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

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LATE-)f 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, accord-
ing to the telegraphic despatch received 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 S., ate. The vs:l,e
of the Moldavian representatives thus bringsmatters
to something like a crisis. If there was an intention
oa the part of Austria and Turkey to impose silence
on the Sioldavians 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, who long resided in the coun-
try, and who is regarde 1 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 te Rouman Crown that
would give the least umbrage to the European
Powers, and still maintain the slight tie which sub-
sists between the Principalities and the Porte ? It
seems to be admitted that no native Boyard could
succeed in establishing his authority over the
population, whatever his good qualLies other-
wise might be, nor overcome the jealousies
of disappointed claimant=, who would unwillingly
submit to the rule of one so lately their equal. A
German Prince would, if accepted, by the Roumans,
be the agent 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 of 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, attributed to some desire of the kind.
The consequences that would result from the notni-
nation of a member of arty powerful house are too
obvious to be insisted upon. The choice should fall
upon some prince who is neither personally nor
politically, obnoxious to the Powers ; be should be
of a h: use 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 livial interests at home ; of courage
enough to defend his little domini ,us against ag-
gression ; of fair character ; of liberal principles
in government ; and possessing the prestige that
attaches to ancient and royal descent. Among
those who have been already mentioned as pro-
bable candidates for the crown of the Roumitus, the
name of one Prince is suggested by rumour who
perhaps as the least objectionable of all. That
Prince is the Duke of Oporto, brother of the King
of Portugal. He will ceuiplete in a few days his
19th year, having been bern 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
dynasty that the regency of the King Consort ended,
and a new reign was inaugurated with apparently
the acquiesceece 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 bend 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. Au intelligent and
popular Prince of the House of Braganza would
not, I think, be an ineligible candidate forthe Rou-
man Crown, and, whatever the Lusitanian glories
and power may have- been in times gone by, it
is hardly necessary to say that to no power in
Eut ope is Portugal obnoxiou 4, either on that or any
other score. There is, to be sure, one objection ;
tlie Duke of Oporto is a Catholic, and the Moldo-
Wallachians profess the Greek faith. But King
Leopold is not of the religion of the vast thaj a.ity
of his subjects; and a stronger case in point is that of
King Otho, in Greece. I cannot say whether over-
tures have been made 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 best, solution that could be presented. The
Prince is the sun of a Coburg, and, though of the
Catholic branch of the family, would not, perhaps,
be objected to by the English Government. If the
union of the Principalities takes place the subject
is worthy of consideration.

Since the foregoing was written a second telegra-
phic message aline unce that the Wallachian Divan
has voted a similar resolution to that of its co-Divan
of Moldavia. The French Government is said t
feel some embarrassment on the occasion. It has
lately become more moderate on the Union quesT ion,
and suggested to its Commissioner, M. de Talley-
rand, to abate something of his enthusiasm in the
cause of Rounisn nationality ; so, at lest, we are
now told."

PRANCE.
PARIS, THURSDAY.
The Spectateur contains the following observa-
tions on the difficult position in which the hankers
and money-brokers in France are placed by the
elevation of the Bank discount rate to l per cent.
above the 1-gal interest which they are allowed to
charge to their customers :

"This new increa,o, of the rate of discount to 71 per
cent. is the second application which the Bank of Fra c 3
has made of the power granted to it on the renewal of its
privilege of freeing itself, when it should think fit, from
the law which fixes at 6 per cent, the highest legal inte-
rest on money, and declares u,urious any interest above
that maximum. Commerce remains subjected to this
law, which no longer ex sts for the Bank. In this situa-
tion there is something singular, and it ham already been
brought under the notice of the GovernmeQt• In fact,
when hanker 3, who for the most part are only agents
betvecen the public and the Bank or its branches, can
only procure money for their operations at 71 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. Mige:m to one month's imprisonment
for illegaiiy wearing the Legion of Honour, and
has declared itself incompetent to decide on the
charge of fraud in electoral matters."

The Moniteur contains a decree promoting Gen.
Camou to the rank of grand crass of the Legion of
Honour, and Generals de S3velinges, de _Failly,
Cler, and Baron Marion, and Colonels Desaint,
Ponies, de Waubert, de Genlis, Dabos, Montaudon,
and do Grimaudet do Rechebouet, to that of com-
mander. 0 her decreei promote 43 officers of
different ranks to lie officers in the same order,
nominate 444 officers, non-commissioned officers,
and privates to be knights, and confer 38 military
tneda,!s.

A litter from Smyrna, iu the Moniteur de la
li'lotte, says :
" A French sulject has been carried off and held to
ransom by some brigands of Scala-Nova and Samos. It
is thought that thus ) won have taken refuge in the latter
and are now c ncealed there. Tue commander of
the French steamer Solo❑ has been applied to by the
Consul, and is about to start for Samos, and the Turkish
authorities of Smyrna have also sent au Ottoman steamer
with a detachment of police to line the shore, and thus
prevent the brigands from e.capiug by sea."
BOURSE, Oct. 22.--The following were the last
quotations :

Cash. fr.
por Cents .. OO 75
3 per Cents 66 76

Eud of Monta.
-fr. --
fit; 70

Bauk Shares 9360

Credit Foneiei.

Credit Mobilier 767 50 Rowan

Do. Account 770 --

is

Austrian

delwian 14 9J Sp:tuitth Threes
Fiedmoutese (5) 904 Home Debt

RAILWAY S-V 011 CABI3
f r;.rr. C.
irteans ... ......... ... 1315 -- Weston'
Northern - Strasburg,
;,yons and f1ed...... 827 A— Now Ditto
:\low Ditto... .••• .. 803 Grand Central
Geneva
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