The Sun.
London, England, 1850-04-06 00:00:00

time, brought forward at the risk of individuals ; but
we do assert that the enactments of Parliament, and
the indifference 6f Ministers, do their best to impede
such endeavours, and to debar the privileges of know-
ledge from the poor. It is a narrow-sighted policy. The
revenue produced by these taxes on " the raw mate-
rial of knowledge" is intrinsically insignificant,
but, like all restrictions, though trifling in themselves,
they are powerful in their effects—and those effects
are, without reservation, of a most pernicious charac-
ter. The people of this country most especially pride
themselves on their peculiar enjoyment of the liberty
of the press, yet much of this privilege is practically
counterbalanced by the influence of these onerous
taxes. No censor stands by the printing-press, it is
true, but the revenue officers watch the paper-mill,
and not a sheet can come forth to do its work of mercy,
and be the messenger of glad tidings, until it has
first submitted to an impost so heavy as (by the
showing of Mr. KNIGHT) to render it either too ex-
pensive to enter the dwellings of the - million, or too
unremunerative to be able to maintain its existence
(the "Penny Cyclopw ha" paid 16.500/. of excise
duty !). Again, with respect to the advertisermmt
duty, let us ask where is the practical difference be-
tween a censorship which forbids the publication of
certain statements, or a tax which prevents such a
publication P The right of the matter, the expedi-
ency of the matter at issue, is too evident to require
exemplification. Before Mr. MILNER GinsON'B
motion is brought forward let the various conatitu-
ences declare their sentiments. Now, as in all
similar cases, the people have only to proclaim their
unanimous will, and that will must become the law.
Now, as in all similar cases, one injunction only is
necessary—Petition! Petition ! Petition!

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

IVUlaresvweeived the_Paris papers of yesterday.
' The preelige. attending the name of CHANGARNIER
is fast disappearing; the Republicans, taking advantage
of the iejudicious and exaggerated praise which has
been lavished on him' by his friends, have fairly
turned the laugh against him ; and in France the man
who is laughed at is ruined.
The Constitutionnel, in its account of what it calls
"the manifestation" of Monday, on the return of the
PRESIDENT from Vincennes, says that General CHAN.
GARNIER, who preceded the PRESIDENT by some mi-
nutes, " restrained the ill-intentioned by the calm
and force of his intrepid glances ;" whereupon the
Republique pithily observes :—" e ask for nothing
better than to believe this, but if the General per-
ceived a hostile attitude in the by-standers, as the
Constitutionnel says, we think that he ought to have
waited for the PRESIDENT, in order to protect him by
his intrepid glances;"
and then proceeds in the fol-
lowing strain :
"It will not depend on the Constitutionnel that General
Changarnier should not succumb under the ridicule of
such praises. We require to call to mind that General
Changarnier was in Africa tolerably vigorous with the
sabre, not to laugh at the laurels which the terrified
muse of the reaction has for a year heaped on him.
On the 13th of June General Changarnier made a
charge with a strong body of troops on a procession
of disarmed men, and, lo! a sword of honour was at
once decreed to him in memory of that memorable vic-
tory! Last Monday he sent some soldiers to a crowd,
also; without arms, where, according to the recital of
the Constitutionnel itself, there was more than
serious design ; and, behold, the Constitutionnel m.Lkos
him out an Ajax terrifying the enemy's forces by his.in-
trepid glances ! Who says too much, says nothing.
For our part, we shall wait to class General Changar-
nier he shall have
Austrians and the Rus-
sians.s'we testify to him mere
esteem than the frightened cockneys, who persist in
nier
obtained
Inamongst
souse
doing
the
which,
victoryg ree to
w ygeeertnhtehirneekl
attributing to him as victories, the combat without com-
batants °co/June 13, or his intrepid glances at the ginger-
bread fair."
It is said that in consequence of the impossibility
of inducing the Bonapartists, the Orleanists, and the
Legitimatists to unite in support of M. FBRDINAND
Fox at the approaching election, and of inducing any
but Legitimatists to support General D'AREOUVILLE,
the Legitimatist candidate, the Union Electurale
have determined to propose either M. MARIE, who
was a member of the Provisional Government, or M.
SENARD, who was General CAYAIGNAC'S Minister of
the Interior. Such a determination must be
considered as an avowal on the part of the
Union Electorale that they have discovered that
every attempt to restore Monarchy in France
must be henceforth considered as impracticable ; it
will do more to consolidate the RepubliC than any
event that has ..happened since February, 1843.
MM. MARIE and SENARD are, and ever have been,
Conscientious Republicans, and the Union Electorale
will in this case have come to
Union Electorale.

The Ministers have received a check by the rejec-
tion by the Committee of the Assembly of the Minis-
terial proposal for an alteration in the law relating to
the appointment of Mayors,
re-
jected by a majority of 10 to 4. The debate on the
Transportation Bill was continued in the Assembly
on Thursday, and again The proposition was
adjourned. A ballot took
place for the Vice-Presidents and Secretaries for the
and at the close of the sitting
the months,
the following as the
e
results : _
irngitzs three
PRESIDENT
mr on
at

• Number of voters, 564.—Absolute majority, 282.
General
1798 ;edeau, 353; M. Daru, 313; M. Vati-
meanil, M. Leon Faucher, 195; M. Benoit
,
d'Azy, 188 •
M. Jules de Lasteyrie, 176 ; M. de Mal-
ville, 138 ; M. Mathieu (de la Drome), 152 ; M. E.
Arago, 159.
General BEDEAu and M. DARU having alone ob-
tained the requisite majority were declared elected.
The ballot
,
awthvezuei:N, Secretaries gave the ma-
and HECKEREIN, who
ma-
jority to MM.
_imam) (de " T.
Cit
A
were declared elected.
We find the following in the Moniteur:---,, Several
journals have announced the reduction of the French
Bn for n
squadron on the station of the Antilles, adding, that
the command was to be confided to a Capitaine de
Vaisseau, and, that the two Governments of Mar-
tinique and Guadaloupe would be on this occasion
rendered independent. The vessels recalled from
that station will be immediately replaced ; and there
is no idea entertained of making any change in the
command of the naval force on that station, or of re-
voking the measure which placed the two above-
named islands under the orders of Governor-General
BRUAT."
•M. Acnvuz FOULD, the Minister of Finance,
brought forward his budget on Thursday. Accord-
ing to his calculations he will have a surplus of
8,000,000 f., but all his predecessors have for years
past so regularly prophesied a surplus, which has as
regularly proved to be a deficiency, that we cannot
place much reliance on his prophesy.
PARIS BOURSE, APRIL S.—Latest prices.—Five
per ,Cents, 89f, 50e. ; Three per Cents., 55f. 55c. ;
Bank Actions, 2,185 f.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, APRIL 5.
and Vierzon);l2l/9.--East Indian, sX—Northera of France,
Boulogne yid Amiens,
12;4—Sambre and Arouse, 24.
61—Central of France (Orleans