The Sun.
London, England, 1857-10-23 00:00:00

NEWS.

THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.
The Paris correspondent of the Times (second
edition) says :
" The Divan of Moldavia has voted for the union
of the Principalities `under a foreign Prince of a ,
Western dynasty.' This resolution, which, accerd-
ing to the telegraphic despatch reoeived yesterday
from Vienna, wasadopted almost unanimously, re-
cognises the rights of the Porte as sanctioned by
treaties, demands a representative form of govern-
ment, and the neutrality of the State. The vote
of the Moldavian representatives thus bringsmatters
to something like a crisis. If there was an intention
on the part of Austria and Turkey to impose silence
on the !oldavians on this particular point, it has
been disregarded by them, and the English Govern-
ment would hardly join those Powers in so extreme ,
a measure. Indeed, the union of the Principalities
almost of necessity involved the sovereignty of a
foreign Prince ; M. Kissel, ff, the present Russian ,
Ambassador in Paris, wise long resided in the coun-
try, and who is regarded as an authority in all that
relates to it, more than once declared that without
it the union was impossible. The Divan appears
to be of the same opinion ; and the question now
is, who is the candidate for the Rouman Crown that
would give the least umbrage to the European
Powers, and still maint tin the slight tie which sub-
sists between the Priticip dities and the Porte ? I
seems to be admitted that no native Boyard could
succeed in establishing his authority over the
population, whatever his good qualities other-
wise might be, nor overcome the jealousies
of disappointed claimants, who would unwillingly
submit to the rule of one so lately their equal. A
German Prince would, if accepted by the Roirmans,
be the aetent of Austria or the pensioner of Russia ;
and the Western Governments could not allow this
Power to recover, indirectly or surreptitously,
what has so lately been wrenched from her grasp.
Something has been said pf a Prince of the Imperial
family of France, and the earnest support at first
`given by the French Foreign-office has been, rightly
or wrongly, wtributed to some desire of the kind.
The consequences that would result from the notnis
nation of a member of any powerful house are too
obvious to be insisted upon. The choice should fall
noon some prince who is neither personally nor
politically obnoxious to the Powers ; he should be
of a house from whose ambition there is nothing to
apprehend •, of little weight in the great political
questions of Europe ' • of policy enough to conciliate
foreign Powers, and to occasion no disquietude to
his suzerain ; of intelligence to keep the balance
steady between rival interests at home ; of courage
enough to defend his little domini us again-t ag-
gression ; of fair character ; of liberal principles
in government ; and posse.sing the prestige that
attaches to ancient and royal descent. Among
i those who have been already mentioned as pro-
bable candidates for the crown of the Roumans, the
name of one Prince is suggested by rumour who
I perhaps as the least objectionable of all. That
Prince is the Duke of Oporto, brother of the King
of Portugal. He will complete in a few days his
19th year, having been born on the 31st October,
1838. He is said by those who have access to the
Royal family of Portugal to possess much intelli-
gence ; and his education has been carefully at-
tended to. The Prince has not seen in his own coun-
try, since he attained the age of reason, other than
the forms of a Liheral Government, more or less
Conservative, but still Constitutional. The storms
which beset the Throne for a oonsiderable part of
his mother's reign, and which more than once
seriously shook it, having long subsided, and it
tells much for the popularity of the Braganza
iyna,sty that the regency of the King Consort ended,
and a new reign was inaugurated with apparently
the acquiescence of the Miguelite party, and with-
out any attempt on the part of the Revolutionists.
The constitutional monarchy, established more
than 30 years ago by the Emperor Dom Pedro, has
passed through a precarious existence amid political
convulsions, and Donna Maria da Gloria herself had
often to bead to the tempest. In 1847 her crown
was saved only by the intervention of some of the
great Powers, and the last revolution Her Majesty
experienced was only 2 years before her premature
death. Since then Portugal has been tranquil ; she
is tired of revolution, but her lassitude has not
found repose in despotic rule. After many a trial
and many a danger, she has not sought security
under a Dictator ; she now enjoys the benefits of
constitutional government. An inteligeu 6 and
popular Prince of the House of Braganza would
not, I think, be an ineligible candidate forthe Rou-
man Crown, and, whatever the Lu•itaniau glories
and power may have been in times gone by, it ,
is hardly necessary to say that to no power in
Eu, op is Portugal obnoxious, either on that or any
1 other scere. There is, to be sure, one objection ;
the Duke Oporto
,is a Catholic, and the Moldo-
Wallet:h profess the Greek faith. But King
Leopold is not of the religion of the vast mat irity
°fists suejects; and a stronger case in point is that of
King 0 the, in Greece. I cannot say whether over-
tures have been male on the subject to the Porte,
or to any other Power interested in the question,
but the Portuguese Prince's name has occurred
to several persons as one of the best, if not the
very be-t, solution that could be presented. The
Prince is the son of a Coburg, and, though of the
Oath ,lic branch of the family, would not, perhap.,
be objected to by the English Go verminat. If the
union of the Principalities takes place the zu,iject
is worthy of consideration.
Since the foregoing was written a second telegra-
phic message announces that the Wallachian Divan
has voted asimilar resolution to that of its co-Divan
of Moldavia. The French Government is said to
feel some embarrassment ou the occasion. It has
lately become more moderate on the Union ques ion,
and suggested to its Commissioner, M. de Talley-
rand, to abate something of his enthusiasm in the
cause of Rouman nationality ; so, at least, we are
now told,"

FRANCE.
PARIS, THURSDAY.
The Spectateur contains the tollowin; ob ervz-
tions en tne difficult position in which the bankers
and money-brokers in Fiance are placed by the
el,vat.on of the Bank discount rate to 1 per eeqt.
above the IPgal int :rest which they are allowed to
charge to their cu•itoiners

" inis new increase of the rate discount to 71 per
cent, is the seoond application which the Bank of Franc'
bas made of the power granted volt on the re.,,,ew,1 ins
privilege of freeing itself, when it should think fit, from
the law which fixes at 6 per cent. the highest legal inte-
reit on money, and declares usurious any interest above
that maximum. Commerce remains subjected to this
law, which no longer ex,sts for the Bank. In thi-i situa-
tion there is something singular, and it ha.. already been
brought under the notice of the Government. In fact,
when bankers, who for the most part are only agents
between the public and the Batik or its branch, t., can
only procure money for their operati,ms at YA per cent:,
it cannot be expected that they will give it to the public
at 6 per cent."

A telegraphic despatch dated Colmar this morn-
ing says : " The correctional Tribunal has con-
demned M. Migeon to one mouth's imp, isoument
for illegally wearing the Legion of Honour, and
has declared itself incompetent to decide on the
charge of fraud in electoral matters."

TiTo Moniteur contains a decree promoting Gen.
Camou to the rank of grand cross of the Legion of
Honour, and Generals de Sovelioges, de Failly,
Cler, and Barou Marion, and Colouela Des tint,
Polhes, de Waubert, de Geniis, Dubos, Moutaudon,
and dd Grimaudet de Rechebouet, to that of com-
mander. Oilier decrees promote 43 officers of
different ranks to be &hem in the same order,
nominate 444 officers, non-commissioned officers,
and privates to be knights, and confer 36 military
medals.

A letter from Smyrna, in the Moniteur de la
Elate, says :--
" A. French subject has been carried off and held to
ransom by some brigands of Scala-Nova and Samos. It
is thougnt that thesJ men have taken refuge ill the latter
island, and are now concealed there The commander of
the French steamer Solon has been applied to by the
Consul, and is about to start for Samos, and the Turkish
authorities of Smyrna have also sent an Ottoman steamer
with a detachment of police to line the shore, and thus
prevent the brigands from e-captog by sea."
BOURSE, Oct. 22.—The following were the last
quotations :
Cash. fr. End of Month.
per Cents -
3 per Cents 66 75 66 79
Bank Shares 2860 Credit Foncier -
Credit Mebilier 767 50 Homan —
Do. Account 770 Austrian -:8
Belgian 44 99 Spanish Threes -
fiedmentese (5) 9ol— Home Debt
1 AILWAYS—FOR CASII.
. tr. C. f - e.
Orleans ............... 1315 ---Western
Northern ............ 6674- - Strasburg -
Lyons and Med ...... 8276 New Ditto
New Ditto... ....... 803 Grand Central
Geneva ...............625 Sardinian
'Midi
.................. 545 Austrian Cum. ... 666/ -