments had advantages. Alder-
man SALOMONS thought that the system of measure-
ment in the Government yards was defective, and
gave rise to discontent among the men, but the
general impression seemed to be that there was little
need for interference, since the men, on the whole,
were treated fairly., and had superannuation allow-
ances, besides half-pay in case of accident or sick-
ness. This is a very important proviso, and would
of itself decide many men with families on remain-
ing in the Government employ. A fair day's wages
for a fair day's work is what every man has a right
to claim, and certainly those in the public service
should form no exception to the rule, but
men working under Government have no
more right to make frivolous complaints or to
indulge in unreasonable expectations than any
others, and because the wages are paid out of public
and not private money there is no reason that they
should be raised above the fair average. We are
glad to learn from Mr. CIIILDERS that special care
is taken for the instruction of the children of those
employed in the dockyards, which is no inconsi-
derable part of the benefits which the employe's
derive from their position.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(t:EUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

DENMARK.
COPENHAGEN, APRIL 7.

Privy Councillor Brastrup, who was entrusted
last year with a mission to Athens, and subsequently
with one to Berlin, has been appointed Minister
of Justice and Public Worship.

RUSSIA.
ST. PETERSBURG, APRIL S.

The Journal de St. Petersburg says :—" No noti-
fication has been received here of Russian ships
being subjected to quarantine on their arrival at
Dunkirk. Such a measure would be entirely
uncalled for."

THE EPIDEMIC IN RUSSIA.
PARIS, APRIL 8.

The Moniteur of this morning says :—" The
Government have instituted inquiries into the sani-
tary condition of St. Petersburg, and has received
telegrams dated the 3rd and Gth inst., according to
which the state of the city was deplorable. Some
weeks ago there was no epidemic beyond the
disease common in S. Petersburg at this season
of the year."

PORTUGAL.
LISBON, APRIL 7.

The -..11-inister of Public 'Works has resigned.

The Cortes have adjourned till the 24th of April.
This is considered a measure of the Duke de Loule
to gain time. It is said that he wishes not to
resign office to the Opposition, but to the Duke de
Saldanha, on the arrival of the latter in Lisbon.

FRANCE,
PARIS, APRIL 8.

The Constitutionnel of this morning states that,
according to the last intelligence received, both by
the French Government and the Turkish Ambassa-
dor in Paris, the relations between the Porte and
the Marquis de Moustier are of the most satisfactory
character possible.

The telegraphic congress assembled at Paris,
having occupied itself in fixing the tariffs for the
transmission of despatches conformably with the
uniform tax adopted in a preceding sitting, has, it
appears, determined on the following rates :—A
single despatch of 20 words, coming from whatever
quarter, will be for Prussia, 3fr. ; for Austria, sfr. ,
Spain, 4fr. ; Switzerland, 3fr.; Italy, 4fr. ; Russia,
llfr. ; Turkey, 1 lfr. ; the Scandinavian countries,
3fr. 50c. and 4fr.

The two hotels of Humieres and Bentheim, at
the western extremity of the Rue de Lille, have
been pulled down to make room for the Boulevard
St. Germain, which is to end at that point, thus
connecting the Quai d'Orsay in a straight line with
the intersection of the Rues St. Dominique and
Bellechasse. From this latter point the boulevard
will deviate from the straight line in order to meet
another section leading to the Rue de Bac.. In its
progress from this point to the other section east of
.the Rue Hautefeuille, it will absorb part of the Rue
St. Dominique and the Rue Taranne, as also the
Impasse du Paon and the Rue Larrey.
A partial eclipse of the moon, visible in France,
will occur on the night of Monday, the 10th, be-
ginning two hours and 11 minutes after midnight,
and attaining its maximum at 48 minutes past four
in the morning. At 24 minutes past seven the last
vestige of the earth's shadow will have disappeared
from the disk of the moon.

The bulletin of the Paris Observatory gives the
following as the atmospheric state of Europe yes-
terday :—" The north of Spain, France, and Italy,
continue to be under the influence of strong baro-
metrical pressures. Over all these points there is a
perfect calm, and the sky is cloudless. The
barometer is falling, and it rains in the Baltic. The
violent squall of wind, which had its centre yester-
day in the north of Sweden, is going towards the
east. The barometer is again falling in Ireland and
the north of England. The sky remains cloudy in
the south of the British Isles ; it seems probable that
a fresh squall will traverse the north of Scotland and
the coasts of Norway." In Paris yesterday the wea-
ther was that of a fine summer's day, with a bright
sun and cloudless sky. The thermometer continues
to ascend, and marked at three in the afternoon 19}
above zero Gent. (67 Fahr).
A Calais letter mentions that the works in that
port are being pushed forward with great activity.
The entrance to the dock is being deepened, in order
to admit vessels of a larger tonnage ; this improve-
ment will be probably- terminated by the time when
the timber ships arrive from the North. A project
for the enlargement of the dock has also been ap-
proved of by the Minister of Public Works, and the
town of Calais has been authorised to raise a loan
of 1,500,000 fr. to execute the work within three
years. Surveys are also being made for a railway
from the present terminus to the quay, the con-
struction of which will accelerate the communica-
tions between France and England. --
The French Academy yesterday proceeded to the
election of two members to fill the chairs left vacant
bf
former, Mrmel'Alfred
ond 16 as
thelfredfirdste Vhaiguneyt, awnidth Ammvpeetrees.
and
the
the required majority, M. Autran obtained 13, M.
Camille Doucet, 15, and M. Jules Janin, 3. On
the second ballot, M. Autran, 14, and M. Camille
Doucet, 17. For M. Ampere's chair, fiat ballot,