The Sun.
London, England, 1849-03-09 00:00:00

FRENCH REPUBLIC

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, M. DROUTN DE
L'HUYS, attended the Committee of the National As-
sembly yesterday, and in answer to questions put to
him, is said to have declared that France would not
interfere in the affairs of Italy, and that the French
Government disapproved of the entrance of the Rus-
sians into Transylvania, although they had been in-
vited by the Austrian Government. The committee
being a secret one, it is, of course, impossible to ascer-
tain exactly what were the statements of the Minister
for Foreign AffArs, but it is believed that the account
given above is, so far as it goes, accurate. I'Ve shall
not, however, have to remain long in doubt as to the
intentions of the French Government, as interpella-
tions were to be addressed to the Minister in the As-
sembly yesterday by M. DUVIGNIER. The scene
which led to the notice of these interPellations was of
a very extraordinary character.
The discussion on the electoral law, on 'Wednesday,
was interrupted by M. DUVIGNIER, who observed
that, in consequence of the projects of the northern
despots with regard to Italy, it was natutal that pub-
lic opinion should be pre-occupied with a question in
volving the honour and interests of France. The
Minister for Foreign Affairs, he understood, was to
have given explanations on the subject that morning
to the Committee of Foreign Affairs. M. DUVIGNIER
thought that those explanations should be made
public, in order that Italy might know whether the
hopes which the decree of the National Assembly
of the 24th of May, in favour of her inde-
pendence, had excited in the country, were
to be realised. The three Ministers present
evincing no intention to reply, M. DUVIGNIER
charged them with disrespect towards the Assembly.
The President himself incurred his displeasure by
observing that Ministers were not bound to reply to
his questions, and that the eeeserisbly alone had a right
to regulate its order of the day. M. DUVIGNIER
loudly complained of the oppression of the minority
by the majority, and said that such a course was an
incitement to the former to carry their reclamations
elsewhere. This declaration created a violent upri ar,
and, when silence was restored, M. ODILON BARROT
rose and said that M. DUVIGNIER had had the preten-
sion to give a lesson of politeness to Ministers, of
which the Assembly had appreciated the terms and
form, and that, so far from refusing to reply, he and
his colleagues were at the disposal of the Assembly.
M. DUVIGNIER having next asked that the interpel-
lations be placed at the order of the day of Thursday,
his demand was acceded to by a majority of 367 to
357.

The intelligence from Italy contained in these
papers is of a very contradictory character. The
National quotes a private letter, received in Paris
that evening, which says that the Austrian troops
which had been sent to take possession of Carrara
had, upon ascertaining the force of the Tuscan troops,
and the support which the Piedmontese General,
LAMARMORA, was prepared to give them, retired
from the territory of Tuscany ; whilst the Constitu
tionnel states that the Austrians have entered
Tuscany, that they were opposed by the Tuscan
army of 6,000 men, under the command of General
APIcE, reinforced by a division of the Piedmontese

army, amounting to 15,000 meta, commanded by
General MARMORA, the Sardinian Government having
at the request of the Provisional Government of
Florence, consented to interfere in order to protect
Tuscany from Austrian invasion. The Piedmontese
and Tuscans were to effect their junction on the 2,1 of
March, and probably a battle would be fought with
the Austrians on the 3d. To the se rumours, however,
no great credit was attached in the political salons of
the French capital, where the prevailing opinion was
that the Austrians had not entered Tuscany at all.
Indeed, it was believed that the French Government
had received a note from the Austrian Minister, stat-
ing. that Austria had voluntarily adjourned her pro-
posed intervention in Tuscany.
The State trials commenced at Bourges on the 7th•
After the bill of indictment was read, BARUES rose to
protest against the competency of the Court. He
addressed the jury in mast violent language, but was
stopped by the President. BABUES then declared he
would would not again enter the court unless com-
pelled to do so by force.
The Committee of Finances has determined to recom
mend the Assembly to vote increased allowances to
the President and Vice-President of the Republic.
The editor of the Peuple was on Tuesday tried for
publishing an alleged seditious libel, and acquitted.
The interpellations on the affairs of Italy, of which
M DUVIGNIER had given notice, were going on at
post hour.
BOURSE—PARIS, THURSDAY, MARCH 8.
THREE o'CLocs..—The news from Italy has had a
slight tact upon the French Funds to-day, although
there appears to be gr, at retvon 0, doubt the truth of
the repot t of the immediate intervention of the Austrians
in Tuscany. The ltailway Shares were steady. The
Greek Loan was quoted to-day, the portion guaranteed

- _
by Russia, at 99i, and the portion guaranteed by France
at 88k. Exchange on London (30 day s), 25 22f to 25;
ditto (90 days) 25 12k.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, MARCY 8.
Boulogne and Amiens, 9%—Central of France (Orleans
and Cierzon), 12%—Demerara, 81,4—Namur and Liege, 8—
Northern of France, 111,4-- Paris and Rouen, WA—Rouen
and Havre, I2N —Tours and Nantes, 214.

The Ecclesiastical Commissioners for England had a
general meetingplace. YesterduY at their Office in Whitehall-

experiment., the one of the most conspicuous cha•
ratter was that of separate confinement; and to the
end that this plan might be fairly and deliberately
tested such noble and almost palatial buildings, as
the Model Prison at Pentonville, were erected.
A considerable period has since then elapsed, and
Lord M.a.uoN takes occasion to demand of her
MAJESTY'S Government some further explanation as
to their intentions, now that their benevolent and
patriotic endeavours have been illuminated by experi•
merit and experience.

In answer to the inquiries made last evening by
the Noble Lord the representative of Hertford, Sir
GEORGE GREY, plainly avowed at once that the
system of transportation would be renewed with the
unanimous consent of the Cabinet. Neverthe-
less, it was almost in the same breath declared
by the Right Hon. Baronet the Secretary for the
Home Department that every year increased the con-
viction in his own mind, and in that of his colleagues,
of the efficacy of the separate system of imprisonment,
whether considered as a punishment for offences, er
as a means of reformation. With the maintenar.ce,
moreover, of the Model Prison, and of the system of
diminished transportation, the Government is pre-
pared to insist upon the continuance of the plan in
accordance with the regulations of which bands of
convicts r.re retained in the United Kingdom for the
purpose of labouring upon public works. Of the latter
resolution we cannot speak too highly, as expressive
of a principle. While we would by no means desire
to see convict labourers brought into direct competi-
tion with labourers who have never incurred the
penalties inflicted upon the violators of the law—we
would in a modified degree behold the employment
of certain classes of convicts upon public and remu-
nerative works, because through the medium of that
employment so many admirable advantages might
be secured. Among other effects—and this
is certainly not the lelst important in
these days, when financial retrenchment
is everything—the economy of the plan would be
conspicuous ; for although it is projected as an en-
couragement to the convict labourers that certain
wages shall be awarded to them in proportion to the
amount of their exertions, or to the extent of their
sobriety, those wages would be considerably less than
the wages required by masons, or carpenters, or brick-
layers, or navvies, differently situated. By this means
there would ultimately be an appreciable reduction in
the cost of the criminal establishment.

Numberless as have been the nostrums hit upon of
late for the effectual correction of offenders against
the laws of their country and of their GOD, but few
of them have been held in any estimation after the first
scrutiny of their nature, and the first detection of their
inadequacy. One system seems to have been singled
out by almost unanimous consent as not unworthy of
being adopted with some slight alterations and of
being incorporated when so modified in our improved
code of criminal jurisprudence. That system is one
we ourselves have long since commended to the
public—we mean the Mark System, contrived and
carried out in ore of our penal settlements by Cap-
tain MACONOCHIE. While we coincide in the
opinion expressed by the Noble Lord the
Member for Hertford, that the practical
suggestions of Captain MAcoNoctizE must not all
of them be adopted with implicit credence, we are
satisfied that very few will dissent from us in assert-
ing that the views of that distinguished officer are
entitled to no slight consideration. Actual experience,
indeed, has shown that the working of his scheme
has mitigated, in a great degree, the evils of impri-
sonment, and ameliorated to a considerable extent
the horrors of transportation. On the whole, we are
convinced that the country will regard with satisfac-
tion the remarks extorted by Lord MAHON from one
of the chief Ministers of her MAJESTY'S Government.