The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-02 00:00:00

FRANCE.

The Grand Duchess Dowager St6phanie of Baden
returned to Paris on Wednesday from Fontaine-
bleau, and alighted at the Tuileries, where she
will occupy the Pavilion Marsan.
The Moniteur announces that the ladies ad-
mitted to the receptions at the Tuileries on the Ist
January are to appear in court mantles.
The Debats, in the solemn form of a leading ar-
ticle, signed by its manager, M. Armand Bertin,
gives a summary of its news from the East, which
will be read with considerable interest. It appears
from the admission of this journal, which invari-
ably leans to Russia, that Lord Aberdeen's govern-
ment walked unsuspectingly into a snare laid by
Austria, and was only rescued by the firmness of
Louis apoleon and the hesitation of even the
Prussian court. The article is the more entitled
to attention, because the Debats, though esteemed
the most important journal in Paris, rarely since
the coup d'etat expresses any opinion of its own
upon passing events, and now professes to have
sifted a mass of conflicting rumours, and to give
the result from its own peculiar sources. The fol-

lowing is the statement
" our last letters from Vienna and Berlin give us
some information on the present state of the negotiations
relative to the Eastern question, which may to a certain
point allow us to judge of certain reports which have
been recently in circulation. However scrupulous our
correspondents may be in their investigations, they do
not pretend any more than ourselves to be able entirely
to separate what is true from all the contradictory ru-
mours which are afloat, and can only forward to us what
they consider as most probable. 'With this precaution
and reserve, they think they may state as certain that
the Austrian cabinet, which sincerely desires the pacific
solution of the Turco-Russian question, and seeks with
good faith an expedient to get over the difficulty, has
made a fresh overture to the cabinets of Paris and
London. Austria is said to have proposed that the
four powers should in a measure keep them-
selves aloof, and let Russia and Turkey settle their
dispute by a direct arrangement between the two
sovereigns, founded on ancient treaties ; maintaining
them by explaining or completing such of their clauses
as may have been shown by recent experience to be
either obscure or insufficient. Austria is said to have
promised on her own responsibility the immediate
evacuation of the Danubian principalities by the Rus-
sian armies, and demands that on their side the cabi-
nets of Paris and London shall engage to use all
their influence with the Divan in order to obtain its
consent to treat directly with Russia. This proposi-
tion was communicated to the cabinet of Berlin, and it
appears that it has not been judged very favourably, as
it was thought to offer an issue too advantageous
for Russia, and too dangerous for Turkey, and
but little in unison with the intervention of
the four cabinets which assembled at Vienna
in such long and frequent conferences. The impres-
sion produced on the cabinet of London by this
overture of Austria is said to have been more favour-
able, and a disposition was shown to accept it ;
it is said, however, that the opinion has somewhat
changed, in consequence of observations made by the
Cabinet of the Tuileries, and on hearing of the recep-
tion given to the proposition at Berlin. The proposition
of Austria has, therefore, little chance of being agreed
to ; but it may lead to a new phase in the state of the
political relations of the Cabinet of Vienna. It is, in
fact, said, that in reply to this communication the courts
allied to the Porte intend to demand explanations as to
what is understood at Vienna by the neutrality of
Austria, in order that it may be known exactly how far
that neutrality will go, at what moment it wlli cease,
and for the benefit of which party it will do so. It is
added that it will be more particularly insisted on that
Austria shall make known as to how far she will engage
herself with the other European powers in all the mea-
sures or in all the acts which shall have for object to
lead Russia to secure the peace of Europe, which she has
disturbed by her difference with Turkey."
Count Walewski, the French ambassador in
London, arrived in Paris on Wednesday evening
from Fontainebleau. He does not return to Lon-
don for two days.
The Council of State has just had a project of
decree brought before it for examination, tending
to accord to the city of Paris a sum of 4,096,873 f.
75c. for damage of various kinds done in 1848.
It is stated that the account yesterday laid be-
fore the Council of Administration of the Bank of
France, represents the situation of that establish-
ment as exceedingly satisfactory. It holds 206
millions in five-franc pieces, and 92 millions in
gold pieces.
The Moniteur publishes the official returns of
the price of wheat in France, from which it appears
that the highest price is 36f. 57c. the hectolitre at
Bergues, in the department of the North, and the
lowest price 26f. 41c. at Marans, in the Charente.
It was the Grand Duchess of Baden with her
suite, and not the Emperor, who arrived on Wed-
nesday evening from Fontainebleau. The Emperor
and Empress only arrived yesterday. They passed
at three o'clock precisely along the Boulevards
from the railway terminus, which had been pre-
viously decorated, and proceeded to the Tuileries.
The Imperial carriago was followed by three others,
and the Prefect of Police followed in an open car-
riage. Their Majesties were preceded by a detach-
ment of Guides, and followed by the usual escort of
Cuirassiers. The Turkish Ambassador returned
last night from Fontainebleau, and appears much
pleased with his reception by the Emperor.
The speculators for a fall having sold more stock
than they could deliver were compelled yesterday
to submit to the terms imposed on them by the
speculators for a rise, and the Three per Cents.,
which opened at 74f. 250., rose to '74f. 50c., at
which they closed for the end of the month. The
Four-and-a-Half per Cents. closed at 100 f. 25c. ;
Orleans Railway Shares, 1,160 f. ; Rouen, 1,042 f.
50c. ; Havre, 497 f. 50e. ; Great Northern, 863 f.
75c. ; Paris and Strasburg, 813 f. 75c- ; Paris and
Lyons, 905 f. ; Lyons to Mediterranean, 752 f. 50c. ;
Western of France, 695 f. ; Bordeaux and Cette,
595 f. ; Great Central, 515 f. ; Lyons and Geneva,
513 f. 75c. ; Shares of the Bank of Credit Mobilier,
727 f. 50c.