The Sun.
London, England, 1850-02-04 00:00:00

MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY

THE FRENCH REPUBLIC.

We have received the Paris journals of Saturday
and yesterday.
On Saturday the Ministers suffered a serious de-
feat in the Assembly. They proposed to make St.
Etienne the residence of the Prefect of the Loiret
instead of Montbrison on the ground that as Mont-
brison was a mere village and St. Etienne a large
manufacturing town, and the head quarters of Social-
ism, it was for the public good that the Prefect, the
official preserver of order, should reside at the latter
place. The Reds were, of course, opposed to the
measure, and on this occasion they were joined by
the parti-pretre and Legitimatiste, so that on a
division the Ministers were defeated by a majority
of 75, the numbers being, for the proposition; 260,
against it 335.
A. second division took place on a proposition of
M. DEVIOUS/MAU% Dr GIVRY, for reinstating the ma-
gistrates of the Court of Accountancy- General, dis-
missed by decree of the Provisional Government,
April 8, 1848. The proposition was carried by a
majority of 335 to 158, and the Chamber adjourned
at a quarter past six o'clock.
The Constitutionnel expresses an opinion that the
dispute between England and Greece, notwithstand-
ing its present formidable appearance, will be settled
ultimately without disturbing the peace of Europe.
The same journal states that there will be no
foreign intervention in the affairs of Switzerland, as
the Federal Government has taken measures for the
expulsion of the foreign refugees or for their con-
finement in the interior. General DUFOUR will be
authorised to carry out the decree of the Federal
Government in any of the refractory; cantons.
The Grand Council, of the canton of Vaud lately
approved by a majority of 140 the decision of the
Federal Government for the expulsion or confine-
ment of those refugees who were conspiring.
Count LADISLA.US Timm and M. PULSZKY have
addressed letters to the Journal des Dibats, contra-
dicting a statement in the journal le Napoleon, to the
effect that revolutionary committers had been estab-
lished in the principal cities of Europe, in corre-
spondence with a central committee in London
directed by Mazzrzir, LICDRU ROLLIN, STRUVB, and
PULFZILY.

It is said in Paris that the cause of the sud-
den steps adopted by the British Ambassador at
Athens, was the discovery of an intrigue to
place on ;the throne of France the Prince
DB LBUCHTENBERG, the cousin of the PRESI-
DENT, and the son-in-law of the CZAR. The
Prince would reign under the protection of Russia,
and the object of the mission of Count STROGONOw to
Paris is to carry out this intrigue. Such is the ac-
count of the Presse, which has always been hitherto
well informed on Russian affairs.
The Presse also has the following :
" Yesterday, at four o'clock in the morning, Paris was
threatened with a little emeute. Some agents of the
police wished to cut down the tree of liberty in the
Parois de Notre Dame; but a crowd of workmen opposed
it in such a way that the agents were for a moment com-
pelled to withdraw. The workmen took advantage of
their absence to fasten to the tree a brass plate, with this
inscription:—
" A Monseigneur Affre, Archeveque de Paris pour
son devouement l'humanite, en Juin, 1848.'
" They then retired, saying,. Now we do not fear, we
have no dread of that tree being cut down, it is under
the protection of the archbishop.' "
The Committee of the Budget yesterday decided
that, in the Bill presented by the Government rela-
tive to duties on legacies and dotations, the differences
which have hitherto existed in the duties between
real and personal property shall cease. The Govern.
ment had proposed to raise the duties on personal
property to two-thirds of those levied on real pro-
perty. The Committee has declared itself in favour
of an equality between the two kinds of inheritance.
The Opinion Publique has the following
According to information which we have re •
ceived, it is not a reunion, according to the
meaning generally attributed to Parliamen-
tary meetings, which has just been formed by
a portion of the majority of the National Assembly ;
it is a oersle, for which the honourable members have
hired the rooms formerly occupied at the Cafe de
Paris by a rival to the Jockey Club. Representatives
alone are admitted. There is no permanent presi-
dent or constituted bureau. The club will be open
every day for reading the journals, conversation, card
playing, &c. When it is wished to examine any
question on the order of the day, a special convocation
of all the members will take place, and one of them
will be called to preside. About 150 representatives
have already inscribed their names. It does not ap-
pear that the apartment which has been engaged, and
which only consists of two rooms on the ground
floor, can contain more than 200. The new club was
opened on Thursday evening for the first time."
The Constitutionnel gives an alarming account of
the state of Lyons. The Credit, in allusion to the
statement of the Constitutionnel, says—" We have
no reason for attaching credit to the alarming ru-
mours spread by the Constitutionnel; all our letter:,
on the contrary, concur in stating that labour has
resumed its activity at Lyons, that the rate of wages
has increased, and that the population is calm."
M. PISCATORY, at the request of the Minister fur
Foreign Affairs, postponed for a week the interpella-
tions of which he had given notice on the subject of
the recent events in Greece.

On Friday M. LAMARTINE took his seat in the
Assembly for the first time since his election. He
took his place near the Mountain. General CAYAIG•
NAC was among the first to greet him.
The fact of Generel CHAINGARNIER'S name appear-
ing in the list of those wbo voted against the Minis-
terial Bill for making St Etienne the chief town of
the department of the Loire, in place of Montbieson,
has excited some attention, and has given occasion for
a thousand rumours.

The Napoleon, speaking of the blockade of Athens
by Sir W. PARKER, sap—
" We are disposed to believe that the English Minis-
ter at Athens has exceeded his instructions, otherwise
we can scarcely understand that the Government of
Great Britain should not have informed the French Go-
vernment of such violent measures, particularly after
the imposing unison exhibited by the simultaneous ap-
pearance in the East of the French and English fleets."
The same journal has the following on the affairs
of Switzerland :

" A good deal has been said about a communication
alleged to have been made by the representatives of
Austria and Prussia to the French Gogernment with the
view of coming to an understanding on the right of
asylum granted to the refugees in Switzerland. This
communication has not, we have reason to believe, the
importance attributed to it. The limitrophic powers of
Switzerland are very naturally desirous of preventing
the refugees from availing themselves of their residence
near those powers to revolutionize their states, and they
unquQstionahly are right to take the necessary steps to
avoid the danger. But France is not disposed to forget,
in any case, the rights of her ancient ally and the friend-
ship which unites the two nations. Moreover, the Pre-
sident of tEe Republic cannot be expected to forget the
hospitality he found in Switzerland during so many,
years, and the protection he found tbere against the un-
just pretensions of the Government of Louis Phillippe."
It appears that the new Orleanist club which holds
its sittings in the Cafe de Paris has not been so suc-
cessful in recruiting members as the founders ex- ,
P• ected At its first meeting M. THIBRS, who; was
expected to take the chair, did not make his appear-
ance. The absence of Count MoLE, M. DARU, the
Duke DR MONTEBELLO, and the Count DE MoN-
TALEMBERT, was likewise noticed. The Duke DR
BROGLIE, MM. LEON FAUCHER and PISCATORY, at-
tended, and were supported by fifty faithful ad-
herents.

The Five per Cents. were done in the passage of
he Opera at 94f. 40c.

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT THE
LONDON STOCK-EXCHANGE, FEB. 2.
Anglo-Italian (late Italian and Austrian), l—Boulogne
and Amiens, 73A Rouen and Havre, 10—Sambre 'and
Mews, 2%.