The Sun. — 1844-11-01 (London, England)

POIZEIGN.  The Independent of Montpellier states, that in the late storm at Cette twenty persons lost their lives, six vessels were sunk, and an immense number of others received great damage, and 200 houses were more or less injured. A subscription has been opened at Cette for the relief of the most needy sufferers. The Abbe Cros, of Cette, at the moment of the late storm in that town, was looking from the tower of his church at the weather. He saw a black cloud, which he at first thought proceeded from a steam-boat, but, perceiving vessels dashed together, and the roofs o' houses torn off, he hastened to descend. He had not reached half. way down, when the dome fell behind him, and burst in the roof of the church.  The Minister of Commerce, on being informed of the calamity that has occurred at Cette, immediately placed at the disposal of the Prefect, a sum of 20,000 f. for the most urgent wants of the sufferers. Lord Brougham arrived at the Hotel Meur:ce, PariF, •n Sunday evening. The Flotte, a naval journal, states from Breit t several officers of that port who have been morn tin n twenty years in the service have written to the Minister of Marine, desiring to be placed on the retired list, and that others who have not served long enough to b 3 entided to this have requested to be placed on half-pay. This is said to have arisen from dissatisfaction at being passed over in the late promotion. MM. Arago, Cousin, Gay-Lussac, Victor Hugo, Limartine, De Tocqueville, and Horace Vernet, have been made knights of the order of the Polar Star, at a Chapter held at Stockholm in the beginning of the month, and a hich the King presided. M. de Humboldt has been made a commander of the order.  The execution of Pont, who was condemned for poisoning his wife and murdering his mistress, took pace on Monday at Versailles, on the Place St. Antoine. The Courrier du Gard gives a rather alarming account of the effect of the late rains upon the Rhone and the smaller streams in the country. The Rhone had risen to within three feet of its greatest height during the inundations of 1843, and should the rain continue similar disasters were to be apprehended. The river has not yet overflowed its banks, and the road from Lyons to Nimes was still open. The Saone had risen also very considerably, but there was every hope that it would not reach the height necessary for it to do any serious damage. The engineers were taking every precautionary measure. The passages of the steam-boats had not been interrupted. A letter from Frankfort of the 22d mentions a report that the Emperor of Russia is about to recognise the independence of Belgium, and to establish diplomatic relations with that country. A monument is about to be erected to the memory of William the Conqueror at Falaise, the place of his birth. The Normans have been a long time in thinking of it, about 800 years. The Clamor Publico, a Madrid journal, affirms that an order had been dispatched frotn the War-office, that Messrs. Zurbano and Lernery should be immediately shot, wherever they • might be found, as soon as their identity should be establishad. A St. Petersburgh letter, of the 28th ult., says : " Steam navigation is becoming yearly more and more ex tended in this empire. The first steam-boat was built in 1816 in the yard of Ischora, and is of 32-horse power. The Baltic has seventeen steamers, of from 32 to 540 horse power. Among these are six war ships. The fleet in the Black Sea has thirteen steamers, and five for the service of the ports. In the Caspian there are four. Steam navigation also is carried on in the Neva, the Wolschow, the Dune, the Dnieper, the Kama, and the Lake of Peipus. It also exists on the great Siberian Lake of Baikal, and has greatly increased the internal commerce of Siberia.