The Sun. — London, England, 1870-09-20 00:00:00

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HE. 3itche ' data d the sittuttill re t r eat afte r sander of e all the lun; ) put theut i f 4 . l . be cord of vi'm7; oo , for c/j ; e d the or de i ick the place, /11/:,ii, d w ithout r e ; ,t of gaeg:'l t ee to belie' thehe which the oet French 20. the A ts Le Libra as s ; O4 e 4,00 0 Fru s : oo f provisiT is It whiau the ided as the/ sth 319 Y le a They h a ve f u se. t alway s atof Arg a l qat hi e u rePl i does not Per' -,_ENCE. offered) offered) ,) 06 take 0 to d wa,nted) to taken freelY) ffered) anted) offered) :r 40 to 1 take ,0 1 laid) s that Deus 11 Je B i n s an aog• y- tY-fotwo r a s en n. re alteratioat ChM' a and •essino• larg_e ce tre onlhe Nee,: ro , r N a poleu c i; the Fre° _No in e°ll' the urdaY bYp a ch Ihantes, e ach steam-Ye!,4ch at Wools" h t TheZ ac ts ,it and aw present st a .. ' te . L Goa 'W ham t siS exPee w ill Canada be ier Lent axe ouP' . ritish throo; le Don:lion hensd to w ee rs luntee_, t trool3',. other laf; s ale by TG-8 0-- of ATS. -- l CO e aos ii - LesdaY at least ° s o suddenlY, wo or thre e sea ha dec 'u ir s the ;no . We was r uw— of , our h oo d boats bott thew ; der 3 1e to re 3 been bora boats have t they be' One of of Charit;' ged to -D3 7 , 1 3 hison. her re3turns, a,nd frien ae prehensions COM' AND p ha e. s a ration e Gazette F. 1 laws wines 41, and by lected catcoce oa, a deli , avy doctors Sold only in omo3oPathi DAY. DAY. THIRD EDITION. SUN OFFICE, 2.15 r.m LATEST INTELLIGENCE. THE W.A.R. (REUTERS TELEGRAMS.) FIGHTING ROUND PARIS. FRENCH TROOPS OUTSIDE THE WALLS. PARIS, SEPT. 19. Firing was beard during a portion of last night in the direction of Clamart and Meudon. Almost all the troops are outside Paris in order to harass the enemy, and the ramparts are manned by the National Guard. Everywhere an excellent spirit prevails. Some trifling engagements took place yesterday in the direction of Fort Ivry and the plains of Chatillon. Strong detachments of Prussian infantry and cavalry are announced at Clamart and Creteil. Prince Albert, of Prussia, has occupied Nangis with cavalry. A body of 1,500 Prussians are constructing a bridge near Villeneuve St. George's. The Crown Prince is advancing towards Fontaine bleau, and the Prussians have crossed the Seine at Choisy le Roi.' BERLIN, SEPEMBER 20, 9.32 A.M. Very energetic measures have been taken by the French near Paris. Numerous vessels have been sunk in the Seine and the Marne. The fords have been rendered impassable and the bridges blown up. The villages near the fortifications have been evacuated and demolished or burnt. Three bombproof forts at St. Denis have been greatly reinforced, and protested by inundation. Earthworks are being constructed at the town of St. Denis and Etains, as• also on the southern heights of Clamart. A new fort has been con structed at Moutretout between St. Cloud and Suresnes, and a new railway connecting the forts has also been, made. At Strasburg the batteries of the city are almost entirely silenced by the German fire. The Dantzic Merchants' Corporation having proved by the evidence of local pilots that since the 26th of August no French man-of-war has appeared in the Eastern Baltic has petitioned Count Bismarck to declare the blockade invalid. According to semi-official advices, the Comman dant of Laon seems to have been innocent of the explosion of the citadel. The work was probably blown up by an artilleryman. The Stockholm Gazette contradicts the statement of the Paris Liberte that France bought 90,000 Remington muskets in Sweden. A. large police force has been sent to Alsace and German Lorraine, where a regular Government is How established.—Times Second Edition. The Manchester Guardian publishes the following telegram, Paris, Monday, 3.50 a.m. :--" Iron-clad gunboats have taken up position on the Seine. The Prussians ,intend bombarding Vionville. Bazaine is still in Metz. A. Prussian corps has crossed the Seine at Corbeil. Paris is quiet." THE SIEGE OF PARIS. PARIS, MONDAY Havre has raised its vote for the purchase of arms from 150,000 to 300,000 francs. The General Council of the Department of Mayenne has voted a first amount of 350,000 francs for the same pur pose, and other departments are following these examples. In the Department of La Sarthe. the Council on the proposal of M. de Talhouet, the President of the Defenee Committee, has voted 2 )500,000 francs for the armament of 40,000 Gardes National in the Department. The Comstitutionnel contends that there is not a °mmune in France where the Government of National Defence is not obeyed, and that it is a mockery for Bismark to pretend it " only represents a action of the Left, in the old Corps Legislatif of Paris," when M. Thiers is regarded as an envoy at London, St. Petersburg, and Vienna. The Institute of France has decided to address a protest to the learned bodies of Europe against the Possible bombardment of the scientific monuments of Paris, and to ask their adhesion to tt. THE POSITION OF BAZAINE. News from several German sources testifies that the position of Bazaine in Metz is far less hope less than it was represented to be. He cannot escape, but neither can his position be assailed, and he will not be starved into surrender for some time. The Duchess of Hamilton left the Emperor Napo leon the day after her arrival, profoundly affected. The ex-ruler of France has received no visitor since Tuesday last. DEPARTURE OF M. JULES FAVRE FROM PARIS. A telegram from the Paris correspondent of the Daily News dated Sunday, says—" The Rouen line t ook no post to-night. M. Jules Favre left Paris this morning, it is supposed, for the German headquar ters. The American, Swiss, and Belgian Ministers remain here. Paris is quiet." The following telegrams are from the correspon. dent of the Telegraph:— _ ___ ._ " PARIS, SEPT. 18 (10 pas.) " M. Jules Favre, it is believed, has gone to the Prussian headquarters. `` All the railways have been cut. The Diplo matic Body has now left, with the exception °I the American, Swiss, and Belgian Min isters. To-day Paris has been dull and quiet. There is a large number of soldiers on the boulevards, but there appears to be little discipline." WASHINGTON, SEPT. 19. Mr. Motley telegraphed last Saturday to Mr. Sec retary Fish that the assertion, according to which Prussia intends to reinstate Napoleon, and will not treat except with the Regency, is false, but that Prussia regards the present Government of France L a s unstable, and incapable of giving lasting guaran tees. "ROUEN, SEPT. 19 (8.40 A.m.) " Much excitement was caused in Rouen yester daY by the arrival of Captain Cecil Johnstone, with an important despatch from Lord Granville to Lord Lyons. He could not get on by railway, the line being cut at Pont de I'Arche, thirteen miles from Rouen ; consequently he had to go by private carriage. Several persons were arrested yesterday on the suspicion of being Prussian spies." THE CIRCULAR DESPATCH. A. Daily News telegram from Berlin says :—" M. Jules Favre's last circular despatch has in the mam been received favourably. The corre spondence between Count Bernstorff and Earl Granville respecting the export of arms to France has created great indignation. The reported in tention of , the King to return to Berlin is entirely unfounded. The movements' in Bavaria and Wurtemburg, with a view of forming the United States of G ermany un d er a pro p e rly modified fed era l constitution, are successfully progressing. There is no news from the army. ' Notice has b een received that the Bremen steamers will THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDNY, SEPTEMBER 20, 870 resume their voyages to New York on the Ist of October. THE SIEGE OF METZ, A I imes telegram, dated Saarbruck, yesterday, says :—" A. sortie was expected last night, but after three guns fired at midnight by the French, a signal apparently was made countermanding the sortie. We saw a small balloon sent up at midday, which was supposed to contain letters., Deserters keep coming in, who report a dreadful condition of the inhabitants, The peasants fired at officers last night. Peasants have cut the telegraph wires near Epernay, and the town has been fined 200,000 fr. for the offence. It is necessary to come here to telegraph, as the Go vernment have taken up the wires further down. (REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.) DISORDERS AT NICE. NICE, SEPTEMBER 19. Contrary to the despatches of some newspapers, perfect tranquillity prevails at Nice and Mentone, and throughout the whole department. Visitors are beginning to arrive, and the season is commencing favourably. PREPARING BARRICADES. PARIS, SEPTEMBER 18, EVENING. The railway fo Havre was cut at noon to-day near Conflans, by Prussian scouts. All to-day's newspapers approve the contents of the fresh circular from M. Jules Favre. Telegrams from the departments state that every where the armaments are being pushed forward with great activity PARIS, SEPTEMBER 19. The Government have decided to construct a com plete system of barricades, which would form a second enceinte around Paris. M. Rochefort is appointed President f the Commission entrusted with the execution of the plan. The Official Gazette publishes the protest of the Institute of France against the eventual bombard ment of the libraries, monuments, and museums. The Gaulois says that 400 Uhlans yesterday occupied Versailles. The regular postal service is suspended from to day. The Administration will organise a postal service by messengers. Numerous Prussian scouts were killed or captured on Saturday and Sunday by the Gardes Mobiels and Franc-tireurs in the environs of Paris. It is believed that the Prussiaas will attack the capital on the south-east, between Charenton and Clamart, and will establish their head-quarters at Versailles. M. Gleize Grivellie has been appointed Procureur of the Tribunal of Avignon, and M. Philuize Pro cureur of St. Brieuc. The City of Paris will elect on the 28th instant a municipal council of 80 members. TOURS, SEPT. 10. M. Thiers arrived here from London last night. RESISTANCE AT ROME. FLORENCE, SEPT. 18. The Papal troops have resolved on fighting, not withstanding all remonstrances. They cannot make a long resistance. It is settled that Mazzini's trial is to take place.— Daily News Telegram. HOLLAND. THE HAGUE, SEPT. 19. The States „General 'were opened to-day by the King in person. His Majesty, in his speech from the throne, said he appreciated the goodwill and patriotism which the Dutch people have displayed amid the grave events of the last month. The people have shown a unanimous will to maintain the independence of the country. The amicable relations which previously existed with . foreign Powers have in no way been disturbed by the war. The King said that it was his decided intention to persist in his neutrality. The general situation of the country and the colonies was favourable, and the financial condition was not unsatisfactory. THE MISSION OF M. FAVRE, BERLIN, SEPT. 19 M: Jules Favre having put the question vift London to the Chancellor of the North German Confederation whether Count Bismarck is ready to receive him in the headquarters of the King, at Meane, for the purpose of negotiating. Count Bis marck replied through the same channel in the affir- mative. THE BLOCKADE OF THE NORTH SEA. HAMBURG, SEPT. 19 The Senate has published a decree of General Vogel von Falkenstein, in which he says that, although the blockade of the North Sea by the French fleet has been raised, yet the state of war continues as regards the measures of security hitherto adopted, namely, the absence of buoys and beacons, and the maintenance of dangerous obstacles to which the attention of navigators is hereby called: (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.) BAPTIST CONFERENCE. The Baptist Union Conference commenced its sittings at Cambridge yesterday, between four and five hundred delegates having arrived. The Rev. Charles Vince, of Birmingham, preached an eloquent sermon to-night in St. Andrew's-street Chapel, which was crowded to overflow ing. The Missionary Committee held its first sitting in Zion Chapel. The delegates have received a very warm welcome from all classes of the town and University ; and the proceedings of the week are expected to be of considerable political and religious importance. SUDDEN DEATH OF A QUEEN'S COUNSEL. Mr. Alexander Norman, a Queen's Counsel, residing at Dublin, has been found dead on the road near Lynton, Devon, a town he had been visiting. At the coroner's inquest a verdict of " Died from Natural Causes " was re turned, the medical evidence leading to the belief that death had arisen from disease of the heart. SUPPOSED TRADE UNION OUTRAGE. A supposed trade union outrage was committed at Orgreave, near Rotherham, between seven o'clock on Saturday evening, and eight o'clock on Sunday morning. The brickyard belonging to the Fence Colliery Company was entered during the night, and 24,000 bricks destroyed by being trampled upon. Dervick, the man who con tracted to make the bricks, keeps aloof from the union ; but says he has received no complaints from the members. The police have examined the premises and discovered traces indicating that three men must have been con cerned in the outrage. A clue has been found as to the whereabouts of the supposed offenders. Mrs. O'Donovan Rossa, wife of the Fenian convict im• ?risoned at Chatham, gave poetical readings at the Lec ture Hall, Chatham, last night. The programme was !haracteristically selected. There was but a small au- Hence and good order was preserved. The readings will be :manned to-morrow evening. From Dublin we learn by telegram that five men named Yaffney, O'Hara, Graves, Kavanagh, and Fitzgerald were remanded yesterday by the Kingstown magistrates for oelongiug to a body of men who setupun the constabulary, maltreated them, and deprived four of them of their swords. One constable was stabbed with his own weapon. Borne of the prisoners have been in prison for Fenianism, and the crowd who sympathised with them sang Fenian songs. Great crowds assembled in Sackville-street yester day before the establishment of Mr. Lesaby, who is :strolling volunteers for the Irish Ambulance Corps for the French service. One thousand applicants presented themselves, but few of these will be found eligible. THE LOSS OF THE CAPTAIN. The arrangements for holding the court-martial on the surviving officer and crew of the Captain not being corn. plete, it is postponed for a few days. Probably it will not be opened until the arrival of the turret-ship Monarch, now cruising off Cape i?inisterre, in search of any relics of the Captain or her crew, MR. CLAY, M.P., AND MR. NORWOOD, M.P., ON PUBLIC AFFAIRS. At a large meeting held last night at Hull, Mr. Clay, M.P., in alluding to the last general election, said : The Jountry had good reason to be pleased with the present [louse of Commons and the Government. The legislation )f last session had been important. The Irish Land and Education Bills were both of great importance. Under the first every Irish tenant could claim compensation on being turned out of his farm, and if he wished could have thirty-one years' lease. The Education Bill was A compromise which would, he believed, com mence a new and blessed era in our history, the blessing of which will be more recognized by the next generation than by theypresent. The University Tests Bill had been passed by the Commons, but thrown ou t oy the Lords, and next year they would have to pass a till which they would like less. The bill to legalise narriage with deceased wife's sister shared the same fate n the Lords, but only by a majority of 4, so that it would no doubt pass next Session. The Trades' Union, the Mines Regulation, and the Ballot would have to be lealt with, and also the Truck system. On the question )f the war Mr. Clay said he should not be satisfied that our Government had done all it ought till it should appear .mpossible A they could have interfered in any way with a :hance of stopping bloodshed and destruction. At the Jame meeting Mr. Norwood, M.P., spoke. He regarded she Education Bill as a compromise that would have to be mended at an early day, so that education should be un sectarian, undenominational, and compulsory. He be ieved the Ballot would become law next session. As to he war he considered that Government had done all they :mild, and by their 'action in conjunction with other neutral Powers had kept the war in its present narrow dmits. He protested against England meddling with ;he quarrel at all, and urged that it was our duty to keep s clear, distinct, a fair and honourable neutrality between ooth the parties. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. The following letter has been addressed to the Standard oy M. G. Pietri, the Emperor's private secretary : " Wilhelmshohe, Sept. 15, 1870. "Sir,-Since the occurrence of the sad events in France the Emperor Napoleon has been the object of She most violent attacks and of calumnies of all winds, which he will only treat with contempt ; but if it is right in him to remain silent under such circumstances, :t is impossible that those persons who are attached to aim should permit the daily publication of these reports in French and foreign newspapers to pass without contra iiction. "Among the most odious of them it is necessary to ?oint out one in an English journal which has not hesi mted to rank among the causes of the war an embarrass ment of the Civil List, and the necessity resulting from it of borrowing yearly fifty millions from she Budget of the Minister of War—loans, all ;races of which were made to disappear by merging them in the expenses of a great war. So absurd am imputation convicts the writer either of an ignorance she most profound as to the laws which in France regulate she finances of the State, or of extraordinary bad faith. Kalversations are hardly possibly in France, for the audit , :ng of the Civil List involves a strict examination, ander the supervision of the Legislative Body and the court of Accounts. " Another journal asserts that it is known to all the, ;world that the Emperor Napoleon has invested at Am sterdam a sum of ten millions in Dutch railway shares. [ positively contradict the assertion, and, what is more [ affirm that the Emperor Napoleon has not a centime 'nvested in foreign funds. " A German journal has represented the state of the Emperor in quite a different light, for it alleges that so iestitute was he of resources that the Prussian staff at sedan had to advance him 2,000 thalers. This story is; ike the rest, totally unfounded. " I have limited myself to pointing to these assertions, In entirely contrary to the truth, not in the hope of put ting an end to attacks upon a Sovereign who, under the nisfortunes that have befallen him, ought to be safe from ittack, but in order that all may know how very slender ;heir foundations are, and to how small an amount of faith ;hey. are entitled. " I trust, Sir, you will give this letter insertion in your ,ournal, and in thanking you by anticipation, I beg you to :eceive the assurance, Ste., " G. PIETA, " Private Secretary to the Emperor Napoleon." COUNT lIISNIAROK ON THE SITUATION A correspondent of the Standard, writing from Rheims on the 13th instant, gives some very interesting details of an interview with Count Bismarck. ]e writes 2—l had yesterday a long interview with Count Bismarck : and as the dialogue, to which you may be sure I contributed as little as I possibly could, was, on this occasion; exclusively political, I hasten to lay it before your readers -- preserving, as far as possible, the very words that were uttered. If I suc ceed in reproducing something of their directness and causticity I shall be fortunate. Be pleased to bear in mind that the conversation eves concluded in English, which Count Bismarck prefers to speak with English men, seeing that he speaks our tongue, if not with abso lute fluency, at least with force and a certain familiarity. To my opening observation that we had not gone as fast as, when I first had the pleasure of seeing him, he had jocularly promised I henceforth should, his Excel lency replied that few people had any idea of the difficulty of transporting an army of 300,000 men. " And remem ber," he said, " first they fronted the west; then they turned and fronted the north ; then the north-east ; and after Sedan, besides seeing after 100,000 prisoners, they had to wheel right round, and march south-west again." " The German troops march well," he added; " they have actually made their thirty English miles in a day, with, of course, a rest afterwards; but ten miles a day, M n tinuously, is the most that can be counted on. I asked if he thought the French would defend Paris. "We shall not attack it," he answered. " What will you do then ?" I asked. "We shall enter it without attacking it. We shall starve it otit." I urged that it would require 1,200,000 men to invest Paris. He explained that it would not be invested in that sense. But, he said, we shall post our armies round it, according as is thought beet, and we have 50,000 cavalry who will answer for the rest. They will perpetually sweep and scour the parts not actually occupied by our troops, and not a morsel of food will be able to enter Paris. Why should we attack, and undergo fresh sacrifices gratui touly ? There are fighting persons in Paris who might give us trouble the first, and possibly the second day, if we attacked. The third day, if we leave them alone, they will be more troublesome to Paris itself, food becoming scarce. We will begin with the third day. Why run our heads against a wall? He spoke with the utmost confidence of this system. and I leave his views just as they were stated. When I suggested that, whilst Paris was being thus starved into submission time would be given tor the formation of a new Feenth army south of the Loire, he replied : " Not an army ; only numbers of armed people. We took 1,500 of suet. near St. Menehould with a single squadron of dragoons. It is possible that the Frenchman may be made a good soldier in three months; but we shall not give him three months, and in any case the so-called army will be without officers deserving the name. If they 'nab/ on fighag, well and good. They will be slaughtered. But it is a pity." Touching upon the pros pects of peace, he inquired, " With whom ? Through whom ? With the gentlemen of the pavement and their representatives ? When I saw the Emperor," he went on, " after his surrendering himself a prisoner, I asked him if he was disposed to put forward any request for peace. The Emperor replied that he was not in a posi tion to do eo, for he had left a regular Government In Paris, with the Empresi at its head. It is plain e therefore, continued Comet Bismarck, that, if Fra'nce possesses any Government' qt all, it is BM the Government of the Empress aseltegent, er of the Emperor." When I asked if the flight of the saran Empess and' of the Prince Imperial might not be regarded abdication, he said very positively, "he could not con etrue it. The Empress had been forced to go by the gen tlemen of the.pavement, as the Coke Legislatif had been obliged to suspend its sittings ; but the aetign of the gen tlemen of the pavement was not legal. They could not make a Government. The question was—Whom does the fleet still obey? Whom dots the army shut up in Metz still obey ? Perhaps Bazaine still recognises the Emperor. If sp, and we choose to let him go to Paris, he and his army would be worth con siderably more than the gentlemen of the pavement and the so-called Government. We do not wish to dictate to France her form of government ; we have nothing to say to it. That is Iler affair." I pointed out that it would be extremely difficult for the French people at the present moment even to employ the means necessary for ascertaining the national will. " That is their look-out," replied his Excellency ; "we know what we want, and that is enough for tee" This observation led up to what Germany will consider indispensable conditions of peace. Count Bismarck disclaimed all desire of increase of ter ritory or population for mere increase sake, and it was a nuisance to have German subjects who speak French. " But," he continued, " the present is the 25th time in the space of a hundred years that France has made war on Germany on some pretext or other. Now, at least, our terrible disease of divided unity being cured, we have contrived, by the help of the hand of God, to beat her down: It is idle to hope to propitiate her. She would never forgive es forbeating her, even if we offered the easiest terms in the world, and forebore from asking ftir the expenses of the war. She could not forgive you for Waterloo, and it was only by accident that she did not make war upon you on account of it. She could not forgive Sadowa, though it was not fought against her, and she will never forgive Sedan. She must therefore be made harmless, "We must have Strasburg, and we must have Metz," even if in the latter case we hold merely the garrison, and whagever else is necessary to im prove our strategic position against attack from her. We do not want the territory as territory, but as a glacis between her and us. At the commencement of this war, had the Emperor dis played energy, he might have attacked Southern Ger many before we could have done anything. Why he did not do it we do not know to this day. He had an army of 150,000 men, ready to be moved in a day. We cannot do that—we are too poor. But France can afford it ; and having missed doing the energetic and daring thing once, she would know better next time, and would do it if we do not take precautions, and make it impos sible by improving our frontier. Had the attack been Made at once on South Germany we should have lost its assistance, not because the South Germans are not well disposed, but because they would have been crushed. The late King of Wurtemburg said to me one day, "You are always very frank with me ; I will be franir with you. If the French were to pounce upon my people, and I were eating a soldier's bread in your camp, PNV should I feel? My people, oppressed with exactions, would beg of me to come home and make terms with the con querors. The shirt is nearer to the skin than the coat, and I should have to do it." These were the words of the late King of Wurtemburg to me, and they describe the situ ation such as it must always remain if we do not make ourselves strong against French attack on that side. That is why we must have Strasburg and an improved frontier. We will fight ten years sooner than not obtain this neces- Nagy security." THE BRITISH ASSOCIATION. LIVERPOOL, MONDAY. The chief interest of to-day's proceedings centred in the meeting of the general committee, when the all important questions of the choice of a president for the coming year and the selection of a place of meeting for the next and the subsequent meetings were discussed and settled. This took place at three o'clock, under the presidency of Pro fessor Hu , . ley, with the result which appears below. The various sections were amply occupied throttgh. out the morning, and, indeed, the number of papers relegated to some of them was so large that there was a great slaughter of the innocents. In the Economic, Science, and Statistic Department there was a happy combination of subjects of an abstruse and of a popular and social character. Thus, papers were pre sented on the uses and abuses of tobacco. on intemperance in Liverpool, on emigration and immigration, on the metric system of weights, measures, and coins, and on a pro posed rearrangement of the registration districts of England and Wales for the purpose of facilitating scientific inquiry. The paper on this latter subject was by Mr. Alfred Fairland and it urged that the artificial system adopted in defining the boundaries of the registration districts had nothing whatever to recommend its continuance—on the contrary it was the fruitful source of repeated alterations and would continue to be so whilst it was perse vered in. On the other hand the author chewed that were a natural system substituted for the present one and our country divided into districts regulated by its watershed and river system we should then have in every district a focus of scientific inquiry whether it be as to the rainfall temperature, prevalence or strength of winds, agricultural statistics, the produce of our fields, our mines, or our rivers, or for the purpose of registering the occupations, the diseases, or the deaths of the people. Moreover such a system would form the best basis map for every future census, and being once established upon a well-considered and natural plan, would do away with the necessity of those eternal alterations which are now year by year going on to the utter confusion of the scientific student. In France, the Watershed system is adopted in defining and naming the departments ; it is vastly superior to our Own, and although its deficiencies are numerous, yet they will act as beacons to us. The author was well aware that such a revolution could not be accomplished under ten years. Therefore he urged the necessity of commencing it at once. Should the natural system be adopted before 1881 it would be ready for the census of that year, by which, tinie the Registrar-General would have completed two more decades Of mortuary records under the present system, and these with the one (1851-60) which Mr.Haviland had geographised, would form a most important foundation for all future inquiry. Mr. Havi land proposed that a committee should be formed to take the whole matter into consideration and report thereon ; first, to the British Asso ciation, and then to Her Majesty's Government, Sir Roderick Murchison presided over a large gathering in the Geography section, the popularity of which, especially amongst the lady associates, remains unabated. Perhaps it was increased to-day by the anncuncement that Viscount Milton would have something to say on the subject of railway routes across North America and the physical aspects of the country. His lordship has lately visited North America, and appears to have been an observant traveller ' and to have brought home some interesting and important Reins of hif ca illation. He in sisted with much earnestness upon the infinite value of a railway route across North America being con structed for British traffic, and by means of a map pointed out the comparatively small difficulties that would have to be surmounted for the schemes that had been suggested to be effected. From this branch of his subjec the passed on to notice the extraordinary fertility exhibited in the district of the Red River. One proof which he cited was that of a field he had seen which had borne a crop . of corn sixteen years successively without having received any dressing whatever. When at the end of this time it produced a less extensive yield than for merly, the owner went in great trouble to consult a friend, as he felt sure the land must be bewitched. Of the honesty of the lied River men Viscount Milton spoke highly; in all his journeyings he had never been robbed of any, even the most trifling, thing by the natives, though he had lost much at the hands of his own attendants. The country abounded in timber, and he had himself seen a coal bed, with the coal 15 feet in thickness, through which a river had washed its way. These, and a hundred facts, were adduced as so many proofs of the natural facilities that would be afforded in the construction of railways.—ln this section also Dr. Forr brought forward the subject of the metric system of weights and mea sures. He said that a committee of the House of Com mons, a Royal Commission, and a committee of thisassoci ation, had fully considered the question, and it was now time that some definite action should be taken upon it. Having given a resume of what had been and might yet be done with a view to the adoption of the metric system, he concluded by moving that the Council of the Association be requested to urge on her Majesty's. Government the extreme expediency of proposing to the Legislature a measure to ensure the introduction of the metric system of weights and mea sures into general use in the United Kingdom and its de pendencies within five or some definite number of years.—Mr. J. T. Anson, in seconding the re solution, said he was glad Dr. Forr had omitted coins, ' , because that was the only matter upon which there was much difference of opinion, they being nearly all agreed as to the advantage of a metric system as regards weights and measures.—Mr. Alder man Hubbock, the Mayor of Liverpool, gave an interesting account of the variety of measures in the corn and meal trades, which he said were as com plicated and puzzling as Bradshaw's Railway Guide, and cordially supported the resolution.—Mr. Francis Bennock urged the importance of some definite plan being submitted to the Government, contending that there would inevitably be great delay if the subject generally was referred to them. Professor Henry, of the Smith sonian Institution, Washington, said that the Inter national Committee appointed by the French Government met a month ago in Paris, but was not fully represented in consequence of the war, and arrived at no definite con clusion, merely recommending that the subject should be more fully considered. He said it was very difficult in the United States to introduce a change by force of law, and said it must chiefly be done by the efforts of the educator. He added that the institution over which he presided, had done much towards the adoption of the French system, and offered his cordial assistance by a compromise, or in any other way toharmonize the systems of different countries with a view to bring about a general agreement upon this subject.—Mr. Patterson, a member of the Chamber of Commerce, and other gentlemen, spoke on the resolution, which was ultimately adopted. At the last meeting of the Association at Exeter a committee was appointed to inquire into the treatment and utilization of sewage; a report from this body, giving a detailed account of its investigations was read in the chemical section, and made the subject of discussion in connection with a paper by Mr. David Forbes on the same question, but with special reference to the phosphate process. In the Mathematical and Physical. Science section, the subjects discussed were entirely removed from the region of popular interest, nor except to the initiated in the study of geology was there anything in the section devoted to that science at all of an attractive nature. Stone implements were as fascinating as they . always are, judging by the numbers of members who invaded the Department of Ethnology and Anthropology. In this section Sir John Lubbock made some interesting remarks. On those stone implements brought from Western Africa, anatomy and physiology, and zoology and botany, forming the subdivisions of the Biology department, were as usual somewhat eclipsed by their foster child, Ethnology. There was a sound of war in the Mechanical Science department ; the whole of the papers, above after the one on a narrow g ua g e for railways given , dealt with rams and g uns, and the defences of Liverpool and other seaports. A paper on the " History of the Shell that Won the Battle of Sedan," by Mr. W. Hope, V.E., had, unfortunately, to be postponed. During the afternoon a conference of Liverpool merchants was held, attended by Sir John Lubbock, Sir Stafford Northcote, and others, on the subject o E f ngland's rela tions to her colonies. 'Amongst those at present in 's and attending the association is Jefferson Davis. The guage for the railways of the future was under dis cussion in the Mechanical Science section. A paper on the subject was prese nted by Mr. Fairlie, which strongly argued the advantages, economically and otherwise, of a very narrow guage, on the ground that every inch added to the width of a guage beyond what is absolutely necessary for the traffic adds to the cost of construction, in creases the proportion of dead weight, increases the cost of working a,nd, in consequence, increases the tariffs to the public, and by so much reduces the useful effect of the railway. Even if a 3ft. guage line would cost twice as much to make as a sft. 6in. guage, in such a case the difference in the cost of working each ton of goods would be so enormous that the narrow guage would be by far the cheapest of the two in the end. To -night Professor Rankine lectured to a large audience on stream lines and waves in connection with naval archi tecture. The professor's object was to give a brief sum mary of the results of some applications of the mathematical theory of hydrodynamies, to questions relating to the designing of the forms of ships and to the mutual actions between a ship and the water in which she floats, and this was done in a manner as popular as was possible in dealing with such a subject. The conference on the Colonial question was a lon and important one. Viscount Milton, Lord Sandon, Sir John Lubbock, Sir Stafford Northcote, Sir Henry Berkeley, and others, took part in it. Eventually a resolution was passed strongly in favour of the relations between the mother country and her colonies being maintained and improved. The meeting of the General Committee, held this after noon in the lecture room of the Museum, presided over by Professor Huxley, was very largely attended. The first business w as fixing the places of meeting of the Association for 1871 and 1872, it having been decided at the last meeting by the committee that they should select where they should go to for two consecutive years. It was evident that this will be a very convenient arrange ment. The President explained that the pro ceeding of selecting two places would never be repeated, as in future years they would only have at each gathering to add one more town to the list. Invitations having been read by Mr. Griffith, the assistant-secretary, from Edinburgh, Brighton, Bradford, and Belfast, Professor Balfour and Sir Walter Elliott were heard in favour of the Scottish capital, which, he said, would give the Association a hearty welcome. The deputation from Brighton said that their object was to receive the Association in 1872. Bradford seemed to be desirous of receivin g the scientific• body in 1873, while Belfast also put in it claim for that year, but at any rate urged the committee to give it an early visit. Sir Roderick Murchison moved that the next meeting be held at Edinburgh, and Mr. Cowan, the late representative of the city, supported the proposition, which was unanimously carried. The selec tion of Brighton for 1872 was moved by Lord Houghton and seconded by Mr. Gassiot. This resolution was also adopted by acclamation. On the proposal of Professor Stokes, Sir William Thomson, D.C.L„ F.R.S., and Pro fessor of Natural History of the University of Glasgow, was appointed President elect at the Edinburgh meeting, which, it was deCided, should be held in the middle of August. Subsequently, a discussion arose upon the ques tion of Vivisection, and whether the Associa tion, through Section D, could take any steps to dis courage it, and it was agreed that the committee of that section should take the subject into their consideration and report to the general committee of the Association. GREAT MASS MEETING ON THE WAR, One of the largest meetings that has ever been known in Trafalgar-square was held last evening, for the purpose of expressing the views of the working classes in reference to the present war. The objects of the committee were stated to be as follows To assist Frenchmen to return to their country to defend it; to aid the women and children left here by those who are gone to fight for their country ; and to form in Paris, in France generally, and in foreign countries committees in connection with the one in London and having the same object. Processions of French and Italians had been formed in Leicester-square, and of English in Clerkenwell-green, which moved towards the appointed place accompanied by numerous bands. and banners representing the colours of all nations. Mr. Merriman, in the absence of Mr. Odger, who had not returned from his mission at Paris, was unanimously voted to the chair. Resolutions congratulating the people of France on the establishment of a Republican Government, protesting against the continued slaughter of French and Prussians, and expressing the determination of the meeting to call on the English Government to recognise the French Re publican Government, were carried. An address to the National Defence Government was carried by acclamation. It was resolved that the above address be signed by the chairman and secretary on behalf of the meeting, and that a copy be immediately forwarded to the Government of France, the chairman intimating his intention to forward a copy to the English Government. The greatest order prevailed throughout the meeting. OUR COTEMPORARIES—This norning TAB EASIS OF NEGOTIATIONS. The Times holds that the fact that negotiations are opened, that Count Bismarck receives M. Jules Favre to receive proffered terms of peace, is a sufficient answer to the random declarations that have been published in the journals of Berlin. What King William and his. ChancellOr require, and justly require, is sufficient secu rity that any Treaty of Peace whidh may be agreed upon shall be faithfully observed ; and if a Treaty can be agreed upon, it is in the power of the Provisional Government to give them sufficient guarantees until it shall be ratified by the Constituent Assembly. There is nothing in the past to induce the conclusion that the German leaders will demand concessions fraught with litioal dangers to themselves because they may be gallin (to theivenemies, still less that they will insist upon them even at the cost of prolonging the war until Paris is compelled to capitulate. Count Bismarck enters upon his interview with M. Fevre as the representative of Germany victorious and trium phant. M. Fevre has to speak for France beaten back upon Paris, making a desperate fight for the capital, and confessing the justice of being called upon to pay for the misdeeds of her Government. Theoake, Germans say with a violent metaphor, has cast its skin, but preserves its nature. Accepting the image, it might be retorted that a sufficient cure for the future lies, not in destroying thelife, but in extracting the fangs of the dangerous creature ; not in cutting off its head, but in taking away its destructive power. IRISH FEDERALISM. The Daily News observes that after all the struggle aria turmoil that has attended tke discussion of Irish affairs in recent years, after the adoption of the practical sentlement which, as we thought, had been achieved by the anactment of the Irish Church Bill and the Irish Land Bill, it is rather disheartening to find a new subject of agi tation and controversy presented to us in the name of a largo number of Irishmen, by a person of so much ability and popularity with the Irish masses as Mr. Butt. A. remarkable pamphlst which he has just published, entitled " Irish Federalism : its Meaning, its " Objects, and its Hopes," submits to the people of the United Kingdom —we quote the writer's opening words—"a clear and distinct proposal for a " new arrangement of the relations of the two countries, as a substitute for that entered into at the com mencement of the present century." This proposal opens up so many of the gravest political questions, it endeavours to shake so rudely the Canstitutional system ender which we live and which has lately borne such generous fruit for the interests of Ireland, that we cannot help shrinking from the barren conflicts which its promul gation seems to presage. No part of the modern history of Ireland is so plainly devoid of political fertility and practical benefit to the people as the reign of O'Connell and the dominant period of tie Repeal illusion. The doctrines of that movement are now dead and petri fied. Fenianism and the milder forms of Nationalism repudiate O'Connell's plans, and the recently formed organisation of Federalists propound a scheme altogether distinct both from the old Repealers' idea and the Sepa ratists' extreme views. M. JULES FAVRE'S CIRCULAR. The Telegraph considers that the new circular prepares what is almost a carte blanche ; it amounts to the admission that France will make any sacrifice in her power to obtain an honourable peace. Ger many wants compensation for the past and security for the future. On this platform, negotiations — or, at least conversation tending to pave the way for ne gotiations—can take place. Of course it is quite possible that the conditions which the victor thinks essential for " security " may be found by the conquered incompatible with 'honour." But, at all events, both sides will know the best and the worst. One pas sage of M. Favre's circular is insignificant, al though it might have been made more explicit. He represents Republican France as " disavowing all political conquest, all violent propaganda, and having no other mission but to remain mistress of hesself." This is, in general terms, a renunciation of all those means of temptation so often presented to French eyes. Con sidering that the new Government is entreating M. Bismarck not to annex reluctant populations, and not to take a slice of territory from an independent neigh bour, the Telegraph thinks that France, through its present representatives, might have added a dis tinct disclaimer of that demand for the Rhine frontier which has been the ignis fcrutus of every French politician Legitimist, Republican, Orleanist, or Imperialist ; who all talked, and wrote, and dreamed of the Rhine. Such a voluntary declaration from a Government of France, en dorsed by a French National Assembly, would be a land mark in French history, and would have a palpable effect on European opinion. So much may be implied in M. Favre's disavowal of a 4 political conquest; but in a matter like that before us, where particular suspicions have been aroused, &articular renunciations would be extremely useful. M. JULES FAVRE'S INTERVIEW WITH BISMARCK. Of the result of M. Jules Favre's interview with Count Bismarck, says the Standard, we are not yet informed ; but we are constrained to say that the chances of peace do not appear to be much brighter. The second circular of the French Ministtr of Foreign Affairs is so far reas suring that it proves that the Provisional Government of France have arrived at a truer appreciation of the dangers of the situation. They have abandoned the pos iti o n which they took up in M. Favre's first circular, and they seem prepared to admit that they have inherited a certain liability on account of the war. They show a disposition to make every reasonable compensation to the victorious Germans, and they realise the fact that the price which France will have to pay for peace must necessarily be a heavy one. They stipulate only that they should not h, asked to accede to conditions which shall be injurious to the national honour. We do not know that the Government of the 4th of September, existing as it does only on sufferance, and without any legal title to represent the people of France, could do any more than this to prove their sincerity. They have fixed the date of the meeting of the Constituent Assembly as early as was possible in the circumstances, and until after that meeting takes place it would be clearly unreasonable to expect M. Favre and his colleagues to pledge theint*lree l to pail' specific onoessions. THE TUNSTALL BOILER EXPLOSION. No further deaths have occurred beyond the two pre viously recorded. The inquest was opened yesterday, Aadwick, the engine tender, said all the boilers were at tOlb. pressure on Saturday morning. He had looked at the ;auge a minute before the explosion. The ordinary pressure was 45, and steam blew off at 48. The boiler which bursted had been repaired two months since, and ',leaned a fortnight ago. James Johnson, foreman, deposed ;hat the floats were in working order ten minutes before the explosion, and he never had occasion to report a eakage. Other evidence was given to the effect that the )oiler could not be pressed above 50, but the engines would iot work at 40. The bodies were identified, and the 'nquest adjourned. MONEY MARKET. CITY. Two o'CLocK Business continues almost suspended, but the news this morning is considered favourable to peace. Consols are a shade firmer, at 92 5.16 to 92 7-16 for the 4th of October. Foreign Stocks are better. Italian are quoted 522 to 53 ; Spanish of 1867, 271 to 272 ; ditto of 1869, 261 to 27 : Turkish 5 per Cents., 444 to 444 ; ditto of 1869, 55 to 554 ; Egyptian of 1868, 76 to 764 ; the Khedive's new loan, 8 to 6 dis. ; and Peruvian, 874 to 884. The Bank of Holland has reduced its rate of discount to 5 per cent. Messrs. J. Henry Schroder and Co. announce the pay ment of the half-yearly interest due the Ist October next on the bonds of the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad Company Second Mortgage Constrac tion Bonds, endorsed payable in sterling in London. The Liverpool Journal of Commerce states that Messrs. Houghton and Co., cotton brokers, have petitioned the Court of Bankruptcy for liquidation by arrangement. The Committee of the Stock Exchange have appointed Thursday, the 29th inst., a special settling day in the Arbitration Debenture Stoek, ditto Preference, and ditto Ordinary of the Landon, Chatham, and Dover Railway Company. These stocks are already quoted in the I official lists. Berger, Spence, and Co.'s weekly report says :—The war in Europe, which was expected to militate disastrously against not only the chemical but other staple trades, has turned out better than was expected, especially in regard to the first-named. During the past week the market in most departments has been steady. There has been no rise or depression in prices worthy of note, and alkalies close at last week's prices, but with increasing firmness. Soda ash, caustic soda, &c., are exceedingly firm. Mine rals are unchanged both in consumption and value. There is again no improvement to report in metals, but although business continues on the most limited scale prices remain almost unaltered; and with any approach to a cessation of hostilities they would be certain to improve instantly. Scotch pig iron has maintained its value ; and, together with Cleveland, is selling pretty freely. In the other metals there is little doing. FIRES IN THE METROPOLIS. During last night and this morning up to six o'clock, five fires took place in different parts of the Metropolis, one involved the partial destruction of Barnett and Co.'s tobacco and cigar manufactory, 37, Philpot-street, Com mercial-road East. The engines and the London Salvage Corps were quickly in attendance, and plenty of the East London Company's water being immediately obtained, the flames were after considerable trouble extinguished, but not until the stores and drying rooms were burned out, and the rest of, premises seriously damaged by fiire, heat, &c. The firm was insured in the Sun Fire-office. Another fire, which at one time threatened serious consequences, took place in the bed and mattress manufactory belonging to Mr. P. S. Poley. No. 36, Clerkenwell-green. It commenced in the basement, it is supposed from some one having acci dentally dropped a lighted fusee whilst attending the demonstration on the green the previous night. The fire was extinguished, but not before considerable damage was done. The other three fires were of minor importance. POLICE INTELLIGENCE. - Tins DAY. " TRIPPING UP," AND " CARRYING THE STlCK."—James Lewis and Jane Lewis, husband and wife, were brought up bef ore Mr. Tyrwhitt, at the Westminster Police-court, charged as suspected persons. Sergeant Charles Cole, of the C division Detectives, said : Last night, about nine o'clock, I was standing at the corner of Chancery Lane, Holborn, when I saw the two prisoners, and knowing them to be thieves I determined on watching them, and followed them along Holborn and into the Strand, and saw the female prisoner speak to eleven gentlemen, most of them elderly, and two of them drunk, the male prisoner all the time standing behind, near the female prisoner. I followed them to Craig's Court, the female going up the court with a gentleman, and afterwards to the Haymarket, when I told the male prisoner that I §hould take him into cus tody, upon which he became very violent, but with assist ance I took him and also the female prisoner. After denying all knowledge of, each other they admitted they were husband and wife, and I know that they have been together for years. and come from St. George's in the East. The system pursued by them is for the woman to go up to a gentlkunan and rob him, and for the man to come up, and under the pretence that he is a detective or her husband make a bother and thus enable the woman to escape—the practice being called " tripping up " here, but in Scotland " carrying the stick." They were committed for a month. VIOLENT ASSAULT.—Pio Pilvo, a Spanish seaman be longing to the ship Nova Pastora,l was charged before Mr. Paget, at the Thames Police-court, with assaulting Ann Davis. It appeared the parties had been drinking together rather freely, and a quarrel took place between them, in the course of which the pri soner kicked the woman severely on the leg and left a severe contusion upon it. He admitted having kicked her, and said he did not intend to injure her. The Captain of the ship to which the prisoner belonged said a good deal in palliation. Mr. Paget said our laws did not allow a woman to be ill used and wounded however bad her moral character, and sentenced the prisoner to one month's imprisonment, with hard labour. The Dean of Down writes to the papers to deny that the clergy of Down and Connor and Dromore unanimously passed a resolution to commute uncondi tionally. _ _ LIFEBOAT SERVICE. —C UTLERCOATS, NORTHUM BERLAND, Sept. 18.—Captain Adamson reports that the lifeboat Palmerston, belonging to the National Lifeboat Institution and stationed at this place, was launched a few days since with the assistance of one of the fishing cables, which had been overtaken by a very heavy gale from the northward, and which being unable to carry any canvas was driven ashore stern foremost. Fortunately the lifeboat was enabled, after a hard struggle, to bring the endangered boat and crew safely to the land.