The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-26 00:00:00

THE PEACE CONGRESS.

The following is the letter of the Times Paris
correspondent, dated yesterday, six p.m.:—
The important moment has arrivedat last. The
Congress has commenced its sjttings. For weeks to
come this city, in which that international jury is
assembled to decide the great political question of
the day, will have the attention of Europe directed
to it. Many a wistful eye has turned for the last six
hours to that stately edifice, the Hotel of Foreign
Affairs, where the deliberation of that momentous
subject has already opened, as if it would fain pene-
trate its massive walls for one glimpse of what is
going on within. The services of those singularly
gifted persons, the force of whose visual organ
penetrates the thickest millstone, would be invalu-
able just now. With what sort of aspect did the
Plenipotentiaries first meet ? Were their laces
beaming over with diplomatic smiles, or did their
eyes glance sternly as they stood before each other
in that well carpeted, well tapestried, well furnished,
and, alas ! too well closed apartment ? Did the
Russian, fresh from the ice of the Neva, maintain
the cold hauteur of the vanquished but still haughty
enemy ? Or did his frigid heart melt and expand
before the warm courtesy of his southern confreres?
Did the Plenipotentiaries, ou crossing the threshold
of the hall of the conferences, lay aside the habits of
social amenities, and assume all the rigidity of diplo-
macy ? Did they fold their arms as they thought of
the Redan and the Malakhoff, of Sinope and Se-
bastopol, and of all that happened since last they
gathered together? Or did they, like courteous
combatants, who respect each other's prowess,
shake hands, to show they had no personal spite
before "setting 'to " at this fresh encounter of
wits ? All this, and more than this, is asked ; but
there is no one to answer. All is silent about that
building. Not a man issues from it. without wear-
ing au expression of mystery on his features. The
sable-clad ushers who wait in the ante-room are
more impressive, solemn, and taciturn than usual ;
and the plated chains which, Lord Mayor-like,
they wear as insignia of office' clank with a more
subdued sound. The gareonsdu bureau, usually so
good-natured, so alert, and so bustling, now steal
stealthily along. The very sentinels at the external
doors stand motionless like armed statues ; and ,
even the barges on the river which flows before the I
walls of that fair palace glide noiselessly up and
down, for fear a ripple should disturb the silence.
The Russians were at their work early this morn-
ing. Baron Brunow was stirring betimes, and M.
Seebach was seen to issue from his house some
time after 8 o'clock, and accompany his friend to
the residence of the chief' Plenipotentiary, Count
Orloff. The three were for hours closeted together,
and no doubt " got up" their lesson well before
starting for the rendezvous. The spirits of people
in general seem to be elated, and confidence in
the pacific result of the Conferences is gaining
strength, on what particular ground I cannot find
out, except that at the Tuileries last night the
Emperor was very gracious. He chatted in an ani-
mated manner with his guests, smiled gracefully
with Count Buol and Baron Brunow, and the sterner
Orloff was heard to declare that nothing could be
more satisfactory than the Emperor's reception
of him ; and his • Majesty is said to have
looked te very picture of peace. If you can
believe what you hear in public, almost every
difficulty is already removed, the task left to the
diplomatists is of the lightest possible kind, and
the wonder is how they will manage to occupy even
the first week of their meeting. This is the very
exuberance of optimism. Ido not mean to say that
peace will not be the result of the Conferences, but
I should hesitate before pronouncing it as certain.
There are, so far as I can understand, serious mat-
ters yet to be discussed, but which will be sue_iess-
fully got over if France, England, and Austria re-
main firm and united to the last moment. If they
do so Russia has no alternative but to yield, for the
simple reason that she cannot help herself. She is
desirous of peace because she is anxious to at' end
to her internal concerns, to the improvement of
her means of communication from the centre to the
extremities of her empire, that if she be engaged
hereafter in such a war as the present her armies
may not perish on their way to encounter their
enemy.

I will not trouble you with the various rumours
that have been flying about during the day, as none
of them rest on any authenticated fact. I persist in
what I have already said with respect to the issue of
the conferences, that no safe opinion can be formed
till after the lapse of eight or ten days. I may say,
however, that probably not much time will elapse
before the preliminaries are signed, and that pro-
bably an armistice, will be proclaimed immediately.

DARING GAROTTE ROBBERY.—Late on Friday night,
as Mr. Shalders, the comedian, of Covent-garcits
Theatre, was crossing Paddington-churchyard, he was
attacked by three men, one of whom grasped him from
behind, and squeezn i his throat until he producedinsen-
sibility. On recovering he found that he had been must
shockingly ill-treated, his face was cut and disfigured,
and his body severely contused ; all his cash, his gold
watch, and appendages, and several valuable rings that
he had on his fingers, were abstracted.
LAUNCH OF ANOTHER GUN•BOAT.—LIVERPOOL, Feb.
26.—The gun-tioat Bullfinch, the fifth of the fourteen
contracted for by Mr. Laird, was launched from that
gentleman's building-yard at Birkenhead this afternoon.
It is expected that a sixth, and one of the iron mortar
boats ordered Emus this gentleman, will be launched in
the cour,e of this week. Four of the gun-boats.are all but
ready for despatch, and they will, it is understood, be
towed round to Portsmouth in a day or two.
WELLINGTON COLLIERY ON TYNE.—SHIELDS, Feb. 22.
—The celebrated old Tyne Colliery, in cousequence of a
sudden rush of a great quantity of water on Friday last,
has been entirely closed. The horses and men were got
out with difficulty. For some time back the lower seam
in its working hal been interrupted with water. It is
still hoped the water may be withdrawn, and the valu-
able unworked beds of coal connected with the collitry
may not be entirely lost. Wellington Gilliery was one
of the pits the late Emperor cf Russia, when visiting
England in 1815, ventured to descend to witness the
workings.

THE " MURDER AND lIIGIIWAY ROBBERY ON TovrE3
HlLL."—Yesterday (Monday) afternoon an inquest was
held by Mr. Baker, coroner, and a respectable jury, at
the London Hospital, Mile-end-road, on the body of a
man named George Brown, who it was reported had
been knocked down in the Minories and robbed by two
men and a woman, from the effects of which blow he died
shortly after he was conveyed to the above hospital. At
the inquest there was no evidence whatever produced to
show that the deceased had been unfairly treated by any
one; but, on the contrary, that he was greatly intoxicated
at the time and fall and struck himself. The post ntorton,
examination of the body showed that the deceased was
suffering from a diseased brain and other infirmities, and
there was no doubt but that his death had been accele-
rated by his drinking. The jury returned a verdict
accordingly.
THE TIPPERARY BANK.--DUBLIN, Monday, Feb. 25.
—The Carlow branch of the Tipperary Bank has sus-
pended its payments, the manager having paid off all the
cash on band up to three o'clock on Monday last. The
event has, of course, cursed great consternation, espy.
cially among the aaiicultural classes, many of the better
rank of farmers being depositors to a considerable
amount. Mr. Sadleir, it may be recollected, sat for the
borough of Carlow from 1347 to 1352, and it is a singu-
lar fact that his predecessor in the representation, Major
Layard, also died by his own hand. The immediate
result of the winding-up petition to Chancery will be a
call on the shareholders who are able to pay, and who
will, on payment of it, be protected from any hr stile
proceedings by creditors until another call be made. As
to the prospect of ultimate liquidation, the commercial
accounts of this morning say it is impossible to hazard
even a conjecture. In aLy case, however, much delay
must occur in winding up the affitirs of the bank in the
mode resorted to.