The Sun. — London, England, 1871-01-17 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE. SUN OFFICE, 8 A.M. THE WAR. THE BOMBARDMENT OF PARIS. VERSAILLES, January 15. A. profound silence has prevaile 1 to-day. Yesterday there was a thick fog in the afternoon, which impeded operations. Ground has been broken in front of the south side. Projectiles have reached the Seine at Pont St. Michel. Several reconnaissances in the form of sorties have occurred at night before Clamart. The weather is very cold, with hard frost.—Times. The followiug telegrams come through Reuter's agency : ROYAL HEAD-QUARTERS, VERSAILLES, January 16. Yesterday the enemy unmasked fresh batteries on the south side of Paris, the fire of which we, how ever, immediately victoriously encountered. We lost two officers and seven rank and file. BATTLE IN THE EAST. ROYAL HEAD-QUARTERS, VERSAILLES, January 15. General von Herder was yesterday seriously at tacked by four French corps in his position south of Belfort. The battle lasted nine hours, and the attack was vigorously repelled on all points. Our loss amounts to about 300. - 3.30 p.m. General Werder reports as follows from Brevil liers on the 15th inst.:— The enemy; with apparently four corps, attacked me to-day vigorously, and especially with artillery, before Chagey, near Montbeliard. The attack was repelled on all points, and my position was not broken in any part. Our loss was from 300 to 400. The fighting lasted from 8.30 a.m. till 5.30 p.m. PURSUIT OF CHANZY'S ARMY. (GERMAN ACC OU NT.) ROYAL HEAD-QUARTERS, VERSAILLES, January 16. The following intelligence has come in from the German columns engaged in pursuing the defeated army of General Chanzy “On the 13th General Schmidt encountered a Division of the enemy near La Cha?elle, two miles and a half (German) from Le Mans. General Schmidt at once vigorously attacked the French, who fell back in disorderly retreat upon Laval, leaving over 400 prisoners in our hands. The German loss Was one officer and nineteen men killed and wounded, The camp at Conlie has been occupied, after a few shots had been exchanged, and large stores of arms, munitions, and provisions were captured. Beaumont has been occupied after a short fight in the streets. 40 munition waggons and about 1,000 prisoners were taken. "On the 14th a detachment of General Rantzau was attacked at Briare by superior hostile forces, but succeeded in fighting its way through with slight lon,” BERLIN, January 16 (3 p.m.) The Queen has received the following telegraphic despatch from King William : " The number of prisoners taken near Le Mans has increased to 20,000 during the enemy's retreat to Alencon northwards, and Laval westward. , "li.dditional war material and stores have been captured, as well as four locomotives and 400 railway carriages." (FRENCH ACCOUNT.) BORDEAUX, January 14. According to an official despatch received from. Laval under date of the 13th, the army of General Chanzy is making good its retreat on new positions in excellent order. The positions will be fully occu pied by the 14th. On Thursday the 21st Corps had a fierce encounter 'with three divisions, under the Duke of Mecklen burg. The leadership of General Jaures was above all praise. The enemy suffered . great losses. During the last three days ours have likewise been Eeriong. . January 15. General Chanzy telegraphs at midnight on the 1 5th that the heads of the enemy's columns had Appeared that evening on the roads abutting upon the French positions. An engagement had begun between the Prussians' advanced guard and the - Algerian Eclaireurs. The fighting was continued "that evening with a rather strong column. The following order of the day of General Chanzy has just been issued : • "After the fortunate issue of the fight in the valley of the Huisues, and on the river Loir as far as Vendome, and, atter s having successfully re aisted on the 11th of January before Le Mans, the Mein attack of the enemy's forces commenced by the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg and Prince Frederick Charles, some shameful cowardice and an unaccount able panic caused a certain portion of our troops to abandon important positions, compromising the -s afety of all. An energetic effort was not attempted, notwithstanding the orders to that effect immediately given, and it was necessary to evacuate Le Mans. France has her eye on the (3430 rid. Army. No hesitation is allowed. The sea son is severe. Fatigue and great privation are always with us, but the country suffers, and when one supreme effort can save it, no one will hesitate. now well also that safety is in resistance, and not in retreat. The enemy will appear on our positions You must receive him vigorously, and fight. tally round your chiefs, and prove that you are the soldiers of Coulmiers, Villepoit, Josnes, and Vendome." OCCUPATION OF GIEN. NEVEM, January 15. General Lecomte has telegraphed the following tt eeount of his operations. He reports that his tl:ray had been completely successful. For the t hird tim e he had dislodged the Prussians from ien which they had completely evacuated. Two renel t battalions had already entered and the re 311ajafler wAll enter to-morrow. All the columns of t he enemy were in retreat over Montargis and Orleans. The Prussians lost far more heavily than the French. ev e s:tal Prussian officers had been killed, amongst whom was Colonel von der Hope. THE A KAY OF THE NORTH. 1 7 . .1LLE, January 16 (Afternoon). The following desp,:qeh has been received irom general Faidherbe T he Army of the North entered Albert on the . ' tl ') the On the 15th the h enemy retiiing. th lll 3' of the North reconnoitred the passages of by b e t S°l nme, and found all the bridges destroy ed l e - f+ - ;: 13 e nemy, who has barricaded the Tillag es on the ,„ ba nk , Th e roa d s are so s lippery that military i' l _ l°ven tents are almost impossible. We continue , u malie prisone." jun. -14 is believed rs that General Faidherbe is carry "ut manoeuvres which are not allowed to tr anspire. testedofficers of the garrison of Peronne have pro against the surrender of that fortress. RE INFOROENIENTS FOR GENERALS CHANZY AND FALDHERBE. 50 o n C HERB 0 UnG, January IG. chan;. 20 troops have left here to reinforce Genera Troops are also being sent by transports to Dun kirk to strengthen Faidherbe. Fresh troops from the West are daily arriving. rOlll. - ;land. -gang :d the muti on he. d dis• rolent; which, n the ad, in mbers Men' 0 yolk r esult sight. a pabl' • sisil A f jgbt to oo Aiberat r with ,cistone a, took- Glad public by tbe , that Flair, 16 e refore fre' Aisip " 70p 05 ` 1 "3 ted, the wpv d derco L anfl itaut N l ien3o r • t 4 yona sb that to- I'HE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAV o JANUARY 17, 187 and that the quantity of gunpowder licensed to be stored on the premises was exceeded." TYNEMOUTH SCHOOL BOARD ELECTION. The election of nine gentlemen to constitute a school board for the borough of 71. 1 ynemouth took place yesterday. The result was as follows, the positions on the poll of the respective candidates being in order :—Mr. Joseph Green, United Methodist ; Mr. John Mayor, Presbyterian ; Mr. J. Foster Spence, Quaker; Rev. J. Featherstone, Epis copalian ; Mr. Joseph Spence, Quaker ; Mr. H. Hicks, Episcopalian ; Mr. J. Brampell, Episcopalian ; Mr. Ralph Turnbull, Catholic ; and Mr. J. Jackson, Independent. Great excitement prevailed at the declaration of the poll in the Town Hall, North Shields. THE BOMBARDMENT OF PARIS. The special correspondent of the 2 elegraph sends the following from Versailles, dated January 13th, 1.30 p.m.: —This morning very heavy firing took place from half an hour after midnight till three a.m.; intermittently from then till daylight ; since when, up to 1.30, it has been slow and irregular, except from the south-west batteries, which recommenced a lively fire at 11.30 a.m., and con tinued. The German losses, so far, during the bom bardment, aro very light. Lieutenant von Reigen stein and two men were killed on the 11th ; Lieutenant von Rothenburg and four men were wounded. The reply fire from the French forts was very slack on the 11th and yesterday, excepting at Point du J our, which delivered a vebt heavy, accurate, and troublesome fire. Several 72-pounders have been brought up as far as the Seine, but cannot be brought across till the ice ceases running. They are intended for Mont Avron. They are old 72- twoes, and carry 2261 b. shells. The whole of the siege train from Mezieres (75 heavy guns) has been brought up to Gonesse. They will be mounted in the batteries on the slopes of Montmorency, which are ready to receive them. They will open to-day. They will be directed on St. Denis, which it is intended to destroy, as a warning to Paris. Probably next Sunday the sepulchre of the Kings of France will cease to be. No. 18 Battery has been advanced, and isnow within 7,4C0 metres of Notre Dame. Firing has been kept up for the last twenty-four hours by both sides on the N.N.E. and N.V., but without appreciable effect. Sevres is uow completely in ruins. The fire from Montretout has damaged the barracks in Val4rien. The French have re-appeared in Fort d'lssy. A party of twelve Germans went into it on the 11th, and found seven dead men and three dead horses. Montrouge still replies with two guns. Continual fire is directed on it, and an occasional fire on D'lssy. Four hundred and sixty shells were thrown into Paris on the 11th, 280 - yesterday. Shelling the city still continues. The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg's victory of the 10th appears so satisfactory to him that he has asked the King for four first class Iron Crosses for distri bution. Prince Frederick Charles is not proceeding to occupy the country much beyond Le Mans. His line is very weak east of Orleans, and exposed to being broken by the French troops lately organised at Bourges and Lyons. General Martin's corps, reinforced, is at Vierzon, south of Orleans. Everything points to Orleans being continued as the base and centre of operations, awaiting the result of the bombardment of Paris. Prince Frederick Charles in his late battles appears to have had 60,000 men against Chanzy's 200,000. For the last twenty-four hours the bombardment has con tinued ; ,but this morning (January 14), on account of the thick fog, the fire was very slack. A sortie was fully expected this morning somewhere be tween Sceaux and Villejuif ; but the time has Nih pvliasag.4set,d sxfor it, and it is now bright sunshine. Five fires were kindled by our s h e ll s i n P ar i s l as t n i g ht. Th e dark ness this m orn i ng prec l u d e d us f rom see i ng w h at e ff ect t h e night's firing repulsed. os might 'TheA havefiring nt gh had s en still enemy's forts. ,e l s l r e yslae. A v attacks N r s em 'Three a ll repulsed sortiesorties was actually made this mo rn i ng f rom a pant near Issy, but were made yesterday on the G uar d s , th e S axons, an d t h e Royal with loss. St. Denis will be destroyed to-morrow. Our losses during yesterday's bcmbardment and the sorties were slight. The weather is fine, but very cold. Great exultation is shown here over the rout of Chanzy's army. THE SIEGE OF LONGWY. On Sunday the Prussians blew up the railway bridge over the Chiers, on the lihe from Longwy to Arlon in Belgium. Troops and guns are being con centrated for the bombardment of Longwy. FROM INSIDE PARIS. The following news, dated Saturday, has been received by balloon mail, and forwarded to England by telegraph : By order of the Governor, General Vinoy yester day evening prepared a sortie against the mill of Pierre, in which Generals Blanchard and Corr6ard took part. The head of the column having been received by a most lively fire, the sortie was rot carried on to the end, and our troops re-entered the lines. The enemy, on his part, attempted an attack on our advanced positions at Drancy ; firing ensued, ceasing by intervals, and only terminated definitively at one a.m. This attack was of no consequence, and was energetically repulsed. Rear-Admiral Pothieove executed a reconnais sance of the ambuscades of the enemy between the railway station au Bceufs and the Seine. A little later the Prussians took the offensive in great num ber, but were received with rifle shots, and fell back rapidly, leaving a Prussian officer in our hands and several wounded. No pigeon has arrived in Paris since the Bth inst. THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT AND THE CONFERENCE. BORDEAUX, January 15. It is stated that the Conference will be udjourned, in order to allow time to M. Favre to come to Lon- (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.) WRECK OF A SCHOONER-LOSS OF TWELVE LIVES. The Italian three-masted schooner, Unico, Captain Angelo Dodero, coal laden, from Newcastle to Genoa, struck on Monday upon ley Brigg, (Yorkshire.) She was on Sunday riding at anchor in the bay, the hard wind caused her to drag her anchor, and sent her on the rocks. Out of a crew of thirteen, only one man has been saved. Three dead bodies, fearfully bruised, have been cast up, one of them, that of the mate. The other bodies are missing. The vessel has gone to pieces. WRECKS OFF YARMOUTH. A heavy gale prevailed at Yarmouth all Sunday night, and still continues. Early on Monday morning the brig Flora, with coals for Poole from Sunderland, parted from her anchors and drove on to the beach north of the Britannia Pier. The crew, six in all, were rescued by the Surf lifeboat. The vessel will become a total wreck. About the same time the Russian schooner Kums, Captain Patterson, from Grimsby for Marseilles, with pitch, was run into by a drifting vessel while lying at anchor near the harbour. She imme diately began to make water, and seeing that she was in difficulties, the Gorleston lifeboat put off to her assistance. All the crew, with the exception of the captain and mate, left the vesseL These two refused. Shortly afterwards the vessel broke from her anchors, and drifted on her beamends through the roads, and was seen to go down north of the Britannia Pier. Masses of brick have been seen floating past, and there is too much reason to fear that many other casualties have occurred. THE COLLISION OFF THE EDDYSTONE. The collision off the Eddystone on Sunday between the George and Richard brig from Sunderland, with coals for Alexandria, and the barque Elenthuna, from Sunderland with coals for Point de Galle, has resulted in the loss of the latter ship, and the drowning of five of the crew. It was believed last night that she would be saved, ,but during the gale the steam-tug missed her, and at two o'clock yesterday morning the vessel drifted hopelessly on the rocks near the entrance of Plymouth Sound, and will be a total wreck. Twelve of her crew and a pilot who had got on board his cutter meanwhile proceeding to Plymouth for assistance, were saved, but five were drowned, including the carpenter who had previously had both legs broken. THE NEW PEDLARS' ACT. On Monday the Warwick borough magistrates gave an important decision under this Act. Four hawkers ap pealed against the decision of the Superintendent of Police refusing them certificates on the ground that they had been convicted of felony. In one case there had only been conviction twenty-four years ago,' and subsequent good conduct as a•hawker. The bench ruled that the 13th Section of the Act was imperative, and that they could not grant a certificate to anyone who had been convicted of felony. They also ruled that a china riveter, calling at houses and soliciting work, was a hawker according to the Act. TRADES UNION LIBEL. A singular charge of libel in connection with the trades union was heard in the Town Hall, Leicester, yesterday morning. John Calvert, printer, was charged with print ing a libel on Thomas Charlesworth and Sons, dyers and trimmers, and Richard Broadbridge, Lucy Topps, and William Webster were charged with publishing and exhibiting the same in a window on December 17th. The prosecutors dismissed a man named Thomas Calvert for incompetency. The trades union insisted on his being re instated, even if he was only employed to clean out dog-kennels. The prosecutor refused this request, and on the following Tuesday all hands absented them selves, a note being left under the door, signed by the Secretary, on behalf of the Union Committee, to the effect that they wished Calvert to be taken back. The strike was continued, and on the '7th of January a lengthy bill was issued by the Committee of the Union,in which was a libel reflecting on prosecutor's unjustly dismissing Cal vert, and setting girls to do the work of sturdy men. It also stated that they had frequently gone from their word after making agreements with the men, and called upon the workpeople not to seek employment at their firm. The prosecutors admitted to issuing a notice to hosiers, telling them of the strike, and calling upon them to withhold Christmas boxes. Calvert was remanded for a week with a view to get at the name of the author of the libel, and the personalty of the committee of the union. The other prisoners were discharged. It is stated that civil proceed. ings are being instituted against Broadbridge for aggra vating the offence by continuing the publication of the libel in his window. MR. MUNDELLA ON OUR RELATIONS TO AMERICA. Mr. Mundella addressed the annual meeting of the Sheffield Chamber of Commerce yesterday, and referred especially to our difficulty with the United States. He thought that on such questions as the steel difficulty, which had caused so much inconvenience at Sheffield and elsewhere, the Board of Trade ought to interfere and bring such disputes to an end. H e also commended the Sheffield Chamber for having resolved to bring before the Associated Chambers of Commerce the -desirableness of endeavouring to get the serious questions arising out of injury done to American shipping submitted to arbitra tion. That resolution would, he was assured, do much good. He was bound to say there did not exist that danger of war which the public were often led to suppose. Speeches of men like General Butler, who represented nobody but themselves, were most misleading. By all persons in the States he was assured that General Butler was without following. THE LATE EXPLOSION AT WITTON. The adjourned inquest on the bodies of seventeen of the persons killed by the explosion at Messrs. Ludlow's Ammunition Factory, at Witton, near Birmingham, on Tuesday, the 9th December, was brought to a conclusion yesterday. The jury returned a verdict to the effect that the deceased persons met with their deaths by being vio lently scorched and burnt, in consequence of a quantity of gunpowder having exploded ; but by what means the said explosion was caused there was no evidence to %hew. To their verdict the jury appended the following presentment, "The jury are unanimously of opinion that there was not sufficient care exercised at the factory, and that these was an absence of many precautions necessary for carrying on so dangerous a trade. The jury are also of opinion that the manufacture of cartridges, percussion caps, And other dangerous articles should not be permitted to be carried on, except under the immediate supervision of a properly qualified officer appointed by Government, The jury also find that the statutory distances between the sheds at the factory were infringed RAILWAY ACCIDENT. An accident occurred yesterday at the Lancashire and Yorkshire Railway Station, Bradford, by which a man named Edward Briggs was so seriously injured that his life is despaired of, and two other passengers were much cut and bruised. The train from Huddersfield to Bradford, due at 4.45 p.m., arrived shortly before five o'clock, and while proceeding down an incline into the station the break of the guard's van did not act properly. The con sequence was that the train ran into the top of the plat form and knocked in the wall of the porters' room. Briggs was watching the arrival of the train and was knocked down and crushed by the engine. MURDER OF A POLICE SERGEANT. In the case of James Maxwell, formerly a sergeant in the Sheffield police force, who died from violence inflicted in one of the public streets at night some weeks ago, the coroner's jury last evening returned a verdict of wilful murder against some person unknown. His Serene Highness Prince Leiniugen arrived at Wind sor at half-past ten o'clock on Monday, by Great Western Railway, and proceeded to Frogmore, where he was joined by Prince Christian and party. They afterwards pro ceeded to Bagshot Park, to enjoy a day's shooting in the royal demesne. MR. GLADSTONE AND HIS CONSTITUENTS. Last night another meeting of the electors of Greenwich was held in the Lecture Hall, the scene of the disgraceful riot that occurred in connexion with the same movement a week ago—for the purpose of considering the "requisition" now in process of signature, asking the Premier to resign his seat for the borough. To guard, if possible, against a repetition of the disorder witnessed on the previous occa sion, when the objects of the demonstration were entirely frustrated by the local " roughs," and the tables completely turned, in more senses than one,upon its promoters, admission to last night's meeting was restricted to voters coming armed with tickets pledging the bearer " to:observe order, and abide by the decision of the chairman ; " and in case this precaution should prove insufficient, it was intimated that " known interrupters ,of meetings would be ex cluded," even though possessed of tickets. As the audience gradually assembled efforts were also made by several stout and active gentlemen to marshal its component elements in a manner which, if it could not secure quiet, might at least diminish the risk of violence, and prove a barrier against any wild irruptions of the more turbulent spirits to dispossess the occupants of the platform. After the greatest uproar a resolution to the effect that Mr. Gladstone had lost the confidence of his constituents, was carried. Mr. Henry Mayhew then moved a resolution calling upon those who had voted for the first to sign a requisition to the Premier to the effect stated. The resolution was understood to be seconded by a Mr. Phillips, after which it was put from the Chair, when, as nearly as one could judge, one-third of those present supported it, another third opposed it, and the remaining third did not hold up their hands at all. Indeed, it is very doubtful whether the meeting at large comprehended in the least the mode of putting the question, owing to the tumult that prevailed ; and, as far as those nearest him could learn, the Chairman retired without venturing to declare whether the resolution had been either carried or lost. The occupants of the platform beat rather a precipitate retreat, whereupon the noisier portion of the assemblage took their places, and the attempts of one or two "unwashed" orators to supplement the previous speakers were varied by per sonal scuffles between the hostile sections. One or tw• ugly rushes also occurred, in which the chair and other articles of furniture were broken. Though not quite so violent as the riot of Monday week, last night's scene, more espe cially towards the close of the proceedings, was very dis graceful, and will, it is to be hoped, be the last of its kind. SPORTING INTELLIGENCE. TATTERSALL'S—LAST EVENING. WATERLOO CUP. 500 to 15 apt Mr. Swinburne's nomination (t) 40 to 1 agst Colonel Hathorne's nomination (t) LIVERPOOL GRAND NATIONAL. 33 to 1 agst New Oswestry (w) DERBY. 9 to 1 agst King of the Forest (t and w) 2000 to 60 agst Pearl (t) Offers to take 450 to 100 about King of the Forest and Albert Victor coupled. PAIR-OARED RACE ON THE TYNE. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.) The long-expected pair-oared match on the Tyne for £4OO took place yesterday morning. The competitors were James Renforth, of Newcastle, the champion sculler of England, and Harry Kelley, of Putney, who formerly held the championship, against James Taylor, of Newcastle, and J. Thomas Winship, of Denventhaugh. Renforth, Winship, and Taylor, together with another oarsman, named Martin, formed the crew which last September won the £l,OOO in Canada. Renforth, however, parted from his old friends, challenged the world to a pair-oared race, was accepted by Winship and Taylor, and, choosing Harry Kelly as his mate, yesterday fulfilled his engagement. The banks of the river were lined with spectators along the whole course. The toss for sides, the first part of the day's proceedings, was won by Winship and Taylor ; they chose the north side of the course. Renforth and Kelley managed to obtain the advantage of the start ; in fact they were taking a full swing at their second stroke, before their op ponents had fairly dipped their oars for the first stroke. Opposite the Javel Group Quay, the Dunstan was half a length ahead. A strong westerly wind was blowing, and told heavily in favour of the stronger crew ; accord ingly Taylor and Winship were still lagging behind. At the Skinner Burn the Dunstan boat had gained still further advantage, and was there leading by a length and a quarter. Kelley then steered his craft into his opponents' water, giving them thus the backward of the Dunstan's oars. There upon Taylor and Winship put on an effective spurt, and came up rapidly. There was consequently great danger of a foul ; but Renforth and Kelley drew out splendidly, and passed splendidly to their own water. Alongside the Grindstone. Quay the favourites had increased their ad vantage to three lengths, and shot through Redheugh Bridge about that distance in advance. Here Kelley kept his craft considerably out in'• the stream, while Taylor steered more by the shore, and so gained on the leading boat. A large sheet of ice here came in the way of the Dunstan, and Renforth and Kelley had to stop to get clear of it. Up came the other boat, darted through the water, and nearly overtook the leader, but Kelley very skilfully led his craft past the obstruction into the open water, and giving her a clear head away, spurted with Renforth magnificently, and, amid the cheers of the spectators, drew away and led again by three lengths. At Waterstone's Gates, owing to there being numerous cakes of ice on the channel between the Annie Island and the north shore, and the consequent danger to light craft, there were four lengths distance between the crew ; and on passing the west-end of the Annie they were seven lengths apart. They passed the Meadow's House in much the same position, Kelly and Renforth evidently pulling within their strength. Here the leaders rowed close into shore, fairly in front of their opponents. The latter put on a very game spurt, but it was ineffectual. On approaching Paradise Quay, the champion and ex-champion rowed without apparent extra effort, and went on to Scotswood bridge amid the cheers of their many friends. They won with the greatest of ease by about eight lengths. The betting was 6 to 4 on Renforth and Kelley. THE MADRAS PRESIDENCY.—Lord Napier has accepted an extension of the ordinary period of his Government, and will remain for the present at Madras. CRYSTAL PALACE.—One Shilling Day, Monday, January 16th, 18 7 1 . — Admission by season tickets, 1 , 49 6 . ; ditto on payment, 1,895 ; total visitors, 3,39 L The Chilian Government had issued two decrees adding paper and sole-leather cutters to the list of articles exempt from the payment of import duties contained in P4ticle 91 of the Custom-house ordinance. INSIDE PARIS. Iu a letter from Paris, dated Sunday, January 15, the special correspondent of the Daily News says :—The bom bardment continues. Sometimes it relaxes in fury, and then it resumes the attack with all the old violence— chiefly in the night. The people endure it with a forti tude which is worthy of all praise. The inhabitants of the left bank of the Seine are now crowding to the right bank, and all are lending themselves cheerfully to help these Southerners out of their difficulty. The charity of Paris is boundless. I had no idea till this winter what a kindhearted people these French are. We have an idea in England that they are frivolous and heart less, and that their kindly manners do not reach below the surface. You should seo their self-sacrifice—their almsgiving—their good-heartedness their boundless liberality. The misery of the poor is very great ; but it brings out all the finer qualities of French nature, showing how those who- have nothing can endure with heroism, and how those who have to spare will give what they have most generously. Whatever be the result of the siege—whether Paris be saved or cap tured—she will come out of the fiery furnace ennobled and purified with a sense of greatness which even defeat cannot destroy, and with a possession of human feeling which will assure to her, and regain for her, what under the sway of Napoleon she had nearly lost—the empire of the heart. It is, perhaps, difficult, in the moment when she is downtrod len, and the victori ous enemy at her gates points to her the finger of scorn, and assumes to be the scourge of God, to imagine such victory growing out of defeat ; but it is not the first time in the history of the world that the weak has confounded the strong, and that out of death and decay have sprung life, resurrection, and victory. Of course, how ever, Paris hopes to be saved, and is doing the best she can to win. That best for the moment consists in making all ready for a great attack, if, peradventrre the armies of the provinces should come to our relief, and in husbanding our resources to the last degree. Nobody in Paris doubts that salvation will come if we can only wait —or, at least, pcbody doubts it who is not a foreigner. The greatest efforts are accordingly being made to economise the food, and to apportion it so that it may last as long as possible. Hitherto we have had unlimited quantities of bread, but now I hear that it is to be rationed. The bread is not very agree able ; it is black, but I suppose it is wholesome, and I dare say it will last longer than the enemy ima gines. The horses, too, are being very carefully told out — and one hears many sighs as the time comes for killing a favourite animal. Most persons in good position have tried to save their horses in various ways—some by lend ing them to the ambulances, others by registering them as connected otherwise with the army or the public ser vice. In this way most of the ambulances have had more than three times as many horses as they actually required. These foreigners set up a claim to have their horses respected. But war is war, and hunger is a terrible tyrant. The horses are being seized with ruthless hand, and a decree has just been launched that all must be given up with the exception of 2,000, which are to be reserved for the necessities of traction. These 2,000 horses are distributed among the different mayoral ties on the calculation of one to 1,000 inhabitants. If an arrondissement has 100,000 inhabitants it will be allowed 100 horses at the disposal of the mayor, who will let them out as he sees fit for such service as may be necessary. In like manner the cows are to be killed, with the exception of 3,000 which are reserved to supply milk for children and invalids. The mortality among children has been very severe, and much of it is said to be due to the want of milk. The 3,000 cows are accordingly reserved for them, and are apportioned among the different districts of Paris according to population. You will see from this, and there is no use in concealing it, that we are pinched very hard, but still the end is not by any means so near as the enemy imagines. What lam most afraid of is the end of all. Paris will hold out to the last extremity. She believes in her armies of succour, and whatever may be your own views on the subject, I ask you for the sake of argument to assume that succour comes — that Paris is delivered—but after a considerable delay. It is expected here most assuredly that the armies of the provinces will save Paris, but it is not expected that they will save her in a day. They will have to fight hard ; deliverance may be long delayed ; it may make all the difference in the world whether Paris can or can not hold out one day more. Let us suppose that she holds out that one day, and still another day, and that then deliverenoe comes. The joy may be great indeed, but it will not feed 2,000,000 starving wretches. It will take at least a week under favourable conditions to get a day's' provisions into the town—it may take a fortnight ; and we require 2,000 tons a day of one kind or another. How are we to get these 2,000 tons a day ? Imagine the distress, the sickness, the mortality, the famine, and the famine fever, while the provisions are delayed. If Paris can be saved, she will regard such suffering as of small account ;it is worth the price. If Paris cannot be saved—if the armies of the provinces are to be beaten—then the best things to hope for is that these armies may be beaten quickly. No little surprise, says the London correspondent of the Manchester Guardin, is expressed at Mr. Hibbert's acceptance of the office of secretary to the Poor-law Board, which was hardly deemed likely to be thought worthy of his standing in the House of Commons, where he was the senior, and in every way the superior, of his immediate predecessor, Mr. Arthur Peel. ANNUAL INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION.—A des patch has been forwarded from Madrid, announcing the appointment by special " decree" of a Commission, under the authority of the Minister of Works and Edu cation, charged with forwarding the interests of Spain in these Exhibitions in London ; the nomination of a "Commissioner General" in London to act in unio n with Her Majesty's Commissioners ; and a preliminary Spanish Exhibition every year in Madrid, from which choice specimens "of the fine art and manufactures" of Spain can be selected and forwarded to the Lqndon Ex hibition at the expense of the Spanish Government. GENERAL CHANGARNIER AND PRINCE NAPOLEON Our Bordeaux correspondent writes :—" The Courrier de la Gironde, confirming the news of General Chan gamier having snubbed Prince Napoleon when he made overtures to him at Brussels for a Bonapartist restoration, vouches for the authenticity of the following extract from a letter written by Chaugarnier himself returning from the Post Office, whither I had gone to throw in the letter to which yJu now respond, I was closely followed by Plon-Plon in person. I was sur prised to see this big, fat purse:: filling up my poor little p•• lour ; but I preserved my soldier's sang froid, and without asking him to sit down, in quired how it happened that I - had the honour of his visit. After many compliments, impossible to be repeated, about my importance and my renown, Plon- Plon added, ' You alone can save France and put an end, to this war. The Empress is but une brute WO. You must be Regent, and bring back the little Prince. I can guarantee you the assent of Prussia and Bismarck. You will assemble on the frontier 150,000 of our prisoners, commanded by Generals of your own choosing. When you shall have executed the members of the Provisional Government, and some few hundred other scoundrels, order will be permanently restored. If you agree to this proposal I have an agent ready to take the news at once to Count Bismarck.' Prince,' I replied to him, ' I have done with romancing, and will not put my hand to such an absurd romance as this '—and then I showed him the way down stairs."—Daily News. THE LONDON CONFERENCE. We have reason to believe that the Conference will assemble to-day, although it remains very uncer tain whether M. Jules Fevre will leave Paris in order to attend. The presence of M. Favre at these deliberations has been earnestly desired by the English Government ; but the most recent declarations of the French Minister of Foreign Affairs render his coming problematic. There is, however, no truth in the statement telegraphed from Bordeaux, that the Conference has been postponed to give M. Jules Favre time to arrive.—Daily News. Some questions intimately connected with the neutrality of the Black Sea will doubtless, says the Berlin corrre spondent of the Independence Beige, betreated incidentally at the Conference. Amongst these are the guarantees for the mouth of the Danube, and the free navigation of the river. These questions interest Germany as well as Austria. From the time that Prince Gortschakoff first issued his circular it was understood that Russia was not to alter the status quo respecting the Danube, nor to do anything contrary to German interests in that direc tion. If, then, the Danubian question presents itself to the Conference there is reason to believe that Russia will shew a conciliatory attitude. M. JULES FAQ' 13E AND THE CONFERENCE. The French Minister for Foreign Affairs has addressed a circular to the French diplomatic agents abroad relative to the Conference. After noticing the proceedings that led to its assembling, and the invitation France had received to take part in the deliberations from Earl Granville, M. Favre says : " You have kindly informed me that the Conference would meet on the 3rd January, and would then probably be adjourned for a week. Receiving this information only on the evening of the 10th, I could not avail myself of your invitation in time. Moreover, in forwarding your despatch to me, Count Bismarck did not append a safe conduct, which was indispensable. Count Bis marck requested that a French officer should be sent to the German headquarters to fetch it, basing his request on the complaint he had addressed to the Governor of Paris, on the occasion of the affair in reference to which a parlementaire had cause to complain on the 23rd December ; and Count Bismarck adds that until such satisfaction has been afforded, the German Commander-in-Chief will prohibit all communica tion by parlementaire. I do not inquire whether such a resolution, contrary to the laws of warfare, is not an absolute. negation of the superior rights which necessity and humanity always im pose for the benefit of belligerents. I content myself with remarking to your Excellency that the Governor of Paris hastened to institute an inquiry into the affair alluded to by Count Bismarck; and in announcing the tact to him he brought to his knowledge circumstances of a similar nature, and in numbers far greater, attri buted to Prussian sentinels, which, however, he had never thought of making the basis for interrupting the interchange of ordinary relations. Count Bismarck seems partly at least to have admitted the justice of these obser vations, as he to-day charged the Minister of the United States to inform me that, under reserve for mutual inquiry, communications by parlementaires will be re-established. There is, therefore, no longer any need for a French officer to proceed to the Prussian headquarters, and I am about to enter into communication with the United States Minister, to cause the safe-conduct which you have been kind enough to procure, to be forwarded to me. As soon as I shall have that document in my hands, and as soon as the state of Paris will permit me, I shall proceed to London, certain beforehand that I shall not vainly invoke, in the name of my Government, the principles of right and morality which it is so much the interest of Europe to cause to be respected. CHARGE OF LIBEL AGAINST A LADY. The Court of Queen's Bench had before it yesterday the charge of libel against Mrs. Waters, the wife of Dr. Waters, for causing to be published in a Birmingham paper an announcement that the Hon. Cecil Sandys, the unmarried sister of Lord Sandys, had been prematurely confined. Affidavits were read by Dr. and Mrs. Waters, expressing their abhorrence of the charge which had been made against 'Miss Sandys, and Mrs. Waters denied that the letters containing the libel were in her handwriting, or that she was in any way cognizant of their being written. The counsel for Mrs. Waters expressed a hope that this denial would be accepted by Lord Sandys and his sister. This offer was, however, declined, and the Lord Chief Justice said the csurt thought the case was one which ought to be investigated by a jury. The rule for a criminal informa tion against Mrs. Waters was therefore made absolute. The final extension of the London underground railway, from ]3lackfriars to Cannon-street, at itsintended junction with New Earl-street and Victoria-street, is expected to be opened in June. We understand that efforts are being made by representatives of the various companies to bring about some arrangement between the Midland, Great Northern, and Sheffield Companies with a view to prevent the con tinuance of the competition which has arisen in connec tion with the South Yorkshire coal traffic. Without expressing too sanguine an opinion we have reason to hope that a satisfactory arrangement will ultimately be made. --`The Chancellor of the Exchequer had an interview on Saturday with a gentleman connected with an eminent banking firm in Paris, and authorised him to take prompt measures, on the capitulation of that city , to provide for the necessities of her Majesty's subjects who have been shut up in that city, and to draw upon her Majesty's Treasury for whatever amount may be required for that purpose. ITALIAN INTOLERANCE.—The Jews of Rome have not gained by the substitution of a Liberal Government for the Papacy. General Lamarmora is inclined to turn the injuction "to do at Rome as the Romans do" into an arbitrary command, for he has issued an order to the Jews in the Ghetto, who hold salt and tobacco shops, to conform themselves to the usage of Rome, and keep their shops open on Saturday, the Jewish sabbath. The Rabbis have protested against this, pointing out that under the Pope they were not interfered with. A. case illustrating the dangers which surround country girls in London was heard on Saturday at the Westminster Police-court. A young woman with a, goc.d character entered a situation in Pimlico, and had not been there long before she discovered that the place was a resort for those who are termed " gay." She left the house, but having no friends in London, wandered about until a compassionate stranger took her to the Magdalen Hospital. Her employers had detained her clothes, and the aid of the magistrate was sought in consequence. This was rendered, and the clothes were given up. ince Saturday barometrical pressure has been very unsteady and has decreased with great rapidity on all our coasts, and readings in our islands are nearly all below 29 inches. The highest pressure now reported is at Ileldex, and is an inch higher than that at Nairn. Tem perature had fallen generally yesterday morning, but a rise has now succeeded at our north-east stations, while elsewhere a further fall is reported. It blew hard from the southward on our south-west coasts during the latter part of Saturday, and on Sunday night the gale extended to all our coasts. Rain has been general, with hail and snow in the south east. PREVENTION BETTER TITAN CURE.—TIIe fol(ow ing curious advertisement appeared a few days ago in an issue of the Illah,•ern News. Mr. Smith has certainly hit upon a novel mode of preventing the spread of scarlet fever. If such a complete isolation of cases were generally adopted, it is not too much to say that the disease would be less common, if not eventually stamped out. Mr. Smith makes the fact known of scarlet fever being in his house by posting this information on his gates at the entrance to his grounds :—" Mr. Frederick Smith, of Leeston, announces that his two youngest children have scarlet fever ; his four elder boys were removed, after disinfection of their persons and clothes, into lodgings on the day on which the disease in the little ones was p ron ounced. N.B.—This advertisement will be con tinned till the medical attendant shall certify that there can be no risk to visitors and others."—Medical Tidoco and Gazette, OUR COTEMPORARIES—This Dioining THE CONFERENCE, The Times thus alludes to the important subject :—The Conference on the neutralisation of the Black Sea assembles to-day to deliberate on matters which, at a less momentous time, would have engaged all the attention of the public. The absorbing interest of the great war is shown by the fact that though the subject in debate is one which touches us nearly, and though the demeanour of Russia roused strong resentment a few weeks since, yet at present all is left contentedly by the public to the Foreign Office,as if it were an ordinary diplomatic matter This acquiescence, however, though mainly due to the preoccupation of the public mind by the death-struggle in France, does in some degree arise from the confidence which the country reposes in the firmness of the Government. The sudden calm which followed the excitement in the present case is a tribute to the spirit with which the Cabinet treated what was felt to be a most offensive challenge. The country is intent to leave its interests in the hands of a Government if it feels that at the critical moment it was fitly represented. All we now desire is that the same judgment should direct the fur ther discussion which is now to begin. Lord Granville has been successful in perceiving the public sentiment, and acting in accordance with it; but in his late correspondence with the Russian Government he had the outspoken opinions of the country through the press to guide him. That aid will now be withdrawn, for the discussions of the Conference are to be held secret, and in the details of negotiation the Plenipotentiaries must be left to their own judgment. This, however, we may say, that opinion in this country will be satisfied if the lines indicated in the discussions of November last be ad hered to. There is no wish to maintain restrictions on Russia which are merely humiliating and not absolutely necessary for the peace of Europe. The Telegraph says : Nothing in the position taken by England gainsays the right of an aggrieved Power to notify that it is discontented with a contract ; and we hardly know, indeed, in what other way such pacts could be remodelled. But, however strongly the grievance may be put, such denunciations are, by the very meeting of this Conference, recognised as only "notices of motion," not as accepted acts. Nor can we doubt that the Conference will have the most wholesome practical result. It will tend to restore that faith in the sacredness of treaties to which so rude a shock was given by the hasty and ill-considered circular of Prince Gortschakoff. The representative of Russia, we cannot doubt, will explain that the Imperial Government did not mean to withdraw from its Plighted word; and the very registering of such an assurance, loyally given and loyally received, would in itself go far to restore the shaken trust; but we shall also have on record the collective judgment of the plenipotentiaries. There may be political contingencies upon the occurrence of which we English should fight like one man ; but we must always be ready to accept any revision of international compacts and rules which can make them more in accord with the circumstances of the day. There is every ground to hope, therefore, that a victory of reason will take the place of that which blunderers and swaggerers in authority might have too easily turned into a frightful European cataclysm of carnage ; and if, as we have every reason to hope, the result should be the establishment of a new guarantee for the maintenance of peace throughout Europe, a noble title to increased public confidence will remain to Mr. Gladstone's Government. While a great war is raging around one of the great capitals of the West, remarks the Daily News, this Con ference assembles to settle a quarrel which has arisen in the East. 'While diplomacy is thus exhibiting its power to stave off a threatened war, it is sheaving its impo tence to end an existing struggle. France is not represented 4t this Conference simply be cause she has other work to do ; work of war, and this is work of peace. Though she was one of the chief movers of the Conference of Paris which established the Treaty, she is too busy fighting for her honour, her prestige, her position in Europe, her capital, her freedom, and her national unity, to consider more distant questions. The world will ask, as the French people are asking, whether the European Governments can settle a quarrel in the Black Sea, and yet have nothing to say about a far wore quarrel on the Seine, the Loire, and the Moselle. This Conference is a great pacific movement, of which our diplomacy is entitled to boast itself ; yet it is taking place in the very met of a war, which the reprobation of the world is powerless to stop. It is infinitely more important to Europe that there should be quiet in the West than that there should be peace in the East ; Paris is more to us than Constantinople, and the Rhine departments are far nearer home than the Danubian Provinces, yet diplomacy can settle these distant quarrels, but cannot put an end to domestic strife. Yet the very fact that such a Conference is held illustrates the power of a European settlement to preserve the peace when that settlement is guarded by the resolute faithfulness of a single nation to its treaty engagements. Germany wants guarantees against invasion by France. The Germans are taking such guarantees by the strong hand, and leaving every day a deeper resolve in the mind of France to break through them on the first opportunity. Might not the neutral nations show both sides the better way ? France will make any concession but that of territory, and Germany needs only the guarantee of peaceful development of her unity. On this basis, surely some common ground of agreement might be found, and a greater, stronger, more important European compact be made than that which has stood the test of Russian discontent, and which is now to be revised and renewed. COUNT BISMARCK'S CIRCULAR. Reviewing Count Bismarck's reply to M. Chandordy's despal:ch upon the barbarous and inhuman mode of war fare pursued by the German armies in France, the Standard concludes :—We are not disposed to deny that the Government of the National Defence has committed many faults, and is justly amenable to hostile criticism ; but we scarcely think it open to cen sure upon the ground alleged by M. Bismarck. There was very little need of any exertions on the part of Favre and his colleagues to " rouse the passions of the people." From the moment that the Germans, having conquered the armies of France, com menced to make war upon the people of France, the one sufficing stimulus was amply supplied. The march upon Paris, and the cruel wasting of the fairest provinces of the empire by which it was accompanied, did far more to raise the nation in arms than all the proclamations of M. Gambetta. Up to the fall of Sedan the civilian population remained passive, but when the victors turned their arms upon an unoffending people, destroying their towns, ravaging their homes, plundering their fields and vineyards, and extorting their last penny and their last loaf of bread, what more natural than than that they should turn upon their merciless conqueror ? The sense of national defeat, and the longing for peace which followed upon the capitulation of Napoleon's army, gave way to an inextinguishable hatred and a burning passion for revenge against the triumphant enemy who turned his arms against innocent civilians and made war upon the peasant in his cottage. It is the mili tary policy of the Germans which has forced the French nation into the field in such enormous and ever-increasing masses that, with 800,000 troops overrunning the country, the task of the invader seems more formidable and difficult of accomplishment than ever. The Germans are feeling this keenly. They are sick and weary of the war, and long for peace with irrepressible yearnint! ; but the attitude of the French nation, resolute in its invader is of never laying down its arms unti l the is driven from its soil, forebodes a protracted and exhausting continuance of the war. It is they who, by their wanton barbarity and cruel gre e d, have " roused the passion s of the p eople," and in the suf ferings and losses of the present and the dreary prospect of the future they are encountering a heavy but merited re' tribution. The Portsmouth Times mentions a rumour that "Mr. Childers is bent on making a further reduction in the naval estimates, and that no less a number than 700 men are to be discharged from the 14ortsmouth Dockyard during the ensuing financial year." The Civilian states that about sixty junior clerks in the War Office—who were recently informed that their names could not be included in the new establish ment, but that they would be absorbed as vacancies occurred—have addressed a respectful remonstrance to Mr. Cardwell. The rumour that a further reduction is contem plated in the number of clerks employed in the Admiralty is premature. The lick! says :—The British hounds in Russia have had capital sport. They commenced their season on the 4th of August, and finished on the sth of November, hunting four days a week, and killing ten brace of foxes. The hounds are well hunted by John Squires, and it is expected that there will be some good sport in the spring, a good stock of foxes having been left. The intelligence has just come to hand that the condition of affairs in Peru was highly satisfactory, the evolutionary alarm having completely disappeared. Two German prizes have boon captured by the French gun boat La Mothe Piquet, of Africa. The August, from liamburg, and the Gazelle, from California, both bound for Arica, have been sent by the captors to Tahiti. ors In 100 6n, the that ith- the don eful the ri --- a ...9.3.,, ;Bist- ;Itch k of onber re op of him •esto- with timer E'rus in a. milts ghter - first er of n the kind es of