The Sun.
London, England, 1851-12-29 00:00:00

EVENING, •DECEMBER 29, 1861.

tribution of France into 21 military divisions, which
prevailed before 1848, is restored by a decree. Each
department will form a sub-division.
The Courrier de la Dro me publishes the following
letter from the Abbe FORGET to a friend, in which
he gives an interesting account of the events of which
he was a witness, while, with several other priests, he
was in the power of the insurgents marching on

THE Sf

Crest :
" At the time when the tocsin sounded, on the 6th
December, I was at the house of the cure of Crane, in
company with himself, his vicar, and the cure of Mon
teleger. At the first alarm we threw ourselves on
our knees, and repeated the Veni Creator and the
Mdmorare. Scarcely had we finished the prayer
when the house was invaded by a number of men
armed with every kind of weapon, who came, they
said, to search for arms. We held up our brevia-
ries and the crucifix, telling them that those were
our only weapons. When they found that there were
no arms, they retired; we followed them to the bottom
of the staircase, entreating them to refrain from violence.
On reaching the door, ono of their chiefs ordered us to
come with them to the market-place. We remonstarted,
but without effect; they would not even allow me to
fetch my hat, but threw it out of the window to me.
While proceeding to the market-place, which was the
place of general muster, the ringleaders went into the
houses of those they called the whites, and compelled
them to join them unarmed. On our passuge we met
with no sympathy, even the women exulting at seeing
us in such a position, and exclaiming that the rioters
had acted properly. Wo eagerly inquired what
was to be done to us, but could obtain no
answer. All this time the tocsin kept sounding,
When all the insurgents had assembled, we lett the
place to join those of Chabrellan. We were pieced
at the head of the column. After effecthg the junc-
tion we took the road to Crest. in number about
500. The cur es of Grane and of Montleger, with an-
other old man, were put into a cabriolet. I begged
them to allow the cure of Grams to return home on ac-
count of his age and infirmities, and theft he might at-
tend to his sick, &e. The answer given me was that the
sick might get well or die—that they wanted to have
nothing more to do with priests, and that this would be
our last procession. A number present were well dis-
posed; they knew nothing of what they were to do, hav-
ing been forced away from their labour by others under
threats of violence. On reaching the bridge of Crest,
we found it was in possession of the military, who
saw by the light of the moon the column advancing
with the priests at its head. The usual summons
to disperse was made, after which three discharges
took place. The rioters, who had just before talked
so boldly, immediately took to flight, tumbling one
over the other, their muskets going off as they lay
on the ground. I was in the midst of this tumult, and
by a miracle escaped unhurt. My colleagues Rho had
remained in the cabrio let stood the first fire; they after-

wards alighted and took refuge under a bridge of the
canal. After wandering about the fields for some hours
I crovsed the Dromo over the ice, and about midnight
reached an asylum, from whence in the morning I was
enabled to rejoin my colleagues within the walls of
Crest." _ .

M. LEVILLAIN, the curs of Neuvy-sur-Loire
(Nievre), who was shot by one of the insurgents
while endeavouring to persuade them not to make
resistance to the troops which were arriving from
Nevers, has just died of his wounds. He was treated
with the greatest cruelty by the wretches, who, after
he was wounded, threw him into the prison, and it
was only by the reiterated entreaties of one of the
sisters of charity that she could have him conveyed
to his home.
It results from an account recently taken, that the
war materiel of France at the present time is esti.
mated at the sum of 459 millions of francs, divided
into seven categories—provisions, 22 millions ; hos-
pitals, 17 millions; clothing and camp equipage,
45 millions ; general remount for cavalry (72,800
horses), 52 millions; forage, 15 millions; artillery,
268 millions ; engineering material, 11 millions.
France possesses 4,967 pieces of heavy artillery of
different calibre in bronze, and 3.411 in iron ; 3,800
field pieces in bronze, and 2;975 mortars ; 4,382
howitzers for siege and field operations ; 17,674 gun
carriages of different kinds and sizes, and 229 swivel
guns in bronze. There are in the military arsenals
6,091,234 balls, 935,360 bombs, 1,600,000 shells,
212;215 grenades, 177,588 boxes of balls filled for
cannon and howitzers, 16,000,000 kilogrammes of
balls, 25,000,000 kilogrammes of powder, 99,000,000
of cartridges of different kinds, 96,000 bags filled with
balls for cannon and howitzers, 4,622 cannon car-
fridges, 28,000 kilogrammes of powder contained in
hollow shot and shells, and 450,000 kilogrammes of
powder manufactured, and of the necessary ingre-
dients for manufacturing it. In 35 years of peace the
war materiel has cost 13z millions of francs. The
State besides possesses 2,903,801 flint and percussion
lock muskets, in the hands of the national guard and
the army ; 151,021 carbines, and 184,336 pistols.
The Union du "Far says :—" The insurgents who
have devastated our department have retreated in
crowds towards the frontier, and several of them, after
great efforts, have succeeded in crossing the Esteron
and the Var, flattering themselves that they should
find a aura asylum, and a hearty welcome from the
Democrats, near Nice. On the other bank of the
river, however, they were met by a body of gend-
armes and troops stationed along the frontier, who
arrested them, and marched them into the
interior, to Mondovi, Oneille, and Novarra.
DirrEiL, and two other of the insurgent leadcrs, were
arrested at the village of Oscros by the Piedmontese
gendarmes. On being interrogated as to who they
were, DUTEIL replied that he was General-in. Chief
of the Democratic army of the Var; another that he
was Chief of the Staff of that army ; and the third,
that he was the Chief Surgeon. These general
officers were marched off to Oneille. As they went
along, they sang the chorus of the well-known Italian
song—

"Fiera schiera dello lepri.
Alcommando d'un coniglio"—
(Valiant battalions of hares commanded by a rabbit.)
BANK OF FRANCE.—The metallic reserve has in-
creased 4i millions in Paris, and 1 millions in the
branch banks. The discount-accommodation has in-
creased nearly 3i millions in Paris, and declined
something more than 1 million in the provinces, the
amount of the former being 54,906,1371, and of the
latter 72,289,9901. The amount of money ad-
vanced on French Securities has increased
from 8 929,926'. to 12,062,876 g. On the side
of the liabilities, the notes in circulation have
increased in Paris 11 millions, and fallen off
in the provinces threesquarters of a million. The
account current of the Treasury has declined 121
millions, the present amount being 57,768,844 francs.
Private accounts•current have increased in Paris nine
millions, and declined in the departments about a
quarter of a million, the amount of the former being
110,415,9871., and of the latter 31,215,2781. The
whole amount of the metallic reserve is now 569}
millions to 5911 millions of notes in circulation.
The Bank of Fence has announced a dividend of
50F. per share for the second six months of 1851, pay-
able on and after the 2d January next.
BUSINESS DONE IN, FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, Dic. 27.
East Indian, 20744 Luxembourg, 3—Namur and Liege,
6%—Northern of France, 167,4—Orleans and Bordeaux,
5% Paris and Strabbourg, Rouen and Havre, 9.1/2
—Tours and Nantes, 8 ex int.—West Flanders, 2,AL.