The Sun. — London, England, 1870-12-23 00:00:00

MONETARY REPORTS.-YEBTERDAY. There has been almost an entire absence of business in the Stock Exchange to-day. The approach of the holiday season has limited the attendance of members, and at the same time no news of importance has been received from the seat of war likely to influence the markets. The fluctuations have been trifling, and have been evenly balanced. Consols have continued quiet, at .°ll, 91,1 ex div. for delivery and the account. Reduced and New Three per Cents., 910, 912 ; Bank Stock, 232, 234; Exchequer Bills, 10s. to 15s. prem. ; India .5 per Cents., 110, 1101 ex div.: and India Bonds, 225., 275. prem. Colonial Government securities have been quiet but firm. In English railway stocks next to nothing has been doing. Brighton at 41, 414 ; and Great Northern A, at 133±, 134, shew an advance of * and 4 respectively. ,On the other hand, Great Eastern has bean lower, at 39, 39± ; and Great Western f, at 70, 701. Metropolitan, 63, 631 ; Caledonian, 86g, 86g ; South-Eastern, 74±, 742 ; North Eastern, 144, 144* ; Midland, 1281, 128/ ; and North Western, 127 a, 128*. For Indian railway stocks the inquiry has been limited. Bombay, Baroda, and Central India, 105± ; East Indian, 1101 ; Great Indian Peninsula, 107, 8. Canadian shares have been quiet. Great Western 142, and Grand Trunk 121. For foreign shares the demand has been inactive. Bahia and San Francisco 18±, and Lombards, 14}. Very few transactions have taken place in Foreign Bonds. Italian (1861) at 55g, 55g, and Turkish (1869) at 50*, 502 have been each * lower, but Mexican at 13T-, 14 have been * per cent. higher ; Peruvian (1865) are quoted at 93-1, 932 ; Egyptian (1868), 77fi, 77a ; Spanish, 311, 311; Turkish Five per Cents., 441, 445; French Scrip, * dis. to * prem. ; and North German Loan, * to 2 prem. Bank shares have been quiet. Agra A., 71, 8 ; Imperial Ottoman, 12 ; Joint Stock, 33, 4 ; London and West minster, 632 ; and Union of Australia, 412. Not much business has been doing in telegraph shares. Falmouths have been I lower, at 91±, * ex div. ; but Great Northern at 11*, 12, shew a rise of ± ; French Cables, 131 ; Hooper's 6 7-16, Miscellaneous securities have sold quietly. Peninsular and Oriental Steam, 462 ; and Universal Marine, 114, 12. The Clearing House return for the week ending December 21 shews a total of £85,335,000 against £67,135,000 for the corresponding week last year. The sum of £25,000 has been withdrawn from the Bank to-day. Owing to the close of the year there has been rather more inquiry for accommodation. Capital, hoWever, has still been plentiful, and three months' paper has been freely taken at 21 per cent. At the 45th annual meeting of the National Bank of Scotland, at Edinburgh, Lord Dalhousie, the governor, in the chair, the profits for the last official ' year were stated at £140,817. The ordinary dividend of 13 per cent. was declared. £8,276 was added to the rest (now amount ing to £330,000), and £2,537 was carried forward. The directors of the National Steamship Company (Limited), Liverpool, ha . ve declared a dividend for the half-year, ending 31st instant, at the rate of 10 per cent. per annum. The returns of the Bank of England shew the follow ing results when compared with the previous week :—An increase in circulation of £79,922 ; an increase in public deposits of £630,982 ; a decrease in other deposits of £844,462 ; a decrease in other securities of £60,601; a decrease in bullion of £68,241 ; an increase in rest of £4,716; a decrease in reserve of £189,281. The circula tion (including post-bills), is now £23,756,752 ; public deposits amount to £7,419,921 ; and private deposits to £17,815,285. The securities held represent £29,249,421; and the stock of bullion is £22,824,477. The rest stands at £3,081,940. The Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincolnshire Railway traffic return reports an increase of £1,114 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, £4,658; the Caledonian, £3,013; Great- Eastern, £385; North-Eastern, £1,639 ; Midland, £4,240; Great-Western, £1,763 ; Bristol and Exeter, £736 ; Cork and Bandon, £s2—all cases of increase. The Great Northern has an increase of £520, and the London, Chat ham, and Dover, a decrease of £648. LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE.-THUBSDAT. LATEST PRICES.—AFTER OFFICIAL HOURS. The prices under the lines indicate the business done. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. Three per Cent Consols 919 911 DoApril &Oct 1883-85.. 1111112 912, f x d 112. 119 Do for Account 919 x d Brazilian, 1865, 5p a .... 921 938 Three per Cent Reduced 919 912 929 919, 9 Egyptian 1862, 7pa .. .. 79 81 New 3 per Cent 919, 9 Do Rail eben 7p o .. 101 103 Exchequer Bills, March 10 15pm Italian, 1865, 5p o 10s, 14s pm 85 Do, June lO 15pin Peruvian. 1865. 5p a .... 93 94 pm 939 Bank Stock 233 Russian. 1862. 5 p c.. .. 83 85 India 5 per Cents - 110 x d Do Nicolas 4p a India Bonds — 669, 9, 9 pm Spanish. 1867. 3pa Can 6 poJan&Julyll77-84 105 107 311, 9 Do March & Sept. 103 105 Do. 1869. 3p c Do 5p c Jan & July .. 99 100 319, 1 Do Inscribed Stock .. 98 100 Turkish. 1354, 6p c 7B 80 Dom of Can 5p c 1903 .. 97 99 Do, 1865. 5p a Ceylon 6 p c May and 44 1, 1. 1. 9 Novem o3 ber 1878 lO6 108 Do, 1865 629 6 9 p a 1, Iffaurithis 6p c Jan and U. 5.5.20 Lionds,6p a 1832 889 88j July 1873 lO3 105 889, 1 New SWales 5 p clB7l-76 102 103 Do do 1029 881 New Zealand 6p c 1891 lO9 111 Do 10-10 Buds, spu 1901 87187: . Do 5 p c Do 5p a Consolidated 999 1001 ErieSha,loo dols,all paid 1001 Illinois Central Shares .. 1119112 Do 6 p cMar &Sept 1891 108 110 112, 119, 12 Do June & DeclB9l 107 109 Atlantic and (I W K Con Vict 6p c Jan &July 1891 115 117 Mortgage Bonds — 1885 881 58i 100 Do 6p c Perri Deb.. 112 117 50 P and 0 Steam 45 47 271 Ebbw Vale Steel L).. 9181,dis 461 x d 181 10 Do do New. 1867 3 2 dis 160 Viceroy of Egypt 7p c 50 Rhymney Iron Mortgage Loan.... 78 80 15 Do New Bl 91 791, 80 60 Royal Mail Steam 100 Egyp 9 p - c Wroy Loan, • 12 Tel Con and Main 1.8 26 ::61 guar by Egyp Gov.. 91 96 2 Thames and Mersey lii Fore-st Warehouse (L) 7 Spin 'Marine Insur IL 201 St. Tobacco 6 n c, Loan 100 Fgn and Colonial Gov • guar by Itali an Gov 37 89 Trust 6p c Bonds.. 98 100 89 7 1 Gen Credt&Disct (L) 1 I die 5 Trust and Loan Co of 14 Gen Stm Navigation 271 231 Upper Canada 7 Hoover's Tel Works 1 Idie 5 U Marine, Lvpool IL 41 siin 61, 7-18 20 Union Steamship (L) 23 `'s 17 Hudson's Bay BBl 6 United Dis Corpm IL Lice par 45 Indrbbr, Out Per. aud s,Univnarine ham (L 1 6:17,10i, Tel Works L) .... 431 441 12, 11; 441 13 War:arit Finance.... 9 7 ills 5 InterulFinan SociL) Midis MINING SUARE LIST.—DECEMBER 22. Messrs. WATSON BROTHERS. Mining °Aim, 1, St. Michael's Alley, Cornbill, Tion,lon Moderate demand for Prince of Wales, Grenville, West Tank kerville, East Caradon, New Lovell, and East Lovell. Australian 'United, Ohiverton Moor, Ohiverton Valley, Chontales (Gold), Cook's Kitchen, 18, 19 Devon Great Consols, Drakewalla, 235, 25s Dolcoath, Don Pedro North Del Rey, 21, 21 East Caradon, sf, 6} East Lovell, 28, 29 East Seton, East Wheal Grenville, 21, 21 Frontino and Bolivia (Gold), General Brazilian, Great Limy, 17), 18 Great Retallack. Great Wheal Vor, 3, 31 Hingston Down, Marke Valley, 6), 7 New Beldon, New Lovell, 11, 1/ Pacific, 11, 1) Pary's Mountain, 3.1, ,Perran Wheal Virgin, 11, 1 Prince of %Vales, Providence Mines, 39, 40 Rosewall Hill and Ransome United. South Condurrow. 3, n South Frances, 29, 31 Sweetland Creek, 3, 4 Tankerville, 13ii. 14 Taquaril (Gold), 465, 48s Tincroft, 44, 46 Trumpet Consols, Van. Van Consols, IL West Caradou, West Chiverton, 51, 52 West Maria and Fortescue, 265, 28s West Tankerville, 31, 4 Wheal Crebor, Wheal Greriville, 21 2; Wheal Kitty, St. Agnes, Wheal Mary Ann. Wheal Seto% 23 25 MARKETS. MANCHESTER CORN MARKET, THIIRSDAY.—The trade since the last market has been quiet in all articles, and prices have in some instances ruled in favour of buyers. The imports into Liverpool from abroad have been liberal of wheat, fair of beans and peas, moderate of flour, and scanty of Indian corn. The arrivals of oats from Ireland have been light, but the im ports of oatmeal have been fair. At this market to-day English wheat was firmly held for the prices of this day week, but the demand was only moderate, while in foreign wheat a fair busi ness was done at fully previous rates. Flour was in limited request, and in some instances a reduction of 6d. per sack was submitted to in order to effect sales. Oats and beans moved off slowly at late prices. Indian corn advanced 6d. per quarter. BIRMINGHAM CORN MARKET, THIIRSDAY.-There was a less supply of both English and foreign wheat, and it was a turn dearer at this market to-day. Barley dull, but not lower. Oats more doing. Beans and peas unaltered METROPOLITAN CATTLE MARKET, THIIRSDAY.-In con sequence of the improvement of the weather, the cattle to-day had a more favourable appearance, and prices throughout were slightly firmer. There was a fair average supply of beasts on sale, the condition of which was tolerably good. The business passinz was fair, fine being extensive, but prices ruled firm, as is usual towards Christmas. As regards sheep the supply was moderate. The trade was rather more animated, and prices were well sustained. Calves were taken off to a fair extent at the extreme prices of Monday. Pigs were rather dearer to purchase. Per 81bs. to sink the offal.-Coarse and inferior beasts, 3s. 6d. to 4s. 4d. ; second quality do„ 4s. 6d. to 4s. 10d. ' • prime large ' oxen, ss. 4d. to ss. Bd. • pima Scots, &c., ss. 10d. to 6s. ; coarse and inferior sheep, 3s. 6d. to 3s. 10d. ;.second quality do, 4s. 4d. to 4s. Bd.: prime coarse woolled sheep, ss. 2d. to ss. 10d. ; prime South Down do., 6s. to 6s. 4d. ; large coarse calves, 3s. Bd. to 4s. 4d. ; prime small ditto, ss. to 6s. 4d. ; large hogs, 4s. 4d. to ss. 2d. ; neat small porkers, ss. 6d. to 6s. 4d. Quarter old store pigs, 225. to 265. each. Arrivals :--English-beasts, 430 ; sheep, 1,770 : calves, 16 ; pigs, 30. Foreign-beasts, 320 ; sheep, 680 ; calves, 94 ; pigs, 50. Total-beasts, 750 ; sheep, 2,450 ; calves, 110 ; pigs, 80. BRISTOL CATTLE MARKET, THIIRSDAY.—There was quite a holiday market, being so near Christmas. There was very little stock in the market. METROPOLITAN HAY AND STRAW MARKET, THURSDAY. —Mr. Charies James Easton thus reports on the state of the hay market --This market to-day was moderately supplied. The demand was inactive, and prices were rather easier. The latest quotalions were as fol ow I—Prime meadow hay, 130 s. to 140 s. ; inferior ditto, 110 s. to 120 s. ; prime first-cut clover, 130 s. to 140 s. ; inferior ditto, 110 s. to 1255. ; prime second-cut clover, 130 s. [to 140 s. ; inferior ditto, 105 s. to 115 s. ; and straw, 335. to 38s. per load. LONDON OIL MARKET, THURSDAY.—Linseed oil has been firm, at 30s. ad. spot. Rape unaltered. LONDON TALLOW MARKET, THURSDAY.—The market has been firm. Y.C. spot, 455. 6d. ; December, 465. buyers, March. LONDON METAL MARKET, THURSDAY.—Scotch pig iron quiet. Tin firm. Straits, £l3O. Copper unaltered. LONDON COLONIAL AND FOREIGN PRODUCE MARKET, THURSDAY.—Not much business has been doing to-day. For sugar the market has been steady, but not active. Cuba, 295. to 31s. per cwt. In tea next to nothing has been doing. Hemp has been firm. Clear St. Petersburg, £35 10s. to £36. LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, THURSDAY.—Opening re port : This market opened strong to-day. Probable sales, 12,000 bales. Imports: American, 13,900 bales. Others, 3,700 bales. Closing report : This market closed strong to-day, with prices in favour of sellers. Sales, 15,000 bales. BRADFORD TRADE REPORT, THURSDAY.—The near approach of the close of the year is a sufficient reason for the quietness that is generally prevailing throughout this market. Buyers are reluctant to enter- into fresh contracts beyond what the exigencies of their engagements require. 'The demand for English wool is thus somewhat restricted ; but machinery being well employed, the consumption is large, and there is a fair quantity necessarily changing hands. Demi lustre sorts are-most in favour, and values are well maintained. Staplers find it still most difficult to replace their stocks from the country, and are holding very firmly to their quotations. The tendency is rather against buyers. In worsted yarns a fair number of contracts have recently been taken by spinners for export account; especially in single thirties. Buying has now somewhat relaxed. Spinners are firmer in their quotations, and merchants are unwilling to follow the advance. The inquiry for twofolds has increased a little of late, particularly for thirty sixes for damask. And the same may be Said of carded yarns, which are a turn dearer. In pieces very little •is done now by the home trade. For America there have been some fair pur chases of plain fabrics, and a limitel inquiry for Germany has also been experienced. Manufacturers are very firm. BIRMINGHAM IRON TRADE REPORT, THURSDAY.—There was a good attendance of ironmasters to-day, and the prospects were rather more cheerful than last report. The orders in all branches have been rather better than was hoped for while the war continued, and French orders for light woods have given an impetus to ease the trade. The put out of pig iron is also improved. GLASGOW PIG-IRON MARKET, THURSDAY.—This market opened a turn better to-day. 515. 6d. in a month. Sellers at this. Buyers offering 51s. 2d. each. CLYDE CRUSHED SUGAR MARKET, Tfiunspey.- -The business done, at this market to-day was not large, but prices continue firm. CORK BUTTER MARKET, THURSDAY.—Ordinary firsts, 140 s, seconds, 130 s. ; thirds, 115 s. ; fourths, 105 s. ; fifths, 98s. ; sixths, 675. 1,160 firkins in the market. Mild cured firsts, 1525. seaonds, 1408. ; thirds, 1235. 20 firkins in the market. RAILWAYS. Bristol and Exeter B7 89 Do Ist Pref 80nd5.... 58 59 Caledonian 86g. I Grand Trunk of Canada Great Eastern 391.1 391, 40 Great Northern 124, 31 Grand Trunk of Canada Do A 13311341 4th Pref Stock 134 .17, 162 Great Western 7O T O 4 Great Indian Pen g 5 ., a 107 108 701 108, 71, 1 Lancashire & Yorkshire 133 134 Great Western ofCanada 141 14; Lon, Brigh. and S Coast 402 41/ 142 41, 1,1 Do Op c Bonds, 1873.. 98 100 Lon, Chat, and Dover 121 Do 5 p c pref. Issued 80 Idle inm Lon and North-Western 128 1284 52 128, 1, 8 Madras guar 5 p c Lon and South-Western 90 91 1051 Man, Shef, and Lincoln 451 452 N. Railway of Canada, 45j, 2 6p c Ist Pref Bonds . 92 94 Metropolitan 63 5 p a Midland l2B 1284 Saluda, Puujaub, and 128 3 / 4 . 1 Delhi guar 5 p a North British _34 . _3s_ Bahia and San Francisco - - 151 171 North- 4a4 stern Consols.. 144 145 g 7 p c 181 lBl 181 141 South-Eastern 741 741 Belgian E Junction .... 21 21 741 Buenos Ayres Cat &hr... 24 25 Atlantic and St Lawruce 75 77 Dunaburg and Witepsk 181 19 3ombay, Baroda, and Dutch-Mellish f42/ 22: Central India, g 5 p c.. 105 106 221 1051 Eastern of France — Buff and Lake Huron • . 3i 4: Great Luxembourg 4. 1-16 111 Do 51 pc 80nd8,1872-3-4 79 81 Lemberg Uzernowitzgua Cape guar 13 p c East Bengal guar 5p 0.. 10411051 151, g, i East Indian, g 5 p 0 .... 110 111 Northern of France . . 3 1101, , 10, i 0 ttom (Smyrna to Aida 5 51 Grand Trunk Canada .. 12 121 Recife and San Francisco 12, / (Limited) guar 7 p o Do Equip Mort Bud 1 San Paulo (L) guar 7p c 21 Yl# charge 6ID c Do 2nd do Scrip .... par 2pm South Austn &Lom-Ven 141 14: 65, 4 141 Southern of France .... BANKING COMPANIES. Pd Pd 1 Agra Bank (L) A n 81 20 Lon Char of Austrlia 23 24 71,8 21i x d 25 Alliance (Li 10 Anglo-Austrian 161 331, 4 20 Anglo-Egyptian (L) 201, 211 20 Lon and Westmnster 621 631 50 British N American 53 55 631, 3 20 Ch of India, Austrlia 14 15 10 Metropolitan Si 9 25 Char Mere of India 221 231 20 Midland (L) 10 City 25 Colonial 4 Consolidated (L 4 13-16 25 Union of Australia.. 411 421 20 Eng. Scot. and Anis 0 151 161 41) 20 Imperial %Li 10 imperial Ottoman 12 TELEGRAPH COMPANIES. Pd Pd 100 Anglo- l American L) 78 80 10 Great Northern .... 113 12 78 11. 3 10 Anglo-Medltrn (L) llB 121 6 Great N. China, and 120 Japan Extension.. 21 13 dis 100 Atlantic _ 5 Indo-European (1).. 10 12 100 Do 8p 0 — 10 Marseilles. Algiers, 10 British Australn IL) 10 M anediterrn d Malta IL) ) . 4. . 1 5 3 Ex IL . 10 British 3 Ind Exten (L). 5/ 6 3 23 Pnma and S. Pcfc ( L 33 21 dis 5 dim 10 British Indian Sub- 8 Reuter's marine. (L) 6 13-16 133 7 China Submarine (L) 5351 dis 1 0 0 Submarine 2 37 242 18, i Do Scrip 23 23 10 Falmouth, Gibraltar, 10 W India StPanamaiLl 41 51 and Malta (1,1 93, 3. I, 3 x d . MISCELLANEOUS SECURITIES Pd Pd Anglo-Austrian Bnd- 20 It Irrig Can Cavour 31 4 holders Certificate 1/ 2i 100 Do 6p 13 Bonds. re -10 IterliuWal.erworks(L) 142 /52 deemable 1870 64 66 30 Bolckow-Vaughan L) 30 35pm 30 London Pin Assoc(L) 20 18dis 100 Boston City (U.S. * 4 Lon Gen Omnibus .. 21 3 p a Sterling Loan— 01 93 2 15-16 4 Brit & Pg. Marine( Li 21 34rin 2 Lou & Prov Marine L) I 1 pin •I,T) Canada Company. , 73 75 100 Madraslrrig. &Canal 10 Ceylon Company L) 32 31dis g s n c by Ind Gov. 101 102 5 Olt y Offices (L 1 25124i dill 2 lianritius Laud (L) 1 die., par 720 Colonial (L) 0 Corn Union ABSUIIICe 3/ 4pm 21 N Zealatd Loan and nMere Azet.c.,,, obi .. fg pm lio Crdt .Folac of Eng (L) 2 21 SN. Zealand Loan su,4 2 trust (L) 100 Crystal Palace 19} 5 OceanMarinelnsur ..131 141 m 100 Do Prof .. ...... LAW AND POLICE. BRUTAL ASSAULT ON A TOLL COLLECTOR.—WiIIiam Thomas Miller, who was also called Millen, was brought up at the Thames Police-court, charged with violently asssaulting William Drew, a toll-collector, at the Orchard House-gate, East India-road, near the East dock en trance. The prisoner came up to the toll-gate yesterday afternoon, and was driving a horse and cart, for which the legal charge of 6d. was demanded. The prisoner put hi hand in his pocket as if he was about to take out the money and pay the toll, but, while the collector's atten tion was being paid to another horse and cart, the pri soner whipped his horse and drove onwards. The col lector pursued him and again demanded the toll, on which the prisoner lashed the collector with his whip in a savage manner over the head, face, and body. The collector to save himself pulled the thong from the whip, and the prisoner then beat him with the butt end of the whip, which was of considerable thickness, over the hands. After a fierce struggle the prisoner, who made use of foul language to the collector, was secured by Job Pope, a police-constable of the K division, who promptly came to his assistance. Prisoner's only palliation for the outrage was that the complainant pulled the thong out of his whip. Mr. Lushington Which he was quite justified in doing after you began to flog him. You have acted in a very dishonest and brutal manner, first in evading the toll, and then in flogging the collector, whose conduct was perfectly justifiable, and who was merely fulfilling his duty. I sentence you to one month's imprisonment and hard labour. ACTION FOR DAMAGES.—In the Court of Common Pleas the case of• Hammond and Wife v. the Midland Railway Company was heard. It was an action to re cover damages for personal injuries, and the defence was that the claim had been already settled. Mr. Geary appeared for the plaintiffs; and Mr. Field, Q.C., and Mr. Bturge for the defendants. The first named plaintiff was a carter, and on the morning of the 15th August last his wife was knocked down in Cheapside by a truss, which through negligence fell from one of the defendants' vans. She was earning fifteen shillings a week, but for several weeks the acci dent prevented her from continuing her work. On the 17th August a Mr. Jones called upon - the plaintiffs, paid them £7, and took a receipt "in full settlement for the injuries received." The plaintiffs' case was that there was a sort of understanding that if the injuries turned out to be more serious than was supposed there should be some further compensation. After the doctor had seen Mrs. Hammond it was arranged that £l3 more should be given, but the arrangement,went off because the defendants would not pay the costs. His Lordship reserved the point whether he ought not to have held the plaintiffs' claim concluded by the receipt ; but he left the case to the jury, who, after a short consideration, found for the de fendants, WRECK ON THE YORKSHIRE COAST.—Withern sea, near Hull, December 2L—The Brigantine Annie, of Hartlepool, was noticed in a dangerous position yesterday with a signal of distress flying, during a south easterly gale and in a heavy sea. The Withernsea lifeboat of the National Lifeboat Institution was promptly got out and with some difficulty launched, and after some hard work on the part of her crew, the four shipwrecked men were rescued and. brought ashore in the boat. The coast guard had fired a rocket to the vessel but had failed to reach her. CAN I AFFORD IT ?—Pay your Stationer 6d. for a reply. Map of the World gratis in all Letts's Office Diaries. Letts's ad. and Is. Diaries give most value for your money. Letts's llcßsekeepers' and Ladies' Diaries are much improved. Letts's Inviiible ink for Postal Cards, 6d. per bottle. rim SUN, LONDON, FRIDAI I 'DECEMBER 2'3, 1870. METROPOLITAN GOSSIP.—TuvaSDAY. eives is wretchedly poor. To give a better salary and to demand a higher order of attainment is clearly the proper course. The School Boards will not be able, im mediately, to control the qualifications of their servants ; but if they increase the reward they will, surely improve the attainments. The excitement of having a fresh great problem to solve every week is not yet lost to us. We have this time a domestic nut to crack, and it is scarcely less difficult, certainly not less important, than many of the foreign troubles that have lately assailed us. Mr. Bright has left the Ministry amid general regret, and the question comes, who shall supply his place ? It is a • very . hard question to answer. Never before have I known such diversity of opinion. Almost every possible candidate has been dragged forwards as the likely suc cessor of the great tribune. Lord - Dufferin (Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster), Mr. Goschen (President of the Poor Law Board), Mr. Stansfeld (Secretary to the Treasury), Lord Northbrook (Under-Secretary for War—(fancy this ' personage filling a vacancy left by Mr. Bright !) and several others have been mentioned. It I is, however, useless to speculate, for the only positive fact I can obtain is that Mr. Gladstone does not yet know his . ' own mind. The embarrassment is far from unnatural. •It is not a President of the Board of Trade that he has to find ; it is easy enough to select a fairly good official hack who could do the business of that department better than Mr. Bright was likely to do it. The problem is to instal in office such a repiesentative of the. Radicals proper as will content that important section of the Liberals. The happy days when, as Lord Salisbury phrased it, the Radicals were satisfied with doing the voting, whilst the Whigs did all the ruling, have vanished long ago. The Radicals are stronger than they were, and they are likely to gain fresh strength, for if artisans do not choose men from their own body they will, as a rule, go in favour of advanced principles. Mr. Bright did effectually repre sent the extreme section, and it is no secret that he often kept it quiet. Without him, or some similiar champion, in the Cabinet it will unquestionably rebel. We all saw what happened last session. The Radicals went openly to war with the Government, but as it happened that the Conservatives and the Mode. rates of the opposite camp were at one' on the Education Bill, no harm was done by the " Red " minority. The Government, however, cannot always expect such for tune. No wonder, therefore, that the situation is regarded as serious. The void is one that it will be hard indeed to fill up. The insinuation of the Standard that Mr. Bright had resigned just at the expiration of the two years' ser vice necessary to entitle him to a pension, is simply scandalous. Mr. Bright cannot legally claim a pension, for four years is now the minimum period of service, and six years' labour is required before the President of the Board .of Trade can claim. Arid even if he was entitled, it would have been well not to have charged him with seeking reward for a term of service mostly spent in retirement until he had actually done so. Party warfare often becomes acrimonious. It should not, at least, on the side of the " educated party " become low. • Mr. Kirk, whose death leaves a vacancy for Newry, was an old but little known Liberal member. He was first returned for Newry in the Liberal interest in 1852, and was defeated in 1859. At the last general election he was re-elected by a narrow majority in opposition to Viscount Newry. This nobleman will, it is expected, come forward again, and may be opposed by Mr. Jonathan Richardson, of Bessbrook. Mr. Kirk's victory was a triumphant one for Newry is, perhaps, the most Con servative borough in Ireland—a terrible centre of Pro testant fervour. Mr. Kirk was very popular, and I am told that the hope of his victory being repeated by another Liberal is scant indeed. Last week's "question," like the question of the preceding week, and that of the week before, has lapsed into obscurity. The Luxemburg business has strutted and fretted its hour upon the political stage, and now is heard no more. We may or may not have an interest in these matters ; but at any rate the style in which we get into a fever of excitement about them, followed by tea immediate relapse into utter;indifference,is far from digni fied. It now seems generally taken for granted that Prussia has no designs of annexation upon Luxemburg, but simply resolves not to be bound by the Treaty of London in respect of military operations. What autho rity there is for this conclusion, save the veracious assurances of the Berlin semi-official papers, does not appear ; but I can confidently state that the impression is delusive. The facts are against such a conclusion, which is, moreover, irrational on the face of it. The German press (it is prudently quiet now) has unanimously claimed Luxemburg ; Prussia wants the little territory; all obligations to France are supposed to be dissolved ; and there is no question of nationality, for the Luxemburgers, too few to gain much attention, have long been regarded as so much freehold property. The liberty to pass troops through the State is so little worth under present circumstances that Count Bismarck would never trouble about it alone. It will not do, therefore, to conclude that ' Count Bismarck entertains only the lamb-like intentions expressed in his circular. The matter has hardly been thought so serious as to involve the danger of a war. But in diplomatic strife over these questions, we invariably seem worsted. Why is this? People say that a heavy drag hampers Minis. terial action in all matters relating to Prussia. A great influence, unseen but felt, looms in the distance. They say that but for this cause more efficient interveution —I do not, of course, mean war—would have been tried in the interest of France. It is strange that the clergy of the Irish Chardh have so long Withstood the temptation to commute, i.e., to conipound for the sums of money coming due to them under the Church Act annually for a certain number of years. There has been a regular shower of applications for commutations sent in to the Commissioners in the past few days, as all requests to retire from the Establishment under t he commutation scheme must be made before January Ist, one chief inducement to commutation has been the opportunity afforded, or said to be afforded, to beneficed clergy of purchasing their glebes at a mode rate rate out and out from the Church representative body, for their own use and that of their families here after. By the bye, the Archdeaconry of Limerick, Dr. Graves's diocese, will most probably not be 'filled up by the Crown. . Whilst the difficulties occasioned by the withdrawal of the facilities for parcel postage are becoming More manifest, the confusion attending the regulations re specting the book-post has increased, and nobody seems to know what can or cannot be done. The fact is that the Post-office proper has virtually fallen into new hands, the experienced officers having of late_ given their . attention chiefly to, the telegraphic department. The result is that a number of impracticable arrangements have been introduced. Amongst these is that relating to the contents of parcels. It is impossible for the officers of the department to examine the contents of every missive that passes through their hands, and therefore it .is useless to make regulations as to the internal arrange ments of parcels. No conditions can be efficiently im posed except those whose infraction aglance at the outside of a packet suffices to' detect. Anything which the senders choose to forward open at the end ought to be carried at book-post rates. Attempts to regulate the inside of packages only result in the greatest advantage to the boldest offender: None of the Post Office Clerks seem able to give trustworthy instructions. The other day, at a large provincial town, inquiry was made ag to whether an open letter might be sent by the book post, and the reply was " Certainly. not." As the inquirer was leaving the office, he was called back and informed that if he wrote a dozen copies of - the letter, so as to make it a circular, then it could go by book-post ! How the unfortunate investigator, who is appointed to decide upon the eligibility of a parcel, can determine when a letter becomes a circular or not, besides many other questions of the kind, is beyond my comprehension. It is to be hoped that the Post-office authorities will speedily terminate this confusion, . and adopt such clear and definite principles as will enable the public to learn what rights really are conceded to them. ' Little notice has been taken by civilians of the exceedingly handsome and tasty uniform which, within the past few days, has been issued to the officers and men of the new Army Service Corps. The dress is dark blue, but the facings of white, and in the case of officers, of white and gold, are laid on the coat and trousers, in a neat and sparing manner. . The thick braiding, so con demned in the old costume of the Military Train, is altogether abolished. The new tunic is a loose fatigue jacket without a belt, and the undress cap, per haps shewing the most improvement of all, is a light cavalry one, smart and small, but in nowise too small. The privilege of gold is altogether a new one to the officers of this branch of the service. The new helmet, full dress, is also one that is sure to give satisfaction. Altogether there is reason for believing that the corps when mounted will present an appearance second only to that, of the ap pearance "oa parade" of the Royal Artillery or the Carabineers. Some of my readers may be interested in the fact that Sir Arthur Guinness, Bart., is to be married in March. The family of the great brewer, the late Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness, are becoming gradually identified with the Irish peerage. Miss Anna Lee Guiness was married in 1863 to Lord Plunket's eldest son, and now the daughter of Lord Bandon is about to become Sir Arthur Guinness's wife. I may state that the brewery in Dublin is yielding an income to the two brothers Guinness of £lOO,OOO a year. After a comparatively long interval, during which no new speculation of moment has affected the journalist world, there is likely to be an important appearance in the shape of a new London daily of the first class. Let us hope that it will not share the fate of the Pall Mall Gasette which, some people think, would have proved a success by this time. The Week's News, a threepenny paper, will appear at the end of the first week in January. One gets a good deal of instruction now and then by peep ing into_ the journals of remote country districts. Thus, in the Mayo Constitution of last Saturday I find an enor mous head, "Extraordinary News," followed by that tre mendous bulletin which scarcely found credit even in pro vincial France, describing that the siege of Paris was raised, Bismarck blockaded in Versaillei, 50,000 prisoners taken, 250 guns captured or spiked, 'Trochu marching upon Mantes with 100,000 men, and Vinoy in another direction with six times as many. The fearful' tale winds up with the statement that the Prussians are retreating with great apparent anxiety, a condition of mind amply justified by the facts, whilst the victorious French were quietly walking off in the opposite direction. One wonders who supplied the far west of Ireland paper with a story which forms the most prominent fe'ature in its issue of last Saturday, and who, having received the news, thought it fit for publication. The Christmas season in London, so far as Christmas gifts are concerned, has been strangely influenced by the war. The supply of Christmas cards from Germany has been circumscribed, and from France altogether stopped. It was from Paris itself that the tasteful and gem-like articles de luxe came last year to fill the London stationers' windows. This year a home supply has taken their place, but the splendour of the offerings is, as a rule, far less creditable than . that afforded by the Paris market.: An Irish firm, Messrs. Ward and Co., have taken it upon themselves to send in a store of Christmas cards and carols to the chief stationers ; and they have done their work well. So great has been the rush for their articles that I am told their branch premises in Covent Garden were cleared out yesterday. Among the novelties intro duced this season are medieval and comic cards' whibh, with trite quotations from the old poets, or with more true than complimentary observations on Christmas wel comings, are sure to please and cause a laugh. On one of these sent me I found these words: "Merry Christmas brings together, birds of very different feather." And, indeed, I believe it does. A book which will be much looked for in January is " Brougham's Life and Times," by himself. Mr. Bentley publishes Life and Letters of the Author of Ingoldsby Legends. The first volume of the revised edition of the Statutes is ready. Cassell and Co., the well-known popular publishers, are about to issue a history of the war. A monthly series of stories for young people is to be issued at a. very low,price by Messrs. Groombridge and Sons, under the title of the "Rainbow Stories." The cams firm will shortly commnnce a new shilling quarterly ---" The Landowner, and Farmer's Note-book." Mr. John Morley has in preparation a new work, " The Philosophy of History." The weather here is detestable. There was a tolerably complete eclipse of a general character this morning, so that the eclipse of the sun at noon was forestalled. Two days ago we had bril liant autumn weather, with a high temperature ; now the cold is intense, falls of snow and sleet occur, the streets are well-nigh impassable through frost, and special pre cautions must be taken by those who have important parcels to send by railway. The lamentations of the large foreign colony here are long and loud. 'The shifting weather has caused an exceptional proportion of sickness amongst the hordes of Frenchmen who exist rather than live in this climate. I have reason for thinking that a danger of even greater imminence than a Bonapartist restoration threatens the French Republican Government. A short time ago a plot formed by several ex-deputies of the Legislative Body, having for its object the convocation of a National Assembly, and the making of peace, was nipped in the bud by Gambetta. The conspirators, however, are far from crushed. They are in . great force at Bordeaux, where they have been rein forced by a detachment including, amongst others, that man unstable as water—Emile de Girardin. Their schemes for effecting a counter revolution are still pro gressing. Nor does the project offer insuperable diffi culties, for Gambetta is entirely dependent upon the army, and if a knot of ex-Deputies called themselves the Government, and offered France the blessing of peace, it is by no means certain that the resolute dictator would find sufficient support. What the deputies would do with supreme power, if they obtained it, I cannot say, for the simple reason that the deputies do not seem clear on that point themselves. Few subjects have been more talked of lately at the clubs, and in circles where politics find a place, than the project for fortifying London. There can scarcely be a doubt that " something is to be done " in this way, and many are the positive assurances I have ,received re• specting the precise plan. Unfortunately all these positive assurances differ. Four sets of schemes have their advo cates. There is the design of making LoOon as strong as Paris ; there is the design of surrounding the British capital with detached forts, complete and well armed ; there is that of building two or three very strong places on the most commanding points and then filling up the gaps by improvised works, if the neces sity should ever arise; and lastly there is the project of merely mapping out the fortifications, and erecting them if a pleasing occasion should ever require it. The art of fortification is now much better understood ; the material and the labour are always abundant in London; and thus it would be easy to do all that might be required at very short notice. I can confidently affirm that this latter is the plan which finds favour. Making London a regular fortress would be enormously expensive, and beyond what the necessities of the case require. The splendid resistance of Paris sets the question of a fortified capital beyond a doubt ; but London and Paris are very differently situated. If the Government can come to a clear under standing as to what ought to be done in case of a most improbable contingency, that will be sufficient, without laying out a sum of money large enough to build a whole fleet. I was rightly informed with regard to the chairmanship of the London School Board. Lord Lawrence will make a good leader, no one can doubt; and though he voted for a salary being paid to the chairman, he will work not less energetically withouL any inducement of that kind. There is a strong feeling, I am told, amongst the members of the Board generally, that the responsibility of guiding the education of the metropolis must not be allowed to fall into the hands of a permanent official, such as the paid secretary. Great care will be taken to prevent this personage from becoming a virtual autocrat,uncontrollable, and almost immovable, as is often the case in similar situations. Indeed to make him "keep his place " all the more strictly he will not be a secretary at all, but " clerk." One of the points of Lord Lawrence's policy, I believe, will be the improvement of the position of teachers. There is much room for this. The educa tion of an elementary school teacher is considerably below the standard necessary to fit him for the effectual discharge of his duties.;] whilst the average pay he re- HOSPITAL SUNDAY.—We are informed that the amount collected at the various churches and chapels in Manchester, Salford, and the district, on Sunday last, in behalf of the medical charities of Manchester and Salford, reached £1,745, • NOTICE.—KINAHAWS LL. Whisky Depot. Kinahan and Co. have removed to their new and spacious premises, No. 6a . , Great Titchfield-street, Oxford-street, leading from Maroret-street, Regent-street, and Market-street, Oxford-street. Kinahan's LL. Whisky.--This famous and most delicious old mellow spirit is the very cream of Irish whiskies, in quality unrivalled, perfectly pure, and more wholesome than the finest coernac brandy. Can be obtained all over the kingdom, in the Well-known sealed and labelled bottles, or in. bond for exportation at . the London Docks. Wholesale Agents to MesSrS. Bass, Guinness, and Younger, and Dealers in Foreign Wines: and Spirits. THE WAR. BALLOON NEWS FROM. PARIS An English letter of the 11th found in the balloon which fell the other day in Germany, contains some in teresting particulars The Government has stopped the formation of the assemblies of delegates, who had arrogated to themselves the power of watching the mili tary and civil' administration. These committees, which had taken the name of 'Family Councils of the Companies of the National Guard,' have been replaced by committees of ' mutual help.' The Belleville bakers had insisted on being paid for the bread whioh they supplied to the army, and on the Government, for want of money, offering them flour in payment, they refused to make any more bread. The next day there was none in Belleville, and a tem porary panic resulted. I read in another letter that the commandant of Mont Val4rien, General Noel, has complained of the pillage and devastation com mitted by the Mobiles of Ruel and Nanterre. The order has just been given to fire on anybody passing beyond the line of outposts. The General has been authorized by the Governor to try criminals by a council of war meeting at Mont Val4rien. The energetic and heroic attitude of General Trochu has silenced his most obstinate adversaries among the Paris press. The restaurants are closing one after another for want of meat. There are no more potatoes. There is abund ance of coffee,' wine, and bread, the price of which has not risen. The prices of other eatables are enormous, and thus quoted—a cabbage 5f., a carrot 5f., a fat rabbit 25f., an ordinary turkey 60f. to 70f., and a chicken 157 f." OUTRAGE UPON ENGLISHMEN BY PRUSSIANS. A very remarkable story reaches us from Versailles. Five English gentlemen ha' e, it seems, been imprisoned in Etampes in the most arbitrary manner, in sulted, and treated with indignity. The whole affair was the more extraordinary As one of the gentlemen so treated was the Assistant-Military Commissioner sent out by the British Government, another was Mr. Landells, the artist, and two of the others officers in the British army. All of them were, moreover, furnished with passes duly signed by the respeetive chiefs of the Royal German staffs. They were all known to one another, and on the evening of the arrest had agreed to sup together. Captain Frazer one of them, is a member of the International Society and had been engaged for some days in the neighbourhood of Orleans in attending to the wounded on both sides. His journey to Versailles taken with the object of procuring medical stores from the British agency for the sufferers, both German and French, in the recent actions near Blois. Mr. Lan dells, the well-known painter, is actually attached to the Crown Prince's staff, and had special permits for visiting the outposts. All these advantages, however, proved fruitless. The beginning of the difficulty was that while the Englishmen were seated at supper in the Hotel at Etampes, an armed dragoon took up his place near them, but though surprised at this they did not take any notice. Some Prussian officers were seated in the same room. Mr. Landells' servant presently told him that the soldiers would not allow his coachmen to get fodder for his horses. Mr. Landells went to inquire into the matter, but the Bavarian soldiers who thronged the staircase would not let him pass, nor would they release the coachmen. Much perplexed, he went back to the room to tell his friends the occurrence, when the Etappen Commandant walked in, and, tapping Capt. Frazer roughly on the shoulder, cried, " Produce your papers." Captain Frazer, not a little surprised, gave them, asking why they were wanted. In answer he was told that he had been seen escaping from Toury with two white horses, and was suspected of being a spy. The white horses belonged to Mr. Landells, who came forward and claimed them, producing his own papers. Captain Hozier, who was in full uniform, and had his official papers with him, as assistant Military Commissioner, here interposed, and offered to give his word of honour as a British officer for the other gentlemen who were all personally known to him. . He received the flattering answer that his uniform was just the one to be worn by a French spy, and as for papers, he might have picked them up ; it was easy to pick up such passes about the country. As for his offer to be guarantee for the identity of his friends, it did not meet with much more favour than his personal claims to respect, for Captain Hozier himself and Captain Brackenbury, his travelling com panion, were placed under close arrest, and the other three gentlemen, Captain Frazer, Mr. Landells, and Mr. White, were marched off to separate rooms guarded by soldiers with fixed bayonets. All remonstrance was Ifseless, and to increase the discomfort of the prisoners, every successive change of guard went through the process of verification of their identity. In the morning Mr. Landells went down to the dining room to get some coffee, and found Captains Hozier and Bracken bury under strict guard. Mr. Landells was at once ordered off by a soldier who had followed him and told him he must not leave his room again. Captain Frazer and Mr. White did not get even so far as Mr. Landells, but were kept closely confined in their rooms the whole day. They could not meet, and there fore had to confer by the windows. They had beenarrested on Wednesday evening, Captains Hozier and Bracken bury being then en route from Versailles to Prince Frederick Charles's headquarters, Captain Frazer and the two civilians being on their way to Versailles. On Friday morning the three last were sent in a guarded carriage to Versailles, Mr. White's horse being tied behind the carriage. They had neither food nor rest during the tedious journey whose end was not reached till Satur day afternoon. After waiting some time at Versailles in the courtyard of the Commandant, General Voight- Rhetz, listening to the insults of the German by standers, they hailed the arrival of an English officer of rank, Major-General Beauchamp, Walker, C.B. After a considerable amount of persuasion, he induced General Voight Rhetz to release his countrymen on his security that they should be produced if necessary. They were compelled, however, to give their parole that they would not leave the place until the affair was investi gated. The only excuse that could be given for their arbitrary imprisonment was that Major Hollweger, the boorish Prussian officer at Etampes did not believe that they were the same persons as their passes and papers described them to be. Yet the papers in question were signed by Prussian staff offi cers of the highest rank, and as General Walker, the British Military Commissioner, officially undertook to be responsible for them, it was not a little singular that they remained the objects of manifest suspicion. Captains Hozier and Brackenbury were allowed to leave for Prince Frederick Charles's headquarters the same morning as their less fortunate companions started for Versailles• No apology was made to them for the outrage inflicted upon them by the imprisonment and delay they had suffered. But the other three, when they left Etampes, were driven off in the midst of a shouting crowd, while a similar group assembled at the gates of Versailles to greet the arrival of the English prisoners into the city. Great indignation is expressed by Englishmen in both Versailles and Etainpes, and the matter is not improved by the fact that all Cap tain Hozier's telegrams addressed to the Crown Prince, Prince Frederick Charles, General Blumenthal and other distinguished persons, were kept back, although • he was solemnly promised that they should be forwarded as soon as written. THE PROJECTED BONAPARTIST RESTORATION. The statements that intrigues for a restoration by force of the Emperor Napoleon are on foot have often been discre dited : but, perhaps, no further doubt will remain when the following- letter is read. It is addressed by Captain De Haut, of the French staff, a prisoner in Germany to the Independance Beige, and appears amongst the protests by captive French officers against Imperialist designs, of which so many have been published in that journal : " MONSIEUR. LE REDACTEUR,—Here is a fact which I bring under the notice of all my comrades, prisoners in Germany. I have seen a stranger here at Mayence, for three days past, who had come from London, Cologne, Coblentz, having passed by Wilhelmshohe. He was going to Wiesbaden, Stuttgart, Munich, Ulm, Dresden, and Leipsic ; recommending himself by an auto graph letter of the Emperor which I have read. This person put forward schemes of a restoration, and was surprised to find so little personal attachment for Napoleon 111. in the army. He extolled the courage of the Emperor at Sedan, and gave small praise to the members of the Government of National Defence. We have long known that our deposed sovereign had a genius for intrigue, but we hoped that he was not now seeking to prepare a restoration which would infallibly lead to civil war. But sooner or later the mask falls, the hero vanishes, the adventurer remains, —Accept, monsieur, &c., A. DE HAUT, Staff Captain. The Times' Tours correspondent places the whole losses of the French during the first ten days of December at 150,000 men. There is some danger of Faidherbe, with the Army of the North, being surrounded by the Germans. Manteuffei has certainly not less than 70,000 men in the was North, while the French general has at the most 4 0 k; the greater part of whom are undrilled recruits an dl°. " armed. feta The Pomo- Zeitumg says that officers exempt „0 service on account of age are invited to place thetase" at the service of the country. It is stated that eighteen battalions of the Ge ri° reserve are to be employed in the o ccupation of str, burg, Metz, and g:hionville. of The Nice papers lately r epo r t e d t wen ty centiinetrego snow to be lying in the st ree t s o f th a t usually' o° , l l , city. Such a sight had not been seen there since Feb ru 1853. isgeci On the 14th inst. twenty enormous mortal's I , ° -40 through Cassel on the way to Paris, a,ccompanie d 1 7f1 . na men to serve them, and a large q uan tity of alllllll— amounting to 1,000 charges for each. They 113 v, 0 constructed and mounted under• the di r ection of Cape Collet, who is in charge of the expedition, wh ich expected to reach Paris in a week. D ress A letter from ToUrs, copied f rom th e Frellcu m ; to into the Frankfurter Zeitung, a p a p er favoull t he the Republican cause of France, says that aft o er recent battles near Orleans, th e A ra b C ava lry of '"4"rl:' 01 11• cut off the heads of German so ldi ers , and that 5 11 ber of those horsemen rod e i n to t own with 3 CC' S e 6. or so of those ` war trophies " hanging from their 53" . - bows. s s ' The almoner of the French A rm y, C ou nt Pg ro o Roman Catholic priest, has obtained leave from th e e s, of Prussia, with whom he had a n i n t erv i ew at - Verd i ') to visit the French prisone rs i n G erman y. ",,, s or accordingly, in company with hi s c h a pl a i n , a Ge—there speaking Alsatian, proceeded to Berlin, and havirg r ooe obtained the necessary crede n ti a l s f rom t ne Ws„., r . „, v ot and Bishop Namezano ws ki, th e C a th o li c Fi e ld P", 061 of the Prussian Army, he has commenced his r. f °ll visits at Custrin. is . it'r The Cross Gazette say s :—" S ou th ern Champage-och centre whence come the Franc-tireurs who do so mischief to our soldiers, and are introducing into the the an element of violence which it did not possess s t of beginning. The problem of sweeping the countl i t be keeping the communications open, and preservill, the telegraph, is not one easy of so l u ti on i n th e face °J' ar s, aid which towns and villages give to the Franc- 611 4A especially in the Haute Mar n e, w hil e th e we ll-oecil , and well-situated fortress of Langres supports th e o r corps and comes to their aid i n ex p e diti ons a nd au l cades." fi e GERMAN LOSSES. --Herr Wi c k e d e , o f the c07„, 3 Gazette, writes :—" No sorties have been undertwe during the past week from Paris. Th e f ormer h o t fig caused great losses to both armies. Ab o ut 1,000 Wu r i t t e he r bergers, 2,000 Saxons, and ,1,200 Prussians are ei jog killed, wounded, or taken prisoners. The French rri is not easily calculated, as they were ena bl e d to c 3 O , 'back the greater portion of thei r woun d e d i n t o the t f ° d According to the number o f kill e d w hi c h our t ro ops 10 ,toe upon the field of battle, they m us t h ave l os t at ' O O from ten to el e ve n th ousan d men . Th e fi g hting o r carried on on both s id es w ith th e greates t bittern, 0 , and the French especially fought with a deter Oho T . tion that has not before bee n s h ewn b y them. tio results achieved during the p as t wee k aga inst o f Army of the Loire have been of a hi g hly satisfact:l4 nature. Notwithstanding the resistance of despair , t h e really brilliant bravery, which we will not dellYo French in this war, the Army of the Loire has " - of beaten by us over and over again in a series bit engagements more or less important, without its beinque to boast of a single success worth men ti on i ng . It is die these victories have cost us many bl oo dy sacr ifi c es. , '''„ f i , Bavarian Corps has lost in killed and wounded and „VI soners 123 officers, and 2,000 men. Th e 17th 1n1 3. 7 4 ; Division has lost alone in killed and wounded 3,00 0 It i re the 22nd Division has also had co ns id era bl e l osses , as P-cler the cavalry and the 3rd and 9th Hano ver i an C o rps 1113 41 Prince Frederick Charles. On the whole we may reon s our losses up to the lothDecember, in recapturing Orlel l and driving back the Army of Loire, at 10,000 rae u ,hot killed, wounded, and prisoners. It i s -t rue d u ring " 0 ,4 time we have taken 18,000 prisoners, and ninety g als a. from the enemy, besides four we ll- arme d gun -b o ats, '''' have killed and wounded at least from 7,000 t o 8,000 mein" THE FRANCO-IRISH AMBULANCE. The Dublin committee of this body has received. 2 , , port from Surgeon Maguire, wh o i s i n command _ (l ` detachment of the ambulance ac c omp an yi ng the di 4l l o of Francs - Tireurs under General Mocquard, which he states that—At Buchy, Dr. Cren:lier' with three students and a waggon, were under 'fire the whole time, and carried off and attended to t 1 1: wounded of the division. The next morning I v , ' received orders to quit Rouen with the troops, as the to , ";i had surrendered. ' Dr. Cremier, with two waggons at staff, left at 11 a.m. ; I, with J. Ryan, remained to 0 ' Mr. Conolly, who is sick at Rouen. On our return fill the hospital we learned that the Prussians had arrive We immediately started to join the ambulance, 10 were arrested by the Prussians. After detained nearly three days, we were present„ with a sort of pass, which ' was disputed 'Y r a Prussian officer whom we met abo u t a m il e from the,iii outposts. He endeavoured to arrest us , b u t we succeed'` in making our escape from him by riding twenty-sa e :l_ miles without a halt. While in Rou en we were trest,r e i, most lincourteously. While having dinner at the / I °' d'Angleterre, some Prussian officers came in and 1 13 € 1 5. removed from the public saloon before we h a d finis' , c l dining; again, my horse was turned out of his stable 1. 0 kept in the open air all night. THE DEFENCE OF LoNDox.—lf there be ally' truth in the rumour that official orders have been given for the preparation of a scheme for the defence of Leudot it must be admitted that the action, of Government 71 neitht.r rash nor preceipitate. Ten years have doll, / since the commissioners app o i n t e d t o i nqu i re i n to t defences of the country presented their report, and not yet forgotten that the following was one of the tan, pregnant passages in that report. " Th ere can be 11 , f or 4 doubt," say the commissioners , " that the main objey of an enemy invading the country would be to push , the capital, in the hope that, if he succeeded in obtainim" a command of it, such'a disaster would result in our bor t , ing him off upon any terms he might think it expediel i to exact." As this opinion was shared by the most petent authorities, it was a matter of surprise a„I 3 regret that the defence of Loud on h a d no t b een spec iaq brought under the a tt en ti on o f th e comm i ss i oners ; the omission was in some measure remedied by the f f discussion which the subject rec e i ve d a t th e h an d s General Shaw Kennedy, Sir Joshua Jebb, and oth,r" writers. General Kennedy p ro p ose d t o secure the sa f e ' of the metropolis by erecting a number of small forts, each of them about 200 yards square, at intervals of mile, upon a circle having a five-mile radius rol London. He calculated that for the defence of these for t 265,000 men would be required, and for field opera tiol an additional force of 250,000. It i s nee dl ess t o o bserv e that we are at present a very long wa y frog having at our disposal the necessary half million soldiers. Sir Joshua Jebb's plan was wider in range, and consisted in fortifying with field w oriv extending for some 60 miles along high ground frol Maidstone to Reading. But it had the obvious deice., of being only a partial defence o f L on d on , w hi c h will', be as much exposed to attack u p on th e nor th an d ea s t sides as before. In the Cornhill Magazine another projec o was brought forward. The writer suggested that th principal eminences round London—Shooter's Hill, Nor wood, Wimbledon, Harrow, Mill Hill, and Enfield should be crowned with large and substantial fora °. tions, and that smaller intermediate forts should 1 :f erected at intervals between the heights. This is,. course, very similar to the plan whi c h h as b een a d o around Paris. Another scheme, p ro p ose d i n a parapW.,,e by a " General Officer," was th e f orma ti on o f t wo or iia°' entrenched camps at the distance of a day's march, fro° London. These would form bases from which trool° might be pushed forward to impede tilt adxtunce of 0 1 enemy, and rallying points in case o f c h ec k. Th ere is ° f any rate an abundance of alternative schemes, and out 19 them we trust the War Office may b e a bl e t o select 0110 which will ensure the final settlement of this long-impell y ing question.—Pall Mall Gazette. LADvEnnsEmENT.l—Holloway's Ointment and Pill Relief and remedy.—ln all human probability the alnact unprecedented heat of last summer will predispose rn5 11 9 during the present winter to ner vous an d r h eum attacks, at once remediable by Holloway's treatmen t " - There are many cases of sciatica, ti c d o l oreux, and ne' l , ralgia now wearing out the strength an d patience of tho u sands, who might derive incredibl e ease by th e us e Holloway's Ointment and Pills, no matter what has be; the duration of the complaint, Lr bow excruciating 11 5 Y been 'the sufferings, they will be diminished by w 0 fomentations, brisk friction with this ungent, an d suits doses of these Pills. This treatment has oft en su cceed when every variety of sedative has proved perfect useless. BIRTHS. On the 20th inst., at Lichfield House, Richmond, Surreif the wife of John Maxwell, Esq., of a son. On the 20th inst., at 126, Beim-aye-road, S.W., the Wi fe of Major Wm. Palliser, C. 8., of a daughter. MARRIAGES.' On the 20th inst., at St. John's, Hampstead, JoseP Addison, of 7, Wallbrook, son of W, Addison, Esq., O . Guildford, formerly of Whitby, to, M ar ianne, daughte• of Joseph Brown, Esq., Q. C, On the 20th inst., at St. Jhmes's, Piccadilly, John Brad; ney, Esq., of Bayforti Lodge, S om ersetshire, to gaw Barbara, daughter of Edgar Disney, Esq., of The Hyd e ' Ingatestone, Essex. DEATHS. On the 19th inst., at Say Hall, Worcestershire, Pola r Dolphin, Esq. On the 19th inst., Mr. 'Wm. Hill, of the firm of Hill 0 1161 Son, 261, Euston-road, aged 81. o f London : Printed by GIDEON ACLAND BOYCE , 1 0 No. 112, Strand, Printer, and Published by, hit ° he Ta Su Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of Savoy, in the County of Middlesex. Triday, December 23, 1870.- N o . 2 ~---,.--. CE,YST Admission Festival Organ Pantomime, Admission, Issue, dating Entrances. " dren under Tv A _LHAM ManaFi RANGEMEA Vast and Mag iMperb and i Brilliant Gas Vocal and Insi Musicians, cot of the Scots Fi Officer). War Mdlle. Degra Rehr, Mdl Medici, Mr. Ge alarms. Julli trening, the and Little Be events. The A and daring gyi any age or cou 7 ; Comthence Circle, 5s ; Pri Pen from 11 • RGYL The extraon of the Shado' the electric li pate in it, co' Music Selecti( - have had the most extensiv celebrated Or chef, Signor I positions of al assiwned to to W. Graves, L. Thomas Pitts. FINE 11,EQUIRI 91EA, esi and the lead, coutair free, to all E tea mercliunt Any quantity on applicatio SCIEb C\ RNAI am: Dit anent of VAE stands, beaut Alabaster, Po and manufa( Majesty, 149, "ri'enni MINERALS Lyell's Elem resting study at 5. 5 10, y 0 PRACTIOJ LOGY is giv 'FHORI For B taining all 1 AILLCII COM proving the with it for RABBITS, a all expeetati in London, a the Country W H 33: Prices and VD B. SPIT street, and trade with I in sherry ca in bond or THE PAN'. and other A at the Lond India Pale Mild „ 11. CI ROAD. Lon( KINK( BLU needs no i lady who h and cheapn any other ] bINKI PRI] and 6d. an, PON in a saint Venting da BINK FE( other kind THE TON Medicine enriches t Purifies tl purifying long-stanc fula, gout Chief dep red and 1 No other lls. Th , Medicine complaint Sarsapaiil scalds ; E 15, 30, an, QPAIS ALI euces Wt los. 6d. ' 48, High w ol Piraiion the very Holborn, If 9 the face. Sss. 6d., gad of DM] ar SKIN PI 76. 6d. ; I Holborn, GRI Mediate] fleet. 4, and: HAS Ladies' 1 had of llw the hail atonal u liolhorr rrin si With a With g apply i Querum NV I . , earnest] their us TR] J._ 1 400 U ; A.I.IIIICAI ASE