The Sun. — London, England, 1870-12-17 00:00:00

, .............• WELL. have been vat extent, labouring d•populous, a good deal be hoped idly volun ke ()hint' to the 5 w ill not b e works COw It. PhiliP% utterbuck Lice. A souP in H a uetee d, and solve. t is remark ed tion eat lee e en who ar e mwarative l l them. T he half-starv ea this Christ' incumbent name w e ' s time o f the is raising ! rusand of hi s ial purposes, of a situg° School, the ident Pool undertaking° E STAO. &TIONS. delegates wi' s yesterday t ° ig the recently .ansmission of The meet" Home Trad e rancis Taylor' Birmingham' d a number of Letters were from LiYer' Worcester', I many other ig stated t 1 : 11 mw, remind ed he ed upon hire i ; parcel post. [lowing re oll.l. this meetirkg ne Trade s in the regul ar unples throug h e Ist July laStf, L on the part or a societies, and to urge upon •escinding these ne Trade Aso its for an inter• to convene 9 vents are ear lON. dian section o f rer's directions , ;hel2th, thanic 4 . Vignoles with arty. Throug h nts were talceh Tona ; and thes .akage occurre d ntended leaving on ThursdAP ttmost in the° FRAUDS. rchasers of the the Stourbridg e i without dela' nultaneouslY, adamus again" n the Lande 4 he appeal of t 1 unto of Londe al should be °° tenants are or ,om. The judg! nply would be '" s themselves. hLLIERS —2 ,o fell in the late ig the previol nen in charge 0 „, the retreat fill' at Petit-l3rT the same ger exactness ten 1 „ 13 re able to keeY, b back to thee ) c sepulture wel t :, Taluables pon them . We re , a s. When 6% ,ance (the ho t.,. ; 'any intermeo,, 4 over but it ,ext day, and the with their heave 'l' part of the', The numbers 0 1 as, who declar e mple inscriptil irmounted by O HARA C 01 1; uctuations of th ;hanging says, " and 11 ° rs and that st oi c rtues. A n othing Paris achie ve ping sons of vi e ' -entry into ti l A ° despite two r ow n by Versailles* all confidenc e ; eans, we believe° once complete. ans and we were,, was lost. The All is over' the enemy, an; 3ountry is save;, of despaierneo ,er a defeat, it interested Nval o v ourselves f the work n ",, ue Republican %) A the PrussizOi ce will onlY last array sh , orels then push or e Ice has yet 1 11 ,,, t , d th ose who' , gyp ldiera daily. i , st ) ch will pro f ;ue we nee'. LATEST INTELLIGENCE. SUN OFFICE, 8 . +•M. THE NV - A-B THE SIEGE OF PARIS. VERSAILLES, December 16 (5.30 p.m.) The forts are quiet, the new battery outside Val - rein shelling abortively. A French detachment suddenly appeared at Cha teaudun, but were driven out yesterday. The Bridge of Blois has been blown up. Several attempts at assassination have been made near Versailles. The weather is fine. Batteries are being prepared. HEADQUARTERS OF THE CROWN PRINCE OF PRUSSIA, VERSAILLES, December IG. The German troops are everywhere in good spirits, watching keenly for any movement of the French. The Wurtemburgers and Saxons, who lost so heavily in the recent sorties, are perfectly ready to renew the fight, and the German field works have been strengthened with a view to future use. On the other hand the French are very active, and seem to hold every point of importance. They have decidedly advanced their line of defence to the east ward by guns planted on the peninsula of La Varenne, in the bend of the Marne, and by a battery at Avron, in front of Fort Rosny. The feeling of the German troops is in favour of a bombardment, and the men grumble much because Paris is spared. It is .doubted whether the experi ment will be tried yet awhile. It would lead to a very serious artillery duel, and to large sorties by the whole French garrison. RUMOURED BATTLE OUTSIDE PARIS. Rumours were current at Lille yesterday (the 16th) of a fresh sortie from Paris. The E.ho du Nord, alluding thereto, says there is some talk of the French having invested Versailles, and the German staff being surrounded. The report is not credited. There is, however, a firm belief there to-day that some important military event has occurred, the details of which are awaited with great impatience. TIIE GERMANS RETURING TO AMIENS. HAVRE, December 16. The Germans are retreating from Havre, and are returning to Amiens, by Dieppe. They are said to number 12,000 men, with 12 guns. ANOTHER ENGAGEMENT ON THE LOIRE. Advices from Bordeaux of the 15th state that M. Gambetta was still with the Army a the Loire, and that he announces a combat between General Chanzy and the Prussians on the previous day. The General still maintained his position. THE CAPTURE OF MONTMEDY. A despatch lrom Longuyor, dated the 15th, says that the Prussians yesterday (the 14th) entered Montmedy. 3,000 prisoners and 65 guns were captured, and nearly 300 German prisoners released. The toss during the bombardment of the Germans is stated to be very large. SORTIES FROM BELFORT. Intelligence has been received that the defence of Belfort was being carried .in the most vigorous manner, sorties taking place very frequently up to the 15th. The forest of Bosmont, Grand Bois, and the village of Artilmans had been captured by the Germans, with the loss of 79 men and two officers. The French loss is put down at 90 men and one officer. OCCUPATION OF BEAUMONT. A despatch from the Prussian Head-quarters at Versailles, dated the 15th, states that Beaumont, after a short engagement, had been occupied by the German army. The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg reports that his pursuit of the enemy had been in terrupted by a body of 2,000 hostile marauders, which he fell in with between Queques and Mayes. CLOSING CF FRENCH PORTS. BORDEAUX, December 15. The Government of Defence, says Le France, in order to prevent the re-victualling of the Prus sians, have given directions for theblockade of Havre, Dieppe, and Fecamp. Vessels will be allowed eleven days to leave these ports. The passenger traffic is closed between Terguingny and Rosen, between Le Mans and Tours, and also between Angers and Tours. The latest mails arrived here are the English of the 10th, and the Belgian of the 9th. GERMAN REINFORCEMENTS. BERLIN, December 10. One hundred and fifty thousand men who have been called to the standards by the recent levies in Germany aro about to pass the Rhine, and will pro ceed partly to reinforce the army of General von \Verde; and partly to fill up the gape which have been caused in the besieging armies around Paris by the recent battles. ARREST OF FEDERAL SOLDIERS. The Echo du Parlement of Brussels, of December 16, says that 234 French soldiers have just been arrested by Belgian troops on the Luxemburg fron tier, and have been conducted to Namur. The Prussian brig Alma, bound from Hamburg to Buenos Ayres, and which was captured by the French frigate La Circee on the 21st September, near Monte Video, was brought into Brest on the 15th. The French are massing large quantities of troops at Cherbourg for instant protection. BRUNSWICK ANNEXED BY PRUSSIA. HANOVER, December 15 Prussia has taken preparatory measures to ensure the annexation of the Duchy of Brunswick. The reigning Duke Augustus is to abdicate in f avour of King William. ENGLAND AND THE UNITED STATES. Mr. Charles Francis Adams, the former American Minister in London, in a speech before the Historical Society at New York, advised moderation on the part of the United States regarding the Alabama claims, and deprecated the efforts of certain politicians to lead the country into war. The New. York World commenting on the speech, condemns the bellicose vagaries of General Butler, and urges the Government, in pressing the American claims In respect to the fishery question, not to lay punctilious stress on political etiquette, or to require humiliuting concessions of Great Britain. The Tribune says " that the existing dormant war between Great Britaiu and the United States should terminate, the bitterness and resentment here having greatly died out, and. Great Britain showing a willingness to discuss the question of the Alabama claims on a basis.. more compatible With American honour. Regarding the Fisheries the Tribune says that serious men recognise the sinister aspect of the question,., but it hopes that Great Britain will act promptly upon a vigorous re clamation. The Washington correspondents of the New York Herald, World, and several other journals, state that Mr. Boutwell will soon rof jigs. THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 17, THE EARL OF . DERBY AT MANCHESTER.. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.) The Earl of Derby presided last night at a large dinner in the Town Hall, Manchester, given to promote the inte rests of the Royal ,Albert Asylum at Lancaster. Several of the local members of Parliament were present. After the dinner his lordship rose and said : The first toast I have to propose is one which always takes precedence on these occasions. I mean " The Health of her Majesty the Queen." For thirty-three years her Ma jesty•has reigned over a prosperous, a loyal, and a united people. I was going to say over a contented people, but it did occur to me that there is a certain amount and measure of discontent,which rather belongs to the English character, which chews itself in an amount of healthy grumbling, and which is, perhaps, the inevitable accompaniment of social and political progress, because if everybody was contented with things as they are we should never have any changes. (Hear, hear.) During that time her Majesty has discharged in a manner to place her beyond the reach of censure or of criticism the duties of a constitutional Sovereign. Now those duties may seem very easy to discharge, but somehow or other they never have been satisfactorily and successfully performed in any time but ours, and very seldom in any country but this. (Cheers.) It may be that our successors will have stormier times to encounter than ours have been, and that they will look back with feelings of envy and of regret upon ,the comparative calm which this generation has enjoyed ; but whatever the future may have in store for us, this at least no one can deny, that during her Majesty's reign vast legislative changes have been, accomplished, that great administrative reforms have been carried out in every branch of the public service, that the general level of comfort and civilisation has been perceptibly increased, and that the industrial progress which we have made has been such as is unex ampled in the history of this country. (Cheers.) His LORDSHIP next proposed the toast of " The Prince and Princess of Wales, and the rest of the Royal Family." He said: The members of the Royal Family are placed in a somewhat peculiar position. From the sphere of active political life they are necessarily excluded, and with the exception of one or two military appoint ments, and I do not know that they will be exceptions for long, they are almost in practice shut out from adminis trative occupations. Now, that is a situation full of difficulty, because while on the one hand it puts many diecouragements and obstacles in the way of their taking a part in the public services, it does, on the other hand, hold out every inducement to a life of social ease .and enjoyment. I think, therefore, it is but_bare justice to those who are so situated, and whose every action and word are watched and noted with a care which would not be exercised in regard to any other per sons, should be credited with the abilities which those who have been brought into contact with them, but which they have not the opportunity of publicly displaying. The Prince of Wales had never shrunk from any of those duties of representation which naturally fall to his share. He has always performed them, as far as I have been able to observe and to hear, with genuine courtesy, and with perfect tact, and those who know him know that he has watched silently, as becomes one of his position, but carefully, and intelligently, the progress of public affairs. (Cheers). Lord DERBY, in proposing the next toast, said: From princes to idiots was a descent lost in the social and intel lectual scale. (Laughter). But he had now to propose " Prosperity to the Royal Albert Asylum." He strongly commended the charity to the • con sideration of the public as the only means expe rience had provided as an efficient means of dealing with this evil. Poverty, ignorance of sanitary law, and, above all, drunkenness and debauchery, were the causes which made the plague spriad upon the land ; and if these causes could be removed—he did not say that they could, or how they could—but if they could they might, he believed, almost eradicate idiocy from the country in three or four generations. He stated that seventy thousand pounds was the cost of the land and asylum, and that fifty-seven thousand pounds of this sum had beon raised. Lord DERBY, in afterwards replying to the toast of the House of Lords, said he thought the House was in a difficult position. He had always noticed that if they let a billpass which any section of the public disapproved, people were apt to say, " Oh, it's just like those Lords ; they never look after public affairs.. They care about nothing but their own pleasure. One could expect nothing better from them." (Laughter and applause.) On the other hand, if it so happened that they thought it neces sary or desirable to stop for further consideration some measure upon which any particular section of the public had set at heart, Billingsgate itself could supply no equal to the invectives which fell to their lordships' lot. (Laughter and cheers.) He had never thought that their real func tions as a body consisted mainly in the mere delaying of measures upon which the public had set its mind. (Cheers.) In the first place, the function of delay was a very subordinate and a very unimportant one, and in the next place, if it were possible, which it was not, that any legislative body could be so constituted that it should exercise that function only, it would very soon become so unpopular that it would cease to exist. (Cheers,) Where the real duty of the House of Lords, as he conceived, lay, was in revising and reconsidering the measures which came to them from the other House of Parliament. Nearly all his political life had been passed in the House of Commons, and therefore he was bound, and he was sure it was his wish, to speak well of that body. (Cheers.) A s to the purely political functions of the House of Lords, he thought their weakness and their difficulty did not arise, as people are apt to fancy, from the growth of demo cratic dower, but from the fact that the increase of wealth had been so greatin this country, and the number of persons holding important positions so numerous, that the House of Lords could not claim to be anything more than as it was sometimes put, a jury selected at random out of the upper classes. Whatever they might be, however, and however they might exercise their power, he thought that for those among them who chose to look out for public duties to discharge, there was still abundant opportunity eft. (Loud cheers.) THE INVESTMENT OF PAHL; THE GERMANS AT ST. VALERY AND DIEPPE, The special correspondent of the Telegraph with the Eighth Army Corps sends the following under date Dec. 14 :—Yesterday morning we marched into St. Valery, and the troops had the satisfaction of seeing the sea, many of them for the first time in their lives. The beach was soon covered with Prussian soldiers—some tasting the water to see if it was really salt; others gazing with won der as the heavy swell dashed the curling wave of the ebb against the pebbly beach; some inspecting the French fishing boats. Near one of these a little group was gathered, and I drew near to hear what they were saying. " Vat is dat fur ein Ding ?" asked one in the most ap proved Platt-Deutsch, eyeing a French lugger curiously from stem to stern. " Ein Schiff," sententiously responds his companion. "Of course," says the first speaker. " But which end goes first ?"—adding, " for, on the Rhine, both ends are alike." " Ah," says his companion, " but then, you know sea-ships have always a square end and a sharp end." " Warum !" in quires the first. " Oh, well, because they are sea ships." The little battery to the left of the Pier is being manned with Prussian guns, as a precaution against the arrival during the night of any of the enemy's cruisers ; and the artillery horses, very unwillingly, are being led into the sea to cool and refresh their legs. They too, like the men, have tried to drink the water. The lanterns on the pier-head have been carefully put under sentry ; not one is to be lighted. The telegraphs have been cut, and the signal sta tion of the coastguard is occupied by a patrol of Hussars. The troops of General von Goben marched into Dieppe this afternoon, having come from St. Valery, a distance of twenty-five English miles, in a-little under seven hours. The first English paper I took up after my arrival here was one of the sth of December, containing the telegram of General Briand, regarding the action, as he calls it, of Etrepagny. In order that your readers may be better informed as to the facts, and know how to read the General's despatches for the future, I will give you a concise description of this " glorious victory." A squadron of Saxon cavalry occupied the town of Etrepagny at about four p.m. The horses were stabled and fed, the guards were posted on the outskirts, and the men went to their quarters, and eventually to bed. No sooner had the inhabitants made certain that the tired soldiers slept, than a daring citizen stole to the church, situated in the centre of the town, and opened the door. Immediately from out the sacred edifice there poured a battalion of Gardes Mobiles. Still and quiet as they dead they loaded, and then pro ceeded to butcher the unfortunate Saxons in their beds. A truly glorious victory ! No doubt, whilst in the church, these Mobiles had prayed fervently to their patron saint, if they had such, to aid them in this dastardly deed; no doubt General Briand chuckled in his sleeves when he covered this work of murder with the name of victory. But it cost Etrepagny somewhat dear ; for the Saxon troops were not very long in avenging their murdered comrades, and all that now remains of a once flourishing, country town is a heap of smoking ruins. The Prince of Wales has accepted the presidency of the Agricultural Society of Ireland for the year. Writing from the Royal Headquarters, Versailles, on December 11, the special correspondent of the 'Standard says :—" No more misleading piece of consolation could be offered to the French than to assure them that Ger many is so sick of the war that her statesmen must needs soon recal her forces to their homes. Perhaps such ought to be the state of the German mind ; but I feel convinced that it is not. That the popu lation and even the leaders are wearied with . the struggle, and long for its close, is true enough ; but that they will close it on their own terms, and on their own terms only, is still truer. Like the Americans of the North in their great civil . struggle, they have taken a big job in hand, and they are resolved to carry it through, and carry it through this one time at all costs. There is no chance of Germany abating its terms, or being worn out in spirit and blood by the length of the contest. The Germans are what friends would' call the ;most resolute people, and enemies the most obsti nate, that 41 ever had the pleasure of consorting with. To have said a thing is a sufficient reason - for them to adhere to it. Their first view is invariably their last, and I never knew them to acknowledge themselves mistaken. As in thought, so in action. In a word, they know their own minds, and have resolution enough to make their might keep pace with their minds. Goethe says in "Wilhelm Meister" that he reverences the man who knows what he wants and goes straight towards it. That might be the motto, of wisdom engraven on the German heart. Folks -may accuse them of what they like in this war, but they cannot accuse them of wavering. No doubt this strong feature has its bad side. They hate resistance, and end by regarding those who oppose them as " wicked." But I conclude as I began. France is the best, and perhaps the only judge of whether she ought to continue this struggle ; but let no one give her false encouragment by telling her that she will " wear her enemy our." That she will never do. European complications, or her own valour, might con ceivably change the situation, but those accidents excepted, Germany will hold on tight to what she has got, and go on seizing more until Paris falls. Then, indeed, she may possibly pursue a course which is much talked of. She may wring from the captured capital a swingeing requisi tion, dismantle its forts, and then abandon the whole country save so much of it as she claims perpetually for herself. Alsace and Lorraine will be finally incorporated, and a goodly part of Champagne retained as guarantee for a war indemnity, the payment of which at any moment would cause it to be restored. Germany will remain as it was before the war, ready at three weeks' notice to renew the bloody game, but with those additional advantages not possessed when the Em peror made his first false move. This, I can assure you, is a scheme much ventilated ; but an indispensable pre liminary to the programme is the capitulation of a city which holds half a million of armed men and a million and a half of civilians. When will that preliminary pass into an accomplished fact? Prophets have beers wrong so often that their forecasting wisdom is at a discount. One or two of us have not been wrong yet, for we always named Christmas-day as the probable, and New Year's-day as the final term. But perhaps our discomfiture likewise is approaching. Every now and then we hear a gun, and the report sounds loudly in our ears over the snow, and through the frosty air ; but we think nothing of it. Like the chiming quarters of a clock, it does not tell us the hour. They say that a shell from Mont Valerien has fallen not a thousand yards from the end of Rue du Plessis, and that the gunners and guns of that terrible fort are being trained to drop a long shot well into the prefecture, where abides the future Emperor of Germany ! But it is a far cry from a thousand yards off the wrong end of the Rue du Plessis to the Avenue de Paris; and were my tympanum a royal one, it would convey no terror to my soul when shaken by so distant a report. I have written the words "Emperor of Ger many." They fitly represent and crown the result of this successful war. It is no secret that the monarch full of years who is first to bear this title prefers his pre sent one of King of Prussia ; but sacrifices have been demanded all round, and this is the sacrifice that falls to the share of King William. I Trill not dilate to you on German politics Any further than to say that the end is avowedly not yet, and that certain stumbling-blocks are said to have been purposely left in the way by a well known, far-designing head, in order that they may pre pare the way for the solution of yet other questions which cannot conveniently be raised at this moment. . THE BATTLE AT BEAUGENCY. The special correspondent of the Times, writing from Menyy, December 10, says :—We were told this morning that the men were so exhausted with the three days' fighting that we were to have a quiet day, the better to fit us for a decisive battle to-morrow, but there are two parties to this arrangement, and it appeared that the French were not disposed to enjoy the luxury of a rest, for we had hardly started on a tour of inspection round the foreposts when a few suspicious puffs high up in the clear winter sky, told us that the enemy's shells were bursting in the air, long before we heard their report. We accordingly struck straight across the country for Cravant, a village 'about ten miles to the north-west of Meung, which the 22nd Division had taken by storm yesterday, and which the close of the battle last night still formed the extreme point of our position in that direction. On a r i s i n g ground behind it we found the headquarter staff assembled, and the Tenth Army Corps, which had arrived the previous night, were being pushed forward on the extreme right. On the evening of yesterday the French seemed, indeed, to be beating a decided retreat, but if such was the case, they must have received large reinforcements during the night, for at daylight this morn ing they attacked the 22nd Division, which was holding Cernay and Cravant, andbombarded those villages furiously for a couple of hours, without, however, inflicting much loss upon the Germans, who quickly brought their artillery into position, and at the moment of our arrival the engagement was pretty general along the whole length of the line, which extended from Villor ceau to L'Hey a little to the eastward of Cra vant. Making as usual for the church tower, upon the steps of which lay a dead Zouave, we had a splen did view of the new position. The enemy seemed to. be extending rapidly to our right, apparently with a view of getting between us and our base of operations at Orleans, a movement which was promptly met by the Bavarians, who were pushed forward on the extreme right, supported by the whole of the 10th Army Corps, which, having newly arrived, Were fresh and full of fight. Their artillery took up a position along the whole length of a ridge extending eastward from Cravant to a village the name of which I did not learn, but from our post of obser vation it was beautiful to see them dash along the plain to the long low crest of the hill and open a line of fire which speedily produped its results. At this time Cravant became the centre of the German position. The two armies were now in almost parallel lines, the direction of which by compass was from north-west to south-east ; the French resting on Josnes and the left on Villermain and Montigny. In the fields immediately beneath us we could look down upon the Germans spread out in skirmishing order, while with equal distinct ness we could see the French skirmishers advance to within long rifle distance and exchange shots from their respective covers and the temporary barricades they have erected wherever they could do so without incurring much risk. Altogether the distinguishing feature of the day on both sides seemed to be caution. There were no brilliant dashes, no furious fusillades of small arms, and even the artillery fire languished. The day was so beautifully clear that we could perceive the movement of the French with remarkable distinctness, the mis fortune was they moved so little. The long line of artillery kept incessantly puffing off jets of smoke, the shells came cracking over the heads of the artillery beneath us, but if they did not explode in the air they seemed almost invariably to fall short. The church tower of Cravant had been struck an hour before our arrival in it. Altogetner there was a good deal more barking than biting, which was an intense relief after the carnage of the last three days. As a military spectacle, however, the scene was perfect. We could see the French become conscious of the heavy forces massing upon their left, and gradually with drawing from their projected plan of operations of circumventing us in that direction, as they found that the tables were being turned upon them, and we could see the German ectaireues f ee li ng the French as they retreated and returning to report that the villages which they had occupied were vacated when the Germans advanced to take possession of them. .All this was done calmly and deliberately, as if each party tho roughly understood what it was about. It will thus be seen that the French have drawn in their horns on both flanks, and are concentrated between Villermain and Josnes, with the huge forest of Marchenoir imme diately in their rear. Here they will probably make a de cisive stand, and it was premature to hope yesterday that they had felt themselves so severely beaten as to refuse to accept another battle. The fact is that they outnumber us by at least two to one—probably mor e—and are re ceivmg reinforcements continually. They have, more over, a choice of position and a Gene r a l who seems to know when he has got a good one and how to hold it. The Bavarians were to have returned to Orleans to-day, their losses having been so severe as to make a respite an absolute necessity. One division alone has lost during the last three days 1,200 men and 48 officers ; the other has suffered as severely, and this out of a strength not including the reserves from Germany which did not arrive to take part in all the fighting, of about 7,000 men. THE LUXEMBURG QUESTION BERLIN, Docerbber 19 (3.40 p.m.) Explanations and assurances have been given by the Luxemburg Government which remove all danger of a conflict.-7 imes. _ PEsTE, December 15, 3 p.m. As an answer to the complaints of Prussia respect ing the allegcsl breach of neutrality by Luxonaburg, the French Government has called upon this Go vernment to effect the return of 8,000 Austrian rail way waggons, which are kept back on the German lines, affording great help in the transport of the German armies. The Telegraph publishes the following tele- grams : BaussELs, December 19 (8 p.m.) Over and above the denunciation of the neutrality of Luxemburg, Prussia has it in oontempla- to exact from the Grand Duchy a pecu- niary indemnity, her claim for which will be grounded upon certain proceedings of the Vice- Consul of France which were tolerated by the autho rities of Luxemburg. Prussia, according to advices received from Berlin, does not intend to cause her circular to be followed by immediate consequences. She wishes only to define the situation with regard to future contingencies. BERLIN, December 10. The Devi)lad of Utrecht asserts that the abdication of the King of Holland as Grand Duke of Luxemburg may be expected. The Kreuz Zeitung ridicules the notion that Count Bismarck's Note demands pecuniary compensation, which cannot be demanded from an incorporated country. The Luxemburg Gazette denies, on authority, the Belgian statement that the German Government has come to an understanding with the Grand Duke for the transfer of Luxemburg. _ _ A. quantity of Chassepots, purchased in Luxem iurg, have been confiscated by the police. THE HAG (rm . , December M. A. Rotterdam paper, the .News, says that it can contradict, on good authorty, the report that for a month past the Grand Duke of Luxemburg has been negotiating with Prussia for the cession of Luxemburg. THE CONFERENCE. ST. PBTERSBURG, December 16. The Russian courier was to arrive yesterday in London with the decisive despatches respecting the Conference. Iu official circles here the action of Prussia with regard to Luxemburg is approved. MINISTERIAL CRISIS IN GREECE. The King of Greece not having accepted a pro posal of the Cabinet to dissolve the Chamber oi Deputies, the Ministers have sent in their resigns , tion. Negociations are being carried on with M. Com mounduro for the formation of a new Cabinet. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.) THE MAJORITY OF THE MARQUIS OF ELY. At a meeting of the inhabitants of Enniskillen, heldlast night, it was resolved that rejoicings should take place in honour of the attainment of the majority of the Marquis of Ely, and of his coming into the neighbourhood. An address of welcome is to be presented in the town hall, on Thursday, and the streets are to be decorated. A BARQUE DESTROYED BY FIRE A telegram has been received at North Shields an nouncing the total destruction by fire of the North Shields barque Saxony, at Vera. The vessel was bound for the Tyne, laden with Esparto grass and lead. She was a vessel of 438 tons register. The crew were all saved. The cause of the fire is unknown. BOILER EXPLOSION AT HANLEY. A boiler exploded yesterday afternoon at Messrs. Fox's colliery, Hanley. It had been unused previously for twenty years, and was now, without proper testing, brought into full work. The premises were much damaged, and portions carried to a great distance. Five children playing near were severely scalded, one of whom is not expected to live. THE CARDIFF ABDUCTION CASE. The Rev. Nathaniel Thomas, Baptist minister, and his wife, appeared again before the Cardiff magistrates yesterday, to answer the charge of perjury alleged to have been committed in their trial for abducting the Jewess, Esther Lyons. Several witnesses were under examina tion for the prosecution ; but their examination was not completed at the rising of the court. The case was again adjourned until to-day. THE MURDER OF A SCHOOLMASTER IN LIVERPOOL. The trial of Richard Edwin Howchin, for the murder of Mr. Christian Flueck, a schoolmaster, in whose em ployment he was as an assistant, was commenced at the Liverpool Assizes, yesterday. The case for the prosecu tion was concluded when the court adjourned. PORK FOR THE FRENCH TROOPS. Messrs. Fenelly and Redfern, of London, yesterday re covered £450, at the Liverpool Assizes, from Messrs. Fowler Brothers, of that town, as damages for unmarket able pork supplied, and intended for the use of the French troops. THE TREATY OF 1856. At a meeting moderately attended, held in Liverpool last night, a petition, praying that this country should not be involved in war on account of any infractions in the Treaty of 1856 was adopted, and will be presented to the Premier. It is said that no one can yet i be found . to accep the living of Wilberfoss, Yorks. It has now been vacant for twenty months. The statement as to the probable appointment of Mr. J. G. Morris to the office of High Sheriff of Lan cashire for the ensuing year is contradicted. It is probable that Mr. Dease, of Turbotston, county Westmeath, will be nominated to the Lieutenancy of Cavan, vacant by the death of the Marquis of Headfort. Mr. Merriman and his friends are obtaining addi tional signatures to their requisition for a City meeting on the war, in the hope of inducing the Lord Mayor to re consider his refusal to call one. vv The death is announced of Lady Oldnall Russell, widow of the late Sir William Oldnall Russell, Chief Justice of Bengal. She was a daughter of the late Mr. John Lloyd Williams, of Government Park, Cardigan shire. The Rev. W. A. Russell, the Church Missionary Society's agent at Ningpo, is, the Rock understands, on his way to England for consecration as Bishop of North ern China. President Woolsey, of Yale College, U.S. A., has announced his intention of resigning his office. He has been President of Yale for more than a quarter of a century. Sir John Brown, a Churchman, was on Thursday elected chairman of the Sheffield School Board, and Mr. Mark Firth, ex-master cutler, a New Connexion Metho dist, vice-chairman. George Joynson, late manager of the Duke of Bridgwater's trusts, at Anderton, near Norwich, has been committed for trial on a charge of embezzlement. His defalcations amount to upwards of £6OO. News has been received at Plymouth that two engineers and the boatswain of the Helicon despatch vessel, Commander Crozier, were seized on Sunday after noon last as Prussian spies, and carried on board their vessel for verification of their explanations. M. Barral, well known for the part he took in balloon experiments twenty years ago, has volunteered with his son for the Paris balloon service. M. Barral was for many years the editor of the Presse Scientifique, periodical which was discontinued a few years ago. There are at last symptoms of a commencement of the works for the new law courts. According to the Builder, on Tuesday last formal notices were received by contractors, inviting tenders for the foundations of the new courts, to be sent in to the office of the Board of Works, on or before December 28th, at one o'clock p.m. The Painters' Company have subscribed ten gui neas and the Broderers' Company twenty guineas towards the fund being raised for the completion of the interior of St. Paul's. This makes fifteen of the City Companies who have recently subscribed towards this great national work. The Dowager Viscountess Arbuthnot, who for some time back has been in delicate health; died at Arbuthnot on Monday morning. The deceased lady was the daughter of the late Hon. Walter Ogilvy of Clova, and sister of the late Earl of Airlie. She was born on the 4th of May, 1782, and was married to the late Viscount Arbuthnot in 1805, by whom she had a nume rous issue. 870. THE BOMBARDMENT OF P.AHIS Following up.his previous communication on ill- pro bability of a bombardment, the special correspondent of the Daily News at the headquarters of the Crown Prince of Saxony, at Margency, under date December 13, remarks :—Perhaps the Parisians meant their acti vity of yesterday on the northern side as a complimentary salute to the King of Saxony. This, at least, is certain, that now his birthday is over, they are profoundly quiet again. It is not believed here, however, that this quietude is anything more than a lull, and it seems to be accepted as a matter of course that we are to look for more fighting, and that the end is not yet at hand. I think it may be accepted as a fact that the Germans have been quite out of their reckoning as to the food resources of Paris. According to the calculations on which they based their inactive policy, Paris should by this time have begun to know the meaning of hunger, and it is inexpressibly galling , to them to find that she is not yet so far gone as to be wholly on salt meat rations. The miscalculation causes chagrin on several grounds. But for it, who could floubt that before this time there would have been a duel between the big guns of North Germany and those of the Paris forts'? In that the error of reckoning as to the food resources of Paris has post pened this duel until now there is cause for self reproach ; but there is yet deeper cause for this in the fact that, so implicit has been the leaning on the broken reed of the miscalculation, that the indispensable preli minaries of a bombardment have been neglected. Thus, if it be assumed that now the eyes of the besiegers are open, and that they find it necessary to resort to this expedient, they must perforce wait yet awhile ; and it is irritating to reflect that the months which have elapsed have been in a great measure so much lost time. Now the work has to be gone about in earnest at the worst possible season of the year for such operations, when the roads are terribly heavy after the breaking of a hard frost, and the thaw of a considerable fall of snow. The eagerness with which the troops crave for what they consider the beginning of the end, in the shape of the bombardment, must be known at headquarters, and is an element which cannot well have been set aside. But, then, the troops full of the belief that the bom bardment is now definitely resolved upon, use their discernment to wonder how it happens that so much time has to elapse before the resolution can be acted upon, and the deduction is unfavourable to the German prestige for forethought and a condition of preparedness for alternative events. Still the thunder of the big guns, and the stir of a bombardment, will do much to efface such an impression ; and all that oan be done is to make up as fast as possible for lost time. There is do doubt that activity is now the order of the day. When the roar of the besieging cannon is heard, it will not reverberate from one quarter only. To one quar ter only, the south, has hitherto all the seige train been directed, and hence the delay ! Doubtless were the bombardment only to be on this hand, it might com mence to-morrow ; but then what of the east side, the side nearest the feeding railway line, and yet a side left all but barren—why not at once say utterly barren—of siege artillery till the hour that the crisis before Villiers forced on the determination to resort to active measures in the shape of a bombardment. No bombardment need be looked for in the north : to us here the din will come bellowing from the east and from the south. When will the former side be ready ? Were guns all that are wanted, the delay would not be very long. But Crimean experience—if there were no other experience on record—teaches the error of beginning a bombardment without the means of sustaining it unin terruptedly for a considerable period. The reserve of am munition must be large, and the commencement of the bombardment waits the concentration of ammunition for the supply of the batteries on the eastern side. When this requisite is supplied—and Christmas will probably have come and gone before such is the case—there will be such a sound as Europe hag+ never yet shuddered at. But before then, probably, the besiegers will have partially abandoned their policy of inactivity, for there are positions the storming of which will render it possible to plant batteries in positions so advantageous that the inevitable loss must for certain be more than balanced by the gain. OUR OOTEN 'ORARIES—This Morning COUNT BISMARCK'S CIRC UL 11:. The Times, in commenting on the Luxemburg question, thus concludes its observations—We have already shown on a former occasion that, however rudely Treaty rights may have been set aside in some recent instances, they have still a real and tangible force. War is held to abrogate or suspend their operations for many purposes, yet war itself is mitigated by the observance of rules which, but for Treaties, would assuredly be trans gressed. In the present state of Europe, and in the present mood of the leading Continental nations, it would be vain to rely on ally internationa' league to enforce treaties, as such, by a process of Federal execu: tion. But the moral sense of mankind, though perverted, is not extinguished by war ; it will surely re-assert itself sooner or later, and the strongest Power cannot afford to outrage it. Russia, for example, has never been actually brought to account for the partition and oppression of Poland, yet the memory of that nefarious deed clings to her like the shirt of Nessus, and three generations have not effaced the dark suspicions of Muscovite policy which it engendered over all Western Europe. England, as the most disinterested spectator of the present contest for the supremacy of the Continent, is specially bound to uphold the sentiment on which public Law depends,and which is our only safeguard against a state of things in which all the members of the European family would be arming against each other. The duties of neutrality form a substantive part of this public law, and we should be the very last to sanction a lax construction of them, such as would virtually extend the area of warlike operations and the influence of warlike passions. At the same time, we know by experience the enormous difficulty, with the most honourable intentions, of fulfilling those duties so as to satisfy both the belligerents, and we must'protest, as the United States protested, in the early part of this century, against a doctrine ' , which imposes unreasonable liabilities on neutrals. Neutra lity, after all, is the normal state of nations. Belligerency may be a misfortune, or it may be a crime, but, at all events, it is a state voluntarily incurred, and it confers no right to exact impossibilities from other nations which are wise enough to remain at peace. _ _ That the English reply to Count Bismarck should not have been published, says the Standard, although the sub ject most deeply interests the British public, is, ntelligible enough. But it is certainly very re markable that Count Bismarck's circular is only known by summaries, which at the best are very imperfect. No statesman in Europe has known how to use pub licity to more advantage than the Chancellor of the North German Confederation, and none has more obstinately refused to satisfy public curiosity about diplomatic matters when the satisfaction did not promise him any benefit. We have had sufficient illustrations of the Chancellor's readiness to use the press in the course of this war. Iu one way or other, by telegrams sent to all newspapers, or by documents communicated only to one, Count Bismarck has published every diplomatic communication which he thought would promote the Prussian cause. He acted upon a principle long ago avowed. He told the North German Parlia ment—which meekly asked that it might at least have the semblance of that consideration the Legislatures of other States, constitutional or soi-disant constitutional, really enjoyed, and be favoured with papers explanatory of the foreign policy of the Government—that whenever any advantage was to be gained by publicity he would resort to it. This, of course, contented them, and no one outside Prussia can complain of the arrangement, although it practically expresses the contempt of Count Bismarck for the German Parliamentary celebrities and their submission to a treatment which the members of any other legislative assembly would consider insulting and degrading. But Count Bismarck's language then supplies an excellent test with which to measure his own proceedings. We will not say that he is actually ashamed of his Luxemburg cir cular, but he evidently regarded it as a very cold venture, and he would not publish it until he 'learned how Europe had received it. For all his confidence in the weakness of the members of the English Government, he still had his doubts whether they would tamely submit to an insult which they must be aware was especially directed against England. If the summary given of Lord Granville's dispatch is correct, there is no longer any occasion for such reserve. The Gladstone Cabinet will have signed the abdication of England as a Great Power. THE DIPLOMATISTS AT VERSAILLES. The correspondent of the Standard, writing from Ver sailles, December 12, says : --Capt Robbins, her Majesty's most faithful messenger, arrived last night. He speaks of his journey as an abominable one, and declares he never felt the cold more acutely in his many winter journeys to St. Petersburgh. It took him three days to get from Brus sels to Versailles, travelling by Treves, Nancy, and Lugny. He was compelled to pass three nights in bed, if we may apply that description to a process brought to a close 'on a winter morning by having to turn out of it at 4.0 a.m. He brings despatches to Mr. Odo Russell, who will be with us yet a little longer. I have not said much of late concerning his mission, but I will to-day venture on a few words. That he came here without any definite instructions on the Prussian question we may take for granted. What has occurred since ? I shrewdly sus pect and firmly believe that the following will represent the real history of his share in the various transactions which have sprung out of Prince Gortschakoff's note. The Cabinet, through Lord Granville, answered it, and sent Mr. Odo Russell to Versailles with what we may call a blank order. The language which he used to Count Bismarck, who, doubtless, regarded him as the mouthpiece of the British Government, was of a nature to induce that statesman to disclaim any understanding or even any sympathy with Russia in the matter of her strange circular, and to lead him at one and the same time to advise moderation at St. Petersburgh and to pro pose a conference at Constantinople, afterwards modified to London. So rapid and satisfactory a success might well have induced our envoy to feel confident that, by a continued application of the same diplomatic pressure, he might not fail in the attempt to persuade Count Bismarck to obtain from Russia a formal with drawal of the note. Meanwhile, however, Lord Granville's first despatch had been replied to; and then, instead of being content with the high ground taken up by him in the first instance and leaving the two nego tiators at Versailles to do the rest, our Foreign Minister replied to the second Russian communication, which was merely a repetition of the first, in a tone, more friendly, pacific, and compromising. At once Russia became less willing to listen to Prussia's advice and request that the offending note should be with drawn, and Prussia perhaps less disposed to press her good _ _ counsel. Do we in this see the influence of the weaker and more timorous portion of the Cabinet ? And has what was maturing at Versailles been spoilt by action at home? I repeat that I shrewdly_lrexpect so. You will be good euough to remember that this is perfectly in conformity with 'all I wrote on the subject when our envoy first arrived. If lam right we have missed our opportunity of making Prussia able to give Russia advice that would have been but little palatable to the latter—in itself no slight gain—and have exchanged a distinct with drawal of the obnoxious circular for a constructive retreat to say the least of it ambiguous. CABINET COUNCIL.—A Cabinet Council will be held to-day, in Downing-street, at 1 o'clock. CRYSTAL PALACE. One Shilling Day, Fri day, December 16th, 1870.—Admissions by season tickets 1,037 ; ditto on payment. 371; total visitors, 1,403. The Musical Randard says that English Opera is meeting with great success in Philadelphia. Nilsson has been singing in " The Messiah" in Now York and Philadelphia. Mdlle. Marie Krebs and her mother, Mdine. Krebs-Michalesi, have been treating the Yankees to vocal and instrumental performances of the works of Beethoven, Bach, Schubert, Schumann, Wagner, Men delssohn, and other compose Musical Standard. THE ABOLITION OF UNIVERSITY TESTS.—At a meeting of the Fellows of Trinity College, Cambridge, held on Thursday, a resolution in favour of the abolition of tests was carried by a large majority. Nature is glad to be able again to report favourably of the state of both Sir R. Murchison and Professor B. Stewart. The former has continued to gain somewhat in strength, and the progress of the latter from day to day has been as satisfactory as could be desired. 'When Bishop Claughton enters upon his duties as Archdeacon of London, St. Paul's Cathedral will have no less than four bishops closely connected with it, namely, Dr. Jackson, *Bishop of London, chief ot the diocese ; David Anderson, late Bishop of Rupert's Land, chan cellor ; Dr. Claughton, Bishop of Colombo, as Archdeacon of London ; and Dr. Mackenzie, Suffragan Bishop of Not tingham, as one of the Bishop of London's Chaplains. - . SKMMISR AT ETREPAGNY.—The Dresden Jour nal gives an account of the German mishap at Etre pagny. "In spite," it says, "of the precautions which were observed, Colonel Rex was attacked at 2 a.m. on the Ist instant by a hostile detachment 1,800 strong, including 1,400 troops of the line. The inhabitants, as well as a multitude of armed men concealed in churches, co-operat ing with the enemy, he was so suddenly assailed on all sides, and even in the centre of the place, that the detachment, fighting in isolated bands, succeeded only by great exertions and losses in gaining the open and reassembling outside Etrepagny. The losses at present ascertained in killed, wounded, and prisoners amount to about 100 men and 70 horses. The place was reoccu pied the next day,. and on account of the treacherous par ticipation of the inhabitants in the surprise was burnt down. ENGLAND'S FOREIGN POLICY. We havebeen taught to expect, remarks the Daily News, that the coming Session of Parliament would be Mr. Bruce's. We hope it may prove so, for there are vast arrears in Home legislation to fill up. Nevertheless, though Mr. Gladstone proposes, Count Bismarck disposes. The recess has been Lord Gran ville's ; and probably the Session will be in a great part his too. It is matter for congratu lation that the great legislative measures of the present Ministry, and its predecessor, have been accom plished during that short breathing-space of peace which Europe has enjoyed between the two great wars of 1866 and 1870, the former of which secured Prussia's predomi nance in Germany, the latter Germany's ascendancy on the Continent of Europe. It is to be hoped that, in one way or another, the war will have been brought to a close before Parliament meets. But the hope scarcely amounts to an expectation ; the possibility is not a proba bility, and still less a certainty. Even should peace be made with France, it would be Quixotic to expect that the era of general peace had at last dawned. The war of 1866 was to be the last of great European ' wars, and it has been followed by the war of 1870. It is allowable to hope, but it would be foolish to feel confident, that with its close the reign of peace will begin. England ought to be prepared for a decade, or it may be a quarter of a century of dis turbance periodically threatening war, and now and then breaking forth into it. What should be her attitude in the face of the convulsions which are likely to disquiet her neighbours. She is bound, it is the first and plainest of her duties, to secure herself from attack. She must be ready at any moment to assume a strong defensive atti tude. Her navy ought to be sufficient to guard her shores so far as human efforts can secure them, from the prospect of invasion ; while her land forces should be in numbers, equipment, and organisation amply prepared to meet and overcome any foes whom a chance more unfor tunate to them than to ourselves should place upon our soil. More than this is too much ; and by tempting the nation from an attitude of defence, would bring the danger which all sensible and patriotic men desire to remove. It is customary, in certain Continental !` circles," to talk about the decline of England's influence abroad. If her influence abroad had declined, less would be said about it. We venture to say it was never greater or more wisely exercised than it now is. To plunge into the conflicts of Continental Europe, as we formerly did, and to become a party to the quarrel, is to lose all chance of being the arbiter of the fray. To lead the intellectual and moral opinion of Europe, to moderate mutual animosities, to be the court of appeal in disputes, and a centre of stability in fluctuation and tempests, is a position not less but more influential than that which England occupied in the days of her continental wars and German subsidies. Her quiet ness and indifference to noisy reproach arc not signs of weakness but of strength, which on imperative demand would be put forth all the more strenuously and effica ciously for not being wasted on slight occasions and an tagonists. PARIS IN THE DARK. The Telegraph thus refers to the position of affairs in the French capital :—" At night-fall Paris is now dark," say the telegrams; "there is no longer coal enough for gas." Here is one of the incidents which remind us how utterly new is the tremendous experiment of war, at this moment carried out by the Prussian investment of the great city. Paris in the dark at night ? What can she be like without all the old effulgence of evening illumina tion? She expected hardships, fighting, wounds, death ; but did she recollect that she would have to bear this too? He who would picture to himself a panorama of Paris as it at present exists must conceive only murki ness, obscurity, and gloom—not the darkness that may be felt, but darkness made dimly visible by a few feeble endeavours to atone for the lack of that radiance which gave new enchantment to the night. No doubt, some of the attempts made by the leading trades people in Paris to light up their shops are highly ingenious, and in their way successful. But it must be inexpressibly dreary and miserable to grope about till dawn brings another day of siege. That the once brilliant metropolis has so held, and is still hold ing, and may continue to hold, out for weeks to come with desperate determination, who can deny ? Her mea sure of misery may not yet be filled. We shall hear from day to day of other articles of universal necessity exhausted. Everything is possible in a siege, and perhaps one of the most curious characteristips of beleaguerment is, that it in- vests all kinds of common and domestic obi-cts with peculiar solemnity. Gaslight—one of the most mar vellous discoveries of the age—was yet in peaceful times a very prosaic and commonplace thing. But in the idea of Paris without gas there is the realisation of a fate as awful as that painted in the well known poem of Byron. One thinks with a shudder of the end drawing nearer and nearer as the " DarknesEr deepens.