The Sun.
London, England, 1848-12-12 00:00:00

maintenance of an abstract principle—the substance
is lost while seeking to retain the shadow.

Many persons will oppose obstacles to every
practical suggestion that is made to ameliorate
the condition of the people. Some impediments will
be discovered to every proposition that is brought
forward for the improvement of the country. It is
one of the worst features in the Irish character that
there is invariably a craving for something beyond
their reach, while the existing means are disregarded
and neglected. The same failing is perceptible
among men of every grade and station in society,
from the most exalted to the humblest. A letter on
the state of Ireland, which appeared this day in a
morning contemporary, and purported to come from
an "Irish Peer" affords a strong illustration of this
phase of the Irish character. The Irish Peer
objects that the reclamation of the waste lands
will not pay that, therefore, the bogs should
not be drained the mountains brought into
tillage. Against this, however, we have the
published report of one of the first engineers now
living, who has not hesitated to affix his name to a
document stating that more than three-and-a-half
millions of acres could be brought into cultivation
so as to pay ten per cent. at least on the amount of
expenditure. We need scarcely ask which autho-
rity is the highest, the anonymous Peer, who we
doubt not is thoroughly convinced of the correctness
of his own conclusions, or the well-known engineer,
whose character is, to a certain extent, at stake on the
accuracy of his judgment.
Again, the Peer complains of the difficulties of
carrying on the fisheries on the western coast. The
fish lie far at sea, and require large vessels of 50 tons
at least to be employed in their capture ; there is no
market for the fish when obtained, nor salt to cure
them. These difficulties are, however, by
no means insuperable. Why not obtain a
better class of vessels ? There is no in-
vestment would prove more remunerative. Why
not establish stations, as we have already suggested,
at certain intervals along the coast, where the fish
would be purchased and sent to market, and salt
distributed to those who required it ? There are
obstacles certainly, but they are by no means in-
superable, and it is essential that the Government
and the people should co-operate cordially together,
and they will be easily overcome.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.
The election on Sunday passed off very quietly.
The weather was very fine and the streets were
crowded, but there was not the slightest appearance
of any attempt to create a disturbance.
The Gazette des Tribunaux says—" There is
nothing in the appearance of the population to justify
the fears which certain agitators have endeavoured to
create in the minds of the people. The most ener-
getic measures, however, have been taken in all
parts of the capital to repress immediately, and on
its first appearance, any attempt that may be made to
create disorder.
The Journal des Debats says—" From what we
have seen at the polling-places we imagine that the
number of voters must be much more considerable
than they have been on any former occasion.
The only return yet received is that of the votes
on board the flotilla which was to have formed the
expedition to Civita Vecchia. Under the idea that
they were to sail immediately, their votes were taken,
and the following is the result :--
LOUIS NAPOLEON 1,064
General CAVAIGNAC 914
A few votes were given to M. DE LAMARTINE and
M. LEDRU-ROLLIN.
Telegraphic dispatches have been received by the
Government from many of the departments. The
election was proceeding in all of them in a perfectly
orderly manner.
M. RECURT has written a letter to the Assembles
Nationale, declaring that the statement made by that
journal of his having placed in the situation of sub-
director of the octroi duties a person named BOIREAU,
the confidant and accomplice of FIESCHI, is an infa-
mous calumny. He calls on that journal to insert in
its earliest number the letter of denial.
The journal in which this calumny appears is the
recently established organ of the Orleanists, and may
be considered as the successor of the celebrated
Epoque, which was conducted by the notorious
GARNIER DE CASSAIGNAC and his brother-in-law, the
convicted perjurer DE BIdAUVALLON.
The election for Deputy to the :National Assembly
for Corsica has terminated in the return of M. LOUIS
LUCIEN BONAPARTE, the son of the late LUCIEN
BONAPARTE, and brother of the Prince of CAIINO.
The numbers were—
M. Louis Lucien Bonaparte
General Arrighi ........ . .
General ARRIGIII was recommended to the electors
by JEROME BONAPARTE, ex-King of Westphalia,
by his son NAPOLEON, and by Prince Louis NAPO-
LEON, in opposition to M. Louis LUCIEN BONAPARTE.
LUCIEN and his sons were always, on account of their
uncompromising republicanism, objects of fear and
dislike to the other members of the BONAPARTE family.
There was a Socialist banquet at the Barriere du
Maine on Sunday, at which 1,400 guests were pre-
sent. One of the speakers, aM. MARLE, boasted that
one of his sons was among the number of those trans-
ported, and that another had been in prison for a long
time. " That is nothing," added this flaming " red'
patriot, " I brought them up for it."
The Conatitutionnel which seems ambitious of
equalling the Presse in the invention and publication
of calumnies, having stated on Saturday that General
CAVAIGNAC had appointed M. BLEISE to the office of
Director of the Mont de Pie* and had increased the
salary of the office from 10,000 f. to 15,0001., because
M. BLEISE was one of the editors of the National has
been obliged in its number of Monday to publish the
following letter from M. BLEISE himself.
" Paris, Dec. 10, 1848.
" Monsieur le Redacteur—The note which you yester-
day published, relative to my nomination to the func-
tions of director of the Mont de PiosS of Paris, is com-
pletely inexact. 1. I was not named director by an
order signed by General Cavaignac on November 25;
my nomination goes back to May 30, and was made by
M. Recurt, then Minister of the Interior. It is not,
therefore, a nomination in eztremis, and the delay of my
installation was caused by considerations which have nu
connexion whatever with the present situation. 2. lam
not one of the editors of the National, nor have I ever
had the honour of writing in any journal. 3. I do not
receive 15,000 f. of salary, the amount at present being
only 10,000 f., having been reduced a third. If that
amount is too high, let it be again reduced. Those who
are acquainted with me, know that pecuniary motives
have never actuated my acts. This is perhaps a case to
repeat, according to a celebrated diplomatist, and with-
out meaning to allude in any way to the direction of
the office of my honourable predecessor, that in admin.
istrative matters nothing is so dear as what is gra-
tuitous."
The following is stated to be the result of the first
day's polling at Boulogne. Of course it can only be
at best an approximation to the truth, and the infor-
mation is derived from one of the most unscrupulous
of the reactionary party :
Louis Napoleon ...
General Cavaignac
Ledru-Rollin
Raspail •••
Lamartine
On Sunday night, at half after twelve, a conflict
took place at a wine. shopeutside the Barrier du Trone
between some Gerdes Mobiles and some troops of
the line. The Mobiles being the minority at first
were beaten. They sought the assistance of their
comrades, and returned reinforced, when a battle com-
menced between them with side arms, in which two
soldiers were killed outright, and several on each side
were wounded.

... 4,576
... 2,260
... 235

The Nouvelliste of Marseilles says that the troops
and seamen in the port voted as follows :
General Cayaignac ... .. ..- 1,282
Louis Bonaparte ... ••• ... 895
Louis Napoleon .. .. .. 69
Napoleon ... ... ... • • 8
Ledru-Rollin .. .. 406
Lamartine .. .. ••• • • 64
The Semaphore de Marseilles, of the Bth instant,
announces the arrival of Colonel JAERAS, .Aid-de-
Camp of General CATAIGNAC, who, after an interview
with M. FRESLON, Minister of Public Instruction and
Ecclesiastical Affairs, embarked for Gaeta, in the
Averne steam packet.

BOURSE--PARIS, MONDAY, DEC. 11. THREE o'CLoca.—The Bourse was in a state of
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majority in favour of Louis Napoleon is considered
favourable to the cause of order, as the new Govern-
ment will, for a time at least, be an exceedingly strong
one, as every statesman in France, with the exception of
the ultra-Republican party, will support it. For the
Account, the French Three per Cents. have advanced
the Loan
55c.; the Five per Cents. have advanced If. 35c.; and
have risen 50c
, If. 50c. For Money, the Three per Cents.
a d the Loa.; the Five per Cents. have risen If. 55c.;
nn lf. 70c. Bons du Tz6sor not quoted; Bank
of France Shares have improved, 30f.; Belgian Bank
Shares and Funds not quoted; Spanish Funds not
quoted, Exchange on London (30 days), 25 47i; ditto
(90 days), 25 37i.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
Northern
LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, Dze. 10.
of France, 6—Orleans and Bordeaux, 1%.