The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-01 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARrs, Friday Evening.—The great event of to-
day is the failure of the house of Messrs. Le-
roy, de Chabrol, and Co., bankars in Paris, which
was announced this morning. This house was largely
engaged in speculations which have turned out
unprofitable, in consequence of the war ; and they were
not only the agents and bankers of those speculations, but
large shareholders. It was for some time past suspected
that they could not hold out against the storm. It is
said that their liabilities exceed 14 millions of francs.
Notwithstanding the above failure, the French funds
were steady to-day, in consequence of the improvement
in the English funds, of which news arrived by telegraph ;
and also in consequence of the publication of the Austrian
documents on the Eastern question, showing that at
as late a date as February last Austria coincided in
principle with England and France as to the aggressive
policy of Russia. On the other hand, however, the
French Government has received despatches from
M. de Bourqueney, its Minister at Vienna, which
gives an account of the steps which he took by
directions of the Cabinet to force Austria to de-
clare her intentions one way or the other in the
question. M. de Bourqueney states that Austria still
declines to come under any engagement, and adds
that she endeavours to escape from the difficulties of her
position by equivooation.
M, Guizot left Paris this morning for Brussels, on a
visit to the Princess Lieven.

Vice-Admiral Parceval Deschenes has taken up his
command at Brest as Commander of the Baltic squad-

ron.

It was reported yesterday that Austria is more in-
clined to approach the policy of the "Western Powers.
The Moniteur says :
" The public cannot be too much on their guard against
the news which is invented by malevolence or speculation.
Thus it has been said that the Government was about to
send an army of observation on the Rhine ; that the Rus-
sian army would be at Constantinople before the French
and English armies could be placed in line ; that the
squaprou of Admiral Bruat had been forced by a tempest
to return to Toulon ; and that English and French frigates
had been sunk in the Black Sea by the Russian fleet. All
these reports are devoid of foundation. The Government,
which comprehends the preoccupation of public opinion,
cannot better fulfil its wishes than by making known to
the public all the news, good and bad, which it may re-
ceive."

The Minister of the Marine has received the following
telegraphic despatches :
" CHERBOURG, March 30.—The ship of war the Tilsit,
of 90 guns, has just been launched with complete suc-
cess, and amidst repeated cries of Vive l'Empereur !'
" BREST, March 30.—Vice-Admiral Parseval-Des-
chenes has assumed the command of the third squadron,
amidst loud cries, enthusiastically repeated, of Vive
l'Empereur !' "
The Three per Cents. closed at 62f. 60c. for the end
of the month. After the regular hours of business they
were done at 62f. 80c. for the end of the month. Four-
and-a-Half per Cents., 88f. 90c. ; Orleans Railway
Shares, 1,040 f. ; Rouen, 800 f. ; Havre, 410 f. ; Great
Northern, 705 f. ; Strasbourg, 675 f. ; New Shares, 505 f. ;
Lyons to Paris, 767 f. 50c. ; Lyons to the Mediter-
ranean, 630 f. ; Western of France, 550 f. ; Bordeaux
to Cette, 490 f. ; Great Central of France, 385 f. ; Lyons
to Geneva, 415 f. ; Bank of Credit Mobilier, 455 f.

ITALY.
THE LATE DUKE OF PARMA.

We learn from Turin, March 28, that no further in-
formation has been obtained of the assassin of the Duke
of Parma. lie is described as a little man with a black
beard, and said to have been instigated to the crime by
personal motives.

L'REPARATIONS FOR WAR.

The rumour that Sir De Lacy Evans had been ap-
pointed to the command of the division under orders for
"a special service " is, we understand, unfounded.
Although the experimenti recently made by Captain
Scott on the surveying expedition to the Baltic, in taking
photographic pictures of castles, forts, coast lines, and
headlands, were sornev4tat.deficiegt in finish, they are
nevertheless considereklaighlylupeesetal for the object
in view. Some of therif.were mit:lilted instantaneously
from the deck of a vessel going at the rate of 10
and even 11 knots per hour ; though for the deli-
cate manipulation which the iirocess requires he
had nothing better than a sleeping berth at his
command. Captain Scott exhibited his pictures at
the last meeting of the council of the Photographic
Society, where they excited much interest. Some Sap-
pers are now undergoing a course of training by Mr.
Thurston Thompson, with a view to the use of photo-
graphy, as already announced, in the operations of the
army in the East. We are also informed that several
new cameras arc being constructed for the more conve-
nient application of this ingenious and beautiful art to
war purposes, both by sea and land. It is proposed
that the ship cameras should be suspended, like the com-
pass, on a universal joint Nxith a pendulum attached;
and that those for the field should run on wheels, with
a strut to insure steadiness. The mechanical difficulties
in excluding light from the collodion paper used in the
process have also been overcome. On shipboard a
tioca-
mera is focused from the trough of the sea, as is the cue-
itEnglandv
k
t a n the e
n the
ft
torn in gunnery practice.
Lieut.-General Sir John F. Burgoyne, with a number
of
eofficers
a e
c'
ethe
e Royale rs e
fortificationse Engineers,tne xt awr
and
nekd,strongestexpectedw itb ttb oe
paorirni
plansvt-s
ye
of the Turkish dominions, at present intended to be oc-
cupied by the English and. French troops sent to the
seat of war in the East. Sir•
John F. Burgoyne will
explain the whole of the details
of the plans, taken by
the Royal Engineers and Royal Sappers and Miners, to
Lord Raglan and his staff, and the whole of the rso
officers
now in this country, under orders for the East, will then
leave for the seat of war.
Mr. Hale, the inventor of the rockets used without a
staff or tail, and whose name will be recollected in con-
nexion with a recent prosecution, has been for some time
past at Constantinople. The Hale rocket is considered
by competent judges to possess a decided superiority
over that
now in the service, and it is certainly rather
an odd turn
in the course of events which renders of
some consequence at
the present moment to Government
an invention which only a few months ago was so nearly
bringing its owner into trouble.
•
ment,
Lieutenant-Colonel Garvock , of the 31st Regiment,
who has seen much service in India and the Cape, is ap-
pointed to the staff of the Expeditionary Army.

ROYAL ARTILLERY.
WOOLWICH, MARCH 31.—Seventy-two fine horses ar-
rived in the garrison here yesterday from Limerick, via
Cork and Bristol, and from the latter place to London
by railway.
Captain Bingham's company, 12th battalion, arrived
at the dockyard station of the North Kent Railway, at
one o'clock p.m. yesterday, from Portsmouth, and im-
mediately marched up to barracks.

ROYAL SAPPERS AND MINERS.
Woomcs, M.A.AcEt n.—The 7th company, under