The Sun.
London, England, 1859-04-30 00:00:00

THE TREATY BETWEEN FRANCE
AND BUSSLI.

(From the Times)
Those who have studied the newspapers during
the last two days must have suspected the vanity
of telegrams and the baselessness of authentic in-
formation. Doubt has reigned as to facts which
ought to be notorious, and contradictions have been
given to statements made on the highest authority,
and believed by the Government of the country.
We endeavour to give the public all the information
which interrupted posts and jealously watched
telegraphs will allow ; but we must forewarn them
that often during the course of the coming events
they may be misled for 24 hours or longer by the
unfounded rumours which prevail over the Conti-
nent. As yet, however, there has been no great
inaccuracy in the information received. First, as
regards the movements of the Austrians. From
intelligence received yesterday we learn that the
statement that an act of war was committed on the
night of the 26th by the entry of Austrian troops
on Piedmontese soil was perfectly correct. The
advanced posts of General Gyulai's army crossed the
Ticino, and took up, unopposed, a position on the
enemy's territory. But the advance of the main
army did not take place till yesterday, April the
29th. By all accounts the Austrians had deter-
mined on a vigorous offensive movement, and there
can be little doubt that they are desirous of strik-
ing a blow before French reinforcements can be
brought into the field against them. So much for
the proceedings at the seat of war, on which we
give as trustworthy information as is to be had.
With respect to the two Treaties or Conventions,
or engagements, between France and Russia, we
have nothing essential to retract. In fact, we may
leave our contemporaries to answer themselves, or
each other. One of them has reason to know that
the Russian Court has given our Government the
strongest assurances " that no agreement has been
entered into that can in any way affect the interests '
of this country." Asa commentary on this reassur-
ing piece of news, it states that a Russian army of
60,000 men has crossed the Dnieper, thereby
threatening the Gallican frontier of Austria. Ano-
ther journal, after giving the world to understand
that we were utterly, wilfully, and scandalously
wrong in statingthat Russia had sigued. agreements
with France, adds, with startling coolness, that the
offensive and defensive alliance is only to take effect
in case Germany or England should meddle in the
quarrel. The moderation of France and Russia, in
restricting themselves to a contingent, and not a
direct, plot against a friendly and mediating
Power, receives, of course, its due tribute of admi-
ration. In the midst of these vagaries and contra-
dictions we have only to persist in the essential truth
of our statement. It is not in the nature of a Secret
Treaty to be known in its details within a week
after signature, and consequently we do not pre
tend to give the entire purport of the document
said to have been signed on Good Friday. But the
main facts are, we fear, beyond a doubt, and when
we are informed that " no secret Treaty or Con-
vention has been signed between Russia
and France, but that there exists an engagement
to place an army of observation on the Gallician:
frontier," we are justified in believing that it is -
only that part of the engagement which cannot be,
denied that is confessed, and that the execution of
the other conditions waits only the development of
events. While people here are affecting to doubt
whether Napoleon and Alexander have been trea-
cherous enough to deceive Lord Malmesbury,
find that at Berlin and Vienna no doubt prevails as
to the movement of Russian troops, threatening-
Posen and Galicia, and by the event we are willing
that the truth of our statements should<be judged-
. With regard to the actual state and the prospects
of the campaign in Piedmont all must be specula-
tion for the present. One thing alone is clearly
known,—that the French were unprepared for the
sudden move of the Austrians, and expected to
begin the war at their leisure, somewhere about the
end of May. The difficulty and delay on Mont
Cenis will be considerable, and, though the French:
are being rapidly carried to Genoa, they are said to,
arrive there without the means of entering on e.
campaign for a fortnight or three weeks. It is
difficult to learn the truth in these cases, and the.
French may have a direct object in inducing Gene-
ral Gyulai to believe in their difficulties ; but a
belief prevails that they will be unable to offer a
serious resistance to the Austrians, should the
latter determine on a vigorous and rapid attack.
Our readers will perceive that we speak of these
events in a tone more guarded than they have been
accustomed to during the progress of the Crimea'
;war and the Indian mutiny. The fact is, that tb
campaigning of despotic Powers will be carried G-
in a different style from the expeditions in which
a British force is engaged. Swift, secret, silent
will be the movements of the antagonists. No
letters will be allowed to be written from the camp,,
no one unconnected with military duties will be
allowed to approach the lines. The action of the
telegraph might frustrate the best laid plans of
generalship. The state of the troops, the position
of a corps, a movement in advance or retreat, might,
be flashed over Europe, and sent back to the
enemy's commander in the space of a few hours.
So the armies on either side are already shrouded
in secrecy. It is impossible to obtain certain intel-,
ligence from the seat of war. At Turin they knoVr
nothing more than in London. They see a great"
commotion, troops coming in and going out, much
galloping of officers, and so on, but whether the
Austrians have crossed or are going to cross, when,
the French are coming, how many they will be, and
what will be the system of defence, they know as,
little as the Parisian or the Londoner. The scne,
ignorance prevails at Vienna, and even the numbero
of the Austrian Army of Italy are but vaguely
known in the capital. The public must there'
fore be prepared not only for war but for rumours
of war, and those not only vague, but often false
and contradictory. To distinguish the probable
from the absurd, to extract the small grain of truth'
from the heap of fiction, is no easy task. Of one
think alone we may be convinced—that this will,
be a great and protracted struggle, and that all
thought of peace has been laid aside by France and
her new ally.

(From the Morning Herald.)
We have the highest authority for stating that
no secret treaty or convention has been signed
between France and Russia. The Russians have
merely agreed to place 50,000 men in observation
on the Galician frontiers of Austria, and out of this
in all probability was concocted the false report that
has spread consternation in commercial circles and
caused the ruin of hundreds.
We have also authority to state that there is no
foundation whatever for the report recently circu-
lated of a treaty of alliance having been signed,
between France and Denmark. Nothing has been
done that could in any way justify such an an-
nouncernent.

FATAL BOILER EXPLOSION AT II'UDDERSFIELD.
—On Thursday a boiler explosion took place at Edward
Learoyd and Co.'s, Old Mill-lane, Huddersfield, which r?.',
suited in the death of one person, and serious injury to s"'
others. The boiler had only been examined by the inspector
of the Huddersfield Boiler Association onjWednesday even" ing, and we gather that he pronounced the water-guag" and safety-valve were in proper working order. The boiler
was tubular, 7 feet 2 inches in diameter, and had two circular
flues of 2 feet 6 inches, the thickness of the plate being
5
-
16
t
sof an inch, and the boiler had a self-acting feetle.?. thus always keeping a fixed quantity of water in
The engine tenter, Thomas Wadsworth, after greasing ~"'"
engine and looking at the gauge, went to his dinner al
quarter-past one o'clock, leaving the engine in chargs4
Thomas Binns, who acted as assistant fireman for
the last twelve months, and in about twenty-five minutes
afterwards the boiler exploded, knocking down a one-storey
building adjoining, called the willow room, in which five
persons were engaged at work, three women and two men.
These were nearly buried in the ruins, but were sprea
extricated. One of them, a widow, named Hannah Haigh'.i
died a few minutes after she was got out. ' Another, San
Berry, who was taken to her home at Hillhouse, was fount'
to have one leg broken, and is so severely scalded that her
recovery is very doubtful. The three others, Catherine
Bagnall, James Ellam, and Samuel Ellam, were conveyto the Infirmary, and the recovery of two of these is saic'
to
be'dciubtful. There were also two men, Charles Tyne anD.
Edward Haigh, working in an oilshel near, who were much
scalded, and had a narrow escape of being buried in the
ruins.—Manchester Examiner.
THE INDIAN TELEGRAPH.--At the present Ws):
ment the treatment of the Indian telegraph question arises
in all minds as one of the many grave charges against the
Government. While the underwriters are already exacti_i?
heavy premiums for war risk in protracted cases even oh
English vessels, we are without the means which, at an ex.
pense perfectly insignificant as compared with the objee4t
might have been in operation long ago of instantaneTt
communication with our Eastern possessions. Had tua's
communication been effected it would have served us Bio
for our Australian colonies. The amount of Australian
gold at sea is usually between three and four
sterling,. which would all be in jeopardy in case
our being suddenly assailed. The utmost the tell
graph by the Euphrates route would have cost weals
have been about a fourth of that sum, and, ha
it not been defeated, in deference to the French
alliance, it might have been at work last autumn. ti
three years the importance of the question has been pert'
naciously but vainly urged, and the leaders of both part
have avowed in Parliament, that while the construction
both of the Red Sea and the Euphrates line was ecille A
desirable, the latter offered the greatest advantages aishicat
regards economy and expedition. Yet the result :an
within the past two months Lord Stanley has to
millionsa
answer to the Euphrates promoters which has led
one half of
abandon operations, and wind up with a loss of
nna"-__,
all the money they have expended under Government
couragement, while Lord Derby has damaged the progressj
tee to be ealle"
count by allowing his own pledged guari,
the cola'
pang f the
toßehe
thrown over
at no dthseenstwu
in question, and the bill for the incorporation of
its shares to a beavy u,,