The Sun.
London, England, 1853-03-01 00:00:00

THE FRENCH EMPIRE.

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday
in due course, but they are entirely destitute of
news of a political character.
Several of the leaders of the Legitimist party
have been offered seats in the Senate, but have re-
fused. Among those who have refused are the
Duke de Mailly and the Comte de Clermont-Ton-
nerre. On the other hand, the Comte Wabsch-
Serrent, M. de Gallifet, and M. Depeil have ac-
cepted, and their' nomination is expected to appear
in the Moniteur of to-morrow.
The Legislative Assembly sat yesterday; M. Bil-
lault, the President, in the chair. The President
informed the assembly that he had received a letter
from M. de Merode, sending in his resignation.
The order of the day was the discussion of a bill
granting a credit of 5,000 f. to pay the rent of the
Ecole de Medecine. The articles were voted by
assis et /eve, and then tho ballot was proceeded to
on the ensemble of the bill.
The news of the settlement of the Turkish ques-

tion has given great satisfaction in Paris, as it is
understood that there was great doubt if the
French Government would join in any measure

that might have been proposed by England for the
protection of the Turkish Government. It is said,
and upon respectable authority, that when the ac-
counts arrived of the threats held out both by
Austria and Russia against the Porte, the English
Government proposed to the French Government
to send their squadrons to the Dardanelles, but that
the French Government refused, on the ground
that it would do nothing at present that could give
umbrage to the Northern Powers.
A frightful tempest visited the coast of Calais in
the night of Thursday. The waves dashed with
extraordinary violence on the jetties, and knocked
down the guard and signal houses. Friday night
also the tempest raged violently.
The communication by electric telegraph with
Marseilles has been interrupted by the violence of
the wind having blown down a number of the
posts on a part of the line, while most of the rail-
ways and roads to the south have been rendered
impassable by heavy falls of snow.
A report is current that a duel was fought yes-
terday morning between M. Mires, the new pro-
prietor of the Constitutionnel, and M. Dufresne,
but the particulars are not known. .

There was an improvement yesterday in the
prices of all the French securities. The Three per
Cent. Rentes were quoted ,10c. better than on
Saturday for cash, and 25c. higher for the account ;
the closing rates being 80f. 40c. for the former, and
80f. 20c. for the latter. The Four-and-a-half per
Cents. also attained a similar improvement, being
last called 106 f. sc. for cash, and 105 f. 90c. for the
account. Bank Stock unaltered at 2,800 f., and a
further decline in the prices of nearly all railway
shares—the only exceptions being the Paris and
Rouen, and Lyons and Mediterranean lines. The
Paris and Lyons fell 15 francs, and the St. Ger-
mains 20 ; the others from 2 to 7 francs per share
lower.

ITALY.

The Sardinian Minister of Finance represents

that the financial state of the island has been
steadily improving during the last few years ; that
it has great abundance of the prime necessaries of
life, exports wines to an enormous amount—olive
oil, corn, and other articles of secondary importance
in large quantities also ; that the working of mines,
which had but lately been introduced, and had pro-
duced but 200,000 kilogrammes of lead in the first
half-year of 1851, had produced upwards of 500,000
kilogrammes in the first half-year of 1852.
The Bale Gazette states that on the 18th the
Austrian Government had a note presented to the
Federal' Council, demanding the expvlsion of all
political refugees from Ticino, the seizure of the
arms and ammunition intended for the insurgents
of Lombardy, the prosecution of the Ticinese who
have taken a part in the insurrection of Milan,
and, finally, guarantees for the future. To this
note was added a sort of printed address to the
Ticinese, which had been spread about in the can-
ton, inviting them to join the revolt. The answer
of the Federal Council is stated to be that it
will await the report of Colonel Bourgeois before
giving a- more explicit answer, that it had ordered
the expulsion of the refugees from Ticino as early
as 1848 ; that it would inquire whether its orders
had been executed ; that it knows of no Ticinese
engaged in the revolt ; that if such there be, the
laws shall be executed against them, and that it
hopes Austria will revoke the severe measures it
has taken.
The Opinione, of Turin, states that the steamer
which arrived at Genoa from Leghorn, on the 22d,
had brought the very improbable story that several
sailors, belonging to a British corvette, had been
arrested by the Austrians, while on shore, for
crying " Viva l'ltalia." According to one account
they have been given up to the captain of the cor-
vette ; according to another, the captain, after hav-
ing claimed his men in vain from- the Austrian
authorities, had set sail for Malta to fetch the fleet
and obtain reparation.