The Sun.
London, England, 1841-12-02 00:00:00

FROM THE FRENCH PAPERS.

The Moniteur publishes a Report from M. Kermain-
gant, Inspector-General of Bridges and Roads, who was
sent by the Minister of Public Works to examine into
the damage done by the last inundation of the Rhone.
He states that the dykes and other hydraulic works have
been more or less extensively injured or destroyed at
Pont-Saint-Esprit, Monfaucon, Roquemaure, Villeneuve,
Aramon, Vallabregue, Beaucaire, and Tarascon ; but
that at all these points works of reparation are going on
as far as circumstances admit. The Rhone is still very
high at Beaucaire, and lower down its course the plain
of Saint-Gilles is almost entirely submerged. No general
estimate of the damage, which is no donbt considerable,
appears as yet to have been formed.
The Memorial des Pyrenees says—" A few days ago
as a detachment of volunteers of Estramadura was re-
moving some criminals to Badajoz, they were attacked
by eight men on horseback, whose object appeared to be
to rescue the prisoners. Uncertain as to the issue of the
combat, the volunteers began by shooting the men under
their charge, and then attacked the horsemen, whom
they put to flight."
The Indicateur of Bordeaux states that, on the 24th
inst., a suspension bridge over the Dordogne, at Blag-
nac, gave way, and that a waggon, with seven or eight
people, was precipitated into the river, all of whom
perished.
A baby left by its mother in its cradle, in a cottage,
with the door open, at Rolignon, in the Pyrenees, was,
a short time ago, killed by a pig, which got into the
room, and devoured the poor infant's head.
It was reported on 'Change, on Saturday, that the house
of A. Balguerie and Co., of Bordeaux, who have also a
branch establishment at Havre, had stopped payment,
with debts to a very large amount. This failure was
considered the more disastrous, as the firm, which were of
great respectability and large shippers, had extended
their speculations to many undertakings in the Gironde,
such as the Teste rail-road, the bridge at Cubsac, and
other great works.
The Memorial of Bordeaux says, that the cashier of
the house of Balguerie contributed to hasten its fall, and
has absconded. A complaint has been laid against this
person, and a search has been made, but he has not been
found. " Whatever may be the secondary causes," this
journal adds, " which have more or less contributed to
the discomfiture of this firm, it is not the less true that
the first and efficient cause is the stagnation, or rather
annihilation, of our commerce. Our merchants make vain
efforts to struggle against the unnumbered difficulties
created for them by the laws affecting trade."
The St. Petersburgh papers state that on the 13th
instant the Neva began floating down masses of ice suffi
ciently large to render the removal of the bridges neces
sary, and that on the following day most of the canals
were frozen. Although not much snow had fallen,
sledges had appeared in the streets.
A letter from Rome, in the Augsburgh Gazette, says,
that the Pontifical Order of the Golden Spear, instituted
by Constantine in commemoration of his victory over
Maxentius, has been newly organised by the Pope. The
new decoration will be worn suspended from a red rib-
band, and in the centre of the cross, on a white ground,
is the effigy of Pope Silvester. The commanders are to
be limited to 180, and the chevaliers to 300, for the
states of the Church, but are to be unlimited for foreign
States. The Secretary of Briefs is to be Chancellor of
the Order.

The Minister of Public Works, having received com-
plaints that the navigation of the Rhone is greatly im-
peded, as soon as any rise in the water takes place, by
the different suspension bridges thrown across that river
having been made too low, has issued orders for esti-
mates to be formed of the expenses required for raising
the roadways of all these bridges from 3 to 4 feet above
their present elevation.
The France Meridionale of Toulouse states that the
result of the late census in that town shows the popula-
tion to be 79,937, being an increase of 2,565 since 1836.
The floating part of the population, including the gar-
rison, the schools, &c., is 10,431.
On Saturday last Madame Cannonne; the widow of
M. Cannonne, late adjutant of the Palace of the Elysee
Bourbon, having fallen asleep near a stove, her clothes
took fire, and she was burnt to death.
The Nantes journals state that on the 16th instant the
church at Gellier, near that town, was struck by light-
ning. which completely stripped the clock tower, tore
off many slates from the roof; and descending into the
nave, broke a slab in the pavement, made its way out
again by removing a stone 4001bs. weight, passed through
a convent adjoining, where it did but some slight da-
mage, and entered a carpenter's shop, where it destroyed
most of the implements.
The France states that M. Cavaignac, who was as-
serted erroneously by a Belgian Journal to have been
concerned in getting up the late plot in Belgium, arrived
in Paris a few days since from Algiers, to take an active
part in the editing of the Journal du Peuple, in conse-
quence of the imprisonment of M. Dupoty.
The King and Queen of Prussia left Munich for Ber-
lin on the 22d inst.

A letter in the German Journal of Frankfort, dated
Stockholm, 9th inst„ after contradicting the rumour that
the King of Denmark .was going to Norway to pass the
winter, says:—" Notwithstanding his age, the King en-
joys perfect health, and works nine or ten hours every
day. He is said to be engaged in writing a treatise to
show that the proposition submitted to the States Gene-
ral in 1823, for a tribunal for scrutinizing the conduct of
Ministers previously to. each Session, is contrary to the
spirit of the Constitution."
_ _ . •

The Handlesblad of Amsterdam, of the 25th inst.
says—" Prince Frederick of the Netherlands arrived on'
Sunday at Loo. Persons who were present at the inter-
view between him and his father, the ex-King ofHolland,
say it was highly affecting. The Prince remained with
his father and the Countess, his wife, until eleven o'clock
at night, when he returned to the Hague. King Wil-
liam Frederick was to leave the Hague to-day for Berlin,
but it is believed that his absence will be a short one ;
he has promised the Protestant clergymen of Apeldoorn
to be present at the inauguration of the new church,
which is to take place at Easter.:'
The Russian Minister of Public Instruction has been
lately engaged in improving the University of Kasan,
where the Chinese, Arabic, Persian, Turkish, Tartar,
and Aretenian tongues, and generally the languages of
all the Eastern and Western nations are taught. Stich
students as distinguish themselves by their acquirements
are sent to travel in the interior of Central Asia, to ac-
quire a knowledge of the manners, customs, institutions,
and religion of the wandering tribes of that part of the
world, hitherto so little known. Two young men have
lately been sent into European Turkey, Asia Minor,
Persia, Arabia, and Egypt, with all instructions and
means of acquiring infoonation, which is to be published
on their return.

The following are the courses of public and gratuitous
lectures, on living Eastern languages, appointed to be
given at the Royal Library, during the first half of the
scholastic year, commencing from Monday, viz.,—
Hindostanee, by M. Garcin de Tassy, on Tuesdays,
Thursdays. and Saturdays, at a quarter before ten ;
Arabic, by M. Reinhaud, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and
Saturdays, at half-past two ; Vulgar Arabic, by M.
Caussin de Perceval, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays, at eleven ; Persian, by M. Quatremere, on
Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, at seven in the
evening ; Turkish, by Chevalier Amedee Jaubert, on
Wednesdays and Fridays, at twelve ; Armenian, by M.
le Vaillant de Florival, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and
Fridays, at four; Modern Greek, and Greek Palm-
graphy, by M. Lase, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sa-
turdays, at eleven.

Much anxiety has been felt by the public in
general, but more especially by the citizens of London,
as to the completion of the Wellington Statue, the com-
mission for which was in the hands of the late Sir
Francis Chantrey. Various idle reports have been in
circulation ; those, however, most conversant with the
position of affairs in the deceased artist's atelier seem
perfectly easy on the point, feeling confident that this
noble work will be satisfactorily completed under the
hands of Mr. Weeks, who has, in fact, for a long time
past, had the entire execution of the models which have
proceeded from the studio of Sir Francis, his own health
having, for a very considerable period, precluded him
from any interference.

MR. THEODORE HOOK'S NOVEL OF " FA-
THERS AND SONS," is just published, in 3 volumes, with
a portrait, and an interesting memoir of the author. The
desire to peruse this last production of the lamented
Theodore Hook, must be universal. " Fathers and Sons,"
observes the Illessenger, " is unquestionably one of the
best novels of the day. It is full of the peculiar spirit of
its witty and humorous author, and is admirable as a
specimen of the manners of one species of English gen-
tlemen, whom, for want of a better name, we must desig-
nate as " Club Men," meaning those young and elderly
gentlemen who spend their leisure hours in one or
other of those Palaces of the Sun' in Pall-mall or
Charing-cross. The tale, is, therefore, a lively portrai-
ture of living manners in this class of society; the dia-
logue is admirable, and the characters throughout well
sustained."

The Municipal Council of Paris has just adopt-
ed a set of measures, recommended by a Special Com-
mission of its members, on the trade in the capital,
whereby the system of several of the principal butchers
buying meat for the rest, and supplying them with it
wholesale, will be put an end to, and every butcher will
be compelled to purchase his own beasts for himself at
Sceaux or Poissy. The wholesale system has been for
some time complained of as tending to raise the price of
meat. The Prefect of the Seine has dismissed from his
post the Inspector-General of the meat markets, who
had opposed the abolition of the system above alluded to.
Two days ago, Pierre Mignotie, a shoemaker,
who has been acting lately as one of the distributors of
the Journal du Pet, was tried before the Paris Tribu-
nal of Correctional Police, on a charge of illegal posses-
sion of gunpowder, cartridges, and other ammunition.
He stated in reply to a question of the President, as to
how he became possessed of the articles, that they had
belonged to his father, who is dead, and that he had kept
them in remembrance of him. When asked if he was a
communist, he replied :—Yes, if communion will make
people happy; and when called upon to explain what he
understood by the happiness of the people, he said—" I
mean that the working classes should have occupation,
and that one part of the community should not revel in
luxury, whilst the other part wants bread." He was found
guilty, and sentenced to 13 months' imprisonment, 50f.
tine to the Treasury, and 3,000 f. to the administration of
direct taxes."

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HEROIC CONDUCT.—On Tuesday, during the
strong gale, which was so severely felt upon the river, a
sergeant of marines who had the conduct of a number of
recruits on their way to Woolwich, was blown off the
Waterman 's I?ier, George-street, Adeiphi, as he was
about to step into the boat "Waterman, No. 4," loaded
with a heavy trunk. It was at the time high water, and
there seemed to be no chance of saving the unfortunate
man, whose wife And children were on board the boat. The