The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-28 00:00:00

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC

We have received the Paris journals of yesterday.
The Assembly on Tuesday voted the second read-
ing of the Bill for regulating education, by a majority
of 436 to 205.
It will be remembered that on Sunday, the anni-
versary of the revolution, several persons adorned
with crowns of immortelles the column of the Place
Bastile, beneath which the patriots who fell in defence
of liberty in July, 1830, and in Feb., 1848, are buried.
These crowns were removed in the night by certain
officious agents of the police, and several of them were
destroyed. In the morning of Monday M. CHARLES LA -
GRANGES, accompanied by those who had deposited
those crowns, waited on the authorities and demanded
the restoration of the crowns, which they claimed as
their property. The mayor and the commissary of
police of the quarter did not seek to justify the act
of spoliation, not to say of sacrilege, which had been
committed; but, clothed in their official robes, they
accompanied M. CHARLES LAGRANGE and his friends
to the column, and restored the crowns of immortelles
to their places. A collection was made amongst the
crowd, and subscribed to by the inhabitants of the
neighbouring houses, for the purchase of fresh crowns
of immortelles and of laurels, and the railing
was decorated with these emblems and with ribbons.
In the evening a large crowd was assembled around
the column, but the utmost order prevailed, the people
continually observing to each other, "No impru-
dence; what we now want is tranquillity to ensure
the success of our elections."
In the Assembly, on Tuesday, M. FERDINAND
BARROT, the Minister of the Interior, was questioned
on the subject, and he declared that the removal of
the crowns had taken place without authority, and
that the police agent who had perpetrated the out-
rage should be dismissed.
The Moniteur of yesterday publishes the following
communications on this subject from the Minister of
the Interior :
" This morning the chaplets which had been deposited
at the foot of the column of July, on the Place de la
Bastille, had disappeared; they were taken away during
the night without any order. The Prefect of Police,
when informed of the fact, immediately gave direction
that they should be replaced, and a commissary of po-
lice, in his insignia of office, presided over the opera-
Con. An inquiry is ordered to ascertain the author of
this unjustifiable act, and severe justice will be exercised
on him.

" A peace-officer, during last night, removed the
chaplets which had been deposited on the 24th if Fe-
bruary round the column of July. The Prefect of Po-
lice, after demanding instructions from the Minister of
the Interior, immediately dismissed this agent, who so
far forgot his duty and acted contrary to his instructions.
The chaplets were replaced during the day by the care of
the authorities."

Grievous complaints are made of the unconstitu-
tional conduct of certain of the prefects of depart-
ments in interfering with the elections, and the
conduct of the Prefect of the Loire et Cher in pre-
venting the addresses of candidates from being posted
up, was brought ,under the consideration of the
Assembly by M. SALVAT. The Assembly, however,
refused to entertain the question, and passed to the
order of the day by 414 to 203. After this decision,
we trust we shall hear no more complaints of the
commissaries of M. LEDRU ROLLIN, or of the circu-
lars of M. CARNOT ; the present proceedings of the
reactionary party furnish an ample ex post facto
justification of the conduct of both these gentlemen.
The following semi-official announcement has been
communicated to several of the journals :
" The Minister of Finance having been requested to
attend the committee on the budget fur regulating the
estimates of the receipts for 1850, he did so yesterday,
and declared that he has no intention of proposing any
new tax for these estimates, and could provide fur the
public service without having recourse to a loan. He
added that he would be able to arrive at an equilibrium
of receipts and expenditure without applying for any
new credit. The committee on the budget, wishing to
preserve the principle of the uniform postage on letters,
at the same time that it studied the interest of the Trea-
sury, has, in accordance with the Minister of Finance,
modified the original Bill. It has confined itself to add-
ing 5 centimes to the present charge, making it 25c. in-
stead of 20c."
The Patric has the following relative to the va-
rious rumours which were in circulation during the
course of Monday :
" A thousand rumours have been current since yes-
terday. This is the ordinary manoeuvre of the partisans
of disorder at the approach of the elections. According
to some we are on the point of a military occupation of
the Swiss frontier to defend the territory and protect
the Helvetic Republic against foreign aggression. War
battalions had, it was said, received orders to march.
We think that we can take upon ourselves to state that
all these rumours are destitute of foundation. The re-,
pert that M. Dupin has given in his resignation as Pre-
sident of the National Assembly is untrue. M. Dupin
is indisposed with a hoarseness, caused by the fatigue of
the sittings of last week, but it is hoped that in a few
days be will be able to resume his difficult functions,
which he performs with so much courage and talent."
The reactionary journals have agreed to give their
support to those of the three re -actionary candidates who
shall obtain the majority on the preliminary scrutiny.
111. FERDINAND For is the candidate of the Orleanists.
M. ARIGHI DE PADOIJE has published an address to
the electors, in which he declares his complete adhe-
sion to the policy of the PRESIDENT of the Republic.
Several rumours, says the Constitutionnel, were
yesterday in circulation. In addition to that relative
to the mobilisation of a corps d'armde, it was pre-
tended that M. FOUL]) had manifested an intention to
resign--a report which, it is unnecssary to say, rests
on no foundation whatever. It was also said that the
National Discount Bank had some idea of entering into
a loan of 20 millions to the civil list, and that, if it
did so, it would issue obligations of I,ooof. for the
amount at 5 per cent., and reimbursable at I,loof.
in ten years, by lot. If this assertion prove exact,
it is probable that the first subscribers will be the
creditors themselves of the civil list, and that they
will exchange their vouchers for the obligations thus
created.

The report of the committee appointed to examine
the proposition of M. ST. PRIEST, on the subject of
usury, has just been distributed. The committee is
of opinion that the present laws on the subject are
capable of improvement, and it has, accordingly,
drawn up a new Bill, in forty-four articles, founded
on M. ST. PRIEST'S views. It declares. that every
loan at interest, above the rate fixed by law, consti-
tutes the offence of usury, and that the persons so
offending may be prosecuted by the law-officers of
the Republic. The lenders can be condemned to re-
store the sums improperly taken, and may incur the
penalty of fines with imprisonment, of from six days
to eight months, as the case may be.!
The Memorial de Rouen says :—" A strict search
has been made in this place as well as at Havre and the
neighbourhood, in consequence of the discovery of a
Legitimatist conspiracy, the centre of which is said to
be Amiens. Several arrests have been made, but the
parties are men without any influence ; poor devils
who have been led into a stupid intrigue.'
, The insurgents of June detained at Lorient, in
consequence of the late revolt at Belle Isle, have been
removed from the prison at the former place, and
taken to Vannes, where they will be tried at the ap-
proaching assizes.
General CDANGARNIER on Monday reviewed the
Ist and 2d Cuirassiers, the 2d and 4th Dragoons, the
sth Lancers, and the squadron of Guides, in all 20
squadrons of cavalry, and 62d, 3,1, and 21st regi-
ments of the line, with a battery of artillery, in the
Bois de Boulogne. A great concourse of people had
assembled. The PRESIDENT of the Republic, accom-
panied by an aide-de-camp, who was taking a ride on
horseback, arrived during the filing off, and stopped
to witness it.
PARIS BOURSE, FEB. 27.—Latest Prices—Five per
Cents., 95f. 20c.; Three per Cents., 57f. 40c. ; Bank
of France, 2,200 f.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE

LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, FEB. 27.
Dutch Rhenish, 13/4—East Indian, WA—Luxembourg, %
-Namur and Liege, 6%—Northers of France, 13%—0r..
elms and Bordeaux 27—lioneu and Havre, 9%.