The Sun.
London, England, 1849-05-09 00:00:00

garian President, have obtained his noblest reward,

the- consciousness of having worked out the salvation
of his country.

THE FREINCH REPUBLIC

DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH
MINISTRY.

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.
A most important discussion and division took
place in the National Assembly on Monday evening,
on the subject of the Roman expedition, and of the
false pretences under which the Ministers had ob-
tained the consent of the Assembly to the sailing of
that expedition for Italy, which ended in a signal de-
feat of the Reactionary Ministers, who, in this
affair of Rome are, under pretence;of protecting the
interests of France, sacrificing those interests to
Austria.
In the course of the afternoon sitting of the Na-
tional Assembly on Monday,
M. J. Fevre expressed his surprise that the Govern-
ment had not come forward and stated what it knew of
the affairs of the French troops in Italy. That not
having been done, he had considered it his duty to bring
forward the matter himself. He had, however, pre-
viously spoken to the Minister of Foreign Affairs on
the subject, and had learned from him that the intelli-
gence which the Government had received was not suffi-
ciently precise to allow him to come forward and speak
to the Assembly on the subject. But the question ap-
peared to him (M. J. Fevre) too important to admit of
delay; he, therefore, now had to address the Assembly
on the point. The Honourable Gentleman then referred
to the circumstances connected with the passing of the
Bill of April 17, authorising the expedition to Civita
Vecchia, and referred to the declaration of the Minister
of Foreign Affairs and of the President of the Council,
that that expedition proceeded to Italy for the purpose
of securing the liberty of Italy, and that its great object
was to prevent Austria from interfering alcne in the
affairs of the Pupe. The Hon. Gentleman then gave a
sketch of the proceedings attendant on the landing of
the French troops at Civita Vecchia, and argued that
the conduct'of the General-in-Chief was anything but that
of the leader of a friendly force. The Prefect of Civita
Vecchia had been suspended, and in a proclamation
which was issued the next day it was stated that had
not the French troops been amicably received
an entrance would have been made good by force.—
(Marks of dissent from various parts of the Cham-
ber.) The Honourable Gentleman then alluded
to the resistance manifested at Rome, and declared
that the responsibility of the blood of the unfortunate
soldiers of France who had fallen, must fall on the Minis-
ters who had directed the French troops to march to
Rome.—(Tremendous cheering on the Left here burst
forth.) The Minister of Foreign Affairs, when interro-
gated two days back by the Committee of Foreign
Affairs, had declared that the French troops had been
called on to advance to Rome by the population. Far
from that, however, it appeared now beyond any
doubt that the French corps, far from being
received with a friendly feeling, had found
barricades drawn up in their way, and had been
obliged to retreat, and remain at some distance from
the point at which they had at first arrived. Yet,
notwithstanding, this sad catastrophe, the Government,
the evening before in the Patrie, which was the organ of
its communications—(Laughter)—and in the Moniteur
of that morning, had spoken of the matter as to a certain
extent unimportant. He, however, thought it exceed-
ingly grave, as here was a body of French troops looked
on in Italy as intruders, as foreigners—for certainly
the French were so to the Italians—nay, as robbers who
entered the country without leave, and contrary to the
wish of the people. The Honourable Gentleman then
proceeded to read from the Moniteur passages from the
speeches of M. Drouyn de Lhuys and M. 0. Barrot,
with a view to show that the present conduct of the
French troops in Italy was altogether at variance
with the language then used. If the Ministry had
then entertained any concealed, though he for his
part, must denounce such conduct as shameful, and
highly disrespectful to the Assembly.— (Hear, hear.)
At all events this was certain, that the position of the
expeditionary corps was most critical, and whether it
had arisen from neglect or treason was to him altogether
indifferent.—(Cheers on the Left.) The character of
the French army had been debastd, and its colours
sullied by the check thus given to the corps under
General Oudinot. New reinforcements were, it ap-
peared, to be sent out; but he should certainly refuse, in
the most positive manner, to extend his confidence to the
Ministry in any such act as that now contemplated.—
(Hear, hear.) He trusted that the Assembly would
insist on having a Committee appointed séance tenante to
examine the instructions sent to the General-in-Chief
of the French troops at Rome, and to send in a report
at once.—(Loud cheers en the Left.) Ile repeated it,
the position of the French troops was most cri-
tical. He had before him a private letter, and an article
which would be published next day in a public journal,
declaring that five assaults had been given by the
French troops at the barricades though without success;
that 150 men had been killed, and 600 wounded.—
(Movement.) Such was the bulletin of the last act as
the expeditionary column to Borne. If the Assembly,
under such circumstances, did not protest, by a solemn
vote, against the conduct of the Government, the influ-
ence of France would be lost in Europe, and the expe-
ditions of the Monarchy to support the cause of liberty
would be found infinitely more worthy of praise than
those of the Republic. The Hon. Gentleman then al-
luded to the fact of France having formerly sent troops
to America to free that country from, he said, English
tyranny, and concluded by calling on the Ministry to
come forward and declare what course it now intended
to pursue, under the sad circumstances which he had
spoken of.—(Loud cheers on the Left.)
After a short. discussien M.: Odiloa Barrot agreed
to the appointment of a committee to examine the in-
structions given by the Government to General Oudinot,
commander of the expeditionary force to Rome.
The following were the Members elected.—MM.
Freston, Gravy, Gouin, General Lamoriciare, Dupont de
Baisac Languivais, Roger du Loiret, Subervie, Che-
voix, Coquerel, Dubodan, Scholoner, Goudchaux, A.
Rosseau, and Senard.
At nine o'clock the sitting was resumed, but it was
half-past ten before the members of the Committee
entered the Chamber. Even then M. Marrast said
that some time must still elapse before the report could
be ready. A little before eleven M. Senard, the reporter,
ascended the tribune, and announced the examination
by the Committee of the instructions given to the chief
of the expeditionary column. It stated that as the idea
of the Assembly had been that the expedition sent to
Civita Vecchia ought to remain there unless Austria
moved on Rome, or a counter-revolution in that city
rendered an advance necessary, the Committee consi-
dered that more had been done than had been intended,
and it, therefore, proposed the following resolution:—
" The National Assembly invites the Government to
take without delay such measures as may be necessary,
in order that the Italian expedition may be no longer
diverted from the object for which it was intended."—
(Prolonged sensation.)
A Voice from the Left—But that does not signify
much.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs—The report which
has just been read points out a discrepancy between the
instructions sent to the commandant of the expedition
and those pointed out by the Assembly, and the object
announced by the Government. In order that the As-
sembly may be able to judge of this discrepancy, I will
read the instructions given to General Oudinot.—
(Cries of " Hear, hear.") They are as follow :
" General, I have already made known to you that
caly
led lae
he nda
vooenr d
never
or of h
e vienrt etrfee
recognised.rFe rwe tihdsetnh teNltoof the
owm:Repubgovernment,li ii c you a
sis you
whichhi crhe
has become inevitable, the duty of tyre government is to
take the measures necessary to maintain the influence
of France in the Italian peninsula, and to establish an
order of things on bases conformably to the interests of
the people. Although you have not to interfere in de-
finitive negotiations, you will have to receive from the

established authorities all the propositions, and to accom-
plish with them all the arrangements which circum-
stances may demand, taking care in the forms observed
not to do anything that may appear like a recognition of
the principle established at Rome."
A Voice on the Left—That is shameful. It is treason.
—(Violent tumult.)
Minister of Foreign Affairs—l do not understand
that i.iterruption. Has it not been many times repeated
from this tribune that we do not recognise the Govern-
ment at Rome. " You will find annexed," continues the

instructions, " a copy for your correspondence with the
authorities. We have reason to expect that you will be
well received, by some as a liberator, by others a medi-
ator, useful against the dangers of reaction—"
11 Voice on the Left—He was received with musket
shots.
The President of the Council—When an explanation
is demanded from the Ministry, they should be listened

.0 without interruption.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs continued to read
the instructions, in which the general was recommended
:o confine himself to the wishes of the great majority of

the people.
A Voice on the Left—That wish has been clearly
manifested
ine Minister of Foreign Affairs—Does the Assembly
wish to hear me read the instructions? If not, I will
leave the tribune.—(Cries of " Go on, go on.")
M. Breves—lt is a disgrace for France—we cannot
contain our indignation.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs—The instructions
add, "Your march on Rime will doubtless facilitate the
denouement by inspiring the honest part of the people with
courage."—(Viol.nt burst of murmurs.)
On the Left—Whom do you mean by honest people?
The reactionists, the Jesuits, and the priesthood?
The Minister of Foreign Affairs continued—" Such
are the instructions I now give you—your judgment will
supply the rest." You, therefore, see, that the object
of the instructions was to I rev, nt internal reaction and
the interference of any foreign influence except that of
France.

On the Left—A bad pretext.
The Mihister of Foreign Affairs—What do you mean
by a pretext? Are you then ignorant that reaction was
preparing iu the interior, and that Naples and Austria
were b,,th marching troops towards the Roman Stat-s?
We wished to Arrest the excesses which might take

piacr.
Dupont (de Bussac)—The Neapolitan and Aus-
trian interveDtion had not commenced when the French

expedition sailed.
The Minister of Foreign Affairs—l beg the Hon.
Gentleman to choose one of two systems, either to speak
his r
of Republic.
from the tribune or to open a dialogue. lam prepared
to mf et him on either ground. We had no sympathy
forthee RomanAiiete
On the Left—No; nor any other.
T
n Afr i --ti_rzr-It was not our
business to defend it.