The Sun.
London, England, 1847-11-15 00:00:00

of France and England is a falsehood with which
hypocritical or dreaming statesmen arm themselves,
it it does not signify the association of the two
nations for the guarantee of right in Europe. We do
not see that suc an association has been shown by
the suppression of Poland, consummated with impu-
nity by the assassinations of Gallicia, by the inter-
vention in Portugal, by the policy which keeps Italy
under the threats of Austria, and which delivers
Switzerland to the horrors of civil war."
The formation of the Italian Customs Union is the
subject of comment in all the French journals of
Saturday.
The Debats says—

" For the moment the most striking feature in this
treaty is its political bearing. It is to augment, by
regular means, the force and independence of the Ita-
lian Governments, and to cement their union, that all
the efforts of all the enlightened friends of Italy
ought to be turned—efforts to which we have never
ceased to lend our aid."

The Constitutionnel is brief but clear in the expres-
sion of its sentiments. It says—
"lt is not necessary frr us to dwell on the impor-
tance of this treaty, which is a great guarantee of
independence for Italy. It is a confederation of com-
merce and industry between the Italian states, the
first foundation of a sort of political confederation."
The National thus concludes an ably written ar-
ticle on the same subject :

" We highly commend the sovereigns of Sardinia,
Rome, and Tuscany, for having so usefully obeyed
the impulsion given by public opinion. They pro-
mote at the same time the interests of their country
and their own grandeur. They cease to be the vassals
of Austria, and perhaps will soon count in the number
of European powers. An Italian political confedera-
tion will emanate from a Customs'.: Union.' But
the other princes remain to be conquered to the ideas
which have inspired the three parties to the Conven-
tion of Turin. The King of the Two Sicilies, the
Duke of Modena, and the Duchess of Parma, have
not joined the League. Already have overtures been
made to two of them, and the last words of the preli-
minary treaty of the Bth November cause the possi-
bility of an arrangement to be foreseen. We accept
the augury without disguising from ourselves that
Austria will make prodigious efforts to prevent the
accession of Naples and of Modena to the League.
They do not deceive themselves at Vienna; the
Customs' Union is the most terrible blow which can
be given to Austrian influence in Italy. M. de Met-
ternich kept under the Lombardian provinces as much
by the influence which he exercised around them as by
interior oppression. Venice and Milan would in vain
have attempted to shake off the yoke ; a point of sup-
port was nowhere to be found, and moreover they
felt themselves surrounded by hostile Governments.
Will it be thus now ? The Customs' Union, if it be
realised, as we hope it will, will open a new era to
Italy, an era of interior prosperity, of exterior de-
velopment.'

The Council General of Paris adopted, on Friday,
the following resolution, by a majority of twenty-five
to ten :

" Whereas an experience of sixteen years has dis-
closed serious imperfections in the electoral law of
the 19th of April, 1831, and demonstrated the ne-
cessity and urgency of modifying several of its enact-
ments, the Council expresses a wish that the Go-
vernment and the Chambers should attend with
solicitude to the revision of that law at the next
legislative session."

The Constitutionnel publishes the following sketch
of the diplomatic career of the late Count BRESSON—
" Under the Restoration Count Bresson was sent
to the United States as attache, and he there married
his first wife. The different proofs of aptitude which
he had the opportunity of giving on several occasions
procured for him a mission in South America, in
which he was engaged when the revolution of July
broke out. He did not delay his return to France,
and M. de Larochefoucauld, our representative
at Berlin, having been obliged to absent him-
self from that residence, M. Bresson was
charged to replace him. It was at Berlin
that M. Bresson really commenced his diplomatic
fortune; he was, it is true, assisted by some fortu-
nate circumstances. At that period the question of
Belgium and Holland divided Europe and threatened
the future. The French Ministry hesitated to under-
take the expedition against Antwerp. M. Bresson,
who at Berlin stood well with the Court, was able to
give the French Government the assurance that the
attack on the citadel of Antwerp would not be consi-
dered a case of war by the European Powers. In
consequence of the consideration which he enjoyed in
the capital of Prussia, he had the title of ' Minister
of France to the Government of Berlin' conferred
on him. In this new position he was not useless to
the dynasty which had divined in him one of its ablest
servants. It was M. Bresson who was charged by
two successive Ministries to negotiate and conclude
the marriage of the Duke of Orleans. M. Bresson
seemed predestined to this sort of intimate and fa-
mily affairs, for the two great points of his
diplomatic career are two princely marriages.
Count Bresson has left at Berlin the most affec-
tionate souvenirs. The late King, Frederick Wil-
liam 111., it is said, considered him as a friend, and
treated him with so much familiarity as to go to visit
him at the hotel of the Embassy, where he sometimes
passed whole evenings in playing at whist. Our
readers will not have forgotten the brilliant reception
which the French Princes obtained at Berlin on their
journey to Prussia. This reception was attributed in
great part to the influence which M. Bresson en-
joyed. From Berlin M. Bresson went to Madrid as
Ambassador. We have no need to call to mind the
recent events which have signalised the conduct of
our diplomacy in Spain. Our readers, besides, are
well acquainted with our opinion on the Spanish
marriages. Yesterday, in making known some of
the circumstances which signalised the stay of M.
Bresson in France, we omitted one, which is not
without importance. On the last changes in the
Cabinet of the 29th of October, overtures were made
to M. Bresson to induce him to consent to accept the
portfolio of the Marine. M. Bresson refused, found-
ing his refusal on the few chances of duration which
the Ministerial replastering up presented. The re-
fusal, and still mere the terms in which it was couched,
pleased very little, as will be imagined, those who had
taken it to heart to prop up the wavering fortunes of
the Cabinet. The Cabinet, obliged to recruit itself
as it could, called M. de Montebello from Naples,
who resigned himself to the succession of M. de
Mackau. As to M. Bresson, he had to go to Naples
to replace the same M. de Montebell) who had just
accepted the refused portfolio. It was not without
feeling bitter mortification that M. Bresson decided
on going to occupy at Naples an inferior post to that
which he had already filled. We may consider this
circumstance;and the grief which it caused, as having
occasioned the fatal event which has prematurely ter-
minated his career. We have been informed of an
affecting fact respecting M. Bresson, which deserves
to be stated here. By his first wife he had a son,
whose infirmities prevent him from leading an active
life, and whose means of subsistence it was conse•
quently particularly necessary to secure. Some time
before his departure from Paris, M. Bresson at length
succeeded in settling some affairs of interest which
the death of his first wife had left him, and which bad
remained in suspense till then. Before leaving for
Naples, he caused a sum of about 125,000 f. to be
placed out for that son. Never,' said he to one of
his friends, never have I been happier than I am
to-day, for the fortune of my poor son is secured !'
Whatever may be our opinion of the last diplomatic
acts of M. Bresson, it is not less true that his death
leaves a void in the personnel of our embassies which
it will be difficult to fill up. In the midst of the
difficult circumstances in which Italy is placed, the
experience and moderation of M. Bresson might have
exercised a happy influence on the determinations of
the Court of Naples, especially if he had not had to
struggle against the system adopted by M. Guizot."
On Friday the adjudication of the contracts for
supplying the mail-packets with coal took place at
one o'clock, at the General Post-office. The first lot
of 1,200,000 kilogrammes, for Calais, was adjudged
to M. PAYON at 3f. 39c. 9-10 per 100 kilogrammes.
The second lot of 600,000 kilos., for Bastia and Ajac-
cio, was adjudged to M. JULES TALABOT at 4f. 30c.
The third lot of 9,000,000 kilos., for the port of
Marseilles, for which there were four offers, was
awarded to M. VINCENT, of Marseilles, at af. 74c.
The fourth lot of 3,000,000 kilos., also for Marseilles,
to M. JULES TALABOT, at 4f. 92 milliemes. The
fifth lot of 24,400,000 kilos., for Malta, Athens,
Constantinople, and Alexandrfa, for which there were
five offers, was adjudged to Mr. JACKSON, of London,
at 3f. 79c. All these adjudications are subject to the
approbation of the Minister of Finance.

Advices are said to have been received at Paris at
a late hour on Saturday, by extraordinary courier,
to the intent that a bloody battle had taken place
between the two belligerent parties in Switzerland,
under the walls of Friburg.
The Three per Cents. closed on the Paris Bourse
on Saturday at 77f. 20c. ; the New Loan, 77f. 20c.;
the FiN e per Cents., 1161. 65c. ; the Orleans Rail.
road Shares, 1,212 f. 50c. ; Rouen, 930 f. ; Havre,
5201.; Great Northern, 572 f. 50c. ; Avignon,
5711. 25c. ; Vierzon, 566 f. 25c. ; Bordeaux, 4951.;
Troyes and Montereau, 2501.; Dieppe, 260 ; Bask,
162 f. 50c. ; Paris and Strasburg, 4251. ; Tours and
Nantes, 4031. 75c.; Paris and Lyons, 415 f. ; Lyons
and Avignon, 473 f. 75f. ; Spanish Three per
Cents., 284.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE