The Sun.
London, England, 1849-01-31 00:00:00

THE SUN,

elg•iregiously misrepresented, and which, in spite of the
mi srepresentations of his antagonists, reflects more
hi bnour upon the Foreign Secretary than almost

That would not, however, have suited the
views of his aristocratic friends, and he aban-
doned his proposition, because it would not be
granted in the exact form that he desired, and he
asserted that the nation was opposed to direct taxa-
tion. He must now be convinced of the fallacy of
that opinion ; he must be aware that there is a
general desire for a change in the entire system, and
the substitution of direct, for indirect taxation. Let
him be warned in time, for if he should refuse to
make considerable concessions he cannot hope to
retain his present position.
_ . .

We may claim for ourselves the credit of being
among the earliest advocates of a great and compre-
hensive measure of financial reform. We pointed
out the " propriety and Justice of direct taxation on
property, in place of the present system, by which
the weight of the enormous national debt is made
to fall chiefly on those who should be
wholly exempted from its operation ;" and
we asserted "that the present system was not only
unjust in principle, but impolitic in practice—not
only inequitable, but inexpedient." On the Bth and
9th of June, 1847, and on several other days, we
published a series of articles, proving that the interest
of the National Debt., the 28,000,0001. sterling now
paid by the indirect taxation of the people, should in
equity be provided for by the imposition of a pro-
perty (not an income) tax; and we demon-
strated that a large proportion of the remaining
charges would also be fairly chargeable upon the
property, and not the industry of the country, as it is
for the protection of that property and its more
secure enjoyment that they are incurred. We also
pointed out that the Excise and Customs' duties cost
the consumers (upon whom the burden of any tax or
impost must ultimately fall) fully 50 per cent. more
than found its way into the national Exchequer—in
other words, that there was an unnecessary increase
of the national burdens by more than 15,000,000/.
sterling. We subsequently impressed upon the
several constituencies the propriety of taking
advantage of the then forthcoming elections, and ob-
taining pledges from the several candidates on the all-
important subject. On the 21st of June, 1847, we
used the following language :—" It is for the people
!hemselves to say whether they will rest contented
with the present state of things. A golden moment is
at hand, an opportunity which suffered to escape may
not again be afforded to them for seven long years.
If they avail themselves thereof to the fullest extent
of their power, a long course of happiness and pros-
perity is before them, but if they are negligent and
apathetic—if they exercise their franchise without
care or forethought, they will only have
themselves to blame for the results, however
painful they may be." That golden opportunity was,
however, lost—our advice was disregarded. The
question was not pressed upon the attention of the
candidates. We had, however, the satisfaction of
having performed our duty, and of finding that at
ength combined and vigorous exertions are making
,hat must result in complete success.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
Throughout the whole of Monday there was no
disturbance whatever, although the appearance of the

gay capital was from daybreak until the return of
midnight a scene of excitement, anxiety, noise, and

confusion, which at times appeared to augur the re-
vival of the terrific explosions of Revolution. After
the rappel had been beaten early in the morning, the

streets continued to be crowded with military armw

ments. Cavalry, infantry, and artillery, appeared in
all the boulevards and open spaces ; rations and am-

munition were plentifully supplied to the soldiers;
the whole city had the aspect of a camp, and the
tumalt as of an opening campaign. Several of the
shops in the larger thoroughfares were closed,
and trade and traffic were both abandoned. By yes-

terday (Tuesday) morning the excitement had wholly
died away, and the Parisians were again busied in
their ordinary avocations. The warlike demonstra-
tidn had altogether disappeared, and with it the effer-
vescence of the public passions. _ _ .

Galignani's Alessenier gives the following nar-
rative of the occurrences of Monday :
" We gave in our afternoon edition of yesterday an
account of the rappel /laving twea thiatea in acreral
parts of Paris for the convocation of the National
Guards, and stated that up to two o'clock nothing had
occurred to account for this sudden display of force.
Our readers, however, will see by our report of the pro-
ceedings in the National Assembly, that it was caused
by information which had reached the Government
of an intention on the part of the enemies of order
to take advantage of the insubordination of a
portion of the Garde Mobile. The muster
of the National Guards was not very nume-
rous until rather a late hour in the afternoon, when the
object of the convocation having transpired, and the
necessity of the precaution being appreciated, the number
was considerably increased. A very large portion of the
National Guards proceeded by order to the environs of
the National Assembly, but large posts were stationed at
other parts, and there were numerous patrols. The Ist
legion, which had been ordered out to the gardens of the
Tuileries in the early part of the day before the general
rappel to receive their new colonel, General Gourgaud,
remained the greater part of it. There was also a strong
display of troops of the line. The 20th regiment occupied
the court-yard of the National Assembly and the Place
de Bourgogne. The 14th were at the end of the rue
de l'Universiae, on the Esplanade; and the 2d regiment
of dragoons was stationed at the gate of the house
of the President. The 10th regiment of artillery,
with its guns, and the Ist regiment of engineers,
were in front of the National Assembly, and the
9th light infantry occupied the steps, and, with the
7th regiment, extended to the entrance of the Quai
d'Orsay. The avenue of the Champs Elysees was
guarded by a regiment of lancers. Two battalions of
the Garde Mobile arrived from Conrbevoie and Saint
Cloud, and took up a position in the Place de la Con-
corde. and in the rue Nationale. At one o'clock the
President of the Republic, on horseback; accompanied
by General Changarnier, and followed by a few lancers,
passed along the line of the National Guards and the
troops of the line on the Boulevards, the Places de la
Madeleine and la Concorde, and the environs of the Na-
tional Assembly. lie was everywhere well received,
and was followed by an immense concourse of people,
shouting,' Vice la Republique!' and Vire Napoleon!'
mingled with cries of L'ananistie !' and A bas les
Ministres!' Soon after five o'clock most of the National
Guards were dismissed. Some of the artillery of the
National Guard, on their return to their homes, shouted
‘Vive la Republique!' and Viva l'Assemble Nationale!'
mixed with some cries of Vive la Montagne!' All the
railroad stations were well guarded. Up to a late hour
in the evening the public tranquillity remained entirely
undisturbed.'

Yesterday afternoon the following proclamation
was posted on the walls of Paris :
" Citizens of Paris,—We have called the National
Guards under arms. We have called them in defence of
social order, once more threatened by the same enemies
who attacked it in the days of June. The
projects of these men are not changed. They wish
to prevent, at any cost, the establishment of a regular
and honest Government. All they want is perpetual
agitation, anarchy, destruction of all property,
the overthrow of all principles. They earnestly hope
to found the despotism of a minority by usurp-
ing, as a privilege, the common property, the
sacred name of Republic. To give a colour
to their revolt against the laws, they assert that we
have violated the Constitution, and wish to destroy
the Republican Government. This is a contemptible
calumny. The Republic has no firmer supporters than
they who seek to preserve it from those revolutionary
excesses with which this form of government has been
too much confounded. The President of the Republic
has sworn to respect it, and to cause it to be respected;
and he will keep his oath. His Ministers, in their past
history, have left no man a right to suspect their future
intentions; and they cannot give a stronger proof of
their attachment to republican institutions than the
energy with which they are determined to repress all
disorder, however great may be its proportions. Inha-
bitants of Paris—it is not sufficient for society to be
strong; it Must show its strength. Repose and security
are to be had at this price alone. Let all good citizens
second the Government in the repression of the dis-
turbances which agitate the public places. It is the
Republic, it is society itself, it is the eternal bases of all
power, that these perturbators bring into question. The
triumph of order ought to be decisive and irrevocable.
r ing order uecs
Let every man do his duty, and the Government will not
fail in doing what belongs to it.
Mo-
bile The
was following omLE ors
issued
FA
yesterday
te u
oEr
f da,
a tyhe bMinister
General
dayteoofe therthalcu
e Gard Ario
Interior."e
A
:KIER :
" 0 fficers, Sub-officers, and Volunteers of the Garde Mo-
bile—lf I were to believe your calumniators, you would
allow yourselves to be governed by pernicious and in-
terested counsel. You would disturb the order which
hitherto you have so intrepidly defended, and attack the
Republic and the institutions placed under your safe-
guard, and society, which is proud of your success, and
calls you its glorious children. In the name of the
country, which we will defend cgainst all its enemies,
listen to my voice, and repel these exciters to anarchy,
who, in leading you to your ruin, would revenge them.
selves of your past glory.,
Intelligence received from Paris relating to the
proceedings in the National Assembly, after the de-
parture of the accounts published in our Third Edition
of last evening, inform us that the Chamber decided
by a majority of 416 against 405 that the proposition
of RATTEAU, fixing a day for the dissolution of the
Assembly, should be read a second time.