The Sun.
London, England, 1851-06-25 00:00:00

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
In the course of the discussion by the Assembly of
the measure proposed by M. CHAPOT (which was read
a first time) to ensure more effectually the authenticity
of the signatures attached to petitions, M. EMILE
GIRARDIN declared that the practice of petitioning
ought to be done away with altogether, as a monarchi-
cal practice not required under a reiublican Govern-
ment. He then proceeded to describe the manner in
which petitions are got up for the revision of the
Constitution in the following terms :--
"Petitions were every day presented to the Assembly
in favour of the revision of the Constitutive, but the
following fact would show what degree of credit ought
to he attached to them. The National bad that morning
contained a letter from a correspondent in the Basses
Alpes, declaring that the Prefect had sent to the func-
tionaries under him an order, recommending them
to get petitions signed in favour of the revision of
the Constitution; that order had proceeded from
the Minister of the Interior. When it was con-
sidered that a similar influence was exercised by
the other Prefects, and when it us borne in mind
that there were in France 500,000 official employes, he
would ask was there not danger in petitioning, and
ought not the right to be suppressed, He held in his
hand a circular from a sub-prefect, which insisted on
the necessity of all citizens being prepared for the even-
tualities of 1852, and on the propriety of guarding
against them by making every exertim in favour of the
re-election of L. N. Bonaparte. All well-intentioned
citizens ought to be prepared, it said, to rise sponta-
neously and simultaneously to put down any opposition
to the claims of the President. Such a document, said
M. E. de Girardin, was highly objectionable ; first, be-
cause it attributed to the President a popularity which
he did not enjoy, and next, because it contemplated a
course altogether in opposition to the enactments of the
Constitution, and the oath taken by the President him-
self. Ile called the attention of the Minister of the
Interior to the documents which he had quoted, and in
conclusion he must again repeat the opinion, that in a
republic it would be better to suppress the practice of
petitioning altogether."
The Sub-Committee on the revision of the Consti-
tution,
charged to examine all the petitions to the As-
sembly on that subject, is already far advanced in its
work, and it is thought that it may be terminated by
the end of the week. In the sitting of yesterday the
Committee made known the result of the examination
already completed of 50 departments, beginning with
the Ain, and coming up to the Marne. In these 50
departments there are for the pure and simple revi-
sion 256,664 signatures, crosses, and adhesions legal-
ised and non-legalised; for the revision and the pro-
longation of the powers of the PRESIDENT 184,431 ;
and for the prolongation alone 10,160. The total
number of signatures legalised and non-legalised
affixed to all the petitions received, for revision and
prolongation, and for prolongation alone, amount to
394,427 ; the number of crosses is 23,247, and of ad-
hesions 32,981, making a grand total of 450,655
signatures, crosses, and adhesions affixed to the peti-
tions already received from the first 50 departments by
alphabetical order.
Considering the great exertions made to obtain
signatures by the 500,000 employes who depend for
their subsistence on the Government, the number of
signatures falls far short of what we expected.
The petitions for the revision of the Electoral Law,
and the restoration of universal suffrage, are even more
numerously signed.
M. LAMARTINE, in the Pays, thus reasons on the
question for revision. He says :—" The question for
us is this—An agitated country if there be revision ;
a dissatisfied country demanding satisfaction from a
revolutionary opposition if there be no revision. We
prefer an agitated to an irritated country, and there-
fore we advocate revision, if the Republic have for its
judge universal suffrage."
Count DE STORMER, who has resided for nearly a
quarter of a century in quality of Austrian Internun-
cio at the Ottoman Porte, and whose name is con-
nected with all the great transactions which have
taken place in the Levant during that period, has just
arrived in Paris, from whence he is, it is said, about
to proceed to London.
The Committee on the Avignon Railway Bill held
a long sitting on Monday. After a warm discussion,
the Committee maintained its previous resolutions as
to the propositions which had been presented by dif-
ferent companies. It also ratified its decision as to
the provisional execution of the line from Paris to
Lyons by the State. It afterwards decided, by a
majority of 7 to 5, that the railway from Lyons to
Avignon should be provisionally made at the expanse
of the State.
The Committee on the Budget, altering its first
decision relative to the subventions granted to the
Italian Theatre and the Odeon, kas determined on
maintaining both. •
The Moniteur Algerian of the 20th contains the
following details of the movements of the expedi-
tionary column :
" General Saint Arnaud left Djidjelli on the 15th,
and on the 9th attacked the Beni-Aim, and but nt
their villages. After a warm engagement, in which
they were vigorously pursued, with the great loss of
some men, the Beni-Aiesa wrote to demand the
Amen. On the 10th, the column was bivouacked
in the midst of the Beni. Mead, the strongest of the
tribes to the west of Djidjelli. All the contingents
of the Ouled-Nabet, Ouled-Ali, and the Beni-Marmi
were assembled on this point, crowned the heights,
and occupied the strongest positions. During the
10th and 1 ath, there was continued fighting, the, posi
tions were successively carried, and the village taken
and burnt; the enemy were pursued in every direction,
and lost a great number of men. A brilliant affair was
accomplished by two companies of the 16th Light In-
fantry. They carried by assault a position which was
defended by the Kabyles, and considered by them as im-
pregnable. While climbing up the entrenchments the
Kabyles kept hurling down large stones on their heads,
but they continued the attack, amidst the applause of
all the column. Some shells, which were well thrown,
and fell amongst the enemy by the artillery caused a
division in favour of the attacking party, The re-
sults of these combats has been the submission of the
Beni-Moad and the Beni-Marmi. On the 12th General
do St. Arnaud, marching on Ziama, met the contingents
of the Ouled-Nabet and the Beni-Segoual, who appeared
disposed to dispute his passage. They were, however,
vigorously attacked and put to flight. In the evening
a deputation from these tribes came to the French camp
to offer their submission, and on the following day the
Beni-Bou-Jussef also mado a similar offer. All the
tribes of the western part of the circle of Djidjelli hav-
ing thus submitted, and the country having been or-
ganized, the General returned to Djidjelli on the 16th,
and, on the morning of the 18:h, was again to take the
field against the Beni-Siar and the Beni-After, towards
the east. In these several combats the loss of the enemy
was severe, whilst that of the French has been very
trifling."
At the commencement of business at the Bourse
the speculators showed some hesitation in purchasing.
Towards the close, however, when it was known that
the review in the Champ de Mars by the PRESIDENT had
passed over favourably confidence was restired, and the
Five per Cents., which opened at 92f. 90c. closed
firmly at 93f. 15c.; the Three per Cents. dosed at
56f.; Orleans Railroad Shares, 848 f. 75c.; Rouen, 640 f.;
Havre, 246 f. 25c.; Great Northern, 483 f. 75c.; Avignon,
216 f. 25c.; Vierzon, 457 f. 50e.; Paris and Strasburg,
370 f.; Tours and Nantes, 272 f. 50c.
151.161NESS DONE, IN FUltElli/N1 RAILWAYS AT TIIE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, JUNE 24.
Boulogne and Amiens, 9—Dutch Rhenish, 3—East Indian,
' 8 %—Northern of France, 15;i,—Paris and Strasbourg, 10%
-Rouen and Havre, 9%.

SPAIN.

Madrid journals of the 19th have arrived.
They announce that all the members of the new
Committee on the Bill for the regulation of the debt
are of the Ministerial•party. It was said that the
Committee would present its report in a few days.
The Opposition intended to bring forward a great
many amendments, in order to delay the adoption of
the measure.
The 19th being the fete of the Corpus Christi,
which was celebrated with much pomp, the
Chambers did not assemble, and the Stock Exchange
was' closed. The discussion in the Chamber of De-
puties on the vote declaring confidence in Ministers
was to come on the next day, and several sittings
would, it was expected, be occupied in the discus-

sion.
Queen CHRISTINA had entirely recovered from her
late accident.

PORTUGAL.
It 18 rumoured that SALDANUA intends modifying
the Ministry in a Carlista sense. He has addressed a
letter to the Minister of the Interior expressing his
disapproval of the dismissal of Cartista employes by
the civil governors of provinces, and the following
circular on this subject has been issued by the Minister
of the Interior :
" The Quesa has been pleased to order—
" That the civil governors, examining well the spirit
of those circulars, and the instructions and declarations
which, in conformity therewith, have since been given
to them, are not to proceed to the suspension of employes,
nor to propose their dismissal, unless, by an impartial
examination of facts and circumstances connected with
them, they are convinced of the justice and necessity of
such measures; for, however much it is certain that the
general administration of the State ought to be free and
disembarrassed, without personal considerations, or of a
secondary order, acting as an obstruction to it, it is
right at the same time that those suspensions or dis-
missals only should take piece which justice and tho
public interest in reality demand.
6.! That the civil governor§ whit be vor9 explicit in

That if the magistrates do not find themselves pos-
sessed of the necessary energy in this sense, faithfully
and rigorously to comply with the orders of the Govern-
ment, they must immediately communicate it, in order
that it may be properly remedied.
This is communicated by the Secretary of State for
the Interior to the Civil Governor of —, for his in-
formation.—Palace cf Necessidades, 11th of June, 1851.
" JOSE FERREIRA. PESTANA."