The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-21 00:00:00

REFORMS IN FRANCR.

PARIS, Jan. 20.
The following letter has been addressed by the
Emperor to the Minister of State :
" Palace of the Tuileries, Jan. 10.

" Monsieur le Ministre,—For some years past the
question has been asked whether our institutions
have attained their limit of improvement or whether
new improvements are to be realised. Hence a ro-
gretable incertitude which it is important to remove.
" Up to the present you have had to strive con-
rageously in order to repel innpporjwle demands,and
to leave with me the initiation of useful reforms
when the time should arrive. And now I believe
that it is possible to give to the institutions-of the
empire all the de'velopment of which they are cap-
able, and to the public liberties a new extension with-
out compromising the power which the nation has
entrusted to me.

" The plan which I have traced out to myself
consists in correcting the imperfections which time
has revealed, and in admitting that progress which
is compatible with our habits; for to govern is to
profit by the experience which has been acquired
and to foresee the wants of the future.

" The decree of the 24th November, IE6O, had for
object to associate the Senate and the Corps Legis-
latif ;,more directly with the policy of the Govern-
ment, but the debate on the address has not led to
the results which were to be expected from it ; it
has sometimes uselessly excited public opinion, given
rise to sterile discussions, and occasioned a loss of
time most precious for the affairs of the country; and
I believe that without any diminution of the pre-
rogatives of the deliberative powers, the address
may be replaced by the privilege, prudently regu-
lated of putting questions to the Government.
" Another modification has appeared ome
necessary in the relations of the Government to-
wards the great bodies of the State. I have consi-
dered that by sending the Ministers to the Senate
and the Corps Legislatif to take part in certain de-
bates, by virtue of a special commission, I should
better utilise the strength of the Government, with-
out deviating from the terms of the Constitution,
which admits no solidarity among the Ministers,
and makes them dependent only upon the chief of
the State.

" But :the reforms which it is fitting to adopt
must not stop there. A law will be proposed for
assigning the jurisdiction over offences against the
press law exclusively to the correctional tribunals,
and thus suppress the discretionary power of the
Government. It is equally necessary to regulate
legislatively the right of assembly whilst restraining
it within the limits which public safety demands.
" I said last year that my Government wished to
walk upon a ground consolidated and capable of
sustaining power and liberty. By the measures I
have just pointed out my words became realised. I
do not shake the ground which 15 years of calm
and prosperity have consolidated, but I increase the
strength by rendering my reliltions with the public
powers more intimate, by securing to the citizens ry
law fresh guarantees, by completing the crowning
of the edifice erected by the national will.
" On this, Monsieur le Ministre, I pray God to
have you in His holy keeping. " NAPOLEON."
The following is the full text of the decree which
accompanies the letter of the Emperor :

" Napoleon, by the grace of God and the national
will, Emperor of the French : To all present and to
come, greeting : Wishing to give to the discussions
of the great bodies of the State relative to the home
and foreign policy of the Government more utility
and precision, we have decreed and decree what fol-
lows :

" Art. 1. The members of the Senate and of the
Corps Legislatif may put questions to the Govern-
ment.

" Art. 2. Every demand for addressing questions
to the Government must be written or signed by
five members at least. This demand will briefly ex-
plain the object of the questions, and will be handed
to the president, who will communicate it to the
Minister of State, and refer it to the committees for
examination.
" Art. 3. If two committees of the Senate or four
committees of the Corps Legislatif deliver the
opinion that the questions may be put, the Chamber
will fix a day for their discussion.
"Art. 4. Upon the close of the debate the Cham-
ber will either simply declare the order of the day
or refer the questions to the Government.

Art. 5. The simple order of the day will always
have priority.
" Art. 6. The reference to the Government can
only be made in the following terms.:—' The Senate
(or the Corps Legislatif) calls the attention of the
Government to the object of the questions.' In this
case a summary of the debate will also be trans-
mitted to the Minister of State.

" Art. 7. Any of the Ministers may, if specially
delegated by the Emperor, be charged, in concert
with the Minister of State, and the presidents and
members of the Council of State, to represent the
Government in the Senate or Corps Legislatif dur-
ing debates on general questions or bills.

" Art. 8. Articles 1 and 2 of our decree of Nov.
24, 1860, providing that the Senate aLd Corps
Legislatif shall every year, at the opening of the
session, vote an address in reply to our speech, are
hereby repealed.
Art. 9. Our Minister of State is charged with the
execution of the present decree.
" Done at the Palace of the Tuileries, Jan. 19, 1867.
"By the Emperor, NAPOLEON.
" E. ROUTIER, Minister of State."

With reference to the vacant Treasurership of
the Household, we have good reason for believing that the
statements made by some of our contemporaries aro un-
authorised and premature. No stop is likely to bo taken
for filling up the post until after the burial of the late
Marquis of Exeter. The same remark applies to the Garter
and the lord-lieutenancies hold by the deceased marquis.
Sir Eric R. T. Farquhar, Bart., Second Secretary of Lega-
tion at Pekin, has been transferred, in the same capacity,
to her Majesty's mission at Stockholm. Mr. Hugh Fraser,
Second Secretary of Leglation at Stockholm, is transferred
to Pekin. Mr. A. de C. Crowe, British Vice-Consul at
Christiania, is appointed British Vice-Consul at Copen-
hagen. Mr. E. Greville Sartoris, having served six mouths
in the Foreign-office, has been appointed Attaché to her
Majesty's Embassy at Vienna.—Sunday Gazette.
THE ACTIONS AGAINST EX-GOVERNOR EYRE.—
On Saturday an application was made to Mr. Baron
Bramwell at the Judges' Chambers, Chancery-lane, by
Mr. Rose, solicitor for ex-Governor Eyre, in respect of the
indictments to be preferred against him, the nature of his
application being that all further proceedings in the
actions brought by Mr. Phillips and Dr. Bruce, of
Jamaica, to recover damages for false imprisonment,
flogging, and other injuries sustained by them, during the
late rebellion, might bo stayed until the plaintiffs had
given Mr. Eyre security for his costs. The ground of the
application was that the plaintiffs were resident beyond the
jurisdiction of the court, and could not therefore be taken
in execution for Mr. Eyre's costs in case he should be
successful in the actions that were pending against him.
After some argument, Mr. Baron Bramwell decided that
Mr. Rose's application was both premature and irregular, j
and ordered it to be adjourned eine die.

VALETTA, Jan. 14.—Capt. Clarke, ILE., Admi-
ralty director of works, will probably leave this for
England by the next Marseilles packet. The llon.
J. S. Wortley and Mr. Borthwick, who arrived
here in the Caradoc from Naples with Lord Clarence
Paget, leave on return to England by the packet to
day. Capt. Beauchamp Seymour, R.N., C. 8., is
also out here, and is staying with the Governor as
his guest at the palace. The only movement in the
squadron this week is the departure of the Cruiser,
5, screw sloop, Commander M. Singer, which left
Malta harbour on the sth inst. for Beyrout. The
Hydra, surveying vessel, Captain Shortland, was
admitted to pratique- on the sth inst., having had
her term of quarantine curtailed by one week. The
armour-plated ship Lord Clyde, 24 guns, Capt.
Roderick Dew, C. 8., now at Devonport, will in the
course of February next join Lord Clarence Paget's
squadron in the Mediterranean. The United States
screw corvette Canandaigua, Capt. J. H. Upshur,
took her departure on the 7th inst., to join the
squadron of Admiral Goldsborough. Her Majesty's
jhips in port are :--The Victoria, Hibernia, Ocean,
Prince Consort, Royal Oak, Assurance, Cockatrice,
Tyriau, Caradoc, Psyche, and Hydra.
Her Majesty's screw troopship Urgent, Capt. S.
H. Henderson, 1,981 tons, 400 nominal horse-
power of engines (the engines by Maudslays and
Field, and the boilers and condensers now on the
i
present trial and received and supplied from t
steaii fa
ctory defartment of Portsmouth dockyard r
made her official trial of speed over the measured
mile in Stokes Bay, Portsmouth, on Saturday, pre-
paratory to sailing for China and Japan. Com-
mander John C. Wells, of her Majesty's ship Asia
(the Steam Reserve guardship at Portsmouth), was
in command of the Urgent during the trial as the
responsible Steam Reserve officer, and the working
of the machinery was under the superintendence of
the officers of the steam factory and reserve. The
wind was at a force of 4, but off the land at N.E ,
and giving thus smooth water over the mile. The
ship drew 18ft. 10in. of water forward and 20ft. lin.
aft; had six months' stores on board, 360 tons
of coal, and was complete in every respect
for sea. The speed trial of the ship was made
with full power only, and these gave the fol-
lowing figures :-Ist run, 13.091 knots ; 2nd
run, 11.920 knots ; 3d run, 13.900 knots ; 4th run,
14.285 knots ; sth, 14.285 knots ; 6th run, 10.795
knots. These returns give the Urgent the extraor-
dinary average speed (considering length and ton-
nage of the ship in comparison to the nominal power
of her engines) over the mile of 12.713 knots. The
pressure of steam was steady, only ranging from 20
to 20i pounds, the vacuum was 221 inches, and the
revolutions of the engines had a minimum rate of
14, and a maximum of 65.
The Wivern, 4, screw turret-sloop, Capt. H. Bur-
goyne, V.C., went into Portsmouth harbour again
on Saturday from Spithead, and there she is likely
to remain during the present rough weather. The
Wivern, as may well be imagined, is not suited from
her build to remain with impunity long anchored in
any roadstead, exposed to any " running-through"
gale, and, as a proof of this, it is only necessary to
say that during the recent south-east gales in the
Channel the Wivern, then anchored at Spithead,
had to keep her fires alight to prevent her going
down under the seas running through the anchorage.
There is nothing in this as evidence against the
turret principle for riding at any anchorage in a
heavy gale and through sea, or for meeting a sea
wave. It merely proves that vessels built for special
service; like the Wivern, can never be depended upon
for the performance of even Channel service under
ordinary conditions of wind and weather.
The Dee, steam transport, Master Commander
Raymond, arrived at Portsmouth on Saturday from
the eastward, and was to sail again yesterday for
Devonport with engineers.aud sui)ernutneraries for
-the ."%orew frigate Bristol. iii....-.. .•*,;,-,x_,,_. --........

The unarwoured screw steamer Rodney, 78, 500
horse-power (nominal), was commissioned on Satur-
day, in the steam-basin, Sheerness, by Captain
Algernon C. F. fleneage (June 26, 1866), who has
been selected as flag-captain to Vice-Admiral the
Hon. Sir Henry Keppel, K.C.E., the newly-ap-
pointed Commander-in-Chief in China.
The following appointments have been made at
the Admiralty : --Commander Edward White, to the
Rodney ; James W. M. Ashby, paymaster, to be
secretary to Vice-Admiral Sir George Rodney
Mundy, K.C.B. ; Henry P. Brenan, assist.-pay-
master, to be secretary to Vice-Admiral Sir James
Hope, .G-.C.8. ; Caleb F. A. Broadway, clerk, to
the Bristol ; and George A. Hoskyn, assist.-clerk,
to the Royal Alfred.

melt.

STRANGE IF TRUE.—An almost incredible story
comes from the north. The snow on the Hull and Scar-
borough line, between Bridlington and the latter place,
has caused a dead lock, and on Wednesday afternoon a
goods train from Scarborough to Hull stuck fast near the
Speeton summit, and the clouds of snow from off the weld
hills came down so heavily that the train could not even
be backed out. Shortly afterwards the Hull express to
Scarborough ran into the drifts at the same part of. the
line, and stuck fast. Tho 6 10 passenger train from Scar-
borough shared the same fate, and brought up in deep
snow a little behind the goods train. The 6 p.m. train
from Hull came to a stop a little behind the imprisoned
express, and there all these trains wore stuck during the
night. All this happened on a railway with telegraph at
command, and it is to be presumed if any more trains had
been on the line they would have been despatched with due
regularity to the stopping point. When will railway mana-
gers learn to prevent accidents ? A train should never be
despatched from a station until its predecessor has arrived
at the next.

PHYSICIANS' PRESCRIPTIONS. - There have
been several very distressing cases of late
years, noted in various parts of the country, by
which apothecaries, in putting up prescriptions,
have substituted dangerous ingredients for those
which were ordered, the consequences being death
to the unfortunate patients. In nearly all the
instances heretofore reported the fault was with
the apothecaries and blame upon incompetent
assistants. But there was a case in Washington,
the other day, which involves the censure of the
physician for carelessness in writing his prescription.
The sufferer was a little girl. The physician in-
tended to order that she should receive " Elixir of
Opium," a preparation known as " McMann's
Preparation of Opium." Instead of writing that
plainly, or " writing elixir of opium," he wrote
" exl. of opium." The druggist interpreted the
first abbreviation to be " ext," for " extract," as
seemed very probable, as the proper abbrevia-
tion revia_-
tion for " elixir" would have been elx." or el r."
The extract of opium was seat. The diovse. enordered
was " ono table-spoonful," which was g
That
quantity of the " elixir"Thwoe amulsdhae quantityveotilyco o nttained
half a grain of opium. the
" extract" contained seven grains, and the conse-
quence was that the, child slept the sleep which
knows no waking. Taking the general experience
which most persons have of physicians' prescriptions,
it seems wonderful that more of such mistakes do
not happen. Many of those important orders are
written upon scraps of paper with lead pencils, and
are abbreviated wherever the fancy of the physician
deems it to be practicable. The difference between
the mark's for drachms and scruples are so delicate
that when they are made in haste the slight differ-
ence between them may be omitted, and cause an
over proportion of a noxious ingredient. In
our modern remedies poisons occupy a very
considerable place, and too much care can-
not be exercised - in writing prescriptions,
which by any misapprehension may be misin-
terpreted not only as to quantity, but quality.
This is a subject which comes home to every one,
and we have often thought that if the medical
profession would revise the arbitrary signs which
are used, and resolve that no abbreviation in the
proper names of medicines should be allowed, it
would be all the better for patients, and in many
instances much more satisfactory to the physicians
themselves.—Philadelphia Inquirer.

According to the orders of the Sultan, the Go-
vernor General of the province of Albania, Ismail
Paella, accompanied by Captain Pejonrich, agent of
Prince de Montenegro at Scutari, has repaired to
Pedgoritza to effect the retreat of the Ottoman
troops encamped at Novo Celo, the demolition of
the fort at Visotchitza, and the re-establishment of
the frontier hues, such as it w,:s settled by the
European Commissioner of limitation in 185 S-59.
In consequence of the execution of these measures,
the engagements entered into between the Govern-
ment of the Sultan and Prince du Montenegro by
the arrangement of the 26th of October last, have
been fulfilled satisfactory to both parties.
The Berlin Gazette says that the Germanic Diet
•
has just issued its last publication, a volume con-
taining tho acts and proceedings of the Diet in 1866.
It appears from this publication that the Diet held,
from the sth of November, 1816, the day of its in-
stallation, to the 24th of August, 1866, the day of •
its dissolution, that is to say during a period of 49
years, nine mouths and ten days, 1712 sittings. Its
labours were suspended from the 12th ,of July,
1848, to the 29th of December, 1819. The ave-
rage number of its sittings annually was there-
fore 35. A letter from Vienna states that con-
siderable excitement prevails.' in Austria relative to
the convocation of the extraordinary Iteichsrath, i. 4%
being a pr:AiteTit.opiriion that the:liti,A4Tir.--P--
of the Provincial Diet should proceed to the ordi-
nary and legal Reichsrath. There hai been a meet-
ing of 20 former deputies of the Liberal party, who
agreed unanimously to the following resolution :
"This meeting unanimously agree that every means
should be adopted to obtain Provincial Diets ; to
refuse to elect deputies to the extraordinary Reichs-
rath convoked by the patent of January 2, 1867 ;
also, tO proceed, in virtue of the fundamental sta-
tute and the provincial statutes of February 26,
1861, to elect deputies for the legal Reichsrath and
for the permanent committees of the Provincial
Diets."

Further accounts have been received from the
provinces of the inconvenience and difficulty caused
by the unusual abundance of snow. On the rail-
way lines where the communications still continue
the delay is very considerable. It snowed one whole
day in great quantities at Lyons without interrup-
tion. The passage of Mont Cenis is stopped.
Neither couriers nor travellers have attempted it.
The service between Hazebrouck and Calais has
been considerably interrupted, which accounts for
the unusual delay in the delivery of letters and
newsapers between England and France. The
Salut Public of Lyons, after remarking that the
snow will be very beneficial to the land, says that
the first effect of it was to threaten the city with
famine, as no provisions could be brought to mar-
ket, all the highways being blocked up. There
was, at all events, a famine among the newspapers,
for two days, as no news or letters whatever could
reach them. The Salut Public then confirms the
account of the destruction of the railway station of
the Croix-Rousse, which I mentioned yesterday,
and adds that the roofs of several other buildings
have given way from the weight of the snow. The
covered market of de Vaise was at one time in great
danger from the accumulation of snow on the roof.
During several of the days which preceded this great
fall of snow there were a great many sudden deaths
from apoplexy at Lyons, a fact which excites much
discussion just now among the medical men of that
city. There is a proverb, adds the Salut Public,
"as chilly as a rat," and the proverb is not un-
founded, for the Lyonese rats found the invasion of
the snow into their haunts so little to their taste
that they rushed into some of the houses by thou-
sands, and the cats h tve had such sport as they
have never known in modern times. Serious ap-
prehensions prevailed at Lyons that there would be
-cfrinstatingintrati,afoizs as yrr rts the-inoW'

As to Paris, there was a good deal of snow last
night. This morning, about 11, the rays of the sun
broke through the mist, and it has shone brightly
nearly all day. The frost, however, may be said
to continue, for even when the sun was at its
height the thaw was scarcely perceptible.
The Paris papers, this morning, in recording the
funeral of M. Ingres, view the homage with the
same impression as it made upon me,—that the re-
spect may be considered as a great tribute to art.
The pall was held by Vice-Admiral Count Bonet-
Willaumrez, Senator, and M. Prax Paris, Mayor of
Montauban, the native town of M. Ingres, and
Messrs. Lefriel, President of the Academy of Fine
Arts, and Lehman, Vice-President, a pupil of the
deceased. On the mortuary cloth was the costume
of Senator and the crown of gold presented to M.
Ingres by the town of Montauban. The Emperor
was represented by M. Nieuerkerke, Chamberlain,
Senator, and member of the Academy of Fine Arts.
The Prince Jerome Napoleon was represented by
one of his aides-de-camp, and the Princess Matilda
by her Gentlemen of Honour, who followed next
the corpse. Then followed a deputation from the
Senate, and nearly all the members of the Academy
of Fine Arts in their academical costume. The
other classes of the institute attended in.great num-
bers. The Church of St. Thomas d'Aquin could
not contain a tithe of those who wished to be pre-
sent at the ceremony. On the whole line of route
from the church to the cemetery of Pere Lachaise,
a distance of some three or four miles, great num-
berswt
hhee whom
funeral
eoroakl
offthoefirpehrastosnasnldvebreowzsermesbplecedt,fuaililyoafs
patpathreis.grave by M.
SpeechesLessfueell,
architect,
and were
M. Prax,
The liberty of the press does not appear to exist
to a very serious extent in Prussia. The Tribunal
of First Instance of Berlin, in the course of 1866,
madea
judge 136 alleged offences on the
pwaasrt caoflltehdeupa to
press.o The number of accused persons
was 70, of whom only 14 were acquitted. The
others were condemned to pay fines amounting in
the aggregate to 1,719 dollars, twenty- one months
and some days' imprisonment, the greater portion
of which punishments, however, were remitted by
the amnesty of the 20th September and 2d October
last. The proceedings were directed against 18
newspapers of Berlin, I.nd three pamphlets printed
in foreign countries, but put into circulation at
Berlin.

Various meteorological phenomena are noticed. A
frightful storm of thunder and lightning took place
at the town of Bazss last Tuesday night. The
damage done, however, was inconsiderable. In the
commune of Uzeste, not far from Bordeaux, a ball
of are of large dimensions was seen in the sky about
seven o'clock iu the evening. It was raining at the
time, and three persons, who allege that they saw
the meteor pass in the direction from Prechac to
Villaudvant, assert that some sparks fell from it,
and left trales of burning on their umbrellas.
A letter from Grisonn, Switzerland, states that
the snow fell in such masses during three days in
Lower Eugandine that in several of the villages the
hou,es could not be seen. Strasburg has been in-
vaded by the snow to a great extent, and sledges
are being driven about the streets.
The theatre at Namur has been nearly destroyed
by fire. Si:araly anything remains excepting the

Some experiments for the transmission of de-
spatches by a subterranean atmospheric telegraph
have been so successful that a communic,tion has
been established between the Bourse and the cen-
tral telegraph office in the Rue Grenelle St. Ger-
main. The principle will shortly be appliel to all
the other telegraph offices. The air employed
as motive power is compressed by water and not by
steam. _ _ .

NY
The admission of, articles of foreign produce to
the Universal Exhibition has commenced, and will
be continued until the 6th of Marsh.

AVON,"
ABSTRACT OF THE ACCOUNTS OF Mr.
CHAR L 10,S PETTI IT ALLEN, Treasurer of the
county of Illiddlesex, from 29th Sept., 1566, to sth Jan.,

16t7.
AS TO THE ORDINAR £GENERAL COUNTY RATE.
RCEIPT
B tlance in Bank of England on 20th Sept., 1560 .. £ L,829 6 3

-
BATE.
Arrears of Rate made on lz:h
July,lB 6 s
Rate made on 11th Oct., 1866.... 31,80 S 12 9

38,010 3 5

Arrears of ditto on tth Jan ,
1867
Amount of Rates received £27.431 5 2
HOUSE OF cortaEctlOX AT COLDEA.TII FIELDS.
From the 1 ords of the Treasury
towards the Maintenance cf
onv eted Prisoners tr,m ist
April to :3011. :,eptember, £7,83 5 3
For Materials worked up and La-

boar done by Frisoneis
For Cread and Offices' Un:formi
ads for ::nd supplied to the
lloese ot Detention
FA. Bread, 011ieers'tiniforms, acd
1-risor erg' rhoes, made for and
Fluter sm OA to the II otie of
Correctim at Westminster
For NVli.at, nom. and Cocoa
supplied to the County Indus-
trisl at }'eitham
For a: Untenanee ot Military
Prison Pis .•
Ditto of Customs' ditto
Ditto of Excise ditto
Ily Sale of Old Stores and Rags
Dit!oof Mats • • • • • •
Compensation f r Unif.irm re-
tained by Officers on their teav-
ing• the service of the Prison
Sums taken trom Vagrants to be
applied towards their Main-
tenance
For Copi_s of Commitments

2,737 17 9

3,3'0 8 4
71 16 9
993 9 2
51 1 10
75 0 0
101 8 4
150 0 0
202 15 4
723 :4 0

41 6 3
17 19 8
114 14 8
(9 0 4
35.► 13 7

.. £4l,i 80 10 4
.. C 42 17 0