The Sun.
London, England, 1860-12-17 00:00:00

PRESS and her suite too visited us, though incognito,
without the necessity of any certificate as to who
they were. Not only that, but we gave her such a
hearty reception, and she must have been so well
pleased with the gratulations of dukes and Man-
chester operatives alike, that we can almost ima-
gine the EMPP.ESS telling the EMPEROR, when she
returned, that he must make a people who had been
so cordial towards her, free of France. That
would be only reciprocity, she might say ; for
with no pre-arrangement—no maires and prefets
instructed to arrange processions and cheers
she could tell of polite and of kind rough attentions
too, such as proved that all kinds of Englishmen
were friendly to France.

as we have repeatedly had occasion to men-
tion, the white and the negro population are
nearly balanced—the actual slaveholders being but
a small minority of the people. What could such
States do against a nation of persons double their
number, with more than double their wealth and
military resources, invading them in the interest of

the slaves themselves ? In that view coercion is
practicable enough, but it would be with the sacri-
fice of the slaveholders' lives to the rage of their in-
furiated bondsmen. Humanity shrinks from
emancipation by such methods—almost as much as
it does from the brutal and inhuman atrocities of the
slavery itself of the Southern States.

The reciprocity is, however, a most suitable ac-
companiment or sequel to the French treaty. Even
so small an obstacle as a passport is often some-
thing to a commercial man, and should it be desired,
as it now must be, if for the sake of revense only,
by the Imperial Government, to create a large trade
with England, nothing can be more desirable than
to make it as easy to travel through France as to
travel through England itself. We are inclined to
think, also, that the mere abolition of passports
will increase the number of visitors to France.
There are a large number of persons who imagine
some serious trouble and difficulty when anything
like a legal document is essential, and travelling
people as we are, we doubt not that
thousands have been diverted from a Continental
trip, by the mere circumstance of a passport being
required, and of their having heard of annoyances
in connection with it. Of course an influx of
English visitors is not only an influx of English
custom direct, but much more than that, for it will
tend to create a taste for French productions of
every kind. A more likely expedient to make the
removal of commercial protection efficient, and to
render the modified tariff a source of traffic, could
hardly have been devised than to remove the useless
and artificial protection against travelling in
France ; and most probably the result will
soon be apparent in the increased number of visitors
on both sides the water ; for national, like social,
visiting creates return visits.
We ought also to accept, and we do in arl frank-
ness, the pledge thus offered us of goodwill and
amity. It is really worthy of notice in a QUEEN'S
Speech. It is certainly holding out the olive
branch, and must be allowed for when we are ask-
ing, what means this ceaseless increase of the naval
strength of France ? Is the EMPEROR beginning
to think that race a hopeless, at least a useless one ?
He has put us to enormous expense to place
ourselves on barely equal terms with him, not
equal, indeed, considering his vast army,
and the ready working of his naval conscription.
If he be disposed to some to some understanding
on this subject also, and to do something towards
lightening our load of thirty millions per annum
for naval and military expenditure, the greater
part of it caused by his proceedings, we shall have
double cause to trust him. We hope some good of
this kind is in store for us. It ought to be easy to
come to a fair understanding which might save
both nations a heavy expense. Certainly, since
Count DE PERSIGNY'S returp, all has been moving
in the hopeful direction. Some liberty of speech
was at first conceded ; some liberty of the press fol-
lowed; some removal of incurred disabilities fol.
lowed, though the law of avertissements is not
withdrawn; and now a certain amount of freedom
of trade with England is followed by freedom of
locomotion in France for our favoured nation.
Perhaps the mention of " reciprocity" may be also
a hint to other European countries, that if they,
like us, admit French subjects free, their subjects
also shall be free to travel in France.

LATEST NEWS.

RAILWAYS.

FOREIGN-OFFICE, DEC. 15.

Intelligence has been received at the Foreign-
office this afternoon thrcugh St. Petersburg from
Pekin, up to the 9th of Nov., stating that peace
was concluded on the 26th Oct., and the ratifica-
tions exchanged. On the sth Nov. the allied
forces evacuated Pekin, and the Emperor was ex-
pected immediately to return to his capital.

REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.
ST. PETERSBURG, Dec. 16, 10.30 A.M.

AUSTRIA.

Advices received here from Pekin, dated October
16 (28th), state that peace was signed on the 14th
(26th) of October, and that the ratifications were
exchanged on the same day.
The Emperor was expected to return to Pekin.

PARIS, SUNDAY MORNING.

The lilotziteur says :--The Emperor has decided
that from January next, and by way of reciprocity,
Englishmen coming to France shall be permitted
to enter and travel through the country without
passports.

NAPLES, DEC. 11 (via Marseilles).

France has succeeded in inducing the belligerents
to consent to a suspension of hostilities, in order
that negotiations for the surrender of Gaeta may
be entered upon.
Victor Emmanuel only contests the condition
which entitles Francis 11. to send a representative
to plead his cause at a future congress.
Fresh reinforcements of Sardinian troops are
expected.

The steamer Dora, having on board 750 Garibal
dians, has been lost near Terracina.

The Garibaldians are supposed to have been
saved.

General Dunn, on whose life an attempt was
lately made, is still alive,

NAPLES, DEC. 13.
The mobilised national guard, destined for Upper
Italy, has been organised.
The Naples journals highly approve the project
of the Minister Minghetti, which aims at adminis-
trative decentralisation.

It is said that 2,000 pontifical troops are about to
march against the town of Ponte Corvo, to over-
throw the provisional government established there
in the name of King Victor Emmanuel.

TURIN, SUNDAY.
A despatch from Naples, dated to day, asserts
that the French fleet will soon leave Gaeta.

PERUGIA, DEC. 16.
The province of Viterbo continues in a state
Of insurrection.
It is stated that the French are preparing to
evacuate the province.

TilE SUN, 44ONDON, MONDAY EVENING, DECEMBER • 17, la'anA.

Cash. Account.
Orleans 1385 .. 1385
Northern
New ditto
Lyons and Mediterranean 912 50 .. 910
Geneva 375 .. 377 50
Southern
Western
Eastern
Sardinian 4OO .. 397 50
Austrian — .. 508 75

Lombard

have suffered considerably, and 15 persons were
wounded by the bursting of a shell in the hospital.
The King has issued a proclamation to the troops
praising their courage, and calling upon them to
defend the fortress to the last.

FRANCE.
PARIS, DEC. 17.

BOURSE, Dec. 15.—The market still continues
inanimate. For the Account, Threes are now at
681 ; Mobilier, 771 f 25c ; Orleans, 1,383 f 75c ;
Northern, 990 f; Mediterranean, 910 f; Austrian,
518 f 75c; Lombard, 483 f 75c. The following were
the last quotations :---
41 per per Cents 96 65
Do. end month 96 75
3 per Cents
Do. end month 6B 80
Bank Shares 2950
Credit Mobilier 7 7 50
Do. Account 772 501

Credit Fancier 923 75
Belgian 4t —
Piedmontese Fives BO 25
Roman
Austrian
Spanish Threes so}
Home Debt

VIENNA, DEC. 14.

At 10 o'clock in the morning of yesterday the
following sentences were passed on Messrs. Richter,
Krumbholz, and Bayer :-
1. " Francis Richter, partner in two cotton mills,
and principal director of the Credit Bank, is guilty
of the crime of having led to an abuse of official
power (Verleitung zurn Missbrauche der Amts-
getoalt) by giving to the Imperial Royal Field
Marshal Lieutenant Baron von Eynatten Northern
Railroad shares of the value of 25,6341 skr.
Austrian currency, with the intent to induce him
to be partial in his decisions relative to the sup-
plies for the army.
"2. On account of insufficient proof he is
acquitted of the charge of having been guilty
of defraudation by artfully bringing into account,
and that to the disadvantage of the Supreme Com-
mando of the army, a sum of 50,7461 37kr. on
bills of the value of £20,000.
" 3. Francis Richter is declared to be innocent
and to be acquitted (schuldlos erkanat and losge-
sprochen) of the following charges of fraud made
against him. Of having drawn up a false account
to the advantage of the Ministry of Finances and
to the prejudice of the Credit Bank; of having, to
the detriment of the State, intentionally reduced
the quantity and quality of the material used for
making the 4,000,000 ells of calico which he under-
took to supply; and of having, to the prejudice of
the sub-contractors, diminished the quantity of
calico he had undertaken to deliver."

The verdict of the Bench having been read aloud,
the counsel for the Crown rose, and declared that he
intended to appeal against a part of it. He, how-
ever, to the surprise of the public said, that as
there were " many extenuating circumstances," and
Richter had long been in confinement, he recom-
mended him to the mercy of the Court. After the
President had stated what had induced him and his
four colleagues to give such a verdict as they had
done, the Court retired for about half an hour, and
on its return pronounced the following sentence :
" The defendant, Francis Richter, is condemned
to imprisonment for one month, during three days
of which month he is to fast (to have nothing but
bread and water). The present of 25,634f1. is to be
given to the eleemosynary fund of the city of
Vienna, and the costs of the trial are to be borne
by the defendant.
" The defendants, John Krumbholi, the manager
of Richter's cotton mills, and Henry Bayer,
Riohter's agent, having been found innocent, are
acquitted, and the State has to pay all costs."

IRE REPORTED PEACBWITH CHINA.