The Sun.
London, England, 1848-02-18 00:00:00

We have received the Paris papers of yesterday.

The Reform Banquet will take place in a
vacant space of ground in the Avenue Cha-
teaubriand, in the Champs Elysees. It is ex-
pected that upwards of two thousand persons
will be present, and amongst them will be Peers,
Deputies, Municipal Councillors, and Officers of the
National Guard. Twenty thousand of the National
Guard of Paris in uniform, but unarmed, will line
the route by which the guests are to pass from the
Place de la Madeleine to the Champs Elysies. One
toast will be given, " Reform ;" one speech spoken,
that of M. ODILLON BARROT, and the meeting will
separate.
The KING has, it is said, consulted M. Dunn,
as to the question of the legality or illegality of
these banquets, and the profound lawyer has
declared that, in his opinion, they are perfectly legal,
and that any attempt to prevent them would be
illegal and unconstitutional. Artillery and ammuni•
tion in abundance are being poured into the " detached
forts" surrounding the capital, and the garrison is
placed on a war footing. A Cabinet Council was held
yesterday, at which it is stated the Ministry deter-
mined not to interfere to prevent the holding the
banquet. Should any interference take place 160
Deputies of the Opposition will resign on Monday.
The Peers yesterday were engaged in discussing
the Factory Bill. Count D'AGOUT proposed that
children from eight to twelve years of age should
only work six hours a day instead of eight, as pro-
posed by the Bill. The debate had not concluded
when the post left.
News from Oceania to the end of September, and
Valparaiso to the 4th of November, has been received
by the frigate Virginie, just arrived at Rochefort.
The new Governor of Otaheite, M. LAVAUD, had
continued his task of pacification, and, among
other measures, had expulsed an American sailor,
named SMITII, who had excited and fought with
the natives against the French. In New Caledonia
some French missionaries and laymen had estab-
lished a colony, which was beginning to prosper,
when one day the natives attacked and destroyed
the establishment. In the conflict a missionary
called BLAISE was killed. The other persons sought
refuge at Pueblo, where they believed themselves
in sufficient safety to be able to re-commence their
little colony. In a short time they had built a
church, houses, &c., and had undertaken considerable
works. Having, however, received some merchan-
dise, the cupidity of the natives was excited, and
they again attacked the colonists, burning down the
church, destroying the works, &c. The colonists
fortunately escaped to the corvette, the Brillante.
On 12th of August last Commandant DunouzET
determined to chastise the natives. He accordingly
sent a detachment of eighty-four men to the island,
under the orders of M. LEFER DE LA MOTTE. In an
engagement white took place the Caledonians had a
number of men killed and wounded. The French had
one man killed and one midshipman wounded.
The Reform Banquet Committee, composed of five
Deputies, Messrs. ODILLON BARROT, GARNIER
PAGES, HAVIN, DUVERGIER DE HAURANNE, and
Ankruccr, and the editors of the Siecle, National,
and Constitutionnel, met again on Thursday. Some
difficulty had arisen among its members relative to
the day on which the banquet should take place.
The Radicals demanded that it should be fixed for
Sunday; but the members of the Left, alarmed at the
danger of holding the meeting on such a day, pro-
posed to put it off until Tuesday. No decision on
the subject, however, had yet been adopted.
The Three per Cents. closed on the Paris Bourse
yesterday at 74f. 5c.; New Loan, 75f. 10c.; the
Five per Cents., 116 f. 60c.; the Orleans Railroad
Shares, 1,182 f. 50c. ; Rouen, 865 f. ; Havre, 420 f. ;
Great Northern, 540 f. ; Avignon, 531 f. 25c.; Vier•
zon, 505 f.; Bordeaux, 475 f. 50c.; Basle, 157 f. 50c.;
Paris and Strasburg, 405 f.; Tours and Nantes,
381 f. 25c.; Paris and Lyons, 391 f. 25c.
MARSEILLES, FEB. 12.—Marseilles and Avignon,
543 f. 75c.

LYONS, FEB. 15.—Paris and Rouen, 865 f. ;
Avignon and Marseilles, 538 f. 75c. ; Northern,
543 f. 75c.; Orleans, 1,186 f. 25c.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, FEB. 17.
Boulogne and Amiens, 133'4 —Dutch Rhenish, 15A—Namur
and Liege, 6%—Northern of France, 11A —Paris and Lyons,
514—Rouen and Havre, 17.

MILITARY FLOGGING.—On Friday morning last,
the whole of the troops in garrison at Woolwich were
mustered in the Riding School, under the command of
the field-officer, for the purpose of seeing the sentence
of a garrison court-martial on Gunner and Driver Daniel
Fred, Royal Artillery, carried into effect. The pri-
soner, who is a recruit belonging to the Ist battalion,
was convicted of stealing one shilling, the property of a
comrade, in one of the barrack-rooms, and was sentenced
to receive fifty lashes, which were carried into effect.
The prisoner, who suffered severely, was afterwards re-
moved to the Royal Ordnance Hospital.
DECREASE OF SuiclDE.--From a statistical ac-
count of the accidents taken into the London Hospital
during the past year, it appears that this crime is greatly
On the decrease, as in the year 1843 the number of
suicides admitted amounted to 46; in 1844, to 36; in
1845, to 32; in 1846, to 30; and in 1847, to only 18;
while during the same period, the patients had increased
from 5,666 to 8,277.
CHANGE RINGING.—On Tuesday evening, Feb. 15,
twelve members of the Society of Cumberlands rang,
at St. Giles's, Cripplegate, a fine and complete peal of
Kent treble bob maximus, consistiug of 5,376 changes in
4 hours and 14 min. The peal contained eight courses;
the 4th, being at home, four courses; the sth, four
courses; and the 6th, five courses. The peal was com-
posed Gild called by Ur. S. W. Haley.