The Sun.
London, England, 1849-02-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, 'LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 21, 1849.

expelled from the Continent by the French revolu-
tionary troops, they were received in Sicily with the
greatest enthusiasm, and the first return the KING,
or rather the QUEEN, made for the sacrifices and the
loyalty of the Sicilians was to violate the constitu-
tion by seising the property of the nation, of the com-
munes, and of the church, and imposing taxes without
the consent of the Sicilian Parliament. The Court at
the same time caused several of the Peers to be arrested,
and also endeavoured to enter into an arrangement
with the French EMPEROR to render the KING
despotic in Sicily, the Court undertaking to betray
the English garrisons then stationed there to the
French troops. An invasion by the French took place;
the Sicilian nation, faithful to their treaties with
England, took up arms and defeated the invaders, and
then proceeded to introduce those reforms into the
constitution which the lapse of time had rendered
necessary. An intimate union between the English
Government and the Sicilian nation was the conse-
quence of these events ; the title of Captain-General
of the Island was conferred on Lord WILLIAM ,
BENTINCN, who convoked the Sicilian Parlia-
ment, which immediately proceeded to draw up
the constitution of 1812, which was accepted by the
KING, and guaranteed by Great Britain. From this
it is clear that Great Britain was the ally of the
Sicilian nation, not of the KING or of the dynasty,
and the Sicilian nation has, therefore, a right to de-
mand of Great Britain the execution of those gua-
rantees which Great Britain gave to the Sicilian na-
tion in 1812. The Treaty of Vienna gave no autho-
rity whatever to the King of NAPLES to abrogate the
constitution of Sicily. The words of the 104th Article
of that treaty are—" His Majesty KING FERDINAND
IV. is re-established (retabli) for himself, his
heirs, and successors upon the throne of
Naples, and recognised by the Powers as King of
the kingdom of the Two Sicilies." To re-establish
is not to create but to establish again that which was
once before in existence ; and therefore this article
could not affect the rights of Sicily, inasmuch as
Sicily had always been governed by a constitution,
and bad always been independent of Naples. Besides,
by the second article of the Sicilian constitution ac-
cepted by the KING he is expressly prevented from
entering into any treaty with other Powers which
shall be opposed directly or indirectly to the consti-
tution of the kingdom:; and, moreover, as Sicily was not
represented at the Congress, and had never been con-
quered by any of the Powers who were parties to the
treaty of Vienna, the Congress had no right what-
ever to interfere in anything that concerned that
country. That the constitution of Sicily has
been destroyed by the Bourbon Princes is
admitted on all hands, that Sicily had a right to
call on Great Britain to interfere in her behalf (and,
be it remembered, all that Sicily has ever asked for
is the restoration of the constitution of 1812,
as guaranteed by Great Britain) is also gene-
rally admitted, but it is contended that the right
of Sicily is barred by lapse of time. We would
remind those who make this objection of the old
legal maxim, "Nullum tempus Regi oceurrit," and
if the rights of a king cannot be barred by lapse
of time, neither can those of a nation. At
the Congress of Vienna the right of Louis
XVIII. to the throne of France was recognised
notwithstanding the lapse of time; the various Go-
vernments which had succeeded each other in France
during the time of his exile were treated as nullities,
and he dated his first ordinance in the 20th year of
his reign. The same rule must apply to Sicily. So
long as the Sicilians confine their demands to the
full and entire restoration of the constitution of
Isl 2, as guaranteed by Great Britain, so long will
they be in their right, and so long will Great Britain
be bound by the law of nations to aid and assist them
in obtaining those rights, the enjoyment of which
she herself guaranteed in 1812 to the Sicilian nation
as contra-distinguished from the Sicilian King.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

Wo have received the Paris papers of yesterday.
The Council of Revision has rejected the appeal
of the persons convicted by court-martial of the
murder of General BREA. and his aide-de-camp, and
has confirmed the sentence of the court-martial.
The counsel for the prisoners who have been sen-
tenced to death immediately petitioned the PAESI.
DENT of the Republic to remit the capital punish-
ment.
- -

At the sitting of the National Assembly on Monday
General Cavaignac rose to address a question to the
Minister of the Interior on a personal affair. The
journal, L' Union, he said, had published an article, in
which it was stated that the Rouyn were not the most
dangerous party. Their plans were known, but public
indignation defeated them. But others, who covered
themselves with the mask of moderation, were not so in-
nocuous, and it then asserted that an attempt had been
made to seduce the army by General Cavaignac. The
journalist waned the latter that he compromised, not
only his future prospects, but his past services, and that
General Changarnier was watching his movements. On
Saturday that article having been sent to him in the
country, he immediately wrote to a friend to lodge a
complaint in the office of the Attoreey-General. On
consulting a legal officer, he was told that he was at-
tacked as a private individual, and that, in that case, he
could not demand that the assertion be proved. Not
being able to procure justice before the tribunals he had
resolved to apply directly to the Minister of the Interior
and General Changarnier, from the tribune, and sum-
moned them to declare if they had learned, directly or
indirectly, guilty of a fact, a word, or a
gesture,
a 10l that a t
o hde
to o was
the accusation of his having
esto
calculated
justify
attempted to seduce a single soldier from his duty.
M. Leon Faucher replied that he had no direct or in-
direct communication with the journal L' Union. He
had not even read the article, of which he blamed both
the intention and expressions. If any person had told
him that General Cavaignac meditated any such attempt
he would have rejected it with the indignation it de-
served, well knowing that the character of the General
alson
o any that
interview
with n o
and his services to the country belied such an accusation.
knowledge General o
Changarnier
article,
o r declaredhad be
the editors of that journal. General Cavaignac had too
long served with him to suspect that he could have been
privy to such an act.
He knew the General to be
highly honourable.—(Here General Cavaignac bowed.)
y"Olu a
justice.ot pa y I
ing you
cannot a compliment, I am or.ly doing
, however, help remarking that
the sentiments resulting from our long intimacy are
somewhat effaced from your memory, and, I will say,
from your heart; otherwise you would have called on
me before you ascended the tribune." In conclusion the
General said that, as Commander of the Army of Paris,
he was not charged with the police.
General Cavaignac replied that if be had not called
on the General, it was because he wished that his reply
should be made from the tribune, so that the whole of
France might hear it. •
The incalent having terminated ,the Assembly resumed
the discussion of the Electoral Law.
The National Assembly has disposed of fifty out
of the fifty-four clauses of which the Electoral Law is
composed.
The trial of the persons who created an emeute at
Montpellier has commenced at Aix. Several Legiti-
matists are compromised in the affair.
In commenting on the scene which took place in
the National Assembly on Monday between Generals
CAVAIGNAC and CHANGARNIER, the Siecle pays the
following tribute to the virtues of the Washington of
France
General Cavaignac, although incessantly attacked
and often calumniated by a part of the press, is perhaps
of the whole Assembly the man who keeps himself most
aloof from all kinds of coteries and intrigues. Whilst he
is represented in those lying recitals as warmly engaged
in presiding at the meetings at the Palais National, at
other times in combining with M. Sinard to draw out
amendments, and at others in making preparations for a
journey to Bourges, to be present at the trial of the pri-
soners of the 15th May, he is calm, isolated, confining
himself to the exercise of his duties as a representative,
taking part in no meeting, and keeping himself a stran-
gerc to all intrigues, and not even taking the trouble to
concert his votes with his old Ministers, who all remain
his friends. Ia truth, as the price of the services
which he has rendered, and when his life was devoted
for six months to all the fury of calumny, can he not,
now that he has so nobly quitted power, be loft a little
repose?"
The Committee of the Assembly to whom the pro-
position for an inquiry into the conduct of the Go-
vernment on the 29th January was referred, has re-
ported against the proposition. A minority of six,
however, in the Committee supported the principle
and the necessity of the inquiry.
The Committee on the proposition of M. 'Tonna',
for the abrogation of the laws interdicting the French
territory to the Bourbons of the elder branch and of
the house of Orleans, have recommended that the con-
sideration of the proposition should be adjourned.
M. LEnnu ROLLIN has given notice of his intention
to address interpellations to the Government on the
subject of the affairs of Rome.
BOURSE,--PARIS,-TUESDA.Y, FEB. 21.
THREE 07CLOCK.—The French Funds opened with
greater firmness to-day, but towards the end of the day
they suddenly gave way, and closed considerably below
the prices of yesterday. There was a good deal of busi-
ness done. There was no news stirring. Exchange on
Boulogne and Amiens,
London (30 days), 25 25; ditto (90 days), 25 15.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE,2O.
9 X —Central of ,France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 11%—Namur and Liege, 84—Northern of
France, 9X— Orleans and Bordeaux, 33/4 Paris and Rouen,
201/2 ex div.—Paris and Strasbourg, 3111—Rouen and liane,
3;4—Sabra cudDIVA el 5.40rar424 kiluat9o)2X.