The Sun. — London, England, 1870-07-30 00:00:00

THE WAR. SKIRMISHING ON THE FRONHER. The following German official account is given of the skirmishing near Saarbruck on Friday :—ln the course of the day Prussian reconnoitring parties crossed the frontier and came upon the French troops at all points. In spite of a heavy fire, opened upon them by the enemy, the Prussians suffered no losses. In the afternoon the French advanced with artillery, throwing shells, which, however, only hit some of the houses of the town, and inflicted no damage upon the troops. After a short can nonade the French troops retired across the frontier. On Thursday morning also a force of French Hussars and in fantry crossed the frontier at Perl, a village on the Moselle, but very soon retired into their own territory. THE EMPEROR TO HIS ARMY. The French Emperor and the Prince Imperial have arrived at Metz, and the following proclamation has been issued to the French army : "Soldiers,—l am about to place myself at your head to defend the honour and the soil of the country. You go to fight against one of the best armies in Europe, but others who were quite as worthy were unable to resist your bravery. It will be the same again at the present time. The war which is now commencing will be a long and severe one, since it will have for the scene of its operations places full of fortresses and obstacles, but nothing is too difficult for the soldiers of Africa, the Crimea, China, Italy, and Mexico. You will again prove what the French army, animated by the sentiment of duty, maintained by discipline, and inspired with love of country, can perform. Whatever road we may take be yond our frontiers we shall find glorious traces of our fathers. We will prove ourselves worthy of them. The whole of France follows you with her ardent wishes, and the eyes of the world are upon you. The fate of liberty and civilisation depends upon our success. " Soldiers ! Let each one do his duty, and the God of armies will be with us. " NAPOLEON. " The Imperial Head-quarters, Metz. July 28." POSITION OF GERMAN .TROOPS. The Paris journals publish official information com municated bp Government, which states that no Prussian troops are visible from Constance to Bale. A small corps of infantry has arrived at 1-I:llengen, near Rheinfel den, where the Wurtemburgers are forming a corps of observation. The Wurtemburg troops extend from Rastadt by the valleys of Kintaig and Kniebies, from Langskirch to Fribourg. The Val Denfer is still free, and the pass of the Istein Rock above Mulhain is unoccupied. A scarcity of provisions and forage exists in Prussia. No garrison will be sent to Lauterbourg or Arssembourg, as their occupation by the enemy would have no strategic mportance. THE DUTY OF BELGIUM. The semi-official newspaper,La Correspondance de Berlin of yesterday, contains the following :—" Belgium is now enlightened upon the subject of French covetousness. The Belgian people will henceforward attach an altogether different meaning to Belgium's neutrality, which must be real and sufficiently powerful to make herself respected by herself. Supposing Germany vanquished—if that were possible—the road to Brussels would be open, and England alone could prevent its being taken. But Belgium, by adopting to-day the attitude required by the gravity of the circumstances, and by giving to her neutrality the character and the strength of a national defence, reduces Napoleon to the necessity of pursuing without object a war which he has entered upon without a cause. We will not doubt but that the Belgian people, without deviating from its course of self-defence, will understand the duties that the present position of affairs imposes upon its patriotism and its courage. Upstanding upon her frontier, Belgium will fulfil her task; Prussia and Germany undertake the rest." THE NEUTRALITY OF ENGLAND. The New Prussian (Cross) Gazette of yesterday contains an article on Lord Granville's statement in the House of Lords, in which it accuses his lordship of taking up a position inconsistent both with the political situation and the state of public opinion in England. The Cross Gazette adds that people in Germany are beginning to ask whether England really wants another Alabama question. Prussian newspapers of all shades of opinion blame the course pursued by England in the exercise of her neutrality, especially the unimpeded supply of coals, horses, and ammunition to France for warlike purposes by England, and the evasive answers of Lord Granville to e questions in the House of Lords with reference to the representations of the North German Ambassador. Pub lic opinion in many quarters, already dissatisfied in this matter, is becoming embittered. It is officially stated that the conversation reported by the Daily Tele graph is so far correct that Count Bismarck said, " Not one foot of territory, whether Prussian or neutral, can I surrender," but it is formally denied that he hinted to the Emperor that some territorial concessions might be made to France, in case Prussia should be allowed to make fur ther acquisitions. THE FRENCH FLEET. A telegram from Copenhagen states that the French fleet was in sight yesterday. THE FRENCH ARMY. (FROM THE CORRESPONDENT OF THE CENTRAL PRESS.) NANCY, WEDNESDAY. Some important items of news have just reached me, and as I am very doubtful whether the telegraph wires would be allowed to convey the informa tion, I send it by letter. General Lebrun, Assistant-Major-General, and General Wolff, Quarter master-General, left Metz by night train yesterday for Paris, in order to report to the Emperor on the state of the army in the field. Their announcement has been pretty satisfactory, and it is expected that hostilities will commence at once. I have been informed from a good source that a movement forward would have been made sooner but for one defect, the inefficient state of the commissariat department. This has been unques tionably very bad. The arrangements at Metz remind one of nothing so much as those at Balaklava, though, of course, things were not so bad as at that famous scene of bungling. For instance, at Metz there has been plenty of provisions, but almost every secondary convenience has run short. The soldiers have been subjected to much difficulty in preparing and cook ing their food, &c. But all this has been overcome in the main, and we may now anticipate immediate and very serious business. The entire Imperial Guard encamped here has left for Metz. The cavalry of the Guard went this morning. We do not expect the Emperor here now that the Imperial Guard has gone. He will doubtless make Metz the centre of his operations. Every thing points to the conclusion that the first serious operations will be in the valley of the Moselle, on Prussian ground. If Marshal Bazaine can hold his ground, or advance with his army in that direction, MaeMahon will push forwardinto the enemy's country at Strasbourg. With respect to the late cavalry skirmish, the officers taken prisoners by the French Chasseurs the day before yesterday were brought into Metz, and taken to the Head Quarters of General Lebatuf. They are lodged at an hotel and well treated. One fact is noticeable ; they had money orders on Metz in their pockets. Your correspondent has suffered the usual fate of his race. I, with two French officers, was arrested yesterday near Metz, charged with being a spy. Correspondents will find much difficulty in following the Army unless the orders be relaxed. THE CONCENTRATION IN GERMANY. BERLIN, WEDNESDAY. The iron of the railways between this capital and the Rhine frontier is not allowed to grow cool. Ever since the declaration of war the transport of troops has pro ceeded most rapidly ; and it still goes on with as much vigour as before. The outbreak of the war found the North German army scarcely prepared ; but every day is remedying the deficiency. From early morn to a late hour at night, in many cases all night, endless trains of waggons crowd the lines about Berlin ; and every waggon is full of soldiers. The railway-stations re-echo with an uproar which Teu tons are not wont to produce. The enthusiastic public roars, " Gott mit euch," and " Auf, nach Paris." The relatives outside the carriages weep, and some of those inside snivel. But the latter display of emotion does not last long. The most tender-hearted man of the line soon comes round to a sense of his duty to the Fatherland, and he goes on his way with loud hurrahs, singing patriotic songs, and making neat speeches to the general success of German affairs. Desperate are the attempts' to buoy up the spirits of the departing warriors at every railway station. The people come in crowds to minister to the bodily wants of their defenders. Here a party of young Gretchens make a fine charge upon a carriage with a sup ply of coffee ; there the old peasant comes up in hot haste with his can of beer ; and yonder there is no resisting the matronly frau with her " zubrod." In the Capital the King every now and then appears to inspect and encourage any unusually large body that may be departing, and well is he always repaid for his trouble. There can be no question that an immense force is being directed from different parts of the kingdom to the centre of the war operations. But as to where it all goes, and as to its exact extent, we are quite in the dark. The German public actually knows more about the French army than its own. We are perfectly well aware that some 350,000 men are assembled on the French side ; and the positions of most of the corps are known with more or less accuracy. But of the Prussian troops absolutely nothing is published. The means of secrecy here are quite as complete as they are in France, perhaps more so ; and they have been adopted in a much less harsh and offensive manner. Instead of a gruff threat that publication of war move• ments will be severely punished, Vice that uttered by M. 011ivier, Count Eulenberg has sent a polite note to all the papers entreating them not to print news which might damage the interests of the Fatherland. It is true that if they had disregarded the polite request, the con sequences would have been serious, but the suaviter in modo had none the less a good effect in inducing all the papers to cheerfully coincide in helping the Government. The Paris journals grumble loudly at M. 011ivier's rude ness; here there is no complaint whatever. The papers will be at liberty to give accounts of battles after the danger of divulging facts has disappeared. Meanwhile, the first intelligence of events will be through the Govern ment bulletins. These, printed on orange coloured paper, were posted in all the conspicuous places during the war of 1866, and gave great satisfaction by their prompt appearance and general accuracy, though it must be remembered that, amid its continued successes, the Government had no induce ment whatever to represent anything but the truth. The bare facts were sufficiently dazzling without embellish ments. The plan will be renewed in 1870, and as a preli minary all orange coloured placards, save the official ones, are forbidden. Through this system everything is kept quite close, but we have reasons for guessing, with a great chance of success, that no very great force of Prussians has been massed close to the frontier, but that the army is mostly centred at Mayence. Of actual operations there has been little or none. We hear that a small force of thirty one men, belonging to the 7th Uhlans, crossed the frontier into French territory, and did a good deal of damage to the railway which runs from Saargemiind to Hagenau. They broke down one viaduct, and tore up a good length of rails. On another occasion an attack by French upon a small party of Prussian Cavalry, just on the borders, was repulsed without loss to the German side. THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY E VENING, J ULY 30, 1870. against, Belgium had really been entertained by his Govern ment it would have been easy to carry them out with the proffered assistance of Prussia, who is only anxious to secure the fruits of her victories. These suggestions were again made at the time of the Luxembourg affair. They were unwillingly received and categorically rejected by the Emperor. Finally, the Marquise de Lavalette was instructed formally to assure her Majesty's Government in these proposals the initiative was entirely taken by the Prussian Cabinet. M. de Lavalette then informed me that he received instructions by telegraph to acquaint me that the document in the handwriting of M. Bene detti was written by him under the dictation of Count Bismarck, who wished to entangle the French Govern ment in a conspiracy against the liberties of Belgium, and that then, as at other times, the scheme was posi tively rejected.—l am, sir, (Signed) '` GRANVILLE." The noble Earl said he did not mean the above as an answer to the question, but it was fully expected that other information would soon be received from Berlin other than that already communicated. THE FIRST PRISONERS OF WAR. In one of the letters of the Daily News written from Metz, July 26th, an account is given of the arrival of two German officers who were taken prisoners by a recon noitring party. The writer says :—" The Messirs, as the inhabitants of this place are called, have had to-day a most agreeable excitement. On coming out of my hotel this morning, I found that there was quite a crowd assembled opposite the Hotel de l'Europe. Of course I thought that another English journalist had been cap tured, and felt rather shy of making inquiries for fear of meeting with a similar fate myself. However, I soon learnt that this time it was not the Press, but Prussia, which had furnished the victims. It would seem that the prisoners belonged to a vedette of the Prussian army. They were surrounded by a party of French light horse, engaged in reconnoitring, preparatory to the French advance. I suspect, although, of course, none of the officers here will allow it exactly, that the captors were quite as much surprised at their good fortune as the captured at their ill-luck. An admiring crowd is contemplating the uniforms of the prisoners, being trusted in the yard of the Hotel ,de l'Europe, a process which seems to give them the keenest delight. One of the said uniforms, which I have had the distinguished honour of handling, is of light blue cloth, faced with red, with perfectly plain silver buttons. On it was pinned the bronze military medal of the Grand Duchy of Baden, at tached by a yellow riband, on which was the clasp for the Sadowa campaign with "1866 " upon it. On the red collar was the gold crown and star, indicating the rank of the wearer. The medal had a laurel crown, and the device " Fiir Ehre "—" For valour "—on it. The pri soners have been extremely well treated by the French, they are lodged at the best hotel in the place, and every comfort (except their liberty) afforded them. Baths have been sent for their use, and a tailor from the Bon Pasteur " store is now with them that the officers may have plain clothes to walk about in without attracting attention, as soon as they receive their parole. Nothing has been obtained from the prisoners as to the move ments or strength of the Prussians. Tbey at once declined to answer all questions, telling the French officer in charge of them that they were quite sure that if he in his turn were to be made prisoner, he would be the last to give any information which could possibly be of service to the enemies of his country. To this dignified and soldierlike reply there could, of course, be no answer, and the French officer in charge turned to neutral sub jects. He learnt that the destruction of the bridge be tween Kehl and Strasburg was owing to a misunder standing, or rather a mis-reading of the telegram. The engineer officer on duty at Kehl received a despatch from Berlin " Mine the bridge across the Rhine." As the bridge had been mined for several days, he naturally concluded that the telegram meant that the mine was to be lighted; he put the electric battery to work, and the bridge, one of the noblest engineering works in Europe, is now—at least on the German side—a heap of ruins. The work of destruction had barely been completed before he received a second despatch from Berhn, " On no account fire the mine until further orders." His dismay can be imagined. COUNT MOLTKE.—General Count Moltke's dis positions are now extending to Southern Germany, as is shewn by the successful blowing up of the bridge over the Rhine at Kehl. The General has become more taciturn than ever, and as this is well known scarcely anybody ever speaks to him, but everybody waits until he speaks. People here are so accustomed to his peculiarities and solitary habits, evidently the result of constant pondering over his duties, that they even feign not to see him when he passes. Yet he can express him self very fluently and vcry clearly on occasion, as I my self can testify, having heard him once explain the topo graphy of the seat of the Danish war. Some few days ago the tacit convention was broken by an individual who claims to be one of the grandees of the Bourse. " Well," he said on meeting the General in the street, " how are things getting on, General ?" " Thank you, sir," replied the General, "my rye crops are getting on beautifully, but my potatoes are very backward." The Bourse gentle man disappeared.—pailv News Correspondent at Berlin. TALK OF PEACE.—The Daily News Paris corres pondent sent a strange paragraph yesterday : While " dread ful note of preparation" is alone sounded by the organs of pub licity very extraordinary news reaches me, from which I inferthat serious hopes of peace are yet entertained by the magnates of the world. Lord Lyons has has been many hours to-day with the Duke de Gramont—indeed for the last week the British Ambassador has almost lived with him — so assiduous have been his endeavours to prevent the chassepots and mitrailleuses from doing their work of slaughter. Now wonderful as it must appear in the midst of all the symptoms we see, I am told the Emperor is hesitating. He has, according to most reliable informa tion which has reached me, been brought to fear the consequences of a coalition against him. He may, perhaps. dissimulate yet, and deceive the diplomatists who are negotiating with him as to his real intentions, but I have no hesitation in saying that at this moment the Cabinets of Europe are under a very strong impression that there will be no war. A piece of news indirectly bearing on the rumour of to-day giving currency to the possibility of peace is found in the Monitear de la Meurthe, which speaks of the abdication of the King of Prussia in favour of his son as on the cards. THE ONE CENTRE OF GERMAN DISCONTENT. — In one province alone there exists a class of " Irrecon enables? In Hanover a few noblemen have been arrested on the charge of high treason. Though the large majority of Hanoverians have long espoused the national cause, with which Prussia is identified, some brave but romantic men remain attached to the former Government, and will act up to their convictions. Besides the two Hano verian noblemen arrested at Weimar and Strelitz, three more have been detected and handed over to the judicial authorities at Hildesbeim, Bremerhefen, and Osnabruck. The names of the prisoners are Herr von Hartwig, Herr von Issendorf (both captains in the late Hanoverian army), and Herr von Bremer, late Privy Councillor in the service of King George. A Countess Kielmansegge has been likewise arrested on her estate, Blumenau, near Harburg, her husband having, it is said, effected his escape just in time. The prisoners are all said to be persons of the highest respectability. It seems to be one of the melancholy laws of history that fallen grandeur should drag down others with it. When ascending the English Throne the Hanover dynasty had for a period to wage war against many a brave Jacobite nobleman ; hi like manner, its own adherents, though fewer in number and, in accordance with the altered character of the times, far less dangerous than the Scottish cavaliers, are now opposed by a dynasty that has a still more recent title to greatness. It is asserted, though I do not know with what right, that the prisoners have been in correspen deuce with the French Government on the subject of a landing on the North Se% If they counted upon a popular rising, the futility of their designs may be per ceived by a glance at the Hanover press. The papers, of all shades and hues of opinion, the uelphic not excepted, protest against the misdirected loyalty of the accused. Times Berlin Correspondent. NO RESPECT TO PERSONS,—A special of the Telegraph, who has reached Frankfort, gives some inte resting details of the conscription. At St. Goarshausen some hundreds of horses, 'delivered by their owners to the authorities in virtue of the Governmental requisition, were collected by the river-side under the care of a few dragoons. Their immediate destination, I learned, was Coblentz, where they are to be classed as " reserve remounts." All the best horses in the country have been called in, to the great inconvenience of their proprietors. The Prussian system is, as you know, unsparing of persons. Let me give you one instance, out of the many that have come under my notice, of the grim impartiality with which it lays hold of every class. Many of your readers will remember the tall, good-looking, and courteous proprietor of the Hotel du Nord, in Cologne—a prosperous, wealthy man, quite a personage in Rhineland, an excellent linguist, and the head of a large commercial enterprise, which he has hitherto successfully man aged in person. On Saturday last he consigned eight of his best carriage horses to.. the army service and on Monday he himself was draughted into a Cuirassier regiment. Here is a man taken away from the conduct of his own interests and from his family, com pelled to sacrifice his substance, and to risk his life on the battle-field. Of course his case is not one whit the more deplorable than that of the humblest peasant snatched from his field or his vineyard—both jeopardise their existences for the Fatherland ; but the former outside that grand equalising stake, suffers actually a greater material loss than the latter, even taking into account their relative positions. In the towns, many of the shops are being shut up; for their occupants are obliged to assume needle-gun and helmet, and there is nobody to keep the business going. The hotels are becoming forlorn of waiters—a deprivation that is mitigated in its severity by the fact that but few guests are left to require the ministration of those obliging polyglottists. The exodus of foreigners from Germany during the past week been something astonishing. On arrivinc , here about midday I found the office of our excellent Consul, Mr. Kuchen, be leagured by English and French subjects —the latter hav ing been placed under his protection—the enfans perdus of summer wanderers, who had lingered on in the neigh bouring watering-places. hoping against hope that " every thing would be set straight—England would never allow France and Prussia to fight about nothing." What with a tremendous run upon passports, endless in terrogatories respecting " lines of route," despairing appeals for money advances—as bills upon London are "not to be done" just now in Frankfort—and the innu merable, persevering, and long-winded claims which bewildered British subjects deem they have an inborn right to inflict upon her Majesty's representatives abroad, poor Mr. Kuchen would have been badgered, coaxed, and worried out of his senses by this time, were he not one of the most good-natured, as well as industrious officials on the F. 0. list. ON THE RHINE.—At Coblenz (writes a corre spondent of the Pall Mall Gazette) a sense of security is so great that not a native resident family has left, or made a move to leave, and the future is awaited with calmness and confidence. Business is of course almost entirely suspended from the tremendous drafts made on those by whom business is carried on. To begin at the bottom, my barber is gone. My tailor yesterday came to wish me good-bye in his uniform. " I go," he said, "to Mainz ; there will soon be an end of me." This was accompanied by a significant movement of the finger towards the heart. " How about your wife," I asked. " Ach, Got ! she will be lucky if she gets gets a cup of gold water and a crust of bread." My daily supply of artificial ice is stopped ; the man who made it has gone, the man who delivered it has gone, and my "Eis-schrank " has become anincumbrance. The man who used to drive me to Ems and who whistled all the way and cracked his whip as an accompaniment has gone one way, his horses another ; they will never meet again. A widow woman who depended on her two sons to carry on her trade saw them off. As the train moved off, she turned round with white and quivering lips, and said, " Oh, that I had six sons, that I might send them all !" This is not a weak attempt at fine writing, but what I heard with my ears, and I am writing from a province said to be infected with French proclivities. IMPERIAL PA EILIAT4E HOUSE OF LORDS.- FRIDAY. The Lord Chancellor took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. THE SECRET TREATY. Tho Earl of MALMESBURY asked the noble earl opposite whether he could give any further information as to the treaty published the other day in the Times. Earl GRANVILLE said a dispatch had been placed in his hands, received by Count Bernstoff, from Berlin, which he would read to their lordships as translated. From Count Bismarck, communicated July 28. " You will communicate to Lord Granville the follow ing, reserving a further written explanation :—The draft of the treaty published in the Times contains one of the nume rous propositions which have been made to us since the Danish conflict up to recent times, through official and non-official French agents, in order to bring about a treaty between Prussia and France for objects of mutual aggran disement. I send to you the tenor of another proposition made to us in June, 1866, also following an offensive and defensive alliance, according to which France promised us the aid of 30,000 men against Austria, and an aggrandise ment of six to eight millions, for the cession of a tract of land between the Rhino and the Moselle. The impossi bility for me to agree to such proposition was certainly clear to everybody with the sole exception of the French diplomacy. After we had refused to agree to this or other propositions in June, 1866, the French Government began to speculate on our defeat in the profit it might derive from it, and to prepare it diplomatically. Since the "patriotic fancy" of M. Rouher, France never ceased to lead us into temptation by propositions at the expense of Germany and Belgium. For the sake of France I kept the secret, and treated the propositions in a dilatory manner. When the moremodest French designs with reference to Luxembourg had been counteracted by events which are publicly known, the now extensive propositions embracing Belgium and Southern Germany were renewed. It is at this time, 1867, that Count Benedetti's manuscript was communi cated to me. That the French Ambassador should have drawn up this draft with his own hand, and repeatedly conferred with me on the subject, without the consent of his Sovereign, is impossible. The different phases of French discontentment and warlike inclination which we experienced from 1866 up to the Belgian railway question, coincided with the inclination or reluctance the French agents expected to meet with on my part regarding these transactions. The final conviction that no terri torial aggrandisement for France could be obtained, with our co-operation, has undoubtedly confirmed the resolution to gain it by war against us. I have some rea to believe that if this publication had not taken place, France would have proposed to ns after the completion of her war and of our preparations for war, to enforce Count Benedetti's propositions at the head of the two armies against unarmed Europe, that is to say, to con clude peace at the expense of Belgium. The draft of the treaty which was in our hands, and which Lord A. Loftus has seen, is, from beginning to end, including corrections, in Count Benedetti's own handwriting, well known to the English Ambassador. If the French Cabinet deny ten dencies for which it has constantly tried to obtain our con sent since 1864, by varying promises and demands, this seems very natural under present political circumstances. (Signed) " BISMARCK." Yesterday M. Lavalette had made a statement which he would read to their Lordships from a dispatch in which it was embodied : From Earl Granville to Lord Lyons. "Foreign Office, July 29, 1870. "My Lord,—The French Ambassador called on me on the 28th instant, for the purpose of communicating to me the purport of a dispatch which had been addressed to his Excellency by the French Minister for Foreign Affairs on the subject of the pretended Secret Treaty, published in the Times. In that despatch, which M. Lavalette was good enough to read to me, the Duc de Gramont observed that the very form in which the treaty was drawn up, and the terms in which it is couched, sheaved clearly whence it came, and deceived no one. Those who have watched the course of European affairs since the accession to office of M. de Bismarck, are aware from which side come those suggestions which are now attributed to France. Ever since the year 1865 M. de Bismarck has constantly endeavoured to carry out his own plans by endeavouring to turn the attention of the French Government to terri torial aggrandisement. He told M. de Lefebve de Behaine, the Charge de Affairs at Berlin, that Prussia would willingly recognise the right of France to extend her borders wherever the French language is spoken, thereby indicating certain Swiss cantons beside Belgium. These overtures the Government of the Empire declinld to entertain. The following year, immediately after the battle of Sadowa, similar proposals were made at Brunn to M. de Behaine, and on that occasion Count Bismarck told me that the course of France was clear. The French Government should go to the King of Belgium and explain that the inevitable increase to Prussian territory and influence was most disquieting to their security, and that the sole means of avoiding these issues would be to meet the destinies of Belgium and France by bonds so close that the Belgian monarchy, whose autonomy would, however, be respected, would become in the north a real bulwark and safety to France. Further, respecting a conversation with Count Bismarck, in July, 1866, the French Government informs M. Gramont that he reported nothing new in stating that M. de Bismarck is of opinion that compensation should be sought by the French in Belgium, and offered to come to an understanding on the subject. The Government of the Emperor, the Due de Gramont went on to say, de dined to listen to these proposal, and when at a later period they sought a rectification of their territory, they expressly declined to mention even the name of Belgium. The Duc de Gramont then points out that if such designs THE EDUCATION BILL. Their lordships then went into committee on the Elementary Education Bill. The first two clauses were agreed to without discussion, and Earl Russell moved in Clause 3 to introduce an amendment, the object of which was the appointment of a Minister of Education, who should have power to vote in the Council, and who should have sole control over the education department.—Earl de Grey, after paying a corn pliinent to the noble earl for the exertions he had made in the cause of education, asked him not to press the amendment at the present moment. He said there was no necessity for the appoint ing of such a Minister as far as the particular working of the department was concerned. At present there were persons of the greatest experience in the council, and with respect to the future he thought it would be wise first to ascertain what was the exact working of the bill before they proceeded to appoint a Minister armed with the functions set out in the amendment. He did not ask the House to reject the pro position, as he hoped his noble friend would withdraw the amendment.—The Duke of Richmond thought the pre sent bill was not the proper one upon which,to raise the question of the appointment of a Minister of Education, and if the noble Earl went to a division he should give his vote against the proposal. The amendment was then negatived without a division, the voice of Earl Russell being the only non-content audible. The Duke of Marlborough moved to insert a proviso at the end of clause 4, but as it altered the area of rating it was declared to be informal. The clause was then agreed to, as were clauses 5 and 6. Upon clause 7, regulating the conduct of the schools, the Bishop of Carlisle moved to strike out the words " a copy of the regulations should be conspicuously put up in every such school," because the parents would rarely enter the room and also because it was undesirable to keep those regulations constantly before the eyes of the scholars. The best way of making the parents acquainted with the regulation was to send them a printed copy of them. The proposition was rejected. The clause was then agreed to, as were the six following clauses, none of the amendments moved being pressed to a division. On clause 14 an amendment was moved by Lord Colchester, the object of which was to admit teaching of religious catechisms or formularies. where a majority of the ratepayers petitioned in favour of such being done. Earl De Grey said such an amendment would subvert the whole principle of the clause. The Marquis of Salisbury, in the most sarcastic manner, con demned the clause as being so loosely drawn that no two persons could agree in its interpretation. Lord Claren don defended the clause, and the amenements being negatived without a division, the clause was agreed to. Clauses to 22 inclusive were agreed to. The Duke of Marlborough suggested the addition of a clause empowering the ratepayers to transfer the management of a school from the school board to the trustees with the consent of the Education Board, and of a majority of the school board. Earl De Grey said he would consider the mattes previous to the bringing up of the report. The Duke of Richmond moved the omission of clause 23, which empowers the managers of a school to alter the re gulations affecting the teacher. The Government, not strongly objecting, the clause was struck out. Clause 24 was agreed to. Clause 25, establishing free schools to special cases, on the motion of Lord Lyttelton, was struck out after a division, the numbers being for the clause 61, against it, 65. Clauses 26 to 72 were agreed to without any material alteration. A discussion took place on the 73rd clause, setting out the age of the children attending school, the age set out in the bill not less than 5 or more than 13. The Marquis of Salisbury thought seven ought to be the earliest age, whilst the Earl of Shaftesbury moved amendments to make the ages respectively 4 and 10. The ages fixed by the bill were ultimately agreed to on the understanding that a proviso standing in the name of the Earl of Har rowby that full notice of any bye law made under this clause should be most widely pnblished before the Educa tional Department gave its sanction to it. The remain der of the clauses were then agreed to. On the second schedule the Duke of Richmond moved an amendment with a view of eliminating from the schedule the provi sion requiring the election of school boards by ballot. Earl De Grey defended the proposition. On a division there appeared for the amendment 72 against 53. The bill was then passed, and the report was ordered to be taken on Monday. The other orders having been disposed of, their lord hips adjourned at 20 minutes past one. HOUSE OF COMMONS.-FRIDAY. The Speaker took the chair at ten minutes past two o'clock. THE FRENCH FLEET IN THE BALTIC. Mr. STAPLETON gave notice of his intention to ask the First Minister of the Crown whether contracts had been eutered into with the French fleet in the Baltic to supply coal direct from this country. CHURCH-RATES IN SCOTLAND. Mr. MTAREN gave notice that next session he should ask leave to bring a Bill for the abolition of church-rates in Scotland. WAR PRIZES. Admiral ERSKINE asked the Under Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if the decree, a copy of which appears in the Times of the 28th July, and in which Prussia renounces her rights as a belligerent to capture or seize as prizes of war French merchant vessels, except under circumstances which would render neutral vessels liable to capture, was authentic : and, if the French Govern meat have sent to her Majesty's Government the instructions to their consuls regarding French and Prus sian merchant vessels, as promised to the Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs previous to the 21st instant. Mr. OTWAY replied that he had not a copy of the Times with him, but he did see, either yesterday or the day be fore, an authentic copy of the Prussian instructions in the Times. With regard to the second part of the question, the Government had had no specific communication with the French Consular Office. STEAM COAL. Mr. FOTHERGML called attention to the quality of the steam coal in use in her Majesty's steam fleet. A long discussion followed, but no particular result was arrived at. SUPPLY. The House went into Committee of Supply on the vote of £73,150 being proposed for medical stores for the navy service.—Mr. Russell-Gurney objected to the estimate for the purpose of carrying out the Contagious Diseases Acts, and he moved the reducing the vote by £3,700. He remarked that although an inquiry had been promised by the Government into the working of the Act, steps had been taken in Southampton as if the Government had acted upon a foregone conclu sion.—Mr. Childers replied that no steps had been recently taken with respect to the extension of the acts at Southampton, and it was not intended to make any permanent arrangements there until the in quiry was concluded.—Mr. Henley remarked that the means which had been adopted for the stifling of discussion both in the House and elsewhere made the public doubt the bona fides of the Government, He wanted a positive assurance that no steps would be taken to interfere with the operations of the acts until Parliament had expressed an opinion on their merits.-- Mr. Childers observed that whether the acts were ex tended or altogether stopped, it would ap pear to be a foregone conclusion. So long as the acts were in force they must be put in operation, but he. had tried to steer a middle course. The vote was then agreed to. Several other orders were agreed to, and the sitting was suspended to seven o'clock. Short!y after the reassembling of the House, further votes in Committee of Supply were taken. The other orders of the day were disposed of, and the House adjourned at 20 past two o'clock. TIIE ORWIC a CROWN BANK. —Lady Hen rietta Harvey has executed a deed by which she transfers to the creditors of the bank all her interest in her hus band's property. 4 bill has been filed in Chancery for the administration of Sir Robert Harvey's estate. DOGS AND THE DOG-DAYS. The horrible disease that Homer speaks of in dogs, and Aristotle discredits in men, is more talked of at this season than any other. Whether more or less prevalent in hot weather, it is certain that as the thermometer rises it is more widely discussed, and although much of the talk consists in refutations of the "popular prejudice" that connects the frequent occurrence of hydrophobia with the dog-days, there is room for a suspicion that the oppo nents of that theory do not really believe in their own assertion, but are whistling., as boys do in grave-yards, to keep up their courage. The truth is that, let the sta tistics be what they may, the public have a greater dread of mad dogs in July and August than in any other months. It is also the fact that the greatest number of unequivocal cases of the disease declare themselves at these times of the year—that is during October and No vember—which lead to the inference that it was incurred at Midsummer. Common belief often turns out to be right, while scientific arguments are not always in fallible; and it is quite probable that this is the case in re gard to the season for hydrophobia. At the quarterly meet ing of the Medical Board of the Eastern Dispensary, Dr. Garrish read a lecture, which, Vesicles sustaining the popular view on this point, contained some important facts and advice. Dr. Garrish declared that gross errors prevail concerning the signs of madness in the dog, and also concerning the remedies for the bite when madness actually exists. He says the rabid dog new• has fits, and that epilepsy is a clear proof of the absence of rabies. A mad dog, he also affirms, does not shun the water. "It will stand and lap the water, with no spasm attending the. effort to swallow, but swallowing little on account of the invariale paralysis of the muscles about the jaws and throat." "By this sign," Dr. Garrish adds, " the mad dog may invariably be detected." He strongly disapproves the use of stimu lants for the supposed effect of neutralising the poison of either dogs or reptiles, and recommends instead, excision, escharotics, and the vapour bath. Some interesting state ments were made by other physicians aresent at this lec ture. Several among them stated that they had never been called upon to treat a case of hydrophobia; and the apothecary of the dispensary said that while he had frequent applications for relief on ac count of dog-bites he had known of no instance of hyrdophobia resulting from them. The general experience seemed to corroborate authentic records which shew the proportion of cases of hydrophobia to be small as compared with population, although it was admitted that certain districts at given times have been peculiarly subject to it. The number of bites a rabid dog has to inflict for one fatal result has some analogy to the number of bullets required to kill one individual in battle. Only one in from twenty-one to twenty-five persons bitten by such animals has been found to suffer from hydrophobia. It is, nevertheless, proper to be cautious, not only at this, but at all seasons. Children should be prevented from playing too much with dogs, and it is wise, even with the trustiest canine favourites, to shut them up in a cool, shady place during the heat of the day. It 'is a merciful act to keep dogs out of the sun in hot weather, and with a good supply of fresh water there is very little danger of their contracting the most horrible of all the maladies to which they are liable.—New York Times. BUSINESS DEPRESSION IN CALIFORNIA. All accounts, both from private and public sources, indicate a state of extreme depression in business matters in the Pacific States. Real estate in San Francisco is " dead," mining stocks are in little demand, retail and wholesale business is very dull, and there seems no money floating in the community. Every one " feels poor," and for the first time since the foundation of the State there is talk of economy, and the need is felt of retrench ing every branch of expenditure. The great cause of this unfortunate dullness of trade is, as is well known, the Pacific Railroad, which was dreamed of and hoped for as the great blessing of the State. There has been no great panic, or financial disaster, or important failure of crops, or dearth of precious metals in the mines. The great basis of prosperity and financial wealth—the agricultural interest—remains substantially untouched. The simple fact is that California is now brought near the Eastern States, and all who carry on the ex changes of the country must compete with the retailers or wholesale dealers of other sections. Hitherto they have enjoyed a " protective tariff," laid by nature in separations by mountains and deserts of three thousand miles. Now, free commu nication is opened, and the commission-merchant of Chi cago, or the dry-goods dealer of St. Louis, or even the jeweller of New York, sends his wares right to Virginia, City, or Stockton, or San Francisco, and beats his Cali fornian competitor out of the field. It is an unpleasant position just now for the business community of California with their "free and easy " ways, but it is a healthy one. We can look with no pleasure on such extravagance as that which has prevailed in the Pacific State. The reck less habit of the people has not been favourable to the cultivation of the best types of character. Nothing is so wholesome for a community as the exercise of self denial and a reasonable habit of economy. Until now money has been thrown about in California as if it were pebbles. What was easily won was easily lost. Neither children nor men were trained to save. And where legitimate industry did not bring fortune, the old gambling habit was renewed in speculation in the mines. It thus came about that every branch of industry was carried on extravagantly. The farm ing of the State, which ought to produce an untold mine of wealth to the people for centuries to come, is wearing out the richest lands ever granted to the hand of man. It will not be very many years before the finest farming lands in California will be no better than the worn-out fields of Virginia. Had it not been for the in troduction into California of the most economical race of labourers and producers in the world—the Chinese—the Statewould have been ruined byits extrava,gance.Thepresent change will come on the heated brains of the people like a cold douche, and will be exceedingly wholesome. Each man will begin to count the cost of his undertakings. He will be forced to do as ordinary mortals in other countries, and watch where his leakages in household ex penses are. Servants' wages must come down. People of small incomes will wear fewer silks and less jewellery. Half dollars will no longer be treated as ten cent. pieces. And, as all articles of consumption will become cheaper, each producer and dealer will be indirectly benefited. The Pacific Road must soon cheapen labour. The wheat crop of California will always be in demand in Europe, and this year, apparently, more than ever. New markets will be opened for its fruits in the Centre of our continent, Trade will spring up again, and the present depression be in the end a healthful experience for the whole commu nity.—New York Times. THE RED RIVER DIFFICULTY. A free intercourse with all the officials of the Provi sional Government convinces me that the Red River dif ficulty has come to an end. The Legislative Council has been summoned by President Riel to assemble on Thurs day t > take the Manitoba Bill into consideration, and there is no doubt that the bill will be accepted. The mem bers of the Cabinet all express themselves as being ex ceedingly gratified at the aspect of affairs, and predict that ' the new Governor, Mr. Archibold, will be cordially wel comed by all. In conversing with them upon the events of the past year a new view is obtained of the origin and conduct of the Provisional Government. They state that when the news of the sale of Rupert's Land to Canada by the Hudson Bay Company reached the Red River settlements Canadian surveyors were already here, not only making out private property as public lands, but appropriating the best localities to themselves and their friends in Canada. They even went so far as to enter the suburbs of Winnipeg and lay out private town lots into farms for themselves ; and the reader will remember, if he perused much of the published correspondence between the Dominion Government and its official and unofficial agents in the north-west, that nearly every one of these agents referred in their correspondence to farms and town lots which they had " pre-empted " in these settlements. The whole population of Red River was in commotion before Governor McDougal made his appearance, and the matter was getting so serious that Bishop Tache wrote to the Dominion Government asking if it had jurisdiction over the settlements, and by what authority Colonel Dennis and his surveyors were marking out the lands ? The Dominion Government replied that as yet it did not claim to exercise jurisdiction over the North-west, and upon this becoming known to the settlers they united without regard to nationality in ejecting the surveyors from the country. A more extensive land stealing operation was never attempted than that of the Canadian speculators at Red River. It will also be re membered that the first convention, which assembled here, was composed of English, Scotch, and French equally, and that the whole settlements, with the exception of a few individuals, joined together in excluding McDougal, and framing a bill of rights demanding that Canada should give some pledge of protection to private interests and the rights of the inhabitants of this region before she sent out her officials and leeches to prey upon it. The exceptional in dividuals referred to were Dr. Schultz and two or three other persons here who saw an opportunity to leap into Cana dian favour and the lap of fortune by the display of great loyalty to the Queen, and, incited by them, a band of Canadians assembled at Schultz's house for the purpose of putting down the opposition to McDougal. The ridi culous figure made by that crowd of Canadian cormo • rants in the Schults campaign is already well known to ' all. Schultz fled from Red River, and " turned up "in Canada as a howling patriot ; but there needs no more striking commentary upon the action of himself and his associates than the fact that the Dominion Government has practically ignored his clique of filibusters, and not only recognised theProvisionalGovernment by treating with it through Commissioners, but has granted b act of Par liament every claim demanded by the Red River people. Those here who were deluded into uniting with Schultz, now admit without exception that, had Schultz succeeded, McDougal would have been invited in without any ceremony, and Schultz and his ring would have had full swing for themselves in the division of spoil, and that not a single right now guaranteed to the people would ever have been attained without revo lution and bloodshed, which would inevitably have followed. Every man in the Red River settlements now sees how nearly all the evils which they have complained of as resulting from the course of Riel and his associates came to being eclipsed by great calamities, and there is a feeling of respect for the provisional government entering the breasts of its enemies, which will eventually acknowledge the obligation this country is under to Riel and his associ ates. The civil officers appointed under the provisional government are all performing their duties fatisfactorily throughout the settlements. The Hudson Bay Company is transacting its business here just the same as ever, and perfect tranquillity prevails. The Indians are all friendly in their intercourse with the settlements, and the cloud of war which a few weeks ago looked so threatening, is melting away, leaving every one contented and hopeful.— Corres pondent of the New York Herald. THE DARIEN CANAL. The United States surveying vessels have gone home on the setting in of the rainy season, leaving unsurveyed the only part where a canal can be made. The New York Herald of the 20th ultimo is' out again in favour of the Nicaragua route over the Panama. The chief obstacle, according to the Herald, consists in having to cut through a geological backbone of mountains, running through New Granada and Costa Rica, excepting a gully " which the Panama rail road creeps through. That is the very " gully " through which the canal can be cut—no locks needed, and fifty miles long instead of 200 as the Herald asserts. Let us have a survey of this " gully " of the railroad before we give up our convictions to the assertions of Captain Bed ford Pim with his twenty million dollar Nicaragua canal, and the New York Herald, which will have Darien or Panama at no price whatever.—Panama Star and Herald. HISTORICAL REFLECTIONS. Governor Seymour, in his recent interesting historical address at Cornell University, took occasion to claim for the Hollanders, who made the earliest settlements on the banks of the Hudson, and in the Mohawk valley, credit for some of the best phases of our civil and poli tical history. The United States of the Nether lands presented all the leading features of the United States of America, although their ad justments were less perfect. And it was to the superior political principles planted by the Hollanders in the colonial and revolutionary eras, that Governor Sey mour ingeniously traced the superior influence of New York over the constitutional history of the country. The difference, historically, between Nev7i England and. New York was that while the former claimed all that be longed to her, and set up enduring monuments wherever a battle was fought or a field won, the latter had been unjust to its founders, and untrue to history, in allowing the record of the achievements to perish.—Boston Adver tiser. AFFAIRS IN CUBA. HABANA, July 12, 1870. A meeting of the prominent slave owners of the western section of Cuba was held at the Captain General's palace yesterday. Captain General de Rodas was chosen Presi dent. After a discussion of the subject of the abolition of slavery in Cuba a committee composed of 25 of those present was appointed to consider the matter and report at the earliest date possible the most feasible and liberal plan for the abolition of slavery throughout the island, said committee to initiate the movement by imme diately carrying out the provisions of the plan adopted. After the completion of the plan it will be presented to the Spanish Cortes for approval. The meeting was very harmonious, all being unanimous in the belief that slavery must be abolished, and accepting the measure as patriotic and in accordance with the spirit of the century. Captain General de Rodas, acting in concert with the Government of Spain, has ordered an election for Deputies to represent the Island of Cuba in the Spanish Cortes. It is expected that the election will take place before the end of August. The Cubans, in the district of Camaguey, who were recently in rebellion against the Spanish authorities, and have returned to their allegiance, are now working on their plantations. Arms have been given them by the Government; and they are now organising for self-protection against the insurgents or any roving bands that may appear in that section. General Goyeneche has relieved General Portillo of the command of the Cinco Villas district. THE " NEW YORK HERALD" ON THE SITUATION IN EUROPE. At the present moment, war is as likely as not. France seems to wish it, and Prussia is not afraid. If war does break out it will be after a fashion such as the world has never seen before. The military art has shared the ad vantages of modern progress. The vast and rapidly accu mulating resources of science are as available for pur poses of destruction as they are for ameliorating the con dition of mankind. War between France and Prussia, the two most gigantic military Powers of Europe—if always we leave Russia and Great Britain out of the question—will be short, sharp, and decisive beyond every previous war on a corresponding scale of magnitude in the whole history of the world. In our own civil war, in the war of 1866 between Prussia and Austria, in the war of 1859-60, between Austria on the one hand and Italy and France on the other, we had glimpses of the new agents which, by making war destructive beyond all concep tion, promise to hasten the time when war will be num bered with the things that were. It was the railroad and the telegraph, more than our superiority in numbers, that gave us the victory over our Southern brethren. It was the skilful use of those two agents that gave Prussia the victory of Sadowa, and that added to the glories of the French Empire the names of Magenta and Solferino. Had the First Napoleon been privi leged to make use of these two agents his wondrous faculty for combining and concentrating his forces would have made easy not the conquest of Europe only, but of the world. For ages war was conducted very much on the same principle. The first great revolu tion in the art of war was the Roman road. This it was which made the conquests, of Rome more rapid, more extensive, and more enduring than those of Greece. With the decline of the Roman power came the decay of the magnificent causeways that made the Roman Empire a practical unit. War in consequence during the Dark Ages was conducted very much after the fashion of village brawls. The dawn of modern Europe was marked by the invention of gunpowder and the use of firearms, as well as by the discovery of the art of printing. With increasing knowledge war gra dually assumed larger proportions and revealed more dangerous tendencies. The armies of the sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth centuries, in point of bulk, recalled the armies of ancient Rome. The wars that grew out of the Revolution of 1789, the wars of Napoleon and Wellington, made the wars of Conde and Turrenne, of Marlborough and Eugene insignificant in, comparison. But during the twenty years that followed the French Revolution there was nothing which could compare with that rapidity of movement and concentration of force which culminated at Solferino, or with that series of blows which laid Austria prostrate on the field. Our own war, as we have said already, furnishes numerous and striking examples of the advantages of the two agents, the railroad and the telegraph. It is not to be denied however, that if war were to break out between Prussia, and Austria, the collision and the oonsequences would be something terrifically new in the history of human ex perience. Blood would be poured forth in actual, not figurative, torrents. Lives would be sacrificed not by thousands only, but by hundreds of thousands. k But the struggle could not be of long duration, and the result might be final, if not absolutely and on all hands satisfactory. It is natural enough to put to one's self the question, who will win ? It is not, however, a question that admits of easy answer. Both Powers are strong, and both are fully prepared. The actual French army imme diately available is, perhaps, the larger. B u t ever y Prus sian is a trained soldie r , and the military arrangements of Prussia are such that there could not, unless the war was greatly protracted, be any lack of men. In the homoge neous character of her population it is not to be denied France has a certain advantage. This advantage, how ever, it has often seemed to us, is greatly overestimated. It is true that North Germany is occasionally a reluctant unit. It is true also that, while by military treaty Prus sia claims the armies of Bavaria, of Wurtemberg and of Baden, these South German States sometimes reveal a spirit which is anything but favourable to the continuance of Prussian supremacy. All this true. It is true too, that Frenchmen count on German support when they cross the Rhine. Herein lies the mistake. The Germans are one. although they recognise different masters. They may quarrel among themselves, but they will n o t j o i n th e stranger in a crusade againt the Fatherland. Germans may reveal division so long as they contend only with each other ; . but the German people become one the moment the foot of the invader touches the soil. It was in a great measure German lukewarmness that made the hand of Austria so feeble in '66. The soldiers of Prussia fought with spirit because they fought for fatherland. The German soldiers of Austria fought feebly because they fought against fatherland. It must not, therefore, be imagined that the South German States will welcome the invader, especially when that invader is France. There is one other consideration which ought not to be overlooked. As events are now shaping themselves the presumption is that Prussia will have the advantage of fighting in the outset at least on her own soil. " Pro arts et focis,' for hearth and home, no section of the German race but knows how to fight. End the war when and how it may it cannot fail to make an onward progress of th e I race. t will place Europe primarily under entirely new conditions. James Cooper, of Merrion-street, Leeds, formerly a cloth merchant, has been committed for trial on a charge of forging two bills of exchange, one for £3O and one for £5O. COAL CONTRABAND OF WAR.—A correspondent of the Times has drawn attention to the fact that, with the present conditions of naval warfare, coal is contraband, of war, and ought at once to be declared so by Government. Unless this is done promptly, we cannot, he maintains, be impartially ne u t ra l, as one o f the combatants has sent hor navy to blockade her enemy's ports, which she will probably be able to do for a time, and by supplying her with an article of prime necessity to a steam navy, England is really lending her direct and potent aid. BIRTHS. On the 28th inst., at 79, Harley-street, the wife of George Dunn, Esq., of a son. On the 25th inst., at West Lodge, Northfleet, Kent, the wife of J. H. Tillyer, Esq., of a daughter. MARRIAGES. On the 26th inst., at Hoxne, Suffolk, the Rev. F. W. Peel, rector of Burgh Wallis, Yorkshire, to Emily, the daughter of Sir Baldwin Wake Walker, Bart., of The Deeperhaugh, Suffolk. On the 28th inst., at Si. Stephen's, Hampstead, Joseph, only surviving son of Charles Wm. Aldridge, Esq., of Myddelton-square, to Elizabeth, eldest daughter of G. C. Steet, Esq., F.R.C.S., of Hampstead. DEATHS On the 27th inst. at 62, Highbury New-park, P. R. Protheroe, Esq., , aged 44. On the 27th inst., at Keele Hall, Staffordshire, Ralph Sneyd, Esq., aged 76. London : Printed by GIDEON ACLAND BOYCE, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, and Published by him at THE SUN Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of he Savoy, in t County of Middlesex. Saturday, July 30, 1870.