The Sun.
London, England, 1851-08-04 00:00:00

ITALIAN INDEPENDENCE.

Arr. ANSTEY wished to ask the Noble Lord at the
head of the foreign department if he had received any
communication from our Ambassador at Venice of a note
which had been forwarded to that Court by the
Pope soliciting the assistance of the Austrian
Government to procure the expulsion of the
Ethan refugees from London, and to prevent any Italian
loan being ne;,r,cciated in this country, which the re-
fugees might propose for the purpose of securing Italian
independence.
Lord PALMERSTON said no such communication
had been received by him, and he had reason to believe
tlaat the supposed not 2, like another note which had re-
cently appeared in the continental papers, was a fa-
brication, and had never issued from the Vatican.
No application of course had therefore been made in the
spirit of that note. With regard to the expulsion of
foreigners from this country, it was quite true that cer-
tain foreign Governments looked with great anxiety at
the proceedings of foreigners in this country, but no
application had been made to her Majesty's Government
on the subject, and if there had the only answer must
have been that the law of this country gave no power
for such expulsion.
Sir G. PECHELL presented a petition from Brighton
against taxes on knowledge.
THE NATIONAL GALLERY.

Lord J. RUSSELL, in bringing up the report of the
Commissioners appointed to inquire into this subject,
took the opportunity of informing the Route that the
Commissioners were of opinion that the National Gal-
lery ought not to be left in the present position, but that it
wan desirable that a site should be obtained in the neigh-
bourhood of Hyde Park or Kensington Gardens. The
Noble Lord also intimated that next session her Majesty's
Government would ,bring forward the subject for con-
sideration.
EPISCOPAL AND CAPITUL AR ESTATES MA-
NAGEMENT (No. 2) BILL.

The House then went into 'Committee on this
On Clause 1,
The SOLICITOR-GENERAL intimated that an al-
teration had been introduced into this Bill for the pur-
pose of recognising more fully and protecting the claims
of the lessees.
Mr. PIGOTT objected to going on at all with the Bill,
because the majority of the House had left town under
the impression that the Bill had been abandoned for the
present session. The rights of the lessees had never
been brought under consideration before the present
moment.
Colonel SIBTHORP also objected to proceeding fur-
ther with the Bill.
Mr. HEADLAM thought th© best course to adopt
would be to go through the Bill now, and to consider, on
the third reading, whether, after all, it would not be
better to postpone making it law until next session.
(LEFT SITTING.)

PARIS AND ROUEN RAILWAY.
The half-yearly general meeting of the shareholders
of this company took place in Paris on Thursday, M. de
l'Esp6e, the president, in the chair. Near him were
seated the following directors :—Sir John Easthope, Mr.
Reed, Mr. Geo. Lawrence, Mr. Blount, M. C. Laffitte,
M. de Kersaint, M. Simons, and M. N. Duchatel.
The meeting being declared duly constituted, M. Tnr-
BAIIDEAtr, the secretary, proceeded to read the report:—
This document commences by stating that the esta-
blishment-account, up to:the 31st of December last, had
amounted to 67,222,3921. 98c. Since then there has
been expended a sum of 1,126 f. 75c., and received
from sale of ground, &0., (4,888 f. 25c. ; so that, up
to June 30, the whole amount is 67,218,631 f. 48c.
The question of the indemnity for the devastations
committed in February, 1848, has not yet been regu-
lated. The committee appointed to estimate the
amount of damage done, conceiving that it was called
on to examine only what had occurred in the depart-
ment of the Seine, and finding that part of the injury
done to the railways had been inflicted in other depart-
ments, had resolved that the documents relating to these
matters should be transmitted to the Minister of Public
Works. The Minister had, in his turn, referred the
question to the central railway committee, which had just
issued an opinion favourable to the claims preferred,
and so the matter rested at present. The approbation
of the Government had been at last obtained for the
changes voted at the general meeting of Jan. 31, 1850,
relative to the sinking-fund. In consequence of these
modifications, the sum to be now set apart annually for
the sinking-fund would amount to only 25,000 francs, in
place of 360,000 francs as previously. Fifty shares were
to be paid off every drawing, with a sum of 500 francs
eech, and in place of each of these shares was to be
given an action de jouissance, entitling the holder to a
share of all dividend over 5 per cent., or 25 francs per
share. The shares to be paid off were to be drawn
by lot, and the company had determined to adopt
for the purpose the plan practised by the city of
Paris, in designating such of its bonds as
were to be reimbursed. The first drawing was to take
place
n gin
The report next refers to the results of the working
January 1 to June 30 185
tphreesel:te of the
months.the shareholders then assembled.
650. ; and the
profit of 1,190,791 f,
of interest of the sum 'k
1 am 0
eTnht ee d receipts
4,053,201f.fr0m
expenses to 2,862 ,410 f. 6c. ; leaving a
s(je. which, after the payment
e t hack for sinking-fend,
dividend of 16f.
per share. As the nte
foundation shares, &c , p
ii.es 4aTt of ea
1e p
:Alan) would amount to 121. 50e.), for
cent.
rr
tchee.h
half-year,
each
the dividend for each action de jouissance wouldaam- yoeuanri
to 31, 500. Comparing the results of the working of the