The Sun.
London, England, 1857-01-28 00:00:00

THE RING OF SARDINIA AT NICE.

The Ztfoniteur publishes the following letter from
Nice, dated the 231 inst. :
" His Majesty King V►ctor Emmanuel arrived yes-
terday at Villafranca, at 0 a.m., on board the steam-
frigate Gevernolo, escorted by the Mozasnbano.
"After the customary salutes from the forts, from the
Russian frigate Olaff, and three Sardinian brigs in the
roadstead, his Majesty landed on the quay, where he
was received by Count Cavour and by the civil and
military authorities of Villafranca. The King at once
mounted his horse, and, accompanied by a brilliant staff,
passed in review the 9th Regiment of the Line, drawn
up in line of battle on the square. His Majesty was
loudly cheered by the troops and by the population.
"At 11 o'clock the Royal cortege arrived at Nice.
On the Vittoria-square a triumphal arch had been
erected, where the civil authorities, the Consular body,
and various officers of his Majesty's household were
waiting to receive him. An amphitheatre had been
erected on each side of the road, and contained a num
ber of ladies, who braved the bad weather to see the
display. All the houses in the town were decorated
and the windows full of spectators. On his Majesty's
arrival he was enthusiastically cheered on all sides.
The Syndic: addressed a .en?eatt. to his Majesty, to
which he replied in a few gracious words, and the cortdge
then proceeded to the Place des PhoceSens, where the
National Guard and 10th Regiment of the Line were
reviewed.

" His Majesty then proceeded on borsebaok to the
Villa Avigdor, to pay a visit to her Majesty the Em-
press of Russia. At 1 o'clock the King again mounted
his horse and proceeded to his palace, where he received
the local authorities. In the evening the town was
brilliantly illuminated ; the illumination of the villa of
the Empress of Russia was magnificent. The King,
who drove about for a long time in an open, oaleohe, was
everywhere received with real enthusiasm. "

The Ontario, Simcoe, and Huron Railway Company
of Upper Canada have failed to remit the half-yearly
dividend on their debentures, due the Ist of January,
usually paid through the Commercial Bank of London.
It seems that the secretary wrote from Toronto to that
establishment in the early part of December desiring
that the dividend might be advertised, and that no com-
munication of any kind has since reached them. It
transpired at the beginning of last year that the company
had surreptitiously issued preferential bonds, so that
of
altogetherissued their conduct is calculated to destroy con
the British Agricult'iral Company, with a capital of
100,0001., in 1/. vhares. The objects are to supply
guaranteed manures, and to establish a depot for the sale
i
of all descriptions of agricultural plements, as well as
seeds, oilcake, and the various articles used in the feed-
ing of stock. A contract has been made with the Javel
Manure Company, of France, for the exclusive right to
sell their artificial guano in England and the colonies for
twenty-one years. Several certificates regarding the
properties of this manure accompany the prospectus,
some of which attribute qualities equal to Peruvian
guano, although it is much cheaper. It is a patent
manufacture from the cesspools and slaughter-houses of
Paris." The direction is composed of thoroughly prac-
tical men, and the analytical department is presided
over by Mr. John Mitchell, the eminent chemist,.
AN AGED HERO IN DISTRESS.—How truly has it
there . n
htbuouol
tet soldier.
o was onlyt
h onee
been said that one-half the world don't know how the
other half live ! In the Kirkeate of Alloa there resides
a man named Malcolm Douglas, who has attained the
great age of 95 years. Douglas's father was a native of
Blairgowrie, and was a serjeant in the 42d Highlanders.
The subject of the present brief nonce was born in Gib-
raltar, and in early life served in the Royal Artillery, in
.r
.when Douglas
nt hs General
Peninsular
l eanrwasea mournersri,Snairnad Ralactivephthe
esf
funeral
rAgnvaebigrceaearldcodri
founmtr
thi
during
gdthaieeldl
awbattle of Waterloo. He attained the rank of a serjeant,
and was discharged in the year 1815. From some
unexplained mese Douglas had no pension, and for a
number of years be has resided in Alloa, earning a
subsistence by collecting bones and rigs. He is one of
many in our town who have lately been attacked with
1 typhus fever, but he is now out of danger, so far as that
epidemic is concerned. We are aware that Dr. Syme
has received one or two small contributions from bene•
volent inhabitants on behalf of the poor man, and any
trifling addition to these, intrusted either to Dr. Syme
or to ourselves, may tend to increase the comfort of the
closing days of the old soldier.—Alloy Advertiser.
The most important point in the commercial news
from America this week is the repudiation of the greater
part of the public debt of the State of California. This
debt amounts to 600,C001., and a considerable portion of
it is held in Europe.
.For some time there had been a
disposition to question its legality, and, the matter hav-
ing been brought before the Supreme Court of the State,
judgment has been given that the bonds are unconstitu-
tional and void. According to the State Constitution,
the Legislature were prohibited from contracting any
liabilities exceeding,in the aggregate, 60,0001., but the
people and all the authorities have subsequently
ignored this provision, and allowed loans to be
negotiated which have reached to five times that
sum. Upon the subject being at length brought before
the Court it seems no other decision could have been
arrived at. No blame therefore can be thrown upon the
judges, and it is upon the people at large, as well as
upon every officer of the executive Government, that
the disgrace must fall if any advantage should be
taken of it. According to the newspapers and private
letters there is reason to anticipate that a law will be
passed to recognise the entire amount ; but this feeling
is not unanimous, the Sacramento Times and one
or two other journals being disposed to take the
opposite ground. In concluding their judgment the
Supreme Court expressed a hope that the Legislature
will declare the debt to be valid at their approaching ses-
sion, make the necessary appropriations for the interest,
any, submit their proceedings to the people for ratifica-
tion at the next general election in September; Their
only objectionable remark was, that the holders had
come into possession of the bonds with the full know-
!e Ige of their worthlessness. The fact of their currency
at San Francisco and New York is evidence to the con-
trary, and under no circumstances can it be supposed
that the European purchasers had any idea of the tech-
nicality by which their claims could be vitiated. They
knew that the State took the value of them, and they
Idid not pause to inquire whether, through the agency of
its own courts, it could subsequently escape from its
obligations.