The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-16 00:00:00

LATEST NEWS.

PROSPECTS OF PEACE.

The Paris correspondent of :he Times (second

edition) says

" We were yesterday, I believe, within a few
hours of a declaration of war on the part of
Austria, and I regret to say that it is attributable
to the prevarications of the Imperial Government

of France. When the question of a disarmament
was at first proposed- the popular opinion was

against Austria, because she, a great Power, with

vast armies, required, as the condition to her enter-

ing the Congress, that Piedmont should first dis-

arm. This was a fault, but Austria retrieved it by
the more reasonable demand of a general disarma-

merit.

"The French Government, whose only object was
!o gain time, started a new objection :—France had

not armed, and she could not be asked to disarm.
Austria demanded that the general disarmament
should take place previous to the meeting of the
Congress, and England urged the same. The French

Government, whose equivocal policy M. Cavour's
Piedmontese friends declare so much reassured them,

wanted that the question of the disarmament should
be submitted to the Congress and be decided by it.
The object, of course, was to have sufficient time to
complete its preparations, and, when completed, to
break off, on one pretext or another, all further ne-
gotiations, and take the field with its ally, Piedmont.
The English Government were aware of this credit-
able conduct ; so, of course, was Austria. Austria,
to whom eery day, nay, every hour, is of immense
consequence, made up her mind for the worst ;
England asked for a categorical answer to the de-
mand for immediate and general disarmament, and
the French Government was called on to exercise
its influence with Sardinia to enforce compliance.
It had the effrontery to plead that it could not
compel Sardinia to do anything of the kind. Of
course we then saw that our friends were dis-

posed to play us false, and Austria intimated
that if a categorical answer was not given
within a certain time, as to the disarmament, she
would consider it as equivalent to a declaration of
war ; would act instantly ; and would probably be
at Turin in 10 days. Austria may be accused of
precipitating matters, buther situation is one of the
most critical; the expenses of her army are strain-
ing her resources to the utmost, and her only
chance of safety was to renounce all hope of peace,
and act at once. It was the necessity of her
condition. When people blame her, they ought
to remember that, in point of fact, she has
been menaced since the Ist of January last.
From that date she has, beyond all doubt, seen
through the plan contrived against her by M.
Cavour and his great friend, and set herself to pre-
pare accordingly. She knew that she was to be
duped, and, as she had no faith inthe fair promises
and pious aspirations of the Moniteur, she resolvQd
to be ready against all emergencies. It is difficult
to see how she could act otherwise than she has
done, and it has proved her best means of salvation.
"As I have told you, matters reached yesterday
the extreme point. The French Government were
informed that the responsibility of so terrible a
calamity as a general war would fall upon them
alone. In spite of the civilities, courtesies, and
coquetting going on for some time past between St.
Petersburg and Paris, it was shown that when the
critical moment came the French Government
would not have the support or sympathy of any
one Government in Europe, except, I suppose,
Piedmont ; and Russia, notwithstanding her re•
sentment against Austria, showed symptoms (as I
am assured), of a wish to stand well with old
dynasties and old friends, and little real inclination
towards a war which sooner or later must become

revolutionary.
" But the scene, it appears, has changed, and hope
smiles once more. The French Government are
said to have seen the dangerous course they were
hastening on. But, whatever be the cause—
whether the prospect of the unanimous condemna-
tion of all Europe, the certainty of the condemna-
tion of France, the soundness of the reasons and
arguments of her allies, or all these things to-
gether, I am given to understand that we have at
last got into smooth water. I presume that the
French Government have agreed to a general
disarmament, including, of course, that of Pied-
mont, previous to the Congress; as I am told
that the Congress will meet about the time already
mentioned, and that the Moniteur will soon announce
the fact. No one will rejoice more heartily at this
than the French people themselves; and M. Wa-
lewski and one or two of his colleagues will exult

as much as any one.
" I hope it is not the invention of some rash opti-
mist, but I also hear that M. Walewski this morn-
ing made inquiries about a house at Baden-Baden,
with a view to the Congress. Prince Gortschakoff
has already done so."

FRANCE.

PARIS, FRIDAY.

Count de Persigny has left Paris for London, it
is believed on a confidential mission relating to the
present negotiations.
The Journal de Cherbourg announces that the
maritime Prefect at that port has received orders
to arm as quickly as possible the following nine
gunboats :—Aigrette, Fulmin ante, Arquebu se,
Lance, Poudre, Redoute, Sainte-Barbe, Salve, and
Tempete. After being armed they are to be de-
spatched to Toulon with a reduced complement of
seamen. They are to form a flotilla under the name
of First Division of Gunboats.

It is stated that the construction of 10 new gun
boats has been commenced in the ports of the
Mediterranean. The plan was made by M. Dupuy
de l'Orne, naval architect and director of material
at the Ministry of Marine, and approved by the
Emperor.
It is announced that M. Fleury, brother of Gene-
ral Fleury, who is French Consul at Liverpool, has
been appointed Consul at Palermo.
M. de Chasseloup-Laubat, Minister of Algeria,
will seize the opportunity of his journey to Algiers
to visit several other places on the coast of Bar-
bary, and particularly Tunis.
The Manikin- publishes the returns of the in-
direct revenues for the first quarter of the present
year. The whole amount is 259,604,000 fr., being
a diminution of 1,582,000 fr. as compared with the
corresponding period of 185 S, and an augmentation
as compared with 18E7. The principal items of
increase have been potable liquors, 4,556,000 fr. ;
tobacco, 1,557,000:7r. ; miscellaneous customs dues,
515,000 fr.; corn, 537,000 fr.; export duties, 336,0001 r.;
foreign sugar, 328,000 fr.; salt, 318,000 fr. ; and Post-
office, 212,000 fr. ; the principal ones of diminution
registration dues, 5,970,000 fr. ; beetroot sugar,
4,004,000 fr. ; stamps, 730,000 fr. ; gunpowder,
• 269,000 fr. ; and French colonial sugar, 269,000 fr.
The official journal also publishes a short statement of
the receipts of the direct taxes for the past quarter.
The whole sum received has amounted to
106,020,000 f., being 27,822,000 f. more than was
due for that period. In 1858, the sum so paid in
advance was only 24,999,000 f.
BOURSE, April 15, Two o'clock.—The market
has been dull, with little doing. There is a great
uneasiness about the political situation, and
the adjournment of explanations in the English
Parliament till Monday did not alleviate the appre-
hetisiv,s, Threes were done at 67f. 35c., then
67f. 35c.
declined to 6i f. 20e., and rallied again to
.Nobilier varied from t4iof. 6SOf. ; Austrian, 516 f.
Orleans, 1,2&5k. to 4,4._9f,i. T,/vons,