The Sun.
London, England, 1859-08-24 00:00:00

THE EMPEROR'S AMNESTY.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.
SIR,—I have received communications from some
of my countrymen, whn, finding themselves in a
most painful condition, and being anxiously sum-
moned home by their families, desire to know, in
order to remove all doubts from their minds,
whether, according to my views, persons situated
as they are, would do better not to take advantage
of the amnesty. I need not point out to you the
importance of the matter, both to the persons
alluded to and others who may be similarly cir-
cumstanced ; and this makes me hope that my
answer will be published in your columns.
That the amnesty should be welcomed by hearty
and unqualified satisfaction, as far as it extends to
the unfortunate men who are to be rescued from
their places of deportation, or from their dungeons,
that is, from a living death, is a matter of course.

Who could think without emotion of so many
mothers, wives, and children, whose hearts over-

flowed with joy at the unexpected news ? But the
amnesty may also be fairly hailed as a blessing by
any among the exiles, whom their forlorn position
in a foreign country, or family ties of a specially
exigent character, justify in returning to their
native land ; for the solution of the problem is
not one which depends upon the requirements
of party compact, but rests on individual re-
sponsibility. Persons placed in different cir,
cumstances can hardly be expected to view
a question of this kind in exactly the same
light. Now, the amnesty, being unconditional, no
sort of stain whatever attaches to the act of avail-

ing oneself of it, more especially if it be for the
purpose of fulfilling domestic duties not less im-
perious and sacred than those arising from political
convictions. No man, therefore, conscientiously
influenced by such contingencies, is obnoxious to
blame for seizing the opportunity, though reluctant
to receive the boon.

On the other hand, there are those who, without
being in the slightest degree prompted by the silly
desire of setting up as martyrs, feel bound to sub-
ordinate all personal considerations to what they
conceive to be a public duty consequent upon their
position. If these persons have strong and obvious
motives for believing that their return, besides
being unsafe, would be of no avail either to their
cause or to their country, they are, it seems to me,
perfectly entitled to remain where they can speak
out their mind, and enjoy the ennobling protection
of the law. To serve France in France is for us
now plainly impossible. To serve her abroad is the
only chance we have left—at least, so long as the
policy of the Empire remains unchanged.
I have already acknowledged—which, I am sorry
to say, was wilfully ignored by some of my critics—
that Louis Bonaparte could hardly have done for
us, in the present conjuncture, more than he has.
But the amnesty is not the payment of the debt he
owes to France, and in this payment lies the only
means of imparting to the amnesty the character
of a sincere and truly national act. Let the most
odious practice be abolished which confiscates per-
sonal liberty on mere suspicion, and is, in fact,
worse than the famous lai des suspects enacted in
the darkest days of the first French Revolution.
Let the principle be laid down that no person
henceforth shall be dealt with as a criminal who
has not been previously convicted by a jury of
his countrymen. Let the Press be ungagged, by
the withdrawal of the crushing system of warnings,
which is meant to annul the jury, and to make the
whole of a man's property responsible for a single
word. Let a fairly elected representative body
speak openly before the country, and no check be
put on the publicity of their deliberations—let, in
fine all those rights be restored to France which
constitute civil and political liberty, then the am-
nesty will be a clear, appreciable measure. Till
this be done, it remains open to the suspicion of
insincerity, and may be taken as an indication of
weakness rather than of strength. Whenever all
this shall 13.. t done, then—and I urge the point, in
order to prevent future misapprehension—it may
become not only the desire but the duty of those
now compelled to be in a state of self-imposed
exile to return to the country, not indeed to force
their particular views upon an unwilling majority,
but to have them tested by peaceful discussion, and
either received of rejected on their own merits.
I am, Sir, yours, &c.,
LOUIS BLANC.

August 33•

TEE INDIA LOAN.

(From the Timis' City Article.)

The India 5 per cent. Loan of £5,000,000 was
successfully contracted yesterday morning. The
minimum price fixed by the Council was 97, and it
appeared upon opening the tenders that there were
biddings for £5,824,750 at and above that point,
while there were also applications on lower terms
for about I:2,500,000. The main proportion of the
accepted tenders ranged between 97 and 971 ; but
there were a few at or about 98, and one at the ex-
traordinary price of 100. The total at 97 was
£1,339,400, and the applicants at that price will
receive only about 38 1-3 d per cent. of the amounts
sought, as the total taken at higher figures is
£4,485,350. Messrs. Rothschild sent in a list for
nearly £1,000,000 at £97 Os. 6d., and nearly another
£1,000,000 was subscribed at £97 ls. On the first
announcement of the completion of the loan it was
stated that the applications at and above the mini-
mum an ounted to £6,098,000, and that those who
had tendered at 97 would consequently receive only
about 20 per cent. of the sums asked. Late in the
afternoon, however, a mistake was discovered, and
it then appeared that the proportions are as have
just been stated.
At the commencement of business in the Stock
Exchange, and before the adjudication had taken
place, the quotation at which dealings took place
was 97-4 to 1. Afterwards there was a rise to 981,
and the final 4 price was 971 to 98. The transactions
were very numerous, and a large number of them
consisted of actual investments. At the minimum
price of 97 the coast of the loan (reckoning accrued
dividend and discount for prepayment of instalments)
will be £95 17s.

The tcnders were opened by Mr. E. Macnaghten,
the chairman of the Finance Committee, assisted by
the other members of the committee, Mr. Charles
Mills, Sir Proby Cautley, and Mr. Arbuthnot, the
minimum price having been previously declared.
The total number was about 800, of which 567 were
at and above 97—namely :-
151 tenders at £97 £1,339,400

376 tenders as fellows
At £97 0 3
97 0 6

.. 21,000
.. 1,498,050

97 0 7
97 1 0
97 1 3
97 2 0
97 2 6
97 3 0
97 3 6
97 3 9

44,500
920,300
370,500
100,000
223,600
115,000
10,000
12,000
335,000

r) 0

97 .5 6
97 7 6
97 10 0
97 10 2
97 10 6
97 10 7
97 11 0
97 11 3
97 12 6
97 15 0
98 0 0
98 1 0
98 2 6
98 5 0
98 5 6
98 10 0
98 15 0
100 0 0

46,000
13,000
477,400
1,000
40 .0
6,300
23,500
500
35 000
1,000
33,500
130,300
1,800
2,800
44,500
2,100
•• • •
13,500
3,000
00 O.
500