The Sun. — London, England, 1871-02-04 00:00:00

which le on inday st felt r that dence —was sophi. 1 the fished. ately, r the phlet, :adrid, Tiew." LATEST INTELLIGENCE SUN OFFICE, 8 A.M THE WAR, THE CAPITULATION AND THE ARMISTICE. BERLIN, February 3. The troops taken prisoners at Paris are about 180,000 ; the fortress guns captured, 1,500; field pieces and mitrailleuses, 400. The gunboats on the Seine, and the locomotives and rolling-stock, are likewise appropriated by the victors.—limes. The following telegrams come through Reuter's agency:-- THE CONDITIONS OF PEACE. VERSAILLES, February 4. The news published in London and Bordeaux respecting the German conditions of peace is in accurate in so far as concerns Lorraine, Pondicherry, and the cession of twenty war ships. Alsace and Metz will not be given up by the Germans. As regards the war indemnity, four milliards of francs were demanded ',in the negotiations with M. Thiers in November, since then the amount deemed necessary by Germany may have risen to double that figure. THE FRENCH ELECTIONS. IMPERIAL HEAD-QUARTERS, VERSAILLES, February 3 (5.35 p.m.) The Government in Bordeaux, in its decree order ing elections for the Constituent Assembly, has ex cluded from the suffrage numerous classes of the population, former Ministers, Councillors of ,State, Senators, and all who have ever been official candi dates. Count Bismarck has in a note protested against the decree, and only freely elected de puties, as stipulated in the Convention, will be recognised by the Germans as representatives of Prance. BRUSSELS, February 3. The following intelligence from Paris has been l'eceived by the Gaulois, dated February 2 : "A preliminary meeting has been held at the Polies Bergeres, at which M. Jules Lermina pre sented himself as candidate for the Constituent As.. Nenably. "The following list of candidates was proposed; —4 . 1 1‘1. Gambetta, Richard Wallace, Victor Hugo, Lotus' Blanc, Edgar Quinet, Henri Rochefurt, Deles cluze, Felix Pyat, Ledru Rollin, Garibaldi, Saisset, Schoelcher, Matin, Michelet, and Dorian. The meet lug voted in favour of the following from the above list : " Victor Hugo, Garibaldi, Quinet, Gambetta, ,Saisset, and Dorian. 4 ` The Electoral Committee of the Bourse held a Ineeting on the 31st of January, with the object of drawing up a li s t o f 90 names , i nc l u di ng the most distinguished military and naval men, magistrates, barristers, and men of letters. This list was su eequently to be submitted to a large electoral meeting. "All reports of disturbances having occurred in ? aria are untrue. There was some excitement, and a few crowds assembled on the news of the armistice and the lack of provisions becoming known, but order was quickly restored." Persons have arrived here who left Paris on Wednesday. They state that the city is quiet, but that great difficulty exists in providing food. Up to Wednesday 23 ,000 persons had asked permission to leave the city. ARRIVAL OF V. JULES SIMON AT BORDEAUX. BORDEAUX, February 1. AIX Jules Si mon and Lavertujon arriv e d h ere at /loon to-day. TTEMPT UPON THE LIFE OF GENERAL TROCHU. BRUSSELS, February 3 (Afternoon). The Echo du Porlement publishes the following para graph, headed, " Attempt upon the life of that Trochu" :.".• 46 We read in the Paris Moniteur t'a t sad incident occurred while General Trochu w u u , s bringing back battalions from the last sortie. e shall confine ourselves to saying that this incident o,beters the life of one of General Trochu' s ord e rly once It i; denied that the Orleans Princes will pre ;4t th em y selves as candidates for th e C ons tit uen t 114einbl. MESSAGE OP THE EMPEROR OF GERMANY. BERLIN, February 3. t , to-d ay ' s s i tting of the Lower House, the he N,resl d ent read the rep or t o f th e d e l ega ti on sen t t o gyve r saille s to present the address to the K ing . 11:President th en read the following reply „ the Emperor : —"I d es i re t o express my th e 4 "et thanks to the Ch am b er o f D epu ti es f or w address which has just been presented to me. th e have li ve d t o see powerful and great events, th e result of which has been that I, summoned by German Princes and free towns, found myself l iced to assume t h e I mper i al d i gn i ty of the etela rt Empire. I believed myself compelled to Ie to the request which was made to me, and 4ii e r aY to God that it may be granted to me and my R o e L e ."B to ca use th e new l y r i sen E mpire t o tl i f 8 " 411 and to be an Empire of peace. If at et moment moment there is a prospect that the severe ty - egle into w hi c h th e German people were forced ~Ou ns unjustified attack of an unquiet neigh -4t will soon be finished, yet I must observe that fibillresent this is only a hope, and that pos th? greater sacrifices will have to be made by T1 1 , 3 11 , 4t i° 1 1 should the war be still furth er pr o l on ged. th e h me eda of th e army , an d th e sacrif i ces made by e ah ' e °Ple, are all worthy of th e hi g h es t pra i se , an d lice t think of them even w ith ou t d eep emotion. l'ek atd ) '° ll he my int e rpr e t er i n th e L ower H ouse as 4 41,4 1 ; 8 t hese my feelin gs ." I n conc l us i on t h e Pre the called upon the House to give loud cheers for W4 P , FEELING IN MARSEILLES. l a At MARSEILLES, February 2. rel it) Prefect of Marseilles, and M. Anatole de 4 N e t l e ) Prefect of the Basses Pyrenees, have issued I vat s "ltion recommending the continuanc e o f th e outrance. Th e ,„ HAvnE, February 3. clt tirl:avre papers asser t th a t thi s morn i ng a b ody P eek i 1 , 44 8, notwithstandi ng th e arm i st i ce, entere d by force. 4" PROVISIONING OF PARIS. deratand that an oiler was made last L 1 NC: 44 3 7 °II the part of her Majesty's G . overn ,7 4 the German authorities at Versail . les . and . t ; Il es Pavre at Paris, to place, at their join . t'erreB„',"l. Alajesty's stores and people at . their ' O l. ;11'14 they could be of any use for supplying food Nt 0 8 ) subject to no condition except that what -Biej-Majesty's Government do must be r done uh 4 of" cognizance and approval both of a re A t 4 German agent. :Toe:grani received at the Foreign Office from . h e ' 4° Itussell at Versailles, dated Thursday .) Bays • e u t° "B by Dieppe Havre and Lille, will now Celt" A despatch from ' Jules Favre, dated , t he S ays : The railway traffic on the Northern . 'teit ro ute, Forward everything by the Amiens ds °lite * Cattle must be sent by rail, but first of 81)4tch flour" ere are ncy of India con- but udents blic.— .ir, son theria, lad to ;o hold r, near n after y Ex ill be Liver- stance; idepen )lic ad- Ems will ttribute is pro lence of lition of A bill atatives by the title of I by the ,o such ig and 1-mines, strutted )11. I Ittersea, safety ent em paraffin various J miner. , Albert' , " The horns." to M• is son by Mondes, from an Mil u e" ne much metrated . damage 'rallery of perform s ily it had May ere shells did not arse 1.1 Th!! the Sei e a sold s curious. e Fran ce econonaY, the P r°- - down. Leh things of CO 111 : at an • going th restore. ent of 11 10 11°4 Lountitiog• • 10 F`ofw. t he ie ;rini• )oluer, are lenaYy t . /i t ° . to the Ils lands em, nti,tion 0 • st oer, 50'3111,, C0raP!, 4 " 8 ... and ices, - he 40, b at r s- I on Tilt' Cog" 'on Da ' 9 po st' to to o Ga zet whie ll ii",:rd bib,'e'cledogteg octo,„. oo' a THE SUN LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4 1 1871. departments was reserved until a further understand ing. On Wednesday Count Bismarck offered to M. Jules Favre a cessation of hostilities and the esta blishment of the line of demarcation to the Swiss frontier in consideration of the surrender of Belfort, with the free departure of the garrison, but up to this moment this offer has not been accepted." Canton. The captain of the brig called the crew on deck, and advised them, as he thought their vessel was sinking, to get on board the Canton. The men did not do so, but tried to get the vessels clear. The captain walked aft, and nothing was seen of him until his body was found on the beach, It is supposed that while attempting to get on board the barque he fell into the water. The jury returned a verdict to that effect. ST. DENIS AFTER TIIE BOMBARDMENT. From St. Denis, February 1, the special correspondent of the Daily News at the Saxon Headquarters writes : The history of the siege of St. Denis is the history of the siege of Paris in miniature. According to the lights which we have at present regarding the latter great event before its commencement the garrison of each fort consisted of three artillerymen, a commandant, and a few military tailors and shoemakers. When the siege began, St. Denis did not share greatly in the tremors of her big sister ; she was girt by het forts ; and she believed in them. Adm iral La Ronciere Was appointed to the command, and sailors and artillerymen came and manned the forts. In the early months of the seige St. Denis was tolerably quiet. ' Food gradually got dearer. The people came to horseflesh about two months ago, and to bread rations ten days ago. The world is familiar with the death-throes of Paris—those of St. Denis have been similar, but more intense, because of the prevalent poverty of the inhabitants. The bombardment came on the town like a thunder-clap. The corporation were fiercely abused for not having given warning, which it was alleged it was in their power to do. Whether this was the case I do not know, and as far as the corporation goes it mattered very little, for its Mernhers ail ran away when the bom bardment commented. Nobody had any respon sibility ; with a few noble exceptions ; nobody troubled himself except about the wholeness of his own skin. The Admiral Commandant concerned himself with his forts—the people might go hang for him. The members of the International Ambulance accepted the situation ; took their lives in their hands, and went out to do what good they might. They dragged the maimed and shattered out of the ruined houses ; they collected the corpses from the streets and the ruins, and buried them with some semblance of decency. They went round the town urging on the people that the women and children should go forth from the doomed town, and retire into Paris. The women and children were huddled into the semi-security of the cellars. The shells were crashing into the streets, and avalanches of stone and brick were ever crashing upon the side walks. The women peeping forth shudderingly declared that they would rather die where they were than incur a more certain and fearful death by sallying forth into that iron tempest. So they turned into the dark caverns to hunger and cold, and cuddling their child ren to their bosoms, utterly refused to budge. The Pasteur Sa,glier Went so the Commandant, and begged that he would allow him to go out as a parleinentaire to the Ger mans, to ask for two hours' cessation of the bombard ment, to give the women and children a chance to get away without being struck down as they went. The Admiral refused, and the ruthless devilry went on. Then the Pasteur sent an appeal to the Paris journals, begging all who possessed means of conveyance to send them into St. Denis to remove the perishing women and children. The response was but weak, and there appeared not a solitary representative of those ambulances whose mem bers took delight in flags, and gave themselves to the vanities— of buttons and uniforms. About half-a dozen private vehicles turned up ; and with the help of these bile sick and wounded were got out of the hospi tals in the town, and located in two large factories on the plain between St. Denis and Paris. Then children fol lowed, and women great with child such as cared to go, till the plain-houses became like caravanserais. Mean while the few vehicles belonging to this ambulance were toiling assiduously in conveying to the rear the wounded struck down at guns ; a few men, and a few only, as far as I can learn, toiling with a zeal and energy that merited better support. As for the bold National Guards, their location was the wine-shop. Therein they imbibed the courage that prevented them from creeping into the cellars ; and when their cups had made them reckless, they sallied out into the streets, only to give the ambulance more trouble with their worthless carcases. Not a few were killed as they staggered about ; others were brought to the ambulance wounded, indeed, but as drunk as lords. The more I have seen of the forts of St Denis, the more am I convinced that the Germans might have taken them easily by assault, with out the troublesome preliminary of a bombardment. The people profess their blank wonderment that we did not storm. For days at time the forts were totally denuded of troops, save a few artillery. There could then have been no infantry fighting, and the range of the guns once passed, the defences of the entrances to the forts were utterly contemptible. Perhaps Admiral La Ronciere, taking everything into consideration, was jus tified in notifying that he could not face the enemy, with guns and men, two days longer. In the hurry of evacua tion there was left in a casemate a quantity of biscuit and cognac, which the German troops at once discovered. Further explorations convince me that the town has suffered even more severely than I at first supposed THE GERMANS AND THE FRENCH FORTS. The special correspondent of the Telegraph sends the following from Versailles, dated Feb. 1 :—The surrender of the army of General Bourbaki is here considered as an additional argument should the French be unwilling to make peace. If the South, which has not yet seen anything of the horrors of war, should re solve to prosecute the strife, the entire power of the new Empire in Germany will be exerted to over rule and devastate the country. Should the French people, after the conclusion of the armistice, accept the German arrangement, one of their Army Corps must be distributed around the walls and in the forts. The Emperor William visited Mont Val4rien yesterday, but he will not remain with the army in person after the con clusion of the armistice. Should the French prolong the contest, it will be pursued rapidly and relentlessly, without any impediment, excepting the occasional lack of ammunition. The army will live on requisitions drawn from the country. Prince Frederick Charles, General von Manteuffel, and General von Fackenstein are indica ted as the commanders to whom will be entrusted the task of conquering the South. The general plan of the cam paign, as usual, will he drawn up by Von Moltke ; but a large discretion in the execution of that plan will be made in favour of the commander who has made his name and prowess so well known in the East. Many people come out of Paris, but few enter, The report of yesterday, that 400 National Guards had escaped from the city, is utterly untrue. Twenty-four persons only passed the lines, and of these only one was a man of any note. M. Jules Favre went into Paris last night, and will return to Versailles to-day. His first visit to the German Head-quarters is grandiloquently described in the issue of the Afonzteur Officiel. It is said that when M. Favre arrived, three persons were waiting for him—the Emperor, Count Moltke, and Count Bismarck—and that " Count Bismarck had-the presumption to ask him to dinner." The article goes on to say that " M. Favre drew himself to his fullest height and sternly looked upon his host." The plain truth is that on the same momentous occasion Count Bismarck had been invited to dine with the Crown Prince, but had sent to his Highness begging that he might be excused, a 3 M. Favre had requested him to stay with him. I have visited Fort d'lssy. Artil lery officers are of opinion that a breach would have been practicable on the south side. The em brasures only were seriously damaged, and the gun in it was indented, but not dismounted. The interior of the fort, from the rank of the bombardment, presents an ap palling sight—the barracks being not only destroyed, but absolutely ground to powder. The terre-plaine is strewed with debris of every description, and the earth-covered bomb-proofs 'penetrated to a great depth. The Ger mans had advanced on the railway, taking ad. vantage of the configuration of the groTnd, and covering themselves as they came to open spaces. A very short distance from the works, signs of musketry fire were visible on both sides. The external defences of the fort are not injured seriously, except on the south side. The stockade and other obstacles on the glacis are not injured. As a work Fort d'lssy is much stronger than V4Mrien ;in natural position far weaker. The loss of life in Issy must have been terrible. Vanves, a work not sQ strong in position, nor so important to the defence of Paris, has not suffered so much as Issy. The Versailles bakers have offered to supply daily 1,000 41b. loaves for Paris, without diminishing the Versailles supply. Prus sian authorities will state to-morrow whether they will allow this or not. The stock of flour in Paris will only last till 4th February ; horseflesh till 11th ; consequently the Prussians. have authorised the bringing in of flour from Dasblay's mills, at Corbeil and Chantilly; the Em peror has also ordered General von Stosch to send two millions of meat rations to-day into Paris, evidently on the verge of starvation ; and most ener getic efforts must be made to keep the population fed from day to day. Forts Issy and the Vanves' earthworks, for the protection of men, are far superior to Valerien; but u like everything else the French have done, incom plete, having evidently only been begun when the neces sity arose. The Prussians give evidence of great engineer. ing powers in the extemporised works in Clamart. Prince Napoleon's chateau at Meudon was destroyed as to the roof and interior, the façade still standing. The destruction at Sevres is not so great as at St. Cloud. The highway from here to Issy is literally strewed on both sides with articles of household goods. More than one fire I saw on my way fed with chairs and tables. DUR COTEMPORARIES---This Morning The Prefect of the Pas de Calais has been sum moned by M. Favre to Paris. The Northern Rail way are actively at work to restore the line between Lille and Paris by temporary works. Ten thousand bags of flour will be sent in the next few days by this line. Mr. Eborall, the General Manager of the South- Eastern Railway Company, announces that a tele gram has been received from the Company's agent at Boulogne, stating that the railway communication between Boulogne and Paris is reopened for the conveyance of grain and provisions to Paris, subject to military inspection at Amiens. All such consign ments can, therefore, be now received by the com pany, and will be forwarded with all possible des patch via Folkestone and Boulogne. A telegram from Versailles states that instructions have been tele graphed to the German commanders to allow the restoration of the railway lines which have been destroyed. Everywhere there is a want of rolling stock, which has been removed by the railway com panies. Paris is being supplied from German pro visions. The postal communication for unsealed letters is restored, and official telegrams are allowed to be transmitted. THE ELECTORAL DISABILITIES. The Liberte, the Paine, the Francais, the prance, the Constitutionnel„ the Union Universelle, the Courier de la Gironde, the Journal de Bordeaux, the Ginonne, and the Province publish a protest against the decree issued by the Delegate Government on the 31st of January relative to electoral incompati bilities. It is as follows : Before publishing the protest we thought it was our duty to send three delegates to M. Jules Simon, to ask him there did not exist a decree relative to the elections issued by the Government of Paris on the 28th of January. and published in the Journal Officiel. M. Jules Simon replied that such was the case, that that decree had been unanimously adopted on the 28th of January by the members of the Government of Paris. It suppressed all incompatibilities, with the exception, however, of prefects who cannot be elected in the departments they administer. The elections for Paris were fixed for the sth of February, in the departments for the Bth, and the meeting of the National Assembly for the 12th. The Journal Officiel which contained the said decree had been sent in all the departments by order of the Government of Paris. M. Jules Simon received a safe conduct on the 31st of January, and left Paris the same morning. As soon as he arrived in Bordeaux he called a meeting of the members of the Delegate Government in order to explain the state of things. The deliberations of the Council were protracted. This evening at four o'clock the Council met again. M. Jules Simon declared to the dele gates of the press that he intended to persist in the execu tion of the decree of the Government of Paris. In presence of these declarations, which M. Jules Simon has authorised us to publish, the undersigned representatives of the press have only to await the execution of the decree of Paris. (Here follow the signatures of the editors of the above mentioned journals.) The Siecle approves these disabilities. The Gironde, a journal on the side of M. Gambetta, thinks their expediency doubtful. THE ELECTIONS. It is stated that the north of France will elect twenty-nine deputies, instead of twenty-four as pre viously. M. Jules Favre has sent a telegraphic despatch from Versailles to M. Gambetta, explaining the con ditions of the armistice in the East and North, adding that, with regard to the elections, it is under stood that in the provinces occupied by the enemy the mayors will perform the duties of the Prefects. The German commanders will afford perfect liberty for carrying out the elections. A postscript added by Count Bismarck to the despatch of M. Jules Favre says that the functions of the prefects during the elections in the depart ments occupied by the German army will be fulfilled by the mayors in the chief towns of the said depart ments. PUBLIC FEELING IN FRANCE. A telegram from Toulouse, dated Thursday, says :—At a meeting in this city, convened by the Democratic party, which was attended by about 3,000 persons, resolutions were passed that the Party of Action declares that the Government of the National Defence has forfeited its power, and confides to M. Gambetta the task of constituting a Committee of Public Safety, with the object of rejecting the armistice, continuing the war a outrance, and establishing a Republican Government. Two delegates were ordered to leave immediately for Bordeaux, in order to present these resolutions to M. Gambetta. R. Gent, Prefect of Marseilles, and M. Anatole de la Forge, Prefect of the Basses-Pyren6es, have issued a proclamation, recommending the continuation of resistance a outrance. A Committee of Defence, composed of natives of Alsace and Lorraine, has been established at Bordeaux, under the presidency of M. Tisserand, Advocate of the Court of Appeals at Nancy. The committee has presented an address to M. Gambetta, who promised to give shortly a formal answer. This address energetically protests against the annexation of Alsace and Lorraine, and urges upon the Govern ment the continuance of war a outrance. At a public meeting held at the Grand Theatre of Bordeaux twenty-three Republican leaders were nominated to form a future Committee of Public Safety, among whom are MM. Louis Blanc, Victor Hugo, Gambetta, Henri Rochefort, Esquires, Du Portal, and Schcelcher, HAVRE SUPPORTS M. GAMBETTA. HAvnE, February 2, The Municipality have unanimously passed the following resolution : " The Municipal Council of Havre gives its entire adhesion to the decrees issued by the Dele gation of National Defence of Bordeaux, and enter tains the firm hope that the National Assembly appointed by the electors will know how to defend the Republic, the interest, and the honour of France." —Lombard Telegram. THE FATE OF BOURBAKI'S ARMY. In a note to the journals the Bordeaux Govern ment explains what is pronounced to be the dims trous effects of the armistice on the fortunes of the Eastern Army. It says : At the very moment when the Convention of the 28th of January was notified to the Delegate Government a double strategical movement was taking place. On one side the Army of the East was operating, while on the other General Garibaldi, who had received reinforcements numbering 50,000 men, com menced a diversion in force in the rear of the enemy, ad vancing towards Dole and the Forest of Chana. Had this movement ended as successfully as it began, the Prus sian troops might have been placed in a very critical situa tion between two fires. At this moment the Army of the East suspended its operations, and the army of General Garibaldi halted within three kilometres of Dole, which had been almost completely evacuated by the enemy. During the two following days, while the French generals were negotiating with the enemy to clear up what seemed to be a misunderstanding, the enemy con tinued to advance, sending considerable reinforcements against Garibaldi, occupied important positions, and ren dered it impossible for the French army to pursue the original plan. When the full text of the armistice became known, General Garibaldi was obliged to evacuate Dijon, and to fall back on Macon ; and the Army of the East was compelled to enter Swiss territory, with the exception of the 24th Corps, forming the left wing, which succeeded in esoaping - the pursuit of the enemy. • Quite a different report comes from Versailles. A telegram from Imperial headquarters contains the following :—" At the conclusion of the armistice, it was demanded by the Germans that the siege of Belfort should not be included in the armistice, on account of the impending fall of the fortress; and in consequence thereof the French requested that a similar exception should be made for the army of General Bourbaki. Accordingly the continuation of the military operations in the three gouth-western ARMISTICE ARRANGEMENTS. .The armies of Faidherbe and Von Goeben con cluded an arrangement on the 31st, conformably to the armistice stipulations, between M. Favre and Count Bismarck. General Faidherbe refused at first to withdraw within the boundaries marked out in the Paris Convention, The Paris Government, however, sent an imperative order. VIOLATION OF SWISS NEUTRALITY. The Commission appointed to inquire into the alleged violation of the neutrality of Switzerland by German troops having reported that the case was made out, Colonel Hammer, Minister of Switzerland at Berlin, has received instructions to make a demand upon the North German Confederation for reparation for the same.—Lombard Telegram. SWISS LOAN. BERNE, February 3, Yeesterday the Swiss Federal Council decided to contract a loan of 15,000,000 francs, to be obtained by public subscription. The price of issue is to be 971, and the rate of interest 41 per eent.—Lombard Telegram: THE CONFERENCE. The Conference met at the Foreign Office at one o'clock yesterday. After prolonged deliberation, lasting upwards of five hours, the representatives of the European Powers adjourned until Tuesday next. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.) THL RIGHT HONOURABLE COWPER TEMPLE, M.P., ON WORKING MEN'S CLUBS. The Right Hon. Cowper Temple, M.P., presided at a large meeting held at Romsey on Thursday night, to con sider the propriety of establishing a working men's club in that town. He said he had for many years considered different schemes having for their object the happiness of working men. Nothing accorded so many opportunities of raising and elevating that class as the social clubs, which were established throughout the country. They are one of the means of carrying out the great principle of co operation and mutual self-help in the ordinary affairs of life. Clubs were necessary to the comfort and enjoyment of the upper classes; but still more so for working men, who lived in small houses, and had not so many means of home comfort as the upper classes. The right honourable gentleman said he approved of the introduction of female society, and that the rules, unless general, should be few, and admit of the widest interpretation, to ensure the success of the club. He concludvd by offering to give a house for the purpose of the club when a sufficient number of members presented themselves. FIRST MEETING OF TIIE NORTHAMPTON SCHOOL BOARD. The first meeting of the Northampton School Board was held in the Council Chamber of the Town Hall in in that town, on Thursday night. The first business was the election of a chairman for three years. Mr. T. Wright, the candidate who headed the poll, was, after some discussion, appointed chairman pro tem, A discus sion afterwards arose as to whether Mr. Wright should have a casting vote ; but the result of the voting proved it was not necessary. After another discussion of con siderable length as to the way in which the election of a permanent chairman should take place, they finally resolved to open the voting, when Mr. E. F. Law was appointed chairman, and the Mayor of Northampton (Mr. P. P. Perry) was appointed vice-chairman. A com mittee was then formed to define the duties of the clerk, who would have to be nominated for duties with the Board. ELECTION OF A SCHOOL BOARD FOR 'NEWARK. The election of a School Board for Newark has resulted in a majority for the Conservatives, the Liberal candi date, Mr. Wood, being defeated. All the Conservatives nominated were highest on the poll. There are four Churchmen and three Wesleyans elected. The polling was in the following order :—Nicholson, Sinclair, Hervey, Doubleday, Carp, and Smith. The two last-named were the principal promoters of the Board. ANOTHER CASE OF RATTENING AT SHEFFIELD. Another case of rattening has just been reported to the Sheffield police. Some time between Saturday night and Monday morning last, the wheel-bands of Henry Graves, a saw grinder, working at Nodder's Wheel, Rockingham street, were removed. The bands were eleven yards long, and were very valuable. This outrage has been committed, it is alleged, because Graves employed a boy contrary to the rules of the trade. THE " CAN CAN" IN THE PROVINCES. Edwin James Edurus, manager of the Gateshead Theatre, has been fined five pounds and costs by the borough magistrates for permitting an indecent perform ance in his establishment, by allowing Mademoiselle Brahau% and her Parisian female troupe to dance the "Can Can." The Mayor of Gateshead was present at one performance, and stated in the court that it was the most indecent and debasing entertainment he had ever wit nessed. THE ADMIRALTY FRAUDS. Yesterday the court-martial assembled at Portsmouth proceeded with the trial of Charles Townsend, steward of the Inconstant, against whom twelve indictments of fraud and conspiracy have been preferred. Admiral Wellesley presided. The prisoner is charged with having on different days in October, November, and December falsely repre sented to Mr. Giles, the paymaster, that cer tain quantities of meat had been received on board for the use of the ship's company when the Inconstant was at Portland, well knowing that a smaller quantity only had been shipped. The case for the prosecution is that the accused obtained certificates that certain quantities of fresh meat had been supplied when considerably less had actually been furnished, the contractor payln him for the excess. Prisoner's counsel objected to the jurisdiction of the court, but the objection was overruled. After some evidence had been taken the court adjourned until to-morrow. LIVERPOOL CHAMBER OF COMMERCE. At the annual meeting of the Liverpool Chamber of Commerce yesterday, Mr. Graves, M.P., and Mr. Rath bone, M.P., both expressed a hope that General Schenck would be enabled to make a satisfactory settlement of the Alabama claim ; both gentlemen stating that from their own personal experience and knowledge of Americans, they were convinced that under an outer crust of irritation all native-born Americans cherished a feeling of affection for the old country, the alien popula tion of the United States being alone hostile to us. Mr. Graves also spoke strongly in favour of further postal reforms. FATAL ACCIDENT. At Liverpool yesterday, as four men were descending a shaft connected with a tunnel for the new Central Railway station, the rope broke, thus precipitating the men to the bottom. One man was killed and the others barely sur vive. WISBEACH CHAMBER OF AGRICULTURE. The annual dinner of the Wisbeach District Chamber of Agriculture took place last evening. Lord George Manners, M.P., in replying to the toast of " The Army," advocated a thorough reorganisation of the reserve forces. The Militia ought to be raised by ballot to the extent of 300,000 men. Viscount Royston, M.P., was also present at the banquet, and, in the course of his address, charged Lord John Russell with having been the primary cause of the present political situation, by withholding the despatch to the Emperor of the French in reference to the Danish question until it had been pub lished in the English newspapers. This so irritated the Emperor that he refused to enter into negotiations, and the English Minister shrank from Assisting Denmark. Viscount Royston deprecated the opposition that was being raised to a dowry being granted to the Princess Louise. INQUEST ON A CAPTAIN. An inquest was held at Queenstown yesterday on the body of John Fearon, captain and owner of the brig Hope, of Maryport. Early yesterday morning, during a heavy gale, the Hope dragged foul of the Bremen. barque AFFRAY WITH POACHERS. A serious affray took place on Thursday night between four gamekeepers on the estate of Sir Henry Seton Stuart, at Lomb, Stirlingshire, and a gang of poachers. The fight lasted nearly two hours, and one of the keepers was so severely injured that his life is despaired of. In the struggle the contents of a gun were lodged in the leg of a poacher. Two of the gang were captured. DEATH OF MR. T. W. ROBERTSON With the most sincere regret we have to record the death of this eminent and popular dramatist. Yesterday evening, after a long and severe illness, Mr. Robert son died suddenly, at his residence, Eton-road, Haver stock-hill. THE DOWRY OF THE PRINCESS LOUISE. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.) A deputation from the Birmingham Labour Represen tation League waited upon Mr. Dixon, M.P., and Mr. Muntz, M.P., last night, for the purpose of ascertaining their views in reference to a dowry being granted to the Princess Louise. Mr. Bell, in objecting to the dowry, said he believed he expressed the views of the vast ma jority of his fellow-workmen throughout the country. In 1850 Mr. Bright had said that Royal ' persons ought to earn their livings as other per sons did, and he (Mr. Bell) could not understand why Mr. Bright did not maintain the same view now. In replying to the deputation, Mr. Dixon said he did not think the present was an occasion upon which the Liberal party could take action. He added that the Marquis of Lorne was a promising, able, young gentle man, and one of the first to join the Education League. It might reconcile them to the grant to know that the Duke of Argyll was one of the poorest of the nobility, so poor, indeed, that two of his sons were actually engaged in trade.—[A. Voice : "And very proper, too."]—ln conclu sion Mr. Dixon said he thought it it would be very unwise if the House of ComMohs refused the grant,--Mt. Muntz replied to the same effect. THE FUTURE OF THE CAMPAIGN. Commenting on the occupation of the French forts, the special correspondent of the Daily News at the head quarters of the Crown Prince of Prussia, writing on January 31, remarks :—Of course you wish to know how all this will end. Prophetic vision is the least which the public seems to expect of those who " assist" at such spectacles as the bombardment and surrender of Paris. Will the French bow to inevitable fate ; yield with a good grace what needs must be yielded ; deliberate in their National Assembly as becomes men who have not held a trump through the whole rubber ; sign away Alsace and Ldrraine, and pay the 'expenses of the war ? Will the French be rash and headstrong, too brave or too obstinate to admit that they are beaten ? Will they let Paris complete its surrender; soldiers of Vinoy go as prisoners to Germany, and the rest of France resume the unequal struggle ? We must wait and see. I can only tell you' what is thought probable at headquarters; can only sketch the future as seems probable to those who march with the victorious troops. There may be a fund of energy pent up in the Southern departments; a tough ness of resistance in Lille and the little corner of the North which yet remains ; and a patient endurance in the peasants of the debateable ground, that it will take Ger many half a year to overcome. But this is not the opinion of the German armies. It is thought that France has had enough, and that her recent defeats have completely discouraged her. What with the hold on Paris which Count Bismarck has obtained,and the leisure for reflection afforded by the armistice, there seems to be every chance of peace. Ido not for a moment believe that starving or burning the capital can be used as means of coercion. Such rumours seem to me but the idle talk of the camp. Paris has, in fact, surrendered by the surrender of her forts, and can only pass from the present state of modified hostile domination to a state of complete submission as a consequence of further warfare. The French desire that their capital, should not be occupied by German troops. They would sacrifice much to avoid a triumphal entry into Paris of the conquerors for, apart from other reasons, there would be danger of collision with the excited mob. The Germans, though they dearly long to march to Paris, long still more dearly to return home victorious. Very little marching through, or no marching through at all, might content them if they saw their way to a liberal payment of war expenses, and a lasting peace. They would will ingly forego the luxury of occupying Paris for the sake of the speedy settlement of their claims against France. By sacrificing a part they may save the whole country from ruin. Enough has been done to vindicate their honour, and even if brother Frenchmen must be yielded over to foreign rule, if the Republic must be postponed to some more Republican epoch, there will be comfort in securing rest and breathing time for France. Let us consider for a moment the chances which a further struggle would pre sent. In the east, Belfort would have to capitulate, and Lyons would be besieged. In the Centre, the Germans would pass on towards Bordeaux. In the West they would threaten Brest and Cherbourg ; and in the North they would soon commence the reduction of Lille. It is a dreary prospect. France has no friends on whom she can count ; for every one sees that Germany is an " almighty fact," and the most that foreign sympathisers are likely to do for the " Grand Nation " on a lee shore is to give charity to the shipwrecked sailors who escaped. No human power would or could interfere, you may bet ten to one between the French and their indignant enemy. The Germans would lose all patience at finding themselves delayed through the summer months, and would ask harder terms by next July than they ask at present. Do you want to know what they do really ask? I can only tell you that everyone says, and that the best informed people believe, that they must have Alsace and the greater part of Lorraine ; a hundred million or so for their war expenses ; some of the French ships ; and a Monarchical Government in France, to give security for the future. Do you think that the terms are hard ? It is true that they are hard ; but, alas for France ! she has slid into a position where she can scarcely haggle about terms. It may be the greatest blessing to her that this ccmpromise of allowing Paris to yield, yet not quite to disappear from the political scene for three weeks, should give time to the whole nation to reflect upon what it has lost. Messrs. Rothschild Brothers have advanced 200,000,000 francs towards the war contribution. The elections were to take place on Sunday. There has been a decided improvement in the con dition of the Rev. T. T. Carter, of Clewer. The Central Chamber of Agriculture is about to open its campaign for this year. At its first meeting next week the council will consider the question of the uniformity of weights and measures, the malt tax, and the legal provisions for maintaining highways. NEW COUNTY COURT JUDGE.—The Lord Chan cellor has conferred the appointment of the County Court Judgeship, vacant by the death of Mr. Christopher Temple, Q.C., on Mr. John Osborne, Q.C. Mr. Osborne was called to the Bar in June, 1835, and has enjoyed a considerable practice in the Courts of Equity. The district over which Mr. Osborne will preside embraces Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, - Saddleworth. and Todinor den. It may be noticed that the Lord Chancellor has distributed the patronage of the County Court Judgeships with an even hand between the Equity and Common Law Bars. Nothing can be more just or politic than this scheme of distribution, so long as the appointments are given to barristers familiar with contentious proceedings. —Law Journal A STRAY BALLOON.—The Rev. A. R. Alexander, vicar of Churt, near Farnham, found on a hill near that village, on Monday last, a little crimson and white oiled silk balloon, with two letters tied to its mouth, one of which was addressed in English, French, and German, as follows :—"To the finder of the ' Last Hope' Balloon." One of the letters read as follows :—" Noisy le Sec, mid night, January 26, 1871.—T0 the finder.—Please oblige an Englishman compelled by untoward fates to remain in this village with no means of communication with those outside. We expect now shortly the fall of Paris ; but, as it is important the letter attached to this balloon should somehow reach America, the finder will have my eternal gratitude if he will kindly post it, and return the balloon to my agents, Parker and Co., 10, Cheapside, by whom all expenses will be paid. Trusting the finder will do this at once, I remain for the present here—(Signed) F.A." The other letter read :—" Noisy-le-Sec, midnight. I write in haste, as I am off to the ramparts. The city is all in a state of confusion. The cry of all is for peace. Jules Favre is hastening to Versailles, there to make the necessary arrangements for peace, and wait another oppor tuni_ty to pay those brutal Prussians out and their horrid old King. I send this by a little balloon belonging to a friend of mine, and I trust it will get to England safely. —(Signed) Conde de Grannula." THE TERM OF PEACE. The Times, in reconsidering the demands of Count Bismarck, says :—We earnestly desire that peace should be made between France and Germany, and, having long believed that further resistance was useless, we cannot pro- fess the least hope that better terms can be ex torted by the threats of M. Gambetta or ,the obstinacy of a National Assembly. We do however hope something from the wisdom and pru dence of the German rulers, the influence of European opinion, and the mediation of the neutral Governments. Countßismarck must be asable as the rest of the world to see that, as it is impossible to destroy the French people, it is good statesthansbip not to crush them with burdens too heavy to he home ; Or to degrade them intolerably, If France had but one neck, and he wished to make an end of her at a tiovir i his course might be clear ; but a nation of 38,000,600 must continue to live and hate, and be ready for mischief if goaded by indignities that can never be forgotten. It la little to say that we do not think the terms of peace transmitted from Berlin will be enforced, for that is clearly impossible so far as regards the indemnity, and almost equally sa as regards the ships of war, which the Germans cannot capture, nor even prevent from being transferred to a foreign Power. But we feel a strong persuasion that the attempt to extort these terms will not be seriously made. There is reason to believe that they have emanated from Versailles, and that the German Government is not un willing to let it be thoughtthatit is determinedtowring the uttermost franc from the conquered. We do not pretend to guess at the considerations which have influenced the German Chancellor. To our thinking, his ends would be attained more surely and completely by encourag ing the Peace party in France, and by foiling M. Gambetta and the Southern Democrats. But if we take the facts as we find them, various solutions will present themselves. The Germans may wish to begin, like an Ea , tern shopkeeper, by asking three (r four times what they mean to take, and if they remit the bulk of the indemnity they have claimed, they will, of course, treat it as a favour, which must put an end to any remonstrance on the cession of territory. Reviewing the conqueror's demands, the Nandard re , marks :—Four hundred millions sterling in hard cash, over and above the enormoussums already exacted by way of requisition from provincial towns, over and above the eight millions sterling extorted from Paris— Alsace and Lor raine, with all their fortresses, with half the mauufacturing wealth of France—one moiety, and that the best, of the' French navy—and Pondicherry, the relic and monument of French achievement and dominion in India. Such are the demands of Count von Bismarck and his Imperial master. Such the sacrifices by which the despairing people of France may be permitted to purchase the with drawal of the German hosts from their wasted soil, and the lives of their remaining sons. Not even Napoleon I. ever offered to a vanquished enemy conditions no cruel, so oppressive, so humiliating. Never, since civilisation was; fairly established in Europe, and the conquering hordes which had overthrown the Roman Empire settled down into separate nations, each with a definite terri tory, and a recognised existence, has victory been more shamefully abused. What will be our reply ? We cannot undertake to anticipate the action of the Ministry. We know not whether they aro most afraid of Germany or of England—of the armies of the Emperor William or the Parliament of great Briton. But we have no doubt about the feelings and wishes of the British nation. France leas atoned her original fault by a willingness to make a peace which she knew would entail painful and costly sacrificer, She is justified in renewing the war rather than make such sacrifices as are now demanded of her—sacrifices of honour, power, prosperity, physical well-being, and moral greatness, of all that makes national life worth having. Germany is committing the fault of all faults most odious in our . eyes—a cruel, vindictive, greedy treatment of a vanquished foe. There is but one feeling among the great majority of Englishmen —a feeling that this is too bad, and that England ought not to suffer it. And this is the dictate of policy as well as of feeling. England, as the first of Neutral Powers, should combine all the Neutral States in a solid league against the covetous ambition and lawless conduct of Germany —a league to uphold the public law of Europe, and to maintain that unwritten law which Europe has adopted from ancient Greece, that no State once admited into the European A mphictyony shat be destroyed by a conqueror, or bl o tt e d ou t f rom th e roll - - of European Powers ; that victory shall never be strained to the point of conquest, and that defeat shall not involve national degradation. THE WORK OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. Once more, the Daily News observes, the destiny of France has been placed in the people's hands. Dictator ships, animated by the best of motives, have once more failed, and power has reverted to its natural possessors. The course of events in France seems predestined to lead round by every possible channel to this result. Monar chy, old and new, despotic or constitutional; Empire which was war, and Empire which was peace ; Provisional Government, Dictatorship, or Republic--it always comes at last to the election by the great body of the nation of a ruling Assembly. Every man who tries to rule France fails, and is either swept away by a revolution, or in some way or other has to give back his power into the hands of the people. Some day perhaps a method of doing this with order and peace and quiet may be found, and then France will have rest, but that time is not now. The National Assembly which the French people are now called on to name, will have imposed upon it in almost unparalleled responsibility. France has had many such elections before, but never in such painful circumstances as these. The capital is in the enemies' hands, every provincial army is dissolved and dispersed, and the Go vernment itself is split i n to t wo p oss ibly antagonistic parts, ruling from two capitals. The Assembly now to be elected has, the re f ore , a g rea ter work to do than its memor able predecessors of 1791 and 1792. It has to decide the momentous issue of peace and war, and it may have to construct the Government, and to essay the rescue of France, to organise the provinces, and to deliver the capi tal. The country lies prostrate and bleeding under the blows of an enemy to whom its self-seeking rulers olive by wanton aggression the opp or t un i ty of offence; l ' and the Republic, with its inevitable reference to the expressed will of the whole people, is called in to save it from ruin neanhdutdeaspruaiinr.ous peace ewl b willlpe m roth e ly di p sas ay heavily . trous than war, and tired as the people are they will fight on, if need be, with the new resolution they will gather from despair. THE RIVAL GOVERNMENTS IN FRANCE. The Telegraph commenting on the proclamation of M. Gambetta, says :—France has now two hostile Govern ments, both illegal in their origin, and it remains for the people to say whom they will trust, Gambetta or Favre. The writer concludes by observing that France has reached a crisis of such tremendous importance that the decision of her National Assembly may bring salvation to the country on the one hand, or ruin on the other. When such are the issues, it is supremely important that the decision in favour of peace or war should be pronounced, not by any•party, but by the whole nation. However good may be a Republic, or heroic a fight a outrance, Gambetta has not a vestige of right to use the powers of the Government to win a vote in favour of either. He has held authority, not for the coercion, but for the defence of the nation. The decree by which he would shut out all foes of the Repute• lie from the electoral field is as flagrant an act of ursurpa- tion as that by which the National Assembly was dis solved in 1851. If those partisans be unworthy of legis lative trust, it is for the people, and not for a self-elected Dictator, to pronounce the decision. Were he able so to employ the powers of the Government as to ensure the return of none save his own creatures, and could he thus make the Assembly vote for war while the people demanded peace, his guilt would be almost too gre at for chastisement, and his name would m er it execra tion for ever. But his power is happily limited by the good sense and the apprehensions of the French people. Outside the ranks of the "Reds" he will not meet with obedience. France must and will take the side of M. Jules Favre, and insist that the National Assembly shall be fairly constituted, and not be packed with the creatures of the Dictator. A n d _ _ _ _ if M. Gambetta should display the slightest sign of a determination to employ force, the Parisian Government will, of course, place him under arrest. His act looks like that of a person whom the failure of gigantic labours has driven distracted ; and, indeed, it is charit able to believe that the man who has otherwise dohe im. perishable services to France has such an excuse for issuing a decree the guilt of which is eclipsed only by its folly. The steamer Burgsund is loading at the Millwall Docks, London, with provisions for immediate despatch to France. Among other cargo she takes about 500 tons of preserved meat in tins, the want of fuel in Paris rendering ready - cooked provisions of the first im portance. 01, ral nd ;nt :ng ent, the his has and L the r the iths' GE. men- is, in ton's , ough diary hat it Ling a r the Aire." paign Male vhich