The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-22 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, MARCH 22, 1849

MINTO to the Sicilians in the month of (larch, 1848.
By the decree of the 6th March King FERDINAND
had adopted word for word the declaration of the Ge-
neral Sicilian Committee of the 26ti February,
1848, by which;tha Parliament, which we to adapt the
Constitution of 1812 to the requirement of the times,
and to provide for the wants of Sicily, was called to-
gether at Palermo. This Parliament vas composed
of the Chamber of Peers, consisting of hose temporal
peers whose names appeared in the roll:of the Parlia-
ment of 1812, and, in case of their decease, of their
successors in the title, provided such siccessors were
members of the same family ; and of the ecclesias-
tical peers according to the rolls cf Parliament.
Thus Sicily, according to her old Constitution, as
reformed in 1812, possesse I an herecitary peerage
composed of temporal peers, and an ecclesiastical
peerage, composed of bishops, precip.dy resembling
the House of Peers of Great Brtain. By the
new Constitution proposed by the meciating powers,
the hereditary peerage is abolished, and a sort of
colonial legislative council substituted for it. Thus
runs Article 45 of the proposed octroyee Constitution :
" The Peers shall be named by flu King and fur
life. The number shall be unlimittd."

Surely the supporters of the King of NAPLES, the
British House of Peers, are not aware of the cool
manner in which he proposes to destroy an hereditary
peerage of 700 years' standing, and substitute for it a
council of nominees of the Crown.

By the decree of 6th March, all persons possessing
a freehold of 18 ounces (9/. a year), and all mem-
bers of learned societies, mechanics, merchants,land
shopkeepers, were entitled to vote in elections for
members of the House of Commons, and any voter
was qualified to be elected. By the new Constitution—

" Article 53. The representatives of a district in the
Chamber of Deputies shall be elected by all those who
possess in that district a net rent, for life, of eighteen
ounces by the year, whether it proceed from freehold or
usufruct, or from any rent or mortgage, as well as any
other kind of property. The representatives of the city
of Palermo shall be elected by all those who possess in
the city of its territory a net rent, for life, of at least
fifty ounces by the year, whether it arise from freehold or
usufruct, or from any other rent or mortgage, or any
other sort of property.
" The representative of ever other city or Parliamen-
tary territory shall be elected by all those who possess in
that city or territory a rent for life of at least eleven
ounces annually, whether it arises from freehold or usu-
fruct, or any rent or mortgage, or any other kind of
property.
So that not only is the freehold property qualification
for a vote doubled, but the whole of the commercial and
manufacturing population is absolutely disfranchised;
while as regards the qualification for a member the
new Constitution enacts—

" 55. Those alone can represent a district who have in
Sicily a net revenue for life, either from freehold or usu-
fruct from rent or mortgage, or from any other kind of
property, amounting to 300 ounces by the year.
"Those alone can represent Palermo who are:in posses-
sion in Sicily of a revenue of the above-mentioned kind,
of 500 ounces by the year.
" Those alone can represent a city or Parliamentary
territory who Risscss a revenue of the above nature of
150 ounces by the year."
The Constitution of 1812 (and the decree of the
6th March is founded on it) guarantees the liberty of
the press—that is to say, entire freedom of publi-
cation. The new Constitution says—

" 4. The Sicilians have the right of printing and pub-
lishing their opinions, conforming to the dispositions which
exist for the repression of abuses of this liberty. The
Icing reserves to himself the plenitude of his power to
publish the aforesaid dispositions in a special law."
By the Constitution of 1812 the KING could not
maintain an army in Sicily without the consent of the
Parliament ; by the new Constitution he is to main-
tain in Sicily an army of Neapolitans, which are to be
paid out of moneys levied on the Sicilians, without the
consent of Parliament. By the Constitution of 1812
the Parliament fixed the amount of the budget ; by
the new Constitution—

" 30. The budget shall be entirely separated, and the
public expense of the Two Sicilies shall he apportioned be •
tween the two parts of the Kingdom in the numerical pro-
portions of their population, and shall be fixed a 4 the sum
of three millions of ducats annually (3,000,000 ducats),"
The Constitution of 1812 granted to the Sicilians
the law of habeas corpus and trial by jury ;
neither of these are mentioned in', the new Constitu-
tion. By the Constitution of 1812 the kingdom of
Sicily is declared independent of that of Naples, the
th article of the new Constitution speaks of Sicily
continuing to make an integral part of the united
kingdom of the Two Sicilies, &c., and yet this new
Constitution is represented by the reactionary party
as differing In no essential uegi.o awn tne terms
orrerea in March last by Lord Ainuo, or from the
Constitution of 1812." The offer of a Constitution
which contains no guarantee either for the liberty of
the subject or for the liberty of the press, and which
deprives the House of Commons of all control over
the supplies, might on the stage pass as an excel-
lent joke: as the case stands, it is a bit-
ter and an insulting mockery. Should Sicily,
in consequence of her rejection of this mockery be
again exposed to the horrors of war, after having
for more than twelve months set an example of wis-
dom and moderation to the rest of Italy, it will not be
the Sicilian nation which will be responsible, the re-
sponsibility will rest upon those who have not only
abandoned but insulted her, more especially upon
England, who, by the mouth of Sir W. A'CouaT, in
1814, declared herself TIIE PROTECTRESS AND TUB
DEFENDER. OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL INSTITUTIONS OF
SICILY."

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.
In the sitting of the National Assembly on Tues-
day the principle of the Bill for the suppression of
Clubs was adopted by a majority of 378 to 359.
In the sitting of yesterday the discussion on the
various clauses commenced. m
~REMIEUX an-
nounced, on the part of himself and of the majority of
the Committee to whom the Bill had been referred,
that regarding the prohibition of the clubs as a viola-
tion of the Constitution, they should abstain from all
further participation in the debate. This announce-
ment produced the greatest excitement, which was in-
creased when, on the second paragraph being put, 300
against it. The As-
Members rose in a body, and withdrew to an adjoin-
ing chamber. The result of the first division was 420
fsoermbltyhe
ncloatusebin
clause, and
in sufficient number, the
20
voting recommenced by the appel nominal,
whereupon some of the seceders, who had during the
first ballot consulted together as to the line of con
duct to be adopted, returned to the Assembly and
voted against tke clause. The result was that there
tvhoeireis a majority of 404
appeared for the clause 464, against it 150. The
clause was consequently adopted. The Bill itself was
305. The law as adopted absolutely
interdicts clubs, but contains a proviso that "public
adoptedagainst in its entirety by
political meetings, assembling for a determined object,
and without being permanently established, should
not be looked on as clubs."
The Patrie contains the following semi-official
announcement :
" There is nothing in our correspondence to confirm
the report spread at the Bourse today of a prolongation
of the armistice between the Piedmontese and the Aus-
trians until April 15, but the report is confirmed that
Windischgrats is about to remove his head-quarters to
Trieste. His troops are already on their march. Our
correspondents assure us that the Sicilian Government
has almost unanimously rejected the proposals of the
King of Naples, and that hostilities were to be resumed
in a few days. It is certain that the Sicilians have an
understanding with King Charles Albert. We may,
therefore, expect in a few days accounts of serious
events."

The same paper says—
" On the 7th the Danish Government notified officially
to the Minister of the Republic at Copenhagen the
blockade by the Danish forces of all the ports and rivers
in the duchies of Schleswig and Holstein; but the islands
of Arroe, Alsen, and all other places remaining under
the immediate domination of Denmark aro excepted
from this measure. According to the terms of the noti-
fication, the blockade has no other object than the re-
establishment of the authority of Denmark at those
points where it has been denied, and it will be raised as
the Ro) al authority shall be re-established."
The following troops have received orders to hold
themselves in readiness to embark from Toulon for
Italy :—A brigade formed of the 20th and 311 d Regi-
ments of the Line, under the command of General
; a brigade formed of the 36th and 66th
Regiments of the Line under General LEVAILLANT.
A mounted battery of 'eight guns and a company of
Engineers are attached to each of the brigades. A
company of Engineers had arrived at Sisteron, and
a battery of Artillery stationed at Aix, was about to
march to Marseilles.
The order to depart was hourly expected.
It is said that General ARBONVILLE will take com-
mand of the expedition, which will consist of 12,000
men.

It is said that Russia, in reply to the representa-
tions of the French and English Governments on the
subjGct of the Russian occupation of the Danubian
provinces, has addresser] notes to those Governments,
stating that so long as Polish generals arc at the head
Iluag,rian troops, she shall eon3ider herself
rneaa, ced, and stand on her defence.
The French Government has, it is said, received

accounts of the failure of all the attempts made to in-
duce CHARLES ALBERT to postpone the resumption of
hostilities.

The, trials at Bourges were continued on Tuesday.
Among the witnesses examined on that day was M.
RECURT.

BO URS a-PARIS, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 21.

THREE O'CLOCK.----Tire Ministerial majority in the
Assembly yesterday, on the question of the clubs, caused
the Money Market to open firmly to-day; but towards
the close, it having become known that the Montagnards
had retired in a body from the Chamber to prevent a vote
the advance was checked, and prices closed rather under
the last quotations of yesterday. Exchange on London
(30 days), 25 221; ditto (90 days), 25 121.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, MARCH 21. _

•
Boulogne and Amiens, BA—Central of France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 1114 —Namur and Liege, 896—Northern of
France, 1054—Orleans and Bordeaux, 3 ,ii—Paris and Stras-
bourg, —Rouen and Havre,

to instructions which will be transmitted by the Royal
Government.
" Art. 3. Whoever fails to act as above mentioned
shall be considered as refractory, and punished accord-
ing to the laws in force in the provinces, sukjected to
the statute.
" Art. 4. No other excuse will be admitted but that
of physical defect. Those who ,F$ ish to avail themselves
of such excuse must make a declaration to that effect
within a fortnight, to the commissions which will be in-
stituted for that purpose.
Art. 5. The said commissions will adjudicate finally
on all such cases brought before them.
" Art. 6. The organization of these corps will be the
object of special instructions and rules to be ivsued by
the Minister of War and Marine.

" The Minister of the Interior is charged,
" EUGENE DE SAVOIE RATTAZZI.
" Turin, March 17."
The Senate of Turin has passed a deelee for the
mobilization of the National Guards.

In the meanwhile RADETZKY is concentrating his
troops preparatory to an advance upon Turin. His
head quarters are at Crema. Before hip departure
for Milan he seized all the public coffers containing
the sums belonging to the charitable institutions,
and removed them to Verona, as also the famous
Iron Crown of Lombardy.
Count Timm, Austrian military Governor of Pia-
cenza, has published a proclamation addressed to the
inhabitants of that town, dated the 13J), containing
the following prescriptions :-1, No groups are li
to be formed in the streets; 2, 11 songs of
political import are prohibited on pain of arrest
and court martial ; 3, All shops and coffee houses
are to be closed by nine o'clock, and everyone
is, by that time, to retire to his lodgings ; 4,
The gates of the town except two, are to remain
closed ; the two that are open during ti day shall be
closed at 7 P.M., and opened at 6 A.M. ; 5, None, ex-
cept peasants, who have brought provisions, are al-
lowed to leave the town without a passport ; 6, All
families are to be provided with provisions for at least
five days, on pain of being expelled from the town ;
7, No bells are to be rung ; 8, Lights to be placed at
the windows in the evening ; 9, Arms to be given up,
on pain of court martial ; 10, Any attack against the
military to be punished with death; 11, If a shot be
fired from a house, and the culprit be not immediately
given up, or the impossibility of doing it not evident,
the house shall be sacked, and, in case of resistance,
shall be set fire to, and the fathers of families living
in it tried by court-martial.
In the sitting of the 10th of the Constituent As-
sembly of Rome, Minister RUSCONI read some pas-
sages of the address of the Chamber of Deputies of
Turin, in answer to the Speech from the Throne,
relating to Rome and the war. He then moved a
vote of sympathy to the Chamber of Deputies of
Turin. This proposition was voted by acclamation.
The Epoca and other journals of Rome mention
numerous desertions in the ranks of the Neapolitan
forces stationed at the Roman frontier; parties of
from 15 to 20 soldiers, often headed by their officers,
go over to GARIBALDI with arms and baggage.
At Rome on the 10th instant, the BiAlops of Gun-
urn and of ORVIETO, and the Archbishop Cardinal DE
FERMO, were arrested. The Archbishop was taken
to the Castle of St. Angelo, and the two bishops to
the fortress of Ancona. Their offence is that of ex-
citing the people, through the press, to revolt, and
calumniating the Republic. Orders were also given,
on the 12th, to arrest the Cardinal DE ANGELIS, Arch-
bishop of Fermo. The Executive Committee have
sent General GALLETTI to Bologna to take the mea-
sures necessary for the present state of affairs.
At Ferrara great preparations are being made in
the fortress for the reception of the troops who are
expected to arrive there, and measures are being taken
to defend the frontiers.

The Giornale Costituzionak of Naples publishes a
note from the Grand Duke LEOPOLD to the members
of the diplomatic body accredited to Tuscany. This
document, which bears the date of Porto San Ste-
fano, 11 th February, had hitherto remained unpub-
lished. It merely confirms the assertion made in the
two former notes, that the reason of the Grand
Duke's flight was the necessity of defending his free
will in the affair of signing the law for the Consti-
tuent Assembly, and expresses a hope that the di-
plomatic body will not enter into official relations
with the Provisional Government of Florence, against
which the GRAND DUKE declares his intentionof pro-
testing immediately. •