The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-22 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 22, lB6 4.

even the President of " a Great Republic " can
coolly place in a State document such reasons for
bombarding a town. its sin was that free co-
loured men outstripped white Americans located
on the other side of the river.

There is little else to interest the general
reader in this lengthy paper. We see it is re-
commended that the laws in regard to vessels
carrying passengers be assimilated in principle to
those which make railway companies and officials
responsible for accidents occurring under their ma-
nagement, a hint on which perhaps our Home
Secretary may be disposed to act.
The peroration intended for a magnificent con-
clusion might pass very well, but it is impreg-
nated throughout with veiled laudations of a
union to perpetuate the hellish abomination of
American slavery, and with covert denunciations
of all combinations to defeat the recent odious
law which made the formerly free States slave
hunters for the South. Such language, worthy
to match NESSELRODE'S feats of last year, is con-
cluded with pious appeals to HEAVEN in favour of
so holy a cause, similar to those in which lie of
St. Petersburg has dealt so liberally. We do
not write thus of all Americans—happily there
are noble and very numerous exceptions ; but
they will be amongst the first to acknowledge that
slaveholders and their shameless coadjutors in
the Legislature are the cause of that apparent
leaning to Russia rather than to the Allies, which
has marked so much of American deeds and lan-
guage during the last year. To us, in this great
contest of Civilisation and Barbarism, America
seems to have occupied a position only less in-
glorious than that of Austria and Prussia. She
seems indifferent whether the Allies triumph, and
chiefly concerned like Prussia to enrich herself by
the War. Luckily, as Mr. PIERCE tells us, she
loses something by it as well as we. This will
interest her if nothing else does.

LATEST NEWS.

PARIS, FRIDAY.

The following despatch has been received from
Admiral Hamelin, addressed to the Minister of

Marine :

BAY OF KAMIESCH, DEC. 12.
Four thousand three hundred men arrived on

the 10th, with ammunition.

A brisk cannonade has been kept up for the

last two days.

The enemy has made some vigorous sorties on
our own and on the English lines.

They Were driven back by our musketry, and

in some instances at the point of the bayonet,

after a fierce resistance.

Advices received from Berlin last night state
that, according to a despatch from St. Petersburg
dated Wednesday, nothing of importance bad
occurred before Sebastopol up to the 13th of
December.

Some small sorties had been made with success.
In one of them the Russians captured in the
trenches of the Allies some small mortars, and
spiked some others of larger dimensions.
The fire of the Allies was feeble, and the Rus-
sian lose very slight.

The following despatch was received in Paris

last night :--

TURIN, Dac. 20.

The rumour of a treaty of alliance between
Sardinia and the Western Powers assumes the

form of a certainty. Though the precise terms
are not agreed on, we are assured that negotia-

tions are opened with this view.

The Moniteur of yesterday contains the follow.
ing official notice :
"Considerable stints have been offered to the Minis-
ters of War and of the Marine for the wounded of the
fleet and army. Entirely appreciating the patriotic sen-
timent which has dictated these generous offers, these
Ministers have not been able to accept them.
" It is, at the same time, the duty and the privilege
of the whole country to reward the services of those who
shed their blood for it ; such is the opinion of the Em-
peror, and his Majesty's Government has not shrunk
from, and .will not shrink from, any sacrifice fully to
satisfy this sacred obligation.
" The same Ministers have also received numerous
offers of articles intended to improve the condition of
the troops. These gifts, which have an entirely dif-
ferent character from the others, have been accepted
with gratitude. Although the magazines of the State
are largely supplied, there are things which one cannot
have in too great quantities, such as blankets, linen,
lint, &c., and gifts of this kind will always be re-
ceived with satisfaction. The Ministers of War and
of the Marine avail themselves of this occasion to
address their thanks to the Prefects of the Lower
Loire and the Seine, who have taken the lead in this
respect."

liance between England, France, and Austria,
concluded at Vienna on the 2d of December.
The Moniteur publishes a decree nominating the
members of a commission charged with the exami-
nation of the Government accounts for tho year
1854.

It also publishes a decree making some altera-
tions, in certain cases, in the import duties on
sugar, oil, and grease. The dutyon sugars imported
from the French colonies beyond the Cape of Good
Hope remains as at present. Ordinary sugars
imported from the undermentioned places are to
pay as follows :—From China, Cochin-China, the
Phillippine Islands, and Siam, in French bottoms,
48f. ; from other parts of India, 50f. ; from other
places not in Europe, 53f. ; and from entrepots,
63f. per 100 kilogrammes. From the same places,
in foreign bottoms, 68f. Sugars of a finer quality
to pay 3f. per 100 kil. in addition to the above
duties. Dried raisins to pay 25c. per 100 kil. in
French, and 2f. per 100 kil. in foreign bottoms.
Molasses intended for being converted into alcohol
are to be charged as follows :—Molasses imported
in French bottoms, from the French colonies,
exempt ; from countries beyond Europe, 3f. ; and
from the entrepots, Bf. per 100 kil. ; in foreign bot-
toms, 13f. per 100 kil. Animal fat of all sorts is to
be imported in French bottoms from India at 2f.,
and from other places at sf. per 100 kil. ; in foreign
bottoms, at 81. per 100 kil. Fish fat, the pi oduce
of foreign fisheries, if imported in French bottoms,
from the countries beyond Cape Horn or the Cape
of Good Hope, 101. ; from other countries beyond
Europe, 15f. ; and from the entrepots, 20f. per
100 kil. ;if in foreign bottoms, 30f. Pure fixed
oil of olives, in French ships, from the producing
country, 101. ; from other countries, 13f. ; if in
foreign vessels, 151. Palm, cocoa, 'Hippo, and
1 other oils imported in French bottoms, from the
French colonies and the French establishments in
India, lf. 50c. ; from the coast of Africa and other
places not in Europe, sf. ; from the entrepots, Bf. ;
and if in foreign bottoms, 10f. per 100 kil. Similar
changes are made in oleaginous seeds, but they are
too numerous to be particularised. Candles im-
ported are to pay 10f., and stereatic acid 25f. per
100 kil. The premium hitherto granted in France
on the exportation of soap is reduced in proportion
to the reduction in the import duties stated above;
but this part of the decree will not be applicable
for two months from the date of promulgation.