The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-01 00:00:00

tTR riA. AE VE1471.144 (4,

charges, the process of expropriation against the company
cannot commence for three years, and the process itself
would occupy another year ; so that the rigorous system
would cause the loss of four years. Are we not already suf•
ficiently behind other nations ? As regards the company
from Lyons to Avignon, the same argument presents itself
with even greater force. The company of the Paris and
Lyons line has commenced its works not only from Paris to
Tonnerre, a distance of 200 kilometres, but also on some
other points. The company of the Lyons and Avignon line
has not given a single blow with a pickaxe. The only hold
there is on it, if rigorous measures be adopted, is in its cau-
tion-money, which is 10,000,000 f. But it is certain that
the temptation of a subsidy of 10,000,000 f., arising from
the confiscation of the caution-money of the present com-
pany, would not determine the formation of a new com-
pany under present circumstances. It may even be supposed
cthoset
that so long as the embranchment to Grenoble (which will
and for which the least advantageous of all
) shall remain annexed to
the principal line, it will be impossible to find any substan-
firecti'"ovi"ns hf.as'
been adopted'
Lial company to undertake it. Thus the line from Lyons to
Avignon would be indefinitely adjourned. Yet it is a line
of vast importance. The extreme dearness of grain at pre-
sent seems to have come expressly to demonstrate its utility.
If communication by railway had existed between Lyons
and Marseilles, the population of Lyons, and of all the country
which has received the corn of the Black Sea through that
city, would have paid from of. to 7f. per hectolitre less.
It is from this point of view that political men ought to
judge the railway question, and particularly the two railways
between Paris and Avignon. If the Government does no-
thing, or announces the intention to do nothing, we are
threatened with the breaking up of the two companies.
This would be onerous to the shareholders, but less onerous
than the pure and simple maintenance of the conditions of
:he adjudication ; and, what is important—what Ought to
decide the conviction of the Government and the Chambers
is, that the consequence would be a cessation of the works,
which would be doubly disadvantageous to the public inte-
rest. First, it would be the delay to an unfixed period of
:he most important line of railway that it is possible to esta-
blish in France, that of the greatest traffic in Europe. be-
tween the Mediterranean and the Channel or the North Sea,
;hat of the most important interior traffic. Secondly, it
would be the closing of works which must offer immense re-
jources to the necessitous populati•ais. Deduction made of
•he cost of the land, it would be a capital of 400,000,000 f.,
which would be almost entirely disbursed in labour. To the
public powers anxious for the maintenance of order, and de-
sirous to assure the existence of the people, it is a piece of
:,rood fot tune which cannot be allowed to escape. To relieve
the misery of the people the Minister of the Interior pre-
aented, and the Chambers voted with universal acclamations,
two bills for creating work to the amount of 32,000,000 f. in
all. What would be thought i', th., day after the vote o'_
these laws, a renunciation were made of enterprises causing
an outlay of 400,000,000 f. ? In this point of view, which
under present circumstances is deserving of serious consi-
deration, the two enterprises which we now signalize are
not the only ones to which regard should be had. All
those for which capitals have been united and companies
constituted merit that efforts be made to prevent their dis-
organisation."

The Union Monarchique, the organ of the Parti-
pretre, is endeavouring to:excite a persecution against
the Jews, more particularly those of Palestine, by
publishing a pretended letter from Beyrout, reviving
the old calumny against them of murdering a Chris-
tian at the celebration of their Passover. We hope
that M. CREMIEUX and the other French Hebrews
will take measures to trace these falsehoods to their
source. It is worthy of observation that these Jesuit
revivers of exploded calumnies are the persons who
complain that the University deprives them of the
liberty of instruction—a false accusation be it re-
membered—yet still it is well that those who join in
the cry should know the species of instruction which
these learned and most Christian men demand liberty
to impart to their pupils.
The &forme announces that the price of the 41b
loaf in Paris is to be raised 4c. from the Ist of May.
The price of flour rose in the Paris market on Wed-
nesday 2f. the sack.
The Three per Cents. closed at 78f. ; the Five per
Cents., 1151. 90c.; the Orleans Railroad Shares, 1,233 f. Tic. ;
Rouen, 9321. 50c. ; Havre, 6701. ; Great Northern, 621 f. 25c. ;
Avignon, 772 f. 50e. ; Vierzon, 582 f. 50c.: Bordeaux, 516 f.
25c.; Boulogne, 425 f. ; Basle, 1931. 75c.; Dieppe, 3271. 50c. ;
Paris and Strasburg, 4301. ; Paris and Lyons, 4381. 75c. ;
Lyons and Avignon. 445 f. ; Bordeaux and Cette, 4451. ;
Spanish Domestic Debt, 30!Ii.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT TILE

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, purr. 38.
Northern of France, 121A2—Orleans and Bordeaux, 6%—
Paris and Lyons, sq—Paris and Rouen, MA—Rouen and.
Havre, 264.