The Sun. — London, England, 1871-01-10 00:00:00

MONETARY REPORTS.-YESTERDAY. In the Stock Exchange to-day the business doing has been of a very moderate character, and with scarcely an exception, the alterations have been unfavourable. At the same time, however, no important change has taken place. The leading railway stocks again shew a fractional reduc tion, and in the foreign bond market, Italian, Spanish and Turkish are each fractionally lower. The Consol market, however, has been firm, and prices have risen ior 92k, 921 tor delivery and the account ; Reduced and New Three per Cents., 92k, 92i ; Bank Stock, 233, 235 ; Exchequer Bills, 10s. to 15s. prem. ; India Five per Cents., 110, 110}; and India Bonds, 225. to 275. prem. Very few transactions have taken place in Colonial Government securities. English Railway Stocks have been in limited request,) and prices have given way. Caledonian, South-Eastern, North-Eastern, and North-Western are each 1 lower, whilst Midland and Great Western shew a decline of a and i t respectively. Metropolitan is quoted at 631, 63/ ; Caledonian, 861, 871 ; Brighton, 41, 411; South Eastern, 754, 761 ; Great Northern, 1241, 1251 ; ditto A, 1351, 1361 ; Great Eastern, 391, 391 ; North Eastern, 1451, 1461; Midland, 1291, 1291 ; North Wes tern, 129, 1291, and Great Western, 72, 721. Indian railway stocks have been quiet. Bombay, Baroda, and Central India, 1031 ex div. ; East Indian, 1081, 109 ; Great Indian Peninsula, 1051, 106 ; Madras, 1031 ; and Scinde, 1031, 1031; Canadian shares have commanded but little attention. Grand Trunk, 121, and Great Western, 151. For foreign shares there has been but little demand; Central Argentine, 201, 101 ; Great Luxembourg, 111 ; San Paulo, 211 ; and Lombards, 15. In the Foreign Bond market very little business has been transacted, and prices have ruled slightly easier. Italian (1861) have fallen /, Spanish 5-16, and Turkish Five-per-Cents. i t . Egyptian (1868), 78, 781 ; Italian (1861), 53k, 531; Spanish, 291, 291; Turkish (1865), 591, 599 ex div. ; ditto Five per Cents., 431, 431 ; ditto (1869), 50/, 501; Mexican, 131, 14 ; United States Five-Twenty (1882) Bonds, 891, 891; ditto (1885), 891, 891 ; French Scrip, 2, 1 dis. ; and German, 11, 11 prem. For bank shares the demand has been limited. Alliance have marked 131; Consolidated, 4 15-16 ; Imperial Otto man, 111, 1; Joint-Stock, 351, 36 ; London and West minster, 641 ; and Union of London, 381. In telegraph shares the transactions have been re stricted. British-Indian Extension, 61; British-Indian Submarine, 7 ; Falmouths, 81, 9 ; and French Cables, 13 ; Constructions have marked 241. Miscellaneous securities have been quietly dealt in. General Credit and Discount, 71; Ocean Marine, 19; Trust and Loan Company of Upper Canada, 51, 6. There have been no bullion operations at the Bank to day. In the discount market the business doing has been limited. There has :been a good supply of capital on offer, and three months' paper has been taken at 2* to 21 • per cent. At Mark Lane to-day wheat was dull, and ls. to 2s. per quarter lower. The directors of the City Bank recommend a dividend of 7 per cent. per annum, free of income tax. They also propose to add £5,000 to reserve fund, thereby increasing it to £lOO,OOO. _ At the Liverpool Court of Bankruptcy on Saturday, the affairs of D. C. Simpin and Brother, merchants, were before the court. The unsecured debts are £60,636, the secured debts £3,437, and the assets £23,033. The case of Edmund and Thomas Ridings, trading as cotton merchants in Liverpool, under the style of E. Ridings and Co., and in Preston and Manchester as Thomas Ridings and Co., was also before the court. The partly-secured debts ars £173,113, £121,114 being the value of the securities held by these creditors. The assets are £3,426, and the liabilities £53,538. In the matter of Henry and Edward Miller, ship builders, Garston, the court adjourned the case to the 18th instant. The liabilities are £24,972, and the assets £20,006. The Massilia, from the East, has brought £53,960, and the Patagonia, from South America, £lO,OOO. The Argyleshire has left Auckland, New Zealand, with £20,020. The British Indian Submarine Telegraph Company (Limited) has given information that a further reduction of lid. per ton has been made on the harbour dues at Aden. Vessels calling merely to deliver telegrams are not subjected to any harbour dues. At a meeting of the Union Bank of Australia the directors' report was adopted, and a dividend at the rate of 12i per cent was declared. The report of the Fore-street Warehouse Company (Limited), to be presented on the 13th inst., shews an avail able total of £91,542, including a previous balance of £15,381, and recommends a dividend at the rate of 12i per cent., with a bonus of 3s. 9d. a share, making a total distribution of £1 per share, which will absorb £30,000, and the appropriation of £lO,OOO to capital, in creasing the amount paid on each share from £l3 to £l3 Gs. Bd., also £lO,OOO to a reserve fund, leaving £11,542 to be carried forward. LONDON STOCK EXCHANGE.-MOND AY. LATEST PRICES.-AFTER OFFICIAL HOURS, The prices under the lines indicate the business done. GOVERNMENT SECURITIES. three per Cent Consols 923 921 Viet 6p c Jan &July 1891 113 114 923, 3 x d DoApril&Oct 1883-85.. 112 113 Do for Account .......923 921 Viot 5p o Jan & JulylB9l. 11/1 102 Three per Cent Reduced 923 921 1013 x d 923. 3 Brazilian. 1865, 5p o .... 92 03 New 3 per C 923. 3. ent I Egyptian 1862. 7pa .. .. 79 81 Exchequer Bills. March 10 15pm Do Rail Deben 7po .. 99 100 Pm 100. 993, 3, 100 i d Do. June lO 15pm Italian, 1865. 5p o pm Peruvian, 1865. 5 o o Bard , Stock India 5 per Cents 1103 x d Russian. 1862, 5 p 0.. .. 84 85 India Bonds — 84, 3, 31 26$ pm Do Nicolas 4p o Can 6 pa Jan&Julyll77-84 10331043 663, 7 104, 3 x d Spanish Do March Sept.& 104 106 293, 3,3 x. d Do 5p c Jan & July .. 97 98 Turkish.lBs4, 6p c 7B 80 97k. I, 3 xd Do. 1855, 5 p c Do Inscribed Stock .. 96 98 44, 33, _ Dom of Can 5p c 1903 .98 100 Do, 1 865 6 p c Ceylon 6 p 0 May and ' 581 x d November 1878 lO6 108 U. 5.5-20 Bonds,6 p o 1882 893 89 Mauritius 6p c Jan and 893 .1 • July 1873 lO2 104 Do do 1885 893 893 New SWales 5p 01871-76 lOO 101 891, 3 100 x d Do 10-40Bnds, spo 1901 871 88 i New Zealand 6 p 01891 lO6 108 883 Do spa Do 5 10p c Consolidated 100 101 Illinois Central Shares .. 11331143 4 1. / 1131, 1143 Do 6 p cMar &Sept 1891 109 111 Atlantic and (I Wlt Con Do June & DeclB9l 108 110 Mortgage Bonds — 114ILWAYS. Bristol aud Exeter 89 91 Do let Pref 80nd5.... 575 585 Caledonian 87} 2ud Pref Stock Great Eastern 394, 4 Do 3rd Pref Stock . .. 30 32 Great Northern 1241 4th Pref Stock Do A 13511361 Greatlndian Pen g 5 - c 10511065 Great Western 7ll 728 1051, 6, 55, 6} x d 728, 2, 14 Great Western ofes.uada 15 15} Lancashire & Yorkshire 134 125 Lou, Brig)]. and S Coast 41} 411 Do Sp c Bonds. 1873.. 98 100 411, 5, 1 Do 51 do. 1877-8 95 97 Lon, Chat ,}, aud Dover .. 13/ 14} Do 5p o pref. issued 80 parinm 14, 131 Madras guar 5p c Lon and North-Western 1281123} 103 x d 1291, 9. 8/ N. Railwa }. y l of Canada, Lon ands } South-Western 91 92 6 Gud p e c Ist P r ef Bonds , 9O 92 and Rohilkund g Man, Shef, and Lincoln 44 448 5 445, t &h ro id o e, runjaub. and Metropol Sa itan t d 10()51015 i 1011, 5, Midland 129 1295 Bahia%nd San Francisco 1 2 92. 4, 9 g 7 go North British North-Easterp Consols 1451146 Belgian E Junction .... 21 21 1451 Buenos Ayres Gt Sthrn.. 255 26 kiouth-Eastern 76 768 Duuaburg and Witepsk 185 19 764, 6 181 Atlantic and St Lawrnce 7% 77 Dutch-Rhenish 22 224 751 Eastern of France — 3ombay, Beroda t and l:ireat Luxembourg Central India. g 5 p c.. 103 1 04 111 1031, 3 x d Lemberz I.)xernowitsgua Buff and Lake Huron .. 4 4} 7pc , ls} 15; Do 51 pc 80nd5,1872-3-4 79 81 155 Cape guar 6p c East Bengal guar 5p c 10251035 Ottom(Smyrna to Aidin) #2 51 East Indian, g 5 p c 1081, 1,9 x d (Limited) guar 7p 0 .. 15 15. Grand Trunk Canada 12} 211 Do Equip Marti:3nd 1 South Matti & Lorn-Ven 14114; charge Gp c .lo 2nd do Scrip I)ANKING COMPAI4IK% , I'd Pd 1 Agra Bank (lAA n9llo 2 Imperial Ottoman .. /I /IPm 25 Alliance (L) 13!, i Lou Char of Anstrlia '23 24 10 Anglo-Austrian .. 57 pm 24.) London and County 494 50 20 Anglo-Egyptian (L) 214 211 15 London Joint-Stock 35i .6/ 50 British N American 51 b 2 4,5 i 20 Ch of India, Austrlia 13 14 20 Lou and Weztnmater 631 641 11 64f, 4 25 Char 3 Mere of India 221 23/ 10 Metropolitan Bs 91 , 23, 21 . 91 10 City 25 Colonial 51 53- 20 New South Wales _ 33 38 ~...... 5 ft...tnt Rankcornorn 401 411 4 Consolidated IL Cllon • _25 OrntalßankOorporn 405 4 1 1 415.15 , .;:.25 - Union of Australia.. 41 42 20 Eng. Scot. and Ana 0 151 15i ,-.' - 411 2J Imperial IL) 171,18 ~, 381 TELEGRAPH COMPANIES. rd I'd 100 hagio-A , sacriean L) 73 75 10 Great Northern .... 111.111 74,5 - - 111 xe 10 An,gio-Meditrn (rA) ~ 11G 119 6 Great N. China, and 118, 17.1 Japan Extension.. 7i 81 100 Atlantic 'lOO Do 8p c 1) Rritiah A mitt - min (LI 4 3-16, 5-16 x u an d Malta IL) ... 14 , -...6 it , B r a m, bid Paten (L). G GI 10 Meiliterrn Ex (L)_. 41 v " 21 l'inna and B.l'cfc ( L 4 3 dio . 10 British Indian Fldb - klis marine, IL) 7 x d It 3 China Submarine (L) 51 51,11 s 20 Soc Trans France (L) 131 131 1 10 Falmouth, Gibraltar, 131 and Malta (L) 9, 8 13-16, i Do Scrip 10 W India &Panama(L) 4; 51 MISCELLANEOUS SECURITIES Pd 100 Po 6p c Bonds. re deema,l3le 1870 62 64 .., 70 London Fin A sisee(T.llBll79 ils 10 BerlinWa , ,erworks(L) 141 151 4 Lon Gen Omnibus .. 2 3 15 30 Bolcko 3 w-Vaughan L) 23 33pm 2 Lou & 23 Prov Marine L) 11 pm 100 Boston City (U.S. 100 Madraslrrig. &Canal p c Sterling Loan.. 93 95 gsn c by Ind Gov. 100 102 4 Brit & Fgn Marine 1,1 .Sit 31pm 2 Mauritius Land (L) 2 1 dm. 25 Canada Company. —7l 73 5 NatnlDisct Comp Li 113 123 XlO Ceylon Company L) 31 31dis 23. N Zealand Loan and 35 City Offices (L) .... 251241 dis Mere Agency uL) .. I ilpm 20 Colonial (L) 5 Corn Union Assurnce 43 42pm Trust (L) 93. I 61 N Britsh and Meru (141 281 281 10 Crdt None of Rug (L 1 2 2/ 5 OceanMarinelnsur l3ll4lpm 100 Crystal Palace 100 Do Pref 100 Do 6p c Perp Deb.. 109 114 463 271 Ebbw Vale Steel L).. 91 93dis 10 Do do New. 1867 3 2 dig 100 Viceroy of Egypt 7p c 50 Rhymney Iron Mortgage Loan.... 76 78 15 Do New Bl 91 761, 73 x d 60 Royal Mail Steam 100 Egyp 9 p cArroyLoan. 12 Tel Con and Main LI 241 242 guar by F.gyp Gov.. 94 96 243 IS Fore-stWarehouse(L) 8 9pin 2 Thsrnes and Mersey 100 Fgn and Colonial Gov Marine Insur (L Trust 6p c Bonds— 98 100 Tobacco 6 v a Loan 71 Gen Credt &Dismt (L) Idis par guar by Italian Gov 86 88 71 875 x d 14 Gen Stm Navigation 275 281 5 Trust and Loan Co of 7 Hooper's Tel Works 1 5 dis Upper Canada 17 Hudson's Bay 7l 8 53, 6 45 Indrbbr,Gut Per, and 5 (7 Marine. Lvpool IL 43 53pm Tel Works L) .... 443 451 20 Union Steamship (L) 23 25 451 6 'United Dis Corprn (L idle par 5 InternlFinan SocIL) 1/ 11dis 5 UnivMarinelnsur (L) 61 7pm 20 It Irrig Cau Cavour :3 4 12 War:ar.t Finance.... II 7Ma Anglo-Austrian Bud holders Certificate 21 31 AI INING SHARE', LIST.—JANUARY 9. Messrs. 'WATSON BROTHERS. Mining Offices, 1, St. Michael's Alley, Cornhill, London. Active market for Prince of Wales, Grenville, East Grenville, Perran, Virgin, Rosewall Hill, and East Lovell. Australian United, Perran Wheal Virgin, 345, 36s Chiverton Moor, Plynlimmon, Chiverton Valley, Prince of Wales, 345. F6s Chontales (Gold). Providence Mines, 38, ',9 Cook's Kitchen, 19, 21 Rosewall Hill and Ransoms Devon Great Consols, United. 245, 26s Drakewalls, 235, 25s South Coudurrow, 3L 4k Dolcoath, South Frances, Don Pedro Worth Del Rey, 21, 21 Sweetland Creek, 4k, 41 East Caradon, sk, 6 Tankerville, 131, 14 East Lovell, 32k, 33k Taquaril (Gold). 48s, 50s East Seton, Tincroft, 43, 20 East Wheal Grenville, 21, 3 Trumpet Consols. Frontino and Bolivia (Gold), Van. 55, 57 —5., —a. Van Consols, General Brazilian, West Caradon, Great Laxey, 17. 17k West Chiverton, 51. 52 Went Betallsck. West Maria and Fortesene, Great Wheal Vor. 31, 31 lk, 11 Hingstou Down, West Tankervllle, 31, 4 Marko Valley, 61, 7 Wheal Crebor, New Beldon, 15s, 20s Wheal Grenville, 31, 31 New Lovell, Wheal Kitty. St. Agnes, 8/, 9 Ppeifie, Wheal Mary Ann. Parrs Mountain, Wheal Seton, 24, 26 MARKETS. MARK-LANE. MONDAY.—The grain trade has been in a depressed state to day, and the quotations have given way. From Essex and Kent the receipts of wheat have been limited, and the quality has been indifferent. There has been a poer attendance of millers, and sales have progressed slowly in all qualities, at a decline of from is. to 2s. per qr. With foreign wheat the market has been fairly supplied. The trade has been dull, at ls. to 2s. per qr. advance. The show of barley has been moderate. The demand has been limited, and prices have given way ls. per qr. Malt has been inactive, at barely late rates. Oats, the show of which has been good, have been in sluggish request, at a reduc tion of one shilling per quarter. Beans have been dull, and one shilling lower, and a similar fall has taken place in the value of peas, for which there has been but little inquiry. Flour hiss been dull. Country marks have been ls., and American barrels 6d., lower. METROPOLITAN CATTLE. MoNDAY.—The cattle trade has bsen quiet to day. Beasts have been in short supply, but the demand has been heavy, and prices have had a drooping tendency. As regards sheep, the receipts have been limited. The inquiry has been limited, at a decline of 2d. per 8 lbs. Calves have been a nominal market. Pigs have been dull, and the top price has fallen to ss. per 8 lbs. Arrivals : English—Beasts, 2,815 ; sheep. 16,100 ; calves, 10 ; pigs, 60. Foreign —Beasts, 120 ; sheep, 300. Totals —Beasts, 2,935, sheep, 16,400; calves, 10; pigs, 60. METROPOLITAN MEAT. MONDAY.-The supply of meat has been short. The trade has been steady at full prices, Per Blbs. by the carcase:- Inferior beef, 3s. Bd. to 4s. Od. : middling do., 4s. 2d. to 4s. 4d.; prime large do., ss. to ss. 2d. ; prime small do., ss. 2d. to Is. 4d. ; veal, ss. 4d. to ss. Bd.: inferior mutton, 3s. Bd. to 4s. 4d.; middling do., 4s. 2d. to 4s. 6d.; prime do., 4s. 10d. to Is. 4d. ; large pork, s. 4d. to 3s. Bd. ; small pork, 4s. 4d. to 4s. Bd. BOROUGH HOP. MONDAY.—A fair average business has been transacted, at steady currencies. Choice qualities have realised full quotations, with a healthy Inquiry. Other descriptions have sold quietly. Mid and East Kents, 15s. to £'7 ; ‘Veald of Kents, £1 153. to £3 15s. ' • Sussex, £1 10s. to £3 10s. ; Farnham and country, R 3 15s. to £6 68. ; and olds, £1 to £2los. per cwt. BOROUGH AND SPITALFIELDS POTATO. MONDAY.—OnIy moderate supplies of potatoes are on sale at these markets. There has been a fair inquiry, at full quotations. English regents, 60s. to 90s. ; Scotch regents, 60s. to 85s. ; rocks, 60s. to 70s. per ton. LONDON WOOL. MONDAY.—The wool market has been devoid of activity. The increasing abundance of money, however, tends to exercise a salutary effect upon prices, and the value of all quantities rules firm. The demand is principally for choice lusts e sorts. The imports into London last week consisted of 1,423 bales from New Zealand, 1899 Sydney, 009. Buenos Ayres. Current prices of English wool :—Fleeces Southdown hoggets, ls. op. to is. lid. ; half-bred ditto, is. 3d. to is. 4d. ; Kent fleeces, ls. 2d. to is. 3d. ; Southdown ewes and wethers, is. to is. Old. ; Leices ter ditto, ls. id. to is. lid. per lb. Sorts ; Clothing, is. to is. ; Combing, is. to is. 3d. per lb. LONDON TALLOW. MONDAY.—The market has been quiet. Y.C., spot, 455. td. per cwt. Town tallow, 445. nett cash. Stock this day, 40,137 ; price of Y.C., 455. 3d. ; delivery last week. 1,558 ; do, from June 1, 74,326 ; arrivals last week, 4,069; do. from June 1, 83,199; ➢rice of town, 465. 6cl. TRADE. REPORT. MANCHESTER, MONDAY.—This market is quiet to-day, With out any change in prices. Values of both yarns and goods have been but slightly influenced by the continuous heavy imports of cotton into Liverpool. Spinners, however, are rather more willing to sell out at a reduction only of one-eighth to a farthing per lb. on medium counts from the highest point last reached. There is no pressure to sell, as stocks hardly exist, and engage ments are still heavy. CATTLE MARKET. LIVERPOOL, MONDAY.—The supply of cattle and sheep at this market to-day was less than last Monday. The demand was good for each, at the extreme prices of last Monday. Prime cattle and sheep were very scarce. Beef, 6d. to Bd. per lb.; mutton, 7d. to 91d. per lb.; 2,005 cattle and 765 sheep at the market. LIVERPOOL COTTON MARKET, MONDAY.—Opening Report. —This market opens with an improved tone, and holders are unwilling to sell at last week's rates. Sales, probably 12,000 bales —Closing report. —There has been a good demand, both on the spot and to arrive. Prices about 1-16th dearer than on Saturday. Sales, 15,000 bales, including 3,000 bales on specula tion and export. CLYDE CRUSHED SUGAR, MONDAY.—There was an active demand, at about 6d. advance on Saturday's prices, on low yellows, which are very scarce. Fully that advance has been paid. GLASGOW PIG-IRON MARKET, MONDAY.—This marker opened steady to-day. Sellers, 51s. 6d cash, buyers 51s. 44d. CORK BUTTER ➢iARKET, MONDAY.—Ordinary firsts, 1465. seconds, 140 s. ; thirds, 121 s. ; fourths, 1075. ; fifths, 935. ; sixths, 635. 112 firkins in the market. Mild cured ;no change Five firkins in the market. THE WEATHER AND THE CROPS. TILE NEW KING OF SPAIN. MADRID, January 4. The long looked for entry of the new King into his capital is at last a fait accompli, and so far all has gone as well as could be wished. The bullets of the assassins of the Calle del Turco have served his cause better than Prim living could have done, at all events for the time being, since it has rallied the Montpensierists, Al fonsists, and others to the support of the new dynasty in the interests of public order. King Amadeus has been well received by the populace, and his personal appearance, which weighs not a little in Spain, is all in his favour. He rode a magnificent horse in his progress through the city, and his aspect, according to a paper not usually a sup porter of the Progressist party, revealed an energetic character, and ' made a generally favourable impreedion. When he received the representatives of the several State bodies at the Palace, General Izquierda was present in th© name of the garrison of the district of New Castille, and gave in his adhesion to the new order of things. A" Te Deum " was sung, at which the Kivg and all the Ministers were present, after which he went on the balcony of the palace to see the troops file past. The King had a good view of his new subjects, for the streets were thronged between the station and the palace, notwithstanding a temperature more suitable to Lapland than to Madrid. The general aspect of the people was neither wildly enthusiastic nor alarming, but there was not the slightest disturbance of the general tranquillity. His visit to the remains of the unfortunate Marshal Prim, whom he had never seen in life, though he owed him his crown, was a somewhat painful ordeal. Having passed through this, he went to the Cortes, which presenced an interesting scene. The Chamber was thronged, as it well might be on such an important occa. ' sion, and though the journals were invited to send their representatives no special place was reserved for the press. It had been splendidly fitted up, and the company ____ Which filled the galleries with their brilliant attire and glittering jewels added to the splendour of the scene. At ten minutes past twelve the President Ruiz Zor- rills entered and took up a central position, Garcia Ruiz was the only Republican Deputy present. The Act of November 16, electing King Amadeus, having been read, as also the acceptance of the Spanish Crown by the Duke d'Aosta, there was a pause, during which the Ministers Nioret and Azala entered with the members of the Italian Commission. After a few more forms, the arrival of the king was announced, and Amadeus entered on the right of the Regent, amidst loud applause. President Zorrilla, took up his position on the right of the King and the Regent seated himself on the left. It was then announced that Zorrilla would read an address from the Regent. All rose from their seats includ ing the King, and the President read the address stating briefly that the Cortes had endeavoured to fulfil the wishes of the people by establishing a Monarchy. They had confided to him the direction of affairs in the interval; but he was now happy to resign his powers, and they had completed their work. The Constitutional Acts were then read by one of the secretaries, and the King, in a clear and distinct voice, took the oath to guard the Constitution and the laws. The President then said : " Cortes Constituyentes,—You have heard the oath of the King to preserve the National Constitution and laws. Proclaim him King of Spain, Amadeus I. Viva el rey !" Enthusiastic vivas were raised in answer, after which the King, the Regent, and other digni taries left the Chamber in the same state as they had entered it. The President of the Cortes then, with some emotion, declared to the Cortes that their work was done. He paid a tribute to the impartiality of Serrano, the self abnegation of Prim, and the patriotism of both, while the memory of the lamented Prim would, he declared to be ever sacred to his countrymen. And thus ended this memorable Cortes. EARL DERBY ON NATIONAL DEFENCE. We are enabled to give some of Earl Derby's remarks ou the question of national defence, at Preston, more con cisely to-clay. The purport of the noble earl's speech has already appeared in a brief telegram. Lord Derby remarked that we were going to have a very military session. He would not say a warlike one, because he believed the outcry for war was confined to an exceeding* small section of the public. With regard to the volunteers he was quite sure that whatever may be required of them in the way of stricter dis cipline and increased efficiency, that demand on their time and energy they would meet with hearty goodwill ; but he hoped that the volunteers would be allowed to re main as they are in two respects : first, in regard to the absence of any compulsion, direct or indirect, to enter their ranks ; and next, as to the practically gratuitous character of the service which they give. As to the general subject of military defence, the noble earl said :—All I hope is—and it seems a modest expectation—that before we, the Legislature, go into that discussion, our masters, the public, may know their own mind. A. distinguished friend of mine said, in the House of Commons years ago, that armaments depend upon policy ; and I will venture to expand his words, and to add that, before you can reasonably make up your minds as to what sort of navy and army you are to have, you must first have formed some definite - idea as to what you wish or expect them to do. I am not going into any disputed question • I may have my own ideas on that matter, but this is not the place to enforce them. What I do urge upon you and upon the public is that we shoald know clearly what we are about. Everybody is agreed that national defence ought to be made thoroughly effective. There is no ques tion about that; but if we mean only defence, let us say so, and stick to that ; if we mean something more, as some of us do, let those who do so acknowledge the fact to themselves and to all whom it may concern. The one sure way of coming to grief is not to be agreed or certain as to what we mean, but to be looking one way and pulling another. One thing more, and I think it is an observation that will not hurt anybody's sensibilities. We are going, no doubt, into an increased expenditure ; the public expects it and wishes it, including, to the credit of their patriotism, that part of the public which pays income tax, and on which of course the tax will fall; but let us recollect that though in this country, with its highly-paid labour, we cannot have efficiency without expense, still the converse of that rule does not hold good, and, as our unfortunate French friends have seen during the last six months, it is possible to have a great deal of expense with very little efficiency. The noble earl concluded by suggesting the following scheme for increasing the reserve forces :—Assess every district in the country—take it by parishes if you please—calling on each, according to its means, to contribute so many men to the militia or volun teers, or, in default of making up the number, to pay a certain sum in money for each man deficient. In that way you avoid the hardship of driving any indi vidual into the ranks, while you put upon every local community a strong pressure to encourage recruiting for the defensive service of the country. Probably, any man willing to serve would have a purse made up for him by his neighbours. I don't throw out that hint as supposing it to be better than five hundred other similar schemes • that might be devised, but it strikes me that, by adopting some such principle, you might get over a difficulty which will be more and more felt the more this subject is con sidered with a view to action. After a fortnight's duration the arctic weather we have experienced has subsided into an ordinary winter tempe rature, the change commencing about the middle of the week. Should this milder period last, there will on the subsidence of the snow, be a chance for the resumption of field labour, with a view to spring sowings, which will soon make their claims. The covering of snow which has clad the soil for most of this severe time has kept the young wheat from injury hitherto, but it has yet to pass through many vicissitudes, great fluctuations bein g the most dangerous. While the hard weather lasted the wheat trade was generally looking Lane Express. Notwithstanding the unsafe condition of the ice in the metropolitan parks several thousand persons ven tured upon its surface on Sunday. The ice in the Thames is gradually disappearing. OSSIAN'S POEMS.—We understand that the new Gaelic and English edition of these celebrated poems, edited by the Rev. Mr. Clark, of Klimallie, has been published at the request and at the expense of Lord Bute. —Buteman. A. SUCCESSFUL CAREER.—Mr. William Betldard, grocer, of Dudley, who recently died at the age of 70, commenced business at the Duke of York public-house, Snow-hill, Birmingham, about forty years ago. He then became a higgler, dealing in eggs, butter, poultry, &c., attending all the markets between Hereford and Shrews bury, when Beddard's market carts were well-known in the districts of Worcestershire, Herefordshire, and Shropshire. Mr. Beddard afterwards opened a huckster's shop opposite his former residence in Birmingham. Here he laid the foundation of a large fortune. Being a man of great energy and perseverance, seconded by the busi ness taut of his late ),yife a he cgerpa me all ordinary business difficulties. He then removed into High-street : Dudley, and carried on the business of grocer and provision dealer for 20 years. It is stated that he died worth £BO,OOO. Birmingham Gazette. DR. NORM 4N MACLEOD AND HERESY.—Dr Norman Macleod has entered the lists in defence of the honour of the clan Macleod. In a letter to a contempo rary, the reverend doctor animadverts severely on a para graph which originally appeared in the John o' G roat Journal, and went the round of the papers, headed " A Family of Heretics," 'Under this sensation' heading, the writer in formed the public of an old man who lived sixty years ago, and was the ancestor of more heretical ministers than any other man in the Church of Scotland. The prolific progenitor of heterodox clergy was of course a Macleod, and his heretical progeny and relatives included not only the popular editor of Good Words, but his late father, his cousin of Dunse, the late Rev: Mr. Macleod, of Braca dale, and the Rev. Dr. Macleod Campbell, late of Row. We need not enter into the reverend doctor's answer to these sweeping allegations. It is enough to say that it is quite satisfactory, and, we might almost add, quite Superfluous. His own character, as well as that of his relatives mentioned above, is too well known and re spected in Scotland to stand in need of any refutation of what Dr. Macleod calfs ff the impertinent rubbish " of the correspondent of the John a' Groat Jimrit4l; The doctor expresses his surprise that the paragraph ever obtained admission into respectable journals. We cannot say we Share in hity - A ‘ s tonishment. What great men do the little of ;" and if the Doctor will be a great man,. he Must just make up his mind to be talked about----..sometimes in terms so flattering as to make him blush--Lat othetg iii terms so different as to make him write indignant letters of remonstrance to the papers. Besides, there are many worse charges which can be .15rought apiost a man than the charge of heresy; and an accusation-which Galileo, Milton, and Colunibus had to put I,ip with 'light be tolerated even by a Macleod. — I (I lasftpw A NEW LIBERAL CLUB.—lt is said. that the scheme of a Junior Reform Club—for that is the nature, although not the name, of the new venture—has not been abandcned. A sufficiently large number of gentle men have offered themselves as members to ensure the success of the undertaking, but the difficulty is the want of a good site. SARAH JANE'S ELOPEMENT.— A. Calcutta cor respondent writes :—" Some stir has been created amongst the servant girls in Calcutta, by the disappearance of one of the prettiest of their lot (and there are some pretty ()nes to be seen at the Eden Gardens of an evening) with a Major. The fugitives have, it is stated, gone home via Bombay. Those of the Upper Ten who are so unwise a to bring out pretty servant girls with them should beware of naughty designing Majors ! "—Miles of India. - THE REPRESENTATION OF I_,I3IERICK.—It is re ported that if Mr. Monsell, the new Postmaster-General, has to seek re-election, his constituents in County Lime rick will be asked to return a pledged repealer in opposi tion to him. Mr. Isaac Butt, and one or two other gen tlemen of the county, have been named on behalf of repeal or national principles. It was expected that Mr. Sullivan, of the Nation newspaper, would arrive in. Lim erick to organise a contest. GENERAL CHANZY.— General Chanzy, even by the Prussian accounts, has displayed great stragetiCal talent and military skill. The severe battle which he has fought against the Duke of Mecklenhurgh, joined to the troops of Prince Frederick Charles, has excited general admiration. The despatches he sends to his generals and colonels are characteristic of his energy, and leave no room for doubt or hesitation. The head of a corps which was ordered to make a night attack somewhere, sent to say that his men required rest, to which Chanzy replied that his troops were made of the same stuff as the Prus sians, and could do without rest the same as they did. Another Colonel complained that he was sent to a perilous post, and was told, !` We are not at a 411 —fight first of all, and make jokes afterwards." BREAKFAST.—EPPS'S COCOA.--GRATEFUL AND COM. FORTING.—The very agreeable character of this preparation has rendered it a general favourite. The Civil Service Gazette re marks :—" By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a careful application of the fine isrtiperties of well-selected cocd a Mr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctor's bills. Each packet is labelled—JAMES EPPS & Co., Homoeo pathic Chemists. London. Also, makers of Epps's Cacabine, a very Inn evening beverage. —Ad vt. _..._- s. },~ ~ r+Jk fulli ,St N, LONDON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1871 THE WAR, THE SIEGE OF PARIS. TR OCHU AND THE PARISIANS. PARIS, December 31st. Rumours of divisions in the Ministry have been rife. and there has, in fact, been a very animated discussion in the Council; but a note which appears in the QfficialJourlaal this morning, bearing Trochu's signature, recommending general harmony, and announcing that action would speedily be taken, proves that, for the time being, at least, the Ministry is in stata quo. General Trochu pos sesses great administrative powers as well as great military capacity ; but some of the chief dignitaries of the army, whose position and whose services authorised them to interfere, have insisted that the Governor of Paris should share a responsibility which was becoming over whelming. A Council of War, composed of members of the Executive Committee, has been formed, and is already in active existence. The bombardment goes on vigorously and it has been calculated that Rosny alone received 580 shells in one day. Since the beginning of the bombardment it has been calculated that Prussia has spent 3,420,000 francs, but without doing the forts more damage than is repaired at night. The western forts, and especially Mont Valerien, are to be bombarded next, but they are stronger than those on the eastern side. If the Germans were wise,. they would abandon their obstinate point of honour, and give up the attempt to reduce Paris, while devoting themselves to preserving Alsace and Lorraine; but they prefer to exhaust themselves in useless efforts under the walls of th e capital, risking the consequences of a prolonged sojourn in a foreign country during a very unfav ourable season. If they are building on famine in Paris they are mistaken, for ration tickets have been delivered dated to the 15th of March, so that provisions will last till then. The privations as yet are not extreme. The well-to. do classes find means to supplement their allowance, while the poor are so well looked after that they are really better off than in many ordi nary seasons. The trees in the Champs Elysees are being cut down for fuel, and those in the Tuileries will soon follow. January 2nd. The pressure on General Trochu has induced him to consent to admit the assistance of a council composed of four Ministers and four generals, but they are merely to be councillors, not active agents. An important meeting has been held, and some energetic action resolved _ upon, for the troops are ,in motion and the ambulances astir. It was rumoured at St. Denis that the town would be bombarded, and the ambulances were evacuated, but it is not easy to see what use this would be to the Prussians. They are, however, blowing up a number of buildings in the environs. The clubs have been making some hostile demonstra tions against the Government, but little attention was paid to them. The only noticeable thing was that the de monstrations were simultaneous with the bombardment• However, no repressive measures were necessary. Jules Favre has published a note, cautioning the public against being deceived by false news of a favourable character, while professing to find ground for confidence in the provincial news received through the English papers; but the note is written in a dispirited tone. There are some complaints of the attitude of the United States, whose relations with Prussia are somewhat mysterious, and who only quote papers which are unfavourable to France. ' Switzerland was also out of favour, out since the Luxemburg affair M. Kern's views have been a good deal modified. January 3rd. The bombardment in the direction of Vanvres, Issy, and Montrouge is ceasing. There is indeed no reason it should continue, since some thousands of shells have poured upon Fort Rosny of which only one injured the rampart without penetrating it, and the injury was at once repaired. It seems by the fragments of foreign papers received here that the Germans are daily expecting the capitulation of Paris. It is quite possible that France may be ohce more disappointed, and the Army of the Loire may be dispersed ; but, in any case, Paris will not surrender before exhausting its very last resources, and that will not be before six weeks, and perhaps two months. As for the Bonapartist restoration talked of at Brussels, it is not even dreamt of here. A few, a very few, persons have ventured to speak of treating with Ger many at the risk of being torn to pieces, but not a single journal ventured to take that up. Not one individual, however, has proposed an Imperialist restoration. STATE OF THE CITY. Writing from Paris under date of January 4th, the cor respondent of the Telegraph says :—There is much talk of a permanent Council of War, which is to sit almost daily, and to confer with General Trochu upon every step which he takes. I fear that we have little to expect from the deliberations of this new Aulic Council. We all know what the great Napoleon thought of the instructions sent to him in Italy by the Directory sitting in Paris, and with what profound contempt he treated their sugges tions. I believe that we shall attempt something like another sortie ; but we are absolutely at a loss what to do by reason of the long delay which has elapsed since we had any news. Two nights ago General Ducrot told Poulizac, the commander of a body of Eclaireurs, that he wanted a few Prussian prisoners, in the hope that upon their persons might be found some German newspapers. Poulizac pounced upon a Prussian post near Le Bourget, and brought back eight prisoners, but whether they had any letters or journals upon them we have not yet learnt. The entire absence of news weighs, I think, more heavily on the Parisians even than hunger or cold. But that which most oppresses us, and especially dis. turbs the more thoughtful portion of our population, is the alarming increase in our weekly mortality. Novel since Paris was a city did she exhibit so dismal a record of deaths as that made public yesterday. The population, exclusive of the Line, the Mobiles, and the war battalions of the National Guard, was carefully reckoned last month, and found to be as nearly as possible two millions and five thousand souls. All English registrars and statists will be aghast to learn that last week there died out of this aggregate no fewer than 3,280 souls ; and this computation does not include those who died in hospitals or ambulances, who, I am told, may be reckoned at 500 more. It will thus be seen that, were the present rate of mortality maintained, the Parisian population would be decimated by deaths during the present year. The figures will come home to us more sensibly when I state that the death:rate of very healthy places in England, such as Eastbourne or Sidmouth, is 17 or 18 per 1,000 in each year. Fancy, then, the activity of the King of Terrors, claiming for his own, within twelve months, no fewer than one hundred souls out of every thousand ! If Paris has greatly sinned, it may already be said that never yet was a city so punished and humiliated—so scourged and brought low. FROM THE GERMAN LINE. The special correspondent of the Telegraph, writing from Versailles on January 2, says :—The attack on Paris and the outer defences will, I have ground for believing, be carried on by about 260 guns. Some of these are 24- pounders, some 12-pounders, while there is a small num ber of considerably heavier metal. As yet, you see, we have only a partial and local bombardment; but everything I observe tends to indicate that before the lapse of many hours the attack will become general. And. btill more, all I hear and behold leads me to believe that the attack, besides being general, will be something terrible in many of its features. The German commanders have made up their minds to go at the work in dreadful earnest, and the best proof of this is the fact that they ab solutely deferred the opening of the bombardment until everything was in a state of the most complete pieparation. I hear that the beginning of the gene ral attack was solemnly fixed for the first day of this year; it is even said that his Majesty the King was most earnest in urging that this appointment 'should be kept ; and yet the commanders postponed the general bombardment. They were determined, it is said, that the great attack should not open until shells and powder for fifteen days, at the rate of one shot a minute, were distributed to each gun. If Paris be able to withstand a fire so continuous, her fortifications must be strong indeed. Another sign of the earnestness with which the Germans intend to carry on the assault is the fact that for the last two days ammuni tion columns of extraordinary length have been con tinually passing on their way to the batteries. One of the columns consisted of more than sixty carts. Everything, in fact, is now ready for a bombardment on a gigantic scale. Only one obstacle remains, and that not even German ingenuity or industry can over come : I mean the state of the weather. In the first place, it is frightfully cold—so cold thai if you stand mo tionl9ss for ten consecutive minutes you run imminent risk of being frozen to death. Again, we are scarcely ever free from from fog ; you no longer see the forts out side, nor the lofty spires within Paris; wherever you cast your eyes, dense mist alone meets their gaze. It will easily be understood how much this state of the atmo sphere must interfere with a plan of general bombard ment. The special correspondent of the Daily News sends the following .express from Versailles, dated January 5, 3 p.m. The bombardment of the French positions south of Paris by the German batteries commenced at half-past eight this morning.' At first there was a slight mist over the lower ground, but the sun gained in power as the day . wore on, and the breeze was just strong enough to blow away the smoke. Owing to the direction of the breeze,. much less noise was heard in Versailles itself than might have been expected, and the people of the town seemed hardly aware that anything unusual was going forward: There was a steady growling and rumbling in the neighbourhood of Meudon, which sheaved that the Germans were at work, and that was all. As one rode towards the scene of action, the sound of firing greW more distinct. Heavy shocks could be felt from the great guns which thundered forth upon the French, and shocks al most as heavy from the bursting of shells flung back in return. Nearer and deadlier came the sound with each forward step. On the plateau behind Meudon, and along the hill west of Chatenay, there was a din of shells which burst, and of shells which screamed through the air, and of batteries which were quickly served. Nowthe Germans fired down upon the forts, and a white smoke-cloud rose , above their guns. Now the forts sent back their iron messenger with a scream and crash to the crest of the hill. Dust flew up from . the hard ground where shells had burst, and showers of. frosty sprinklings fell from I the trees or bushes near. Then, before the humming and whizzing of the fragments had died away, another rush would be heard in the air, and another shell had come. Or it would happen that the booming of the German guns drowned the noise of the French projectiles ; that both swelled up together to a crash as the action warmed. It was very exciting to hear them at work, for the struggle was tolerably equal, and both sides stood to their guns like men. There was great difficulty in getting a good view, without being in a fire too hot for lookers-on ; but, as far as I could judge of the struggle during the first half of the clay, the French seemed to answer shell for shell' and something more. They fired perhaps too fast, though of this we cannot be certain until we know the result ; at any rate, they sent many shells whizzing beyond the batteries, and had apparently resolVed to make up for all short comings of aim by rapidity of fire. The Germans were more deliberate, and may have produced more effect. Neither side had silenced the other up to one o'clock, that is certain ; and as I write there is a dis tant booming, which shews that the cannonade is main tained by somebody with immense vigour. The Germans seemod principally engaged with Forts Montrouge, • Vanvres, and Issy. It is said by the soldiers in the rear of the batteries that some few shells had been aimed too high, and had gone into Paris ; but the main attack was clearly directed against the three forts above named, and it was these forts which so stoutly replied. I hear that the railway viaduct across the Seine, within the ramparts of the city, will be destroyed, if possible, to interrupt the French communications by the cir cular railway. But there is a far stronger wish to silence the forts than to throw shells into the city. It was a striking sight to/ have glimpses of the towers and houses of Paris /through the midst of a frosty winter's day, when all /Ids din boded destruction to the fair city at our feet. Force is clearly to rival famine in deciding its fate. The b I bardment has been slowly but admirably prepared, an has broken in upon the long expectant French. I need of say that nearly all the German shells burst with d exactness ; but it is note worthy that the French ells do the same in much greater proportion than a the beginning of the opera tions. NOTES FROM LILLE. LILLE, January Gth. The Army of the North is taking some repose and the lines remain in the same position as that in which Faid herbe placed them the/ day alter the battle. The head quarters are at Bcpleux. The Mobiles who were scattered at the battle of Villers-Bretonneux were able to make a stand at the Battle of Bapaume, to the great delight of their commander, who had, so it is said, as much trouble in keeping his troops back as General Farre had to get them forward on another occasion. The National Guard, who were novices, were kept in the back ground, and with the exception of the Lille battalion, were merely lookers-on. These legions form a numerous reserve, and will furnish F aidherbe with useful reinforce ments when they are better disciplined. They have suf fered little from the cold and appear to have adapted them selves readily to the hardships of camp life. The marines suffered the most during the days of the second and third, and lost three good officers. General Faidherbe was again exposed to great risks, and on two occasions was close to the enemy's fire. _ Yesterday evening some German prisoners were landod, and surprise was felt at their extreme youth. Bapaume has not been treated very badly. The faubourge are destroyed. _ . The - journals of Arras of the 4th say that they have had at their gates an engagement which may take the name of the battle of the three days. The Prussians were at Behag,nies, and were not prepared for the French attack. They withdrew to Sapignies, where they barricaded the streets, and fortified the houses. The French artillery attacked the place, which was carried at one o'clock by a brilliant bayonet charge, the Prussians retreating in dis order on Favreuil and Bief villers. They did not make a long resistance afterwards, and finally retreated on Bapaume from whence it would have been impossible to dislodge them without burning the town. The French troops deserve the thanks of the country for the spirit they have dis played in driving the Prussians back. On the 3rd inst., General Faidherbe had a, narrow escape, for a rifle shot went into the pocket of his coat, but was stopped by a map of the Pas-de-Calais, which he had put there. Thanks to this slight shield and the sudden movement of his horse, general escaped the death which a Prussian mai ksman had skilfully planned for him. An ingenious device was resorted to by a company of Chasseurs under the walls of Bapaume. They were charged by two ' squadrons of Prussian Curiassiers, and made a feint of taking flight in different directions. Suddenly they stopped, and came together, and fired upon the Prussians with such good effect that half of them were thrown over and the rest were glad to beat a retreat. The. Chasseurs escaped unhurt. The Bernische Zeltung of January 2 contains a state ment that 6,000 Prussian soldiers, whose limbs had been frozen around Paris during the late severe cold, have been despatched to Germany via Belgium. A Manchester Guardian telegram from Brussels says : The new levies of the South. German forces are very in ferior men—worse soldiers than the French recruits. The Bavarian - and Wurtemberg people submitted to these new leVies with great reluctance. A Correspondent of the Daily News says that the seventh British ship at Duclair has been sunk. The schooner Sylph still floats, but is prohibited from leaving. The captain remains by his ship ; but the crow have been paid off, and will leave port this evening by the Marseilles steamer. A Bruges newspaper states that a few nights since a mysterious railway train passed through the station at that city. It has since learnt that the train conveyed an immense amount of coined money and great bundles of papers, which were embarked on board the English mail packet in charge of four travellers who had accompanied it to the port. The erection of the batteries which drove the French out of Mont Avron required, says a letter in a Dresden paper, great exertions. The ground was at first frozen three or four, and afterwards six or eight inches deep, and its clayey nature thus rendered it almost as hard as a rock. The work was, nevertheless, accomplished in a comparatively short time, and did its constructors great sredit. M. Cramer, the Prussian Prefect at Rouen, has been replaced in his functions by Daron de Pfvel. This change has no doubt been brought about by the recent re ported Prussian outrage on the British flag by the seizure and sinking of six British colliers at Duclair, near Rouen. A great many absurd rumours had got afloat relative to this affair, but probably the question will be satisfactorily settled without leading to any. serious consequences. Ricciotti Garibaldi',has Written to the Prussian Com mandant at Chatillon ocrmplaining that inhabitants of that place have been threatened with reprisals on account of the attack by Francs-Tireurs. He cannot admit that a victory won by the bravery of a regular corps warrants such mea sures, and exhorts the Germans to act Loyally, and not like Vandals, who only dream of plunder. If they have the infamy to carry out their detestable project, he assured them he will not spare any of the 200 Prussian prisoners in his hands. The commandant replied that the inhabi tants having taken part in the surprise, he shall treat them according to the laws of war, and that he cannot regard the threat as serious, as for every Prussian prisoner shot twenty or more French might be executed. The Havre publishes some details of the surprise of General Roy's Corps at Les Londes, from which it ap pears, the weather being extremely foggy, the Prussians, guided by the light of a great fire which had been made by the French grand guard, unexpectedly appeared and captured the whole of the guard without firing a single shot. After receiving reinforce ments, the Germans proceeded silently towards the main body of the French, who, relying on their outposts, ,entertained no apprehension of attack. A. sudden onset was made, which resulted in a retreat * on the part of the French ; but the losses were - not great;l2s - men being killed and about the same number wounded. A portion of the troops—Mobiles and Franc-Tireurs—some 400 or 500, broke their ranks and fled in disorder to Honfleur, but they have since been compelled to rejoin their regi ments. . Accounts from Nancy state that the prisoners present the most deplorable sight as they pass by in open car riages, and often without stockings, and sometimes with out shirts. The townspeople .flock to see them, and are aghast at their appearance. They are so stiff with the cold that they cannot move their lips. The ladies throw their shawls into the carriag6, and sometimes tear their skirts in two to make their contributions go further. Bread wine, shoes, and other necessaries are brought' for ward in great abundance for the relief of these unfortunate men, who are very grateful for the kindness shewn to them. On leaving those who can speak exclaim,„" Vive Nancy." A Paris letter says :—The most fashionable shop in the Paris of 1870, whereat the most exquisite bonboris and triumphs of the confectioner's art were last year pur chased, has this year put fora' its list 'of New Year's gifts. First in the list stands, " A large 'assort ment of legs of mutton, -at .100 francs , (or £4) per leg ;" - " a whole salmon, potted or canned, and quite fresh, 200 f. (or - 28) ;" " boxes of meat lozenges, from 10f. to 50f- ;" " pdtes,. de foie Bras de Strasbourg, from 50f. to 500 f. ;" " sausage from Lyon, or Bologna, or Bayonne, from 101, upwa . rds ;'' and so on through an elaborate catalogue. We are eminently practical this new year, even in our presents. A lover cannot better commend himself to his Dulcinea than by sending her a few sacks of coke or a few hundred billets of wood. A Yorkshire ham or a side of Wiltshire bacon would plead more eloquently than the most impas sioned stanza that Lamartine, or Alfred de Musset, or Victor Hugo ever wrote. A couple of fat white mice would be accepted aver effusion—not to be kept alive as pets, but to be eaten dead, sautés dla sauce Illadere. It is but a few days since I saw a National Guard• pounce eagerly upon a dead sparrow lying under one of the trees 'in the Champs Elys4es. The poor bird had probably been wounded by one of the many boys who are incessantly engaged in la chasse aux moineaux. When the lucky warrior descried his prize, he 'exclaimed rapturously, " Voilh pour ma femme !" AN INVALID'S FETE.—The Belgian papers give an interesting account of the kindly efforts made in that country to cheer the wounded prisoners at Christmas and the New Year. The Germans were feted at Christinas and the French at the Jour de l'An, the German residents in Belgium subscribing for gifts to the one, and the French . residents and refugees for the other. On the eve of the New Year there was quite a gathering at the principal Ambulance' in Brussels, and the president and members of the Belgian committee were present. The French Minister, accom panied by the staff of the Legation, was also present, and distributed commemorative medals which had been struck for the occasion, and delivered a brief address, -in which he warmly thanked the Belgians for the kind reception they had given his unfortunate countrymen, and encouraged• the latter to have patience and confidence in the future of France. Afterwards he visited the German ambulance, and expressed his sympathy for them. The ladies who superintended the fete distributed gifts to the nurses, medical assistants, and all other employs of the ambu lance. NEWS FROM DIJON.—A. correspondent of the Daily News, in a letter from Macon, dated December 30, gives some information of interest :—I arrived here from Lyons, after a journey of seven hours, just as news was received at the Prefecture of the evacuation of Dijon by the enemy. This movement on the part of the Germans is by no means surprising, firstly, because some days previous to the evacuation a large portion of the troops who occupied the town were sent towards Paris ; and, secondly, on account of the vast number of trains carry ing troops, artillery, and military stores which the French have been sending during the past week in the direction of Beaune: In fact, since last Thursday week railway communication between Lyons and Beaune has been entirely interrupted for the public, the Minister of War having placed the line in requisition. To give you an idea of the number of cannon which have been sent from Lyons in the direction of Beaune, I will mention that the military authorities have placed all the omnibus horses in Lyons in requisition for the artillery, besides almost all the cart horses in the surrounding neighbourhood. JULES FAVRE AND THE CONFERENCE.— The Siecle thus describes the spirit in which M. Jules Favre will go to the London Conference, if he goes : " Being a member of the Government of the National Defence, M. Jules Favre cannot take his seat in an inter national conference without the French Republic being ipso facto recognised by the deliberating Powers. There will be no occasion to discuss the prejudicial question of the recognition. That question will be triumphantly resolved by the very first words inserted at the head of the minutes of the first meeting." And then the idea of the Siecle is that the " grand voice " of M. Jules Favre will frighten all the other plenipotentiaries while speaking in " sovereign tones " as representing France, and denouncing abominable monarchical policy," he declines to discuss any of the miserable secondary questions for which the Conference was convened, so long as the invasion of France " holds the world in sus pense." All this is very sad fustian. It would have been far more dignified in the Republican Governmen to have adhered to the resolution to which the Bort deaux delegation inclined a few days ago, not to send any plenipotentiary to the Conference unless, as a pre liminary condition, the Republic should be formally re cognised. It is very plain that the mere presence 4 r?' M. Jules Favre in the Conference will not effect this recognition. The "first words " of the minutes wil l certainly not have the magical effect of transform ing Lord Lyons, who to this moment is accredited as. Ambassador to the Emperor of the French, into an Envoy to the French Republic. Neither will all M. Jules Favre's eloquence produce any effect whatever upon the seasoned diplomatists who, acting only according to their instructions, have no sympathies or predi lections, and will pay no more attention to him than the most commonplace person who might be sent with the like credentials. They will receive M. Jules Favre as the mouthpiece of the individuals who in Paris and Bor deaux constitute a de facto Government, but it is childish to suppose that h e w ill suddenly induce them to give that formal recognition to the French Republic which has hitherto been withheld by the great Powers. The only probabl e consequence o f M . J u l es F av re's appearance at the diplomatic green board in London is 5 theatrical retreat on the fiat day. I do not myself see what good France will get by this bit of eclat, unless there should be s ome a d van t age in getting M. Jules Favre, out of Paris. Ido not suppose he can have been bound over to go back to Paris after putting in an appearance st. the Conference.— Correspondent of the Daily .11 , ews. • THE TRUCK COMMISSION.—Tho Truck Coninlis sioners continued their inquiry, at Nottingham, on Sabi!' day. Several witnesses deposed that, while at the railway station at Sutton-in-Ashfield that morning, 11 conversation took place among the " bag hosiers " Pre sent, in the course of which threatening and libellou s language was used towards the persons who heu, caused the inquiry to be made, and also toward s the witnesses. A " bag hosier," named Wild, was the° called, and denied that he had used the language et tributed to him. The Commissioners considered that " had been clearly shewn that he had threatened witnesBe94 and fined him 210. John Pickard, another " bag hosier, who was reported on thepreviousdayto have attempted? suborn a witness, was also called, and informed that his conduct would be reported to the Crown Office. 3 1 . 1 :i Mundella, M.P. was examined at some length. He se i" he did not think truck was practised in Nottinghei ll * e The Board of Arbitration established in the hosiery tra d eleven years ago had done much to abolish the systel * He' believed trucking was now confined •to North Notts, being most extensively in use at Sutton-in-Ashfie lu a There were instances in which middlemen who truc ke e , were able to undersell manufacturers in the h o ' ° markets. _ _ ------- [ADVERTISMENT.I—HoIIaway's Ointment and Pills' Never at fault. In all irritations of the skin, sores, &ell! burns, and scrofulous enlargement of the glands, 1 1 ° 11° way's Ointment presents a ready and easy means of fur which never disappoints the most favourable expectatir9* It manifests a peculiar _ power in restraining inflamma tip ,, l4 removing stagnation, cooling the heated blood, and e,"; ch ing ail acrimonious or unhealthy discharges. Whilst ta e l r acting locally the Pills are no less remarkable for power in improving the general condition and habit of t°t. body, which renders the cure complete and perms uu Under the genial influence of these potent remedies, to puny infant beccmes the robust ohild, the pale °Tic emaciated regain colour and rotundity, and the dYsli °l9 eats freely without fear, BIRTHS. On the 6th inst., at 57, Lansdowne-road, Kensingt°ll - Mrs. George Stewart, of a son. On the Gth inst., at Hastings, the wife of Major E ons On of a daughter. MARRIAGES. rang On the sth inst., at St. Peter's, Malvern Welts, 0': rt A. Lane, of 32, Essex-street, Strand, London, soliotili. to Annie, widow of the late C. H. Norris, Esq., °f trincham, Cheshire. On the sth inst., at St. Paul's Church, St. Leon °o Sea, Edward, second son of George Gilliat, Esn te r Horncastlo, to Emily Louisa, eldest surviving D o se, „. of the late John Bonus, Esq., late of Point xi Blackheath. DEATHS. iia rkt On the Gth inst., at 139, Westbourne-terrace, EiYue-r Hermann Cox, Esq., aged 61. A re. On the sth inst., at 76, Charlotte-street, Fi tzroy-squ Henry Bateman Jenkins, Esq., aged 62. _..........-", of London : Printed by GIDEON ACLAND 13011. q, op No. 112, Strand, Printer, and Published by hi rt ,ie THE SUN Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct o Savoy, in the County of Middlesex. Tuesday, January 10,1871. t~o. "'^,_ :, "'~- <> ..