The Sun.
London, England, 1859-12-16 00:00:00

FRANCE AND JAPAN.

The Moniteur of yesterday published the follow-
ing correspondence from Jeddo, dated September
22, 1859 :
" The exchange of the ratifications of the treaty concluded
between France and Japan on the 9th October, 1858, took
place to-day with great solemnity at the Palace of the Minis-
ters of Foreign Affairs. The Consul General of France in
Japan, M. du Chesne do Bellecourt, proceeded thither on
horseback, accompanied by the Commander and Staff of the
Imperial screw corvette Duchayla. The treaty bearing the
ratification of the Emperor was carried by sailors on a sort
of stage adorned by French flags, and escorted by a guard
of honour of 50 armed sailers. The members of the mis-
sion followed in palanquins.
" After two hours' march through this immense capital,
in the midst of an innumerable multitude attracted by so
novel a sight, the procession entered the official enceinte of
the city, a sort of fortress to which usually only the feuda-
tory Princes of the empire, their families, and the officers of
the Court are admitted. M. de Bellecourt and his suite on
reaching the Palace of Foreign Affairs, situate near the
third inner enclosure which surrounds the Imperial Palace,
were received with groat ceremony by the First Ministers
of the tai-coon of Japan.
" The exchange of the ratifications and examination of
the treaties lasted for nearly two hours. In the presence
of the Ministers the French and Japanese Plenipotentia-
ries compared thew. The Abbe Girard, the Superior and
Apostolic pro-Vicar of the mission to Japan, who provision-
ally acts as interpreter of the Japan language—in which ho
is well versed—for the French Consulate, compared the
Japanese text with the French. Everything having been
found regular, the treaty which bears the ratification of
his Imperial Majesty was handed over to the Japanese
Ministers, and that bearing the ratification of the Emperor
of Japan was handed to M. de Bellecourt, after having been
placed in a double box of black japan of the most exquisite
workmanship.
" On this occasion the Abbe Girard was in full canonicals.
Thus Providence reserved to the glorious reign of the Em-
peror Napoleon 111., and to exclusive French action, the
solemn re-installation on the Japanese soil of that religion
of which the ministers, &poetics, and adherents were
hitherto doomed by the laws of the country to certain death.
It is not secretly and timidly that the Catholic religion re-
turns to this land which has seen so many martyrs ; it is in

the very midst of the Government itself that it publicly
shows itself, though still within certain limits, in virtue of
a right consecrated by the diplomacy of a Sovereign whose
name is also in those distant lands a veritable symbol of
power.
" As the ceremony concluded at the palace of the Japan-
ese Palace of Foreign Affairs, the screw corvette which
brought the Consul-General of the Emperor to Japan
saluted the French flag, hoisted for the first time on the
habitation which that agent occupies on an elevation, which
commands a view of nearly the whole Bay of Jeddo The
Russian frigate'Askoldo and the corvette of her Britannia
Majesty the Highilyer, in the roads, courteously joined in
the solemnity by hoisting colours and saluting the French
flag installed at Jeddo with 21 guns."