The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-17 00:00:00

FRANCE.

It appears that the object of the council held on
Wednesday morning at the Tuileries was to receive
a communication of despatches from the French
ambassador in London, in which he intimates the
opinion of the English Cabinet on the subject of the
recent explanations given by Prussia on the subject
of her neutrality, and the new proposition made by
that power for the resumption of nego tiati ons between
the Western Powers and Russia. According to one
version, the English Cabinet is not disposed to look
upon these propositions as serious, or as likely to
lead to a pacific solution. It therefore thinks that
there is no occasion for the two Cabinets to occupy
themselves with the propositions, but that they
should consider them as non avenues ; at the same
time taking care to avoid anything that could
give offence to Prussia or Austria, or to push
them at the present moment to a declaration
of their sentiments ; it being quite sufficient
that they should be left in their present ambiguous
position till the progress of events shall have forced
them to declare themselves one way or other. The
English Government declares that the only thing
to be done at present is to hasten the embarkation
of the troops for Constantinople, and the despatch
of the third squadron to the Baltic. The opinions
of the English Cabinet were fully approved of, and
were not opposed even by the members of the
Cabinet who were for a long time considered the
peace party.
Notwithstanding the conviction which all people
must feel that matters have now gone too far for
either party to recede, there are a few sanguine
persons in Paris who still entertain a faint
hope of a pacific solution. It is stated in ano-
ther quarter likely to be well-informed that
the Emperor Nicholas has at length taken
the alarm at finding himself deserted by all
the Powers of Europe, and that he now no
longer conceals his anxiety for a settlement of the
affair in any way which could at all be considered
honourable to him. He has even been known to
express his determination not to be prevented by
the commencement of hostilities from continuing
to negotiate for peace, and to declare that in the
midst of the roar of cannon he is willing to receive
overtures. In short, he still perseveres in his pro
fessions of moderation, hoping thereby to detach
the German Powers from the English and French
alliance, and perhaps still to create distrust be-
tween England and France themselves. It ippears
that one of the most active agents of the Czar—a
personage who has recently left Paris—has written
a letter, in which a belief is expressed that since the
origin of the affair there ii•ver was a better chance
of the success of negotiations than now. The ob-
ject of such communications is evident. No one
knows better than the writer that the same terms
which were offered before cannot be accepted now;
but still the old game will be played, of pretending
that the Czar is willing to accept reasonable terms
—the terms proposed by the allies themselves—but
being rejected, that war is forced upon the Czar.
The world has been too long the victim of these
professions to be duped by them any longer.
For several days past it has been stated that the
question of the suppression of the existing journals
in Paris and the departments, witti some excep
tions, was actually discussed in the Oilmen of
Ministers. Besides the Moniteur, two journals
only would be allowed for Paris, and one for each
of the departments. This proposition was thrown
out by a small minority, and one version is, that
the Emperor, who presided at the Council, gave
no opinion, while another is that he opposed it.
The subscriptions for the new loan are on so ex-
tensive a scale, that it is now calculated that instead
of ten millions sterling, the amount of money ten-
dered will reach to fully forty millions.
The French fleet, being occupied in the Mediter-
ranean in transporting troops to the East, will for
the present be only represented in the Baltic by
the Austerlitz. At a later period the squadron of
Admiral Parseval Deschenes will enter that sea to
join the fleet of Admiral Napier.
The Gazette de Flandre has received a warning
from the Prefect of the Nord, for publishing an
article which is considered to have been written in
a spirit evidently hostile to the great and patriotic
manifestations of public opinion.
The accounts from Algiers, of the 10th instant,
state that the preparations for the expedition to the
East were prosecuted with the utmost activity.
Nothing can exceed the enthusiasm of the popula-
tion, both native and European. Subscriptions were
being organised in the city for the purpose of giving
a farewell entertainment to the division of the expe-
ditionary army. A punch party, described as truly
fabulous, was to be offered to the army and navy.
The Arabs joined with much alacrity in those mani-
festations, which took place under the patronage of
the Governor-General and the Rear-Admiral com-
manding the naval department. It is astonishing
with what interest the different phases of the
Eastern question were followed in Algeria, and
with what bursts of patriotism the colonists and
the army hailed the rupture with Russia. The na-
tives, and even the tribes most remote from the
coast, were thoroughly acquainted with the thou-
sand incidents of the Turco-Russian difference,
with the attitude of the Christian Powers, and the
question debated at Constantinople. The European
population
of the interior was nut so well informed
in that respect as the Arabs, The contingent to
be supplied by the army of Africa for the expedi-
tionary corps will exceed 10,000 men.
Little or uo businfw4 was done on the Bourse
yesterday. The Three per Cents. opened at 66f.
20c., rose to 66f. 45c., and closed at 66f. 30c. for the
end of the mouth. The Four-and-a-Half per Cents.
at 92f. 20c. • Orleans Railway Shares, 1,097 f. 50c, ;
Rouen, 870 f.; Havre, 447 f. 50c. ; Great Northern,
740 f. ; Paris and Strasburg, 7221. 50c. ; ditto, New
shares, 560 f. ; Paris and Lyons, 817 f. st)c. ; Lyons
to the Mediterranean, 630 f. ; Western of France,
580 f. ; Bordeaux and Cette, 5301. ; Great Central
of France, 4301. • Lyons to Geneva, 443 f. 75c. ;
Shares of the Bank of Credit Mobilier, 572 f. 50c.