The Sun. — London, England, 1870-12-28 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE. SUN OFFICE, 8 A.M. THE WAR. IMPORTANT MOVEMENT BY TROCHU, BIMLIN, December 20 (11.30 p.m.). A. portion of the Supplementary Reserve has been called out to start for the front, after a short drill. General Trochu is provisioning Mont Valerien, as though intending to retreat t) that fort and the fortified camp as its foot when Paris surrenders. The sami-official Warren's Correspondent of Vienna says that there is nothing to prevent the l'oNvers consenting to a change in the position of Luxemburg on the conclusion of peace. COMMENCEMENT OF THE BOMBARDMENT OF FORT AVRON. BERLIN, December 27. The bombardment of the Paris forts was opened to-day with an attack on Fort Avron. There have ben great rejoicings here in consequence of this event. The attack ou the other forts is to follow. THE SIEGE OF PARIS. GONESSE C hrist 32as Day.) Sluggish firing has taken place at intervals all day, indeed, .ever since midnight. The troops here Were alarmed, but were not called out. On the 21st. inst. 60 men of the Queen Elizabeth hegiment were taken prisoners outside Le Bourget. The French have sent back a captured ambu lance. One of the medical men reports that the German prisoners were well treated, and supplied Plentifully. with coffee, cognac, sugar, an I wine. The meat served out to them was hooseilesh. The men are at St. Denis. The French officers are with out cigars. _ _ _ A. single shell yesterday killed and wounded four teen men of the Ist Regiment of the Guards at Pont lon. The weather is terribly cold. PURSUIT OF THE FRENCH ARMY OF THE NORTH. VERSAILLES, DeCeMbar 26. On the 25th General Von Manteuffel, in the pur auit of the hostile Army of the North, reached Albert, where prisoners were taken. Before Paris the enemy to-day kept up an ineffec tive tire from the forts. LILLE, December 27. Corbie, Albert, and Acheux have been evacuated. lans have cut the telegraph wires at Boileux. General Faidherbe has cut the railway. The Army of the North is concentrated around Arras. PROTEST BY CHANZY AGAINST GERMAN OUTRAGES. General Chanzy has sent the following communi eatit n—a protest against the outrages perpetrated by the Germans—to the Prussian commandant at Vendome I am informed that violence, for which I can find Ile language suitable to express my indignation, has been resorted to by the troops under your command against an innocent population at St. Calais, not- Withstanding the good treatment of your sick and wounded. Your officers have extorted money and authorised pillage. This is an abuse of power Which will weigh upon your conscience, though Patriotism may enable our countrymen to bear it, tut it cannot be permitted that you should ed to this injury a gratuitous insult. You have alleged that we are defeated. This is false. We have fought and held you in check since the 4th of December. You have dared to treat as cowards men who could not answer you, pretending that they submitted to the Will of the Government of National Defence in resist ing when they really wished for peace. lam justified in Protesting against this statement by the resistance of the whole of France, and by the resistance of the army which up to the present time you have not been able to conquer. We re-assert what our Struggle. has already taught you; we shall struggle On, conscious of our good right, and determined to triumph at any cost. We shall struggle on a outrance, Without truce or mercy. It is now no ,longer a question of fighting against a loyal enemy , nut against devastating hordes, whose sole object is t he ruin and humiliation of a nation fighting for the Preservation of its honour, its independence, and the Xkaintenance of its rank. You reply to the genero sity with which we treat your prisoners and wounded u 3r insolence, by arson, and by pillage. I protest With indignation in the name of humanity and the l aw of nations, which you trample under foot." GERMANS SHELLING CALMS. A. despatch from Calais dated the 26th, says about °0 Germans entered this town to-day, having first 'brown in a few shells. They made a requisitio n of 20,000 f, and left again in the evening. THE SIEGE OF MEZIERES. An official despatch, dated Couvin, December 23, f orce, been received, which states that a large Prussian Zee, amounting to 15,000 men, have arrived before 41ezieres with eighty guns. _ _ It is reported that - the bombardment is to corn 14nee immediately. Encouuters have taken place between the Prussian t r ° o l3B and the Franc-Tiireurs. THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND THE REPUBLIC, At Bordeaux yesterday (the 26th) a grand review ° f between 15,000 and 20,000 National Guards took Pla ce . Cremieux was present, and previous to the c lose of the proceedings he made a speech, in w hich he said the Government had determine d- to ~ ' e Press in the strongest manner all violence and re 4etion. The Republic, he remarked, could alone eve France, and would save her. Immense enthusiasm prevailed. All the National ward and the great crowd of persons present 44 ° 1 1ted " Vive la Republic." The officers of the Guard all proudly swore to d efend the Republic to the last. INSULT TO MR. OW RUSSELL, letter from Versailles states that some Prussian so ldiers, in the search for arms, forcibly entered the 411 artments of Mr. Odo Russell, and conducted them selves in the most insulting manner. An aide-de-camp of the King of Prussia hap -131:11111g to be in another part of the house, came to 1: :t. Russell's assistance, and the soldiers withdrew, ti t Without offering the slightest apology. THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE. BRUSSELS, December 27. The Paris and Bordeaux Governments have agreed t: t he participation of France in the London Con ence. M. Chandordy sent off on the 19th a cir e Il lar to the French agents abroad. . VIENNA, December 27. The Presse states that the Ottoman ambassador has rec eived instructions to request a modification of the 6 ‘ l Pulation s affecting the Straits. ROUMAI\TIA AND THE PORTE. CONSTANTINOPLE, December 27. I , r he Porte considers Prince Charles's conduct dis respectful and illegal. It will resist discussion on 'e Principalities at the Conference, THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER • 28, 1870. THE TRUE _STATE OF PARIS: The special correspondent of the Telegraph, , writing from Bordeaux, December 22, says :--Within the last two hours I have ascertained a fact which will surprise many persons in England and throughout Europe. The source from which I obtained the news I am not at liberty to mention, bUt you may regard it as perfectly authentic; although it is not known to more than two or three persons beyond the highest official circles. It is, that after due inquiry, made by those appointed for the purpose in Paris, that capital is now proved to be able to hold out, so far as food is con cerned, for three months from Sunday next, the 25th inst., which will be Christmas Day. The report has be en offi cially made by the Government of National Defence in Paris to the Delegation of that Government at Bordeaux ; and the document is supported by tables, calculations, and statistics, which confirm the truth of what is set down. In a word, the Government in Paris say to its members who are here, that any future movement of the French armies in the field towards the capital must • not be risked by any unnecessary hurry, for the capital has wherewith to eat and drink until the 25th of March next. This, no doubt, accounts for the much more leisurely manner in which M. Gambetta and the French generals have recently set about, at Le Mans and Bourges, the reorganisation of the army—which has been reinforced during the last five days by no fewer than 60,000 men from three Departments alone, those of the Gironde, the Rhone, and the Cote d'Or ; while the contingent, or conscription, of 1871, which is to be called out immediately, has been left, so to speak, untouched. It is needless to point out what a difference this intel ligence about Paris may make in the fortunes of the cam paign. Unless the Prussians "can reduce the capital by bombardment—an event which all the military men to whom I have spoken on the subject seem to think highly improbable—the German army will have to pass the winter befOre Paris, always excepting such corps as must be detached hither and thither to watch and hold in check the French armies in the field. At Lyons, Toulouse, and Toulon, and in Brittany, new armies are being rapidly formed and drilled. Yesterday I hap pened to remark to a staff officer here that the Garde Nationale Mobilisee, of which 10,000 left Bordeaux for the front last week, could hardly be expected to quit their various employments for the camp in this wet and disagreeable weather. In reply, he assured me that he had seen the " rapport "—w hat in the English army we should call the " m arching-out state "—of the several legions that left this place lately, and that the number of absentees did not amount to one per cent. When, in addition to this, lam able to state, upon the trustworthy and perfectly inde pendent authority of an eye-witness, who has himself been a soldier for thirty years, that General Chanzy has man aged, despite the close pursuit of the enemy, and the ne cessity of his fighting daily for twelve days in order to cover his retreat—to get his army in excellent order to Le Mans, you will perceive that the hopes of France are not so black as ciroumstances led us all to believe last week. But, black or otherwise, I am to-day more than ever convinced that the French will fight to the last ; and that, Paris or no Paris, they will fight in the provinces for another year, or longer, if they possibly can. As regards arms, a steamer arrived here yesterday with 100,000 Remington rifles from New York. Another vessel, with a similar cargo, is expected next week ; and during the early days of January thirty field batteries complete, contracted for in the United States, will be landed in France. THE BATTLES AT PONT-NOYELLES. General Vaidherhe has sent the tollowirig report . to the Commissary-General of the National Defence : " The army had two days previons gone into canton ments at Corbie and in the villages situated along the left bank of a little brook called Da Hallue, which falls into the Somme at Daours. " They had selected as the battle-fields the heights which skirt the left bank, thus compelling the enemy to cross he valley when, coming from Amiens, he debouched by he left bank. " General Faidherbe had ordered the troops only to offer a slight resistance in the villages with a few skir mishers, and to at once retire to the commanding heights in the rear. That order was punctually executed, and about 11 a.m. the two armies were in sight of each other, separated by a valley, narrow bud swampy. They com menced cannonading each other over the houses, each side opening fire from 70 or 80 galls, and at the same time the enemy's sliiiiiiishers having penetrated into the houses of the villages, dommienced exchanging shdts With ours. " Towards 3.30 p.m., finding the cannonading had be• gun to slacken on both sides, the order was given along the whole line to our infantry to charge down upon the enemy and drive him out of the villages to the positions in the rear. That order was vigorously and brilliantly executed. At the extreme left the Moulac division cleared Daours and Vecquemont, the Du Bessol division captured Pont Noyelles and Querrieux. The Robin divi sion (Mobilised Guards of the Nord) entered the village of B.e.hancourt ; and finally the Derroja division, at the right, charged the villages of Bavelincourt and Prethen court, pursuing the enemy for some distance. At five p.m. the success was everywhere complete, but night had come on, when it was no longer possible to distinguish friends from foes, and the Prussians took advantage of this circumstance to effect a re-entry into Daours, Quer rieux, and Behancourt, without encountering any resist ance. Our troops, having retaken all the positions of the previous day, passed the night in them, and remained the following day until two p.m. to see if the enemy would attempt to renew the engagement—which, how ever, he did not do. A few rifle-shots were exchanged at long ranges. After thus having confirmed its victory, the army proceeded to its cantonments between Onbie and Albert. " Our young troops have suffered much from the seve rity of the weather and the privations inevitable under the circumstances. "The bread which was served out to the men on the battle-field was frozen, and consequently uneatable. The losses may be estimated approximately at 200 men killed and 1,000 or 1,200 wounded, the latter for the most part slightly. We do not know what losses the enemy has suffered, but the fire of our artillery, which was excel lently served, must have sorely tried him. Some prisoners and wounded men were left in our hands. A few days' rest in the excellent cantonments has been granted to the Army of the North. " FAIDRERBE, General of Division Commanding the . Army of the Norl.h." .' well, and how it was possible for anythin;r, to live in the place passes my comprehension. Bat cerLaill it is ',lv,' there was in 'it Von Altroch's battalion of the Queen Elizabeth's, hi the dellat's it may be, or behind the thick walls, but there sure enough ? as the French infantry would have found out had they Ventured on the attack. Several times it seemed as if this was coming. Once three battalions threw themselves into as many columns—just to the right of Courneuve, and made a start. I could see the officers out in the front. There was one man on a white horse, it might have been Ducrot himself—now cantering right out beyond everything, now wheeling and halting, as if making a speech to encourage to advance. They came on very steadily for about a quarter of a mile, then they slowed, and finally halted. The officer on the white horse seemed to go frantic; he dashed hither and thither with desperate energy. Once or twice he rode right into one battalion, then came scouring round the rear, no doubt to stay the tailing off. But all was of no use. He could not get his fellows' steam up. A few shells came flying over Ile Bourget and burst limier their noses. Therli cvas one sharp bicker of musketry out from behind a barridade by lie Bourget rail way station. That was Von Altrocli giVing tongne„ and when the Queen Eliza.bethe bark they: also bite. The battalions went about, the white horseman bringing 11P I the rear at a slow walk, as if marching to the funeral of his honour, and they blended again with the long fixed line. At a later hour • I saw less distinctly another threatened assault from•Drancy, but it made no head, and I could not distinguish its strength or character. How brisk the French were everywhere behind this long line of theirs. Reinforcements kept being drafted up till the very close—a circumstance auguring ill for peace to-morrow. At the improvised railway terminus stood fast a locomotive, with a couple of carriages in front of it—no doubt those famous pieces of workmanship of Call's, the cuirassed mitrailleuse waggons. They were, how ever, never called into action to•day.. By four o'clock the fire was burning out, only the withers still smoul dering in the shape of a sullen gun from de L'Est or Aubervilliers. The smoke from our artillery away at Sevran was still banking up in large clouds, and we could just hear the sharp cracks df the field-pieces. By five the forts had left off, and although the field batteries in front df Courneuve brightened up again, it was but a momentary spurt the usual " last word." You may remember that in describing the manner in which the Germans had thrown up works across the naturally weak tract which lies on either side the Canal d'Ourcq, and north Ward to G onesse, I expressed a conviction that they had made this section strong enough to turn any, French force that might asia it. Events so far have fully proved the correctness of the first anticipation, and the second is certainly not up till now to be impugned: I have the fullest confidence that any future effort—and such effort I believe to be immi nent—will share the issue of those of the day before yes terday and to-day. Why, so far from carrying the "entrenched camp," the French have not been able to take and hold Le Bourget, its mere incidental advance post. THE PRUSSIAN OUTRAGE ON THE BRITISH FLAG. The Paris correspondent of the Standard thus writes from Havre, December 26 :—The Prussians, who as I informed you in a previous letter, have occupied in force the little town of Duclair, have perpetrated an outrage on the English flag which will put our equanimity to the test. The time has gone by when the Union Jack was an effectual protection, and when British subjects could not be molested with impunity. The Prussians, in utter defiance of international law, in utter contempt of the British flag, have seized on and sunk not less than six English vessels in the Seine, between Duclair and La Mailleraye. These vessels, as I am informed, were brigantines or schooners. Five of the:n (as I am informed), the Sylph, the Juno, the Paragon, the Jane Kendal, and the Maclaren, had landed their cargoe.; of coal at Rouen, and had applied for a sauf conduit to return. This was neither granted them nor refused them, and, at length, tired of waiting, the five vessels, in ballast, took advantage of the easterly wind and dropped down the river. No opposi tion was offered to their departure, and it was only when they reached Duclair that, as I am assured by orders of General Von Goeben, they were fired into and made to bring, up. The crews were ordered off, many of them without being allowed to take their clothes or money, and the Prussians, having boarded the ships, though they were fully aware of their nationality, proceeded to scuttle and sink them across the river so as to block up the passage. The Pr us sians added insult to injury ; they put fancy prices on the British vessels thus destroyed, awl paid the skippers their (assumed) value by means of `` requisition bonds." The masters and their crew.; went back to Rouen, where they laid their complaint before the Bri tish vice-consul, and have (I understand) been sent home via Dieppe. The vice-consul at Rouen has sent a report to the consul-general hero, but ho replied that lie must first communicate with the Foreign Office. The French authorities, however, with a courtesy to which I am happy to be able to pay a public tribute, exerted them selves to facilitate my investigations, and on their infor mation, and that picked up at shipbrokers' offices, and from river pilots, the above narrative is founded. The story is a plain one, and speaks for itself. If Prussian insolence has even now gone the lengths of requisi tioning English vessels and sinking them, in utter defiance of the stipulation entered into at the beginning of the war, what are we to expect next? If Prussia is to be at liberty thus to treat our merchant navy, surely it is a mistake to expend such vast sums on our naval establishments. I venture to assert that had these six colliers been Yankees the Prussians would not have dared to touch them, but being English, the case was far otherwise. Only the other day some scores of our countrymen had to leave Paris under the protection of the Stars and Stripes. Perhaps you will kindly inter fere in behalf of English merchantmen now in French harbour; exposed to Prussian attack, and ob tain from our Foreign Office that it will intercede with the United States to protect them from capture and insult—the British flag seems unable to do it now. lam assured that the vice-consul at Rouen has entered a formal protest against the high-handed proceedings of Baron Manteuffel's lieutenant. I am not aware of what answer was made to his remonstrance; but coming, as it did, after the scuttling of our vessels, it partook very much of the character of la moutar de apres diner. The idea of General Von Goeben is ingenious in itself. Nothing that the Prussians could possibly do could show up the utter insignificance to which the Manchester school have reduced us more thoroughly than confiscating English vessels and scuttling them across the Seine to bar the passage to the French. Herr Von Goeben, who is not deficient of esprit, is said to have described the opera tion as " turning neutrals to account." CRYSTAL PALACE.—One Shilling Day, Tuesday, December 27, 1870.—Admission by season tickets, 2,945 ; ditto on payment, 10,741; total visitors, 13,686. THE IRISH "MIXED MARRIAGE " CASE.—The case of Meade's minors has terminated, but the Lord Chancellor has reserved judgment, directing that the children should be brought to his residence in the mean time to be examined as to their religious impressions. OUR FOREIGN TRADE IN 80010.-1110 printed books exported from the United Kingdom in 1869 weighed 59,291 cwt., and were of the value of £676,459. The books imported weighed 11,463 cwt., and were of the value of £134,963, so that we send forth five times as much as we receive. Ten years before—in 1859—our exports of books reached only . 33,915 cwt., of the value of £483,399 • and our imports 6,520 cwt., of the value of 291:241. In 1869 we exported to the United States 19,675 cwt. of books, of the value of £205,885 ; to Australia, 17,056 cwt., of the value of £148,329 ; to British India, 2,802 cwt., of the value of £44,146; and to Egypt, 4,427 cwt., of the value of £79,127 ; to British North America, 5,992 cwt., value £62,713 ; t o British possessions in Smth Africa, 1,467 cwt., value £21,230 ; to the British West Indies, 845 cwt., value £9,676 ; to France, 3,345 cwt., valu e £27,065 ; o Ham buig, £1,073 cwt., value '216,814 ; to Holland, 793 cwt., value £12,377. Our imports of books in 1869 included 3,629 cwt. from France, of the value of £48,509 ; 2,985 cwt. from Hamburg, value £41,180 ; 363 cwt. from Bremen, value £4,126 • 1,442 cwt. from Holland, value £13,477; 1,298 cwt. from the United States, value £10,277. TIM MOTHER. OF JOHN WESLEY.—r'I white marble monument in memory of Mrs. Susannah Wesley, the mother of the founder of Wesleyan Methodism, has just been erected by subscription in the yard adjoining the chapel belonging to that community in the City-road. It was solemnly uncovered a few days ago by Mr. William M'Arthur, M.P., who delivered a suitable address on the occasion, as did also Mr. Charles Reed, M.P. for Hackney, and Vice-Chairman of the Metropolitan Education Board. Previous to the ceremony of uncovering, a service, which was numerously attended, was held in the chapel, when Dr. Jobson delivered an oration, in which he dwelt in terms of high commendation on the virtues of Mrs. Wesley, and her happiness in being the mother of two such great sons as John and Charles Wesley. It may be added that Mrs. Wesley or Westley—for the name has been spelt both ways—was Susannah, daughter of the Rev. Dr. Annesley, one of the ministers ejected after the Restoration ; she, however, conformed to the Established Church. and, indeed, was in her day, so high a Churchwoman that she refused to ac knowledge the Prince of Orange as Sovereign of England. She is represented in Southey's "Life of Wesley" as a woman of great good sense, a high order of intelligence, and of fervent piety ; and it was by the help of these qualities that she was able to influence her sons so strongly in the cause of religion. She died in 1742. OUR, (70 2E.PIII ) OII,AR Morning. THE TERRIBLE ACCIDENT ON THE GREAT NORTHERN RAILWAY. . Up to a late hour last night all .the bodies had not been identified. The coffins are numbered in the following order : The first is the body of the signalman's sister, whose name is Kershaw. She was killed while walking on the line. The second has been identified as the body of a gentle man's servant, on a journey to Sandy, named James Pullen. He was identified by means of a photograph. The third has been ascertained to be Mr. Branston, a cattle dealer of Glatton, near Stilton. He had upwards of £lOO in money in his pockets, and for a time his body was claimed as that of Mr. Wren, a fishmonger, of Luton, who, however, was seen in. Hatfield this morning uninjured. The fourth has not been identified. This is the body of an elderly man, who is described as having in his pos session a bunch of keys, two small baskets of figs, and a bundle with a pair of shoes in it. No further identifica tion of this body is possible. The fifth is the body of a lad about 14 years of age. In his pocket the half of a return ticket to Wheathampstead was found, showing that he was returning from a London holiday. He wore a gilt, chain and watch. The sixth is believed to be the body of the man named Potter. This passenger is the only one who was not killed outright, and he has been described as Mr. Potter, tobacconist and newsagent, of 77, St. John's-street-road, Clerkenwell. The seventh is a lad of about 16 years of age, and in his pocket was found a ticket from King's Cross to Peter borough. He had a handkerchief marked in capital let ters, " G. W. E. H." The eighth body is that of Mrs. ()swim the signalman's wife, and this lies at Bell Bar. THE FROST. About seven o'clock last night the snow began to fall heavily, and at four this morning it had a depth of from six inches to a foot. About 60,000 persons went to the Parks yesterday for skating and sliding. The official reports of the icemen of the Royal Humane Society state that on the Serpentine, the Round Pond, and Cie Long Water there were about 17,000 skaters and sliders. A man, name unknown, fell on the Serpentine about five o'clock in the afternoon and broke his leg. He was attended by Dr. Rentzsch, of Leader-street, Chelsea, who happened to be passing at the time, A young lady fell and broke her collar-bone while skating. Both went to St. George's Hospital. In St. James's Park there were about 11,000 skaters and sliders. The ice is described as being dangerous in many parts, and some persons fell in, but they were rescued without much difficulty. Sixteen persons were also attended at the tent for cut heads and other injuries. In Regent's Park there were from 15,000 to 20,000 persons on the ice. The most serious case of injury which occurred during the day was that of a young man who, in falling, broke his wrist. He went to the Royal Humane - Society's tent at once, where his wrist was set by Dr. Norton, and he was then able to go home. Ten persons were also attended for cut heads. The Ice is in good condition there, and no one fell in during the day. In Battersea-park about 5,000 persons went on the ice yesterday. A serious accident happened to a Mr. Steward, residing at Wandsworth. He came in collision with another person while skating, and falling heavily, broke his leg. A boy was severely cut by a skate, and there were about a dozen cases of cut heads. In Vic toria Park about 7,000 persons went on the ice, and at the Crystal Palace about 6,000. No accidents were re ported. The upper parts of the Thames are now frozen over, and yesterday, in consequence of the large quantity of detached ice, floating about, the steamboat traffic was partially suspended. SAD nND. Mrs. Holbrook, the widow of a late well-to-do farmer at Chewstoke, has just died under the following circum stances :—For the last twelve months the deceased, who was sixty-two years old, had been addicted to intemperate habits, and had sold everything she could lay her hands upon to procure drink. On Friday she walked to Bristol, pledged her son's top coat, and, having spent the money in drink, returned to Chewstoke in a state of intoxication. She was found on Saturday morning in a dying condition in her own orchard, and expired a few minutes afterwards. These were the shocking details which came to light at the coroner's inquest. CHRISTMAS ENTERTAINMENTS. PRINCESSES. The adventures of Gil Blas form the Christmas piece here. The main incidents are travestied in a manner sufficiently humorous, and Mr. Farnie exhibits abundant practical fun in his writing, and the burlesque plays a reasonable time. Mrs. Howard Paul acted and sung with inimitable spirit and grace as the hero ; Miss Minnie Sydney, as the bandit Rolando, looks one of the most picturesque of a picturesque group of brigands ; while from Miss Lydia Maitland as Lady Aurora, a pretty Spanish girl, Miss May Holt, Miss Merton, and Miss O'Hara, who sustained the parts respectively of the fashionable actress Florimonde and the rustic Andalusian lovers, the praise of having acquitted themselves very pleasingly must not be withheld. Mr. Shiel Barry repre sents Dr. Sangrado—most famous of quacks—with consi derable humour and a rich Irish brogue. Mr. Guy Linton contrives to make the part of the provincial tragedian Zapata not a little amusing. The music, which is arranged by Mr. Frank Musgrave, is lively and agree able, while the scenery, painted by Mr. F. Lloyds, has the merit of being tasteful and, especially in the closing scene, splendid. ASTLEY'S. This once famous house, after a long seclusion from the theatrical world, was re-opened last night, under the management of Mr. John Baum, with a grand pantomi mic representation, resplendent with colour. The plot of the pantomime, which rejoices in the whimsical title of " Harlequin Little Tommy Tittlemouse and the Eleven Dancing Princesses ; or, Deedle Deedle Dumplin and the Silver Frog," is an ingenious combination of the most known legends of fairyland, and all the prominent heroes of juvenile romance make their appearance to delight the youthful portion of the audience, and to revive memories of the earliest days of their elders. The transformation scene, which is of the most georgeous, brilliant, and fanci ful design, brings this most successful pantomime to an end. The attendance was crowded and enthusiastic. Everything went off satisfactorily, and without the sligh test hitch, while the plaudits which followed the fall of the curtain, and the calls for Mr. John Baum and Mr. Grieve (the artist), augured well for a long and successful run of this excellent pantomime. The mounting and dresses were of the first order, the acting spirited, and the characters well sustained. QUEEN'S. The Shakspearian drama has proved sufficiently attrac tive at this theatre to warrant the prolongation of the run of " A Midsummer Night's Dream" over the holidays, and thus no change in the bills has taken place. In the course of a fortnight Mr. and Mrs. Rousby will reappear in the popular historical play of " Twixt Axe and Crown," which will be revived for a short time prior to the production of Mr. Tom Taylor's new play of "Joan of Arc." HOLBORN. Mr. Dion Bouicault's drama of 11Jezebel," which has been nightly increasing in popularity, was performed here last evening in conjunctfon with Mr. T. W. Robertson's amusing comic piece of " The Breach of Promise,' brought out at the Globe in April last year. The strong attraction thus provided seemed to exert a corresponding influence over the holiday folks, by whomilthe entertain ments were heartily enjoyed. S ADLE RS WELLS. The pantomime at this house bears the title of " Sinbad the Sailor; or, Harlequin Navigation and the Great Roc of the Diamond Valley." Sinbad's voyage and the deve lopment of the plots against his life are the principal features of the pantomime, and afford an opportunity of displaying some artistic and pretty scenery. A consider able amount of life is thrown into the performance by the capital acting of Mr. W. Bailey. A hearty reception was given the pantomime by a very full house last even ing. CRYSTAL PALACE. The Palace was well patronised by the holiday folk yes terday. The Pantomime of " Gulliver ; or, Harlequin Brobdignag and the Demon Bow-wow gave the utmost satisfaction. Of the piece and the manner in which it has been put upon the stage a notice has already appeared in these columns. The Palace was ablaze with light, and even more than ever brilliant in colour. Exquisite taste, without tawdriness, is everywhere displayed in the deco rations ; and the great Christmas tree, laden as it is with countless shining, treasures, and its branches thickly draped in snow, is not the least wonderful of the many wonderful things which the youthful portion of the visitors will gaze upon and admire during the holidays. AUSTRIA AND TtIE POPE. A private letter written from Rome on the 19th says that Austria has offered an asylum to the Pope, assuring him that if he will accept it he will be treated with all the respect due to his dignity, and will have perfect inde pendence. The Pope is anxiously seeking for information as to whether, in the event of going to Malta, the British Government will be able to prevent the revolu tionists from going there and getting up demonstrations against him. If the King comes to Rome, the Pope most probably will leave for Malta. Rome is full of Russians, who have gone thither to see "the death of the papacy," The cendition of Rome is very dangerous just now, so far as its police is concerned, and priests conveying tha via ticum to the dying are frequently assaulted in the streets. The life of the rector of the American college has been threatened. LOOKING FOR DIAMONDS. The Natal papers by the last mail are filled with letters from the diamond fields. The following extracts are from the Natal Mercury :—When we got here (a place called Hebron) we found about twenty waggons and fifty people. There are now ahnut 150 here I should think, a good many from Mooi River, and several from Natal. It took us three days to make a cradle, pitch our camp, and get square. We commenced washing on the 18th of August, and have been at it ever since, but without success, but that is nothing, as we are going to haul out some soon. They find on the average about five diamonds a day now ; no very large ones ; the biggest about eleven carats. About ten days ago a beauty of ten carats was found. I imme diately secured a claim next to where it was found, the only bit of ground vacant. They' have been finding diamonds all round us, and I am sure we shall get some thing out of it—l dare say about two as big as peas. I could have sold the claim to-day for £lOO, but I did not. About 1,000 diggers have gone to Gom-Gom, about nine miles further down, Bottemley's party is there. About 6,000 diggers are down below altogether. Nine boats are constantly crossing the river. Regular streets are laid out. A music-hall and masonic lodge are being built. It is difficult to get washing places there. The cradles are only about four feet apart. For four miles there is no room to dig, and they go down 15ft. So many carts are going that they are obliged to work at night, or they could never get to their claims to cart the stuff on to the river, which is filled up half its breadth with the sand they have washed. One hill is carted away altogether. I saw a diamond the other day that a Kor anna pibked up ; it weighed sixty-two carats, was a perfect beauty, nearly square, of a pale straw colour, and shone like a sun. A Mr. Rose bought it ; he gave, I think, a waggon and oxen, 50 head of cattle, £5O worth of goods, £3OO worth of sheep. I should say the diamond was worth £6,000. It was about as big as a large walnut with the shell on cut square. I felt after looking at this monster that I could have pitched a 10-carat diamond into the river. It was worth paying to see. We have now dug down about three feet, and are on a large stony bottom, but shall go through this and see what is below. I think the big ones lie deep. A friend of ours came with a Boer and his wife. He himself had married a young Boer lady. The ladies agreed that if they found a diamond they would go halves. About three days after their arrival the Boer's wife picked up a ten-carat diamond close to the tent. They wanted to cry off their agreement. There was a great row about it. L. claimed half on account of his wife. He watched his opportunity, and when the Boer was shewing it to a fel low who wanted to buy he snatched it out of his hand and refused to give it out of his hand and refused to give it up, but sold it for £B5, giving the Boer £42 10s. and sticking to the rest himself. Cleverly done, this. We think nothing here of a diamond as big as a nut ; wouldn't walk a step to see one. My idea of the diamond-fields is this : a man can make a living, and may make a fortune. You ought to bring all you want for several months, have a large tent with table and chairs, books, &c., and live pretty well. In fact make up your mind to stay a long time, and go steadily working on, and the chances are you make money. One member of a company ran away with a diamond the other day from Klfpdrift. Five hundred pounds reward is offered for him. I pity him if caught. There have been diamonds picked up there within the last few days, weighing 77, 68, and 54 carats. Only one single man is left in Mooi Biver Dorp. We have plenty of food and everything we want. When we find a diamond we are going to eat a pot of jam. You should see my hands ; they are blrck and as rough as files, and my nails and the tins of my fingers are wearing away with pulling stones about. I look an awful cut throat scoundrel. I sleep with a revolver under my pillow, in case our sable friends should see fit to co me down on us. STREET REFORMS.—We hear that the Chief Commissioner of Police has effected or is about to effect two reforms so simple and sensible that it is a wonder they should not have been carried out before. The old - fashioned waterposts at the hackney carriage stands are to be replaced by water troughs, and omnibus drivers are no longer to be allowed to impede the traffic and endanger the lives of their passengers by depositing them in the middle of the road to find their way to the kerbstone of the pavement through the mud as best they can, amid a crowd of carriages the drivers of which vie with each other as to who shall first have tne privilege of running them down. In future stage car riages will only be allowed to take up or set down passen gers on the left side of the roadway, or as- near to it as possible. Old ladies will no longer be turned out of omni buses like deer out of a cart to be chased through the streets by hansom cabdrivers. This will be an immense boon to the 'bus travelling public, more especially to the infirm and nervous; it will also prevent many street accidents and much obstruction of traffic. It is almost the first active step that has been taken to reduce the disorderly host of public car riages in the streets into someth in g like disci p line, and it is to be hoped it will be followed up by other vigorous mea sures with the same tendency. In the meantime, we are thankful for little blessings, and Colonel Henderson, by diminishing the discomforts of 'bus travelling and esta blishing water-troughs at hackney carriage stands, has gracefully bestowed a Christmas gift on old ladies and dumb beasts which they will not fail to appreciate. The old ladies ought, in return for the boon which we have often -urged on their behalf, shew their gratitude by a little increased activity in their movements. If they would have the coin for payment of their fare ready for delivery to the conductor directly they leave the 'bus, instead of fumbling in their pockets to find it, they would save much time and unnecessary stoppages in the streets. Some of them, we fear, are too apt to presume on the respect due to their infirmities and on the good nature of their fellow creatures. Relieved from the necessity of displaying an unnatural activity on the carriage road, they will be none the worse for displaying a little more activity on the pa ve meat. —Pall Mall Gazette.. THE EXPECTED BOMBARDMENT. Writing from the German position south-east of Paris, December 23, the special correspondent of the Daily Nees with the Crown Prince of Prussia, says :—The sharp fighting of December 21st, towards St, Denis, was not followed by a fight on the 22nd to the south eastward of Paris, as had seemed very probaole. I passed along most of the southern line of attack—line of blockade, if you prefer the phrase—yesterday afternoon, and found only the usual state of watchful attention on the part of the Germans and of occasional firing from their heavy guns on the part of the French. It was bitterly cold, with a north wind and driving sleet, and the waggon loads of blankets which came creeping up from the rail way at Lagny were welcome sights, I doubt not, to the troops upon the road. Small detachments of infantry were to be observed trudging through the wintry weather to join their regiments, convoys of ammunition followed the blankets, and grocery stores of all kinds were being borne towards Versailles. There was ample evidence of the use of open communications. What stores and convoys the French would be guiding into Paris if they could 1 These things, which were going to sustain their besiegers, would be invaluable to the garrison. These melancholy looking sheep, in particular, dragged by some of the infantry in their wake, would be highly esteemed behind the ramparts of the city. In all this freedom of circulation without the line of the blockade, in the slow filing of waggons over the bridge at Ville neuve St. George, and the bringing of reinforce ments at pleasure to the scene of action, we see one side of the great time race. There is another, in regard to pos sible relief from a distance, and possible improvement of the garrison. But this blockading side i 4 all for the Ger mans. Amid the freezing gusts of sleety wind and the shadows of the passing clouds, there were gleamii of sunshine on the city. The prize of the race looked fair as ever, white and unharmed among its circle of foes. There it was in the clear nipping frost of last night, with the reflected light above it of its many lamps, a light munch fainter, say the German outposts, than of yore, and with the boom of guns sounding ever and anon in the dark. There was a considerable amount of firing at one time during the night, but it appeared to be a general firing round the defences, as though the French gunners were resolved to keep themselves awake, rather than a concentrated attack upon any one spot. That loud thunder of a well-supported cannonade from their batteries which the besiegers have longed to hear, and which has been so often whispered to be at hand, has not yet begun. The bombardment has not been tried up to the present time, and is put off by public rumour for a few days more. If we put it off altogether, and base our arguments on the chances of starvation, we have the time race clearly before us. Week after week the siege has continued, every expectation of an early surrender has been long ago disappointed, and Paris is certain to hold out into the New Year. But what then ? There must be an end to the food, and each day makes it less necessary to bombard at all. I cannot judge so well as those at a distance of the movements in the rest of France. Paris is the centre on which our attention is here fixed, and we can see that the chances of a sortie will not improve. The arrival of reinforcements from Germany is about to make the task of coming out harder than ever. The odds of the race are inclining more to the Germans since this last sortie was repulsed, only it is bitter weather in which to wait. THE ASSAULTS FROM THE PARIS FORTS. The Daily News elrrespondent at the headquarters of the Crown Prince of Saxony, under date December 23, writes :—Scarcely had I given up my letter to the Feld post in Gonesse (whence the post leaves at two), when Aubervilliers fired a gun which seemed to be a signal, and a furious cannonade almost at once began. La Bourget— poor battered Le Bourget—with my friends of the Queen Elizabeth Retriment, was again in receipt of all the punishment. Instead of returning to my post of the morning, which is ineligible as a view point, I made for the high ground between Gonesse and Arnoville, from which the whole scene lay spread before me like a map, in the clear afternoon air. In a long column, with its left resting on a clump of house =, little in front of Courneuve, right athwart the plain be hind Drancy, and on as far as Baubigny—further, perhaps, only I could not see it—stood the French infantry. There must have been 30,000 of them at least. Behind, in front of Courneuve, were two batteries of field artillery continually firing; there was another near the farm of Drancy, and at least two more in the village of Drancy itself. Then the forts were all hard at work from Du Nord away in the north, the lunette of Stains, its covered way running across the inundation, de l'Est flashing out its discharges so close to the water's edge that the smoke might have been taken for jets of steam—Aubevilliers, the grey and grim, squatting there like a gigan tic toad in the middle of the green plain— and Romanvilllers on the further brink of the canal ; while the puff and curl of smoke which ever and anon hung round the lofty summit of Noisy, far away on the top of the ridge, and standing bluffly up against the horizon, told that again to-day Clichy was experiencing its tender mercies. But this was the only diversion ; everything itself concentrated itself doggedly on Bourget, if I except Mont Valdrien, which away far to the right in the eye of the declining sun had also his mantle of white smoke about his shoulders, betokening annoyance to St. Cloud or Bougival. La B tat l i r c gpe s h hee e tri n a abe l t o o, i n bsl e eto onwrkogaiundssgeqbnuaai debarred lr t ees , e du fkytriyonAngv thy was, yet mn r yi e iengtg b h fointrlt be,ei e o e laa r s etmlhei most I .s ) t a o n li Ap k t an o o rd f f t one sided. The Guards' artillery between Gonesse and Bulnay was profoundly silent ; I suppose the French infantry were beyond range, and the forts, of course, yet more so. On the tract between Aulnay and Sevran the batteries of the 12th Army Corps were very brisk, firing steadily across into Drancy and the line toward Bondy, but making compara tively a poor show in comparison with the profuse fire of the French bursting out from so many points simultaneously. I am almost certain that I heard the crashing of the shells into Le Bourget every moment I saw the flash and smoke of their explosion. With hardly an exception, every gun had the range GENERAL TRG CHU AND MONT VALERIEN. The Times, referring to the pravisioning of Mont Val&len by General Trochu, says—Taking the information as correct, there is little doubt that General Trochu'g strategy may give a new turn to the catastrophe to which the siege of Paris is visibly tending. By taking up a positbm out of Paris, yet so. clo ie to Paris, he may flatter himself that he could render Paris untenable or give sufficient employment to the Ger man Army to prevent any large detachments being deSpatched to support Prince Frederick Charles, Mecklenburg, Alguteuffel i or Von. Werder. It would be idle to speculate upon the result of this new combination of circumstances, for it seems natural to foresee that the concentration of all the effective forces at Mont ValJrien would determine the surrender not only of the city, but also of the forts miel defensive works around it. Masters of the whole inner and outer lines of the city, the Ger mans would then engage in conflict with Trochu's camp-, which, whatever advantage it might confer noon either of the combatants, would inflict dreadful sufferings on the defenceless population. For our part, we are inclined to think it more natural that, if he retires beyond the im mediate precincts of the city, Trochu, while reserving for himself and for his army the fullest freedom of action,will also allow the city to regain the control over its own desti nies, enabling it thus to come to terms with the besiegers, and to negotiate not only for its immediate surrender, but also for 6.11 armistice and a peace, to which Trochu himself, and tile Commanders of the Provincial Armies, and the Government And the nation may accede or not, according as the proposed terms may wear con sistent with the honour and with the true interests of the country. With Trochu entrenched at Mont Valerien, the city might be left in the keeping of its own National Guard, and a suspension of hostilities might thus be agreed upon to allow leisure for the long-desired convocation of a Constituent Assembly. ENGLAND AND HER COLONIES. There is much reason to apprehend, says the Stawlard that the year now fast closing in upon us will be marked by a disastrous change in the firm and cordial relations which have hitherto existed between England and her colonies. Theie is a perceptible relaxation in the ties which formerly united them. In place of the close sympathy and mutual trust which once knit them together, there are too many signs of indiffer ence on the one side and mistrust on the other. The colonies no longer look to the mother country with the assurance of Imperial sympathy and protection, and the policy of the Home Government is too well-calculated to produce the impression that they are regarded as an encumbrance of which England would gladly be rid. There was a time when she fought long and desperately to retain her sway over revolting dependencies. In these days it seems to be the main object of our Colonial Administration to force those which are con spicuously loyal to break away from their allegiance. Such is the conviction too generally entertained among our fellow-subjects in many of our most flourishing dependencies, and it is impossible to deny that they have ample grounds for forming such an opinion. Unless Englishmen are prepared to see their country reduced to the level of a third-rate Power, it is high time that they should speak out. This attempt to drive the colonies into separation is not an isolated blunder. It is part and parcel of a deliberate scheme which gives coherent force and meaning to the foreign, colonial, and military policy of the present Government. England is proud of her colonies, and recognises in them one of the _ _ first elements of her grandeur as a European Power and of the commercial prosperity of the empire. As a nation, we most earnestly repudiate all sympathy with the cold and repellent attitude of the present Government to wards them. The English people value and cherish the bond which unites the colonies with the mother country, and we are sanguine that no long time will elapse before a voice will go out to them from the Ilritish Parliament which will assure them that the policy of alienation has no sanction whatever from the country at large. OUR MILITARY SYSTEM. Commenting on the Conscription Law on the Conti nent, the Daily News remarks : We shall not have Eng land endeavouring to put on that species of armour. By all means let us have our army subjected to severe revi sion and improvement ; let us have plenty of efficient reserves ; let us, if possible, have all our young men sufficiently familiar with drill to be avail able as recruits in time of need ; but do not let us adopt a system so thoroughly out of keeping with the character and the traditions of the nation. In the able speech which he recently delivered at Manchester, Mr. Trevelyan, M.P., pointed out that at this very moment we have far more men receiving a cer tain amount of drill than we could organize, victual, and equip with artillery, so as to make theta actually useful in the field. In our periodical panics about the condition of our land forces, increased numbers are the first thing thought of, whereas efficiency ought to have easy Precedence. If we were suddenly to adopt a modi fied Prussian system of compulsory military service, as Russia has done, we should find ourselves in a condi tion fit to provoke the laughter of gods and men. We should be unable to move hand or foot by reason of the clog of numbers; and it would be a bad day for England if she should find herself in this dilemma, with some pres sing demand upon her for immediate action. When we have rooted out the abuses that exist in our regular army ; when we have trained our volunteers and imposed a rigorous examination upon their officers; when we have increased our militia and exacted something like efficiency from them also--all which things ought to be set about directly—we may turn to a possible increase in numbers. Perhaps by that time we may be think ing that England wants more ships rather than more men. PARIS AND THE NEW YEAR. The Telegraph, in an article on the coming New Year, says : If, indeed, a bombardment takes place, what a Jour de l' An for Paris ! What a change from the gay annual holiday when all the city was ea fete, giving and receiving presents and pretty etrennes, the Boulevards and Champs Elys6es all alive with the stalls of the humble merchants of plaisirs and two-sous trinkets, and the shops shining with costly bagatelles ! Death is to go the rounds this time, shot and shell are to be the gages d'amour of the next awful New Year's Day. War, we know, is war. Paris accepted the chal lenge to the present contest, and, therefore, she must take the consequences ; but the heart melts for all the inno cent creatures who may be exposed to the feu d'enfer about to open. The city will, we hope, be formally summoned first, and all the women and children who can bring a week's provisions might be allowed to go forth. To those who remain, the subterranean spaces of Paris, and the nature of the streets and buildings, would offer a consi derable protection; nor would the loss of life among these be, we think, necessarily large. The chief attack is likely to be directed against the forts, and it is said to be the intention of the Prussian artillerists only to show their power over the city itself by dropping a few shells in different localities. They think that when a score or two of hundred - and - fifty pounders from Krupp's great cannon have burst in a cafe here and there, a public square, a wine-shop, an evening meeting of patriots, and a picquet of National Guards, Paris will begin to be reasonable. If she should not, there can be no cessation of the fire ; once com menced, the ultima ratio must be pushed to extremity, until such an hour as Paris surrenders, if she does not break the iron ring. To meditate on such an alter native is to perceiVe with what embittered i- , sues the mighty conflict is laden. One hope alone remains. The year which is departing opened amid general but fallacious peace, and ends in such a fifth act of blood and passion that the nations of the world are standing aghast. Eighteen hundred and seventy-one, we are told, is to open with a fearful chorus of cannon, mortar, and howitzer, belching fire and ruin upon the fairest capital of the earth. Let us at least pray, that, like the old year, the new year may reverse the character of its commencement, and bring us the peace so dearly purchased, so fervently desired. Several head of cattle have been poisoned in Cornwall lately by eating hemlock, a root which is very plentiful in some localities in the county. A farmer at Trannack, near Penzance ' lost a valuable cow on Friday ; it had partaken freely of the plant.—Chamber of Agricul ture Journal. - - . - MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE FROM MACCLES FIELD.— Mr. George William Clarke, a gentleman well known in Macclesfield, has suddenly disappeared fro'n that town, and no clue seems to have been obtained of his whereabouts. The Macclesfield Courier says he left home about three weeks ago, presumably on important business at Liverpool, and with the intention, as he subsequently stated, of proceeding to Frwice. Mr. Clarke held the position of secretary to the pro moters of the projected - Macclesfield, Knutsford, and Warrington Railway ; he was also honorary secretary to the Macclesfield Chamber of Commerce, honorary s.•,:ce tary to the North Cheshire Chamber of Agricult.:re, honorary secretary to the Macclesfield Useful Knowle.lge Society and School of Art, and an active, energetic, and clever promoter of local undertakin,„, , *s generally which gave '. him an influenti a l position in the town. ,His',uncx-. plained absence has plunged his family and fr,i6644 W 044,, wi th / state of great anxiety, and caused copookevatialoK)eeillautitolthas ; Loul throughout the town. Inct Ice. )tly tall the. the uch no let lOW at Is of is Df and 'ord Dal- Lion )chs 'ow yed of rate the one hat apt sm. iord was ouse Was the the the itly on ery Up ob ars ew- B a 1-er the our the ter )pe me ew the tis-