The Sun.
London, England, 1860-03-17 00:00:00

the apprehensions of the poor, innocent, primitive
population. He wished her Majesty's Government
to protest in a loyal, manly, and straightforward
manner against this conduct on the part of France.
That protest would ring far beyond the precincts
of this house, and would rally Prussia, all Germany,
and Europe at our side ; for the annexation of
Say oy to France would not only affect the future
interests of Piedmont, and the future condition of
Switzerland, but it was thelfirst step ir. the con-
spiracy which had been set on foot against the
rights and liberties of every European state.

Lord JOHN RUSSELL felt himself in rather an
awkward sort of a fix, but felt no objection to pro-
duce the despatch which contained the account of a
conversation which Lord BLOOMFIELD had had with
Count SCHLEINITZ, the Prussian Foreign Minister,
and the French Minister at Berlin. He himself had
also held a conversation with Count B ERNSTORIT, the
Prussian Minister in this country, and he was quite
aware that the Government of Prussia entirely agreed
in the views which her MAJESTY'S Government took
of the question of an nexation. With regard to Austria
and Russia, seeing the length of time that had elapsed
since he had communicated to those Courts the objec-
tion of England to that measure, it was certainly
matter of disappointment that as yet he had re-
ceived no information from them as to their inten-
tions. He certainly regarded as most extraordinary
and unprecedented the recent declaration of Count
CAVOUR, that, whilst Sardinia would not cede, sell,
or exchange Savoy, if the Savoyards were disposed
to attach themselves to another sovereign the King
of SARDINIA had no objection. It looked as if the
King of SARDINIA was not very unwilling to agree
to the project of annexation. The position of this
country was, therefore, very much influenced by
this state of things. Yesterday the copy of, a de-
spatch from M. THOUVENEL to Count PERSIGNY was
placed in his hands, which laid the whole case for
the annexation of Savoy before her MAJESTY'S Go-
vernment. That despatch was very temperately
written, and abjured altogether the notion of
natural boundaries. It stated that the case of
Savoy was one of special interest, arising out of
special circumstances ; that the position of Italy
was changed, and that the position of France was
thereby rendered greatly worse. But although it
was alleged in the despatch that the question was
submitted to the wisdom and equity of Europe,
yet, looking at the entire document, he could
hardly say that the great Powers of Europe were
consulted, or that it would be by their verdict that
the decision would be guided. The whole de-
spatch, and especially that portion of it which re-
lated to Faucigny, Chablais, and the Genevois, was
of such gravity and importance as to require the
most serious consideration, and he should lose no
time inlaying it, together with his reply, upon the
table.

" Thus bad begins, but worse remains behind.

In fact, our Government, in their too great anxiety
to conciliate the Emperor NAPOLEON, have been
completely over-reached, and the precious one-sided
Treaty has sealed their doom. They have now a
foretaste of the truism, " put not _thy faith in
princes," with a vengeance. But how avert the
effects of their misplaced confidence, or retrieve
their grave political error ? That is a question re-
quiring more delicacy than they have bargained for.
Their experience of the past does not appear to
have taught them wisdom to be wary for the future
in their dealings with one who justifies his conduct
by the success of his manoeuvres.
The game has answered expectation so far, but
how far it will be suffered to proeeed time only can
tell. Let the indignation of Europe be but once
aroused from mutual apprehension of common
danger, and the star of his evil genius will look
very blue in the morning of disaster.

We copy the following from the Paris correspon-
dent of the Times, dated yesterday evening, on the
question of Switzerland, touching Savoy, &c. :
" Amid the general silence of the Governments of
Europe on the annexation of Savoy, one State—and
that not the most powerful—has raised its voice
against that act. Switzerland, remembering, per-
haps, the stand she made on the Neuchatel affair
two or three years ago, or the memorable courage
of less recent date, when she braved the anger of
Louis Philippe's Government, and the invasion
of her territory by 25,000 French troops, ready to
punish her for the asylum she afforded to Prince
Louis NAPOLEON in 1838—Switzerland has' belled
the cat.' I sent you a telegraphic message last
night, announcing that Dr. KERN, the Swiss Mi-
nister in Paris, has deposited in the hands of the
French Minister of Foreign Affairs, a protest si-
milar to that which has been forwarded to the
Sardinian Government. I hope the wires have
done their duty, and faithfully delivered their
charge. Switzerland, thinking she has cause for
uneasiness at the consequences which the abso-
lute absorption by Franco of the provinces of Fan-
cigny, and Chablais would create for her own
neutrality and independence, taking her stand
-upon existing treaties, appeals to the Great Powers
who have signed them. She may take her stand,
among other things, on the 92d Article of the Final
Act, signed at Vienna by the Plenipotentiaries of
Austria, Spain, France, Great Britain, Portugal,
Prussia, Russia, and Sweden, specifying that
the provinces of Chablais and Faucigny,
and the whole of the territory of Savoy to the north
of Ugine belonging to his Majesty the King of
SARDINIA, shall form a part of the neutrality of
Switzerland, as it is recognised and guaranteed by
the Powers;' the act signed at Paris on the 20th
November, 1815, by the Plenipotentiaries of Aus-
tria, France, Great Britain, Prussia, and Russia,
declaring, inter alia, that ' tho Powers signing the
declaration of the 20th March recognise iu an au-
thentic manner, by the present act, that the neu-
trality and the inviolability of Switzerland, and her
independence of every foreign influence, are for the
true interests of the policy of all Europe ;' and,
again, the protocol of the Plenipotentiaries of
Great Britain, Austria, Russia,
and Prussia,
signed at Paris Nov. 3, 1815, providing that 'the
neutrality of Switzerland shall be extended
to the
territory which is to the north of a line drawn
from Ugine, comprehending that town, to the south
of the lake of Annecy, and thence to the lake of

Bourges as far as the Rhone, on the sample prinei:
pies that it has been extended to the provinces of
Chablais and Faucigny by the 92d article of the,

final Act of the Congress of Vienna."

The note which Switzerland addresses to the
Powers who have guaranteed her neutrality will
doubtless be fortified by additional arguments. In

the meantime I give the terms of the protest to
which I alluded yesterday. It is as fbllows

"PARIS, 11.1inur 13.
"M. KERN, MINItTER OF SWITZERLAND, TO M. DE

TROUVENEL, AIrNT Tsrt or FOREIGN AFFAIRS,
"Monsieur le Ministre,—ln comequzuce of a despatch
from Berne, I am to inform your Excellency that the
Febral Council have addressed to the Government of his

Majesty- the King of Sardinia a note in which they demand

the maintenance of the stipulations of the Treat; of 156-1,
confirmed by the Treaty of ISIG between Sardinia and
Switzerland, in so far as they relate to the cession of the

actual territory of Savoy to another Power.

" I am to add that my Government regards in a particular
manner any annexation of the neutralised provinces, Cha-
blais, Faucigny, and the Gensvois, to another Power, as in
contradiction to the stipulations of the Treaties of 1815,
which guarantee these provinces, in the interest of Swiss
neutrality, as if they were an integral part of the Con-
federation, and declaring ' that they are to enjoy the neutra-