The Sun.
London, England, 1858-02-02 00:00:00

the elaboration of the company's arrangements, by
postponing its operations until another year."
The directors nutice the fact that during the late
panic the telegraphic cable would have saved more
than its cost to both countries. The importance
of the communiettion to trade gives indications of
a handsome return to the shareholders, especially
when taken together with the annual subsidy of
14,0001. a-1 ear accruing from the English G-svern-
ment, and of an equal amount from that of the
Utited States, making a total-guaranteed income
of 28,0001. per annum, added to the protective pri-
vileges that have been auorded to this company in
Newfoundland and elsewhere.
The directors state that they cannot close their
observations to the shareholders without bearing
their warm and cordial testimony to the untiring
zeal, talent, and energy that hsve been displayed on
behalf of this enterprise by Mr. Cyrus W. Field,
of New York, to whlm mainly belongs the honour
of having practically developed the possibility, and
of having brought together the material means for
carrying out the great idea of connecting Europe
and America by a submarine telegraph.

THE LATE ATTEMPTED ASSASSI-

NATION.

We take from yesterday's hfoniteur the follow-
ing remarks made ,by the Minister of Public In-
struction, M. Rouland, in the address delivered by
him upon the occasion of presenting the prizes to
he students of the Pnitotechnic anti Polytpchnic
Societies for the instruction of the working classes
in Paris :

The Imperial family has been true to its noble
traditions. Napoleon 1. led on the French people
in his own steps to defend his national right, de-
nied at that time by all the monarchies of Europe.
He placed that people everywhere. in the camps,
councils, and administratioes. He loved then,
wi-hed them to -be great and honoured. B, th of
them, the people and the Emperor, lived with one
heart, one and the same thought ; and during
their strop°. halts, -when the din of battles slept,
they founded together by their manners arid laws
that new France which has no equal among na-
tions. Therefore, when the Emperor, exiled from
his country, vent to die on the rock of Si-. Helena,
his name continued. to live in the depth of men's
souls, and his gloriou3 imege, hovering over fresh
generations, received from them an ovation of re-
spect previoefly unknown to history. Napoleon
Ili., in hiS turn, spurning _ all vulgar ambitions,
and having saved that France which anarchy
wanted to sully and enslave, came to offer the
people the clasp of a pewerfol and friendly hand.
Consecrated by universal suffrage, he has brought
the country back to a true feeling for great
things ; be has invited France to partake
with him all his ideas of justice and national dig-
nity. In Ilia bands the flee of France has again
found its ancient glory, and the as:onished world
has greeted in our young soldiers the discipline and
bravery of the old phalanxes of the army. So
many glories and services; so much devosion and
intelligence, have assured to the Emperor the love
of the people; but they have not teen able to avert
those savage passtone which, disowned by every
nation, as they ought to b 3 by every asylum,
attack princes and goveromcnts for the purpose of
gratifying some frightful lust of murder and
destruct:on. God has given no name to these
infamies and insane appetites of the human mind,
and nations only term them by the horror they
inspire. Our children will refuse to believe in
these lamen•a`de recitals of infernal machines scat-
tering,death amongst a who!e mass of collected in
dividual that it t.:us might reach more surely a
noble and loyal soveretn and his w..11-Icloved
consort, whos) grac., confidence, and inexbaus-
tibe kindness conl,l not protect her from the
implacable hatred of the regicides. But let them
at least find, in our annals, the expression of our
universal indignation. GJettlemeh, the whole mass
of the peons has risen to brand the itSSI.B3II.IS. It
would have risen likewise to crush their criminal
success and to protect, the infant heir of the greatest
popular name in modern times. I bear witness to
their loyalty, honour, and patriotism ; and you all
will repeat with me, workmen and mnters, rich
and poor, these words which France has ratified-
" Contempt and maledictions upon those who dis-
-1 honour humanity." . ..._

LA FY AMENDMENT SOCIETY.

A meeting of the members of tWs society took
place lastevening at their rooms, No. 3, Waterloo-
place ; Mr. W. S. COOKSON in the chair. The
minutes of the last meeting having been read and
confirme

Mr. HASTINGS read a report on a propose.' bill
for providing an iudox to the Parochial Registers
of Baptisms, Alarr;agqs, and Burials in England.
It was proposed that the index should commence
from 1750, the extracts from the various registers
throughout the country from that date to 1837 Lo-
be furnished by the ministers of the various
parishes, the cost of which to be paid by a rate
in each parish. Tile alphabttical index to be kept
at the General Register Office, and searches to be
allowed at a moderate charge. Tha committee were
of opinion that such a work, if completely and
accurately achieved, would be of considerable belie-
fit to tree public, and would be worth the expense
land trouble attending it. It would diminish the
expense of tracing pedigrees and making out titles,
which at present, there being 12,000 registers in
England, was often very considerable, and the
difficulty sometime a attending it being almost in-
surmountable. While they agreed in the necessity
for such an index, they on several points dissented
from the proposed measure. The provision for a
parish rate to defray the cost of copying the regis-
ters was calculated to excite much opposition. A
more serious objection arose as to the mode of ob-
taining:, copies of the register from the labour it
would cast upon the clergy, and the inadequate
guarantee for the accuracy of the work. The value
of the index would entirely depend upon the accu-
racy of the transcripts, which conld only be ensured
by employing careful and intelligent copyists, and
a diligent supervision, which could hardly be exer-
cised on the plan proposed. The opinion of the
committee was that a bill ought to be passed com-
pelling incumbt,nts to forward to Somerset-Louse
the original registers, to be there copied under the
supervision of the authorities,- and, when copied,
returned to their origival depository ; that the
transcripts so made shall be properly indexed for
the purposes of reference, and made secondary evi-
dence in the case of the loss of the originals. The
commit ee see no reason why the work, if gradually
and economically effected, should draw on the re-
venue of hi country to any biirdensome extent.
The registers would pass free through the Post-
office, in pwsuance of the Registration Ao
On the motion of Mr. BENJAMIN JONES, seconded
by Mr. HERBERT BROOME, the report was accepted,
and ordered to be printed and circulated.
Mr. HASTINGS called attention to the fact of the
deficiency in the law relating to legitimacy, there
being no provision enabling a man to prove his
legitimacy unless on a question of disputed pro-
perty. He moved the appointment of .a committee
to consider the matter.
Mr. FRANCIS seconded the motion, which was
agreed to ; and the proceedings terminated.

---
THE FUGITIVE FEMALES IN CALCUTTA.

A lady in Calcutta writes to a friend :
" CALCUTTA, DEC. 24.
" Thera is a committee of ladies appointed to re-
ceive and log k after distressed ladies and women
from the Mefussi4 We have had ten large houses
prepared for them, and they have b .en constantly
full. We hake had to supply them with clothing
and every requisite for comfort. Many come too
Calcutta with only the rags they have on, and some
in men's clothes lent them ou their way dow s°l
t
n
of these ladies are in the most deplorable state of-
health, with cmstitutions ruined for life fr3in their
sufferings. We have had large supplies of beaut:-
ful new clothing sent out from Enoland for distri-
bution among th,:m. The 1 ulies an:l women flora
Luc:know are daily expected, and we have prepared
everything for their comfortable reception. The
stories circulating about the garrison during their
long and terriMe trial
a most ex raordinary.
The sense of danger was so intense that after a time
h
they became callous to death. For 120 days they
fire,
were constantly under a only 4 days passed
without the lcss of FOllleO and only
number. More
than half the garrison were killed. The ladies now
write down from Allahabid that the reaction and
quiet of their ',resent condition is almost as painful
as the siege itself. The torpor of death seems to.
h ave crept over. them, and all are giving way under
it. Young brides of a few weeks are grown into
aged, grey-haired widows, not to be recognised by
those who saw them a few morels ago. It seems
that some of the men even, who went through the
siege without suffering materially in health, have
since bunk from the reaction "