The Sun.
London, England, 1836-07-28 00:00:00

NEWCASTLE ON TYNE.

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.
Newcastle, July 26, 1836.
_

The vacancy in the representation of Newcastle, cc-
casioned by the death of Sir Matthew Ridley, is to be
filled by a Conservative ! The election has just fi-
nished. At the close of the poll the numbers were
as follow :

Mr. Hodgson 1 576
Mr. Blackett 1,528
Majority for Mr. Hodgson
Mr. Hodgson, of Elswick House,
been returned, was a Member 7:Ido has now
tr Newcastle in 1834,
but at the contested e
I_P,.ction in January 1835, he
was defeated by
•Ord. Mr. Christopher Blackett
of Oakwood near Wvlatn, Northumberland,
the ottP:r candidate, is a Whig, and would, if re=
twilled, have supported Lord Melbourne's admittistra.
tion. The election of Mr. Hodgson, who woultk
vote both against the Irish Church Bill and the Irish
Corporation Reform Bill, is therefore a defeat for the
Liberals. But let not the Tories triumph lob exult-
ingly. Mr. Hodgson is a much honester politician
than his predecessor, Sir Matthew Ridley. He voted
in favour of an inquiry into the Civil List against the
Duke of Wellington's Ministry, and more recently he
voted in favour of Triennial Parliaments, which Sir
Matthew Ridley never would do. Mr. Hodgson's
success may be attributed to three causes ; Ist, the
support be received from the old, and I fear I must
admit, corrupt burgesses ; 2nd, the partial support he
received from Liberals ; and, idly, from some of the
Radicals keeping aloof, not voting at all, because
Mr. Blackett was not a sufficiently searching Re-
former for them,

STATE OF FRANCE.

'The material prosperity of France is evident. Three
years of abundant harvest have been especially favourable
to the working classes. The extension of foreign com-
merce is the natural consequence of this interior well-being.
The years 1833, 1834, and 1835, taken together, pre-
sent a greater amount of exportations and importations,
than any period of the same duration anterior to the revo-
lution of July.
The Government, in its turn, experiences the happy
effect of these ameliorations. The taxes, of which the
rate has been unchanged, have become every year more
and more productive. Every restriction on the corn
trade has been abolished since 1831, and the duties upon
foreign corn have been. considerably reduced. The taxes
upon the various species of liquors have been reduced upon
an average about 39 per cent., and those taxes which pressed
most heavily upon the small consumer, have been totally
taken off.
The royal lotteries and the gaming-houses have been
suppressed.
It is very remarkable that at Paris precisely the same
sum which was formerly prodigally wasted in the lotteries,
appears as an increase upon the amount received by the
Savings' Banks.
Before the revolution of July, the people had not twelve
millions of francs in the Savings' Banks. Whereas they
have now more than a hundred millions—a fresh proof of
their progress both in good sense and material prosperity.
Since 1830 more than a thousand leagues of road have
been either greatly improved, or altogether formed. La
Vendee, by a complete system of military and commercial
roads, has had its wealth doubled, and is now tranquil and
happy. The departmental roads have been made or
amended to an extent equal to that of the routes royales.
The canals commenced in 1830 offered no great extent of
surface, now nearly the whole canals, comprehended in a
vast system, have been terminated. Vessels from the Rhine
now pass into the Saone, and can descend either the Rhone
or the Loire, or direct their course towards the Seine.
Vessels from the Scheldt can. also proceed to Paris. The
construction of bridges over all rivers has so rapidly in-
creased, that France can count more bridges erected over
the navigable rivers in the six years since 1830, than were
built in the six preceding centuries !
So much for its material prosperity.
Before the Revolution of July the instruction of the
people was shamefully neglected. In some of the .depart-
ments the number of children educated in the primary
schools did not amount to the two-hundredth part of the
population. Now the public treasure, the conseils gene-
roux, and the communes, concur to favour public instruc-
tion—the total sum of their sacrifices amounts annually to
ten millions of francs, while under the Restoration the Go-
vernment only gave the miserable sum of 100,000 francs
to be divided between 25,000 schools. The best results
have already rewarded these efforts. Before 1839 there
were in the primary schools only 1,200,000 pupils, they
now count 1,800,000. The method of instruction has also
been improved by the means of normal schools, intended for
the training of ushers and schoolmasters, who can be re-
commended for their knowledge and morality.
France is happy within and respectable and respected
without. Never since 1814 has the army been stronger or
better disciplined and instructed. The good spirit which
animates it, renders it precious in the maintenance of order,
and favourable to the liberal spirit of those institutions
which open the door to merit, valour, and faithful service—
a benefit due to the law upon promotion promulgated in
1832. The condition of the veteran soldier has been much
ameliorated by the law of 1831, which fixed at a higher
rate the pensions granted to veterans, invalids, and their
widows and orphans.
As regards foreign enemies, France has 300,000 troops
perfectly organised ; a million of national guards, who
brought themselves to a state of high order and discipline
in 1830 and 1831, at the bare suspicion of foreign aggres-
sion ; and an immense materiel of artillery. The fortresses
have been repaired, and Lyons, by an able system of forti-
fication, has become the bulwark of the South-east of
France. These are all guarantees for the preservation of
peace on the Continent.
The navies of France and England are on a friendly
footing, and rivalled each other in glory and valour at Na-
varino. They would pursue the same rivalry against the
despots who might endeavour to destroy the balance of
power in Europe.
The National Guard, the most patriotic of our French
institutions, sympathises with Louis Philippe, by a com-
munity of ideas, of sentiments, of interests, and, we may
almost say, of habits. Louis Philippe is in the eyes of the
National Guard the father of a family, who, upon the throne,
sets the example of the domestic virtues so dear to the
bourgeoisee—he is a real Parisian, who understands and
who interests himself in all the manufactures of the capital,
and who descends into the midst of the citizens, intrepid in
the day of danger.
The family of Louis Philippe is national, by its ideas
its interests, its valour, and its education. The young
princes have all been formed in the colleges of Paris, with-
out being distinguished in the least from the children of
the citizens sent there ; the younger princes still attend
the public schools, and strive for the prizes publicly with
the children of the poorest citizens—prizes which they
do not always gain ; a fact which proves the impartiality
exercised, and which ought to please and does please the
Parisians.

In the midst of the fury of certain parties, one woman is
admired, and that is the queen. Since the mother of St.
Louis, no woman in France has been more revered. Not
mixing herself up with public affairs, she is above all things
a wife and a mother, with the zeal, the activity, and the
simplicity of the most modest bourgeoise. Although an
Italian, she makes piety consist in acts and not in ceremo-
nies ; and although zealous, seems to be ignorant of intoler-
ance even by name. This virtue, always serene and pure, is
manifested by the affability of her demeanour, where royal
dignity is effaced by a benevolence which springs from the
heart. The English men and English women, who have
been received at the Court of France since 1830, have all
experienced this.

When we reflect upon such facts, we are assured that
the preservation of the actual Government does not repose
solely upon the life of Louis Philippe, whatever may be the
genius, the activity, the courage, the sang froid, and the ex-
perience, which he has displayed since 1830.
His eldest son, cherished by the army, whose dangers and
successes he has twice shared, would succeed him, conform-
ably to the fundamental law, and by the consent of the im.
moose majority of French citizens.—Morning Paper.

It seems that the Horticultural Society sold and
issued no less than 17,600 tickets of admission to their three
late exhibitions.

A magnificent organ, upon a new principle, is now
building for the Emperor of Russia.
ST. PETERSBURG, July 12.—8 y an Ukase of the
Senate, confirmed by the Emperor, foreign ships proceeding
from one part of the Russian provinces on the Baltic to another
port of the same province to complete or take i❑ their cargoes,
shall be free from the double navigation duty imposed for the
benefit of the Treasury and the Custom-house officers, and
shall pay duty only in the first port which they enter, like ships
with a cargo.

THE fIAGUE, JULY 24.—His Royal Highness the
Prince Field Marshal left this town the day before yesterday
for the bead-quarters of Tilburg. Her Royal Highness the
Princess of Orange, with her children, returned the same day
to Soelsdyk. His Royal Highness Prince Albert of Prussia
and suite have arrived at Amsterdam by the steam-boat from
Hamburg. His Royal Highness Prince George of Cambridge
is expected here. _

The number of travellers that passed through Calais
last week again increased. On Saturday it amounted to
1,112; and the London packet, which usually brings between
100 and 150, had not come in. A great, number of horses
and carriages were also landed.