The Sun.
London, England, 1857-02-12 00:00:00

FOREIGN DECORATIONS.

commemorativec u I uei onf of
Th' Debats contans an article pointing cut the
hardships of the regulations which in England for-
bid any person to wear decorations that have not
been conferred fur military purposes. Our con-
temporary says :
distinguished themselves in the Eastern war assembled
Eng-
landin the residence of the ambassador of thee Qu
Bath,.en and we
" We have recently seen the French generals
to be invested with the order of
wearth with
onmathine.
pride the
daily observe our private soldiers
,h
d Diable that the noblest
whobled
obtained as a reward
recornpence which can be sought
in these distinctive signs of
for brilliant services ebxistesrosev,
ribbons, and medals.
honour, representendohily
nobility have- become international,
webemtwusetenexpFlraainnetehaatnodn
These letters of
hed another bond between the great
they have established
famil"
salutary spirit of fraternity and solidarity. We
main-
tain
, however, express a regret that these honourable
England
egolatnhder
should only be attached to recollections of vier. In order
nation,th emwar.ed
al
they l)Ir
te
gies
havenu presented
d oe r ythe
contributed Que
e tno
side of the Channel the regulations forbid any British
subject to wear a foreign decoration that has not been
granted as a reward for military services. It is not the
first time that we have declared England to be mere than
an original country, and this affords us another proof of
what we have maintained. We read in all books that the
1. understood, exchanged
French nation is essentially a military one, that delights
in singing the praises of glgry and victory, and ren-
ders only slight homage to the triumphs of peace. We
tmo distinctions,
w e
nevertheless remark that great civil services receive in
France the same honour as military services, and it is
remarkable that it was the greatest military genius t,-.l'
modern times, the Emperor Napoleon, who
tl!oeurg.b_t_sj:
consecrate this equality. How often, on the other hand,
has it been repeated that the English nation,
bsiittle value to
positive, and commercial nation, attaches
h to honour and
military glory, and knows above all
labour, civilise.
recompense services rendered to. science,
__,_÷, in En„law,
tion, and humility ? Now it re precisely civil l? ..'
awarded to merit are
that honourable distinctions awarded
occupying the highest
not recognised ;and thiaita..ve
lan _,
d like Lord Hertford
social positions in theiorr tl
possessing names of more than
and Lord Ashburton,
e Far, enson, runel,
European reputation,
lik
860. areaday not authorStephisedß to pre-
Lord Ross, Airey b
t
,eore
they Queen with the insignia of
sent theinselvhe:
Legion of Honour. This is a singular
the order of th has often struck our attention, and which
we consideranomalY itwhiP our duty to point out."

South-Eastern Railway (Reading
RAILWAY AND OTHER BILLS IN PARLIAIOTST.-0a
Tuesday the examiners disposed of the following bills :
and Wexf,rd Railway • Aldershot, Railway ; Dundalk
and Enniskillen Railway' • Calcutta and South-Eastern
Railway. The standing orders were complied with. The
standing orders were declared not complied with in the
case of the Stratford-on-Avon Railway ; and the Car-
/3w.); Baginalatowa
lisle, Liddesdale, and Ilawick Railway Bill was with.
drawn. The following general bills were passed :—Bank
of London and National Provincial Insurance Associa•
than ; Westminister Improvements ; Alva Parish ;
Lowestoft Roads ; and Guildford Gas,