The Sun.
London, England, 1845-04-11 00:00:00

In the French Chamber of Pceri, on MOnday, the

Count DE MONTALESIBERT made an admirable speech in
reply to the arguments of Baron CHARLES DUPIN, and
the Prince DE MosROWA, on the emancipation of the
slaves in the Freneh colonies. The former, we believe,
is the paid agent of the planters, and the latter fights
for slavery without an object. These two Peers had
opposed emancipation, because it would be dangerous to
French interests, and the English scheme Ned proved a
complete failure. Count DE MONTALEMBERT said the
accounts given of the ill condition of the English
colonies had been much exaggerated. The moral success
of the abolition of slavery had, he said, been complete";
not less than 800,000 slaves had passed from slavery to
complete liberty, without disorder, or the effusion of
blood. That was an immense result, such as had never
been exhibited in any of the revolutions that had taken
place in Europe. The excellent conduct of the eman-
cipated slaves the Noble Peer attributed to the admir-
able exertions and zeal of the Protestant missionaries.
He was not of the same religion, he said, as those
worthy men; they were even proclaimed to be heretics
by the religion which he professed, but he did not the
less think it just to acknowledge the immense services
which they had rendered to civilisation. The Noble
Peer then proceeded to examine the state of religion
in the French colonies, and declared that, after a
most minute and conscientious examination, he was
obliged to admit that none whatever existed
there—that religious instruction was a complete
fiction. He attributed this state of things partly to the
want of energy on the part of the. Catholic clergy, and
partly to the hostility of the slave-owners to the intro-
duction of all moral instruction, which they feared
might serve as a progress towards emancipation. The
Noble Peer instituted at some length a comparison be-
tween the disposition and character of the slave popula-
tion in the English and French colonies, and concluded
that the Former had decidedly the advantage. He then
proceeded to consider the case of a war between Eng-
land and France. He said that the colonies of the latter
would either fall at occe into the power of England, or
would resist. In the former case, the first thing that the
victors would do would be to proclaim emancipation. In
the latter, if resistance was offered by the colonies, how
could the Government hope to effect anything with the
slaves ready to fly into rebellion, and the enemy ready
to attack. There was, he maintained, no possibility of
defence, unless the slaves were emancipated. From all
these considerations the Noble Peer came to the con-
clusion that it would be the interest of France, not only
to abolish slavery in her colonies, but to do so at once.
Two other Peers followed, and urged the necessity
of coming to a decision on the important question, both
for the good of the owners and the slaves themselves.
The discussion was adjourned. In the Deputies M.
CREMIEUX brought forward a motion for granting the
electoral franchise to persons belonging to the liberal
professions, which was rejected by a majority of 28—
there being 151 for the motion, and 179 against it.
The Paris papers contain additional details respecting
the affairs of Switzerland. The Journal des Deboft
says—" Our adi ices from Zurich are anything but
favourable to the maintenance of peace in the con-
federacy. The elections that have just taken place for
the re-corapo itinn of the Executive Council have given
the majority to the Radical party. It appears certain
that M. Moussoet, President of the Vorort, has re-
signed. The Radicals are, therefore, absolute masters
of the authority which, as being the Vorort, is, for two
years to come, to direct the affairs of Switzerland." The
following is the official account of the battle before
Lucerne, published by the Executive Government of
that canton:—
" Dear and faithful Confederates—As we anticipated in the
letter which we addressed on March 28, to the Federal Direc-
tory, the enemies of legal order of every kind in our common
country have dared to raise afresh the standard of insurrec-
tion and anarchy. On the evening of March 30, armed bands,
arriving from different parts of Switzerland, who had as-
sembled under the eyes of the Grand Council of Argau, for
the purpose of making a hostile incursion into our canton,
passed the frontier in great numbers, and occupied several
communes. They'got into movement in the early part of the
morning of the 31st, turned the positions where troops were
assembled, and attempted to obtain possession of the town of
Lucerne by a sudden attack. Although they experienced
heavy loss near the bridge of the Emme, where they could
not force a passage, they succeeded in passing the river near
Littau, where our troops were obliged to retire before their
superior force; and it was in this way that the column of the
insurgents which fought in that direction was able
to penetrate into a faubourg of Lucerne, and, by occu-
pying the road to Bale, to impede considerably the
communications between our troops. The attack on
the bridge of the Emme not having succeeded, the
greater part of the insurgents' artillery remained placed near
this point. The bands, which had forced the passage near
I.ittau, remained all the night of March 31 at their place in.
the Bale faubourg. On the morning of April 1 the contin-
gents of Uri and Zug having entered the town, the insur-
gents were attacked on different sides, repulsed beyond Lit-
tau, and dispersed. The rest of these hassles, on the night of
March 31, passed the Emme, near Malhers, with the greater
part of their artillery ; but in this commune some companies
of regular troops and the landsturm gave them so warm a
reception that, after a combat of several hours, their flight
became general. A bridge was occupied, and all the artillery
which was to pass that road was taken. A detachment of
cavalry succeeded in escaping. The park of artillery which
was seized is composed of 2 the ve-pounder howitzers of
A rgau, 2 ditto of Bale (country), 1 four-pounder gun of
Berne, ditto of Argau, 1 cannon of a bore and origin not
possible to be indicated, 2 caisson of shells of Bale
(country), 1 ditto of Argau, 2 ditto for six-pounders, and
1 waggon of Congreve rockets. In addition a great quan-
tity of arms. several colours, and a number of troop and artil-
lerymthbeayt
horses fell into our power. Some hundreds of prisoners
were taken, and several hundred others .of these buccaneers
,piraitchl
eforrotuhte.ir cpruimrseuelitohnthaelilr lsiifdecesitbhyerthdeurilanngdstthuerinco,
tied unceasingly during the whole day of April 1 towards the
frontiers of the canton. It is 'thus that visibly proteeted by
Divine Providence, and assisted by our faithful confederates,
we gained a decisive victory over the enemies of all legal
order, whom other members of the confederation have
seconded with perjury and treason, and who had thus at-
tempted a second time to spread over our canton all the
horrors of civil war and anarchy. In informing you of this
victorious struggle, dear and faithful confederates, it is use-
lessean
manner torepeat the assurance which we have already given in
our letter of March 27, and according to which we think we
dispose ofesrudffie
re sufficient
.ttrroeonpcisotaolity maintain
in cur i n
cantonthe m;o mosth
t com-
pletetet
the
o confineds teasokfAw rhgtiaceuh i
o is
r restore i
Bmi
tploel e
gsce
cda,
ioonn thertdrye r) federal
hte
the
le ralcaanutothnozit y o
governments
where,a
rugehatesvto
i-
dbtheently either influenced by the anarchists, or by the accom-
plices and abettors of their culpable proceedings."
According to the latest accounts, the number of killed

does not exceed 300, and the:prisoners 1,730. Dr. STEIGER
and Colonel ROCIIPLETZ have been arraigned before a
eourt- martial at Lucerne, and their fate is expected to he
promptly decided. The Government of Berne has pub-
lished a proclamation, announcing that it has made appli-
cations to the Vorort in favour of the pri,oners, and
ex%orta the citizens of the canton to abstain from all
hostile intentions.

THE BOURSE—TtrEaDAy. APRIL 8.
First Hi.h.st' Lowest

Last

Price. Price. Price Price
Fr..tch Five per Cents. •• 117 50 • • 117 50 1i730 .. 117 50
Hates •• • • ...... 107 50... 107 50 .. 10.7 50 .. 107 50
Three per Cents • 85 95 .• 85 95 .. 85 90 •• 85 90
Gouln Bank I,ooof Shares ..1100 •1111 ..1100 ..1110
Be gian Fives, • 840.. • • 1034 103 .. 103
1842.. •• • ... 105% •• 105% .. 105% .. 105%
Threes •• • ".... 76 15 • • 75 70 .. '76 75 .. 76 75
Dutch Two and-a-Ha1f..... 64% • • 64% .. 64% . 64%
Spanish Active ... •• • ..... 4 • • 46% .. 4,% 4C%
Passive •••-• • • .• 7% • • 7% .. .. .7%
Portuguese Five per Cents.. 66 • • 66 .. 64;
Homan :... • 106 .. 106 .. 106