The Sun.
London, England, 1847-09-29 00:00:00

Ehentag

LONDI)N, WEDNESDAY. SEPTEMBER 29, 1847

Communications have at length been received in
the Spanish capital from the Captain-General Don
BALI:IO3,IER° ESPARTIYRO, Due de la Victoria. The
inanner of their reception by the illu‘trious personages
to whom they were addressed was honourable alike to
themselves and to that distinguished statesman. As
a fitting return for his personal devotion totheße-
gent during the days of his exile and misfortune,
Colonel GURREA was selected as the bearer of these
interesting letters, and to Colonel GURREA himself,
therefore, as the friend and representative cf ESPAR-
TERO, were directed those affecting marks of consi-
deration which have rec(-ntly been afforded by the
SOVEREIGN and the Government. According to the
accounts received from well-informed correspondents,
the reception of Colonel GURILEI by ISABELLA was
characterised by an amenity and grace peculiarly in
accordance with the general nobleness of her disposi-
tion. And the friendly solicitude evinced by her
Most Catholic MAJESTY as to the health and happi-
ness of one who had fought so bravely and suffered so
grievously in her behalf was an appropriate corollary
to the late political amnesty and to the decree restor-
ing the exiled warrior to his titles, dignities, and pos-
sessions. The reception of GURREA by the members
of the new Administration was in like manner so re.
rnarkable for its cordiality and empressement as to be
in itself sufficient evidence of the feelings of
sympathy entertained by the Salamanca Cabi:let
for the personal sufferings, and protracted
banishment of the Duke of 1, ICTOILY. Immediately
his emissary appeared in the doorway of the Council
Chamber, the Ministers rose with one accord for the
purpose of testifying their respect for the eminent
man still resident in the modest villa in the Regent's.
park. After one by one embracing the gallant bearer
of ESPARTERO'S letter, the colleagues of Senor SA-
LAMANCA. listened to its perusal with that attention
which was assur d by its manly and dignified lan-
guage. ESPARTERO, it would appear, has expressed
his readiness to place his good sword at the disposal of
his SOVEREIGN, an to employ his abilities as a captain
and a statesman i 1 the cause to which they were ori-
ginally devoted. Whatever may he the result 0;
these commuovations between the greatest of the soldiers of ISABELLA and her present political advisers,
it must be a matter of sincere gratulation to all lovers'
of true patrio-ism, that tie royal dupe of CHRISTINA
and Louis PHILIPPE has been affJrded an opportu-
nity, so soon after her disastrous marriage, of bind-
ing yet more indissolubly to her cause the most
loyal and able of her few defenders. The young
QUZEN need no longer tremble in her palace

at the reflection that she has to oppose
to the profounk guile of one who is al-
most an octogenarian the resolution of a heart
that has only throbbed during seventeen sum-
mers. She may now raise between herself and the
formidable intriguers of Malmaison and the Tuileries
a man whose very integrity may outwit their crafti-
ness and whose acknowledged genius as a com-
mander and administrator may restore her to happi-
ness, by securing the independence of her kingdom.
England exults at the revival of hope to ESPAR-
TEE°, and at the restoration to him of all those
honours which were won by his honesty and
prowess in the service of his QUEEN and country.
England exults in this change of fortune, but she
exults not as at the reclamation of a partizan. Eng-
land exults at the propitious epoch which has arrived
in the career of ESPARTBRO, 13.!cause she admires
genius, because she loves truth, because she reverences
justice, because in the estimation of her people no
sight is more worthy of admiration than the acknow-
ledgment of the services of an earnest and disinte-
rested patriot. We rejoice, therefore, over the re-
newal of a friendly intercourse between ISABELLA
and ESPARTERO, because the former is in extraor-
dinary need of a staunch and gifted protector, and
because the latter has earned for himself the admira-
tion of his countrymen by his integrity during the
time when he was prosperous and powerful, and by
his patience during the hours of his most severe
affliction.

It is not unworthy of consideration, that simulta-
neously with the receipt of this intelligence from
Madrid, news arrives from Paris of the additional
dignity conferred by the French MONARCH upon the
most illustrious of the living warriors of his kingdom.
SOULT is honoured in a peculiar manner by
Lours PHILIPPE, while ESPARTERO is receiving from
ISABELLA an especial token of her favour•
The juxtaposition of these names is emblema-
tic in a particular manner of the credit due to
the two SOVEREIGNS. LBy a royal ordinance the
Duke of DALMATIA is nominated Marshal-Gene-
ral of France. By a royal decree the Duke of
VICTORY is reinstated in his rank as Captain-General
of Spain. The former act is worthy of Louis
PHILIPPE, the latter of ISABELLA. It is suitable that
a young QUEEN, placed in a position so perilous
as that of her Most Catholic MAJESTY, should
evince her regard for the most single-minded of
her defenders ; and it is most suitable that
the KING of the FRENCH should confer another
sounding title upon the most notorious time-server in
the length and breadth of his dominions. Far be it
from us to call in question the military genius of the
Duke of DALMATIA. We have not the presumption
or the fool-hardiness of the gallant biographer
of WALLENSTEIN. It is enough to remember that
SOULT was a lieutenant of NAPOLEON to feel assured
that he was by no means incompetent as a warrior,
and that he won the imperial feof of Dalmatia by
some great service to France, either on the battle-
field or in the council-chamber. But history will not
rail to record how slippery were the affections of
Marshal SOULT, how transferable was his loyalty,
how convenient was the plasticity of his allegiance.
It will say that among those who became oblivi-
ous of their gratitude to the Emperor and
King NAPOLEON in the day of his disastrous down-
f4l, SOULT was not the least conspicuous—that his
name may be coupled with those of BERTHIER and
MARMONT in that epoch of ducal perfidy
and imperial misfortune—that he was ready
to lick the dust at the feet of the glut-
tonous Bourbon, Lours XVlll.—that he was
the most obedient vassal of the national enemy
CHARLES X., until the popularity of Lours PHILIPPE
D'ORLEANS appeared to be becoming predominant,
and that the retention of his wealth and dignities at
all risks was the summum bonum of the Duke of
DALMATIA. As a subject and a citizen ESPARTERO
is as different from SOULT as the character of ALM..
MARLE iS dissimilar to that of BOLIVAR.

The recent decisions of Mr. T. Y. M'CLIRISTIE,
the Barrister appointed to revise the lists of voters for
the City of London, will, we trust, be productive of
the most beneficial results in preserving those actually
and bona fide entitled to the elective franchise from
the trouble and annoyances to which they have
hitherto most needlessly been exposed, and also in
preventing many from losing their right of voting,
in consequence of their choosing to relinquish it until
the period of the next registration, rather than to
submit to great 'personal inconvenience in attend-
ing to substantiate their claim, or to defend their
title against the objections made against it. The
Legislature, in deciding that there should be an
annual revision of the lists of voters, never intended
that every person inserted therein should be
compelled to sacrifice a portion of time that might
be of considerable value to him, in consequence
thereof. It provided certain qualifications which
should be essential to entitle the party to vote at the
elections for Members of Parliament. So far as its
intentions could be carried out in practice, the parties
qualified were not to be subjected to any difficulty or
trouble. If by any mistake or accident their right
was not immediately recognised, a simple and easy
remedy was supplied, that the error might be cor-
rected. At the same time, in order to guard against
the admission of improper and unqualified persons,
and as every elector is interested in preventing an
undue usurpation of the franchise, it enabled every
such elector to object to the retention of the name of
any person on the list who was wanting in any of the
necessary qualifications.
With these objects the overseers of parishes in
any city or borough were required, amongst other
things, to make out an alphabetical list of all person.
entitled to vote, in respect of the occupation of pre-
mises of the clear yearly value of not less than 101.,
-ituate wholly or in part within their parishes. By
the Reform Act every person was entitled to be re-
gistered if he had occupied premises of the clear
yearly value of 10/. for twelve months previous to
the last day of July, and provided he had been
rated to the relief of the poor in respect of
these premises for the preceding twelve months,
and had paid all rates due up to the month of April.
From this it was obvious that any occupier omitted
from any rate would be disfranchised for the subse-
quent year; but every such person was permitted
to serve a notice on the overseer, claiming to be rated
to the relief of the poor in respect of the premises
in his occupation, and the overseers were required
to put such name upon the rate for the time being ;
and in case they neglected or refused so to do the
occupier should notwithstanding, for the
iseurposes of
the Act, be deemed to have been rated for the pre-
mises from the time the rate was made, on which he
claimed to be placed. If the overseers, through wilful
neglect or carelessness, omitted to place upon the list
the name of a party duly qualified, a double
was given against them. The aggrieved party was
entitled to maintain an action for the damages he
might sustain or be pat to in consequence thereof,
while the Revising Barrister was empowered to in.
flict a fine for every wilful breach of duty in the
execution of the Act of not more than 51. or less
than 20s. The first of these was never acted on.
We believe that there is not an instance of an action
by a private party against overseers for their neglect
in orAtting to place him on the register. The Re-
v'ssing Barrister very seldom indeed exercised his
power; if great negligence was apparent he some-
times censured them, and threatened that if they
persevered in similar acts of carelessness he would
act with less leniency on future occasions, but the
fine was scarcely ever enforced, and the practical
impunity increased the irregularity until it
became a positive nuisance, and very many gentlemen
were subjected to considerable expense, trouble, and
annoyancellr.Ai,ciinutclowrnsießqhunes nce.determined,
so far as in him
lies, to put a stop to this reprehensible conduct on
the part of the parochial authorities, and censures
having proved utterly useless, he has, much to the
surprise and consternation of the overseers, inflicted teel,
a number of fines varying from 1/. to 4/
instance, according to the nature of the case in a
. rrti
salutary examples will, it may hoped, se
such great
par-
ties who take upon themselves duties
responsibility, and on the correct and accurate dis-
charge of which the personal convenience of every
parishioner is so much concerned, to devote
a greater
degree of _attention thereto, and in no case
omit the name of any person entitled to the franchisteo
from the list without ,a fair and plausible excuse to
justify them for such an omission.
The other decisioza of the Lea} 0 Gentleman to

which we have referred is still more important. The
Act which authorised any person to claim to be in-
serted, or to object to any name being retained, in the
list of voters, provided that costs not exceeding 20s.
might be given against such person, to the party
resisting such claim or objection, that power, how-
ever, was seldom acted on, and numerous frivolous
objections were usually taken, many of which were
wholly without foundation, but which were made
for the purpose of annoyance, and on the chances of
the person objected to being, from the pressure
of his avocations, unable to attend before the
Barrister, and to maintain his right to
be retained. If the party was not pre•,ent he was
disfranchised, but if he attended the objection was
withdrawn, and no notice taken. Mr. APCIIRISTIE
has also determined to put down this practice .% hich had
been carried to such an extent that thousands of ob-
jections were lodged which were qui'e untenable. He
has accordingly, notwithstanding the withdrawal of
the objection at the last moment, given costs against
the party making it, if it proved groundless, and the
person objected to attended before him, in consequence
of the notice, upon proof or admission of the hand-
writing of the objector. Mr. M‘Ctutints has enti-
tled himself to the best thanks of every elector in the
kingdom for the rules he has established, which
if duly followed and acted on by other Learned Gen-
tlemen, as no doubt they will be, must have the effect
of preventing very serious inconvenience to great num-
bers, and the temporary disfranchisement of many
duly qualified persons.

A Vienna letter of the 19th, in the Augsburg Ga-
zette says," As there is no Bourse to-day, the holders
of railroad shares have been permitted to enter at the
Administration of the Sinking Fund the number
that they are desirous of disposing of at former
prices, viz., Milan, 108, Gloggnitz, 120, Pest, 98.
Yesterday MM. DE ROTHSC faILD, SENA, and
ESKELER had an interview with M. DE METTERNICH,
and this day with the Archduke LUDWIG."
A letter from Hamburgh, of the 20th, says—

" Within these last few days, a Swiss banking-
house of our town has suddenly sold a very great
number of shares of the railway from Hamburgh to
Berlin, which, notwithstanding the receipts and traffic
of the railway, are always increasing, has necessarily
brought down considerably the price of shares. In-
quiries having been made into the causes of this bale,
in some respects a forced one, it has been ascertained
that the banking-house had acted on behalf of the
College of Jesuits of Fribourg (Switzerland), and
that that establishment had for a long time carried on
frightful gambling in most of the stock which is
negotiated on the Bourse of Hamburgla."

A letter from Naples, dated the 19th inst., says—

"The success of the insurgents in Calabria is con-
firmed. Every day fresh communes declare in favour
of the movement, and reinforce the bands of the in-
surgents. The greater part of the coast connected
with the principal towns which are in insurrection
has also declared in their power. A sanguinary con-
flict has taken place between the bands of Romeo and
the royal troops commanded by General Nunziante,
who has five battalions under his orders. Upwards
of 300 of the King's soldiers were either killed or
taken prisoners ; amongst the dead were found a
colonel and a captain. On their side the insurgents
had also a good number killed or taken prisoners.
After this affair, Romeo sent to propose to General
Nunziante an exchange of prisoners, but he replied
that it was too late, as the prisoners who had fillen
into his power had been at once shot. Romeo in
reprisal had the prisoners taken by hi'i men also put
to death. The tactics of Romeo appear to be to
advance constantly, organizing the insurrection
in all the districts he pas9es through, respecting in all
cases the property and persons of the inhabitants.
It is these continual marches which the Govern-
ment journal calls a flight before the King's troops.
The Government has sent moveable columns into Ca-
labria and the other provinces where it is afraid that
the insurrection may spread. As I have already
stated, General Stratella has assumed the command-
in-chief of the Calabrian troops. It is stated that the
King has disapproved of the executions ordered by
General Nunziante ; but the latter has alleged in his
justification that orders were sent him by which he
was enjoined to have every insurgent, taken with
arms in his hand, put to death. It is very difficult
for me to make you acquainted with what is passing
in Sicily ; no letter reaches us, and no one can at-
tempt, without compromising himself, to penetrate
the mystery in which the Government envelopes all
its acts in this country."
It is reported that the insurgents of Calabria have
again occupied Reggio, and put to death a detach-
ment of 140 men of the royal army, commanded by a
superior officer, who fell in their hands.

'A letter from Rome states that the Prince DE
CANINO has been struck off the list of the National
Guard of that city. According to a rumour in circu-
lation, this measure was adopted in consequence of
some violent and indiscreet language by the Prince
in favour of the establishment of one general mo-
narchy in Italy, with a view to give assurance to the
Liberals in France. M. GALETTI, an officer of the
National Guard, M. Mau, and Mr. 111ACBEAN, an
Englishman, are said to have been placed under arrest
at their houses for having uttered shouts in favour of
national liberty in front of the house of the Austrian
Ambassador.

A letter from Venice of the 17,h says,—" It was
Count FIQUELMONT, who applied for the order to
send the Prince DE CANINO away from Venice. The
Viceroy wished to prevent the necessity of such a
measure. Three Commissaries waited on the Prince,
and presented to him his passport. The Prince said
he expected what had occurred, but that before leav-
ing he would offer them a souvenir. He then gave
to each a pontifical cockade."
A supplement to the Felsineo of Bologna contains
an account of some disturbances which took place
there on the 15th and 16th inst. As the Felsineo
does not state what was the occasion of these trouble:,
it is impossible for us to divine the motive of them
Letters, which we receive from Leghorn, would lead
us to suppose that the movement at Bologna was
caused by the presence of the Prince DE CANtrio,
whom an order of the Austrian police had recently
enjoined to quit Venice. We cannot in any way
answer for this version ; we can only state, according
to the Felsineo, that the National Guard has shown
itself much opposed to this manifestation ; that the
troops of the line were obliged to interfere; and
several arrests have been effected.

We find in the Alba, of the 20th, a pastoral letter
of the Archbishop of FLORENCE to his clergy, dated
the 16th, in which, after expressing his satisfaction at
the fraternal concord displayed by the clergy in unit-
ing with the people to convey, by the public demon-
stration of the 12th, their sentiments of loyalty and
gratitude to the Prince for his liberal and enlightened
measures, he directs the insertion, during eight days,
of the first prayer, pro gratiarum actione, in the so-
lemnity of mass ; and concludes with an exhortation
to follow in the spirit of the immortal Pius IX., who
from the chair of PETER, the Apostle and King,
offers the most luminous examples of religious and
civil wisdom.

It is stated in a letter from Turin, that the
commercial treaty of 1751 between Austria and
Sardinia is to be annulled, and a new treaty en-
tered into, in which
.the two states will make mntual
concessions.

The republic of San Marino has just experienced
a change. This little country, hemmed in on all
sides by the states of the Church, has always pre-
served its independence. It contains about 7,000
inhabitants, engaged in agriculture. Its govern-
ment composed of two captain-regents, charged
is
with the executive power, a secretary of state for
foreign affairs, another for home matters, and a
council of state. The latter body has just been con-
verted into a chamber of representatives, named by all
the inhabitants, and it has declared that its delibera•
tions are to be public.

Madrid journals of the 22d have arrived.

Colonel GUERRA arrived at Madrid on the 21st.
He was the bearer of a letter to her MAJESTY from
ESPARTERO, in which the Duke of VICTORY ex-
presses his warm gratitude towards her MAJESTY,
and his anxious desire to defend her rights and inte-
rests. The QUEEN received the letter in the most gra-
cious manner.

Don FRANCISCO DE and his daughter have
arrived at Burg
Granja for a ftt7; nays,
"' BULWER has gone to La
It t said that the intrigues which hate been set on
foot for the overthrow of the new Cabinet are on the
point of succeeding, General SERRANO having been
bought over by the Afrancesado party. There are
rumours of various modifications in the Cabinet.
According to one account there is a coolness
between SA.LAMANCA. and 'int/LANG, earl the latter
has giver: his support ta A.ccoxding to

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