The Sun.
London, England, 1851-02-28 00:00:00

EVENING,

which should regalate that most necessaey improve-
ment. We observe with some anxiety every onward
step taken in this beneficent movement. The opening
of the Parliamentary session, so far from diminishing
cur regard for the particular reform alluded to, en-
hanced the fervour with which we look forward to its
prosecution. Very few matters relating to the de-
velepment of prosperity in this commercial coun-
try appear to us of superior importance, very
few things affecting so intimately the causes
of oir national prosperity. It is, therefore, with more
than common satisfaction we watch the successive
reports issued by the intelligent, active, and enter-
prising committee to whom the responsibility of
fostering the reform has been entrusted. From the
first of these official manifestoes we were disposed to
auger well fur the results of the agitation. Our hopes
are Elora than confirmed by the whole tone of the
second. Happily for the inventors of the United
Kingdom, it requires a vast deal to discourage the
majotity of the members of the committee,
or, so far to fill their minds with despondency,
as to incline them to diminish in any
manner the energy of their exertions. Little, more-
over, has been done by the antagonists of the im-
provement calculated to retard its progress—words
only of encouragement to the advocates of the rights
of inventors having been audible hitherto. Much
benefit may consequently be anticipated from the cor-
diality with which the initial report has been welcomed.
The circumstance of the close proximity in which we
stand at this period to the Grand International Exhi-
bition is of itself enough, in all conscience, to satisfy
the least sanguine judgment of the reasonableness of
such expectations.
Already it is well known that several ingenious
but impoverished inventors have been deterred from
snaking public the fruits of their experimental in-
quiriee unable to secure themselves from the perils
of pi'acy by obtaining the requisite letters patent,
and unwilling to resign the result of many years' in-
tellectual toil to the pecuniary advantage alone of
men fn no way entitled to such emolument. The
recoris of genius afford unhappily but too many
instances of calamities which have befallen
those poor students of science who have
adventured upon philosophical researches with-
out capital sufficient to enable them to bring
their contrivances into use after the time of their
perfected fabrication. Alchemy may have never yet
turned out the aurum potabile from the crucible,
but men have indubitably died in rags and penury
with some invention or other in band, capable, if em-
ployed, of proving a veritable philosopher's stone as
far as regarded themselves, turning their poverty into
affluence, and their squalor into pomp. Unless some
shield be contrived by the law for the pre-
vention of the recurrence of this injustice, inventors
must still remain liable to see others reaping the
harvest of their ingenuity while they themselves have
perished obscurely and unpitied—the public still con-
tinuing subject to the danger of losing improvements
of incalculable value through the premature demise
of the experimentalist, before fortune had enabled him
to announce his triumph with impunity. Anything
which can in any 'way, and under any cir-
cumstances, release society from the pains of
this anomalous position must assuredly com-
mand our warmest encouragement, and arouse
the sympathies of even the most phlegmatic. Thanks
to the enterprise and humanity of the Society of Arts,
a committee has at length been formed for the pur-
pose of carrying out the desired alterations. This
committee we have already hailed as a harbinger of
good to inventors, and through them to the entire
community. Its continued efforts in behalf of an im-
portant but neglected class of society demand our
reiterated commendations, and we doubt not but that,
aided by public sympathy, enforced by the arguments
of the Press, and assisted by the advocacy of one
or two influential Reformers in the House of Com-
mons, the nation will before long have reason to re-
joice in the dissipation of an evil heretofore weighing
very heavily both upon science and manufactures.
The second report, now lying at our elbow, contains,
among other encouraging intimations, the assurance
of the increasing hopes entertained by the committee
themselves of the ultimate success of their undertak-
ing. Nowhere can they recognize any but the most
substantial vouchers for the propriety of their en-
terprise. Nowhere can they perceive promise of
aught but good flowing from their endeavours.
Persuaded of the justice of the cause at stake, and
incited by the approval of every individual who has
yet pronounced an opinion upon the subject, the
committee appear to be resolutely determined to
develop their scheme against every possible opposi-
tion ; nor do we ourselves recognize in the future
anything but tokens of the most decisive victory. A
little while longer, and the boon so long desired
for inventors will have been wrested from the
Legislature.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Committee of the Assembly appointed to con-
siderh
the g punishmenta
adoption
tdi
oe
na t h,
of ht ahvee
pdreotpe
or In)
ti
inoend.
the proposition of M. SCHCELCHER for the aboli-
ttioola reportof t
They express their approval of the abolition of the
punishment of death for political offences by the Pro-
visional Government, but consider that the protection
of society requires the retention of some punishment
more severe than the galleys or imprisonment to
deter those from the commission cf crime who leave
the galleys and the prisons more depraved than when
they entered them.
The report of the Committee appointed to consider
the proposition of M. NOEL PARFAIT, for more
strictly enforciog the law which confines extraordinary
missions within six months, has been distributed to
the Assembly. The report declares that the Commit-
tee has seen with regret that the Executive Power
has on several occasions appointed members of
the Legislative Assembly either to extraordinary
missions or military commands, without any neces-
sity appearing to exist for such appointments. It
has also been sorry to perceive that frequently, by
means of successive permissions given to absent them.
selves, the persons so appointed have, after having
made a momentary appearance in their places in the
Assembly, again departed, thus rendering the pre-
scriptions of the law quite illusory. In consequence,
the Committee has unanimously, minus one vote, been
of opinion that the proposition ought to be taken into
consideration.
DAS is intended as " a heavy blow and a great dis-
couragement" to the entourage of the Elysee. On
the other hand the police are busily engaged in con-
cocting pots for the evident purpose of frightening
the refractory majority into obedience. We find the
following in some of the Ministerial journals :
" A labourer, yesterday, in passing along the Rue
du Maine at Montrouge, found a pocket-book con-
taining papers, which he immediately deposited in
the hands of the commissary of police of the commune.
That functionary was greatly surprised to find
amongst them a plan of insurrection in Paris, with a
map On which the positions to be occupied by the
insurgents were marked in red ink. The plan was
divided into several heads, marked—Primitive Posi-
tions—Materials for Barricades—First Attack—First
Positions—Attack on Second Position—Third Attack
—Barricades—Defence—lncendiary Fires. All the
papers were sent to the Prefect of Police, and an in-
vestigation has been set on foot to discover the persons
to whom they belong.
We have an old proverb in England, that those
who hide can find. Who is the mysterious and
anonymous labourer who picks up plans for insur-
rections in the public streets ?
The sale of the PRESIDENT'S horses took place on
Wednesday, and produced 54,235 francs.
Several of the officers of the National Guards of
Strasburgh have resigned in consequence of the re-
fusal of the Alayor to permit a review on the anni-
versary of the Revolution.
The Gazette de France say a—
" The discussi,n of the proposition of M. Creton for
doing away
with the laws of proscription now existing
against the two branches of the house of Bourbon is fixed
for Saturday next."
The Vote Unit ersel was tried on 'Wednesday
before the Court of Assizes of the Seine, for publish-
ing an article in which it " excited the hatred of
citiaens, the one against the other. The gerant and
author of the article were found guilty, and the
former was sentenced to one year's imprisonment and
a fine of 8,000 francs, while the latter was sentenced
to six months' imprisonment and a fine of 1,000
francs. Besides this, the journal has been suspended
for a month. The article was an address " Aux
paysans."
The Bourse was more animated than for some days
past, and the price of public securities rose. The
Five per Cents. opened at 961. 45c., and closed at
96f. 55c. ; the Three per Cents. closed at 57f. 90c.
BLISIINESS uoNE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS A. I TBE

LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE,27.
Boulogne and Amiens, 83/4 Central of France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 161,4—East Indian, 12— Luxembourg, 11—
Ditto, 21/4—Namur and Liege, B—Northern of France,
14Ai—Orleans and Bordeaux, and Rouen, 25%
—Paris and Strasbourg, 10—Rouen And Havre, 10N.

SPAIN.

Madlid journals of the 22nd have arrived.
Tnpir cmn:r,,ts are utdroportlint.
MADRID BOLSA, FEB. 22.—The latest quota-
tions of the Funis are as follow •—Three per Cents.,
34 9-16 to ; Five per Cents. with current Coupon,
14i to 4 ; Coupon 3, 9 ; Passive Debt, 58. Exchange
on London, 50 60.

Wheat.

Barley. r Malt.

Oats.

Qrs. Qrs. Qrs. j Qrs. -Sacks
English • • 3,0.0 3,070 4,710 2,960 3,550
5c0tch........
[rish ........
Foreign .... ••

1,330

srazTurzELn.

3,540 -
8,140 910

Our market to-day was very scantily supplied with
Beasts, both as to number and quality, yet tae demand
for that description of stock ruled excessively heavy, at
barely stationary prices—the extreme figure for the beat
Scots being 3s 6d p,r Sibs. The supply of Sheep was
on the increase. All breeds were in fair request, and
Monday's quotations were well supported in every in-
stance. The few Lambs on offer sold at from 5s to
5s 10d per Sibs. In Calves—the number of which was
very mi,derate—next to nothing was doing, at late rates.
Pigs met a dull inquiry, but we have no fall to notice in
their value. Mitch Cows were selling at from 141 to 18'
each, including their small calf.
Per Sibs. to sink the Offal.
s. d. to s. d.
zuterlor Beasts..... 2 4 2 6
iecond quality 2 8 210
Prime large Oxen— 3 0 3 2
Prime Scots .. •• 2 4 3 6
.arge coarse Calves 3 2 3 6
'rime small ditto .. 3 8 4 0
~uckliztz-, Calves ..18 0 24 0
Lambs •• • • 0 0 0 0
TOTAL SUPPLY
sneep.
2,8E0
sCOI
I Sheep.
25
FOREIGN

I;oasits.
490

to b.
Inferior Sheep • • . 3 4 3 6
Second qual. Sheep 3 8 310
C )arse-woolled dittc-3 10 4 0
Southdown Nether 4 2 4 4
Ditto out of the wool 0 0 0 1.
Large Hogs
Small Porkers 310 4 0
Quartz!' 014 Pigs l6 0 21 0
AT MARKET
I pi,.
1 190 200

Beasts.
6

Calves.

Beast!.
120

I Sheep.
400

airPLY.
Calves.
68

Pigs.