The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-18 00:00:00

PRUSSIA AND PERSIA.

The ratifications of the treaty signed between
Russia and Persia on the sth of January last were
exchanged at Teheran on the 18th of the same
month. This treaty cedes to Russia a tract of land
on the frontiers of Turkey. This tract is situate
between Bayazid and Nakhshivan. This new pos-
session will give Russia a complete command of the
strategic road from Trebizond on the Black Sea to
the Persian frontier by Erzeroum. The Russian
Government has been endeavouring, since the treaty
signed with Persia the 22d February, 1828, to ob-
tain the advantage which Persia has now granted.
It is asserted that orders were immediately sent
from St. Petersburg to construct a line of fortresses
on the territory lately oeded.
The last accounts received by the French Go-
vernment from Persia announce that Fezlali Khan,
who commands the advanced guard of the Persian
army in Farsistan, had sent forward, on the 25th
of December, a strong reconnoitring party of cavalry,
as far as 50 miles in advance of Shiraz. This de-
monstration, though so far from the British camp,
had given rise to a report of an approaching attack
on the Euglish lines by the entire Persian army ;
but this is impossible, for the Persians, who have
been joined by the Turcomans, have none but
irregular cavalry in the province of Fars, with which
it would be impossible to make an impression on the
well-fortified position of the English army at Bushire.
A letter from Bushire, dated December 28, pub-
lished in the Moniteur de l' .Annee, gives some in-
teresting particulars relative to that town. The
period of the greatest splendour of Bushire was
during the reign of Shah-Abbas the First, sur-
named the Great, and seventh prince of the dynasty
of the Sophis. He formed the interior port, con-
structed the fortifications, established a dockyard,
and collected a flect. At the celebrated battle
of Ormuz, which he fought in 1623, he com-
manded 75 ships of all sizes. This battle made
him master of the island and of all the pos-
sessions of the Sultan Hanniz, whose eyes he caused
to be put out. Shah-Abbas was one of the most re-
markable men of his time, but he ruined his repu-
tation by his atrocious cruelties. He commenced
his career by dethroning his father and putting his
two brothers to death. His custom was whenever
he captured any distinuguished person to cause him
to be blinded, which he said was the most certain
mode of preventing him from commanding again.
This Prince, at the close of his career, formed
an alliance with the English Government, and
granted the British merchants trading in the
Persian Gulf important commercial advantages.
King James I. sent a brilliant embassy to Shah-
Abbas. The splendour of Bushire continued until
the close of the reign of Nadir Shah. This great
conqueror increased his marine considerably. He
opened five ports in the Persian Gulf, and collected
a fleet of 200 vessels of war. His flag was seen in
the Indian seas, and was respected equally with
any European flag. He wrote to the Great Mogul
after the capture of Delhi that he was as formidable
by sea as the other by laud. Nadir Shah was as-
sassinated in 1747, and from that period Bushire
declined,

FRANCE.
PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING.

The Imperial Speech fills the columns of the Paris
journals, but has not been commented on in any
one instance. The only leading article published
this morning appears in the Debats, and is written
in defence of the financial policy of the Greek Go-
vernment. It, is to this effect :

"For some time past serious complaints—not justified
by circumstances—have been raised against the pre-
tended negligence displayed by the Greek Government in
the payment of the annuities of the loan of sixty millions
guaranteed by the three Powers. The Hellenic Govern-
ment woald be justified in its turn were it to remark that
this loan, which might have proved of a certain 'utility
to it at the period when it was contracted, has in reality
rendered it but a trifling service, inasmuch as the memo-
randum on the employment of .that loan, communicated
recently to the three protecting Cabinets, clearly proves
that only 12 millions were paid into the Treasury. At
the epoch of the installation of the royal Government
in Greece, the country issued from a war which had
exhausted every source of public wealth. It is scarcely
necessary to say that good finances are alone found in pros-
perous countries, and not in a country like the Greece of
1833: It matters have since improved, it is still certain
that taxation cannot be increased to any extent without
checking the development of Greek industry, and depriving
the Administration of all popularity. It, results from the
conclusions of the memorandum that whereas the Greek
treasury only received the sum of 12,277,671 fr. from the
proceeds of the loan, it is indebted to the three Powers for
advances, sinking fund, interests, commissions, &c., made
by them up to the lst March, 1856, to the extent of above
36 millions. It is seen by these figures how loyal has been
the decision taken by the Greek Government to pay in
future, in a regular manner, annuities which, in spite of
the modest conditions with which they will be met, will
serve to liquidate the loan guaranteed by the three
Powers."

BOURSE, Feb. 17.—The following were the last
quotations

Cash. fr. c. End of Month.
4i per Cents ...... —-95 fr. 35g.
3 per Cents . . — 68 85
New Loan
Bank Shares 4,150 Roman
Credit Mobilier ...... 1,345 Austrian
Belgian Fives — Spanish Threes
Piedmontese (5) 9O 50 Home Debt
RAILWAYS--FOBS CASH.

fr. c. fr c
Orleans 1,376 25 Western
Northern 902 Strasburg
Lyons 1,380 New Ditto
Mediterranean 1,760 Grand Central
Lyons Geneva
Cette

PRUSSIA.
BERLIN, FEB. 15.

The two Chambers here were a long time before
they got well to work this session, owing, in a
great measure, to the unsettled state of the Neu-
chatel affair, which compelled the Finance Minister
to keep back his budget. From the 29th of No-
vember, the day the session opened, up to Christ-
mas, the House of Deputies had but six sittings,
while the House of Notables took it still easier.
These six sittings were taken up for the most
part with the necessary business of getting the
House into working order, with electing its
officers, constituting its committees or bureaux,
investigating the validity of elections that have
taken place since last session, &c. The said six
sittings offer little that is remarkable, but one thing
was worth noting, viz., the result of the Toting,
which is thus effected here—each member on his
name being called out by the clerk deposits a card
in the urn placed in front of the President, and in
full view of the whole house. It has, however,
already happened frequently that more cards have
been inserted• in the urn than there were mem-
bers present, an irregularity which of course
leads to much discussion to and fro, and
consequent loss of time. On the cards thus
thrown into the urn the member writes " aye"
or " no," as may be, or the name of the person he
votes for; and it, moreover, often happens that
what is written on the card is illegible, and very
frequently also that there is no writing at all on
them. The voting for the selection of members to
act as clerks at the table revealed a fact interesting,
perhapl, to those versed in natural history, viz
that, in addition to a Taylor and a Pilgrim who
were proposed for that office, there were alo
nominated a Wolf, Goat, Steer, Cock, Fish
Ostrich, Herrings, and Crab, i.e., their names,
when translated, would show this interesting men-
agerie as proposed to be engaged in quill-driving
for the how°.