The Sun. — 1847-08-27 (London, England)

BUSINESS DONE IN FOREIGN RAILWAYS AT' THE LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE, AUGUST 26. Northern of France, 10%-Paris and Lyons, 3%- Paris and Strasbourg, 314-Sambre and Meuse, 83/4.  gerous to the safety of the vessel, or calling for such exemplary punishment. The prisoner had maintained an excellent character during the entire time of his service, a period of more than eight years and a half, and was regarded by the officers under whom he served as an exceedingly well-conducted man, there having been but one trivial complaint preferred against him during five years and seven months. Unfortunately, on the morning of the 27th April, he was reported by one of the naval cadets for some trifling offence, and, being much excited and irritated thereat, had become intoxicated, whether from obtaining additional liquor, or from the quantity allowed having taken an unusual effect in consequence of his great excitement, it did not appear. When in that state of inebriation, and speaking warmly on the subject, the cadet who bad lodged the complaint came in his way, and called out to him to make less noise, on which the unfortunate man, who was infuriated almost to madness, struck him a blow on the mouth ; he was immediately taken into custody, and has been kept in irons until the present time, a period of four months.  We are well aware of the grave character of the offence, and of the absolute necessity for putting down, by the most stringent remedies, any act of insubordination, or resistance to superior officers in the execution of their duty ; but there are many phases or shades of the crime, and scarcely any that would warrant a capital punishment. It should be seen whether the accused party was associated with others, or was wholly isolated in the transaction— whether a tendency to mutiny existed in the ship—or whether the crew were contented and tranquil. Above all, it should be ascertained whether the act arose from any temporary ebullition of passion, or whether it had been premeditated and brooded over. But the article made no difference or distinction ; it dealt with every variation of the act in the same sanguinary and bloodthirsty spirit—a resistance to a superior authority under any circumstances whatever could only be adequately expiated by the death of the offender. No matter how deeply his feelings had been hurt, his passions aroused, or himself goaded to madness, by the taunts and insults of some beardless tyrant, the slightest outbreak subjected him to a painful and ignominious death. It is well known how many opportunities exist of oppressing sailors. A system of tyranny can be carried on for months under which the best-conducted man will be driven to desperation without being enabled to obtain protection in any quarter. He is not merely subject to the will and pleasure of one despot, who may order him to be flogged without trial, or even hearing him in his defence, nay, with scarcely the necessity of assigning a reason for the degrading and odious infliction ; but he has many masters, any one of whom can render his life miserable. There are so many meshes within which he may be entangled, that no man can possibly escape if a superior should conceive an animosity against him. The greatest attention to his duties, the most zealous discharge of everything required at his hands, would be insufficient for his protection. What wonder then, that we repeatedly hear of desertions from a service where such things are tolerated, and where even the remuneration is not proportioned to the toil, or at all equivalent to that which the same individual can obtain in the mercantile marine. No wonder that seamen cannot be procured to man our fleet without a considerable delay, and, perhaps, the operations of the press-gang. We are well convinced that our naval supremacy would not be in any manner endangered by the substitution of a more humane code for that now in force for the government of our seamen. Nay, we are convinced that the efficiency of our navy would be increased, and its discipline as adequately preserved, if our gallant seamen were no longer treated as slaves, who could only be coerced by brute force. At no period could the experiment be more properly made than at present, when, happily, we are at peace with all the world, and when no rumoured wars disturb our tranquillity. The changes might be gradual, and such as that no risk could be incurred by their adoption for a limited period. We will hope that the next session may not be suffered to elapse without putting the matter in train of settlement, that the claims, the services, and the condition of our gallant defenders may be fully considered, and that every beneficial alteration compatible with the efficiency of the service and the maintenance and preservation of discipline may be effected.  In consequence of the military preparations of the Sonderbund, the authorities of the canton of Ticino have called out their military contingent, and it is supposed that the other cantons who support the legitimate authority of the Federal Government will follow this example. The case of the canton of Ticino is a precedent which settles the question of the right of interference on the part of the Federal Government in continental matters. In 1815 the canton of Ticino refused to submit to the orders of the Federal Government, and the cantons composing the now rebellious Sonderbund were the first to insist on the enforcement of those orders, and on the supremacy of federal over all cantonal government.  Madrid journals of the 20th have arrived. The Herald() states that PACHECO, who continues still in office, has demanded an audience of the KING, to " submit to him the considerations of public interest which exact the immediate reconciliation of the royal pair." The Correo states that the reconciliation ought not to be despaired of. It is said that the bank of San Fernando has agreed to advance one-fourth of the loan of 100,000,000 reels. MADRID were done al3° t 25} for ueac. 20.--The .t—heTcheouTpohnrse,e apterlsC;enthtse. Five per Cents., at 17/ fo Interest, at 5/. r paper; and the Debt without  We have received the Padriiesdpa. oninTthe papers of at five o'clock Wednesday. aufeeo. zud paaryr ius. laolfntpearornft afternoon, particulars the The Duke DE PRASLIN Luxembourg, from the effects, it is said, of arsbe.e. another circumstances of his deathn in Jars of the circumstances will. column. The " the least, very suspicious. It is strange that, to kept s" Under the immediate surveillance of the cleverest police in the world, the Duke DE PRASLIN should have managed to elude their vigilance, and thus escape from justice. It is equally strange that M. OnriLA and all the other physicians should have mistaken the symptoms of poisoning by arsenic for those of poisoning by laudanum ; unless, indeed, we adopt the hypothesis, that having made an unsuccessful attempt at suicide by swallowing laudanum, he, after his transfer to the prison of the Luxembourg,  (