The Sun. — London, England, 1871-01-23 00:00:00

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There, tial depu lching of int draw ,f time at ots. Ire n on the upon the' music, $0 would be pted some to have thanked view them from one rear, have sent a sunl for £3O O , rpool as 3. LATEST INTELLIGENCE. SUN OFFICE, 8 A.M. THE WAR. THE SIEGE OF PARIS. BERLIN, January 21. Au attempt will be shortly made to bring a portion of Northern Paris under the German fire. Up to the 14th—that is, during the first ten days of the bombardment-1,800 gienades hail been thrown into the interior of Paris. Five hundred burst near the Pantheon. The Prussian army is being rapidly provided with mitrailleusea. January 22. The following telegrams have been received THE EMPEROR TO THE EMPRTCSS. VERSAILLES, January 21. " Yesterday morning the enemy entirely withdrew to Parii. Before St. Cloud 15 officers and 250 men were captured." January 22. "Up to the present,2 p.m., everything is quiet here. The troops on both sides still keep their positions. The loss before Paris yesterday is estimated at about 400 men. That of the enemy was so severe that he asked for an armistice of 48 hours. , Five hundred prisoners were taken by us. Count d'Heri son, who represented himself as verbally commissioned by General Trochu to ask his Imperial and Royal Highness the Crown Prince for an armistice of forty-eight hours to bury the dead, received a verbal answer that the commandants of the outposts, as in every previous engagement on the space between the two lines, have come to an understanding that every wounded soldier should be carried off in safety with mutual assistance. As to a proposal for an armistice, it was added, it can only be entertained on being submitted in writing. The bombardment of Paris has been con tinued without interruption during the last few days. To-day the siege artillery opened fire on St. Denis. An attempted surprise from Langres, directed against two Landwehr companies in the district of Chaumont, last night, entirely failed." ST. DENIS UNDER FIRE. LA VERT UALANT, January 21. The siege batteries on the northern line of investment opened fire against St, Denis and its forts to-day. The weather is foggy and damp. A. sortie on Le Bourget and Blanc Mesnil was suc cessfully repulsed last night.—Times gelegra»ze. PARIS, January 20. Fighting was carried on yesterday from early in the morning, the line of battle ranging from Mon tretout to the ravine of Celle. The French forces engaged numbered 100,000 men, aided by a power ful artillery. General Trochu in his report, dated 10 p.m., says : "The day, which commenced successfully, did not terminate with the results we could have wished. The ehemy was surprised in the morning:, but subsequently concentrated large masses of artil lery, with infantry reserves, and at 3 p.m. our left began to give way. When night came on we were able to resume the offensive, but the enemy's fire continued with great violence, and we had to leave the heights. The fighting was sanguinary, and I have ordered General Schmitz to ask for au armis tice of 48 hours."—Reuter's Telegram. DEFEAT OF FAIDHERBE'S ARMY. VERSAILLES, January 20. General von Goeben attacked Faidherbe near St. Quentin yesterday, and defeated him with a loss of 29 guns and 4,000 prisoners. BERLIN, January 22. The following telegrams have been received : " VERSAMLES 7 January 20. " The Emperor to the Empress.—General von oeben yesterday evening, after the storm ing of the railway station by the 19th Re giment, occupied St. Quentin with a Division under Prince Albrecht the Younger, and a brigade of the Bth Corps. He is pursuing the routed enemy to-day towards the North and East. At St. Quentin the number of unwounded prisoners amounts to 9,000. Two thousand wounded were also taken in the town, besides the killed in the neighbourhood, so that the enemy's loss certainly amounts to 15,000. The enemy has retreated to Valenciennes and Douay, and has again occupied Oambrai." " ST. QUENTIN, January 20. " The Ist Army gained a brilliant victory yesterday at St. Quentin. In addition to troops of the lst Army General Count Lippe's Saxon troops took pact In the engagement. There were several victorious Cavalry attacks. The greatest disorder among the hostile army is everywhere manifest. Our loss is not yet ascertained. That of the French is much larger.—Vorf SPERLING."—Times Telegram. The following telegrams come through Reuter's Agency:— VERSAILLES, January 21. Count Bismarck has been made Lieutenant- General. (FRENCH ACCOUNT.) OAMBRAI, January 20. General Scatelli has sent the following report of the battle of St. Quentin General Fai(lherbe has announced to me that a sanguinary battle Was fought on the 19th instant, between the Army of the North and - the First Prussian Army. Our troops were admirably commanded, and they maintained their lines until night. At night the men were so fatigued that it was i m pos s ible any longer to keep them in their positions. To have caused them to re-enter the town was to expose them to bombard tilent. Several shells had already fallen in the place, causing consternation among the population. T he Prussians kept on receiving reinforcements. h The order to effect a retreat upon Cambrai was Illerbfore given. This was commenced during the Our losses are heavy, but we have also caused the enemy to suffers severely." General Faidherbe reached Cambrai at 2 a.m. to "Y, with the Staff. His army is in full retreat, d the losses are said to be considerable. The erinans threw shells into St. Quentin, and set re to the town in several places. Great consterna 'loll prevails. G p.m. ...._ 7ll e Germans are marching on Cambrai. The r l monade is perfectly audible, and two shells have 11114 fallen on the ramparts. There is a general t an ic) and the troops are being sent on to Lille, and Arras. General Faidherbe and his staff li ba tegone to Douai, and General Farre has left for 1) ; !). The position of General Paulze d'lvoy's ' vi sion is unknown. SPEECH OF M. GAMBETTA. LILLE, January 21. 4 Gambett a , w h o arr i ve d a t Lill e a t 2 thi s after ;en) was received with enthusiasm and cheers for (3. l thee) the Government o f the National Defence, ;iv anabetta, and the Republic. The Minister de ineled a speech f rom th e b a l con y o f th e Pr e fecture, t he course o f w hich he was greatly cheered. $e a dvocated advocated r e sistance to the bitter end, and e nergetically condemned the partizans of r a ce at any price. He denounced before who Public opinion of France the tactics of those take advantage of partial checks to declare the continuance of the war impossible, and endeavour to bring about peace by a surprise. He, moreover, protested against any idea of dictatorship, and pro claimed that all Frenchmen must do their duty in the name of French unity and the French Revolu tion. M. Gambetta concluded his speech by assert ing that if France prosecuted the war, even though she suffered defeats, the ruin of the enemy and the final success of France were certain. THE INVESTMENT OF LONGWY. AItLON, January 21. The bombardment of Longwy is kept up vigor ously. The cannonade is heard here distinctly. The town is on fire. BRUSSELS, January 22. A. despatch from Arlon announces that the bom bardment of Longwy continues all to-day, and the centre of the town has suffered greatly. On Friday the besiegers endeavoured to blow up the bridge of the lower town over. the Chier, but the opera tion partly failed, though the explosion was very for midable. FIGHTING AT DIJON. BORDEAUX, January 22. Numerous Prussian troops with artillery at tempted to recapture Dijon yesterday, but were repulsed by the Garibaldians after a combat of 12 hours. The battle extended from Val Luzcn to Fon taine les Dijon and Saland. The French troops maintained their positions and captured others. The losses of the French are rather considerable, but in ferior to those of the enemy. The battle recom menced to-day. Yesterday the enemy attacked Bernay at midday, but was repulsed by the National Guards. THE CAPTURE OF THE METEOR. An official announcement from Berlin declares the news published by some German papers of the capture of the German gunboat Meteor by the French despatch boat Bouvet in the West Indies on the 24th of December to be a pure invention. THE SIEGE OF BELFORT. 'BERLIN, January 22. The following telegram has been received here : BOUROGNE, January 21. "Last night the woods of Faillis and Bailly strongly occupied and intranched by tle enemy, were taken, as also the village of Peron. Five officers and 80 men, unwounded, were taken. Our loss is not altogether inconsiderable. Four new batteries at Danjoutin has since this morning been bombarding Belfort, especially the castle front."— Times: THE PROPOSALS FOR PEACE. BERLIN, January 21. The rumours that proposals of peace _have been addressed to Germany by the neutral Powers are un fouhed. No such proposals would be entertained by Count] Bismarck. France must ask for peace herself if she want it. The propagation of reports of English mediation is calculated, it is thought here, to inspire the French with a belief in material assistance from Great Britain. The statement that Count Bernstorff has been instructed to entertain proposals of peace at the Conference in case a cession of territory were offered by France is untrue. As at first announced, the Prussian representative will not an any condition discuss the French war at the Conference.— elegraph. ITALY AND THE WAR, FLORENCE, January 21. In to-day's sitting of the Parliament interpella tions took place on the Franco-German war and the Oriental question. Four members belonging to different political factions, all expressing the warmest sympathy for France, asked for explanations of the Minister's conduct. Signor Visconti Venosta answered by stating the efforts that had already been made together with the other neutral Powers, and declared that it was impossible for Italy to interfere alone. Impediments existed to prevent a joint intervention, but the Government had the firm intention of seizing the first opportunity tomediate in agreement with the other Powers.—Times. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.) THE DOWRY OF THE PRINCESS LOUISE. A public meeting was held in Birmingham on Saturday evening to protest against the proposed dowry to Princess Louise on the occasion of her marriage with the Marquis of Lorne. The following resolution was carried unani mously :—" That in the opinion of this meeting the time has arrived when measures should be taken to resist the ever increasing cost of Royalty in this country ; and while yielding to no class or order of State, yet, in justice to the overtaxed and underpaid wealth producers who are the chief sufferers from extravagant expenditure, we earnestly demand the co-operation of wealth con sumers, and the great mercantile and trading classes, in protesting against, and resisting to the utmost, the pro posed dowry to the Princess Louise, on her forthcoming marriage with the Marquis of Lorne." It was also re solved to embody the forthcoming resolution in a petition to the House of Commons, to be presented by one of the borough members. DEATH OF THE COUNTESS OF DURHAM. The Countess of Durham died at Lambton Castle, near Sunderland, on Saturday morning, after being delivered of her thirteenth child. THE REPRESENTATION OF WEST NORFOLK. The Liberals of West Norfolk propose to bring forward Mr. S. Leeds, of Lexham, the celebrated agriculturist, to oppose the candidature of Mr. Bentinck for the seat, ren dered vacant by the elevation of Lord Walsingham. A requisition to Mr. Leeds is in course of signature, and the costs are to be guaranteed. For this purpose a subscrip tion is being raised. MR. SIMONDS M.P., ON MILITARY MATTERS. Mr. Simonds, M.P. for Winchester, delivered a speech, on Friday night in that city. He said the great question next session would be the organisation of our forces, which question had been forced upon us by the unfortu nate and dreadful war on the Continent. The honourable gentleman condemned what he termed the unfortunate economy of the Government; but said no considerations like that would prevent steps to place our forces in a more satisfactory condition. One result of this rage for economy had been to unsettle men's minds, and induce foreign Powers to take steps and use language towards us which would never have been tolerated had our army been in a better condition. He advocated re form in the War Office; and said though he hated war, he should prefer an honourable war to a dishonourable peace. THE RELEASED FENIANS. It was expected that the remainder of the Irish political prisoners to whom the clemency of the Crown has been extended would have been on board the Royal Mail steamer China, which arrived at Queenstown yesterday. Large numbers of persons assembled as the steamer came into harbour, but the released prisoners were not with her. The China took on board 234 bags of mails, the largest number ever embarked at Queenstown. THE CHARGE OF SENDING THREATENING LETTER. The man Joseph Swami, who was last Saturday week charged with sending a threatening letter to Mr. John Murray, agent of the Earl of Erne, was again brought up on Saturday last, at the Lisnakea Special Sessions. This case has excited a great deal of interest in the locality, in consequence of the hitherto good character of the accused, who was esteemed as a zealous supporter of law and order in the district, and also the well-known general kindness of the agent,and the interest that he took in the tenantry. Mr. Rea, of Belfast, instructed by Mr. G. Knight, of Cloues, defended the accused ; Mr. Archibald Cullum, Crown prosecutor, appeared for the prosecution. Mr. John S. Murray was the first witness examined. He proved to having received the letter, and a memorial that had been presented to Lord Erna by the accused, and also a notice that had been left by him at Crom, and signed in the presence of the house steward, FILE StTN, LONDON, MOND" JANUARY 23, 1871. all of which he believed- to be in the hand writing of the same' person. In the cross examination of Mr. Murray a great deal of what the Bench termed irrelevant matter was introduced by Mr. Rae, who could not shake this witness's evidence. The threatening letter,which was read, commenced as follows : "It is a very long, closely-written document, notice to quit !for Murray, agent to Lord Erne, in conformity, and according to our general way of doing business, directed to all deserving of death, namely, as to whom it may concern, with power of greeting, and to you first on the list of 'criminals. Amen. Be it known unto you, the hell-deserving Mur ray." Mr. Dullock, the house steward of Crom Castle, proved to having received a notice from the accused, in Crom Castle. He believed the endorsements and the other documents were all in the same handwriting. After the cross-examination of this witness the case was ad journed until eleven o'clock this (Monday) morning. Prisoner was taken to Enniskillen gaol under a strong escort. DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH ARMY OF THE NORTH. The blow, says a letter, dated Douai, January 21, which 1 the silent anxieties of those most interested have for day , . foreboded has at length fallen on the North, in the deci sive defeat at St. Quentin of General Faidherbe's army. That unfortunate town is now for the third time in the hands of the enemy. The fighting commenced by some skirmishes on Wednesday, the 18th instant. On the previous day General ,Faidherbe had established his Quartier-General at St. Quentin, and early the follow ing morning despatched a brigade of the 22nd Corp d'Armee in advance of the main army, which shortly after followed in a southerly direction towards Mezieres on the Oise. General Faidherbe being practically utterly defi cient in cavalry, his reconnaissances were too limited to enable him to know for certain the direction occupied by the enemy ; consequently a portion of his men came unexpectedly upon their advanced posts near the village of Roupy ; and at Vaux the 43rd Regiment of the Line and the 20th Battalion of Chasseurs were suddenly and violently attacked by a Prussian battery. They lost five officers and over a hun dred men. Orders were given to a portion of the 23rd Corps d'Armde, which it must be remembered is mainly composed of Mobilisds as opposed to the 22nd Corps d'Armde made up of Line soldiers and Marines, but they arrived too late to be of service. On the 19th the main battle commenced at nine o'clock in the morning by an attack from the Prussians, who occupied some heights overlooking the villages of Grugis and Castres, occupied by the 2nd Division of the 23rd Corps d'Arm4e and commanded by General Gislin. At ten o'clock the French were obliged to abandon their positions, and a powerful attack was made on their whole lines by the Prussians with an immense artillery force. The struggle continued till 2 o'clock, at which hour some French officers assert the Prussian lines were giving way before the 22nd Corps d'Armde, though at the same time the 23rd Corps d'Arm6e had then lost much ground. The two corps had unhappily become separated by the Canal Crozat, too broad and deep to be crossed but by bridges, and were consequently unable to be of use to each other. It was, therefore, soon seen that the 23rd Corps d'Arm6e (composed, as I said before, chiefly of Mobilis4s) began to yield visibly, and by three o'clock had retreated, certainly not in good order—in fact, "ran away" would be the more correct definition for those who had not become prisoners. General Faidherbe endeavoured, but ineffectually, to restore confidence by directing some battalions of the 22nd Corps d'Arm4e to go to their aid; but before this move ment could be accomplished the panic was too great. From thi s ti me th e 22 n d C orps d'A rm e e, under Ge nera l s D ero j4 an d P aulze d 'l voy, sus tained the w h o l e o f t h e f i ght. Even among these troops some ThMeseoblialteter Mobiles gavewn a e y body bl o f but were young again rallied and plac e d i n f ront o f the regiment of Zouaves of the North. devils as the French possess. However, by four o'clock General Paulze d'lvoy, seeing the impossibility of defend ing further, the retreat was sounded, and under the con tinual fire of the enemy, St. Quentin was again reached, but only en route for a further distance still; for, deter mined to repossess the town they had evacuated three days before, the Prussians not only fired upon the troops entering, but sent some shells into it. Thus, when, night was falling, the weary men—almost dead with several days' marching to and fro, first upon Albert, next tacking westward upon Fins—were trudging several kilometres in the dreary darkness to Cambrai, knowing they had lost an important day, and that their conquerors were occupying the town they held the night before. Very few wounded have been able to be brought forward, the majority having fallen. into the hands of the enemy. Of the numbers of killed and wounded on either side it would be simply misleading to name any number whatever. They are entirely unknown. What is better known are those that are " missing" on the French side. These are so enormous compared to the numbers engaged, that it can only be assunied that either prisoners have been made en masse or that immense numbers have simply run away as fast and as far ai their legs will carry them. In credible as it may appear, large numbers of these 'poor fellows have been obliged to march and fight 4h bare feet, their shoes, so bad in the first instance, collapsed. I see now many limping through the street with nothing but a piece of the under sole strapped on God knows how, and their feet naked or only covered with a ragged sock. Can any people expect men of the calibre Frenchmen are to fight under such circumstances ? —Correspondent of the Daily News. MEETING OF THE COUNCIL OF NATIONAL DEFENCE. The correspondent of the Telegraph sends the following from Brussels, dated January 21 :—Private letters which have been received here from Paris by the latest balloon give details of the last meeting of the Council of National Defence. A very lively opposition to Trochu was displayed. The cause assigned for this attitude was his apparently inactive line of conduct. Every- thing was done to induce the Governor to initiate sorties on a grand scale. This preposition, however, Trochu rejected for the moment with the greatest energy, and refused to submit to any interference with his com mand. The meeting was very stormy. Picard is even reported to have said that they had overthrown the personal power of the Bonapartes to sub stitute in its place another Csar. Trochu offered to resign and to take the simple grade of a General of Division. The Council appointed to suc ceed him a triumvirate, composed of Generals Vinoy, Frebault, and Clement Thomas. The Council, however, on reconsideration, recoiled before the responsibility of overthrowing all the plans of the defence, and ultimately Trochu was maintained in full authority. Deputations from the bombarded quarters of the city have waited upon M. Jules Favre, and requested him to go and carry their protest before the Conference at London. The Minister replied that he could not do so at the present moment, but that he hoped that soon the situation of Paris would permit him to go and represent France abroad. These words produced a great sensation. COUNT BISMARCK AND M. FAVRE. BERLIN, January 22. In reply to a request from M. Jules Favre, on the 13th instant, for a safe conduct in order that he might proceed to London, Count Bismarck, on the 16th instant, answered that he could not forward such a document. He could not enter upon official negotiations at the base of which lies the pro-supposition that the Government of the National Defence is internationally capable of negotiating in the name of the French people, before it, at the least, has been recognised by the French nation. The Commander-in-Chief would certainly have em powered the advanced posts to allow M. Favre to pass without prejudicing the question at issue ; but this plan was now impossible, chiefly in consequence of M. Favre's declaration of the 12th instant, that an invitation to the Conference would - be a recognition of the French Government, and which prevented Count Bismarck's complying with the wish' of M. Favre in the matter of the safe conduct. Count Bismarck left it to M. Favre to consider whether any other way could be found to allay the scruples above mentioned, and to avoid any prejudice which might arise from the presence of M. Favre in London. In conclusion Count Bismarck asks if it is advisable that M. Favre should now proceed to London, since the interests now at stake in Paris are far more important for Germany and France than the Black Sea question, and when the diplomatic agents of foreign States in relation with France, trusting to the protection of the Government, had remained in Paris. It is, there fore, scarcely to be expected that ]\L Favre in so critical a situation, of which he has been the main cause, would deprive himself of the possibility of co-operating to effect a solution the responsibility of which would rest upon him.—lteuter's Telegram. PENALTY FOR KISSING A•DAAISEL AGAINST HER WlLL.—Maria Devonport charged Joseph Havenhand, at the Dronfield Petty Sessions,with assaulting, her. Prose cutrix said that herself and several friends went to a tea and dancing. It was a Christmas party, and there was some mistletoe hung up. The young men were kissing the maidens, and the maidens were kissing the young men. He wanted to take her under the mistletoe, but she was not going to be kissed at all by him. She did not strike him first, but pushed him away, and was sure his nose did not bleed. They wire all comfortable together when defendant tried to kiss her. Knew him before then, but had not been friendly with him, and never would be kissed by a man like him. For the defence, Mrs. Turner saw Havenband offer to take Miss Davenport under the kissing bush, when she hit him in the face, and would not go under the bush. Mr. James Namer said he and his son went to the house. He had no sooner got there than one of the females got hold of him and took him under the bush and kissed him. It was a jovial party, and Haven hand kissing Miss Devonport was only a joke. The case created great amusement in court, and the Bench, being of opinion that a young lady should not be kissed, even at Christmas, against her will, ordered the defendant to pay 12s. expenses. FALL FROM A CHIMNEY. On Saturday afternoon two mechanics, named John Ellis and William Barrett, fell from the top of a chimney sixty-five yards high, at the works of Messrs. Holden and Sons, machine wool combers, Bradford. Ellis was killed on the spot. Barret saved himself by clinging to a chain, and escaped with only a broken leg. EXPLOSION IN A PIT. An explosion, involving the death of one man and seri ous injury to six others, occurred on Saturday, at No. 3 Swannington Pit, belonging to Messrs. Warswick and Son, colliery proprietors, Swannington, near Leicester. On the day-men going to their work, seven corporals or gangers, named Thomas Webster, Joseph Hodges, William Bradley, Francis Emerson, William Stevenson, James Bancroft, and John Springthorpe, went into a hut at the bottom of the shaft for the purpose of leaving their food and arranging their work, having with them naked lighted candles. In the hut were stored several barrels of gunpowder to be used for blasting. One of the men snuffing his candle with his fingers threw the lighted wick on the floor, thereby causing the ignition of some loose particles it ta smeimbsm o l ,o f eywad g rn u taye n ttr : r dl gunpowder o d ben ir communicated which lsw ohne Webstertb w he e ei re i whether ww tthhaiscattered killed ootnth hseee ci a ro b une o nn ut the The t and l ce barrels, en spot,: ahfirnuraedtwThe i recover. dn will A telegram from Queenstown says : " A large French iron-clad , supposed to be the Guyenne, was seen coming into port at 10 o'clock on Saturday morning." ENGLISH SYMPATHY WITH FRANCE. The arrangements for holding the meeting in Tra. falgar-square this evening, at eight o'clock, to express, on the part of the working men of England, indignation at the bombardment of Paris and sympathy with the people of France in their present painful position, have been all but perfected. The meeting of to-night is intended to partake of a double character—viz., to be an expres sion of sympathy with the French people, and of pre liminary or anticipated welcome to M. Jules Favre, or what other representative France may send to the Conference. It will be wholly distinct and different in constitution and detail from the demonstration which is proposed to be made upon the arrival of the French Minister in London. Mr. George Odger will pre side over the meeting, and the speakers to the resolutions will be, for the most part, working men. The time subse quent to the meeting up to the arrival of the French Minister will, the committee state, be employed in making the best possible preparations for his reception. DRAWING-ROOM ALCIIOLISM. The Saturday _Review observes there is an increasing evil under the sun, one of pressing importance, but so contrary to our English traditions, and to our notion of the fitness of things, that we are unwisely inclined to hush it up. Now and then a whispered scandal reminds our Pharisees that a Pharisee's wife indulges in alcholic stimulants, " has been taken away from some ball by her friends, quite drunk, poor thing. How shocking !" or " Really she should not have been allowed to ride when she could hardly sit on her horse." But such stories we agree to get rid of as quickly as possible. Yet some sincere effort should be made to check habits which are notoriously on the in crease, and which threaten to degrade women even of the well-born and educated classes beyond the help of theories, however brilliant, of their rights. It is honest and prudent to confess that drunkenness is no longer quite unknown even in the most charming drawing-rooms, be it under the form of dipsomania or oinomania, habitual or occa sional excess. The increasing prevalence of what is considered allowable stimulation is the evil especially to be remarked. Marguerite dallying with Faust's gifts is but the prelude to Marguerite's suicide, and it is more useful to check her as she opens the glittering casket than when she is the helpless . prey of passion. Women seldom drink for the gratification of their palate, and the pitiable dram-drinker sometimes loathes the spirit she gulps down. Good or bad wine, potato-brandy, curacoa, or gin will satirfy her if only her nervous organization be sufficiently saturated. The volume of light wine or beer sometimes taken is almost incredible. One important step will be gained if the use of stimulants between meals is sedulously checked. The test of safety in the moderate use of alcoholic drinks seems to be the power in persons of fair health to leave off their accustomed beer or sherry without inconvenience or moral effort. This test might be occasionally applied by rational women to themselves or insisted on by their mankind, and a sensible improve ment in both moral and physic;al wellbeing would generally surprise the fair abstainer. CABINET COUNClL.—Summonses have been issued for a Cabinet Council to be held on Wednesday next, in Downing-street, at three o'clock. We understand no day has been fixed for her Royal Highness Princess Louise's marriage, but that it will not be celebrated so early a,s.the 9th of March, as has been stated. THE QUEEN'S SPEECH.—The Address, in reply to the Queen's Speech, will be moved in the House of Lords by the Marquis of Westminster, and seconded by the Earl of Rosebery. The editorship of the Morning Advertiser being held on condition that the editor does not exercise his pro- fession as an author, Colonel Richards will tell his last story in the Gentleman's Magazine for February, under the title of " The Irish Reporter." Tier Majesty the Queen, says the Court Journal, upon the occasion of the marriage will, it is understood, occupy the Royal oloset over the altar, as at the nuptials of their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales. The very mention of the name of Mr. Forster as the probable fnture First Lord of the Admiralty, observes the Army and Navy Gazette, " has caused the utmost astonishment in professional circles. No man may be fitter for his present post, and certainly few men could be be more unfit to direct the naval affairs of this country." The Stamford Mercury hears that the extensive stud of Lord Henry Bentinck, with harness, &c., was left by the deceased to Captain Chaplin, Mr. Cecil Chap lin, and Major Hutton, and that the whole will shortly be brought to the hammer. His stables at Lincoln lapse to the Mainwaring family. A portion of his pro perty the deceased sank in an annuity, but the residue goes to his heir. The Church Review, a Ritualist organ, hears that "the Archbishop of York has lately made authoritatively a statement of some importance, to the effect that in the recent judgments in " Martin v. Mackonochie," the Judicial Committee have implicitly followed the prin ciples laid down in the judgments of " Liddell v. Wes terton. These principles most distinctly cover the Eucha ristic Vestments, among ether things." The Vienna correspondent of the Cross Gazette of Berlin states that, at the preliminary meeting of the London Conference, the Austrian Plenipotentiary pro posed that a protocol should be signed by all the Powers condemning the principl e o f ones id e d repu di at i on or denunciation of a treaty. Russia demurred to this, but was induced by Prussia and England to give in its adhesion. A. somewhat amusing action, involving the rights of " cats," is (we learn from the North British Mail) pend ing in the Aberdeen Sheriff Court. The pursuer sued for £1 of damages i n respec t o f th e d eath of two fantailed pigeons which had been killed by a cat belonging to the defender. For the defence it was argued that, under an old statute, which was still law, it was illegal to keep pigeons ; and this cat must have been unconsciously ful filling the purposes of legislation by ridding the country of these pests. The Sheriff took the case to avizandum. THE COST OF RAILWAY ACCIDENTS. —lt is some small satisfaction to know that Railway companies do not maim, mutilate, and kill their passengers gratuitously. During the past year a total sum of £333,715 was expended by railway Companies in the United Kingdom as compen sation for personal injury,—of which the Great Northern paid £28,000; the Great Western, £20,000 ; the Lancashire and Yorkshire, £19,380; the Midland, £24,988; the London and North-Western, £73,804; and the London, Brighton, and South Coast Railway, £47,457. It would be interesting, but impossible, to collect particu lars as to the injuries inflicted upon their victims, whose hurts are supposed to have been healed by the applica tion of more than a quarter of a million of money.—The Lancet. THE BOMBARDMENT OF PARIS. The special correspondent of Ahe Daily News with the Saxons telegraphs from Margency January 21 :—This morning the German batteries opened fire on the group of forts surrounding St. Denis. The armament of these batteries consists chiefly of the siege -train employed in the reduction of Mezieres, and it was brought down by the railway to Villers-le-Bel, whence it was brought, partly the night before last and partly last night, into the emplacements which had been stealthily prepared for it more than a week past. The batteries now directed against St. Denis are ten in number, mounting, therefore, about s; , :f.v guns, chiefly German 24-pounders, and there are also at least two mortars in position behind the Stains batteries. The guns might have been earlier pushed for ward, bbt there was no occasion for hurry in this respect, pending the accumulation of a sufficiency of ammunition. Commencing on the right, there is no battery in the neighbourhood of Epinay. The nimble gunboats might enfilade batteries here. The batteries on Mont d'Orge mont will take care that they do not do so as regards the other two, which might otherwise be affected by them. These are (1) one battery of six 24-pounders in front of St. Gratien on right of Rouen Railway, directed against La Briehe ; (2) one battery of short 21-pounders at La Barba, a little nearer Montmorency. At La Chevrette, almost directly in front of Montmorency, there is a third battery. The height known indifferently as Richebourg or Pierrefitte (lying between the village of the latter name and Mont magny) presents on its summit nearest St. Denis a splendid offensive position for artillery, dominating alike all the forts ; but the position is so much exposed, that it has been wisely avoided, without any detriment to efficiency. This long bluff, whose nose looks out to St. Denis, con tracts about its middle, so that its promontorium throws forward, as it were, two sheltering wings for batteries stationed in the narrow waist behind. This configura tion of ground has been admirably utilised. The summit has not been loaded with guns, but two batteries have been, as it were, slung pannier wise across the narrow waist, one on either side, and they can throw a telling indirect and plunging fire down into the forts, while the bastion-like bluff in front of each is an effective screen against the French return-fire. On the slope behind the village of Stains (further round to the east), with the butt ends of the guns towards Garges, are four • batteries with the howitzers. On the verge of the elevated table - land between Garges and Dugny is the ninth battery, and close to Le Bourget, between it and Dugny, is the tenth. I believe that the guns manning the two latter have already been in use in positions further to the rear and more southward. Thus there is a converging fire on the focus of the forts from the radius of at least a semicircle. The French had not to all appearance the remotest cognisance of the pre parations, and it was some time before the forts shook off their surprise sufficiently to reply with vigour. Up till the present (midday) the cannonade is active on both sides. THE SORTIES FROM PARIS. From Versailles, January 20, the special correspondent of the Daily News at the headquaiters of the Crown Prince of Prussia forwards the subjoined account of the late sorties by special despatch :—The French made very serious efforts yesterday to set themselves free from the iron grip of the besiegers. Sorties were made to the northward, of which we could see the smoke and hear the constant cannonade ; whilst an attack in force was made upon the lines before Mont Valt rien and kept up so obstinately that all Versailles was astir. The alarm was sounded in the streets ; patrols of cavalry rode to preserve order ; batteries o f artillery were stationed in the Place d'Armes ; ambulance waggons - might be seen getting ready to start ; and trains of reserve ammunition were brought slowly along the muddy roads. The Emperor, attended by a small escort, drove from the town in the direction of St. Germain. The Crown Prince set off the same way, and, making a sweep to the eastward, passed along the rear of the positions occupied by his troops. From an early hour the sound of firing became more and more distinct. Can non and musketry were busily plied between Mont Vald rien and Beaugival over the whole plateau between the fortress and woods of La Celle, St. Cloud, and down towards the Seine. Upon the hill sides east of Garches a body of some 18,000 or 20,000 Frenchmen had been brought out from Mont Valerien against the 10th Prussian Division and the battalions of Landwehr Guard, who held them in check. Other Frenchmen, hurled at Montretout, captured the position with considerable loss. They were unable, however, to get any further, as the Jagers, who had been temporarily pushed back, fought obstinately behind every stump and stock until strong reinforcements arrived, and the ground was then regained. The sortie from Valdrien terminated by each side being in its previous position. I hear high praise bestowed upon the dash with which the Jagers led the recapture of Montretout. The French are said to have lost many prisoners. The correspondent of the army with the Crown Prince of Saxony writes : MARGENCY, January 20 (Morning). Yesterday there was long and heavy firing all round the circle from St. Cloud to Chatou, the strongest effort on the part of the French being towards Bongival ; and an attempt to turn the St. Cloud batteries on their right flank. The French deployed from behind both flanks of Mont Valerien, the northern deployment being from Courbevoie, and behind Nanterre, with rendezvous behind the barrack in the rear of Rueil ; the attack thence heading south-west towards Bougival, with a demonstration towards .Chatou. The Maas army was only engaged as regards the artillery division of the 4th Army Corps, which, coming from Sannois, took up commanding ground between Bezons and Chatou ; and did excellent service in enfilading the French march from Courbevoie and Nanterre toward Rueil. The fighting lasted till near sundown, and ended in the repulse of the French at all points with considerable loss. The batteries of Mont Valerien, Courbevoie, and Nanterre fired warmly and continuously to cover the French attack. There were diversions also to Ville Evrart, Bezons, and Argenteuil ; but these made no head. La Briche fired a good deal this afternoon in the direction of Enghien. A delay has arisen in the commencement of further siege operations in this district from the occupa tion of the railway plant in the conveyance to St. Quentin of the 16th brigade belonging to the 4th Army Corps, and consisting of the 66th and 87th regiments. This brigade has been spared to strengthen Von Goben. The following is the existing defensive armament the French have on the eastern side to cope with the German batteries. In Fort Rosny one battery of 24 pounders. Fort Noisy ditto; Redoubt de la Bossibre one battery of 48 pounders, with six yards between each gun, and a continuation towards the north, with a battery of new long 7 pounders, which carry 7,000 paces. This information is supplied by officers charged with observation duty. MARGENCY, January 20 (Evening.) In yesterday's sortie the 4th Army Corps Artillery lost four men and six horses. The French sent out an armour-plated train on the St. Germain's Railway, be yond Nanterre, consisting of two carriages, each carry ing a long swivel gun. The locomotive was also armour clad. The armament of Fort la Briche consists of 40 guns in all, only 12 of which are heavy and of long range. The garrison seeming vaguely to anticipate the bombardment which commences to-morrow have been in dustriously constructing traverses ; earthing over oas9- mates ; and narrowing the embrasures. General Troche commanded the sortie of yesterday, and has entrusted the interim governorship of Paris to General le Flo. In con sequence of Von Goeben's success at St. Quentin yester day, on regiment of the 16th brigade, lately sent thither to strengthen him, returns to-night; the other returns to morrow. The Law Times, viewing the question in its legal bearings, can come to no other conclusion than that Miss Garrett will, by marriage, render her seat at the London School Board vacant, and that no married woman Is either capable, if elected whilst single, of continuing a mem ber, or of being elected a member after. marriage, of any school board. The Civilian is informed that one of the gentle men who lately belonged to the suppressed Account Branch of the IVar Office, and whose zeal or supp osed opposition to Lord Northbrook and his schemes brought his name prominently before the authorities some months ago, is likely to test In a court of law the validity of the proceedings that eventuated in his retirement. THE DIAMOND FIELDS.—The following is from a new contemporary, the Diamond Field of the 27th of October :—" A capital story has been brought in. A sweet-locLing Koranna girl went out on the Pniel side, dipping up from the claim of a party in a bucket, and gJing down to the river and washing it for her own advantage. There was only one white man in charge of the party, and he a smart young Englishman. He was too gallant to drive away a girl, although she did not belong to his own fair race. He allowed the girl to go on taking up ground from the surface and washing it. At last she laughed and threw her hands about, and laughed heartily. Our friend the Englishman rushed over to see what the matter was, when he found that she had picked up a diamond, and a beauty too. The gentleman did the proper thing :he made her an offer on the spot. He is of first-rate family, and vows that he will introduce his wife to his family :as an African Princess of great dis tinction." OUR COTEMPORARIES—This Morning THE BULLETIN OF GAMBETTA. The Times says • M. Gambetta has put forth his Twenty ninth Bulletin. No one cm have forgotten that terrible despatch which reached Paris fifty-nine years ago, the last of a series of flaming reports describing the victorious progress of the Grand Army in Russia, and which, after announcing the complete destruction of the army, wound up with the intelligence that "the Emperor's health had never been better." The present state of affairs in France is not much more hopeful than in 1818. Three armies have been defeated almost in the same day. Paris has utterly failed in what was looked forward. to as her supreme effort. Yet M. Gambetta at Lille seems to be as lively and buoyant as when he alighted from his balloon at Amiens. He has travelled from Bordeaux to Laval ; from Laval to Lille, from the routed Army of the West to the routed Army of the North. How he went from place to place we are not informed ; but it was only by sea or by his favourite aerial conveyance that he could escape the enemy now encamped all athwart the country and in possession of all the main lines of communica tion. He found in the West Chanzy vainly struggling to rally his broken divisions as they came up from La Chapelle, from Coolie, and from Beaumont, hard driven at all points, losing prisoners at every step, and exhibiting unmistakable symptoms of dissolution. He encountered in the North the fugitives from St. Quentin, a town fatal of old to the French arms, and where now Faidherbe has met Ai' ith a terrible re verse, leaving on the field 2,030 wounded and 10,000 unwounded prisoners ; his remaining host, " with bare feet and in rags," spreading panic wherever they appeared throughout the cities of French Flanders, and causing a rush of the terrified population towards the Belgian fron tier. Had not what fell under his immediate observation been enough to sober M. Gambetta's spirits, he must have heard of the defeat of Bourbaki at Belfort, of his disas trous retreat, pursued by Von Werder on the left, while his right is endangered by Manteuffel, who, advancing from Gray, is throwing himself between Besancon and Montb6liard, so as to close every way of escape against the Frenchman, and leave him no other alternative than a surrender or a flight across the Swiss frontier. And yet, in full sight of all this havoc, and with no better intelli gence from the Loire or the Lower Seine, M. Gambetta still advises "continued resistance," and promises "suc cess in the end." TdE CONFERENCE. A fter a week's adjournment, remarks the Daily Views, the European Conference meets again to-morrow. So important an event as the assembling of a body of men accredited by the Great Powers of Europe, and authorized to modify a solemn European compact and settlement, never took place amid so little general interest before. But perhaps no statesmen ever met before under such discouraging conditions. It is a gathering of the diplo matists of Europe to give practical proof of the failure of diplomacy. They assemble to revise a settlement in the East when all the world is unsettled in the West. They represent that diplomatic Providence of nations which watches with care over the gloomy waters of the Black Sea and the sunny shores of the Bosphorus, but which can say nothing to stop a conflict which is destroying the finest capital in the world and deluging the fields of France with blood. The one matter which these Pleni potentiaries cannot discuss is that of which every man in Europe is thinking. Their proceedings are absolutely limited to the neutralisation of the Black Sea and the Treaty of 1856, and the real object of the meeting is to see how far it is possible to undo what was solemnly done fifteen years ago. We are going to give up a goad deal of what we fought for at that time, and the Conference is an expedient for giving it up with decency. It is, of course, no fault of the plenipotentiaries, scarcely even of the Governments from which they are accredited, that they meet to do such work at such a season. If the circum stances of the time laugh their labours to scorn, it is because the whole system belongs to the past, and not to the present. The Western world is out of joint, and diplomacy assembles to cure some petty discomfort which is felt in the East. It takes account of the susceptibili of Russia, but cannot take cognizance of the suf ferings of France. It scents possible battle from the far distant { future, and rushes to prevent it, but fails to perceive the war which darkens and desolates the present. It exercises its functions of peacemaker by ignoring the existing war, and striving to undo the con quests of a former struggle. The voices of reason, the interests of humanity, the cause of imperilled civilization, all call on the neutral Powers to do something to stop the destruction of Paris and the immolation of France, and the Powers meet to discuss how many war ships Russia shall have in future years in the Black Sea. If we can preserve peace in the distant East, can we not make an effort to restore it to the unromantic and homely West ? AFTER THE CAPITULATION. The Telegraph says :—ln the absence of relief from without, the fall of Paris before the end of the next month at the furthest—probably at an earlier date —may be assumed as certain ; and the most sanguine can hardly perceive any combination of chances that would enable the armies which France has in the field to raise the siege within a month. Whether the fall of the capital would put an end to the war it is impossible to say ; but the probability is that it might. Gambetta could still cry "No surrender ;" but after such an event he would scarcely be able to play the Dictator. The energy and fertility of resource which he has displayed are really marvellous ; but he is, after all, merely the delegate of a Provisional Government, and with the close of that Govern ment his functions and authority would cease. The capitulation of Paris would be tolerably certain to para lyse the resistance of the provinces, and would almost necessarily lead to some overtures in favour of a pacific arrangement. Here the real difficulties of the neutral Powers would begin. No one having authority to speak in the name of Germany has laid down any defi nite terms of peace. Count Bismarck has, indeed refused to treat at all, except on the basis of a cession of territory ; but such a basis is, of course, equally compa tible with the most insignificant rearrangement of boun daries, and with the most sweeping annexation. The defenders of the German cause have, for the most part, assumed that the victors will be content with such a slice of Alsace as shall secure a stronger frontier against France. It is not, however, the wishes of Germany, but the voice of Bismarck, which will decide the conditions of peace ; and the intentions of that states man can hardly be considered doubtful after the pro clamation which the new Emperor of Germany lately addressed to the inhabitants of Alsace and Lorraine. THE CABINET MINISTERS AND THEIR CONSTITUENTS. In the opinion of the Standard, to the Government and the Liberal party the past week has been indeed a sea son of tribulation The Premier is invited to resign his seat; Messrs. Forster and Stansfeld are pub licly censured by their constituents, and, as a significant contrast, Chatham records its enthusiastic approbation of the conduct of Mr. Otway in throwing up his post as Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Gladkone has made the mistake of supposing that the Radicals are content to look at all national questions through the spectacles of the Manchester school. There are times when Englishmen become impatient of mere party traditions. Party considerations have no place in the momentous discussion which concerns the true duty of England at the present crisis. The feeling of sympathy for France and of distrust of Germany is not peculiar to any political section. It is common to an enormous majority of Englishmen' of all parties and shades of opinion. It is an active and energising sentiment, and is as impatient of the cold, callous, selfish policy of the Manchester school as it would be of any pro-German tendencies on the part of the Ministry. The policy which Mr. Gladstone has adopted is that of a clique. The policy which he resists is that of the nation, and he will find that it will be too strong for him. Already the public voice is declaring against him with an emphasis which, after the manifestations of last week, he and his colleagues cannot affect to misunder stand. His newspaper organs admit that there is a split in the Liberal party, and the breach is daily widening. The vehement disapprobation excited by the listless attitude of the Government in the face of a Euro pean crisis has given force and momentum to other causes which must of themselves have brought about a schism sooner or later. The ties which unite the Liberal party were never less strong and durable than at the close of last session. With the consummation of Mr. Gladstone's Irish policy in the abolition of the Establishment and the revolutionary change in the land laws, the bond of union ceased to exist. There is now no common principle, no accepted policy, to serve for the party as a basis for united action in the future. The official Liberals will follow their leaders as of yore ; but the Irish Ultramon tanists, the political Dissenters, and the thoroughgoing Radicals no longer perceive the necessity of making common cause together under the banner of Mr. Gladstone. They are each working on their own behalf, and in some csses against each other, and in antagonism with the Government. It is possible that they may be united in the English sentiment which has sprung out of the war crisis ; but in that case their union will only strengthen the defection which promises to leave Mr. Gladstone in a minority.