The Sun.
London, England, 1858-10-29 00:00:00

RUSSIA.

A letter from St. Petersburg, in the Nord of
Brussels, makes some objections to the plan which
has recently been proposed for effecting the eman-
cipation of the peasants :—According to the pro-
ject in question, the commune is to subscribe to the
profit of the landowner a lettre-de-gage for the
whole amount of the purchase money, paying on
that sum 5 per cent. interest and .1 per cent. sink-
ing fund for a term of 50 years. The security in
question is to be exchanged for '75 per cent. of its
value against another similar paper, delivered by a
Credit Foncier Company, which will pay the in-
terest on its own security and receive those coming
from the peasants. It thus each year will place aside
the interest on one-fourth of the capital received
from the commune, which, with the sinking fund,
will produce an immense reserve fund to meet any
insolvent cases that may arise, and to aid agricul-
ture by loans. This operation is not obligatory on
any one, as the landowners can arrange as they
please with their peasants, and the assistance just
described will be given only when applied for. The
number of serfs exceeds 10,000,000, and at an ave-
rage price of 150 roubles each they make a total of
1,500,000,000 roubles. Suppose that only two-
thirds of this population have recourse to the Credit
Foncier, there will still remain a milliard of roubles,
or four milliards of francs, and after deducting one-
fourth of the capital of the communal letters, there
would be three milliards of francs to throw on the
market in the form of central lettres•de-gage! That,
it mast be allowed, is one of the great difficulties of
the moment. In maintaining, then, this mass inva-
riable during 50 years, would not this state of things,
already very serious and difficult, be aggravated ?
It may be said that securities offering a guaranteed
interest of 5 per cent. could always be advan-
tageously disposed of in foreign markets, where
`Russian
State securities bearing the same interest
sell at nearly 15 per cent. premium. We cer-
tainly think that the affair will go on well, but
great circumspection will be indispensable. It
may be that every one will not have recourse to
' lettres-de-gage during the first year ; several pro-
prietors will be compelled in the first place to
conclude with their peasznts an arrangement for
regular compulsory labour, not to be changed until
after five or ten years into pecuniary payments
and definitive emancipation. This will be the
case in localities situated at a distance from large
towns, where the proprietors cannot suddenly
change from a system of compulsory workmen to
that of free labourers ; and where, on the other
hand, the peasants cannot for the present command
the money to pay for their freedom in cash. There
will, therefore, only be a part of the communes
which from the first year will avail themselves of
the facility offered by the Credit Foncier; another
part will do so in the second year, and so on. If
the paying off of a certain number of central l ett res-
de-gage be also proceeded with every year, the
situation will by degrees become more easy and
weigh less on the market. It is possible that I
may have exaggerated the difficulty, but I consi-
dered it my duty to point it out."
The Nord, in answer, states that the amounts
and calculations mentioned in the plan are
only given by way of examples, and to make
the pr2ctical results of the combination stand
more prominently forward. It adds that only
at the moment when the project is to be carried
into execution can all the questions of detail be
usefully discussed.

The King of the Belgians,:the day before yester-
day, received M. Barrot, French Minister, to take
leave on his departure from Brussels for Madrid ;
and the Duke and Duchess de Brabant received
Mme. Barrot. Yesterday his Majesty and their
Royal Highnesses left Laeken by railway for Arlon,
where grand fetes are in preparation.

The National Gazette of Berlin announces that,
though the Chamber of Nobles rejected by a small
majority the proposition for presenting addresses .to
the King and Prince of Prussia, the idea of offering
to them testimonies of devotedness has not been
abandoned.

A printed notice, sent to all the members of the
first Chamber, states that two addresses, one to the
King, and the other to the Prince Regent, will lie
for three days in the Conference-room of the
Chamber to receive the signature of members. The
two addresses are to be presented after the close of
the session.

A Berlin letter of the 24th says : " The
Prussian Cabinet, as well as all the others in
Germany which are interested in the question
of the Duchies, have just been informed by the
English Ministers accredited at their respective
courts that a note from the English Govern-
ment has been communicated to the Danish
Cabinet by the English Minister at Copenhagen.
This note recommends Denmark to make fur-
ther concessions, and insists, it is said, on the
propriety of consulting and taking as its guide the
wishes of Holstein itself."

Prince Metternich, who is now in Dresden,
three days ago, in company with his son, the Aus-
trian Minister in that city, visited the Marcoloni
Palace, in which 45 years ago he negotiated peace
with the Emperor Napoleon 1., and which is now
an hospital.

A letter from Dresden, in the Zeit, says :—" Mr.
Forbes, British Ministei at our court, is so ill that
his life is despaired of. It was not long since the
25th anniversary of his residence in our city was
celebrated. By his numerous acts of benevolence
and by his great scientific knowledge Mr. Forbes
has gained the esteem and respect of everybody."

The Giornale di Ronza of the 20th announces
that on the fete-day of King Don Pedro of Portu_
gal, Viscount d'Alte, the Portuguese Minister, at-
tended at the church of San Antonio a grand mass,
and Te Deunz was performed on the occasion. He
afterwards gave a grand banquet, at which, among
other high personages, Gen. Count de Goyon was

present. Cardinal Antonelli: proposed as a toast
the health and prosperity of the young King of
Portugal, to which the Viscount replied by a toast
to his Holiness.

The Madrid jourr.als of the 24th have ar-
rived, but as that was Sunday they contain no
political news. The elections continue to absorb
•
public attention.

Cardinal de Silvestri had an audience of the Pope
on the 17th to deliver his credentials as Protector
of the Austrian subjects within the Papal States.

AMERICA.

SOUTHAMPTON, FRIDAY MORNING.

The Arago, Captain Lines, with New York mails
of the 16th inst., arrived at Cowes and proceeded
to Havre. Her advices arc one day' later. She has
427,000 dols. for Havre ; none for England ; 17
passengers for this and 155 for Havre. She passed
off Sandy Hook, bound in, the ships Hussar, New
World, and British Trident. Oct. 21, at 1 p.m., in
lat. 48 25, long. 47 15, saw a bargue propeller,
bound west.

Exchanges for Arago were done at 109 i to 110
on London, and 5.131 to 5.121 on Paris.
Stock-market firm. Closing prices were—Mis-
souris, 871 to ; Central, 84 to 841; Erie, 151 to
; Reading, 501 to 51 ; Michigan Central, 56 to
561; Panama, 118 to 118/ ; Illinois Central, 80 to
801 ; Galena, 821 to 1; Rock Island, 651 to I ;
Pacific Mail, 105 to 1051. The market closed
weak.

Cotton market irregular. Sales about 1,700 bales
Flour without change in price and in better re-
quest, with larger sales. Wheat unsettled, and sales
limited. Corn in good demand, with tolerably free
sales, at 70c. to 72c. for Western mixed, and com-
mon white ditto at 731 c. Barley and rye steady,
and in good demand. Pork more active, and prices
firmer. Sugars declined about tc. per lb. on the
week's sales. Coffee firm, with a light stock.
Freight engagements moderate, and no change in
quotations.

- California news is to the 21st ult. The Demo-
cratic majority in the State was about 8,000 over
the combined opposition. The Hon. Wm. Ferguson,
a State senator, shot in a duel with George P.
Johnson in August last, had died of his wounds.
The next Legislature of California will stand 24
Administration Democrats to 10 Opposition in the
Senate, and a large Democratic majority in the
House,

The Salt Lake correspondent states ,that the ter-
ritory was quiet at latest dates.
Intelligence from Mexico confirms the rumour of
the defeat of Vidaurri by Miramon, and other
battles on a smaller scale had occurred, but results
doubtful.

Fraser River dates are to Sept. 16. The Indians
continued to molest the miners, and had murdered
several parties. The steamer Seabird had been
burnt on the river, but without loss of life.
Advices from Jamaica are to the 6th inst. The
inhabitants were much pleased with the arrange-
ment by which the Panama steamers are to touch
at Kingston monthly. The weather was fine, with
moderate rains. From the French West Indies we
learn that Guadaloupe had received a large acces-
sion of labourers, comprising 700 Africans and 750
Asiatics. The sugar crop of the current year in
Martinique was estimated at 55,000 hogsheads.
The cotton market at New Orleans was unsettled
on the 15th ; sales, 5,000 bales, and market closed
heavy. Sugar firm, at 71c. The deaths from
yellow fever on the 15th were 52.
The United States' brig Dolphin sailed from
Boston for Parauay on the 15th.
The steamer Lady Eglinton was to leave Que-
bec on the 16th for Galway.
Accounts had been received of heavy white frosts
in South Carolina and Georgia.