The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-20 00:00:00

the Newcastle and Berwick, at their meeting on theith
inst., to let the contracts for building the bridge over the
Tweed, resolved to defer building the bridge over that
river, to join their line with the North British, it being
extremely probable that the Berwick will not cross the
Tweed at that point, but will run on their Kelso line for
nine or ten miles, and then cross the Tweed, at only
about one-tenth of the cost, and thence proceed by a
new line direct to Edinburgh.
At present the number of passengers booked on
2,000 miles of railway annually is estimated by the
Edinburgh Review to be nearly 34,000,000. - When the
enlarged system comes into operation, the number must
be 153,000,000.

STATE OF FRANCE,
(From the Esprit Public.)
Public spirit in France has great qualities; it is prompt,
alert, generous, and even penetrating: but it has also its
defects; it is too often wanting in reflection and fore-
sight. Let a Government only save appearances and
surfaces, and all is saved! We rarely dive, in France,
to the bottom of things ; we are not fond of foreseeing
the next day ; and thus no nation has been more fre-
quently deceived than ours. But when the houlof re-
velation arrives, its astonishment is betrayed by terrible
shocks. One would say that it neither fears convulsions
nor crises, because it can display all the resources of its
character, and all the energy of its patriotism. At the
same time, it proceeds in this manner by somersaults, by
revolutions; and progress is the price of a thousand-ef-
forts and a thousand griefs; whilst a consistent conduct,
—a sustained attention to our interests and our affairs,
would conduct us to the goal with less labour and more
security. _ _

For instance, serious and reflective minds have long
warned the Chambers and public opinion of the wretched
state of our finances. We spend right and left ; ws
waste our money unproductively on all sides, and our re-
ceipts, whatever they may be, can never attain the level
of our expenditure. Even last year one of the reporters
of the budget expressed his.lively alarm at this spirit of
prodigality and improvidence; he was answered by ano-
ther reporter that these acts o imprudence well became
the greatness of the system, and that it was a fine thing
to be rash in peace as well as in war. These paradoxes
are delightful when prosperity smiles, when by dint of
Squeezing the taxpayer and exhausting credit the Finance
Minister succeeds in filling immense chests of treasure.
It is easy te discount the future for the profit of the present,
and to put off to some years hence the result of the follies
of the day. But, when the elements cease to favour and,
in a manner, to justify improvidence,—when the pres-
sure begins to be felt, and when, at the same time, the
state has placed its expenses on an exaggerated footing,
and has only chosen to see the advantages of the hour
without examining the difficulties of next day, woe to
the day in which all.this artificial wealth vanishes ! It
is very probable that we are on the eve of this day.
Railroad shares are falling with a continuity which does
not fail to be alarming. The harvest has been a bad
one, and the inundations have plunged in misery an
immense portion of our fellow citizens. The next
budget will certainly be presented to us with a remark-
able deficit ' • the extraordinary expenses are accumu-
lating every day ; all our reserves are exhausted, and
credit itself is lightened by the immense capital absorbed
in these railroads thrown upon the market without any
kind of prudence or moderation.
The sums expended since 1830 are incalculable. And
yet our frontiers are badly armed ; our coasts are open
to the enemy ; the majority of our ports are defenceless,
and we saw in 1840 in what degree of penury we were
surprised by a menace on the part of Europe. Are we
better prepared now ?
We doubt it. Yet our Government has just committed
an act of unequalled gravity. It has all at once broken
its only alliance—it has destroyed the entente cordials.
Has it acted rightly or wrongly ? Let ns not examine
here ; but, at all events, Governments do not try similar
revolutions in their policy. without having made their
arrangements, prepared their means of resistance, or as-
sured themselves of their points d'appui. In so suddenly
deciding upon the Montpensier marriage, has, then, the
Government resolved to resist England to the last ?
Well and good. But where are its arms, its finances,
and, above all, its fleets ? We are, navally speaking,
in a complete state of disarmament, and whilst England
is arming on all sides, with a fleet at Gibraltar,
and another off Sheerness ready to set sail, we remain
in an attitude of the most contemplative placidity.
Has even the good will of the continent been secured, to
say nothing of its friendship ? Not a whit. Conjec-
tures, commentaries, and feigned hopes are thrown
away, for it is perfectly well known how few sympathies
are to be expected from the northern Courts. Bat does
it, at least, turn towards the supreme resource of isolated
or menaced Governments—towards the nation and
public opinion, reassured and satisfied ? No. It is a
constant system of governing by distrust, the mother of
corruption, and power is directed by the hands of the
most unpopular men in France.
Nevertheless, the act which shas so deeply complicated
our external situation is considered with indifference in
certain circles. _ _

" We have played England a trick," say some of these
optimist spirits. Possibly; but that is insufficient.
When these paths are pursued, you must not only ac-
cept, but foresee all the consequences. It may be well
to play a trick sometimes, but it is good for nothing if
it costs more than it secures. Now, we affirm that the
Government is already beginning to pay dearly for what
its friends call its skill, and the English its knavery.
We must not deceive ourselves. England is seriously
irritated, and her resentment is manifested in all sorts
of ways. Was this foreseen? Or, has the Government
condemned itself to a situation worse than that of 1840,
io order to gain a dowry, and the poor glory of showing
that it is an adept in point of diplomatic duplicity?
The political horizon is darkeninc, ; we have reason
ghat to believe England is not so badly received as is
supposed in her overtures to the Northern Powers. If,
in the face of disciiiinful Europe and irritated England,
the Government soon finds itself disarmed and isolated,
without alliances abroad or rational strength at home,
who will dare to say that the Montpensier marriage is an
act of skill? This opinion, however, was adopted by
many, because they did not reflect on the results.
We said from the first, and we now repeat it, that
the Montpensier marriage, with all its attendant cir-
cumstances, is the most enormous blunder that has been
committed since 1830. Those who doubt it will see it
at a later period.