The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONION, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MARCH 29, 1854.

were presented authorising loans or the imposition
of extraordinary taxes in the towns of Saumur,
Orleans, Alby, and Dunkirk, in the commune of
Aix-la-Chapelle, and in the departments of the
Gers, Maine-et-Loire, Yonne, and Loire-Inferieure.
The Minister of State was then introduced with the
usual ceremony, and, in the name of the Emperor,
read to the Chamber the following message :
" Messieurs les D4put4s—The Government of the
Emperor and that of her Britannic Majesty had declared
to the Cabinet of St. Petersburgh that if the difference
with the Sublime Porte was not replaced in a purely
diplomatic position, in the same way as if the evacuation
of the principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia was not
commenced immediately and terminated by a given day,
they would see themselves forced to consider a negative
reply or silence as a declaration of war. The Cabinet
of St. Petersburgh having decided not to reply to the
communication thus made, the Emperor charges me to
inform you of that determination, which places Russia
with respect to us in a state of war, the whole responsi-
bility of which appertains to that power."
The moment the Hon. Minister concluded, the
loudest acclamations arose from every part of the
Chamber. The President then rose, and after
having formally acknowledged the reception of the
message just delivered, said :
"The Emperor may reckon on the unanimous co-ope-
ration of the Legislative body as on that of the whole of
France."
Fresh acclamations greeted the assurance thus given
by the Hon. President. The proceedings then ter-
minated, amidst reiterated cries of Vive l'Empereur !
At three o'clock the Minister proceeded to the
Senate to make the same declaration. It was
greeted there, as in the Legislative Chamber, by a
unanimous assent with the loudest acclamations.
The President then said :

"The Senate gives a formal acknowledgment to the
Minister of State of the communication which he has
just made in the name of the Government, and which it
has listened to with a profound sentiment of most entire
and most devoted co-operation. I think I express the
unanimous feeling of the Senate in adding that it con•
fides fully in the Emperor, who will know how to con-
duct the war with the ability and energy which have so
eminently distinguished the negotiations. The commu-
nication of his Excellency the Minister of State shall be
inserted in the minutes of our proceedings, and the ori-
ginal shall be deposited in the archives.'''
The Senate hailed these words of the President
with unanimous cries of Five l'Enipereur !
It is believed that, notwithstanding the order
issued by the Emperor Nicholas, recalling to their
own country the Russians residing in France,
there are still a considerable number in Paris, and
who, not having property to be confiscated in Rue.
sia, will not leave this country, of which they in
some sort consider themselves natives. The last
Russian Consul, M. d'Ebeling, leaves Paris to-day.
It is said that a contract has been entered into
with the Government for the transport of 2,400
English horses by the Lyons Railroad.
Every one was taken by surprise immediately
after the proceedings in the Senate on Monday by
the announcement made by the Minister of State
with respect to the declaration of war. The only
sitting of the Legislative Corps announced was in
its bureaux, and the Senate was not summoned at
all. The consequence was that messengers had to
be despatched in every direction for a few members
of both houses ; but, notwithstanding these efforts,
very few members were present in either house
when M. Fould read the passage.
Some doubt is entertained if the French Govern-
ment is quite so well prepared for commencing the
war as has been generally supposed. It appears
that the embarkation of the troops is proceeding
with much less alacrity than could be desired • and
delays have occurred, not only at Toulon and 11Iar-
seilles, but in Algeria. Besides this, the troops which
have embarked have been rather unfortunate. The
V6loce and another, which accompanied the Chris-
tophe Colomb, encountered a violent gale in the Gulf
of Lyons, and were obliged to put back to Toulon.
The V6loce is so much damaged that she will have
to be laid up. The troops and officers who were
on board of these two ships have been disembarked,
and are now waiting a passage by some other
means. The French Baltic squadron is also far
from being in a forward state. So badly off is the
Minister of the Marine for ships, that he has been
obliged to detach the Henry IV., and four other
ships from the Levant fleet. They have received
orders to return to Brest forthwith, to be placed
under the command of Admiral Parseval Des-
chesnes "

On Monday evening M. de Hatzfeld, the Prussian
Minister, was received by the Emperor in a private
audience, for the purpose of delivering an autograph
letter from the King of Prussia, which had arrived
in Paris that morning. He remained for an hour
with the Emperor.
A report was current here yesterday and Monday,
which, strange as it may appear, it is right to
mention. It is said that certain members of the
Senate and of the Legislative Corps have conferred
together on the propriety of offering a dictatorial
power to the Emperor during the continuance of the
war. A meeting of members of the two Chambers
took place on Monday evening (the report goes),
at which was discussed the best mode of draw-
ing up a proposition for the suspension of the ordi-
nary laws, and the establishment of a dictatorship.
Persons who are well informed seem to think that
this project is not without chances of being carried
out.

The Committee to inquire into the affair of M. de
Montalembert has at length, after a great number
of sittings, nominated its reporter. It is M. Perret,
whose opinion has been always considered favour-
able to M. de Montalembert, inasmuch as he is
against granting the required authorization to pro-
secute.

The fall of English Consols, and the official an-
nouncement of the state of war, produced a general
decline yesterday on the Bourse. The Three per
Cents closed at 62f. 40c. for the end of the month ;
and the Four-and-a-Half per Cents. at 89f. 25c. ;
Orleans Railway Shares, 1,040 f. ; Rouen, 830 f. ;
Havre, 425 f. ; Great Northern, 705 f. ; Strasburg,
680 f. ; New Shares, 505 f. ; Lyons to Paris, 780 f. ;
Lyons to the Mediterranean, 637 f. 50c. ; Western
of France, 555 f. ; Bordeaux to Cette, 510 f. ;
Great Central of France, 400 f. ; Lyons to Geneva,
420 f. ; Bank of Credit Mobilier, 492 f. 50c.

20
St.
St.
St.
St.

20
20
50
20

SHARE MARKETS.
(THIS DAY.)

BRITISH RAILWAYS.

Closing Prices
yesterday.

Business done
this day.

;t. \l.OO
St. 1.00
25 30

It. 100
L 5 all

s s;
6 all

3j at

5 all
7i 2
Gt. all

6J al
.0 al'
X) al:

5 all
[0 all
It. 100
5 all

51 all

51f 1
12i

151
111 1 6 i

721 i i i

60 el

111 - -
If
95
944

10
5
20
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9
3
8
2s.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS-(YESTERDAY.)

The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the wool-
sack at 5 o'clock.
Lord WROTTESLEY presented a petition from
Wolverhampton in favour of the establishment of refor-
matory institutions for juvenile offenders.
The Earl of SHAFTESBURY presented a petition
from Bath to the same effect.
Lord BROUGHAM presented a petition from the
magistrates and town council of Edinburgh in favour of
some measure to enable the same probate which was
taken out in Scotland to affect personal property in
England and Ireland.
The Duke of CabEVELAND presented a petition
from Darlington against the opening of public-houses on
Sundays.

REMOVAL AND SETTLEMENT OF THE
POOR BILL.
The Earl of WICKLOW, in moving for returns of
the minutes in the different unions throughout England
and Wales, entreated their lordships, in the event of the
Law of Settlement and Removal Bill passing the House
of Commons, and being introduced into this house, not
to assent to it, if they valued their own consistency and
sense of honour, unless it contained a clause to include
in its operation Scotch and Irish paupers.
The return was agreed to.
ADMINISTRATION OF JUSTICE IN IRELAND.
The Earl of CLA.NCARTY moved tor a return of the
indictment and conviction, &c., in the case of two men
named John and Hugh Murphy, who were tried at the
Armagh Assizes for the murder of James Wilson.
It appeared that in consequence of some compromise
on the part of the crown prosecutors, one of the men
was acquitted, and the other, on pleading guilty of
manslaughter, was sentenced only to 6 months' impri-
sonment. The noble earl entered into a statement of
the circumstances connected with the murder and the

,rial, and described the latter as a miscarriage of:justice,

The LORD CHANCELLOR said there would be no
objection to the return, with the exception of the judges'
notes, which it had never been the practice to produce.
He believed this was the first time such a request had
been made, and for the very good reason that a judge
might not take any note of a trial. He believed that
Lord Lyndhurst hardly ever took a note of a case, and
a.note might be so short that it would not be of use to
any one. In the present case there was no such note.
The day after the noble earl gave notice of his motion,
he (the Lord Chancellor) put himself in communication
with the Chief Secretary for Ireland, and who imme-
diately obtained all the information he could upon
the subject ; but it was only that day, and shortly
before he came down to the house, that he had come
into possession of any of the facts. There could be
no doubt that the judge looked at the depositions
before he took the course which he had taken, and came
to, the conclusion that a charge of murder could not
be sustained ; so that the same result was arrived at as
would have reached through the process of a long in-
quiry, though it would have been better if the case had
been tried out. With respect to the sentence, that de-
pended entirely upon all the circumstances of the case,
which might aggravate or mitigate its character. It
seemed a lenient one, but it was difficult for any person
to deal with that question except those who heard the
evidence or read the depositions. The' case would not
be one of murder under the circumstances unless the
blow was such as must have been calculated to cause
death.

Lord MONTEAGLE bore testimony to the judicial
character of Mr. Serjeant Howley, the judge who had
tried the case, than whom there was no judicial officer
who had in a greater degree won the respect of persons
of all classes and creeds, or who was less likely to act
from factious,. sectarian or party feelings. .
The Earl of EGLINTON also bore testimony to the
professional abilities and high character of Mr. Serjeant
Howley.
_

After a few remarks from the Earl of EGLINTON, and
,he Earl of DONOUGHMORE, the motion was withdrawn.
Their lordships then adjourned.

HOUSE OF COMMONS—(YESTERDAY.)
The SPEAKER took the chair shortly before 4 o'clock.
PRIVATE BILLS.,
The Hull Cemetery Bill was read a third time and
passed.
The Stourbridge and Bridgenorth Road Bill was read
a second time and ordered to be committed.
PETITIONS.
The Lord Mayor of Dublin appeared at the bar, and
delivered in a petition from the Corporation of Dublin,
in favour of an improved postal and steam communica-
tion between England and Ireland.
Mr. JOHN O'CONNELL presented a number of
petitions from various parts of Ireland against the no-
mination of the committee on conventual and monastic
institutions. One of these petitions, which was from
Dublin; was read by the Clerk at the table.
Mr. W. BROWN presented a petition from the Man-
chester Chamber of Commerce, in favour of a decimal
system of coinage ; also a petition from the Roman Ca-
tholics of Liverpool against the nomination of the nun-
neries committee. This latter petition was read by the
Clerk at the table.
Mr. SCHOLEFIELD presented a petition from the
Roman Catholics of Birmingham against the nunneries
committee.
Sir J. Y. BULLER presented a petition from Tor-
quay in favour of the establishment of reformatory
schools.
Sir W. VERNER presented three petitions from
places in Ireland against monastic institutions.
Mr. SPOONER presented petitions from Wedgbury
and other places in Staffordshire against any alteration
in the Oath Bill.
Mr. FAGAN presented a petition from Cork against
the Ministers' Money Bill, and a similar petition from
Limerick. Also a petition from the Roman Catholics
of Cork against the nomination of the nunneries com-
mittee.
Mr. L. HEYWORTH presented a petition from the
medical botanists of Derby against the Medical Regis-
tration Bill.
Alderman KERSHAW presented a petition from
Stockport against the Poor Removal Bill.
Mr. LUCAS presented a petition from the town of
Bells, in the county of Meath, against the nomination
of the nunneries committee.
Mr. MAGAN presented a similar petition from the
corporation of Drogheda.
Mr. CRAUFURD presented petitions from various
medical bodies, against the Medical Registration Bill.
Sir W. SMYTH presented a petition from the firm of
Sturgeon and Sons, of Grays, Essex, on the subject of
the recent hay fraud on the Artillery, and moved that
the petition be read by the clerk at the table. The clerk
proceeded to read the petition accordingly, but it ap-
pearing that the phraseology of the petition was against
the rules of the house, it was withdrawn.
Mr. BRIGHT presented petitions from Chatham and
eleven other places, in favour of the Affirmation Bill.
MEDICAL PRACTITIONERS BILL.
Mr. CRAUFURD gave notice that on the motion
for going into committee on this bill, he should move as
an amendment that the bill be committed on that day
six months.

SCOTCH EDUCATION BILL.
In reply to a question,
The LORD ADVOCATE stated that it was intended
to proceed with the second reading of this bill on Thurs-
day next.
An HON. MEMBER gave notice that he should move
that the second reading be postponed until the Ist of
May.