The Sun.
London, England, 1856-09-02 00:00:00

being in company there a brilliant breast-pin that
he wore became the object of much observation
and admiration. At length a lady of sufficiently high
rank to admit of her doing so made some remark
on its beauty, in accordance with which he drew
it from the breast of his shirt and handed it to
her admiring inspection. When the admiration
was about exhausted he observed that what con-
ferred value on the ornament in his eyes was bid
from the view of others iu an almost invisible cap-
sule ; on his opening this capsule an exquisite mi-
niature of the Empress Eugenie became visible.
Ever since that evening all the goldsmiths and
jewellers of St. Petersburg have been overrun with
orders for capsules to be fitted to rings and breast-
pins. Unfortunately for the satisfaction of all par-
ties, the art of painting is somewhat behindhandin
Russia ; and it is presumed, therefore, that Count
de Morny will receive a very wholesale request to
get over an ample supply of Eugenie portraits from
Paris.

THE PRINCIPALITIES.
A letter, dated Paris, Sunday, says :—The satin
faction with which the nomination of Prince Alex-
ander Ghika as temporary ruler of Wallachia was
received in that Principality was doubtless some-
what heightened by the removal of the fears that
had been entertained lest the powers of the much-
detested Stirbey should be prolonged ; but it was
by no means exclusively due to the relief from pain-
ful apprehensions. Without affirming that the
Porte might not have made a more popular selec-
tion, I believe that of Prince Ghika to have been
agreeable to the majority. There was not a very
great choice of candidates fitted for the post, and
the one chosen is esteemed for his kind heart, his
integrity, and his good intentions. Those who ob-
jected to him did not deny these qualities, but they
maintained that he had two faults, which not tin-
frequently wait upon old age—namely, timidity
and obstinacy. They could not doubt his good-will
and sincere desire to apply remedies to the wounds
inflicted upon the province by the oppressive and
corrupt administration of his predecessor, but they
feared last his energy and decision should not keep
pace with his honest desires. Letters from Bucha-
rest, with dates down to the 20th inst., seem ,
to prove that these apprehensions were not alto- '
gether ill-founded. While rendering full justice
to the good intentions that animate the Prince,
they describe the general regret that is felt that he
either fears or knows not how to take a step in any
direction, but strictly limits himself to the main-
tenance of the status quo.
The question of the freedom of the press is one
in which Prince Alexander might advantageously
exercise the powers with which he is invested.
Under Prince Stirbey there was no press; the two
or three insignificant papers that appeared were
entirely under Government control, and their con-
tents were wholly uninteresting. Applications for
permission to found other journals were invariably
negatived. As soon as the appointment of Prince
Alexander Ghika gave hopes of a more just and
liberal regime, an application was made by the
editors of La Patric, a newspaper suppressed by
Prince Stirbey, for permission to recommence pub-
lication, and another was sent in for leave to found
a journal to be called The Union. Both were re.
fused. The reply was, that such permission could
not be granted before the arrival of the Commis-
sioners, but, by way of concession, the Kaimakan
said he should not impede the discussion of politi-
cal and social questions, verbally and in manu-
script documents.

To explain and excuse his cautious and station-
ary attitude, and to try to ward off the reproaches
of his countrymen, who hoped better from him,
Prince Ghika puts forward the plea t hat, his Go-
vernment being only provisional, he should not be
justified in making any change previously to the
arrival of the Commissioners.

" The Ministerial party in Piedmont," says the
Courrier des Alpes, is employing all the means
at its disposal to animate the national subscription
for the 100 cannons. But the Mazzini party has
commenced a dangerous rivalry :—the Italiane
Populo of Genoa, an organ of Mazzini, open
another national subscription for the purchase of
ten thousand muskets, destined to reward and to
support the efforts of the first Italian province
which rises against the common enemy."

A letter from Naples, in the Corriere Mercantile
of Genoa, states that a Muratist proclamation IS
being spread all over the country with great
secrecy and activity.

Accounts from Constantinople of the 21st ult.
state that Admiral Lyons would not quit the Bos-
phorus until the Russians had completely evacu-
ated Turkey. Admiral Stewart was still cruising
in the Black Sea. The Commissioners appointed
by Russia to settle the frontiers of Asia had arrived
at Tiflis.