The Sun.
London, England, 1853-04-07 00:00:00

THE FRENCH EMPIRE.

The power which the Constitution gives of alter-
ing the duties paid on all produce imported into
France has greatly alarmed the manufacturers of
the north of France, where an impression prevails
that Louis Napoleon contemplates a modification
of the present tariff on cotton. The manufacturers
of Rouen, Lille, Roubaix, and Mulhausen are in
great alarm, and an association of the principal
manufacturers of the north has been formed under
the auspices of M. Henri Barbier, for the purpose
of preventing the Government from carrying the
proposed modifications into execution.
The committee on the bill relating to the sending
of private messages by the electric telegraph has
nominated M. Gamier its president, and Baron de
Veauce its secretary; and that on the bill concern-
ing the railways from Bordeaux to Bayonne, and
from Narbonne to Perpignan, has appointed Count
de Tauriac its president, and M. O'Quin its secre-
tary.
The accounts from Martinique and Guadaloupe,
received by the last West India Mail, come down
to the 13th ult. At that time the sanitary state of
those colonies had become satisfactory. The Jour-
nal Officiel of Martinique publishes an account of
the commercial produce and of the revenues of the
colony from 1848 to the Ist of January, 1853. The
production of sugar, in 1848, was 18 millions of
kilogrammes ; in 1849, 19 millions ; in 1850, 15
millions ; in 1851, 23 millions • and in 1852, 26
millions. The amount of the value of imports and
exports also shows a material increase. The re-
ceipts of all kinds were successively in 1848,
1,546,000 f. ; 1849, 1,808,000 f. ; 1850, 2,233,000 f.;
1851, 2,559,000 f. ; and in 1852, 2,637,000 f. The
commerce and production at Guadaloupe have not
progressed so well as at Martinique. The Journal
O id expresses a hope that the mother-country,
encouraged by the success already obtained, will
with confidence lend to the colony the necessary
capital for the immigration of coolies.
The Count de Pont4coulant, ex-senator and ex-
peer of France, died two days ago, after a short
illness, in his 88th year.
The Toulon fleet was, on the 26th ult., off Cag-
liari' in the island of Sardinia. It is probably by
this time in the Archipelago.
In speaking of the affairs of the East, the Assein-
blee Nationale says that, although no political mail
in Europe believes that the mission of Prince Men-
schikoff will lead to war, yet it must not be sup-
posed that the mission is near its end. Russia (it
says) is in no hurry, because she knows that Turkey
will yield every point at last, and " the Ottoman
Empire will then return to its repose until the mo-
ment of the supreme catastrophe." In other words,
the fruit is not yet ripe, but the Czar is ready to
pluck it the moment it arrives at maturity.
A telegraphic dispatch brings satisfactory news
from Constantinople of the 28th of March. Mens-
chikoff had presented a project of convention,
which was favourably received. l
army had received orders to retrograde. Russian
The
firman relative to the establishment of new
bank
leftha dfobre epnapublished,
missionan d a
had
relative to
in-
demnity on the loan. The English fleet had been
seen seen near Spienza, while the French squadron was
in sight near Cape Metapan.
The number of municipal councillors who, in
various portions of the empire, have refused to take
the oath of fidelity to the Emperor, increases every
post.
M. Linand Bey, a distinguished French engineer
in the service of the Viceroy of Egypt, has been
charged with the execution of the plans for the
levelling of the Isthmus of Suez. The difference
of level of the two seas is not ten yards, as formerly
supposed, but only one.
The Emperor has given a medal of honour to
Lieutenant Charles Pearson, of her Majesty's Navy,
as a reward for the courageous assistance which Mr.
Pearson gave on the 17th of December last to a
wrecked French vessel.

The Marquis Ricci, the Legate from the Apos-
tolic See, who arrived in Paris on Sunday last,
brought a cardinal's hat, which the Emperor is, on.
Sunday next, to bestow on the Archbishop of Tou-
louse. The ceremony will take place in the Chapel
of the Tuileries.

On the 26th ult. the French squadron was off
Cagliari.
In the Moniteur is a decree of the Empeior or-
dering that a proposition to grant pensions of
12,000 f. a year for life to the widows of Marshals
Excelmans and Oudinot, be laid before the Senate.
The Bourse yesterday was characterised by a ge-
neral dullness in Rentes and Bank Stock,, though a
degree of firmness in the prices was evinced towards
the close of business. No change took place on
the previous day's quotations for the Four-and-a-
Half per Cents., either for cash or the account ;
however, the Three per Cents. for money and the
end of the month experienced an improvement, the
former advancing 10c., and the latter 20c. on Tues-
day's closing prices. Bank Stock has further im-
proved to the extent of sf. At the closing of the
Bourse the following were the quotations :—Three
per Cents., cash, 79f. 30c. ; for the account, 79f.
40c. ; Four-and-a-Half per Cents., both for cash
and the account, 103 f. Bank Stock, 2,700 f.
The market for railway shares was heavy, and
only a limited amount of business was transacted,
with but little variation from the prices of the pre-
vious day. At the close, however, a better feeling
prevailed. Paris and Lyons shares were in demand,
at an advance of Bf. on the concluding price of yes-
terday ; in the shares of the other lines a decrease
of from If. to sf. took place. At the conclusion of
business the prices stood thus :—Northern, 894 f.
50c. ; Orleans, 1,034 f. 50c. ; Paris and Strasbourg,
836 f. 50c.; Paris and Lyons, 945 f. 50c; Paris and
Rouen, 1,040 f.; Lyons to the Mediterranean, 805 f.