The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-23 00:00:00

FRANCE'.

The French Government is making quiet but
efficient preparations for war. At the Ministere de
la Guerre plans are being prepared for the organi-
sation of 42 divisions, which will give an effective
force of 600,000 men. One of the great difficulties
is to find the money necessary to carry the mea-
sure into execution.

The Council of State is at present engaged in
drawing up two important decrees ; one is fcr the
throwing open of the butchers' trade, which is at
present a monopoly, the number of butchers in
Paris being limited to 500, with about the same
proportion in the provincial towns ; and the other
for the establishment of a bakers' bank on a prin-
ciple similar to that of the butchers' bank at
Poissy.

Our correspondence from Paris, up to Wednes-
day, states that engineers are engaged in making
the surveys for a line of railway round Paris, but
at a distance of 100 kilometres (60 miles) from the
capital, so as to form a communication with all the
great lines which start from it. Orleans, Chartres,
Evreux, Amiens, Epernay, Montereau, Sens, and
Auxerre will come into this new line.

Notice has been given that the houses comprised
between the Rue des Poulies and the Place du
l'Auxerrois, opposite the Louvre, are to be expro-
priated for public utility, and pulled down in April
next. This is the first part of the vast project
which in its ensemble comprises more than 200
houses, suppresses 15 streets courts, and passages,
and the expense of which it. is estimated, in the
plans, at 22 millions of francs.

By a decree of the Emperor, Admiral Lo Pre
dour is appointed to replace in the mixed commit-
tee of public works Admiral Bruat, nominated to
the command of the Atlantic squadron.
An imperial decree authorises the establishment
of a discount bank at Senegal, with a capital of
230,000 fr., to be formed in conformity with former
decisions of the eighth part of the indemnity ac-
corded to the. inhabitants •of that country, in con-
sequence of the abolition of negro slavery. '
The Moniteur publishes a decree modifying the
regulations of the Mortgage Bank established at
Paris. It declares that whenever the average
quotation of the 3 per Cents. Rente has been for
three months together below 86fr., the Mortgage
Bank can raise for all future loans, to sf. 95c., the
annual sum to be paid by the borrower, that an-
nual sum to include interest, running expenses,
and sinking fund for paying off the debt in 50
years. For loans of less duration, the annual sum
shall be determined proportionably on the same
bases. Whenever the 3 per Cents. Route shall
have been for three months together at an average
quotation of 85fr., the maximum of the annual
sum already spoken of shall be reduced to sfr.
65c. for loans of 50 years, and proportionally
less for loans of shorter duration. The subven-
tion of 10,000,000 fr. accorded to the Mortgage
Bank established at Paris by the decree of Dec.
10, 1852, is reduced to 9,700,000 f., to be paid
successively iu the proportion of the 20th part of
the loans effected. The remaining sum of 300,000 f.
is to be appropriated in equal proportions to the
Mortgage Banks of Nevers and of Marseilles.
When the amount of the loans of the Mortgage
Bank shall have reached the sum of 250,000,000 f.,
the maximum of the running expenses, fixed by
Art. 71 of the statutes at 60c. for every 100 f., may
be reduced by the Government to 45c. If by the
Ist of Jan., 1857, the loans effected by the Mortgage
Bank do not amount to 200,000,000 f., the Govern-
ment reserves to itself the power of authorising,
concurrently with the Mortgage Bank, other simi-
lar societies in various parts of France. Besides
the 200,000,000 f. of bonds issued in execu-
tion of the convention of November 18, 1852,
the Mortgage Bank cannot affix prizes to sums it
may borrow, unless with the special authorisation
of the Government. The statutes of the Mortgage
Bank are to be modified in conformity with the
present decree, but should a general meeting of
the shareholders not give its approval within the
space of two months from the present time to the
modifications thus specified, the Mortgage Bank
shall be deprived of the benefits arising from the
present decree.

The fourth quarterly drawing of the bonds of the
Credit Foncier has taken place. No. 121,764, the
first drawn, gained 100,000 f. ; No. 41,395 and No.
126,952, 50,000 f. each ; No. 89,300, 40,000 f.; No.
12,034, 30,000 f. ; No. 123,262, 20,000 f. ; Nos.
14,464, 12,861, 103,868, 120,717, 170,467, and
178,838, 10,000 f. each ; and N 05.113,936, 128,329,
60,134, 160,230, 65,627, 16,954, 70,551, and
98,420, 5,000 f. each, making together a total of
390,000 f.

We learn from Lyons that a military demonstra-
tion took place in that city on the night of the 20th
inst. The Salut Public of Lyons states that in con-
sequence of instructions from the refugees at Lon-
don preparations had been made amongst certain
disaffected parties at Lyons to attempt a rising on
the night of the 2nd of December, but that not
finding all the readiness that they had anticipated,
they determined to postpone their attempt to the
night of the 20th. The civil and military authorities,
aware of what was passing, could, says the Sa-
lut Public, , have allowed the rising to take
place, certain of being able to put it down
whenever they pleased, and to arrest the ring-
leaders in the very act of insurrection ; in that
way, the punishment of the guilty parties would
certainly have been more signal, but, on the
other hand, the peaceable inhabitants of the city
•would have been disturbed, public tranquillity
troubled, and human blood shed. In consequence,
the authorities determined to take preventive mea-
sures, and accordingly on the night in question the
police were strongly armed ; all the posts doubled,
and the troops of the garrison kept under arms.
The agitators, seeing that there was no probability
of succeeding in any attempt at a coup de main,
prudently abstained from their intended outbreak,
and everything remained perfectly quiet.
The Bourse opened heavily yesterday. The Three
per Cents. were first called at 74f., 60c., and fell to
74f. 40c. After two o'clock a report was circulated
that an armistice had been concluded between the
Russians awl Turks. This report brought the
Three per Cents, up to 74f. 80c., at which they
closed for the end of the month. The Four-and-
a-Half per Cents, closed at 101 f. 10c. ; Orleans
Railway shares, 1,185 f. ; Rouen, 1,055 f. ; Havre,
500 f. ; Great Northern, 885 f. ; Paris and Stras-
burg, 828 f. 75c. ; Paris and Lyons, 917 f. 50e. ;
Lyons to the Mediterranean, 770 f. ; Western of
France, 690 f. ; Bordeaux and Cette, 623 f. 75c. ;
Great Central, 520 f. ; Lyons and Geneva, 520 f.;
Shares of the Bank Credit Mobilier, 760 f.