The Sun.
London, England, 1849-12-04 00:00:00

crease, so long as it is kept within reasonable limits,
but because it is adopted merely as a temporary
experiment, and not permanently on a well• defined
principle.
Our Contemporary acknowledges that, " under the
pressure and terror of the times, very large sums
have been withdrawn from the circulation
by hoards." This is a danger to which
a purely metallic or mixed currency is
peculiarly liable. The most ancient lawgivers saw
that it was one peculiarly to be guarded against.
LTCURGUS prohibited the use of gold and silver as
money, and substituted iron and leather, as having no
intrinsic value compared with the amount it was in-
tended to represent, a course that was especially
commended by PLUTARCH, and which was adopted
by PLATO in his scheme for a Model Republic, where
the money was to have a value among the members
of the state, but no value to the rest of the world.
We have seen the mode by which alone it could be
counteracted in former times, and although many
centuries have since elapsed the tendencies of man•
kind are but little changed : each will endeavour to
benefit himself at the expense of the community in
general, unless some means be adopted to render such
a course impossible. Unfortunately, however, we
have not a LTCUEGUS or a PLATO at the Exchequer,
and Sir CHARLES Woon will still indulge his own
vagaries at the expense of the suffering and discon-
tented multitude.

We would fain direct the attention of all those
who have at heart the progress and improvement of
the people to the very interesting proceedings which
took place at the celebration of the anniversary festival
of the Lancaster Mechanics' Institution, a report of
which, abridged from the Lancaster Guardian of
Saturday last, appears in another column. Moro
particularly would we commend to the attentive
study of all engaged in the great educational move-
ment that most eloquent, yet most logical, speech
with which the Rev. JAMES ASPINALL, the rector of
Althorpe, favoured the meeting on that occasion.
Never have " the universities of the people," as he
most happily denominates mechanics' institutions,
had a more eloquent, a more persuasive, or
a more convincing advocate than the Rev.
JAMES ASPINALL, who has shown himself the
worthy successor of BIRYBECIC. It— is - grati
fying to those who have from the beginning "fought
the good fight" in the cause of popular editcation to
see, at such meetings as this in Lancaster, the great
ones of the land expressing an anxiety to be known
as the active friends and supporters ;of this righteous
cause--it is an additional proof of the immense pro-
gress that has been made within the course of the last
twenty years; much, however, yet remains to be
dune, and the friends of progress must not bate one
jot or tittle in their exertions. To quote the words
of the Rev. Jamas IsrlsraLL, their cry must still be
" Forward !"

T.HE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

The Paris journals of yesterday have been received.
The Sieele contains the following announcement :
"A Cabinet Council was held on the 20th November,
a►t-the Ely she, to consider the Roman question. This
same day England had remitted a note, by which she
pronounces for the right of the Roman people to
choose and regulate the form of their government."
The Siiele then goes on to state that the British
Cabinet had decided to support the PRESIDUNT in
carrying out his policy with regard to Roman affairs,
as explained in his letter to M. EDGAR NET, provided
the PRESIDENT, on his part, will act with England in
the affair of Turkey and the Hungarian refugees.
The Democratic Pocifique, in speaking of the recent
escapade of Mr. Consul DILLON at the Sandwich
Islands, says—
" The French squadron has just taken, without re-
sistance, the fort of Honolulu, in the Sandwich
Islands. The principal object of this expedition was
to uphold in their disobedience .GI the authorities of
the local Government the Catholic missionaries, the
Able MaucuaL, the Abbe CAUDEL, &c., which
renders this expedition against a people who are
incapable of offering us any resistance a parody of the
Roman expedition."
The Patric announces that the President of the
Assembly will on the 9th give a grand dinner to 100
guests, at which the PRESIDENT of the Republic will
be present, and that on the 10th, the anniversary of the
election of the PRESIDENT of the Republic, there will
be a grand banquet at the Hotel de Ville, at which the
P lIIZISIDENT of the 'Republic will be also present, when
covers will be laid for 240 guests, which will be fol-
lowed by a ball in the evening, fur which 6,000 invi-
tations have been issued.

The Opinion Pub/lime, a Legitimatist journal, says
—"Out of the 46 persons arrested in the Rue Buinfort,
27 have been already set at liberty."
The Reforme of Sunday was seized on account of
the publication of an address to the inhabitants of the
rural districts.

M. Llnau Roomf has published a pamphlet entitled
"Le 13 Juin ;" it is a defence of the conduct of him-
self and his colleagues on that day, and concludes with
advice to the electors as to the candidates for whom
they should vote at the approaching election.
The Committee on the Transportation Bill has
determined to recommend the Assembly to confine
transportation to the Marquesas only, on- account of
the unhealthiness of Mayotte.
A letter from Havre of the lit inst. announces the
arrival there of the Pheenix steamer from Belleisle,
having on board 98 of the insurgents of June, 1848,
-and the Morlaisien, from Brest, with 85 of the same
category. The Archimede was expected from Belleisle
with 346, all of whom have been pardoned.
A number of Sergens de Ville left on Saturday
night for llavre, to escort to Paris 750 of the insurgents
pardoned, who arrived in Paris yesterday by the
Rouen and Havre R,4ilway. -
PARIS BOURSE, DEC. 3.—Latest Prices.—Fire per
Cents., 90f. 20c.; Three per Cents., 57f. 35g.; Bank of
France, 2,405 f.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, DEC. 3
•

Boulogne and Amiens, 6—Great Indian Peninsula, 3/,
Luxembourg, 2—Orleans and Bordeaux, 8 —Rout.n and
Havre, 9'4—Sambre and Meuse, 2 k—Tours and Nantes, 4.

PORTUGAL.

Accounts have been received from Lisbon of the
29th ult. A Ministerial' crisis was at hand ; an in-
trigue in the Cabinet had been discovered against the
Count DE TIioMAE, and it was doubtful whether he
would not have to resign. Should he not do so,
Avu.s, the Finance Minister, would quit the Cabinet.
The Count DE TROMAR was accused of having been
bribed, by the present of a carriage, to confer the
Order of Christ on Senor FIGUEREDO.

GERMANY
AND

THE NORTHERN STATES.

PRUSSIA.

The Pruatian Staats Anzeiger of the 313 t ult
publishea the new electoral law for the nomination of
Members to the Second Chamber in the Federa
Parliament. The following are its principal enact.
ments

" Every independent, unblemished (unbescheltene)
German, who has attained his twenty-fifth year, is en
elector. As independent, must be regarded every one
entitled to vote for the parochial elections of the place
where he resides, and who pays any kind of direct tax
to Government.—[This includes nearly the whole popu-
lation, all of whom (almost) pay the class or head tax.]
As disqualified, are minors, bankrupts, and persons
under process, until they have satisfied their creditors,
and those receiving, or who have received, public relief
as paupers within the preceding twelve months. As
blemished, whose enjoyment of civil rights has been
suspended by judicial sentence; persons convicted of
bribery at elections shall forfeit their right of voting
for from four to twelve years. All unblemished
Germans who have obtained their thirtieth year, and
have resided at least three years in any German state,
are eligible to be elected members. Public functionaries
do not require leave to sit, but they must pay the costs
of their substitutes in office. Xlectorial circles of
100,000 souls shall be formed in all :individual states
(each circle entitled to nominate one deputy). Should
it occur in any individual state that there should be an
eeasEtthasto,oi9ooto ssoayul,s,asthine
latter excess
willßrunswick, whose population is about 269,000 souls,
abiouvrem la 0
n 0,
electoraloo) of
the surplus 69,000 will entitle it to three instead of two
deputiesj. Should the surplus not amount to 50,000
caitrcll
souls, this surplus will be aAled to the surplus
of some neighbouring state, and the two will form an
electoral circle. Small states having a population of at
least 50,000 sculs will be *waled to elect a deputy.
[This is speci.slly applicable to Lubeck, whose popula-
tion is, however, somewhat below 50,000.] States
(such as Schaumburg, Lippe-Reuss, elder branch, the
two Hohei zollerne, Anhalt Cocthen, &c.) will unite to-
gether to form an electoral circle.
" The number of depteies to be elected by Prussia
will be 158."

The official Gazette of the Ist instaLt, according
to a telegraphic dispatch in the Cologne Gazette,
from Berlin, cor.tains an announcement of the ratifi-
cat.on of the adhesion of the principally of Waldeck
to the Berlin treaty of the 26th May, having reached
the " Verwaltungs-Rath." The whole number of
states who have joined this alliance is now 27 • their
territories amount to 7,480 square miles (German,
equal. to four and four-fifths English miles), with
25,250,000 inhabitants.