The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-24 00:00:00

Turkish deduction for absentees, sick,
and non-effective, 15 per cent.—my de-
duction 25 per cent..

9,662

Total .........
Park of Artillery, 66 pieces.
" For some days back the provincial authorities, and
dyar or notables, had been pouring into Widdin, and yes-
terday morning all the town was astir as for a holiday.
At midday the Pasha gave an entertainment. The vari-
ous corps were also liberally regaled, and in the course of
the afternoon the dignitaries assembled in the grand
divan ; Sami Pasha, in the right-hand corner, wearing a
sable pelisse of that gorgeous old oriental amplitude
which, in the eyes of the Ulema, is so much more pleasing
than the starved scanty Frank cut introduced by Sultan
Mahmoud, and so much more suitable to the environs of
the Danube and the Balkan. Of the 11 Pashas, whom the
warlike crisis has assembled here, several were absent,
keep ng watch and ward in Kalafat ; but Ismael Pasha
was present, a Turk of the old school, but looking what he
is every inch of him, a fearless captain. He has no mathe-
matics, but is singularly shrewd as a practical soldier, and
indefatigable in his duties. Ahmed Pasha also was pre-
sent; he speaks German fluently, having been seven years
at Vienna, and gone through the European school of the
more abstract studies of his profession. Count Jlinsky,
the Polish engineer in chief, was also present. It was his
presence that gave rise to the false report through Hun-
gary that General Dembinski was at Widdin.
" On the left of the Pasha sat the Cadi and Mufti, the
former of whom asked who I was, on which Sami Pasha
gave the Ulema, in the choicest high Turkish, several de-
tails of the journal in which this appears, which produced
more than one Mashallah ! He also added that the paper
was not favourable to Turkey. On which, notwithstanding
the crowd of Pashas, Beys, and Ulema (and as the actual
business of the day was not as yet begun), I took courage
to remark with the greatest respect, that the pia desicleriet
of the journal in favour of a solution of this great crisis
without the horrors of a general war, were in no way to be
interpreted as hostile to Turkey or palliative of the Rus-
sian occupation of the Principalities. This introduced a
short political discussion, at the conclusion of which Sami
Pashi declared himself satisfied. Sami Pasha is not with-
out a sly touch of irony, and on good authority I give you
one of his recent sayings. When Count Nesselrode's cir-
cular was read to him, in which stress is laid on the defen-
sive attitude of Russia, he stroked his beard and said,
Very defensive, very defensive. I quite agree with Count
Nesselrode, if I could only forget that Wallachia is not on
the Russian side of the Pruth."

~ 28,588

" Edhem Bey, the Divan Effendi entered, and on his
knees presented to Sami Pasha the Finnan el Ghuzz,land,
all rising with respect, the cavasses withdrew the bolts of
a door opening out on a csardak, or open corner of the
Palace, overlooking the court yard, where th,, troops stood
drawn up in order, the crimson banners with the crescents
fluttering in the keen uncongenial blast of December.
Down the long gallery stood in array the officers and
notables of town and country, according to precedence,
while behind the troops stood a thick serried mass of Bul-
garians in their sheep-wool bonnets. The spiritual head,
the Archbishop of Widdin, was in the csardak in the
environs of the Pashas and Ulema.
" The Divan Effendi then unrolled the circular firman
which had for superscription the Sultan's cypher in all the
intricate volutes of Constantinople penmanship, an I then
read in a clear loud voice the firman which announced to
tho troops and the lieges that the Sultan in the present
question stood on the ground of indisputable legitimate
right, that he in consequence of the results of the recent
action had taken the title of Ghuzi, or the Victorious
(originally over infidels, hence the first newspaper, the
Venetian record of those wars, was called Gazeitea, hence
Gazette), that he would proceed to Adrianople, to put him-
self at the head of his armies, and thanking his soldiers and
subjects for the past, encouraged them to renewed exer-
tions.

" This document being repeated, and explained to the
troops, it is imposssble to describe the frenzied enthusiasm
with which it was received. Jaska Sultan !' the Otto-
man vivat, reverberated through the old seraglio of Pasvan
Oghlou. The drums rolled at intervals, but in an instant
all was hushed, and the Moslems, with palms extended,
repeated with deep unction the sublime opening prayer of.
the Koran. That over the vivats recommenced as if they
would never end.
" The Divan then re-assembled inside, and Sami Pasha
made a speech, which ehowedlconsiderable tact 04 main

frem the governor of a province where there is a decided
numerical preponderance of Christian population, being
Used not exclusively on the tenets of the Koran, but on
the universal moral law.

"Re first recalled the fact that--
"The Sultan, since his accession, had constantly striven
to protect each in his civil and religious
privileges the
Moslem, the Christian, and the Jew, and that he Nvat
happy to say the subjects had shown themselves sensible of
hid justice. Even the Druses and Maronites, although not
Mdslems, were contributing a quota of 6,000 men. England
and France, the two powerful nations of the West, are
siniporting the Sultan against the indescribable pretensions
of Russia. The Koran gives the theory of justice—the
merchant who gives full weight, the master who treats
his• servants with mildness, practises justice. The Prin.'
ciple on which the Sultan proceeds in this war is justice)
that great moral principle of Divine origin. On this terns.
let !me quote the words of Aristotle, the preceptor oi
Alexander—' The world,' says he, 'is a garden ; the Go'
vernments are its walls, which cannot stand if they are
not, straight; the force of the Sovereign, protector of the
laws, is in the army ; the sustenance of the army is money
given by the subjects; and the beat hold on the subjects
is justice. Remark (added Sami Pasha), in these pv°Pr
sitiOns a rale for our joint action. Let us walk then in
this circle in which our gracious Sovereign leads the way-
To act otherwise would be to betray the State, and thereby
to betray ourselves. Let us, therefore, all, whether
Moslems, Christians, or Jews' from one compact indis;
sohiable corps, and sustain our honour before all nations.
". This speech has been much applauded, and the Arch-
bishop
.of Widdin has given renewed assurances of the
obedient submission of the Bulgarians, who are compiledat present to make considerable sacrifices. Widdin is
choke-full of troops, for since the termination of tin bridge
Widdin and Kalafat now form one strong place. There
is, therefore, a great tightness of accommodation in this
unpleasant weather. Sami Pasha, in allusion to this diffi-
culty, made use of a droll Turkish phrase, something like,
the Scotch one, between the Deil and the deep sea-
' To satisfy the troops without oppressing the inhabitants,
makes me like the man who had to pray to God and please
the Devil.' The Bulgarians have besides many carvers, but
the answer of the Turks is not without reason. They say
thati the taxes are light in peace, that the Bulgarians are
liable to no military conscription, and that if the Osmanlis
give their blood the Bulgarians may well give their horses
and their cattle."

FRANCE.
The Moniteur contradicts the rumour of disturb-
ances at Lyons.
The Vauban steam-frigate, now at Toulon,' has
been ordered to join the French squadron at Con-
stantinople.

A telegraphic despatch received in Paris, en"
nounces that the proposition for the suppression
of certain excise and tonnage duties, which occu-
pied the Chamber of the Dutch States General,
rejected on Wednesday last by 44 to 24 votes.
It was reportei in Paris yesterday that an in-
surrection had taken place at Leghorn, in the in-
terest of Murat, but that it was soon put down•
A great number of persons have been arrested. At
Naples, also, the partisans have been attempting a
movement ; but, the police having got wind of the
affair, the leaders were seized. Among them we
Neapolitan general, who shot himself immediately
after his arrest.

The Moniteur publishes the receipts of the CO"
toms down to the Ist of December, 1853. TheY
amounted to 128,555, 300 f. , exceeding by 2,201,023 f.
those of the corresponding period of 1852, and bY
21,125,841 f. those of 1851. The Customs receipts
in November last were 12,133,931 f, or 1,189,4641.
more than in November, 1852. The salt tax pro-
duced during the 11 months of 1853 29,854,748 f.,
being a difference in favour of that year
compared with 1852 of 2,433,000 f. The effects
of the Imperial decree reducing the duties on iron
began to be felt in November, the quantity of
cast iron imported, which was only 16,540 metri-
cal quintals in November 1852, having increased
to 79,886. Of these Endand supplied 17,595 ma'
trical quintals ; Belgium, 56,246, &c.
The corn question continues to be a source of
great uneasiness to the French Government. The
Department of Agriculture and Commerce calculates
the deficit of the harvest of 1853 at between 15
and 16 millions of hectolitres. The reserve of the
year 1852 diminished the deficit by about four
millions of hectolitres. For the remaining 12 millions
France has to depend on its imports from other
countries. The quantities hitherto imported bY
way of Marseilles and Havre amount to nearly four
millions and a half of hectolitres. From this it is
evident that there is still a larger deficit which has
to be supplied, and in the present aspect of affairs
it is probable that there must be still a rise in prices.
Great apprehensions are entertained that the sup-
plies expected from the Black Sea will fall short,
not only in consequence of the military operations
going. on, but also on account of the nature of the
Enxine which almost prevents merchantmen from
navigating it during the winter. During that
season the'grain is carried almost entirely by the
small coasters of the country, which never lose
sight of the European coast, and take refuge in
port the moment the weather threatens. These
means of transport are, however, not only slow,
but insufficient in quantity. Yesterday the accounts
from ail the markets of the interior of France show
a rise in the price of grain of all sorts.
The Bourse was much depressed at the close of
business yesterday by the confirmation of the an-
nouncement that the English and French fleets had
entered the Black Sea, although it was added that
the Emperor of the rench in giving the order for
that movement declared that he is still determined
to 'use his best exertions to put an end to hostili-
ties. The Three per Cents. opened at 74f. 30c., rose
to 74f. 60c., fell subsequently to 74f. 200., and
closed at 74f. 25c. for the end of the month. The
Four-and-a-Half per Cents.. closed at 101 f. 25c. ;
Orleans Railway shares, I,lBof. ; Rouen, 1,0601. ;
Havre, 500 f. ; Great Northern, 875 f. ; Paris and
Strasburg, 8201. ; Paris and Lyons, 915 f. ; Lyons
to the Mediterranean, 765 f. ; Western of France,
687 f. 50c. ; Bordeaux and Cette, 622 f. 50c. Greet
Central, 520 f. ; Shares of the Bank Credit Mobi-
Her, 762 f. 500.

SPAIN.
Our accounts from Madrid are of the 18th inst.
The Gazette contains the following Royal de-
cree

"On the proposition of the Minister of Finance, and
at the recommendation of my Council of Ministers, I
hereby decree that the general budget of the State, for
the year'lBs4, submitted by my Government to the de-
liberation of the Cortes, shall be published and circu-
lated, and become a law after the let January next,
without prejudice to the changes which, in examining
and discussing it, the Cort .a may think proper to intro-
duce therein. The Government will render an account
of the present decree to the Legislature, at a seasonable
moment."

The Floating Debt amounted, on the Ist Decem-
ber last, to 394,764,466 reals. 'Treasury bonds
were negotiated at the rate of 8 per cent. per annum
in the month of November.
The Spanish flotilla reached Carthagena on the
13th, aid was to sail for Mahon on the 20th.
It being Sunday the Bourse was closed.

PRUSSIA.
From Berlin we learn that the Second Chamber
had accepted the proposition of the Government
concerning the railway which is to unite Posen
and Breslau. The railway is to be constructed by
the Upper Silesian Railway Company, and the
Government gives a guarantee of 3 per eel2,l*
interest upon the capital employed, which will ve
seven to eight million thalers.
The fete, of the Emperor of Russia was celebrated
at Berlin by a grand banquet. The King and the
royal princes wore Russian uniforms and the de-
corations of the order of St. Andrew. During the
dinner, at which. the members of the Russian
Embassy, with their ladies, were present, the
King proposed a toast to the health of the Du'
peror. M. de Budberg, the Russian Minister, has
given a grand ball, at which the Ministers, a great
number of officers, and the corps diplomcctiqll4
were present.