The Sun.
London, England, 1818-01-22 00:00:00

AWLS AND SCIENCES, &c.

On the Modern Improvement . in the Formation of
Turnpike Roads.

Copy of a letter from an Eaglish Baronet, a
Member of Parliament, now travelling in Italy, to
his friend in Bristol :

" FLORENCE, 28TH Nov. 1817.
" DEAR SIR,—As my admiration has recently

been excited by the contemplation of some of the
most stupendous works of Napoleon on the passes
of the Alps and Apennines, I should feel myself
deficient in gratitude to- your efforts, if I were not
to attest, that the principle you have adopted is
that also which gives solidity and permanence to
the Semplon, and every other road constructed un-
der Napoleon's direction. If we could have re-
tained his powers and directed them -in this line,
we must have admitted that '' his ways were the
ways of pleasantness," though " his paths were
not the paths of peace." I observed that the ma-
terials
were all broken to nearly your scale,
upon an average of about six ounces, and
that, at • moderate distances, small heaps of
broken materials were Aisposetl for occasional re-
sort. In the MilaOese I observed, that where the
materials were-taken froth beds of rivers, or -rather
from the torrents, being wholly pebbles, they also
were carefully broken, and being MiXt'd with the
gravel of the country becaMe an admirtible com-
pact line of road. Napoleon began the immense
Work of the Semplon ahout the year
,1801, and
•it was completed in tour years ; it has been truly
said that it rivals the most stupendous works of the•
Romans, and thourli it be made to pass over some
of the loftiest parts of the Alps, in no part does
the inclination of the road exceed 21 French inches
in a French toise ; this is a fair trotting road, with a
'light carriage, even with a pair of horses,: On the
sides of
_the road verging on the precipices, at
distances of about 16 feet apart, small pillars of
single stones, shaped as obelisks, chiCfly, are let
into the edges of the roads; their height_about 2-1-
feet, by one foot square ; sometimes. the road is
bounded by parapet walls ; in sowe parts these
stones extend to a yard 'in height, and rails run
from one to another. In many places galleries
are cut through the rocks, high enough for our-
loaded waggons, and broad enough for is o of
them, fOr several hundred feet in length, bridges
also of stupendous height, and of the best work.

manship ; the roads on an average 25 French feet
wide (which are 13 of our inches each); butl must
repeat, that the whole detail of roadr-making is
upon your principle throughout the only princi;
ple .that can ensure durability. I was much struck
to see the men and boys sitting down and break-
ing the stones as we see round our own roads un-
der your direction ; and as I am so much indebted
to the troop. of 'workmen which yon spared- to
give effect to my ownslabotirs, I think I am bou❑d
,to make you this acknowledgment, though from
this distant region. I was particularly struck to
view the practical application so well substan-
tiated on the gravel froth the beds of torrents in
Lombardy, as our Middlesex road-makers may
there take a lesson to their •own edifiesti(m, and
the infinite comfort of his Majesiy's liege sub-
jects, who have been expiating their sins in some
measure, by the drudgery of travelling over
the execrable roads in many parts of the 'vi-
cinity of our own Metropolis. I -shall ex-
pect upon my return to see you have made g ood
progress on the. Surrey side of. %Vestminser Bridge,
which may tempt the Hyde Park' Trust to follow
the example: As my friend Lord• is this day
Setting off for England, I have requested him to
forward• to you these few lines of Souvenier, 'on
his arrival. lam proceeding to Rome and Naples,
but in a few months I shall return, not less per.-
snaded that our,own islands are.the best suited'to •
the moral and physic.of. a Briton. Here we have
no medium—all great or little—hot or cold.—
magnificence or poverty,—The Iste Angtilus'
is invisible.','

The French Papers contain a report from the
Chairman (Rappurleur) of the Committee re.
specting the recruiting of the army, which some
of our Journalists call a Conscription.—Call it
what you please, other nations have lately adopt.
edit ; and the saute mode has recently been in-
teoiluccd by sonic of the Northern Powers. Beside ;
in G4oinany, every male is., from his birth, a sot-
'.dier—they are all enrolled : those.io :Prussia are
called Landskinder (Children of the Land) ; and
what Was :lie Land Sterns and Land Ifehr Da. a
. Conscription "Ah !" say s.ome, " it was the
Conscription of BUoNAPARTS that carssed _so
much misrldef in Europe !—lt was the Conscrip-
tion that occasioned blood to flow in tie streets
of Madrid,—and set' fire to Moscolw." Those wdri)
reason thus should recollect, that if-the Li pions
of the Legitimates had not assisted the Conscrip-
tion of BUONAPARTE be never would have gone
to Spain, or to Moscow. •And here let one ask,
is it not proper that Fiance, when the .Allies
withdraw Iron] that country, should have an
army to protect herself agi_inst foreign ,r do-
mestic foes'? Suppose she were then withion an
army, and the Governments that now surround the
French territory were to attack, berg and despoil'
her of some of her best provintes, or perhaps di-
vide France, 'or encourage civil war, would tliis
rend to the interests of this country I know the
enemies of the House of Bourbon wish both the
.
One and the other ; they wish to prevent Francs
having an army.
And if any one asks me who the enemies of the
BOURBONS are, I will, answer them, they ate the
Jacobins, or the BUONAPA RTISTS, and the Ultras;
the former, who cannot slim themselves openly,
act in hostility under the garb of Ultra Royalism.
The Ultra- Royalists themselves would coalesce
with the very devil to get their property restored;
and, .1 can assure my Readers, that I have heard
from the most respectable authority, that the
Mira-Royalists are intriguing in every. Way to
procure the division of France. The Jacobins
(not those who have acquired- property by the
Revolution) are also desirous of this, as they do
not much like their new.friends, the ptrus, were
they to come into Office. i%JonslEuu will do well,

to dismiss those intriguers frou► about his per-
son. 'He must surely be acquainted with their
conduct. If they cannot. get their ends from

him, they would behave towards him as they do
now towards the KING, and they would think no
more of sending the KING and i‘lorlstsuato the
scaffold than lI.OERSPIERRII did when he sent
Louts XVI. there. But why alarMed at the con-
deict of the French Ministry; in'how`proposing a
law • for recruiting the army? If they were so
badly inclined towards'the IVitiksoNs and the
Al ins, as the.ilicobins and the.U/tos would have
one believe, they would not have proposed such
a law till the allied troops were actually with.
drawn:.

'fbis•very conduct of the French Ministers is a
proof of their sincerity and good faith. Every
rational man. in• England app►oves -of it.' Even
the pubiic writers view their. proceedings-in the
same light. .1 !Allude to our. principal Jo►►rnals,
via.:—The Morning Post, -Times, Merning Chre-

nicie, anil.Courier : The Sun is not exactly of the
Same Opinion. As to the opinions of writers in
outer. Papers; to notice their absurdities would
only be " to chronicle small beer."
The French 'Paps ES give an account of the ilia
of a young Dutchman of the name 01 SCHEFFEit,
a resident of Paris, for libelling the French Go-
vernment. 'The result is not yet known. H Was
on this- occasion tt►at the ATTORNKY-GFNEBAL

said, " Let foreigners come here, and enjoy the,
pleasures of Paris ; but let them lint interfere.
with our political concerns." This is a good lesson
to some of o►ir busy meddling politicians, who run
to Paris:andi abuse the King of FRANCE and, his

Ministers, and then they ct;inplain of the want of
Liberty in France ! ! I

OLD BAILEY.

Yesterday, Wm; Grace, a boy, aged 17, stood
indicted capitally for a burglary in the dwelling.
house of %Vm. Hodges, and stealing therein a
watch, his property, on the night of the 2d Ja.
unary. Guilty—Death—but recommended to

ercy, on account of his former good character.

Charles Sims stood indicted capitally for break-
ing and entering tt►e dwelling-house nt Thomas
Mayple, with intent to, steal bis goods and chat-