The Sun.
London, England, 1860-02-16 00:00:00

OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS.

Sir. It. PEEL asked the Secretary of State for Foreign
Affairs whether her Majesty's Government have any objec-
tion to state the nature of the communications which have
passed between the Sardinian and British Govern-
ments, with respect to the cession of a portion of
the Sardinian territory to France ; and also, whether her
Majesty's Government have hall occasion to communicate
to the French Government the opinion entertained by other
Powers on this subject; and whether, in the event of the
annexation of Savoy to France being effected, her Majesty's
Government are prepared to abandon the neutrality of Snit.
zerland, as guaranteed by Great Britain, in common with
other European Powers

Lord J. RUSSELL, who was very imperfectly heard, was
understood to say that, as regarded Sardinia, a eommuni.
cation had been received from the Government of that
country, to the effect that it was not intended to cede any
of the Sardinian territory to France. Up to the present
time there had been no official communication with Franca
on this subject. Her Majesty's Government proposed to
act in the same way with reference to Switzerland, that
other countries had resolved to do under the condition in
question. He had entertained some apprehension that
Switzerland, under the circumstances, would have been
tempted to act in a spirit of aggrandisement, but he had re•
ceived assurances to the contrary. (Hear, hear.)
In reply to Mr. FITZGERALD,

Lord J. RUSSELL said that the Government had rs•
ceived no official information with respect to the views
of France relative to the annexation in question ; but he
understood it had been communicated by the Government
of France to Sardinia, that if the territory of the
latter kingdom were increased in consequence of the
addition of a portion of Central Italy, that Franoe would
not consider her frontier sufficiently secure unless she ob•
tained the annexation of the provinces alluded to by the
hon. baronet (Sir R. Peel).

THE TROOPS OF THE KING OF NAPLES.
Lord R. MONTAGU asked the Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs, whether her Majesty's Government had
received any communication front the Government of the
Two Sicilies, complaining that agents of the Government
of Sardinia have been trying to excite a mutiny in the
troops of the King of Naples.
Lord J. RUSSELL said the Government had not re-
ceived any information on the subject.
EXCESSSIVE PUNISHMENT
Mr. FREELAND asked the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, whether the attention of her Majesty's
Government has been called to the case of an agricultural
labourer in Hertfordshire, who, having been previously
convicted for stealing rabbits, was said to have been sen-
tenced by the magistrates of that county to three years•
penal servitude for stealing a few sticks from a fagot stack;
whether there was any truth in the statement ?
Sir G. C. LEWIS said that an application had been
made to the Chairman of the Quarter Sessions relative to
the matter, but no information had yet been received.
LORD ELGIN.

Mr. B. OSBORNE inquired whether there was any
truth in the statement which had appeared in the news-
papers, to the effect that Lord Elgin was about to be sent
en a mission tn China ?

Lord J. RUSSELL said that he could not answer that
question at present.
THE RUSSIAN COMPANY.

Mr. HUBBARD asked the President of the Board of
Trade whether he had received any, and, if any, what com-
munication from the Governor of the Russian Icompanh
touching the levy of dues by that company.
Mr. M. GIBSON. said that it was intended to remove
the dues alluded to in the event of the treaty with France
being agreed to by the house.
FLOGGING IN THE ARMY, NAVY, AND
MILITIA.
Mr. W. WILLIAMS called the attation of the house to
the flogging in the army and navy, and moved an address
for a return of the number of men flogged in the army and
militia in the year 1859, specilving the offence, the regi-
ment, the place of station, the sentence, and the number of
lashes inflicted on each man; also,
ber flogged in the navy in 18d9, spfor. a return of the nipm...
ecifying. names of ships,
and of the commanding officers, the offence, the sentence,
and the number of lashes inflicted on each person, stating
whether by order of court martial or the commanding
officer.—Agreed to.
- • NNING THE NAVY.

unasull
Sir C. NAPIER, moved that in the opinion of this house
the reoommendations of the commissioners on manning
ewtiatkhena invtioewcontsoi deeraartriyonoubi
the
est
prin-
ciplesjY a such recommendations•
antyurtdhhe gallantegei a. r Ma-
jesty's
at
member contended that the existinlgiseysht°ellm.
navy ought
to
It,
the navy was not calculated to inspire confidence in the
ye
country, or to give satisfaction to the seamen employed in
her majesty's Ito 3 al navy. The latter had no faith
in the
Board of Admiralty, whcse administration had excited dis-
trust.

[LEFT SPRAKING.]

The extra penny postage on newspapers to the
Australian Colonial has been abolished on all those sent
via Stuz.

Our leading contemporary announced in the early
part of the wcek that Major-General Sir James Scarlett was
about to succeed Sir George IVetherall as Adjutant-General
at 'lead. Quarters. The statement d es not rest on good
foundation. Sir George Wetherell, we have reason to be-
hove, will continue for some time longer in the office of
Adjutant- General, inasmuch as the Duke of Cambridge is
very anxious to have the benefit of his services in arranging
whatever new measures the Government may adopt respect-
ing the reorganisation of the Indian Army. We may also
contradict the statements which have appeared regarding
Lord Seaton's successor in the Irish command nothing
having yet been settled upon the subject.—Army and
Navy Gazette.
A WORD TO TRIVELLERS.—There are same
things to be avoided in Paris, and " rosbif" is ono of them.
As soon as the gargon sees a customer is an Englishman
(aid we are easy to identify) he takes rather a wicked plea-
sure in asking him to take "rosbif"—but avoid it. A,
French ox has generally seen long service in the plough
before being sent to the butcher.—Once a Week.