The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-18 00:00:00

to introduce, and which would be regarded as start-
ling and unconstitutional innovations if brought for-
ward without the sanction of Parliament.

The Hon. and Learned Member for Plymouth
and the Solicitor-General completed the discomfiture
of the learned mover of the amendment, and, as we
have already stated, the Bill was read a second time
with the all but unanimous approbation of the House.
We congratulate the house and country on this
auspicious result, and on the improved spirit exhi-
bited by professional as well as by non-professional
Members in reference to a measure which must ma-
terially diminish the emoluments of legal practi-
tioners.

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of Satur day
and yesterday.
The Baron Gnus has been appointed by the PRE-
SIDENT of the Republic as Ambassador Extraordi-
nary and Minister Plenipotentiary to Greece. To
Baron GRos, who, it will be recollected, was French
Envoy to La Plata, will be confided the conduct of
the mediation between Greece and England.
The Journal des Debats, in announcing the ap-
pointment of Baron GROS, says :
" Notwithstanding the services rendered by M. Thou-
vencl, or rather because of these services, and of the un-
equivocal line of conduct pursued by him, the French
Government, it is said, did not think it right to confide
to him an arbitrating Fart requiring in the person called
on to fill it absolute independence and unaffected by an-
tecedent acts."
There was a rumour on Friday that a collision had
taken place in the Archipelago between a
British and a Russian ship of war, in which the lat-
ter got very roughly handled. The Constitutionnel
of Saturday states, however, that the Government
had received no account of any such collision, and
that the report probably had its rise in a paragraph of
a German journal stating that an English ship of war
having hoisted sail at the Piraeus, was followed by a
Russian corvette.
It is said that the Socialists have refused to
coalesce with the Constitutional Republicans in the
approaching elections. The candidates who are
spoken of at present on the Red side are MM. Emma
DE GIRARDIN, VIDAL, FORESTIER, GOUDCHAUX,
BIL-
LAULT, and MALARMET.
The PRESIDENT of the Republic honoured the
Theatre du Cirque National with his presence on
Thursday evening, and was received with great en-
thusiasm. The piece performed was Bonaparte, au
les Premieres Pages dune Grande Histeire. The
allusions to the Republic and to the name of BONA-
PARTE met with equal enthusiasm. The Minister of
the Interior and the Prefect of Police wore present at
the representation. At the conclusion of the piece,
the PRESIDENT testified the satisfaction he had felt in
the warmest terms to M. MEYER, the director, and to
the authors.
The first of the grand concerts in which Mdme.
SONTAG is to be the leading star is fixed for Tuesday
evening next. Notwithstanding that they have not
yet been publicly announced, every loge in the
Conservatoire has been long since taken ; the box
list presenting an array of names which recall the
palmiest days of Paris, comprising every name of
rank and distinction in the capital, commencing with
the PRESIDENT of the Republic. since the:arrival of
the Countess Rossi (Madame SONTAG) in town, her
hotel has been daily crowded with visitors, including
the highest of the resident and foreign nobility, and
all the most eminent in the arts, literature, and
science, all desirous to welcome back to the city of
her former triumphs the illustrious eantatrice, whose
rare gifts and estimable character have enabled her
to shine equally in the splendour of Courts, and as
the conspicuous ornament of the most beautifal of
the arts.
At the sitting of the Assembly on Saturday M.
PASCAL DUPRAT put the interpellations to the Mi-
nister of which he had given notice, on the subject of
the recent decrees re-organizing the command of the
troops stationed in the departments. In the course of
his speech he vehemently attacked the PRESIDENT of
the Republic, and his attack was received by the Le-
gitimatists with complacent silence. General
D'HAUTPOUL rose to reply, and in the course of his
speech he exclaimed, turning towards the Mountain,
" Begin as soon as you like, you will find
us ready." Hereupon there were loud calls upon the
President of the Assembly to call the Minister to
order for having addressed a direct provocation to
insurrection, and M. Durex was about to do so, when
General D'HAUTPOUL explained that he addressed
those words to those who, on the 15th May, 1848,
had invaded the Assembly ; who in June of the same
year had caused the streets of Paris to flow with
blood ; and to those who had declared the majority of
the Assembly outlaws. This was received with shouts
of applause by the Right, and ultimately the order of
the day was voted by 437 to 183.
The Napoleon cf yesterday has the following on
the subject of Switzerland
In spite of what the journals say, the independence
of Switzerland is not menaced, and France will cause it
to be respected, if necessary, provided that the Helvetic
Republic will itself respect the rights of nations, and the
obligations of good neighbourhood."
The Napoleon thus sums up the material progress
made by France since the election of the Pal-
SIDE NT :
" A year ago the finances of the State, which are in
fact nothing more than the fortune of the publice were
seriously compromised. There was a deficit of more
300,000,000 f. Now a balanced budget is presented, and
without a loan. A year ago cosninerce and industry
were everywhere at a stand. Now the manufactories
are in full activity. The Customs produce as much as
in years of prosperity. The real augmentation of the
indirect revenue is 77,000,000 as compared with 1848.
A year ago the city of Paris alone gave subsistence
to 100,000 indigent poor. That number is now reduced
to 10,000.
" A year ago the octroi of Paris had considerably
diminished, the operative classes withdrew their deposits
from the savings banks, and sent their clothes and fur-
niture to the pawn-office. Now the oetroi produces
6,000,000 more than the previous year. The deposits in
the savings' banks have increased by 27,886,000 f. ; and,
according to official returns, the umuunt of articles with-
drawn from the pawn-office is far superior to that of the
articles pledged.
" A year ago the public funds were at 66f. ; they are
now a. 96."
Ic also notices with pleasure the difference in the
style of the correspondence between the Emperor of
RUSSIA and the PRESIDENT, as contrasted with that
observed towards Lours PErurrE
This style adopted by tLe Emperor towards the
President cf the Republic is most friendly. At the
commencerceat of the letter is ' our great and good
friend, M. the President of the French Republic,' and at
the end the repetition of the words great: and good
friend,' and immediately before the signature ' your most
affectionate friend,' &c. And, moreover, the Emperor
has notified to the President, as to the Sovereigns, all
the eveeta that have taken place in his family."
The report of M. EMILE LEROUX, in the name of
the Committee charged to examine the Bill relating
to stamp duties on bills, promissory notes, transfer of
renter, &c , has been distributed. The Bill, as altered
by the Committee,is now divided under the five follow-
ing heads :-1. Commercial bills. The Committee on
this point admits the principle of the present legisla-
tion. Fines are to be maintained against the subscri-
ber, the acceptor, and first endorser. The holder of
a letter of change, not stamped, will have a right to
preceed, in case of acceptance, against the acceptor
and, the drawer ; and in case of non-acceptance,
against the drawer only. The holder of any other
kind of commercial paper will have a right to pro-
ceed only against the subscriber. The Com-
mittee and the Government are of opinion that
invoices and accounts of sales ought to be made
out on stamped paper, and the Committee pro-
poses that the 4jty shall be fixed at 25c., with a
penalty of 500 f. against all agents, brokers, &c.,
guilty of contravention. 2. Shares in companies
The Government Bill proposed a duty of 1 per cent
on this matter, but the Committee has reduced it

f per cent. fur shares in companies not to last longer
than ten years, and 1 per cent. when the duration ex-
ceeded that period. The Committee prefers the
nominal capital to the real, as rendering the collection
of the duty more easy. Nominative shares, when
transferred, are to be dispensed with duty, if the
number of the new coupon is the same as that on
which the duty has been already paid when the share
was at first delivered. 3. B,entes and state stock.
Toe Government Bill contains no provision relative to
these matters. The Committee proposes to levy a
duty of 5 per cent. on the nominal capital of all
transfers made relating to the public money.
4. Policies of assurance other than maritime assur-
ance. The new Bill, in particular, directs its atten-
tion to ensure the strict payment of the duties which
are now existing, with some new enactments of a
stringent character. All insurance companies are
bound to make, within a given period, not yet fixed,
a declaration of the nature of their operations, and
the names of the directors or head of the company, the
object being to thus render the surveillance of the State
less difficult. The Committee admits the principle of
compounding with the State, on the part of these
companies ; but in order to prevent fraud, Art. 38 of
the Bill stipulates that, in case of ceasing that mode
of proceeding, the company shall be liable to a
duty of 33c. for each policy in course of execu
tion. In order to favour the practice of compound•
ing, the Committee is of opinion to free from the
stamp-duty all companies which within three months
shall contract an engagement with the state for
-11150.
Maritime assurances. The Committee has separated
this species of assurance from the others, applying to
it special regulations. 5 General Provisions. Under
this head are included a number of miscellaneous
enactments, designed to ensure a more strict observ-
ance of the law. The Committee reminds all heads
of law courts that they have no right to give a deci-