The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-29 00:00:00

PERSIA.

CONSTANTINOPLE, DEC. 18.
Despatches, dated the 17th November, have
been received from Teheran.

A deoree by the Shah of Persia invests the
Grand Vizier with unlimited powers for life.

The same decree adds that serious events are
imminent, and calls upon the people to show
themselves energetic, and to defend their honour
to the last.

All the chiefs of tribes by whom the environs
of Herat are occupied have made their submission.

The Persian columns despatched in pursuit of
Dost Mahommed were advancing on Candahar.
The Ottoman Government has contracted a loan
for 35,000,000 of piastres.

BERLIN, SUNDAY.

The French Government has made a new
proposition, which is said to be supported by the
other Powers. It is that the prisoners, now in
the hands of the Swiss authorities, should be
liberated, but banished the Helvetic territory by
a declaratory measure of police. If Switzerland
assents to this, an understanding, says the
despatch, is still possible.
The Berlin Correspondent contradicts the state-

merit that the order of march to the Prussian army
is Postponed to the 15th Feb. The march will
immediately follow the order for mobilisation,
which is by no means adjourned.

The Paris correspondent of the Times (second
edition), in his letter dated yesterday (Su'Way),
6 p.m., says :

"I mentioned some weeks since that, with a
view to effect an arrangement of the Russian
question to the satisfaction of all the powers who
were represented at the Paris Conferences, it had
been proposed by the French Government that
Russia should abandon her claim to the Bolgrad
situate on the lake Yalpuk, and which communicates
with the Danube, on condition of the cession of a cer-
tain portion of territory in Bessarabia, where she
might establish the centre of her Bulgarian popu-
lation ; and that this proposition was rejected by
the English Government. It is now said that,
after a good deal of negotiation, the principle'
has been accepted, not, however, as compensation
for Bolgrad, the Russian claim to which was in-
variably declared to be unfounded, but in return
for the Isle of Serpents. By this arrange-
ment Russia will be debarred from all contact
with the Danube, and the question of the
navigation of that stream satisfactorily settled.
" It is further stated that a draft of the proto-
col as agreed to by the Powers has been forwarded
to St. Petersburg, and that the Conferences will
open as soon as the answer of the Russian Govern-
ment is received. It is not anticipated, however,
that any difficulty will be raised, as Russia is
already aware of the manner in which it is pro-
f posed to settle this question."

A person in Vienna, who is generally well
informed of what is passing bohind the scenes,
gives the following account of the arrangements
that have just been made at Paris. First, both
the Bo!grads are to be ceded to Moldavia ; second,
the Deltaof the Danube and the Isle of Serpents aro
to be ceded to Turkey, and Russia is to retain pos-
session of the piece of land between the Yalpuk
and its tributary as a compensation far Old Bol•
grad (Tabak). The area of the abovementioned
territory is said to be about 180 square miles,
with a population of between 8,000 and 10,000
souls. In order to make the foregoing informa•
tion complete, it must be added that the Russian
Ministers at Paris do not object to the terms pro-
posed.

FRANCE.
PARIS, SUNDAY.
The Plenipotentiaries will meet, preliminarily,
to-morrow, Monday, at the Ministry of Foreign
Affairs.

Count de Morny, whose return to Paris has
been announced for the end of the present montb,
will not, says the Constitutionitel, arrive until
towards the end of January.
A Vienna letter in the Debats says :—" I aril
able to inform you that final instructions have
now been despatched from the Government here
to our ambassador at Paris, relative to the con-
ferences. It is said to have been agreed
amongst the Powers that the sittings shall not
exceed four in number. The only two ques-
tions that will be discussed—that of Bolgrad and
of the Isle of Serpents—will be decided, as al-
ready mentioned, either for or against Russia
by the majority of plenipotentiaries present. The
opposition of England and Austria, in arcord with
Turkey, against the union of the Danubian princi-
palities remains unshaken. Never will any power
wrest concessions on this subject from Austria.
Her great commercial and political interests will be
constantly opposed to all the dreams of the union of
these two countries. This question cannot even form
the object of deliberations in the congress, and if
the eventuality of the annexation should be by.
chance raised, the Austrian plenipotentiary 1136
been enjoined to withdraw rather than to furnish,
by his presence any pretext for the introduction 01
the discussion of that question in one of the four
sittings of the congress."
A letter from the Indian Seas, published in the
illoniteur de let Plotte, announces that M. de Mon"
tigny, the French Envoy, had arrived at Hue on
the 15th of September last :
" Hue or Hoe is the capital of Cochin China, and the
residence of the Emperor. The town is one of the be.at
fortifie in Asia, and most advantageously
The Annamite Government is preparing there a maritime
expedition, which, to judge from appearances, will be the
of the most formidable ever seen in that part of .nst
world. The expedition is, it is said, to act agaL
coast of re-
China, and a descent is to be made on the
Tche-Le. The Cochin Chinese feet is completely
orga-
nised, and comprises 1,200 war vessels,
divided into three classes. The shi situated.
of all sizes,fis
class, which are the size of our frigates, and cart y
50 to 60 guns ; the galleys, which are propelledr
either by sail or by the oar ; and the ordinal.
ps of war of the
from
transport ships. Each division of the fleet is conc.
manned by an Admiral, under the direction of Pri
the
Ghia-Khang, a relative of the Emperor, who fills
te
post of Grand Admiral. His flag-ship is called
and
Menak-Khong-Sil, (he Commander of the Seas),
are
carries 62 guns. Her masts are gilt, and her sails are
bound witn white satin and gold fringe. There
100,000 operatives employed in fitting out the
_l2.
expedi-
tion and preparing materials for its operations. Cochl.
China is j ly regarded as the first maritime power la.
the extreme East. It possesses a very respectable 01°.
non foundry and a museum of artillery, in which are col_
looted models of all the cannon used in Europe. There r_.`
likewise a naval museuni, in which is to be seen a marina ;
c riirriss given to the Emperor Pay-Song in the year
1761 by M. Poivre, the celebrated traveller, There 1,
I,kewiss a very fine map of the world given by
Louis XVI , which is held in great veneration. There
are likewise several articles presented by Lob)
XVIII. in 1817. Several paintings executed fld.
native artists represent the Emperor Gya-Long an
his daval engagements. This Prince, who rege"
-
rated the navy, was the most distinguished eon
reign the country ever produced. He lived at the comemencement of the
French officers • h• three °I
in is service, and promoted es,
present century. He attached severs-,
them to the rank of Mandarin. The Cochin-Cain
expedition will be ready to sail in April next." any
A letter from Toulon announces that a company
of the 4th Regiment of Marines have reoei
tvht,
orders to hold themselves ready to embark lee , to
Imperial corvette Durance, which
e about
Two gunboat; sv fully equipped for
ar,
to sail for the came destination. is to proc u

-
n PRUSSIA AND SWITZERLAND.
last gives
the Frankfort Journal of Saturday s e
following news from Berne, dated on the Pre'
t 1
vious day (Friday) :
" The Swiss Confederation is org
" The popular enthusiasm is continually in-
creasing, seising for the
defenceM litf the natil soil.
"ioary preparations are actively going o
ro-
n.
An appeal has been made to Swiss women to p
vide for the service of the ambulances.
A private letter from Bone of the 24th states
that on that day 15,000 troops were placed as
echelon from Basle to Rheinfelden Liestal, and as
many from Rheinfelden to Schaffhausen.
The Commercial Gazette of Berlin of the 24th says
It is rumoured here in well informed circles that the
question of Neuchatel will be arranged by a confeence,
"'dependent of that of Paris, and meeti4 at Vienva or
L n,don, and that Svritzer.a..d will be adniitted to t.
We they add that this rumour is widely disseminated at
Vienna. It. is alleged that General Dufour has written
another le' ter to the Emperor Napo p
leon, roposing to'
submit to the decision of Europe on the question. The
general, it is said, aperts that it is not yet too late for
negotiations, and that the Federal Council could not
cede before, because it was Lot treated with wLat it co
sidered proper respect. He further says that Prue* is
has not given positive assurances as to what she would
do with respect to Neuchatel even if the prisoners quite
set at liberty. Lastly, hen ays that Sviitzerland is
ready to abide by an Euroean decision.
On the same subject, the Bourse Gazette of Berlin
quotes a letter from Vienna of the 22d, which
states that the Federal Council of SwitzerlaLd has
confidentially informed the Austrian envoi' itt
Berne that it would willingly yield to the demanue
of Prussia if recommended to do so by a colictiv©
note of the great powers, provided the latter would,
iu return, support the interests of Svritzerlancl in
the negotiations to be opened on the subject of the
future relations of Switzerland with Neu
This overture, the letter states, has been favour"
ably received by Austria.
We have already mentioned that the canton of
Vaud had offered 16 battalions over and above its
ordinary contingent. Similar offers have been
made to the Federal Government from all the other
cantons. Permissions and passports to leave the
country have been everywhere refused to those wile
are liable to be called under arms, and the greatest
activity is everywhere displayed in order to coin-
Wet° the war material in the arsenals. ehatel.
_ .

The Londcri General Omnibus Company have
their establishment a detective' department, under the
direc'ion of Mr. C. F. Field, late chief inspector of the
metropolitan detective police. Tie peculations of the
conductors are stated to amount to upwards of 30,000/.
per annum, a sum almost incredible.
DIE REV. DR LIVINGSTON, THE MISSIONA.RT T.RA•
YELLER IN SOUTH AFRICA.—The Lord Mayor has
hiadly consented to grant the use of the Egyptian-hall
on Monday, the sth of January,. and to preside at A
AddOd efts
meeting, for the purpose of offering a testimonial of
admiration and respect to Dr. Living ton, the intrepid
explorer of South Africa.