"rum—The French journals display considerable feeling with regard to the
debate on the cessiou of Sardinia. On Monday the Paine appeared with an article discussing the annexation as a " oon- tingency," and doubting whether the reports of Lord John Russell having expressed distrust of French assurances could be correct. Next day this article was followed by another, arguing that the pos- session of Sardinia by France would not injure English interests, and averring that the affair would not be more dangerous than that of Nice and Savoy. In the same paper appeared the following offi- cial communiqué: "The Paine, in its number of this day (July 22), discusses, in giving it again a serious character, the hypothesis, already several times contradicted, of a cession of Sardinia to France. These asser- tions of the Paine merit in themselves no contradiction. Never- theless, as it appears to be desired to make the Park, pass for a semi-official organ, it is important that the public should be informed that this journal, which repeatedly returns to the contingency of this cession, expresses opinions completely personal to the editor and on his own responsibility, and that be has not received, nor does he receive, any communication from the Government." The other journals, however, continued the discussion, and on Wednesday the following curious menace appeared in the Prase: "One may always transform into a great cause' the most paltry event, the most secondary interest. For our part we have no taste for violent conquests, or forced annexations. Sardinia has but very slight importance in our eyes. We have for our country more ele- vated views, and a wider ambition. We have the certain conviction that Francs has a right to a territorial augmentation far more im- portant." The allusion must be to the frontier of the Rhine in its fullest sense, or possibly to French Switzerland. M. Grandguillot also says that the speech offends the "just susceptibilities of France." The object, it is said, is to keep up the discussion until the public mind is accustomed to speculate on a final settlement.
The subscription to the Treasury Bonds issued to raise funds for the railways has passed off most successfully, the applications having been for 4,000,693 bonds while only 300,000 were to be allotted. The number of subscribers amounts to 189,627. The allotments to applicants who applied for one bond, or one and a fraction will absorb half the number, and the remainder will be assigned proportionately to subscriptions. The Financial Secretary of course quotes the sub- scription as an imposing manifesto of the financial power of the country, and a fresh proof of the confidence inspired by Government. It is said, however, that the subscribers almost all speculated for the rise, and do not intend to hold. The ex-Queen of France recently sent an order to Sevres for some porcelain plates to complete a set. The Director was, however, obliged to reply that he had received orders from the Ministry of State to execute nothing for the ex-Queen, or any of the Orleans family. The order is the more spiteful as M. Walewski rose through the aid of the late Duke of Orleans, son of Queen MAric-Amelie.
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