The Sun.
London, England, 1847-04-02 00:00:00

object' of a prosecution, when the facts stated do not
apply to French subjects. The law is severe in what
concerns natives, and consequently they alone ought
to be protected by it. The best mode for persons
living in other countries of not being attacked is not to
leave room for attack; and, unfortunately, the accounts
of what passes in the interior of the palace of Madrid
are so contradictory, that it is impossible to know what
to believe. Even in Spain persons do not agree as to
the relations which exist between Isabella and her hus-
band. Thus, a journal of Madrid has recently annouuced
that the King retired to rest at ten o'clock and the Queen
at three or four in:the morning—one, therefore, would be
about to get up when the other withdrew to her apart-
ment. That does nut indicate a perfect accord, but, on
the contrary, leads to the supposition that they avoid
each other as much as possible. Yet the journal in
question was not prosecuted in any way by the law
officers of the Crown at Madrid. We believe, therefore,
that the menace addressed to the Patrie 'cannot be
meant seriously, and the Ambassador will not give any
further effect to the orders which he may have received.
From such a process nothing but scandal could result;
and scandal is always to be avoided, particularly in
France, w here the laughers would inevitably be ou the
side of the journal proceeded against."
As a specimen of what the laughers will say on the
subject we give the following from the National:--
"If we are to believe certain Spanish journals, the
public are furious in Madrid—the most vehement indig-
nation has seized on all the Don Quixotes of the mo-
narchy. It is true that this is very natural. These
journals, devoted to the innocent Isabella, have read in
the Patric certain insinuations of the presumed inclina-
tion of Isabella for the Progressists, and amongst that
body the Pakie named in particular General Serrano as
the one whom public opinion pointed out. Nothing
more was wanted to cause the chivalrous organs of
Spain to utter loud cries. They want to have that journal
prosecuted, and perhaps they have imagined that, in the
absence of the justice which they demand, the criminal
publication in question would be delivered up to all
the severities of some captain-general. Our laws,
however severe they may be, do not sanction pro-
ceedings so prompt and so sure. Her Majesty, the
innocent Issabella, if she desires a process, must run the
risk of having her person as well as her policy discussed
before the jury. The inviolability of the royal person
in France by nomeans protects the inviolability of Queen
Isabella. French juries are very curious, and as in his-
tories of the kind we are now speaking of they like to go
back to the origin of matters, the proceedings promise to
be exceedingly amusing. Our Madrid contemporaries
have the monarchical epidermis somewhat too excitable,
they ought to be aware that they could gain nothing by
proceeding against the Pattie. The Times, the Morning
Chronicle, the Daily News, and the Morning Pest have
been far less circumspect, and since they cannot be
silenced, it is just as wi 11 to allow every one to speak. For
our parts, we have taken good care not to repeat either
the details which have come to us from Madrid, or the
gross indiscretions of the English journals. We only
complain of one matter; that the young Queen has not
full liberty to take whom she pleases, to give all her con-
fidence to whom she prefers. It happens that at present
it is a Progressist; to-morrow it may be one of the oppo-
site party. We do not require from ardent youth the
fixity of taste inherent in seventy years. Leave to each
age its character and its humour; there is a dark period
of life, when ideas become contracted and the affec-
tions cool down. The innocent Isabella is not yet,
fortunately for her, at that point; she has not yet
felt affection on conceived ideas; she is making her
essays, she feels, she goes from one to another, she
studies men and things, and throws into her search all
the warmth of her noble blood. But the Moderado party
wishes to confine her within the constitutional circle;
it pretends that the present Ministers having the
majority, she ought not to go beyond that line. But
why should not the Queen, if there is nothing there to
satisfy her, seek elsewhere? Why does the Cabinet
suddenly give an order to a general who excites its
jealousy to depart from Madrid? Why do they hasten
to have a declaration of confidence in themselves voted
by the Chambers? Is it strange that such proceedings
should give occasion for all kinds of suspicions? The
Debuts has stated, that in disseminating such rumours
ignorance was shown of the habits and morals of the
Court of Spain. It seems to us, however, that since
Maria Christina's time, the morals and habits of that
place are tolerably well known. If even the reign of
Ferdinand VII. was gone back to, there could be found,
without much trouble, morals and habits of an exceed-
ingly edifying character; the innocent Isabella has the
advantage of certain traditions; and, from Godoy to
Munoz, the Court of Spain hi:Li shown, without much
effort at concealment, morals and habits all very much
alike. The Debats is perfectly right to glide lightly over
this subject, and to cover with a thick veil all that can
attack the monarchical dignity. It has its reasons; and
we have ours to act quite oppositely. The falling away
of institutions is revealed by marked signs to the eyes
of the people, and if any idolatry is still felt for the
principle, let the persons now occupying thrones in
Europe be regarded."
The Debuts returns to the subject of the expected
deficiencies of the ensuing harvest, and justifies its
former article by adducing facts which certainly
go to prove that even an average grain har-
vest in 1847 will not supply the deficiencies which
must arise from the failure of the potato crop, and that
the potato crop must fail is evident, because, even ad-
mitting that the rot should not manifoat itself, and
that it has already done so is but too apparent, still
there is not a sufficiency of sound potatoes left for
seed to plant the usual acreage of ground devoted
to the cultivation of that esculent. The following
extract from this article is well worthy the attention
of the Government, the Legislature, and the shipping
and mercantile interests of this country. It behoves
us to take care that France shall not forestall us in
the grain market of the world.
" We shall want flour this year unless we have such a
as it would be madness to reckon on.
short, because the potato crop will,
prodigiousoursuppiy harvest,
wii be
in a great measure, fail, and nothing can replace the loss.
This is a point of fact; in order to remedy the evil there
is but one means, and that is, to purchase corn abroad.
Suppose there be importei into France ten millions of
hectolitres, in order to make up for the incomplete bar
vest, it is well known that this supply must be principally
drawn either from the Black Sea, or from America;
and on account of the ice, which at the commencement
of December closes the Russian ports and the American
canals, this quantity ought to be embarked before the end
of November. Ten millions of hectolitres will employ
800,000 tons of shipping. In order to prepare this mass
of corn for shipping, six months will be required from the
date of the promulgation of a law for extending the time
for free importation, even supposing it to be brought
forward within a week. We big the Constitutionnel, who
wishes for nothing to be done in haste, to reflect on
this suttject : 800,000 tons of shipping is the trade of an
estire state ; it is the loading of from three to four
thous.nd vessels of ordinary tonnage. The delay of six
months is, therefore, very little for purchasers to such
an extent, or even for operations for half the amcunt,
particularly when it is considered it is not France alone
which may require a supply of corn. England, whose
wants will be still greater than ours, since Ireland con-
sumes more potatoes than any part of France, will go
into the foreign markets at the same time as ourselves,
and probably before us, and to supply the wants of En-
gland, France, and other countries which may require to
replace by corn the failure of their potatoes, it will not
be too much to expect that the producers may sell their
crop of 1847 with that of 1846. In fine, in order to
secure ships destined for the transport of this unusual
mass of corn, it certainly is not too soon, if it be even
soon enough, to begin immediately."
The price of corn, however, still continues to de-
cline in the markets of France. The Reforme states
that flour underwent another important diminution

in the Paris market on Tuesday. " The offers," it
says, " were numerous, and the purchasers very cold.
It would be impossible to fix, with any degree of
accuracy, tho prices of the market; but we calculate
at from 5 to 6 francs the fall in the value of the sack

_
of flour since last week." The price of wheat- had
increased 2f. per hectolitre at Compeiegne, if. 50c.
to 2f. at Meaux, 2f. at Beauvais, 2f. 50c. at Douai,
sf. to 6f. at Vernon, sf. at Arcis-sur-Aube, Bf. at
Blois, Brissac, and Saumur, 4f. to 4f. 50c. at Dieppe,
21. to 21. 50c. at St. Quentin, lf. 50c. at Le Mans,
21. at Chateaugoutier, af. at Montargis, lf, to 21. at
Chalons-sur-Marne, 51. at Sezanne, and lf. 50c. at
Cambria. The Journal des Debats publishes a letter,
dated Toulouse, 27th ult., which states that a fall had
been produced there in the price of wheat to the ex-

tent of 2f. 26c., and in Indian corn of 2f. the hecto-
litre. Of 800 hectolitres of wheat offered for sale on

the last market-day above 600 remained unsold.
In the Chamber of Peers, on Monday, a short dis-
cussion took place on certain petitions praying for
the immediate abolition of slavery in the French

colonies. It being generally admitted that the con-
dition of the slave population had improved since the

passing of the late colonial measure, the Chamber

decided that the prayer of the petitions was uncalled-
for, and passed to the order of the day. A short al-

tercation of a personal character took place between
the Prince DE LA MOSCOWA and General FAEVIER,

relative to an expression applied the previous day by

:he latter to 401410 Assertion of the Prince's.

matter was, however, ultimately arranged. In the
Deputies, the Civil Pension Bill was brought under

discussion, and some of the articles adopted. At the

commencement of the sitting the Minister of Finance
presented a Bill demanding the credit to pay the In-
terest en the Greek loan.

In the Chamber of Deputies the Committee on the
proposition for postal reform determined to adopt an
uniform postage of 20 centimes per single letter. M.

EMILE DE GIRARDIN was appointed reporter of the

Committee.

The Moniteur publishes the following
Most of the Paris journals announce, from a paper
of the Mauritius, that the French settlement of Nossi
Boy was evacuated in December last, by order of the
Government, and assign as the real cause the insalu-
brity of the climate. No order for the evacuation of the
island of klossi Bey-has beets addressed to the authorities