The Sun. — London, England, 1871-02-15 00:00:00

Souse had been taken upon it, the Government would de termine whether the same or similar provisions ought to kPply to Scotland. ALTERATION OF THE TABLE OF LESSONS. Mr. GATHORNE HARDY asked the Home Secretary Whether the Government intended, and if so when, to introduce a bill for the alteration of the Table of (Lessons. • Mr. BRUCE said the Government at this moment were [II communication with the ecclesiastical authorities as to ,he form of a bill, but he was sorry to say he was unable ,* give <I definite answer to the right hon. gentleman. 4 3 however, he would repeat the question in a few days, doubt he should be able to give him a reply. COMPULSORY ATTENDANCE AT SCHOOL. . Colonel WILSON-PArrEN asked the Vice - Preside nt of he C ounc il w h ether Government was p re pared to give w ers to enforce attendance at school in distr icts where th ere were no S c h oo l Boards ; and, if so, to what u thority. Mr. _FORSTER said there was power u nder the bill passed lastfor year for any district to have a sc hool board havin g 7 48 Purpose the passing of compulsory b y e laws. The ' - ' °v ertunent were not prepared to give any additional D"vers except those given to the school boards, and the gallant member must be aware that the Government could 1104 give that power because the bill itself did not authorise them to do so. .As to coming to Parliament , ter a fresh bill he could not answer that question, but if i t Was f oun d ne cessary he imagined it would not be a bill fo r special purposes but a general measure. LANDING OF SUSPECTED BEASTS. Alderman LAWRENCE asked whether an explanation e°ll kl be given to the statement which appeared in a letter to „, the Times, that a cargo of beasts h a d been landed at T hames Haven, from Holland, and passed as sound by the inspectors, and a ft er remova l, th a t several of them wer e found to be affected with pleuro-pneumonia. Mr • PORSTER said he did see the statement, and at once caused inquiries to be made. So far as the Government cold ascertain, the statement was entirely without found ation. THE SCUTTLING OF VESSELS IN THE SEINE. State EUSTACE SMITH asked the Under Secretary of qate for Foreign Affairs whether her Majesty's Govern blent were taking any, and what, steps to obtain compen- Stion for the seamen and others who lost their employ bent and effects through the sinking of their vessels in the Seine by the Prussians. Viscount ENFIELD said he had to state that the Govern ment, as soon as they learnt that British ships had been tMak in the Seine by Prussians, took immediate steps to biting the matter before Count Bismarck, who promised that full compensation should be given. (Hear.) Hehad 110 reason to doubt b u t th a t thi s woul d b e done as soon as ! h e various claims could be substantiated. (Hear.) In a r:cv days the papers on the subject would be laid upon ` 4 e table of the Horse. DOWRY OF THE PRINCESS LOUISE. Mr. GLADSTONE gave notice that on Thursday next, on go ng i nto 4 , g committee of supply, h e wou ld move a resolu "ell for a sum of £30,000 as a dowry for her Royal High lifts Princess Louise. (Hear.) HABITUAL DRUNKARDS. b 4 r. DON ALD D ALRYMPLE o b ta i ned leave to b r i ng i n a ,_ l to amend the law of lunacy, an d to provide for the ‘ 4 ,geraent of habitual drunkards. THE LAW OF MORTMAIN. Sir W ILLIAM HUTT asked for leave to bring in a bill to I acnitate gifts of land for public parks, schools, and k ff ilaeu ms• The object contemplated by the bill was to ici ect a chan ge i n w h a t was err oneously called Statute of cllt aain, which made it practically impossible for any Persn , —ll in this country to leave by will real pro 'ertY. or funds afterwards to be applied to real Pr o ,„ P e tty, to a n y public institution, however de p—rving of %support it might be. That sweeping i; ll4 etrolnt, so unusually stringent in its character, was held to b e necessary to prevent the alienation of large estates from the general purposes - of the country. Parlia tsent, however, had been in the habit of relaxing the re 4rietion in the case of railways and other commercial u ndertakings, and there was no more reason for doing so in that respect than with reference to scientific, scholastic, 4 14 other similar institutions. (Hear.) The hardship g the prohibition fell almost entirely upon the poorer classes, though it affected to some extent the ''PPer classes as well. A l an dl or d was prevented from laving a piece of land for building a village school, and 41 4 equally precluded f rom l eav i ng rea l property to anywo f h e universities or o th er grea t p u bli c i nst i tut i ons, an d 41 ,,sws that class of legislation which was proposed to b e Z ed by the measure. (Hear.) ea ve was given. x i , IRISH LEGISLATION. ti l ' r * RERON obtained leave to bring in a bill to diminish hili.e/13ense and delay of passing local and personal acts i ll „,"tag to Ir e l an d th roug h Parliament, the main object e ,; s w bei ng t h e esta bli s hi ng i n Dublin of a Parliamen t_s°l4ce similar in scope and constitution to that of the g wernment in London. k TRADES' UNION BILL. till t t,, . 137113 cE, in moving for leave to bring in a 4 ; amend the law relating to trade unions, had taken,..4184 although he regretted the delay that 441 4, place in the introduction of this mea k4a jet at th e same t i me h e mus t con f ess th a t some It Wa e t4e had arisen in such delay having taken place. h e mes a 'lilt cult and a delicate subject to deal with, but Is t elis e il e ° l lraged in his task by the recollection of the "ill which-'" which took place on this subject in 1869 on the 'll Was brought s 4144 in by the hon. .member for kina Frome. il deli ce ner in which that bill was received gave con c's. r a ' lo w. An objection was raised to the bill by the stil e esaber for Carlisle, on the ground that most of the kiti ea c° l4 33 4dained of arose from ignorance, and that the with ). sill should be passed before Parliament deals thi e at k e .. Matter. Well, that bill has passed. He would 14 . , the la w between to the Acts of Parliament which related " 4 1 1 1 4 : between master . and servant . . The first memor , ' was passed in the reign of Edward 111. ° I vv - as based upon the theory that the rate °I i a a es should be regulated by the supply c t i' l lr- Well during that reign an epidemic 1 S A t i :: b lack death " visited the land, and the result was ` 4l3 4 l ;" er e were so many deaths that there were but few i , Da ss ed etB to do the work, and another Act was then -1 N ' compelling every able-bodied man under Lllll4 years of age to serve anyone who m th tas services at the rate of wages established : Act, Several other statutes were passed ,7% 5 g to this subject; but the next in importance was Ls s `kt Z liz .„ • Then the next was 1813, and from time to e ' l ltlaC s eciuent acts were passed, which were con- L I N i" by the 40th, George 111. The year 1825 was men most disastrous in our commercial history—the 1,, ' °11 i i ! ii of the people were great, and the work ' i; ) , l eSe e many places broke out into acts of Ch'et ) , Parliament again legislated on the "' tho u b u t that legislation was imperfect, as it stood. ' i",,,,, t5 °1, under the Burials Act, a friendly society had ef ) %, i t Pro secute a dishonest servant for embezzling the D 4kt et tl ad been held by a court of law that as the Th ee Of v a ‘ trade's union might be to combine to raise the tt e o a ge; that the union had no power to prosecute. ti, , de e L ll . tt of Queen's Bench had confirmed jot i —ll3l l, though there was some difference of 11 e llti t : 31011 g the judges, Mr. Justice Hannen tlll e ißlat% fr om the views held by the majority. 11 44 1 411 i .: c ul• gentleman said he hoped by the passing of 11, 11 i bseb . ' - ", (10 justice to both sides. Undoubtedly there di en 0 - 13 --I . II Y eases of great hardships where masters 1,,°4 Nae , cl hged b y t h e act i on o f t h e t ra d es un i on i s t s , t o al l , have iel lru n who were non-union men, whom they cli4 look wi shed to keep employed ; but let them di d , nla ete , 4t the other side of the question— tOey ),- 4 never refuse to employ union men ? i i j W ei4 : i e ver insist on men signing a declaration that Oat 6 ' not join. the union. (Hear, hear). He looked 14h ti ° 1 ; e i ii k hi l3l° Yer as more than one man ; he was a com blv, il lati eti In s, elf, and his power was as great as any h , . sev er which could he formed against him. He ter, a rea i ll er, a. Stances of the great power possessed by the 'S e N Plo 4 y eci d o 41 the arbitrary way in which, in some cases, it 1 11,,,, 11 'w th e , • Then, with regard to the funds of trades ti N s wag het _was no prot ec ti on i n this respect whatever. 'kn ) 4141 the Lila t safety which existed with other socie hs 11 •4 1 ' t rilachi n Ve. erY was anything but secure and very 41 4 t1 ' he The bills which he had introduced, and tote moat°w again h l, n laid before them 144 4t 'wh'-w- ' - ' e some means of procgeding similar 4 4 ; 11 ' t,. silt tr:cren„existed with ordinary friendly societies. At te e , ,l 7 With third could not enter into binding agree ' ht et age Persons. The secretary could not th i lya.,, 1141.135 t them the amount of the salary at which ntii 44 l4o Yea ; an action could not be sustained by tll ltY best. against a bank in which its funds Placed,Ate tend to remove this diffi one i Ureat object of the Ad. The Government also proposed, with certain exceptions, to repeal the law with respect to conspiracies, and to re lieve trades unions of legal disabilities. The right hon. g en tleman then went at length into the details of the bill, and, in conclusion, contended that the best way of pro moting a good understanding between employer and em ployed was to make the laws affecting them just and equitable. This bill;he believed, would have that result, and would, therefore, be received with as much satisfac tion by the employers of labour as by the workmen. (Hear, hear.) Mr. T. HUGHES thanked the Government for intro ducing the measure, as it dealt with the whole subject in such a manner as was likely to give satisfaction both to e mployers and employed. The bill was good in several points ; first of all, because it did not contemplate the separation of the funds of trades unions for different purposes ; secondly, because no attempt was made to limit the freedom of the men ; thirdly, because the funds of the societies would be protected ; and, lastly, because it placed them upon a legal basis. He believed the more such societies were brought before the attention of the public, the less fear of them there would be, and the more harmless they would become. After a few words from Mr. HERMON in support of the bill, Mr. MUNDELL/. said there was a good deal which was coarse and objectionable, and to be lamented and depre cated, in trades' unions; but the report of the Truck Com missioners would shew how great was the oppression upon workmen where such unions did not exist. He believed the whole world was looking to this country to devise means which would bring about a better and more harmonious understanding between employers and em ployed. Leave was given to introduce the bill. ASSUMPTION OF ECCLESIASTICAL TITLES. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL obtained leave to bring in a bill to the same effect as that of last year, namely, to repeal an Act for preventing the assumption of certain ecclesiastical titles in respect of certain places in the United Kingdom. Mr. NEWDEGATE opposed the bill, because it would sanction territorial titles by nominees of his Holiness the Pope, (Laughter.) MISCELLANEOUS. Mr. MUNTZ obtained leave to bring in a bill to exempt charities and hospitals from local rates, the power of exemption to rest with the vestries. Mr. SACKVILLE obtained leave to introduce a bill vesting county property in the Clerk of the Peace. Mr. NORWOOD obtained leave to bring in a bill to ex tend the jurisdiction and amend the procedure in county courts. Mr. SHAW-LEFEVRE obtained leave to bring in a bill relating to the enclosure of commons. THE DOWRY OF THE PRINCESS LOUISE. Mr. GLYN brought up the report of the committee upon the dowry to the Princess Louise, which was agreed to, and Mr. GLADSTONE brought in a bill in conformity with the report, which was read a first time. The second read ing was fixed for Thursday. The House adjourned at five minutes past seven o'clock. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.) LORD HOUGHTON ON ART. Lord Houghton attended a meeting at the Guildhall, Cambridge, last night, and distributed the prizes to the successful students of the School of Art. The . Mayor presided, and the Masters of Trinity and Christ's Colleges, with several other learned dignitaries of the university were present. Lord Hough ton gave an address on art, in which he referred to the recent establishment of a professorship of fine arts in con nection with the university, which, he said, was not established a day too soon. The nobility and gentry of the present day did not study and appreciate art to anything like the degree their ancestors did a century back, and he recommended the authorities of the university to try and foster an appreciation of art. Cambridge was singularly fortunate in the grand incentive to the study of art which existed in the magnificent build ings of the several colleges. asses- , and much ;n had mged. Is for rn the quired other y were ; they ;oilman ;alariss 3 shape not by 1 OF that he iced by anent of is ques- ether he ring th e of rivers is power of Owe the sub ixt of the y had an not Yet dmiraltY .war h ad iron clads Gorg on, Anion urable a kind ha d lesigns 0. Board of .oclnce and bolition of I to intro. ,ear, hed:'. LAND' tether the old, an d if a the pre- prepare a i ion a we THE, SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 15, 1871. LATEST INTELLIGENCE. SUN OFFICE, 8 A.M. PROLONGATION OF THE ARMISTICE. BERLIN, February 14. The French elections have seemingly resulted in a pacific Chamber, Count Bismarck has conceded on principle the prolongation of the armistice by a week, and made the definitive agreement dependent upon certain military conditions. We confidently expect the constitution of the new and legitimate powers: M. Favre then announced that he and his col leagues would remain at their posts to maintain respect for the laws until the establishment of the new Government. He asked permission to return to his post, in order to fulfil the difficult and delicate duties imposed upon him, and said : "I confidently await your judgment. I hope that I shall be able to confirm to those with whom we have to negotiate, that the country can do its uty. (Loud cheers.) The enemy must know that we have the honour of France at heart. He will also know that all France will decide. , In conformity with the eventuality already foreseen by the Convention, a prolongation of the armistice will probably become necessary. La us render this prolongation as short as possible in order not to lose a moment, and let us but think of the suffer ings of the population of the invaded districts. I hope that I may depend on your concurrence to obtain this needful delay." These words of M. Favre were loudly cheered. The Chamber then adopted the motion of M. Cochery for the provisional application of the stand ing orders of 1848 and 1851. General Garabaldi, on leaving the National Assembly entered a carriage with MM. Esquiros and Bordone, and two other officers. They were much cheered by the people. In reply to the cheers General Garibaldi rose up in the carriage and said I have always known how to distinguish the France of the priests from Republican France, which I am come to defend with the devotion of a son. Long live Republican France !" The crowd replied with shouts of ' Vive Garibaldi !" Vivo la Republique.' M. Bordone also said a few words. General Gari baldi then returned to his hotel followed by an im mense crowd. M. Favre leaves this evening for Versailles. THE ELECTIONS. The final results of the elections in the depart ment •of the Bouches-du-Rhone, shew that the successful candidates were M. Pelletan, with 6,553 votes, and MM. Gambetta, Thiers, Trochu, Grevy, Casimir-Perier, Lain, Y. Charette, Esquiros, Uniat, and Ledru Rollin. A. telegraphic message from Le Mans gives the following electoral results in the Department of the Orne :—Duc d'Audiffiret, Pasquier, MM. Gevelot, Chritofle, Grosziers, Thiers, &c., the successful can didates. In the department of the Eure-et-Loir tha elected were MM. Delacroix, Vingtaine, Lefebre- Pontalis, and Noel Parfait. PARIS, February 13. The following are the successful candidates in the Paris elections :—M. Louis Blanc, General Garibaldi, MM. Rochefort, Gambetta, Felix Pyat, Saisset, niers, Quinet, Scheelcher, Joigneaux, Pothuan, Dorian, Henri Martin, Sauvage, Lockroy, Arnand, Delescluze, Dufraisse, Peyrat, Langlois, Littre, Assy, Floquet, Mil Here, and Arthur Arnould. A. second ballot will be required for the following, who have not obtained a decisive majority Favre, Cochin, Gambou,'Rant, Malon, Greppo, Ulrich de Fonvielle, and General Faidherbe. M. Cremieux has signed an order setting at liberty Berezowski, who was sentenced to imprisonment for an attempt upon the life of the Emperor of Russia. LILLE, February 14 In the Department of the Somme, the successful candidates are :—General' Faidherbe, Admiral Dom pierre, N.. Mignie, General Changarnier, MM. Blin, Deraineville, Canvee, Courbett, Gauthier, Daram bares, and Calluand. The Republican list failed by a minority of 75 per cent. BERLIN, February 14 (6 p.m.) The Neer Prussian (Cross) Gazette of this even ing, estimating the results of the French elections, says :—" We learn that of the 750 deputies elected, fully two-thirds are in favour of a Monarchy, while scarcely one-fifth are Republicans. The Imperialists have suffered a severe defeat, and the decision as to the future Government of France seems to lie between the partizans of the Bourbons and the Orleans family." DISTURBANCES IN PARIS. BRUSSELS, February 14 (4.16 p.m.) Rumours have been current here of disturbances having broken out in Paris ; but it is stated on reliable authority that, though the population of Paris is greatly excited, and disorders are apprehended, these rumours are devoid of foundation, or at least premature. ANTICIPATED , CAPITULATION OF BELFOR T. OARLSRUHE, February 14 (Evening.) The Etappen Commandant at Mulhouse telegraphs to the Minister of War that Belfort has concluded an armistice, and wishes to capitulate. PRUSSIAN REQUISITIONS. HAVRE, Feb. 14 (8.55 p.m.) The Prassians demand a contribution at Pont Audemer at the rate of 50 francs per inhabitant, and at the rate of 25 francs per inhabitant in the neighbouring communes. Besides this tax Pont Audemer is to provide a sum of 340,000 francs in three days. At Valmont an impost is levied by the Germans at the rate of 25 francs a head, payable on Wednes day. At Eu, the Mayor having refused to pay the 184,000 francs required, the Prussianstook possession of a number of horses and a quantity of forage, taking away at the same time three hostages. RESIGNATION OF GENERAL GARIBALDI, BORDEAUX, February 13. The Minister of War has received the following letter from General Garibaldi, dated Bordeaux, the 13th inst. :—" Having been honoured by the National Government with the command of the Army of the Vosges, and seeing that my mission is concluded, I tender my resignation.—l salute you. (Signed) G. GARIBALDI." To this letter the following reply was sent by the French Govern ment :—" General !—The Minister has sent in a letter in which you resign the command of the Army of the' Vosges. In accepting that resigna tion, it is the duty of the Government to thank you in the name of the country, and to express its regrets. France will not forget, General, that you have fought gloriously with her children in defence of her territory, and for the Republican cause. Accept our cordial and fraternal greeting. (Signed) Jules Simon, Arago, Pelletan, Garnier , Pages ; Leflo, Minister of War." Garibaldi intends to return at once to Caprera. He leaves this evening. BELGIUM AND ITALY. The Independance Beige says in reference to the despach from Florence, published in a London paper, in which it was stated that an army was about to be despatched against Italy :—" We shall confine ourselves to saying that so far as concerns Belgium we have learnt nothing up to the present which would lead us to believe the correctness of that news." The German Legation at Brussels has announced that it is not able to issue safe conducts to France. Dr. Letheby stated at the meeting of the Common Council yesterday that the severity of the small-pox epidemic had slightly decreased within the past week. The number of fresh cases attacked had not been at all so numerous as in the previous week. " The Two Roses," Mr. Albery's Vaudeville comedy, is meeting with great success in Glasgow. The death is announced of the Count Ahlefeldt- Laurvigen, Privy Councillor and Great Master of the Ceremonies of the King of Denmark. His excellency was the father of the Baroness de Beaulieu, wife of the Belgian Minister in this country. THE HALSEAN LECTURER. The Rev. Fenton John Hart, M.A., vicar of St. Ipto litt's-Cum-Wymondley, late fellow of Trinity College, Cambridge, was yesterday elected Halsean Lecturer for 1871. RIPON ELECTION.-THE NOMINATION. The nomination for the city of Ripon took place at Ripon yesterday. Captain H. Kearsley proposed, and Lieutenant Aslin seconded, the nomination of Sir Henry Storks. Mr. Lumley proposed, and Mr. A. H. Gattliff seconded, Mr. J. A. Cayley. Sir Henri Storks in his address denied that he began life as a Tory or that he now held any permanent office under Govern ment. He was, however, a firm supporter of the Min istry. He believed the Ballot to be necessary, and would uphold liberty of conscience in our universities by aiding the Abolition of Tests Bill. He defended the Go vernment from the charge of harshness as regards the dis charge of workmen, and believed as regards reductions in the army that soon the Government would propose to Par liament such measures as would enable England to defy the world. Mr. Cayley directed his speech personally against Sir Henry, upholding a complete army reform, and an education bill for Ireland similar to that of Eng land. The show of hands was very near , and had to be taken second time, but was ultimately declared for Mr. Cayley. THE YORK ELECTION. Mr. Alderman George Leeman (Liberal) was the only candidate proposed for the representation of York on Monday. He was accordingly elected without opposition to represent the city in Parliament. A vote of thanks was passed to the late member, Mr. Joshua Procter Brown Westhead. THE CAMBRIDGE CREW. The Cambridge crew for the University Boat•race will go into strict training in about a week. Mr. Chambers, an old Cantab, is acting as coach. THE OXFORD CREW. Mr. Moss returned to the boat yesterday, and displaced Mr. Armitstead in the practice over the short course, when Mr. Hall took his seat for the first time in the stern of the boat, the president and the treasurer alternately coaching' from the towing path on horseback. This afternoon the crew rowed the long course from Oxford to Abingdon, between seven and eight miles, in their gig, Mr. Benson accom panying them on horseback, and returning by rail. The crew, which is now considered settled, was composed as follows :—Bow, Woodhouse; 2, Giles ; 3, Blake ; 4, Malan ; 5, Moss ; 6, Payne ; 7, Leslie ; stroke, Bunbury; coxswain, Hall. THE FRENCH RELIEF FUND. An influential and largely attended meeting of the citizens of Dublin, of all creeds, was held yesterday in the Mansion House, for the purpose of raising a subscription for the relief of the French. The Lord Mayor occupied the chair. Great unanimity prevails, and upwards of £9OO were subscribed. RELEASED FENIANS. Another batch of liberated Fenian convicts—Shea and Mackay—were despatched from Liverpool to New York yesterday. THE LATE GALE, During the storm on Friday night, seven attempts were made to launch the Kessingland lifeboat, but without avail. The crew of the Zephyr were frozen to death in the rigging, and several bodies have been washed ashore along the coast. An inquest was held on Monday night at Southwold. Several Lowestoft vessels are still missing. A small boat, labelled Thought, of Lynn, has come ashore. The body of the captain's son, drowned from the Madam, has been found. SHIP AGROUND. During a heavy fog on Tuesday morning, the iron ship Sinks, of Greenock, Captain Andrew, 1,197 tons, went ashore in the South Bay. She was bound from Glasgow to Bombay with coals. At half-past one o'clock a.m. the Saint Patrick lifeboat was sent to assistance, and re mained alongside in charge. She was got off about eleven without loss of any kind. WRECK OF TWO BRIGS. Captain Masson, of the Harpon, reports that on Friday morning, he saw two brigs, one of which he made out as the Revision, strike on the Cockle Sandri, and that hi five minutes both vessels had disappeared, while he was uuable to render any assistance to the crews, who were all drowned. A marriage is arranged between Mr. William Baillie Hamilton, eldest son of Admiral and Lady Harriet B. Hamilton, and Miss Mary Mossop, only daughter of the late Rev. John Mossop, of lifothfield, Kent. THE PARIS WAR CONTRIBUTION. On Sunday the terms of the Paris war contribution were arranged, after some difficulty, at Versailles. Two millions to be paid in cash, two millions in Bank of France notes, four millions in Bills on London, drawn by MM. Andre, Marenard, Tilleul, Rothschild, &c. If peace be made on fair terms, it is probable that the German army will not march into Paris. February 24th is considered a probable day for the entry into Paris, if such be insisted upon by the army. The elections in the provinces are most promising for the peace party. The 4th and sth German Army Corps have marched toward Orleans already, to prepare for con tingencies. The Prussian terms will be much milder than those recently promulgated. The armistice will probably be extended, now the elections have taken a favourable turn for peace.— Times Telegrams. APPREHENDED RESUMPTION OF HOSTILITIES. VERSAILLES, Feb. 12. Although the Emberor is, in reality, 'very un well, he will enter Paris at the risk of no matter what personal inconvenience and effort. Yesterday the 15th Brigade of the Fourth (Von Alvensleben's) Corps marched through this place en route for the South. As many troops as can be spared from the investing positions are being des patched in that direction. A. resumption of hostilities is still strongly apprehended here ; and a great coup is in contem plation towards the South and West, should the National Assembly realise the unfavourable antici pations Which are entertained in high quarters with regard to the result of its discussions. M. Kern, the Swiss Minister at Paris, has been here, and, in a long interview with Count Bismarck, has entreated that Switzerland should be freed from the burthen of maintaining the French prisoners. The Chancellor returned a peremptory refusal, and gave the Minister to understand that, if one French man were allowed to escape across the frontier, the consequences to the Helvetic Republic would be most unpleasant. The three famous monster guns in Fort Mont Va- Wien, named respectively Josephine, Val6rie, and Beethoven, are to be blown up, as they are too heavy to be transported to Germany. Orders have been given to prepare for the passage of large numbers of German troops homeward through Strasburg, should the armistice result in the conclu sion of peace.—Telegraph Telegram. THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON. CASSEL, February 13. Measures prohibiting access to the Emperor Na poleon have been rigorously observed of late. The number of the Emperor's attendants has been reduced to twelve. THE FRANCO-GERMAN COMMERCIAL TREAT Y. BERLIN, 1 1 ebruary 13. The Committee of the Handelstag are debating the Franco-German Commercial Treaty, which will be made one of the conditions, and will form part, o f the Treaty of Peace. The Council of the City of Hanover has refused to present a congratulatory address to the Emperor William. LYONS, February 13. The Decentralisation announces that a brochure by the Princess Mathilde will shortly appear for circula tion throughout France. THE FRENCH MEDITERRANEAN SQUADRON. HAVRE ' February 13. Intelligence has been received that the Mediter aanean squadron, which was formed under the command of Vice-Admiral Jurien de la Graviere in view of the apprehensions which the declara tion of Russia concerning the neutralisation of the Black Sea gave rise to, will shortly be dispersed. THE NEW GERMAN FRONTIER. The new frontier line betweeen France and Ger many designated by Count Bisinarck bears the fol lowing as the German frontier places :—Noveant, Lobe, Nomeny, Chateau Saline, Besange, Arracourt, Rechicourt, Blamont, Praine, Breusch, and Noveaux. The departments of the upper and lower Rhine will therefore be entirely annexed, as well as almost the whole of the Moselle department, a third of the Meurthe department, and parts of the Doubs and Vosges departments.—Lombard Telegrams. THE TREATY OF PEACE. A Manchester Guardian telegram says:—Every thing has been arranged at Bordeaux—even the President of the Assembly has been selected, and the committee to negotiate with the German autho rities has been arranged. The rough draft of the treaty has also been settled with Counts Bismarck and Moltke. The negotiations concerning this treaty will consequently be carried forward rapidly. The moment it has been signed the Germans wilt march through Paris, up the Avenue de la Grande Arnite, the Avenue des Champs Elysees, Place de la Con corde, Rue Royale, and the boulevards, from the Madeleine Church to the Strasbourg Railway Sta tion, where they will take trains for home. These trains will succeed each other as uninterruptedly as may be consistent with prudence. Immediately after the signature of the treaty the Assembly will adjourn to Paris, and proceed to the reorganisation of France. The following telegranm come through Reuter's agency : THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. RESIGNATION OF THE PROVISIONAL GOVERNMENT. BORDEAUX, February 13. The National Assembly was opened at two o'clock this afternoon. The President announced that the Chamber would be constituted as in 1849, in 15 com mittees. The verification of the elections will be made as soon as circumstances shall permit. The Presidont read a letter addressed to him by General Garibaldi, which says :—" As a last duty to be rendered to the Republic, I have come to Bor deaux, where sit representatives of the country, but I renounce the office with which I have been honoured by several departments." (Applause from several members.) M. Jules Favre, in the name of his colleagues both at Bordeaux and Paris, resigned their powers as the Government for National Defence into the hands of the Representatives. He said : We have borne the burden of government, but we had no other preoccupations than to be able under the existing circumstances to remit temporary powers into the hands of the National Assembly. Thanks to you patriotism and reunion, we hope thatthe country, having been taught by misfortune, will know how to heal her wounds and to reconstitute the national existence. We no longer hold any power. We depend entirely upon your decision, THE ELECTIONS IN PARIS. From Paris, February 13, the Daily News special cor respondent writes :—The one great fact to be noted is that the Paris elections have turned out to be in favour of men of the most extreme opinions who will find them selves in the National Assembly opposed to the opinion of France. Out of this fact several ques tions arise, the first of which is—Can these elections be fairly said to represent Paris ? The answer to this is —No, for the elections are a surprise. It is true that the Reds are very strong in Paris, and must command a good number of its deputies, but in this election they have far more than their due share. I need not trouble you again with an enumeration of the causes wnich have led to the present surprise ; but let me add this which I overlooked in my previous statement, and which is not unimportant. About 150,000 persons have left Paris armed with the necessary passes. The majority of these belong- to the well-to-do classes, who have business out of Paris to attend to—families in the country, houses and lands. The absence of these well-to-do electors from Paris at the critical moment has seriously affected the character of its representatives. It is not likely, however, that the • Parisian elec tions will materially affect the question of peace or war. They chiefly affect the character of the capital and its position in France, There is evidently in progress a strong movement towards decentralisation. There has been for some time in the minds of many Frenchmen living in the provinces not only a just, but even an exces sive jealousy of Paris. The capital was in a fair way to be dethroned from its pre-eminence in France. One set of politicians proposed that the seat of Government should be changed to a country town—say Tours. Others suggested that France should become a federation of pro vinces—independent though united. There seemed every likelihood, however, that the defence of Paris, from the admiration which it excited throughout France, would prolong the supremacy of the capital in the national regard. It seemed as if the character of Paris were altered, and as if she might be again trusted. The recent elections have opened up the old sore, and will ex cite the old question—one of the very first to be en countered by those who consider what is to be the future form of Government-What is Paris as the capital of France, and what power can the country formally concede to it ? THE ARMISTICE AND PEACE PROSPECTS. The special correspondent of the Daily News, in a com munication from Bordeaux, February 13, observes : Many people fear a resumption of the war, be cause no candidate for the Assembly dares to say more than that he will accept an " honourable " peace ; and hitherto it has been assumed that any cession of French territory would be dishonourable. But I apprehend that when Parliament meets, with the sound of Bismarck's cannon still echoing in its ears, rhetoricians will be found to prove to a willing audience that any peace which is necessary is honourable. M. Thiers is a very likely man to devote himself to such a task. If those at• the helm, who must necessarily be few, are convinced that the only consequence of non submissisn to the terms dictated by Germany would be to draw down upon the South and West of France the slaughter, pestilence, and famine which have already desolated the Northern and Eastern provinces, including the capital of the whole country, it seems to me a plain duty to avert so much misery; and I do not see what " honour " has to do with the question. Gambetta was the last man "not to despair of the Republic," and his fall has, in my opinion, given a check to war feeling and war preparations from which it is impossible to recover. At the same time I wish to re cord my opinion, subject to correction, that the capitula tion of Paris was not honourable in the way in which it was made. M. Jules Favre, knowing scarcely anything of the condition of the provinces but what Count Bismarck chose to tell him, signed, in extreniis and under duress an armistice by which he took upon himself to bind all France. The, position' into which Bourbaki had got the Army of the East was so bad that it may have been a crowning mercy that it was enabled to be disarmed in Switzerland, instead of being massacred or made prisoners. But Jules Favre did not know of the desperate prospects of Bourbaki's forces (admitting them to have been desperate) ; and Gambetta's allegation is that his sending orders to General Clinchant and General Garibaldi to suspend operations two days before he was informed that the armistice did not extend to the Army of the East led to the loss for France of 85,000 fighting men, from whom great achievements might have been fairly expected. By Jules Favre's capitulation almost all the besieging forces are now at liberty to ravage the French provinces ; for with the Parisan garrison disarmed, aid the forts in the enemy's possession, a corporal's guard. so to speak, may hold Paris in awe. Paris, therefore, I contend, did about as badly as it was possible to do. Her rulers talked big for many months ; professed to be able to hold out much longer than they could ; and then suddenly, without giving any intimation of their 'intention to their colleagues outside the walls, put themselves entirely in the hands of the successful besiegers, and did everything that in them lay to force the whole nation to share in their disaster. In this crowning feat I believe they have been successful. The chances of saving the nation from utter ruin and humiliation may not have been great ; but after the purely selfish and altogether unheroic capitula tion of Paris, these chances are reduced to an unappreci- I able minimum. NEWS FROM BORDEAUX. In a letter from Bordeaux the special correspondent of the Daily News remarks : Great joy in the anti- Republican camp. It is known that for the district of the Gironde, of which Bordeaux is the centre, the whole Conservative' list—M. Thiers at the head —has been returned by very large majorities. You will have had by telegraph the exact figures, which are not yet out, but it is already certain that M. Thiers has obtained upwards of 50,000 votes, against about 30,000 given to Gambetta, and that nearly the same proportion exists between the other candidates on either side. And Gambetta has lost none of his popularity in Bordeaux proper. In every one of the six cantons of the city he was at the head of the poll. The town is therefore favourable to him, notwithstanding his fall, iu the proportion of two to one. But the circum scriptions as carved out by the Empire remain ; and so the town votes were swamped by tbe surrounding country districts. There is but a small leaven, indeed. of Imperialism in the candidates returned. It is more than probable that if the Assembly should con tain a very , large anti-Republican party, every one of these candidates will develope into Orleanists. The Orleanist family evidently believes its hour is at hand. Last night, for the first time, little boys roared about the streets " Voilh la proclamation des Princ es d ' Orleans ; and the papers contained a manifesto of the Duke d'Aumale on behalf of his fa mil y , which has already appeared in England. The question is asked why the Duke d'Aumale should put himself prominently forward, while nothing is said about the rightful heir. The answer is, that it is very difficult, for the moment, for him to declare himself a pretender to the Crown of France, as he is the great nephew of the Emperor of Germany ; the grandson of that Empress Augusta to whom the Pious William addressed his famous war telegrams ; and the nephew of the Duke de Mecklenburg, who the other day sacked Le Mans. It would scarcely do for him to profit immediately by the disasters of the country, and under circumstances which would make him appear as the direct nominee of Count Bismarck. It is, there fore, thought a better family arrangement that the Duke, who is childless, should keep the place warm for his nephew at some more auspicious time, and become himself either a temporary President of a nominal Republic, or an elected King. The Journal de - Bordeaux claims that at least nine-tenths of the As sembly will, be what it is agreed to call, without much regard to accuracy of expression, " Conservative." If it shall be made to appear, as I rather think it will very rapidly, that France is not ripe for Republicanism, I do not see' that she could do better than seek unity under the Orleanist banner. It would be no incon siderable consolation under all her woes to get rid defi nitively of the hated and hateful Bonaparte dynasty. CRYSTAL PALACE.—One Shilling Day —Tuesday, February 14th, 1871.—Admission by season tickets, 2,909; and ditto on payment, 1,831; total visitors, 4,740. Lady Sarah Grimstead died on the 10th inst., at her residence, Hanover-terrace, Regent's-park, within a few days of attaining her 84th year. Her ladyship was the second daughter of Andrew Thomas, first Earl of Castle Stuart, and married 15th September, 1836, the Rev. George Grimatead, of Lower Ashted House, Surrey, who died in March, 1839. Lord St. Leonards completed . his 00th year on Sunday last, having been born in the parish of St. James, Piccadilly, on the 12th of February, 1781. Lord St. Leonards has been the " Father" of the House of Peers ever since the death of Lord Onslow in October last, and it is probable, as he was called to the Bar some sixty-four years ago, that he is also the " Father" of the legal pro fession. OUR COTEMPORART ---This Mornin, ENGLAND AND THE WAR The Times considers that nothing is more remarkable in the diplomatic correspondence upon the war issued by the Foreign Office than the way in which at every stage of it, and especially at the beginning when con fusion and perplexity were greatest, Power after Power turned almost instinctively to England for counsel, for guidance, for leadership, for assistance. Appeals were continually made to 110 r Majesty's Government. It may be said with little if with any exaggeration that Europe waited more than once upon their decisions. The compliment of deference to our advice, if not of solicitation for our help, was universally paid. If the English Ministry had believed at any moment they could bring about peace, they would have instantly en deavoured to accomplish an end they ardently desired. But they saw no promise of such a result. At the risk of much misconstruction, they kept silence, leaving the fires of international fury to burn themselves out within the limits in which they had been localised. We may not unreasonably hope that the exhaustion consequent on this gigantic war will furnish some guarantee of future peace; but it is impossible to be quite satisfied of this result. Looking back on the history of the autumn, we may freely confess that, once begun under existing circumstances, the course of the war could not have been modified by neutral influence, and we may yet be impressed by the conviction that, had the union of the European family of nations been strengthened as it might have been before the war broke out, it might never have been begun, or would have long since terminated. The Treaty of Paris put on record a declaration in favour of arbitration, but it proved to be worthless when sought to be applied. All had testified to their interest in the maintenance of peace, but when the time came neutral Powers found themselves, like the burghers of some free city, such as Frankfort, in the Middle Ages, suffering, indeed, from wars between the Electors of Saxony and the Palatinate, but condemned to watch and suffer. The cure for such evils wa4 ultimately seen to lie in the union of all the rest against the peace•breakers ; and if anything can ever be done to save Europe from the repetition of such a calamity as it has unwillingly witnessed for months past, it must be found in a real union promoted in the same spirit, of free nations ready to use their 'united strength in the maintenance of peace. Such a union may be impossible. The fact that it was suggested as far back as the time of the Peace of Utrecht is not favourable to hope, but it Is difficult to let the horror excited by a devastating war die away without one more effort to turn it to account in promoting future peace. THE FRENCH ELECTIONS-THE ORLEANS PRINCES. The Daily News remarks 3—The Twickenham Prince" are in the ascendant. It is now twenty-three years since the House of Orleans transferred itself to the banks of the Thames. During that long interval its representa tives have abandoned all interference in the public affairs of France. The. Prince de Join villle withdrew from the French navy ; - the Due d'Aumale from the army ; and when their nephews, the Comte de Paris and the Due de Chartres, wished to have some practical experience of a military life, it was with M'Clellan, in the United States, and not under some Algerian general, they served They have entered into no open antagonism with the Empire ; although the refusal of Prince Napoleon to accept the challenge of the Due d'Aumale was looked upon by France as a serious blow dealt . to the Bona partists by the literary Princes of Claremont. Now France invites them to return ; and the Prince de Joinville in the Department of La Manche, and the Due d'Aumale in the Department of the Oise, find themselves elected as national representatives by im mense majorities. The warm favour which has been shewn in many places towards M. Thiers points to him as a useful man to combine a return of the Orleans Princes with a Republican form of Government, should such a combination be deemed desirable. The veteran advocate, journalist, author, and minister, has studied France in all her moods of revolution and reaction ; and his experience ought to be in valuable in such a crisis. He has in his time played many parts, and may be regarded as free from any pledge to a particular form of govern ment. In the meantime, negotiations for peace may put in a prior claim for consideration. It were well if the members of the Provisional Government were granted the temporary power for which M. Jules Favre asks; so that, having conducted the war since September last, and having negotiated certain terms of peace with the Ger mans, they could hand over to the new Government a clean page on which to write the coming chapter of the history of France. In thus completing a task which they undertook in the face of serious difficulties, and con ducted throughout .honourably and well, the Committee of the National Defence may retire from their posts con fident that their countrymen, when the time comes for a calm review of the history of 1870-71 campaign, will do them justice. THE GERMAN DEMANDS. The Telegraph observes :—We believe that for the moment the question of pecuniary indemnity ex cites comparatively little interest in France, and that the real difficulty will arise on the point of territorial cession. Disastrous as would be the ultimate results of any immense increase of the na tional debt, those results are rather apparent to the financier and political economist than to the ordinary citizen. On the other hand, the idea of ceding national territory, of surrendering fellow-countrymen whose an cestors have been Frenchmen for generations, appeals most forcibly to popular sentiment ; and our belief is that a comparatively insignificant concession in the extent of land to be annexed by Prussia would reconcile the French to pecuniary sacrifices far beyond the value of the territory thus preserved. Alsace and German Lorraine the conquerors .intend to keep at all hazards. But the acquisition of French Lorraine can only be defended by the harshest rights of conquest : and the possession of districts, like that of Nancy, in whose population there is no German element whatever, must inevitably be a source of future trouble and weakness to the Fatherland. So, too, though we admit the force of the strategical arguments by which the conversion of Metz into a German fortress can be advocated, we believe that, looking at the question solely from a Prussian point of view, the retrocession of this stronghold to France would he an act of wise forbearance. It is not, we still believe, either the interest or the wish of the conquerors to maintain anything like a permanent occupation of France, or to remain upon a constant war footing as regards their Wes tern neighbours. Yet the occupation of Metz by a German garrison precludes the possibility of any stable peace or amity betwcien the two countries. Metz commands the road to Paris ; and the capital of France lies at the mercy of immediate invasion so long as a German army is supported by the great stronghold of Lorraine. The French would agree to the dismantling of the fortifications ; and, if the Prussians were to accept this compro:- . little difficulty would be made about the other cortdiLik,..is of peace. The value of Metz to Germany, whether historical, strategical, or political, is insignificant in comparison with its value to France, and thus the Prussians have it in their power to sell the site at a price far above its cost to the vendor. And, unless the acuteness of Count Bismarck has been much underestimated, he is not likely to forego the advantages offered by such a favourable condition of affairs. We shall not be surprised to learn that the dismantlement, rather than the possession, of Metz is one of the conditions of peace. THE UNITED STATES COMMISSION. The Standard says :—The questions asked last night by Lord Cairns, and the reply of the' Foreign Secretary, throw some light upon the real character of the com mission appointed by the joint action of the Govern ments of Great Britain and of the United States. It concerns us to know whether so grave a question as that of our liability for the ravages of the Alabama is to be reserved for discussion before a tribunal competent to pronounce an authoritative decision, or is to be made the subject of arrangement—and almost inevitably fromthe two countries complo t•o -cmoiusne—tribeys a c j o o n i c n e t rn c er m ; aiSBiof gentlemen commission charged also with the consideration of other important topics, upon which a good deal of excitement prevails on the other side of the Atlantic, and which would be almost certain in the end to adjust the conflicting views of its members by a sacrifice of our strict rights in exchange for a withdrawal of claims, none of which have been or ought to be admitted by this country, except upon an authoritative and impartial decision against her. It $ is, therefore, satisfactory to learn from the Secretary for Foreign Affairs that the commission is charged not to settle the issues themselves, but the mode of their settlement, whether by arbitration or otherwise. The duty of the commission being thus limited, it would not, as Lord Granville observed, be necessary that they should put any question to the. vote. Their func tions are those of diplomatists, not of judges ; their task must be accomplished by agreement, not by counting voices. The real character of the commission is thus ex plained ; and if some regret may be felt in some quarters at finding that the negotiation is not so far advanced as had been supposed, yet on the whole such delay as may probably take place in the final adjustmept of the questions in dispute is of less moment than the sufficient, satisfactory, and authoritative character of the adjust ment, when reached—a character which, for the reasons above given, could hardly have belonged to a settlement effected by a commission like the present. call ;tro uire sday f the Ld of quer vision sued rs to :lerics