The Sun.
London, England, 1836-11-11 00:00:00

SWITZERLAND.

REPLY OF THE FEDERAL DIRECTORY TO THE FRENCH
NOTE OF SEPT. 27, Al FINALLY VOTED IN THE SIT-

TING OF THE 6TH.

The Avoyer and State Council of the Canton of Berne,
forming the Federal Directory, having transmitted to the
Extraordinary Diet the note received from the French En-
voy, are charged to reply :
France and Switzerland, united for centuries, see this
harmony compromised by a mistake. Both States ought
to desire to see these ancient relations restored. As the
difference proceeded from mistake, loyal explanations are
the means of terminating it, and re-establishing the con-
nection previously existing between the countries. In the
note of September the 27th, the French Government
complained of the course adopted relative to Conseil. Be-
fore the Diet could make any communication upon the
subject, the relations between the two countries were inter-
rupted by order of the French Government. Switzerland sees
with greater pain this misunderstanding, as it never was her
intention to disturb the amicable relations between Switzer-
land and France. The Duke of Montebello had drawn the at-
tention of the Federal Directory to Conseil by the com-
munication of the 19th July. The Directory transmitted
to the Diet the document relative to the individual arrested.
The Diet, perceiving a connection between the object of.
the communication of the 19th of July and the docu-
ments in its possession, resolved to send them to the
French Government, but without the intention of offend-
ing either Government or Ambassador. It never intended
to add thereto the Report of the Commissioners, which,
expressing but the opinions of the commissioners, re-
garded merely the relations of them with the Diet, and
which, moreover, contained the opinion of the mi-
nority, as well as that of the majority. An incident
of this nature ought not long to trouble the harmony
existing between two nations ; and after the explana-
tions just given respecting a vote which was interpreted
by France in a way contrary to the true intentions of
Switzerland, the Diet declares that it will not follow
up the matter. The note of M. de Montebello, of the
27th September, contains grave errors respecting the in-
ternal situation of the Swiss Confederation. The Diet
might repel these allegations by facts, and would not want
proofs in the Social constitution of the cantons, as well as
in their material and moral state ; but it cannot enter
into such discussions, the Helvetic cantons not allowing
the right of any foreign notion to controul the march of
its Government, or to intervene directly or indirectly, in
the deliberations of the councils of the Confederation.
Switzerland owes it to herself to invoke in this respect the
principles of the rights of nations, and the treaties which
recognize her an independent State. At all events, the
Diet, after the explanations and assurances which it has
given, hopes that the relations of amity between France
and Switzerland, cemented by time, will be re-established
in the interest of both countries. It hopes that the bonds
of an ancient alliance, relaxed for a moment, will become
knit more strongly and closely, and that ephemeral dif-
ferences will have had the effect merely of making both
States feel the reciprocal advantage of a union which ought
never to have been disturbed.

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The Director of the Museum at Kertch, a town in
the Crimea, on the Black Sea, lately discovered an ancient
tomb of oblong shape, formed of very large hewn stones
without any cement, containing a species of coffin in cyprus
wood, enclosing a bronze urn, with the cover firmly soldered
on, in which were the remains of burnt bones. Near the
urn were two broken vases of alabaster, which, probably,
contained odoriferous essences, as used by the Greeks at
their funerals. The shape of the urn, which has three
handles, and is in very fine preservation, makes it of high
interest and value. It is not perhaps possible to fix its
precise date, but there is every reason to believe, from the
form and construction of the tomb, that it goes as far back
as the first colonisation of this country by the Greeks. that
is, 150 years before Christ.