The Sun.
London, England, 1861-01-11 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.

Tut DAT.—Morning, lh. 58m.—Afternoon, :2h. 23m.
To-MORROW.-Morning, I2h. 46m.--Afternoon, 3h. Om.

THE WEATHER.—SUN GRFFICE, JAN. 11, 1561,
THEEDIOILISTELL, IN THE SHADS.
28—highest since noon yesterday.
20—lowest this morning and during the night.
33—this day at noon.

BAROMETER-30.33.
WIND—Southerly—light ; with fine frosty weather.

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THE SUN.
LONDO:47, FRIDAY, JAN. 11, 1861.

The French Fleet was to have quitted Gaeta
forthwith and permanently. The deadlock in
Italian affairs produced by the presence of the
French Fleet at Gaeta was to have been brought
to a tardy, but when the good time really did come
at last, to a summary termination. The cry from
all sides addressed to France was one of " Hands
off!" Lookers-on, not actually engaged in the
contest there, but who sympathise in it heart and
soul, wanted to see there at Gaeta nothing more,
and certainly also nothing less, than what an
Englishman among all men loves so dearly—" A
clear stage and no favour." That was the " situa-
tion." That was the tendency, the visible and
audible tendency of Public Opinion. Suddenly,
however, argument was hushed upon the matter,
if not altogether, at any rate partially, by the
intimation that negotiations were actually in pro-
gress betweeh France and Sardinia, with a view to
the quiet and satisfactory settlement of a
difficulty that had only too long existed—not so
much a difficulty either as a scandal, a positive and
flagrant scandal to all Europe. Well, the nego-
tiations have begun and ended—and there the
French fleet is still off Gaeta! Admiral LE BAR-
BIER DE TINAN has not received the order of recal
from the Imperial Government ! The squadron
of the great MARPLOT of Europe is there still
to this hour within view of the last strong-
hold of King FRANCIS ll.—it is there perversely
and pertinaciously. The 3foniteur of this morn-
ing explains the Reason Why with sufficient dis-
tinctness. It says
"That the negotiations for an armistice at Gaeta have
remained without any result. Sardinia declared herself
ready to suspend hostilities and the siege works until the
19th inst. The French Admiral informed King FRANCIS 11.
of this, and invited him to suspend hostilities likewise.
The Admiral also declared that should the hostislitieua s cease
in consequence of this invitation the French qdron
would immediately quit the waters of Gaeta, leaving only
one vessel, which would remain until the expiration of the

armistice."
Bo that the French flag has not yet ceased to fly off
Gaeta, but will cease to fly—positively its last ap-
pearance on that stage, according to that official
play-bill, the Moniteur—at the 19th of this present
month of January But possibly this promised last
appearance, however, may prove when the time
arrives asmuch like a last appearance as that operatic
companion to the Greek Kalends, Madame GRISI'M
Farewell. We can only wait, of course, now and
WFltch until the arrival and the passinr, away of
that 19th of January. But let the French Govern-
ment rest assured that this time, England, Europe
will watch vigilantly. The nineteenth of January,
observe, is the date fixed upon for the termination
of the armistice at, and the withdrawal of the
French flag frcnn before, Gaeta. The date chosen
is not without its significance. It claims—of course
quite by accident--to be only just three days more
than a fortnight prior to the meeting of the British
Parliament, now fixed to assemble on the sth of
February. Something must come of it before that
fort-night shall havo expired, at least we have that
conviction. Or—the whole scandal of that inter•
positi on of the French squadron between the belli-