The Sun.
London, England, 1851-04-16 00:00:00

DEPARTURES TO ENGLAND.

From Hong-Kong: February s—The Hugh Walker,
to London. February 7—The Georgia (American) to
London. February 11—The Rose Standish (American)
to London. February 20—The Lady Peel, to London.
From Shanghai: January 24—The Sir George Pol-
lock, for London. January 24—The John Bunyan, for
London. January 31—The Viscount Sandon, for London.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Assemblie Nationale announces a change of
proprietorship in the following terms
" A change has just been accomplished in the pro-
perty of the Assemblee Nationale. Men of political im-
portance have desired that this journal should second
their views and their cffarts for the definitive union of
the great elements of the party of order. This will be
the development of the principles and the policy which
the Asseniblee .Nationale has constantly
supported."
The new proprietors are said to be MM. GUIZOT and
DIJCHATEL, who, with M. MOLE, are the leaders of the
E N
fusionist party.
Al. DE ROMIEN has just published a pamphlet, en-
titled " The Spectre Rouge," which may be consi-
dered as a further development of the monomania dis-
played
des
Cesar." by thisT h
e
dgentlemandisease is,
s,
accordingiti his
t
" Er eo
Ael .
remedy
a Rom
militaryßed despotism, Republicanism
either
Imperial; th e universal
co
s
Cos-
sack, or both.
The Constitutionnel has the following important
observations on the fortifications of Cherbourg :
" We cannot defer any longer the execution of the
works at Cherbourg, situated as it is at the entrance of
the channel, and only 25 leagues distant from the
English coast. In the time of Vauban it was called the
hostelry of the Channel, because it was the only refuge
open to vessels against the north-west winds, so preva-
lent in that quarter. The Emperor used to say that
Cherbourg was an eye to see and an arm to strike. All
the Governments which have succeeded each other since
'B9 to the present time—the Revolution, the Empire,
the Restoration, and the Government of July, have
made it a point of honour to continue this remarkable
enterprise ; and the sums hitherto expended have
amounted to 151 millions. Thanks to the works now ex-
ecuted the harbour is good and sure, offering safe refuge
to vessels of every size; and lately our squadron was
seen, anchored, behind the breakwater, to brave the
most violent tempest without damage. At present, that
by great patience, labour, and expense, we have been
able to make the harbour so excellent a one—the essen-
tial is to defend and keep it. If Cherbourg is in a
stragetic point of the very highest importance, it is also
the most exposed point of the whole coast. In the pre-
sent state of things, steamers from Portsmouth can reach
Cherbourg in eight hours; and, from the little island of
Alderney, only three hours are necessary for them to
anchor in the roadstead, and they cannot be prevented
from passing the breakwater, fixing themselves before
the arsenal, and burning it. Would it not be the height
of imprudence to allow the place to remain exposed to
such an eventuality? The question being laid down in such
imperious terms, it is easy to conceive that the credit
demanded for the defence of the harbour of Cher-
bourg could not meet with any opposition. What-
ever reserve the condition of our finances ought to
impose on us, we could not hesitate. In case of
war, a great catastrophe, like the destruction and
burning the works of Cherbourg. ought not, at the com-
mencement of hostilities, to afflict and humiliate the
country; consequently the Bill was adopted. With the
six millions now voted, Cherbourg will be pieced in a
complete state of defence on the seaward side. Four
ports, three of which belong to the breakwater, will pro-
tect the port, and when those works shall have been
finished, an enemy rash enough to enter the harbour
would probably not be lucky enough to get out again.
The whole of the defensive works of Cherbourg aro to
comprehend, independently of the fortifications in the
sea, a series of forts on the heights above the town; but
those last-named works are of a less urgent character,
and it has been considered that they may be adjourned
without danger. It has also been thought that as Cher-
bourg ought to be some day or other in communication
with the capital by a railway, the facility to transport
there in a few hours forces and stores, might render un-
necessary part of the works designed by military en-
gineers. The question of the land works consequently
has been reserved."

Two reports were presented to the Assembly last
year on the Paris and Avignon Railway Bill. One
of them gave rise to a very important discussion : the
Assembly decided that the railway should not be exe-
cuted by the State, and that it should be conceded to
two distinct and independent companies. Three days
ago the Minister of Finance presented a Bill for the
direct concession to a company of the Paris and Lyons
Railway. The following are the principal conditions
of the Cahier des Charges of the Ministerial project
which was yesterday distributed to the Assembly :
" The duration of the concession fixed at 99 years, as
in the preceding projects, and the guarantee of interest
reduced to four per cent. during 50 years, are compen-
sated for by the important obligations imposed on the
company. It takes on itselt in the first place
to terminate at it: charge, risk, and peril, the whole of
the railway comprising the passage through Lyons
as far as Perrache; to take on itself half of the
expense of the construction of the terminus which is to
be formed in that Peninsula, and to construct at Vaise,
entirely at its expense, a station for goods and passen-
gers. Independently of these expenses, which are esti-
mated at from 80 to 90 millions, tLe company engages to
reimburse to the state on the works executed the sum of
100 millions of francs. A material alteration has been
introduced in the periods of payment: 20 millions are to
be lodged in the Treasury before taking possession; 22
millions before the end of next year, and the burpius in
ten annuities, by means of negotiable bonds, bearing in-
terest at 4 per cent. Except with a reserve, stipulated
for in Article 3of the Cabier des Charges, and which
was necessary to guarantee the Paris and Lyons Rail-
way against the disastrous effects of an anticipated com-
petition, the interests of the Centre are fully protected,
and the Government preserves full liberty for the conces-
sion of the prolongation of tho line from Moulins to
Roanne."

The Journal des Dibats announces its intention to
give the Ministry a fair trial in the following con-
temptuous terms :
"The new Ministry received at the day of its birth
nearly as many names as we sometimes find given at the
baptism of princes of the blood. It has been called a
Ministry of provocation, a Ministry of defiance, a
Ministry of coups d'etat, a Ministry of exclusion, an
impossible Ministry. For our part, who involuntarily
contributed to this nomenclature by calling it a decapi-
tated Ministry, we felt a kind of remorse in not having
given it a more gracious welcome, when it had not itself
yet done anything, but we are tranquillised in now
seeing ourselves ranged among its supporters and its
friends. The truth is, that with regard to this Ministry
we feel our conscience equally free from either good or
bad feelings; it is impossible for us to be impassioned
either for or against it. It is possible that it may not
have strength enough to save the country, but neither
do we think that it has strength enough to sacrifice it;
and with the best inclination in the world to be animated
or to be serious, we cannot ace in any one particular
member of the new Cabinet what may be called a fatal
man. All alarm appears to us out of season and out of
season, and we think that in sounding the tocsin for no-
thing, there may be a risk of its not being attended to
when sounded for someting."
The Lyons journals state that the approach of the
period for collecting the silk crop has caused a decline
of 5 to 6 per cent. in the price of silk, and a decline
of from 12 to 15 per cent. is shortly expected. Not-
-1 withstanding this, manufacturers are without orders,
and the machines are unemployed. The last letters
received at Lyons from America state that the sales
by auction continued, and paralysed all other sales.
The market was incumbered with plain silks, an ar-
ticle which forms the principal part of American pur-
chases in Lyons. The spring sales in Lyons have been
nearly concludedin the wholesale houses, and they have
generally been inferior by a third to those of preceding
years. On the whole, the manufacturing and com-
mercial situation is unfavourable, and disquietude is
improvement.
The but it is hoped that the termination of the Mi-
nisterial crisis will cause
The Tou/onnais says— Letters from Algiers of
the .sth announce that the Governor-General, General
D'lleuTrouL, has definitively abandoned the idea of
taking the command of the expedition to Kabylia, his
plan of campaign not having been approved of in all
points by the Government. It is even said that he is
shortly to return to France. The general who is to
command the expedition in Kabylia has not yet been
named."

The Akbar of Algiers announces that the Go-
vernor-General left Algiers on the Bth for Philippe-
ville, and was to return on the 14th.
The Bourse was heavy, with a tendency to a
fall in the price of public securities. The Five per
Cents, opened at 92t. 80c., rose to 92f. 95c., fell sub-
sequently to 92f. 70c., and closed at 92f. 85c. Tho
Three per Cents. closed at 57f. 30c. Orleans Railroad
Shares, 835 f. ; Rouen, 6421. 50c.; Havre, 2681. 75c.;
Avignon, 2051.; Vierzon, 441 f. 25c.; Paris and Stras-
burg, 3731. 75c.; Tours and Nantes, 278 f. 75c.
BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAIL WAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, Aran. 15.
Boulogne and Amiens, 9,75, Central of France (Orleans
and Vierzon), 18—Dutch Rhenish, 3—Maria Antonia, 7%n--ci
Ditto, New, 21/2—Northern of France,
1474—Orleans ,
Bordeaux, 41/4—Paris and Strasbourg, 104 Rouen ,
Havre, 10%—Sambre and Meuse, 3% —Tours and NantAt'A

SPAIN.
Madrid journals of the 10th have arrived.
The Gaceta publishes a decree, ordering the oleo-
;ions to commence on the 10th May, and summoning
he new Chambers for the Ist June.

GERMANY.
In the sitting of the Second Chamber of the States
of Prussia, on the 11th, the communal decree was
discussed. M. DE PATOW charged the Ministry with
having promulgated laws, the execution of which they
well knew was impossible. M. DE MANTEUFFEL pro-
tested against such a charge, and added that he had
no account to render to M. DE PATow as to the manner
in which the Ministry had executed the decree in ques-
tion, or even to tne Chamber,
,notwithstanding the