The Sun.
London, England, 1847-05-18 00:00:00

DEATH

THE LORD-LIEUTENANT
OF IRELAND.

DULIN, SUNDAY NIGHT.
His Excellency Earl Besborough, Lord-Lieutenant of
Ireland, breathed his last at eleven o'clock to-night.
His Excellency continued to sink from nightfal, and
he was quite aware of his approaching dissolution.
Shortly atter ten o'clock he sent for the several members
of his family, who were for some time in, constant and
close attendance upon him, and severally took leave of
them. His Excellency continued in perfect possession
cf his senses up to the fatal moment that death separated
him from all he loved so dearly.
The melancholy event, notwithstanding that it has
been long expected, will be received with deep concern
by all classes of the population of this unhappy land,
whose sufferings his Excellency struggled to mitigate
with heartfelt zeal.

The following official letter is from the Lord Mayor:—
"T 3 THE EDITOR OF THE FREEMAN'S JOURNAL.'
"Mansion-house, Sunday Night,
May 16, Twelve o'clock,

" Sir,—l have just received the following communica-
tion, announcing the melancholy intelligence of the
death of his Excellency the Lord- Lieutenant.
" I have the honour to be your faithful servant,
" MICHAEL STAUNTON."

" Dublin Castle, Half-past Eleven P.INI May 16

" My Lord,—lt becomes my painful duty to inform
you that his Excellency the Earl of Besborough de
parted this life at the hour of eleven o'clock P.M., at the
Castle of Dublin.—l have the honour to be, my Lord,
your obedient servant, "T. N. REDDINGTON.
" The Right Hon. Lord Mayor.' "

THE PRUSSIAN INVESTMENT IN
THE FRENCH FUNDS.
The Journal de Saint Petersburg publishes the follow-
ing explanation from the Russian Government of the
late purchase of 50,000,000 f. in Rentes of the Bank of
France:—
" In a fiscal point of view there was a real advantage
in converting a part of the metallics which constitute
our reserve fund into a purchase of secure Rentes.
There cannot be a shadow of a doubt as to the solvency
of France, and it is certain that nothing can be more
relied upon. than the payment of the public debt of that
country. The Imperial Treasury has made this pur-
chase at a period when the French funds were low—the
Five per Cents. being down to 115 f. 75e. At no distant
period of time this stock must rise again to its natural
value. Last year the Five per Cents. were quoted at
122 f., so that, independently of a revenue exceeding,
2,000,000 f., which Russia will derive from this inve.,t-
went, the Imperial Treasury has the chance of reselling
its Rentes with a profit of several millions upon the
capital. But these profits are only secondary when
compared with the great commercial advantages upon
which we have to congratulate ourselves. The known
scarcity of corn in France renders it necessary for her to
draw enormous supplies from abroad. The circumscribed
exports of France to Russia reduces her to pay in specie
for nearly all the supplies she must come to seek from
our ports. Now it is precisely in specie that France is
deficient. This circumstance was of :a nature to induce
the French dealers to direct the operations in preference
to the United States of America, which abound in grain,
and to which the exports from France represent a value
eight or nine times greater than those to Russia. By
facilitating to France the payment for our corn by the
purchase of her Rentes, the Imperial Government
naturally brings back the commerce of that country to
our ports in the Black Sea and the Baltic, and procures
for Russia a market for her grain at prices which the
extraordinary demand has caused to rise to a rate that
will give considerable profits to our growers. Thus by
coming to the relief of France, whose monetary distress
reacted in a greater or less degree upon the other Ex-
changes of Europe, the Imperial Government has made
an operation which is advantageous both to the Treasury
and the commerce of the Russian empire."
After passing in review:the various objections raised in
Russia against the transaction, the Journal de Saint
Petersburg concludes in these terms:
The limits of this article will not permit us to
analyse the political considerations which the different
organs :of the press and the spirit of party have en-
deavoured to connect with the transaction between the
Imperial Government and the Bank of France. Sorce
have represented it as being an intended interposition of
Russia between France and England, with the view of
disuniting them still more widely ; of establishing a
change in the political relations between the Cabinets of
St. Petersburg and Paris. Others have attributed to the
Imperial Government the idea of obtaining the means of
dictating the law in the 13ourse of Paris, by throwing
upon it the weight of these 50,000,000 f. at the moment
of a crisis, and thus making the prices fall, which i.
saying, iu fact, though in other words, that Russia would
go and sell for 45,000,000, or even 40,000,000 what had
cost her 50,000,000 f., and thus make a sacrifice of five
or ten millions of francs for no other motive than to
annoy France."

DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT.—It was currently
rumoured in political circles yesterday, that the Parliament
would be dissolved as early as the 19th or 26th of next
month, if public business would admit; if not, the dissolution
would certainly not be later than the first week in July.
REPRESENTATION OF WESTMINSTER.--LaSt night
a meeting of the friends of Mr. C. Lushington took place
at the Belgrave Hotel, Pimlico, Sir W. Molesworth in
the chair. A resolution was passed, stating that Mr. Lush-
ington was a fit and proper person to represent Westmin-
ster. An amendment was also proposed, but afterwards
withdrawn.
The Duke de Terceira and suite arrived yesterday
at Illivart's Hertel from Portugal.

RAILWAY COMMITTES.

(THIS DAY.)

HOUSE OF COMMONS.
GROUP VI.

WILTS, SOMERSET, AND IVEYDIOUTE

AMENDMENT (NO. XI.)
The Committee met this morning at twelve o'clock; Mr.
Deedes chairman.
Mr. W. Giles was the first witness called, residing at
Frame, in Somersetshiae. He had lately carried on the busi-
ness of a carrier in that town. The population of Ermine
was about 12,000 ; t here was also a large population, amount-
ing to upwards of 20,000, exclusive of an immense popula-
tion composed of colliers and labourers, in the towns of Brad-
ford and Troubridge. The population of all the towns on
the Scuth-Western line between Salisbury and Exeter did
not amount to that of the four towns he had mentioned.
There was a coach running on alternate days from Bath,
through Frome, to Poole. There was also a cough running
between Frome and Weymouth daily, through the town of
Sherborne, and so to Weymouth. Large quantities of cloth
were manufactured in the districts near Bradford and Trou-
bridge, a great quantity of which found it way to the towns
of Sherborne, -Yeovil, and the southern parts of the country.
He had given up the business of a carrier from the time that
the Great Western Railway was opened in that county.

GROUP XVII.
The Committee on this group re-assembled to. day at the
usual hour, in Room 11 ; Sir John Bulwer East, in the chair.
GREAT NORTHERN (XIEVIATIONS FROM