The Sun.
London, England, 1847-08-27 00:00:00

made a second and more successful attempt by
swallowing arsenic, in which case the question arises,
hOve was it possible for arsenic to be conveyed to the
Duke of Plianne in the prison of the Luxembourg
without the knowledge of the authorities ; for as to
the story told by the Journal des Debats, of the
swallowing, by the Duke, of a mixture of laudanum
and arsenic before his arrest, and which mixture
took a week to produce its effect, it is not only ab-
surdly improbable, but physically impossible. It is
not surprising, therefore, to find that the 'suspicion is
generally entertained that the Ministry, having had
enough of public investigations into the crimes of
those connected with the Court, in the case of M.
TESTE, (by the bye, who supplied M. TESTE with
the pistols with which he attempted suicide in this
same prison?) had purposely caused those precautions
to be neglected which are uniformly observed with
regard to accused persons of lower degree, in order
to prevent them from committing suicide. The
National, in the course of an article which will no
doubt produce a powerful effect on the susceptible
minds of the French people, after stating that three
hours after the discovery of the murder, the Duke
of PRASLIN was watched by M. ALLARD and his agents,
who did not lose sight of him for a moment, asks,
" then, could he poison himself in their presence
without their having prevented him ? It was
only on the third day afterwards that some
mysterious expressions were dropped relative to
an attempt at suicide. The public, who were
aware that the accused was well guarded, did not
believe a word of it. The statement was repeated,
and details were added ; a phial of laudanum' was
found beside another battle containing nitric acid ;
the first was empty, and it was insinuated that the
Duke might have swallowed the laudanum. Never-
theless, nothing was certain. The physicians who
attended him were watching the effects of the nar-
cotic. There were reports of spasms, of prostration
of strength, of extreme weakness. Nevertheless,
copious vomiting followed; but laudanum does not
cause vomiting. The treatment of the malady, which
appeared to vary every hour, was most strange. One
day the invalid was given broth and wine. The fol-
lowing day he was made to swallow a quantity of
ice, and in this situation he was surrendered to the
Court of Peers. He reached the prison on Saturday,
and a remarkable improvement in his concation was
announced. On Sunday the symptoms re-appeared.
He was interrogated on the Monday, and he could
scarcely answer. At five o'clock on Tuesday he slept
the sleep of the just! But then the cause was ascer-
tained. It was no longer laudanum, it was arsenic.
We are told that he took a considerable quantity of
it, and the first physicians, MM. Parma, ANDRAL,
and Louis, never suspected that. They gave him
wine and ice ! The symptoms of poisoning by ar-
senic are so little studied and so little known that three
physicians might have been deceived."
The Constitutionnel has the following just observa-

(ions on the consequences likely to ensue from
elevating suicide into a privilege for the rich and
titled criminal:—
" If the honourable families which bare the misfor-

tune to be allied to a great criminal can see without
regret a suicide which frees him from a more terrible
chastisement, it is not less true that a great social
interest demands that in every case justice should take
its course. In general, precautions are multiplied to
prevent prisoners from escaping by death from the pro-
ceedings of ustice ; morality and example demand that
they should appear
_before their judges, and • undergo
shame and remorse to the very end. The salutary
principle of equality before the law requires that suicide
may not be elevated to a privilege. A crime committed
amongst the higher classes of society is always a public
misfortune ; it weakens the confidence of the nation in
those who are placed at its head ; it furnishes to poor
obscure criminals a dangerous excuse ; it causes civili.
cation and intelligence to be calumniated. The repara-
tion and the expiation cannot therefore be either top
complete or too public. Whilst expressing on the
occasion of M. de Praslin's suicide those severe but
incontestable truths, we do not mean to accuse in any.
way the authorities of having shut their eyes, and
allowed the prisoner to escape his triai by a vqluntary
death. But it appears to us that the facility with which'
NI. de Praslin poisoned himself is perhaps the result
of a grave error of the Procures r-General Delangle,
which it is important to point out, and to put an end'
.to. If, in place of being -merely garde a vue, the Duke,
had been arrested and confined, it is probable that,he
would not have found means to kill himself. The Tiro-
curettr-General thought he could not incarcerate a Peer
of France without an express ordonnance of the Court of
Peers. We do not think that this scruple has•the slight-
est' foundation." •
One effect of this`ease will untioubtedli:be to de=.
,prive by layit4lasia-Beers-of --Fkrasica. Ihe priVilege•
which they enjoy, of being exempt from arrest in all'
criminal matters, except by the authority of the
Chamber, and-if ounce the question.of the abolition of
any of the privileges of the Peers is mooted, there is
no knowing to what, in the present temper of the
French people, it may not lead.
The Courrier Francais' says—" The Austrian
Ambassador at Paris has presented to the French
Government a note from Prince METTERNICH, ex-
plaining the causes which induced the occupation of
Ferrara and the resolution' of keeping there for the
future 'a strong garrison. - This note has not yet pro-
duced any prptest." ,
The Journal . des haws,' in an article on the
, .
occupation.of Ferra_ ra. by the Austrians, says that if
it were intended-as a. provocation by the Austrians,
the best manner to reply to to such a provocation
would be to remain orderly and calm, arid show
that the snare was discovered. The Journal des
Debats would, probably, give similar advice if Stras-
burg instead of Ferrara were occupied, " always
supposing " the dynasty got a " consideration " for it.
The Gazette des Tribunaux announces that, in
consequence of a complaint addressed by the Minister
of War to the Keeper of the Seals, and containing a
statement of facts implicating in a serious degree a
person holding a high position in the War depart-
ment, a warrant was issued -for the apprehension of
M. LASALLE, the functionary alluded to, who was
arrested on Tuesday, in a maison de sante. M. LA.
sALLE was attached to 'the Cabinet of the Secretary.
The KING of the FRENCH and Royal Family were
to return to Paris on the 28th instant, about which
period the accouchement of the Duchess D'AumALE
is expected to take place.
The Three per Cents. closed on the Paris Bourse,
on Wednesday, at 76f. 55c.; the Five per Cents.,
118 f. 15c. ; the Orleans Railroad Shares, 1,230 f. ;
Rouen, 950 f.; Havre, 598 f. 75c..; Great Northern,
537 f. 50c.; Avignon, 595 f.; Vierzon, 573 f. 75c.
Bordeaux, 473 f. 75c. ; DiePpe, 270 f. ; Paris and
Strasburg, 391 f. 25c. ; Tours and Nantes, 370 f.;
Paris and Lyons, 396 f. 25c. ; Lyons and Avignon,
448 f. 75c. ; Spanish Three per Cents., 31f.
LYONS, AUG. 23.—Paris and Rouen, 961 f. 25c.;
Avignon and Marseilles, 608 f. 75c.; Vierzon, 570 f.;"
Orleans, 1,233 f. The.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, AUGUST 26.
Northern of France, 10 %s—Paris and ,Lyons, VA—Paris
and Strasbourg, 31,4j—Sambre and Meuse, BN.

BRIGHTON AND CHICHESTER
ktAILWAY.—(THIS DAY.)
The half-yearly meeting of the proprietors of this
company was held to-day, at their offices, London-
bridge station.
The Hon. Captain HOTHAM, the chairman of the
company, presided, and stated that he did not expect
that they should have had to assemble again, as it
was supposed the' company would be extinct. The
only circumstance that prevented their making their
final arrangements was their not having succeeded in
purchasing land at Portsmouth. However, the line
from Gosham to Farnham:was nearly completed, and
would be soon opened, so that there was nothing to
prevent their disposing of their line to the London
and Brighton Company. The Chairman concluded
by moving the adoption of the balance-sheet, from
which it appeared that the gross expenditure
amounted to 293,057/. 18s. 11d., and which was
unanimously adopted.
The meeting then separated.

We announce with great regret the death of Lady
Westphal, which melancholy event took place yester-
day at Brighton. Sir George and Lady Westphal had
arri ecl only a week ago at their residence in Brunswick-
square, and the death of her Ladyship, although she
hs.d been suffering from illness during the last two years,
was not supposed to be so imminent as has proved to be
the case.

Drafts of Prime, Ward, and Co., of New York,
upon Overend, Gurney, and Co , were yesterday re-
fused acceptance, " until the arrival of next packet."
THE ONLY COTTON MILL IN LIVERPOOL.—We
learn with great regret that it is purposed entirely to
close the "North Shore Mill," the only one in Liverpool,
on the 11th of next month, and that it is doubtful when
the proprietors will again open it, the trAe—spinning
of twist for export—being anything but remunerative.
About 500 operatives will thus be thrown out of em-
ployment, and with them, taking a small average as
regards families, 500 more, or in all I,ooo.—Liverpool
Standard.