The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-27 00:00:00

THE

"lON.

(Opinions of the French, Press)

The Constittettonnel continues to denounce the
conduct of Austria :

" The present position has at least the merit of being
clear and well defined. But the light arrived so suddenly
for certain partisans of Austria, for those who had vaunted
her pacific dispositions, that they no longer know how to
explain passing events. The journals representing the
English Cabinet, for instance, cannot believe In such
' crime' on the part of Austria. There is an
error,' they said. ' The Cabinet of Vienna did not
yet know of the adhesion of Piedmont to the prin-
ciple of a general disarmament when it summoned
that State to disarm.' But this hypothesis is no
longer to be admitted. It is now clearly proved that Aus-
tria had received official notice of the adhesion of Sardinia
at the moment she had addressed her ultimatum. This
ultimatum was already resolved on, its terms were drawn
up, while the Cabinet of Vienna accepted the proposal of a
Congress. The day when the Tory Ministry spoke so
loftily of AeAtria's honour, Archduke Albert presented this
document
of duplicity and violence at Berlin, and proposed
to the Prince Regent that he should be an accomplice to it.
The r.lply of the .Regent was such as might have been ex-
pected ; it does honour to Prussia and to the real Germany
which she now repreeents. Not only has the Cabinet of Ber-
lin rejected the proposal of Austria but it has protested against
it in common with all Europe. This great act, which
condemns the last step of Austria, condemns for the same
reason all her proceedings since the mission of Lord Cowley.
It is now a matter of history that the Vienna Cabinet has,
in the present crisis; never been sincere towards Europe.
It was not sincere when it accepted the principle of a
European Congress, nor when it demanded a gbneral
armament before the Congress. Austria has disavowed
engagements and promises. That her interest and ambition
should push her to war may be understood by her defenders,
but that she should have descended to hypocritical denials,
in order to arrive at a violent settlement, cannot be par-
doned even by them. Austria tempted Europe with a last
hope of peace at the very moment when she fixed the day
for opening the war. On Good Friday issued from Milan
the ultimatum which summoned Sardinia to disarm within
three days; it is thus that pious Austria celebrates her
Easter Week."
The Pays describes as a "diplomatic romance,"
the statement which represents Austria at the time
she sent in her ultimatum as having been ignorant
of the acceptance by Sardinia of the principle of
disarmament :
"There has been no mistake, and the Austrian Govern-
ment has taken its decision with every circumstance before
its eyes. Moreover, it is p')sitive that the summons to die-
arm was drawn up by Count Buol, and that the Em-
peror did not act without consulting his Ministers.
Finally what proves that Austria was aware of the pro-
posal of a general disarmament, and nevertheless
persisted in her desire to humiliate Piedmont, is the
official declaration in the Vienna Gazette that she was
prepared to pursue her negotiations with the Powers, but
that in no case would she renounce the right of acting sepa-
rately and individually in regard to Piedmont. Such a reso-
lution is evidently incompatible with any ulterior arrange-
ment, and if it be true that England and Prussia have taken
new steps at Vienna, we believe that to hope in their success
would be a great illusion. Austria has decided on pushing
matters to the last extremity. It is to be presumed that
imperious considerations must have pushed the Court of
Vienna into this fatal path, since she consents to brave the
public opinion of Europe, and to give an open denial to her
own words."

The Gazette de France says :
" Should Austria-persist in sending troops, in spite of the
rulers of the small States of Italy, to points which she may
consider essential for her personal defence, she would place
herself in.the falsest position posiible. It appears that, the
Grand Duke of Tuscany has not alone protested against this
pretension of Austria. The Duchess of Parma, who has
always displayed the greatest strength of character in every
difficult position, has, it would appear, also refused to allow
the Austrians to invade her States. Should Austria, persist
in her pretensions, sho will really prove that she considers
the territory of her - allies as a portion of the Austrian
Empire,"
The Patric contains the following remarks on
the Prussian military preparations :
"The Prussian Government has hastened to protest
against the supposition that its late military measures are
connected in the least with the presence of Arehdnko Al-
bert in Berlin. Tfiese.measures, it declares, have a purely
defensive character; they were rendered necessary by the
general situation •of - Europe, and were prepared
long beforehand. The partisans of Austria sought
to attribute these measures to the mission of
Archduke Albert. Tho Prussian Gazette, in giving a for-
mal denial to such an interpretation, .will doubtless contri-
bute to convince the Vienna cabinet of its isolation in the
aggressive policy which it has just inaugurated so fatally."
The Presse briefly observes:—
" Events are preparing rapidly. It is too late ;' that
last word, in decisive crises, appears to be that of the present
moment.' It is already pronounced ix Italy, where the ques-
tion is already considered settled."

BED SEA AND INDIATELEGRAPII

COMPAN Y.

The following correspondence on the question of
the Red Sea and India Telegraph Company has
been forwarded for publication. It is satisfactory
that the Treasury authorities do not believe there
is any danger of the Legislature repUdiating the
obligation of the ,guarantee:—

•
(core.)
" Red Sea and India Telegraph Company, 62, Moor-
gate-street, E.C.,.London, April '2l, 1859.
" Sir,—l am instructed by the directors of the Red Sea
and India Telegraph Company to inform you that serious
apprehensions have been raised in the minds of the share-
holders in consequence of th;s late proceedings in the Rouse
of Lords on the motion for the third reading of tho corn-

pany's bill.
" The directors themselves entertain no doubt whatever
of the good faith of the Government, or of their intention to
abide by the terms of the contract into which they have
entered, but, at the same time, after -whethas occurred, they
deem it imperative to request that steps may be taken to.
satisfy the natural anxiety of the shareholders, and to justify
the confidence they have hitherto felt in the inviolable na-
ture of the agreement under which they are acting.
" In briefly recalling the circumstances under which tho
guarantee was granted I am directed to remind you that in
the month of August last, when application was made by .
this company to the Treasury, the speedy establishment ui
telegraphiccommunication with India was, perhaps, of more
vital importance to the Government than it happily is at
the present moment. It was then distinctly and repeatedly
stated by the directors and others thatthe undertaking par-
took far more of-upublic than of a private character; that
if the Government should decide upon adopting the ma-
chinery of a private company such terms must be granted as
should virtually ensure the risk of the experiment being
borne by the Government; and that any arrangement to be
entered into with the company must be entirely indepen-
dent of the commercial success or failure of the undertaking.
" The urgency of the necessity and the impossibility of
raising the capital required upon other terms was so strongly
felt thst the offers of the company were accepted upon the
express condition that the whole capital should be sub-
scribed. at once ; and, that theconstruction and laying down
of the line should be Commenced forthwith, whilst entire
control was secured to the Government by the appointment
of two ex-officio directors whose sanction was required to
every proceeding of the company.
" As it was clearly impossible to obtain the immediate
assent of Parliament to these arrangements, which were
completed during the recess, the company was required to
apply for an act in the next session.
" Upon the faith of the agreement thus concluded the •
capital was subscribed, and a contract entered into with
NLloctsdsarsc.
oNmemwajaliaonjraCoo.,flhvehriehmracj.(e.esit;e:da t2h,reeasaana(47nfoorf the
e
completion of the line to India within 12 months, involving
thereby a large and immediate outlay ; to meet which
..C400,000 was actually called up before the meeting. of Par-
liament enabled the company to proceed with their bill.
" Under this contract 1,800 miles of cable have already
been dispatched to the Red Sea, by which it is hoped to
establish a ammunication between Alexandria and Aden in
the month of May, whilst the manufacture of the remain-
ing section is rapidly proceeding at home.
" Under these circumstances it is with no small surprise
that the shareholders have learnt that a question has been
raised in Parliament as to the expediency of sanctioning the
Government'contract, and that the company's bill has been
postponed without any protest on the part of her Majesty's
Government against the impossibility of repaid ating so
solemn an obligation.
"From the representations made to them from various
quarters, the directors deem it indispensably necessary that
the shareholders -should receive an official assurance that
the Government is determined to give full effect to the
agreement, and that the directors are authorised to proceed
in the work which they are endeavouring faithfully to per-
form, but which they do not hesitate to say will be most
materially impeded if the slightest doubt shall be allowed
to rest for a moment upon the validity of their engagement
with her Majesty's Government.—I have the honour to be,
sir, your obedient servant,
(Signed) " C. L. PEEL, Secretary.
" The Secretary of the Treasury, London."
(COPY.)
"Treasury Chambers, April 25, 1859.
"Sir, —I have laid before the Lords Commissioners of her
Majesty Treasury your letter of 21st instant, and lam
directed to state that although their lordships have seen
with regret that an unexpected obstacl3 was presented in
the House of Lords to the passing of the Red Sea and India
Telegraph Company's Bill, under circwnstances unfliTouno
-
able to a full discussion of the measure, they entertatin
doubt of being able to satisfy the next Parliaipcoorin.?fe s
expediency and importance, and that tbeyef7le
s_. na n
that there cannot under any which
danger of the Legislature repudiating
has
faithbeeonf swolhiemchnlytheentecormedpanintyo
alreadybhyasthe -peannddedonauthche
Av sir STEPHENSON.
(Signed) theC rCrow,
. obligation
ne
large sums.—l am, sir, your obedi,ent. n ant,
"The Secretary of thceotepclanSyctand India Telegraph

AND BOOK PACKETS.
that by a recent order of
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the hall
Grand is closedat 6
at St. Martin s- e- p.m. The regula-
tionsß k
are as follow : _ :—Book packets and newspapers may be
posted after 6 o'clock p.m., on payment of one farthing,
ntil 7 p.m. ; or on payment of one halfpenny till 7.15
ipiojngst.de;desoaPrtaottnchhet:htGletipithaeer:ilentofme
penny
till
7.30.
let fdreo
um tfohre
St. GeneralvnceVincent
t Post.(Cape
if
INoticece
that
shhiapsmbaielesn i
willstr
de Verds), Rao de Janeiro, t 1.1 Valparaiso, to be forwarded
by the steamer Lima, whizh is appointed to leave Liverpool
on the 14th proximo.
THE EX-ROYAL FAMILY OF FRANCE.—Yester-
day was the fete day of the ex-Queen Marie Amelie, who
completed her 78th year. On this occasion the Duke and
Duchess D'Aumale
gave a dejeuner at Orleans-house,
Twickenham,. to a large family circle. His Royal High-
ness the Duke of Saxe Coburg, attended by Col. Francis
Seymour, arrived shortly after 12 o'clock from Windsor
Castle. The Duke d'Oporto also joined the circle. The
Queen Marie Amelie, accompanied by the Duke de Nemours
and his youthful family, the Prince and Princess de Join-
ville and children, the Duchess Augusta of Saxe Coburg,
the Count de Paris, &c.; came from Claremont. Covers
were laid for upwards of 40. The Duke of Saxe Coburg
and the Duke a' Oporto left at three o'clock. The illus-
trious party separated shortly before four o'clock.
mail
Steam Navigation Company are about to be coinnV,lo7tlll°Ye
Threeof the vessels required by the Royal
e
Messrs. Palmer Brothers and Co., of Ja_rrwov,.he n bailt, to
exception of the Great Eastern, thcy wll,
the largest paddle steamers in existence.