The Sun.
London, England, 1844-08-17 00:00:00

The following remarks appear in another Opposition
paper, the Courrier Francais:—
" What are we to think of the termination of a career
so illustrious and so eventful ? Mehemet Ali finishes,
like Charles V. It has been given him to astonish the
world to the latest day of his existence. A soldier of
fortune, he became Pacha of Egypt and Syria, and,
twice conqueror of the Sultan, his master, he in 1840
reached the highest pinnacle of his glory. Arbiter of
the fate of the Ottoman Empire, he then divided Europe,
and held it in suspense. The world was about to be-
come embroiled for or against him; the whole diplomacy
of Europe was occupied with his affairs ; and, after
having carried his intrepidity to the utmost extent of
his strength, he bent before the decree of fate, preserving
to his family the hereditary government of a country,
in which, but forty years before, he had landed as a
simple adventurer. Is it from an impulse of paternal
foresight that he thus abdicates ? Is it only to
secure, during his lifetime, to his heir the peaceable
transmission of his authority, and to assist him,
before closing his eyes, in the establishment of his
dynasty, which internal rivalries, complicated by foreign
intrigues, might probably disturb after his death ? Has
he only wished to disconcert the projects already founded
on his hesitance ? We think not. For the last four
years Mehemet Ali has bitterly felt disgust at his re-
stricted position, and regret at his forced want of power.
With a soul panting after movement and activity. he can
no longer do anything—his career is closed ; Egypt is
to him only a prison, on all points of which he is nar-
rowly- watched. Men of his character consider them-
selves as fallen when they can mount no higher ; and as
he despairs of being able to add to his grandeur, and
does not feel inclined to engage in a mad struggle, he
retires from the world. Whither does he retire ? From
being a Pacha he becomes a Marabout ! He goes to
Mecca—to that city which gave birth to Mahomet is
retired to end his days, the most illustrious of the living
children of the Prophet—the last grand Pacha of the
Mussulman world, to whom it was given to wield with
eclat for the last time the shining sabre of Islamism."
Several other journals assume a warlike attitude,
and call upon the Government to increase the navy,
and, above all, the steam navy. The Quotidienne, a
Carlist journal, while professing to show that the
curious article in the National, published yesterday, is
not quite correct as to the,comparative strength of the
English and French navies, at the same time shows
as pugnacious a spirit as its Republican Contem;
porary. One remark will make the naval officers and
the gallant tars of England smile at the vanity of the
writer, who ought to know, from experience, that the
reverse is the fact. " Our officers," he says, "less
numerous than the English, are generally more able
men, and better instructed in naval tactics, and ou r
gunners are superior to those of our neighbours.
Still, somehow or other, his courage fails, and he
asserts that as France can no longer reckon on the
aid of other naval Powers, it would be unwise to
enter on a maritime struggle. The following extract
from the article contains some details of interest to
an English reader :
" Certainly, if France were in a regular normal state,
we should fully agree with our Contemporary, but unfor-
tunately such is not the case. We have, it is said, 24
sail of the line and 80,000 seamen, whilst the English
have only 90 ships of war and 150,000 seamen ; their
armament and their manning are carried on more slowly
than ours, and, after all, the first events of a war would
be in our favour. Such is the argument, in reference to
which we say that, in the first place, the English have
120 sail of the line, and not 90 ; and their number of
seamen 200,000, and not 150,000 ; but the question does
not relate so much to the amount of their effective forces,
for those forces would not be immediately available at
the moment of a war, but to this fact that, because
the English have a stronger navy than ours, their
commerce has also a greater confidence in their naval
power ; and if there were an appearance of war the
English mercantile marine would continue its opera-
tions, whilst ours, less assured, would suspend theirs.
The consequence of this would be, that our merchant-
men at sea at the time would be alone exposed
to the risk of capture, but no others would leave our
ports; whilst the English shipowners would continue to
cover the seas, and use every effort to escape the incon-
venience of a naval impressment. This state of things
would, necessarily tend to bring the naval forces of the
two countries more on a level; almost the whole of the
seamen of France would necessarily become available to
man our navy; whilst the English fleet could only have
a part of her 200,000 men at command. Our light-
armed vessels would also have great chances of success,
and the commerce of England would suffer immense loss,
almost without any compensation. Our officers, less nu-
merous than the ',English, are generally more able men,
and better instructed in naval tactics, and our gunners
are superior to those of our neighbours. If our ship-
builders do not pay sufficient attention to the counsels of
experience, particularly in the construction of steamers,
it may be said that our vessels are generally sound and
well found; the English fleet is no longer better ma-
naged than ours, perhaps not so well; for, on both sides
of the Channel, the principal officers have been renewed
within the last forty years, and ours have made real pro.
gress during the peace. Military reasons may thus per-
mit the possibility of a struggle, but political reasons,
which prevail over all others, do not permit it to be
thought of."
The Presse, on the other hand, sings in a higher
strain, and manfully contends that France, even in
steam warfare, is fully a match for England. It thus

boasts :
" Whai' is necessary to constitute an imposing steam
navy ? Money, iron, coal. France is the richest coun-
try in the world in these articles. Its credit is solid, its
minerals are abundant and excellent.; it has, besides, able
and capable engineers, practised workmen and mechanics,
and, in short, everything neces-
nsspaaritzdtnoi.d
bring
the treasures bestowed by
manufactories,Nothing i
nto
ioperation
ea nti
owanting but energy and
perse-
verance to give us a steam navy able to sustain with
honour comparison with, and, in case of necessity, a
contest with. that of England. According to a state-
ment which has been recently published, England has in
steamers 15,000 horse power. France would have more
than 18,000 horse power if she were seriously to put in
force the law of 1842 with respect to our effective
marine. On the other hand, in augmenting our navy,
we have little fear of going beyond our means of man-
ning it, for everybody knows how few sailors it requires
to man steamers. Our maratime population would then
be sufficient, for all events."
THE BOURSE—WEDNEsDax, AUGUST 14.

--
First Highest Lowest Last
Price. Price. Price. Price.
French Five perC3nts 121 40 .. 121 45 .. 121 30 121 40
Four per Cents.
Three per Cents Bl 55
.. 81 60
..
81
55
..
81
60
Bank of France••••• •• ••.••3085 ..3085 .•3075 ..3075
665 .. 665 .. 665 .. 665
1047 .. 105 .. 1041 .. 105
1842 •••••••• IN .. 108 ..108 .. 108
BelgianL a
Belgian f I Itt e B
F a niv 5,000 f. Sharesso6o —5060 ..5060 ••5060
Bank ,
--
40
Spanish Threes
I 8 * •••••
327 .. 327 321 .. 327
Neapolitan ..... ••••• •• • •• 98 75 .. 98 75 .. 98 75 .. 98 75
Roman •• •• • 101 .. 1041 .. 104 .. 1041
RAILWAY SHARES.
At. Germain ..... ••••••• •• 885 .. 885 .. 885 .. 885
Versailles, R.B. •-•••• • • • • • • 375 .. 375 .. 375 .. 375
L•B•• •• •• •• •• •• 235 .. 235 233 75 .. 233 75
Orleans •• •• "•'• '• '• "•• •• 967 50 .. 970 .. 967 50 .. 970
Strasburg to 8a1e..., 237 50 •• 238 75 .. 236 25 .. 238 75
Avignon to Marseilles...." 760 .. 760 • 760 .. 760
RAILWAY SHARES FOR THE ACCOUNT, 15in OF AUGUST.
St. Germain
Versailles, L. 8.•. ••• 235 .. 235 •• 233 75 .. 233 75
Rouen •• ••
Rouen to Havre.. ........
Orleans ••• •• •• •• ..... • •••• 970 .. 971 25 •• 968 75 .. 968 75
strasburg to Bale•• ••

HER MAJESTY'S AUTUMN EXCURSION.—Orders
royal have been given for the immediate equipment of the
steam yacht Victoria and Albert. She has accordingly
been masted, kc., and received on board her fuel. Her
captain, Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, had arrived from
Cowes (where he has taken temporary lodging), for the
purpose of hastening her outfit ; and the yacht will in a
few days make a trial cruise, having been furnished with
new engines and boilers. Rumour states the sth of Sep-
tember as the contemplated period of her Majesty's em-
barkation for summer cruising. The iron steamer Dwarf,
Lieutenant Chamberlain, from her mat' size and light
draught of water, is selected as a tender to the yacht, to
convey her Majesty up narrow rivers, or where the Vic-
toria couldnot,by possibility reach. Brighton Gazette.
NEW INSOLVENT ACT.—We have received a copy
'of the following Circular, which Lord Brougham has
sent to the governors of all the prisons for debtors
" ißhreosu
tgoh
informam,
14 t
theh gaoler August,
1 of
and, through him, the debtors, that his last Circular ap-
plied to cases which require the interposition of the
Court of Bankruptcy. But persons confined for debts
not exceeding 201., exclusive of costs, may apply at once,
by petition or motion, to the Court by whose process
they are confined, and that Court will immediately order
their release. Persons whose debts are of a greater
amount, must petition the Bankruptcy Court in the man-
ner formerly directed."
BELGIUM.—It is interesting to observe, in the
Belgian papers, the announcements of cheap travelling
to England, as if a trip to London were as usual a
summer occupation with our continental neighbours as
it used to be with our country neighbours at this season.
We are informed that in Cologne, Aix, Herbesthal,
Ostend, Antwerp, and Brussels, passengers may be
booked through to London, at one fare, by single
tickets. From Cologne to London you may be booked
for 31. 10s. first class, and 21.,75. second class. To Aix-
la-Chapelle the price is the same. There is also this
additional advantage to travellers on this route, that if
you wish to stop on the way, you may do so as often as
you please; the ticket given you lasts a month, a certain
portion being cut off at each principal stopping place.
Booked through from Cologne to London, how English.
—Railway Chronicle.
pretty M
correct
t'f
sokuent
cs
h. —0 Tf
thehe following
intended
t ou willr3 throughbe fuon d a
the
next
provinces by various singers and instrumentalists :
Grisi, Favanti, Mario, and F. Lablache, will take the
mwiildilapnrodcacenddi‘n,cosrttvih,earrdsnc,ounties, and they will also visit
Dublin. Persiani, Orsini, Salvi, Puzzi, and Fornasari,
attakCinheglßteanthha,m&e., in
vtheirek. route;s
they give two concerts
i-
vori, Miss Lucombe, Miss S. Flower, Mrs. C. Harper,
and Lavenu, are traversing Kent and Sussex, and they
will pay a visit to the eastern counties. De Meyer,
with the Misses Williams and Mr. Hayward will take
Manchester and that neighbourhood. Mr. John Parry
is engaged to sing at the Theatres Royal Bristol and
Liverpool, also at several of the principal towns of South
Wales ; he will join the Persiant party at Bath, on the
28th instant. Mr. Wilson goes east, west, north, and
south, and finds a welcome everywhere; he was so hoarse
at the, Burns Festival that he could not sing a note. Mr.
H. Phillips starts this day, we believe, for America,
with a view of giving his vocal entertainments, which
cannot fail of pleasing Brother Jonathan.—Dramatic
and Musical Review.