The Sun.
London, England, 1844-11-01 00:00:00

SUMMARY OF NE'' =S

AN I)
tOntatt Optaton.

" Who runs may read."

POIZEIGN.

The Independent of Montpellier states, that in the late
storm at Cette twenty persons lost their lives, six
vessels were sunk, and an immense number of others
received great damage, and 200 houses were more or
less injured. A subscription has been opened at Cette
for the relief of the most needy sufferers.
The Abbe Cros, of Cette, at the moment of the late
storm in that town, was looking from the tower of his
church at the weather. He saw a black cloud, which he
at first thought proceeded from a steam-boat, but, per-
ceiving vessels dashed together, and the roofs o' houses
torn off, he hastened to descend. He had not reached
half. way down, when the dome fell behind him, and
burst in the roof of the church.

The Minister of Commerce, on being informed of the
calamity that has occurred at Cette, immediately placed
at the disposal of the Prefect, a sum of 20,000 f. for the
most urgent wants of the sufferers.
Lord Brougham arrived at the Hotel Meur:ce, PariF,
•n Sunday evening.
The Flotte, a naval journal, states from Breit t
several officers of that port who have been morn tin n
twenty years in the service have written to the Minister
of Marine, desiring to be placed on the retired list, and
that others who have not served long enough to b 3 en-
tided to this have requested to be placed on half-pay.
This is said to have arisen from dissatisfaction at being
passed over in the late promotion.
MM. Arago, Cousin, Gay-Lussac, Victor Hugo, Li-
martine, De Tocqueville, and Horace Vernet, have been
made knights of the order of the Polar Star, at a Chapter
held at Stockholm in the beginning of the month, and a
hich the King presided. M. de Humboldt has been
made a commander of the order.

The execution of Pont, who was condemned for poi-
soning his wife and murdering his mistress, took pace
on Monday at Versailles, on the Place St. Antoine.
The Courrier du Gard gives a rather alarming ac-
count of the effect of the late rains upon the Rhone and
the smaller streams in the country. The Rhone had
risen to within three feet of its greatest height during
the inundations of 1843, and should the rain continue
similar disasters were to be apprehended. The river has
not yet overflowed its banks, and the road from Lyons to
Nimes was still open. The Saone had risen also very
considerably, but there was every hope that it would not
reach the height necessary for it to do any serious
damage. The engineers were taking every precautionary
measure. The passages of the steam-boats had not been
interrupted.
A letter from Frankfort of the 22d mentions a report
that the Emperor of Russia is about to recognise the in-
dependence of Belgium, and to establish diplomatic re-
lations with that country.
A monument is about to be erected to the memory of
William the Conqueror at Falaise, the place of his birth.
The Normans have been a long time in thinking of it,
about 800 years.
The Clamor Publico, a Madrid journal, affirms that an
order had been dispatched frotn the War-office, that
Messrs. Zurbano and Lernery should be immediately
shot, wherever they • might be found, as soon as their
identity should be establishad.
A St. Petersburgh letter, of the 28th ult., says :
" Steam navigation is becoming yearly more and more
ex tended in this empire. The first steam-boat was built
in 1816 in the yard of Ischora, and is of 32-horse power.
The Baltic has seventeen steamers, of from 32 to 540
horse power. Among these are six war ships. The
fleet in the Black Sea has thirteen steamers, and five for
the service of the ports. In the Caspian there are four.
Steam navigation also is carried on in the Neva, the
Wolschow, the Dune, the Dnieper, the Kama, and the
Lake of Peipus. It also exists on the great Siberian
Lake of Baikal, and has greatly increased the internal
commerce of Siberia.