The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-30 00:00:00

TURKEY.

It is known that the construction of a church at
Scutari, in Albania, has been authorised by a 3 •s-
-cent resolution of the Ottoman Porte. The follow-
ing are the principal passages of the firman address ed
on this occasion to the Mussulman funotionari es
of the Pachalio

"The Catholic population of the town of Soutriri
having implored my Imperial permission to build a
church in the interior of the city in which they mig ht
perform Divine service, I have issued in writing tl its
sacred order granting that permission. It is useless to
call to mind that the tranquillity and welfare of the sub-
jects of my Sublime Porte are one of the dearest object is
of my Imperial solicitude. I have, therefore, issued All
order emanating from my Imperial Divan, relative to
the permission for building the said church. As soon
as all of you, Governor Naib and Mufti, shall be so-
quainted with this Imperial order, take care that no ane
oppose■ the construction of this church in a convenient
spot, and also take care that not a farthing be taken
from the Catholics for that purpose. Know this aid
obey this Imperial sign. Done in the middle of the
sacred month of Zelhedj4, in the year 1270 (September,
1854). ABD-t7L-MEDJID.7

" At Vienna on tie 2d," says the Constitutionnet,
" accounts had been received of the arrival at Con-
stantinople of Omer Pacha, accompanied by Co-
lonel Dieu. It was generally thought that he had
not accepted the command in chief of the Turkish
army in the Crimea, except on the express condition
that his troops should assume the offensive against
the Russians, and that they should not remain in a
state of inaction incompatible with the condition
of the Turkish army, and that the Turkish soldiers
should net be employed like day labourers in tie
service of the English, which is incompatible with
the dignity of the brave defenders of Silistria."

GREECE.
The Jioniteur gives the following extract of the
speech of the King of Greece on opening the session
of the Greek- Chambers :--
"Well-known circumstances, accompanied by de-
plorable acts, have for some time past led to tb e
interruption of friendly relations with a neighbour-
ing State, and thus occasioned sensible losses to
the commercial interests of the two Governments:.
My Government has never ceased to apply itself al:-
tively to the re-establishment of these relation:4,
and we hope that, with the sincere and kind coopers'
tion of the great powers the allies of the neighbouring
State, whose noble and generous sentiments in favour
of Greece have so strongly manifested themselves, oar
desires will be happily fulfilled. In presence of the for-
midable struggle which has broken cut in the East,
considerations of a seperior order, founded oa the
manifest interests of the nations, as well as on the
sentiments of gratitude which are due to friendly
powers, have dictated to us a declaration of the strictest
neutrality. In firmly adopting this system, we will
neither permit nor tolerate any act contrary to the
honour and true interests of the country. We keep up
friendly relations with all the powers, without
forgetting that the great interest of rising Greece is to
draw from the very sources of European civilisation all
the benefits that result from it for society."

SPAIN.
The Madrid journals of the 24th have arrived.
The Espana complains of the long time occupied
in transmitting by telegraph the quotations of the
Paris Bourse, but says that the tault lies with the
French and not the Spanish lines. The same journal
says :—" At Cadiz on the Bth, the solemn inaugu-
ration of the Church of San Francisco took place.
The edifice was saved from certain ruin and has
been restored to public worship by the efforts of
the English Ambassador, Lord Howden, whose
enthusiasm for the arts, and whose noble protection
of them, are well known in Spain." The 24th
being Sunday, the Stock Exchange was lot open.

Iv e learn from Jassy that on the 10th the Rus-
sian General, Prince Gortschakoff, notified to tho
Government of Moldavia that the frontier of Bess-
arabia was closed, and that the quarantine 'sta• blishments would be replaced by a military cordon..
A Berlin letter of the 26th says ;—" It is posi-
tively stated that all the efforts made by Prussia.
to induce the small German States to allow them-
selves to be represented at the Great Exhibition of
Paris by the Prussian Commissioner have com-
pletely failed. Each has resolved to have a com-
missioner of its own."
By decision of the Government of Electoral
Hesse the export of horses from that country is
prohibited until further orders.

CRIMEAN ARMY FUND.—In consequence of a commu-
nication received a few days since from the Earl of El-
lesmere, the chairman of this fund, addressed to the
Mayor of Maidstone, his worship convened a public
meeting, which was held in the town-hall on Thursday.
It was attended by several of the clergy of the. town, the
members of the corporation, and many ladies, The
Mayor, H. Simmonds, Esq., stated the object of the
meeting, and read the letters he had received, when Sir
W. B. Riddell, the recorder of the borough, and others
warmly espoused the objects in view, and resolutions
.
were passed, in which the ladies of the I:iwri and neigh-
bourhood were requested to co-operate in providing the
articles so much needed by our troops, J, Monckton,
Esq., town clerk, w„ appointed hon. secrets,ry. Several
sums of money were subscribed in the room,