The Sun.
London, England, 1847-10-07 00:00:00

It says we must govern without them, and against
them, if necessary. This is the reason why re-
form has its terrors. And, in fact, see what will
arrive if the electoral suffrage be extended, and the
country be really represented. A system, evidently
in opposition with the necessities, with the ideas,
and with the general interests of :the nation, must
fall on the first collision. If this were not the case,
why should the Government resist, with the energy
of despair, every species of progress ? It has been
said, that by means of refirms' we dispense with
revolution. That is true as regards governments
whose existence is not in contradiction to the very
nature of the society which they direct. As for the
latter, the development of political institutions is a
pledge of duration and augmentation of strength, in-
asmuch as they become consolidated as the basis is
enlarged on which they are founded. But when, is
the contrary, the Government constitutes itself inon
state of privilege in the midst of social order—when a
pretends to exist, as we have just now said, indepenit
dently of every-day life, in that case it is easy to
comprehend that as it has no root it must fall on the
day when the nation, mistress of itself, shr.ll establish
her legitimate domination. Nothing is more
evident. if the present regime was conscious
that it responded to a real necessity, and that it re-
presented some legitimate object, it would not so
much fear reform—it would be sure of being com-
prised in that great mass of various interests which
general interests would assimilate without destroying.
But it wants confidence in its utility. Even at pre.
sent it uses all the privileges which surround it as a
defence, and it shelters itself behind electoral mono •
poly, as if it were a fortress. To consent to reform
would be equivalent to suffering its fortifications to
be rased ; and it pretends, on the contrary, to fortify
itself by all means. If we are in error, it is easy
to convince us by yielding to the wish expressed by
public opinion. But if the Government resists and
obstinately refuses, we shall be entitled to assert that
the Government is actually without the pale of the
nation ; and if such be the case, it has only to take
counsel of itself in order to be saved, if necessary, in
spite of itself. For these reasons we desire to see
Reform banquets multiplied, not for the mere plea-
sure of hearing a system of policy stigmatised of
which we have long known all that is to be expected
from it, but in order that public opinion, manifesting
itself by all legal channels, the Government can no
longer be permitted to elude the question without
placing itself in a state of insurrection against the
nation."

Marshal SOULT attended the funeral of the late
Marshal OUDINOT (Duke of Reggio), which took
place on Tuesday, at the Invalides. SOULT has, it
appears, at length accepted the Governorship of the
Invalides, and received the appointment on Tuesday.
M. DEVRESSE, the editor of the Courrier Francais,
was on Monday prosecuted before the Court of As-
sizes of Paris, for the publication of the following
libel (copied from the lndependant of Brussels),
on M. HOCHET, Member of the Council of
State, and M. DUMON, the Minister of Fi-
nance :—" Much at this moment is being said
about a certain inscription of I,ooof. rente given
by Baron DE R. (ROTHSCHILD) to M. IL (Ho-
CHET), a member of the Council of State, on the
day of his marriage with the daughter of the Mi-
nister D. The present was made in acknowledg-
ment for the concession of the Northern Railroad."
A postponement of the trial was requested by the
advocate of M. DEVRESSE, on the ground of sudden
indisposition, and refused by the Court. Judgment
was therefore suffered to go by default, and the Court
condemned M. DEVRESSE to twelve months' imprison-
ment, to pay a fine of 6,000 f., and all the costs of the
prosecution ; giving no damages to the prosecutors,
their counsel having in their name declined to make
any such claim until the nature of the defence to be
set up by M. DEVRESSE should be known.

The Courrier Francais publishes the following
observations on this trial :

" M. A. Devresse, responsible editor of this journal,
was yesterday condemned by default, on the prosecu-
tion of ,the Minister of Finance. Our advocate, M.
Madier de Montjean, having been suddenly seized
with serious indisposition, demanded a postponement
for a short time. The (Jourrier Francais, however,
neither can nor will add anything to what it has al-
ready said. It merely refers to the explanations which
it gave at the first."

The KING has returned to St. Cloud from La Ferte
Vidame.

The Chamber of Commerce of St. illalo have peti-
tioned the Government to prohibit the exportation of
potatoes. It appears that although the wheat crop
has been abundant, the black corn has suffered
in many places, there is scarcely half a crop of pota-
toes, while there remains no portion of the last year's
crop of wheat on hand.

The Three per Cents. closed on the Paris 13,)urse
on Tuesday at 75f. 25c. ; the Five per Cents., 1141.
50c. ; the Orleans Railroad Shares, 1,150 f. ; Rouen,
895 f. ; Havre, 521 f. 25c.; Great Northern, 513 f. 75c.
Avignon, 5121. 50c.; Vierzon, 532 f. 50c.; Bordeaux,
445 f. ; Dieppe, 2501. ; Basle, 157 f. 50c.; Paris and
Strasbourg, 386 f. 25c.; Tours and Nantes, 360 f. ;
Paris and Lyons, 375 f. ; Lyons and Avignon, 460 f.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, OczoizEs 6.
Boulogne and Amiens, 138—Central of France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 14%—Namur and Liege, 3%—Northern of
France. 10—Orleans and Bordeaux, 3%Paris and Lyons,
4%—Paris and Rouen, 311,42—Rouen and Havre, 19%.