The Sun.
London, England, 1848-06-30 00:00:00

FRANCE.

[The following, from Galignani's Messenger of Wed-
ne6day evening„ appeared in our Third Edition last
night]

The death of the Archbishop of PARIS forms a topic
of mournful comment in the leading columns of
several of the Paris journals of this day, but our
limits do not permit us to give more than two
extracts on this subject. We must be per-
mitted to add to them the expression of our
own grief, for although the circumstances under
which the ARCHBISHOP met his death were of them-
selves sufficient to excite the most profound sensations
of veneration, we do not forget that his previous life
was one continued career of piety and virtue. The
character of M. AFFRE was remarkable for charity,
liberality, and firmness. His entire income,
after deducting the small portion that he
took for his personal wants, was devoted to
the poor, and it is known that after the revolution of
February, when his purse was exhausted, he gave up for
the use of the wounded the little plate that remained
for his domestic use. M. AFFRE took little part in the
politics of the day, but his opinions when expressed were
always on the liberal side. He was a reformer too of
the best school, and by his energy carried into effect two
measures against obstacles with which few meu in
his position, and with the ideas which he might have
been supposed to have imbibed, would have had the
courage to contend. It was M. AFFRE who, in spite
of the resistance of the churchwardens of the churches
of his diocese, insisted on the reduction in the price
of seats, in order that the poorer classes might not be
kept apart from their more fortunate fellow-wor-
shippers ; and he it was who also compelled the cures
to bestow upon the poor a portion of what they re-
ceived. The Debats says—
" This cruel catastrophe has plunged Paris into con-
sternation. Now it is that we begin to estimate the
cost of civil war. Alas! only a few hours before he
received his mortal blow, the courageous Archbishop
passed through our streets amidst the benedictions
of the people. As an apostle of the God of peace,
clemency, and pardon, he bore the cross and
the sign of reconciliation into the very centre of murder
and carnage, and fell in the very heat of the battle. It
may be said that God, in pity for mankind, concealed in
darkness the hand that committed what was either a
frightful crime or a most lamentable misfortune.
On this sublime sacrifice, Christian hearts are di-
vided between a holy pride and an inconsolable
,sadness. The history of the Church does not con-
tain a more admirable page. On being carried bleeding
over the barricades, the only thought, the only words
of the martyr were, May my blood be the last that is
shed !' In its flight to its Creator, the immortal soul
of the jast, no doubt, demanded this as the price of
his oblation and his holocaust, and his prayers arrested
the work of blood and expiation. Death, atter having,
among so many others, struck this innocent and
holy victim, seemed to have become satiated. After
two days of excruciating sufferings, the venerable pre-
late died full of calmness, resignation, and courage, the
purest—the most admirable example of the passage of
the soul of the just into the bosom of
its God. We cannot describe the extent and
depth of the mourning which this egregious event
produced in Paris—it was universal. In every street
at every corner, the priests were questioned upon the
subject with the utmost anxiety, and in this great
blood-stained city even those who had to mourn some
of their own kindred reserved a portion of their tears
for the holy martyr who died for all."
The Univers says—
" This death is precious in the eyes of God; it is
precious also to Paris and to France. It is a death,
no doubt, to be ever lamented, but which at the same
time fills us with consolation. A country in which
Seth devotedness is displayed cannot be a coun-
try under the malediction of heaven. You who have
lighted or sustained an impious war—you who
nourished against your deluded brethren an implacable
anger. Oh ! if you had been present with us at his
last moments—if you had seen the tears and emotions
of the priests, the soldiers, the citizens of all classes,
who were in attendance upon him—if you had heard
the last and solemn prayers which sustained him
till the end—if you had contemplated the sere-
nity of that countenance, about to render its last sigh
—that sigh which was for you! Oh ! we cannot
doubt that you would have immediately cast away all
your resentful feelings—your minds would have been
elevated with a higher order of thoughts and ideas—you
would at once have become what you are really in your
hearts, much more than you believe—Friends, Brothers,
Christians! This miracle will be accomplished. Such
a saurifice cannot be sterile. God has not imposed it
upon you in vain. The hour of his mercy is marked—
this hour cannot be far off."
The number of troops in Paris is so great, from the
reinforcements constantly arriving, that all the barracks
are filled to overflowing, and added to this the military
precautions imposed by the alit de siege render it neces-
sary that part of the troops should bivouac in the open
air, and hence the Boulevards, extending nearly from
the Porte St. Denis to the middle of the Boulevard du
Temple, is turned into a vast military station, occupied
by lancers, dragoons, artillery, garde mobile, and troops
of the line. The various occupations of cleaning their
horses and equipments, cooking, and amusing them-
selves, give this part of Paris a most animated aspect,
the novelty of which drew thousands to that quarter
yesterday afternoon and evening. The soldiers, though
much fatigued, display all that exuberant gaiety which
is a marked feature in the French military character,
and those of them who were asleep, with a paving stone
for their pillow, seemed to enjoy a repose which the
occupant of many a bed of down might envy. The
whole scene gave a lively idea of life in a camp—the
brighter side of civil war, the gaiety of which was in
melancholy contrast to the marks of devastation left by
the recent conflict in the surrounding streets. On the
Place de la Concorde and at the entrance of the
Champs Elys62s, troops of all descriptions are also bi-
vouacked, and present the appearance of a seat of war,
which has not been witnessed in Paris since the memo •
rable year 1815.

RAILWAY COMMITTEES.
(YESTERDAY.))
HOUSE OF LORDS.
GROUP No. I.—LEEDS CENTRAL STATlON.—Pream-
ble passed, clauses agreed to, and Bill ordered to be re-
ported.

STRATHTAY AND BREADALBANE.—PreambIe passed,
clauses agreed to, and Bill ordered to be reported.
DRUMPELLER.—PreambIe proved, clauses agreed to,
and Bill ordered to be reported.
EAST LINCOLNSHIRE (Alteration of Great Grimsby
Branch).—Preamble proved, and clauses agreed to.
YORK, NEWCASTLE, AND BERWICK (Deviation and
Abandonment of Part of the Thirsk and Melton Branch).
—Preamble proved, and clauses agreed to.
LEEDS AND THIRSK (Harrowgate and Paetele)-
Brench).—Preamble proved, and clauses agreed to.
WATERFORD AND KILKENNY RAILWAY ACT AMEND-
MENT.—PreambIe proved, and clauses agreed to.
LEEDS AND THIRSK (Alteration of Levels of the
Leeds and Hartlepool Railway).—Preamble proved, and
clauses agreed to.
EDINBURGH AND FuRFAR (Additional Capital).—
Preamble proved, and clauses agreed to.
EDINBURGH AND GLASGOW (No. I—Branches).
Preamble proved, and clauses agreed to.

ELECTION COMMITTEE.
DUBLIN.
The scrutiny into the validity of Mr. Reynolds'
majority was resumed yesterday, and in the course of the
e
day the petitioners succeeded in striking off two addi-
tional votes.

CANADA COMPANY.
c
The half-yearly court of the directors and
proprietors
of this company was held yesterday, at one o
the offices, S. Helen's-place; Mr. C. Franks ill the chair.
at
The CHAIRMAN addressed some prefatory remarks to
the meeting, after which he read the following r
eport
" Since the general meeting of proprietors, held on
the 23d of March last, the directors hare received from
the Commissioners a statement of all the lands belonging
to the company remaining. unsold on the 31st of
December last, and of the value thereof according to the
prices at which they were selling, which is as follows:-
523,421 acres in the Huron Tract

... 43263,378 3 1 j

worth (Colonial currency)...
502,738 ditto, in the Crown Reserves,
worth

..: 218,490 17 0

Together
To this should be added :-
306,872 acres leased for ten years,
and which the lessees are at liberty
to purchase, on payment of the
sum of

... £481,869 0 1

... 218,302 0 0

£700,171 0
1,333,031 acres, together worth sterling £560,136 16
By the addition of this statement to the report, made
to the proprietors at the last general meeting, the whole
of the assets and liabilities of the company on the 31st
of Deeernlser last will be shown."
The CHAIRMAN then intimated that the business be-
fore the court was to agree to a dividend. The court of
proprietors recommended a dividend at the rate of six
per cent. per annum for the half-year ending on.the 10th
of July next.
A PROPRIETOR inquired how much the company owed ?
The CHAIRMAN said 125,000/. on debentures. There
were, however, some other debts, but they did not amount
to a larger sum.
A PaoPalnToa inquired if that amount would have
to be deducted from the 560,0001.?
The CHAIRMAN replied in the affirmative. The whole
of the company's affairs were clearly explained in the
different reports of the company. Hitherto the directors
bad not been enabled to give the proprietors the value
of their land. They could only give the number of acres.
In the present report it would be seen they had
been enabled to give the value of the land. The
proprietors would be gratified to learn that the emi-
grants now going to Canada were of a superior class to
those in the habit of going out.
A. PROPRIETOR said it would be most desirable if
numbers of the destitute poor here could be induced to
emigrate to Canada and locate themselves on the land
of the company.
The CHAIRMAN said the class of persons referred to
would be found more useful in Australia than in
Canada, because an experienced class of persona were
required in the latter place. The directors had no inten-
ti on to issue any debentures at present; there was suffi-
eiont money in the hands of the Commissioners to pay
the .dividend. Their number of acres might have dimi-

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