The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-15 00:00:00

SAVOY _AV D SIVITZERLAND.

The following despatch from our Minister
Berne indicates the point of view in which 0
proposed cession of Savoy to France is regarded
by the Swiss Government and people :
Capt. Harris to Lord J. Russell.—Received March'
Berne, Feb. 27, 1860.
My Lord,—As the attitude of e Swiss Govert
ment and people must have an important beariri!
on the question of the proposed cession of Savoy,'
have made it my business to observe that attituu
closely; and having read in some of the newspape,
an answer of the Federa' Council to the address °;

the Vaudoise section of the influential society c'
the Helvetic, which implied that they directly or,
proved of the annexation of Northern Savoy ti
Switzerland, I sought an interview Wit
the President this morning, who stated „
me that those versions of the answer Wel
purposely strained and incorrect, and point
to me, in the Blind, a semi-official newspaper, 01
answer as it was really given, and which contaice
nothing of the kind. The President said that, 0°
doubt, there were many people throughout Snit'
zerland who were fascinated by the idea of the ler
nexation of the provinces of the Chablais,
cigny, and the Genevois, and who would, in sue',
a case, view with indifference the cession of there]
of Savoy to France ; But that sounder heads looked
more closely into the matter, and, reflecting calm',
on the future, foresaw difficulties and dangers itio
such an arrangement which made the status et
infinitely preferable. He said that, in tl3,
first place, this annexation would introduce in'o
the conferation a Roman Catholic elerneed
of a very bigoted character, which woe,
increase the difficulties with which
federal Government had to deal already
That many persons in the Canton of Geneva vin
anxious for the annexation of the provinces
North Savoy to their canton, in order to increr
the area of taxation, and relieve themselves from if
heavy pressure, arising from the enormous outle)
which has taken place lately in the city of Genell
for the construction of quays and other public i"
provements ; but that this would engender discoli,
tent in the newly annexed provinces. The Pre '
dent added that in drawing the new military fro!).
tier French engineer officers would doubtless 111
sent to act with those of Switzerland for that VT,
pose, and that difficulties and jealousies well!'
arise similar to those in the vexatious questies,
in the Vallee des Dappes. The first portion e`
these remarks suggested to my mini a veil
palpable danger, which I stated to the Pre'
sident, and which he had already foreseeLl'
namely, that the province of North Savoy, cuv
sequent to the arrangement above alluded to, migli,e"l
when worked upon by dissidenccs in religious mat
ters (and those who have witnessed the strife 111'
this country between the Calvinist and ultranioxl
tane will easily understand how it can be made $1
powerful political engine), and impatient under 0;1
creased taxation, throw themselves into the arms
France with such a manifestation of the populm.
will, and would render the interference of the gres.!
powers with a view to prevent their annexation lA'
,t
the French Empire extremely difficult. I need'
hardly add that with the southern shore of the
Lake of Geneva and the approaches to the Valate,
in the hands of France, the independence sinu,
neutrality of Switzerland would be seriously coalii
promised. Of the value of that neutrality, and
the sagacity of the statesmen who secured it IP'
1815, the late war afforded ample proof. Switzer
land, thus guaranteed, interposed her mountain'
bulwarks between the vast armies contending i$
the plains of Italy and the rest of Europe. Thou'
sands of innocent persons, flying from the horrors
of war, found refuge with their property within her
frontiers. Commerce and industry pursued her!
avocations even in intercourse with her three
gerent neighbours, and with the rest of Europell
and it was one of her cities which was chosen for:
the site of the conferences which were to give
peace t,) the Continent. Of the practicability of her
neutrality, proof appears in the frank admission
by the Governments of the belligerent powers at
the conclusion of the war, of the honest course pur'
sued by the Swiss Federal Council throughout its
duration. I have reported this conversation with
the President of the Confederation, and have vec'
tured on these remarks, in order to place before
your lordship the very serious aspect under which
the cession of any part of Savoy to France must 138
regarded as affecting the future independence and
neutrality of Switzerland, quite apart and distinct
from what is taking place in have, &c.,
(Signed) E. A. J. HARRIS.

REFORM.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE sr.N.

SlR,—What is mainly wanted by the country in our re•
presentation is—that while every class should be heard, one
claAs should not preponderate by mere numbers, and thus
be able to overpower and tyrannise over the others. The
difficulty is to know how to accomplish this most desirable
result. It is submitted that there is a basis for doing so
it is simply to give men votes in proportion to their pro-
perty. If a man with a property worat £6 a .year has e
vote, a man with a property worth £6O a-year should have
six votes. What ',you'd be wanting in property in one
class would be made up in numbers ; what would be want-
ing in numbers in another class would be made up in pro-
perty. Thus would the balance be preserved, and class
tyranny be impossible. The suggestion is not yet too late,
more especially as the Reform Bill is not likely to pass this
session. On this principle Conservatives Would become
household suffragists at once.—Your obedient servant,
Edinburgh, March 4 H. K.

DEATH OF LADY GRANVILLE.—We (Brighton
Gazette) regret to announce the death of Lady Granville,
which took place at the Royal-crescent in this town (where
her ladyship had been for some months residing) at twelve
o'clock on Tuesday night, in the presence of Lord Granville
and her lad) ship's mother the Duchess of Dalberg, who had
arrived from the continent about a week previously. The
deceased lady was afflicted with dropsy, and had been in o
dying state for the last fortnight. Her ladyship, who war
only forty-six years of age—two years Lord Granville's
senior—has left one son by a former husband, She was a
remarkably fine and handsome lady, and her death is deeply
lamented by her sorrowing relations and friends.
THE DEATH OF BARON WATSON.—It was stated
yesterday at Guildhall that Russell Gurney, Esq., Q.C.,
the Recorder of London, had received instructions from the
Lord Chancellor to proceed without delay to Welshpool, to
conduct the business of the assizes, in consequence of the
sudden demise of Baron Watson.
LIGHT DUES.—The amount paid for light dues
during the past year, according to a return just made to
the House of Commons, was £273,570 Os. 7d., of which
sum British ships paid £179,984 14s. 7d., and foreign ships
£93,585 15s. The over sea trade paid £219,810 14s. 9d. of
the gross sum, and the coasting trade £53,759 14s. 10d.
THE COAL TRADE OF THE TYNE.—According
to the annual abstract of the Tyne Coal Commissioners' ac-
counts published yesterday, the enormous quantity of
4,407,225 tons of coals was exported from the Tyne in
1859 ; in theyear 1858 there were 1,018,990 tons exported,
the increase during 1859 over 1858 being ?,88,235 tons.
BURRADON COLLIERY EXPLOSION.—When the
last despatch was sent from Eurradonithe coroner's inquest
was still inquiring into the circumstances of the explosion
in the colliery at that place, but had not finished the exa-
mination of the officials of the pit, who were entering into
lengthened details of the internal arrangements of the
colliery and the mode of working it. The object of the
counsel engaged for the relatives of the deceased men and
boys in going so much into detail appears to be to test the
parties, and compare their evidence as to the responsibility
of those in charge of the colliery at the time of the explo-
sion. After they are all examined, and that will be a work
of some days, independent evidence as to the state and awes
of working the mine will be called by the owner of the col.
liery and by the Government; pitmen will then be exa-
mined, and possibly the inquiry will close with the evidence
of the Government, Inspectors. As the court has been occu-
pied two days and a half in taking the evidence of two per-
sons, it is difficult to state when the inquiry will close. ilic
relatives of the deceased have the assistance of Mr. Ser-
geant Ballantine, who has been brought down to the north
by one or two large manufacturers for that purpose, the
learned gentlemen having received a retainer of 200 guineas.
The examination of the witnesses on behalf of the Govern-
mont is conducted with considerable ability by Mr. William
Luckey Haile, and the inquiry promises to be the most sift•
ing and searching ever held upon a coal mine explosion in
the northern counties. The fact that large employers of
labour have come forward as handsomely to protect the ill"
terests of the bereaved women and children beforh the Co"
roper's Court has given. great satisfaction among the work-
in.- men of the north, who, with the public generally, are
taking a very lively interest in the proceedings,