The Sun.
London, England, 1844-01-16 00:00:00

FRANCE.
CHAMBER OF DEPUTIES: SITTING or JAN. 12.
The President took the chair at two o'clock.
The President read a letter from M. Teste, tender-
ing his resignation for the arrondissement of Apt
(Vaucluse).
The order of the day was the reading of the
Address.
The President, amidst the deepest silence, read as
follows :—" Sire—The union existing between the
great bodies of the State, and the loyal concurrence
which the Chamber has given to your Government,
have upheld and strengthened public tranquillity.
The ascendancy of the laws, aided by the intelligence
and good sense of the country, has everywhere proved
sufficient to maintain order at home. Commerce and
industry each day make a more rapid stride.—
(Marks of dissent on the Left.) Agriculture, which
has need of being encouraged in its progress and its
efforts, relies on the solicitude of the Government.—
(Renewed murmurs on the Left.) Information and
comfort, diffused more equally through all ranks of
society, are improving and elevating the condition of
the inhabitants. Such, Sire, is France, as she has
become under your reign, by the regular develop-
ment of the institutions which she has given herself;
and we behold, with a lively gratitude towards Provi-
dence, the prosperity which our country enjoys.
" We learn with the greatest satisfaction that the
effects of this general prosperity permit a balance to
be re-established between the expenditure and the
revenue in the financial bills which are to be pre-
sented to us. We shall endeavour, by wise economy
to consolidate this equilibrium so justly desired.
" We congratulate your Majesty on the pacific na-
ture of our relations with foreign Powers. The peace
of Europe gains strength by its very continuance—it
is founded on the general interests of civilisation and
the respect paid to existing treaties—to those treaties
of which we claim the protection for an unfortunate
nation, whom hope does not abandon, because she has
faith in the justice of the cause.—(General appro-
' bation.)
" In Spain, Queen Isabella 11., who is the object of
the affectionate solicitude of your Majesty, has just
been called, although so young, to exercise the Royal
power. In Greece, King Otho has drawn around
him the representatives of the nation. In those two
countries, may royalty and public liberty derive new
strength from their intimate alliance. 'We are de-
lighted
to learn that the sincere friendship which
unites your Majesty to the Queen of Great Britain,
and the accord of sentiments which exists between
your Government and hers, relative to the events in
Spain and Greece, confirm you, Sire, in the favour-
able hopes which are felt for the future prospects of
those two nations allied to France. _ _

" This good intelligence will, without doubt, con-
tribute to the success of the negotiations which,
while they guarantee the repression of an infamous
traffic, ought to tend to again place our commerce
under the exclusive surveillance of our own flag.
" Your Majesty announces that you have con-
cluded treaties of commerce with the King of Sar-
dinia, and the Republics of the Equator and of Vene-
zuela, and that you are engaged in negotiations with
other States in various parts of the world. We hope,
Sire, that those treaties and negotiations, whilst they
maintain to national labour the protection that its
state demands, will open a wider career to the intelli-
gent activity of the country.
" We shall examine with care the measures neces-
sary for the execution of railroads and various other
public works. We hail with eagerness the assurance
that the Bill which is to be presented to us on
secondary instruction will, by satisfying the wishes
of the Charter relative to liberty of instruction, main-
tain the authority and influence of the State over
public education.
"A young Princess, sister of the Emperor of Brazil
and of the Queen of Portugal, has taken a place in
the midst of your family, and we share in the satis-
faction felt by your Majesty in a marriage which
assures the happiness of one of your sons, and adds
to the consolations that God has reserved to you.

"We are pleased to hope, Sire, that our rule in
Algeria will soon be general and tranquil, and that,
thanks to our perseverance, we are near the attain-
ment of our object, and on the point of finding, in
the accomplishment of our work, and in the dimi-
nution of our sacrifices, the price of our efforts.
We unite with your ]Majesty in thanking, in the
name of the country, the chiefs, and the soldiers of
that brave army, who are never weary either of the
fatigues of war, or of the labours of peace. Among
the chiefs of that army, we are proud to number
one of your sons, whom we are accustomed to see
in every point where France has either danger to en-
counter, or glory to obtain.
" Yes, Sire, your family is truly national ; between
France and you the alliance is indissoluble. Your
oaths and ours have cemented that union. The rights
of your dynasty remain placed under the imperish-
able guarantee of the independence and loyalty of the
nation. The public feeling brands with reprobation
guilty manifestations.—(Numerous marks of appro-
bation.) Our Revolution of July, in punishing the
violation of sworn faith, has consecrated amongst us
the sanctity of an oath."—(Loud marks of assent.)
THE BUDGET.

The Minister of Finance, after having presented
Bills for the allocation of the extraordinary and sup-
plementary credits of 1843 and 1844, and of the
closed estimates, brought forward the budget for
1845. For some years past, he said, the Government
had been obliged to depart from the principles which,
in ordinary times, ought to direct the administration
of finances. The income of the State had been below
its expenditure. had they followed the example
of a neighbouring country, and permanently omit-
ted putting down the sum annually applied for
clearing off the public debt, and had there
been consecrated to that purpose only the eventual
excess of the receipts over the expenses, a balance
would hare been attained long since. But not only
did the constantly increasing elevation of the public
funds oblige the Government to i
suspend the action '
of a considerable share of the sinking fund, but the
into,
and due to engagements previously entered
and the enactments of the financial code, imposed it on
them as a duty, to reckon this expense amongst those
various expenses which ought to be disposed of with
the ordinary revenues of the country. Besides, the
unemployed funds had received a special allocation,
and the balance would not be a sincere one which
would leave them involved either in totality or in part.
It was not alone the pre-existing debt that was to be
included in the usual budgets, but the interest of
the sums expended in the groat public works were
to be successively added to it, whether they were
due to the sinking fund, or to the creditors of
the floating debt. From this there arose each year
a new expense, which rendered the final arrange-
ment and equilibrium more difficult. Yet the ambition
of the Government—as it was their duty—was to
bring this abnormal state of things to a close as speedily
as possible. If in 1844 they had resigned themselves
to still remain as they were, it was because they were
allowed to anticipate the period when a balance would
be attained. The Chamber was already aware that
the provisions of the Government had not been erro-
neous. They had been able to obtain for 1845 a ba-
lance in the receipts over the expenditure—and that
without in any way going out of the regular course
of things—without any increase of burdens to the
public, or any postponement of useful and necessary
expenses. The credits given, in the budget which he
was about to have the honour of laying before the
Chamber, were calculated with the same exactitude
as that for 1844; and certain departments, which ex-
perience had proved to be insufficiently provided for,
were to receive a necessary addition of funds. The
means by which this result of obtaining a surplus
had been effected, were simply the augmenta-
tion of indirect prochice—the resources arising from
the careful enforcement of the laws—and the savings
which a severe examination had produced in certain
departments of the public service. These means were
sufficient to provide for the augmentations which he
alluded to above, and to fill up the chasm of about 28
millions which were required to constitute an equili-
brium. Before entering on the details of the budget
for 1845, he should briefly enumerate the deffciencies
that had existed in the last few years. his prede-
cessor, in bringing forward his financial statement for
1843, had estimated the deficiences of the estimates
for 1840, 1841, and 1842, at 372,443,207 f. Last
year the deficiency of the four estimates, from 1840
to 1843 inclusively, were valued at 371,609,072 f.,
and at present they found that the whole deficiency for
the five years, from 1840 to 1844 inclusively, was only
360,616,239 f. The estimates of 1843 and 1844
being down for 94 millions in this result, there was
definitively an amelioration of 106 millions on the
other three estimates. As this situation was capable
of still further amelioration, it ought not to excite asto-
nishment if he declared, with still greater confidence
than last year, that after 1846 the reserves of the
sinking fund would be disposable for the great public
works. It was even possible that a part of the re-
serve of 1846 itself might be so employed. On
January 1, 1845, the reserves of the 4rears 1842,
1843, and 1844 would have been realised. They
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would amount to 209 974 974 f and the arrears of
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the constant anticipations of the excess. of each year's
estimates over the expenses, was Also to provide for
the excess of the expenses of thebgfeat public works
over the part of the loan already issued, and for the
expenses of the railroads described by the bill ofl
June 11, 1842. The year 1842 had not imposed any
charge in this respect, the expense of the public works
having amounted to only 74,705,111 f., leaving a ba-
lance of 294,889 f., from the 75 millions allowed out
of the 150 millions that had been realised of the
' loan. As the credit of 75 millions had been increased
by a special law by the sum of 14,800,000 f., the
portion of the unemployed credit which is to be added
to the estimatee for the year 1843 aruegated in the