The Sun.
London, England, 1857-04-16 00:00:00

THE PRINCIPALITIES.

Accounts from Bucharest of the 6th state that
two days before a deputation of landed proprietors,
advocates, and several young boyards of higher
station paid visits to the commissioners of the Eu-
ropean powers. On the occasion the following ad-
dress was presented to Sir Henry Lytton Bulwer :
" Excellency,—The Roumains welcome with delight
in you the worthy representative of free England—
the envoy of her most gracious Majesty the Queen
of Great Britain. They indulge in the firm hope that
your presence among them will poweriuly contribute to
deliver them from all restraint, and thereby secure to
them an unshackled manifestation of the wishes of• the
country, with entire independence in the elections. We
have the greater right to expect an attentive surveillance
on the part of the commissioners, in the application of
the electoral law, that we have not. taken any part in
drawing it up. We have too long lived without liberty
for abuses not to be rife, particularly at a distance from
the capital. We solicit the attention of your Excellency
to this point. We take great pleasure in reminding you
that at the congress of Paris the representative of her
Britannic Majesty was the first to strongly insist on the
necessity of taking into account the free wishes of the
country ; and from what power can we expect this elec-
toral independence, which is so necessary for us, if not
from that one which has had the happy privilege of
enjoying for ages the benefits of free institutions ?
Your Excellency, who has shown yourself every Mier,
and at all times the warmest defender of liberty of
conscience, as also one of the most onistant supporters
of representative government, cannot fail to secure
that liberty in our country. We pray you, therefore,
to accept the sentiments of hope and of gratitude whim
we offer you in the name of our countrymen ol all
classes."
The following reply was made by the English
Commissioner :

",Gentlemen—l have listened attentively to the words
which you have just addressed to me, and my first duty
is to thank you fur all the obliging sentiments you
have expressed towards my country, my Government,
and myself. With regard to the question to which you
particularly call my attention, namely, the elections which
are shortly to take place, the Ottoman Government has
declared its intentions in the most solemn and precise
manner, and, arriving direct from Constantinople, I am
able to assure you that the Sublime Porte desires with
sincerity what it has declared without hesitation. I
must also believe that the Government of this princi-
pality at the bead of which is placed a prince whose
family is one of the illustrations of your annals, and
who, from his reputation of frankness and straightfor-
ward conduct, was pointed cut to the confidence of
the Sultan, will, in such a critical moment, execute
the instructions it has received with scrupulous fidelity.
Such is certainly its duty. On the other hand, it is to
the Wallachian people, and especially. for you, gentle-
men, wbose position in the centre of society should main-
tain a proper equilibrium in it, to render, by the prudent
ability of your conducts the task imposed on the autho-
rities easier. No oue doubts your inteligence ; that gift
of Heaven is visible on all the faces which surround me ;
but experience alone enables what is difficult to be die-
tinguished from what is impossible, theory from practice,
.
and so it is permitted to doubt in circumstances as
novel as they are difficult, you will have all the prudence,
all the moderation, and all the tact, which (believe on
the point an Englishman, proud of the bpithet which you
have accorded to his country) every nation which is de-
sirous of enjoying the advantages of a liberal Govern-
meut and a repre,entative syst In should pcssess. Em-
ploy, then, I beg of you, all your efforts to make 3e,ur-
selves remarkable by these virtues and these civic
talents, which perhaps are what is the least expected
from you, but which will confer on you the greater