The Sun.
London, England, 1848-10-31 00:00:00

THE S MN, LONDON, TUESDAY

members of the Ashford Mechanics' Institution. The
abstract is transcribed from the columns of the
Kentish Observer, a publication whose orthodox cha-
racter has not precluded it from thus participating in
the propagation of ideas hitherto regarded as directly
adverse to the interests and aspirations of the
Establishment. Of itself this circumstance would be
admirably propitious. But there are additional
reasons for rejoicing at the appearance of the Rev.
Lecturer before the members of the Mechanics' Insti-
tute at Ashford, reasons discoverable in the earnest
and logical arguments which constitute the very bone
and marrow of his discourse. Among other things
it must be remembered that the auditors were the
men of Kent, that Kent which was formerly pro-
verbial for its antagonism to the spread
of enlightenment. If the S wan of Avon,
the gentle SIIAKSPERE, whose divine song
ilas of late provoked the jealousy of every
wretched little aspirant after notoriety, from the
quibbling absurdities of Mr. BIRCH down to the in-
lecent nonsense of Mr. DICKSON, if, we say, our im-
mortal SUAKSFERE is to believed, the intellectual
inferiority of the Kentish men had before his time
been commemorated in a proverb. Bona terra mala
pms was as credible an axiom with our ancestors as
that other axiom Point d' argent, point de Suisse is with
ourselves. Under the influence of Mechanics' Insti-
tutes, like that at Ashford, and of lecturers, such as
the Rev. JOHN DUFTON, the old Saxon county will
obliterate all remembrance of its ancestral short-
comings.

Those who bear in recollection the pamphlets to
which we have already made allusion, the educational
pamphlets of 1847, will not require to be reminded
that one of the most brilliant, if not the most brilliant,
of the whole number was from the Rector of Ware-
horne. The pamphleteer has entered the rostrunlv
of the lecturer, and his advocacy of the benign -
principles of instruction has only been enhanced
i❑ energy by the fluctuation of his intellectual cha. -
racter. He has in a few masterly sentences expose 1
the fallacy of those who would oppose the diffusion
of knowledge among the multitude either from reli-
gious objections, or from " exclusive" prejudices, or
from a mistaken regard for political expediency. The
lecture is altogether eminently worthy of an intellect,
a benevolence, and a liberality which were neverthe-
less very far from requiring this additional illus-
tration.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.
The approaching election of President is the one
absorbing topic which engrosses the attention of all
France at the present moment, and is the subject of
comment in all the papers, with the exception of the
Constitutionisel. The organ of M. Tuizas still main-
tains a cautious silence. It is in vain that the Na-
tional calls upon the Constitutionnel to declare for or
against Louis NAPOLEON. M. MIRES " bides bis
time." It is said that he would long since have de-
clared in favour of the Bonaparte candidate, had not
Prince Louis imprudently mixed himself up with M.
EMILE DE GIRARDIN. An addition has been made to
the list of candidates for the Presidency. The Journal
des Debats hints that it would be advisable to choose
M. MOLE for President. In the same journal we
find the following description of the present state of
France :
" Since France was led on the 24th February to run
after an adventure for which sbe had no mind, she is now
ready to run after adventures of all sorts. Alea facia
est—such is our motto. The country has borrowed from
NI. Lamartine his dangerous thoughtlessness and chal-
lenges to futurity. Do not ask us to stop at any part of
the inclined plane ; the country does not wish to stop.
She desires to go on and to go on. To see the way she
runs one would think she had an aim . The National
Assembly faithfully represents the country, and the
Assembly puts boldly into the lottery. It might have
decreed two chambers, but two chambers would have
afforded a resting-place. Take care,' cries the impa-
tient genius that pushes us on, you could not with two
chambers, if you desired it, change power and the
government within an hour. It is one Assembly that
can alone push on quick, and do everything, and we have
the one chamber.' Well, a President might have been
named by the Assembly, but that would have given the
government a sort of unity, and would not have sur-
rendered everything to chance. But chance is the sole
God that France adores. Why, then, interfere with
our destiny ? By causing the President to be named
by the country all is obscure and unknown. Tent
mieux! it is precisely that which pleases and attracts us.
No one can tell what may happen to-morrow. Dis
ignotis! Chance will do all! The die is cast! In fine,
the drawing of the lottery might have been postponed;
the election of the President might have been adjourned.
No! let there be no delay. Since we have a chance to
run, let us run it as quickly as possible. Let us hasten!
The 10th of December is not near enough. Fantastical
impatience of the national character; veritable furie
Francaise ; and which is yet not without sense and rea-
son of its own. We do only rely so much upon destiny
because we have no more reliance upo❑ ourselves. We
resign ourselves into the hands of chance, thinking, after
all, that somehow or another chance will bring all round
right again. There are two sorts of societies in which
revolutions are easy—those which are tired of stability,
and those which are tired of instability—those in which
nothing has changed, and those which change every day.
Movement brings movement as wave follows wave—and
that is our case. Not seeing a port, we call on the
waves to hasten and to push on one after another that
we may be thrown somewhere to the east or t• the west
to the south or to the north. We trust to the winds, for
we have no compass."

The Bien Public has the following on the Presi.
dential election :

" Tho Presse has thus characterized the different can-
didates for the Presidentship of the Republic. Ge-
neral Cavaignac is the incarnation of the National ; M.
de Lamartine is moderation; M. Ledru-Rollin, intimi-
dation; M. Thicrs, intervention; Marshal Bugeaud,
arbitrary rule; M. Louis Napoleon, the future.' Of all
these appreciations we see only one which appears to us
just and absolutely true, viz., M. de Lamartine, is mode-
ration. Yes; all Frgnce admits the truth of that de-
claration. For the fifteen years that this illustrious
statesman has been in political life there is not one
word or act of his that has not been a pledge of modera-
tion. Moderation is, in cur eyes, the very first quality
of a statesman. Passion is required to effect a revolu-
tion, moderation to organize it; passion is the fever of
the mind, moderation is the power of reason and the
force of conscience."
The election for the department of Calvados takes
place on the 19th November, and according to the
Assemblee Nationale, M. GuizoT will very probably
be chosen.

The committee appointed to revise the Constitution
completed its labours on Saturday. The report will
probably be presented to the Assembly to-day. The
debate on the Budget will, it is expected, occupy
the whole of the present week, and on Monday, pro-
bably, will be commenced the discussion on the re-
port of the Committee for the revision of the Consti-
tution ; after which will come on the great debate
on the question of the prorogation of the Assembly
during the time of the election of President.

At the sitting of the National Assembly yesterday
M. TROUPE CHAUVEL, the new Finance Minister,
presented a decree the object of which is to indemnify
the holders of bons of the savings banks for their
losses. In place of taking the Five per Cent. Rentes
at 80, as was resolved under the administration of M.
tiounkcHAux, they are to have them at 70 ; and, be-
sides this, the b 42714 are to be reimbursable on and
after the Ist of January.
The Assembly then proceeded to discuss the
Budget. The debate had not concluded when the
post left.
BOURSE, PARIS, MONDAY, OCT. 30.
THREE o'cLocx.—Tbis has been another exceedingly
dull day at the Bourse, and the business done was very
lialited. The Railway Shares were particularly heavy.
For the Account, the French Three per Cents, have
fallen 10c. ; the Five per Cents., 15c. ; and the Lean,

sc. For Money, the Threo per Cents. have fallen 30 ;
and the Five per Cents. 15c. The Loan has risen sc.
Bons du Tr6ior not quoted ; Bank of France Shares
have fallen 2f. 50c. ; Belgian Bank Shares not quoted ;
Five per Cents. have taPen I per cent. ; Spanish Active,
no change ; Three per Cents. not quoted ; Passive, not
quoted ; Roman is the same as on Saturday • Roths-
child's Receipts are at 79. Exchange on London: (30
days), 25 45 ; ditto (90 days), 25 27k. Railway Shares,
and especially the heavy shares, gave way. Orleans
have fallen 12f. 50c. ; Rouen, sf. ; Marseilles, 12f. 50c. ;
and the others to a smaller extent. The Ilavres re-

rnained as on Saturday.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, Ocr. 30.
Boulogne and Amiens, 5;8—Northern of France, 61A—
OrleanB and Bordeaux, l;Ti —Paris and Lyons, VA—Paris
aid Strasbourg, 2%4

SPAIN.
Madrid papers of the 25th have been received.
Their contents are unimportant.
MADRID 13014 A, OCT. 25.—Three per Cents.
are reported at 18f buyers, and # to 9-16 sellers;
Five per Cents., 9# to 3-16 buyers, sellers;
Coupons, .5 sellers; Passive Debt, Si buyers,
cl sellers ; Bank Shares, 40 buyers. Discount on
notes, 1i; Exchange on London, 48 90.
AL

lIBERAL BEQuEsT.—The late Prussian 'Consul
General Chevalier A. C. Giese, who died recently ar
Antwerp, has bequeathed to the Society of Friends of
Foreigners in Disttese 9, legacy of 3004