The Sun. — London, England, 1871-01-13 00:00:00

effect. End of ery een the her 3Xt, mes r at on ;ath 31sea Lin ig as Mr. eant said ?,d in bank -1 of no )Unled mation : woPen aired• emYuaf r~ eds won,thousA e bill iof Ls earn ° 0 st3te,cla o f shool tb l ° rhea 0 ng o f t lish aces. 6ao 0 of the •ty a uthor / id red '' ou 'claret` ;ed tO n d e t be vLT vof• ChaT' sf y ie re H o ot - drover. c o An.g n tl ite 3 he gf. Lul u the jug. toio id thaby of kn t° tinae n 'too' It 13' tih wess e i birof heP°llas`.o t,9 e otrY t the kuglls the iicie nt re 10 01 Oot And ill j.., soa th" ote to , 10 3 ific jd Tite LATEST INTELLIGENCE. SUN OFFICE, 8 A.M. THE WAIL THE BOMBARDMENT. VERSAILLES, January 12. The bombardment has been exceedingly powerful from two last night till two this afternoon. A rain of shells fell in Paris, where several small an,l large fires have occurred. Some positions in front of Clamart and Meudon have been occupied by the Prussians. The French make small sorties, an.l yesterday surprised a Bavarian picket in a redoubt below Clamart, but were again repulsed directly after wards. They have unmasked new batteri.s. The scarps of their forts are suffering greatly, and also the em brasures, but the reply fire still continues. Troops are massed before Mont Valerien. There is snow on the ground, and frost con tinues. The German fire is increasing in srength and BERLIN, January 11. The following telegram has been received here : " VERSAILLES, January 11. "The bombardment of the works of the enemy and the emplacements of the guns have been vigo rously continued to-day, partly by new batteries, which have been advanced further towards the city. The barracks of Fort Issy have been burnt down. Our loss consists of two officers and seven men killed and wounded. " General von Werder, after advancing from Vesoul to the left, and repulsing on the 9th, in an engagement at Villersexel, the enemy who attempted to obstruct his march, continued his movement on the 10th without further fighting."—Times. The following telegrams come through Reuter's Agency : CAPTURE OF LE MANS. ROYAL HEADQUARTERS, VERSAILLES, January 12 (11.45 p.m.) _ _ _ . The French Army of the West has been com pletely defeated near Le Mans by the second Ger man Army, under Prince Frederick Charles and the Grand Duke of Mecklenburg. The town of Le Mans has been occupied by the Germans, and large stores have been captured. Th e enemy is being pursued. TOTAL DEFEAT OF CIIANZY'S ARMY. SCHWEItIN, January 12. The Grand Duke of Mecklenburg telegraphs as follows to the Grand Duchess : " CONNERRE, January 11. " After crossing the rivulet L'Huisne, north of Le Mans, yesterday, we fought to-day a hotly-contested but victorious engagement at Lombron and La Cha pelle. " Nearly 10,000 prisoners have been taken. Our loss is inconsiderable. " We shall advance to-morrow on Le Mans." VERSAILLES, January 12 (1.51 p.m.) The several corps advancing on Le Mans had severe fighting yesterday until dark. The out lets of Champagne and Chateau Aro:ier were taken. Seven guns and mitrailleuses were captured. The number of prisoners who fell into our hands during the pursuit ;on the 10th did not amount to 2,000, as hitherto stated, but to 5,000, besides four mitrailleuses, taken by the columns of the centre alone. General Werder, after leaving Vesoul by a flank march to his left, continued his movem rnt on the 10th without any fighting, excepting the engage ment at Villersexel on the previous day, when he repulsed the enemy who attempted to obstruct his march. THE FRENCH ACCOUNT. BORDEAUX, January 12. Yesterday a fresh battle was fought almost under the walls of Le Mans. The Germans attacked the French along the whole line. General Jauregui berry maintained his position on the right bank of the stream L'Husine. General de Colomb fought desperately for six hours on the plateau d'Anvours. General Gongeara had his horse pierced by six bullets. The French positions below Chanze, on the road to Parigm3, were maintained, except at La Tuilerie, which was taken during the night by a return move ment of the enemy. According to the statements of prisoners taken by the French the Prussian forces engaged and in reserve are estimated at 180,000 men. The losses on both sides are not yet known, but aro serious. - The French had two colonels badly wounded. GENERAL MANTEUFFEL. VERSAILLES, January 11. General Manteuffel is appointed to the command of the Army of the East. The General, accompanied by his whole staff, has already passed through Ver... Baines en route for his new post. THE SIEGE OF PARIS. General Trochu has issued the following procla- To THE CITIZENS OF PARIS. At the moment when the enemy is redoubling his attempts to frighten us, some persons are seeking to mislead the . citizens of Paris - by deceit and calumny. The most is being made of our suffering-8 and our sacrifices to impair our re sistance. Nothing shall make our weapons fall from our hands. Courage, Confidence, Patriotism ! Th e Governor of Paris will not capitulate. (Signed) GENERAL TROCIIII. A Parisian crowd has torn down the " Red " Placards demanding the overthrow of the Govern znent, gratuitous rations, and a sortie en masse. I.I E AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN DELEGATION. PEsTir, January 12. The Austrian Delegation was to-day engaged for ,-„ nt e , l 'eral hours discussing the Army E s ti ma t es . 4. e debate was chiefly carried on by members 1 r the _D e l egat i on, t h e Mi n i ster of War, ° wever, repeatedly urging upon the Delegation the 11e cessity for keeping the army thoroughly prepared t:nd e ffective in view of the present politic a l situa :full. The es ti ma t es prov idi ng f or t h e ma i ntenance c c , the military force were passed as reported by the retnittee, the Minister of War ha v in g p rev i ous l y d eclared himself satisfied with the Committee's pro- Deaale. • PRUSSIA AND LUXEMBURG. tnidden t MET; Januaty 12. The Prussian P r ef e t f or L orra i ne a t M e t z h as for jonrnal published at 7.,,,llernbur he circulation of a g, under the title o f L uxem b urger Wort fur alwheit and Recht, because it reviews actual 0 7?ii . ts in a spi r it ca l cu l a t e d to uncluly excite public peat I ° l l in a manner which mus t b e d angerous to e. CHINA. e telegram dated Pekin, December 31, was re flB ved at the Foreign Office yesterday from Mr. ade ' stating that all was quiet, that the last news 4 111 the ports was satisfactory, and that the story ell aPel having been destroyed at Newchwang was 0, true. AMERICA. PHILADELPHIA, Jallllary 12. Congress has passed a resolution sending a Com mission to San Domingo to make an examination of the island, but with a proviso that the resolution should not be construed as pledging Congress to an nexation. It passed the Senate to-day, and the Corn-' mission expects to sail on Friday. A decided majority of Congress is still opposed to annexation. —Times. WASHINGTON ; January 12. Senator Morton, of Indiana, will in the spring take the place of Mr. Fish, as the Secretary of State and Foreign A ffairs.—Telegraph. THE LONDON CONFERENCE. VIENNA, January 12. - It is said that the Austrian Government intends to take the intiative in proposing conditions of peace at the Conference. Letters have passed between Count Bismarck and Count Beust to this effect. Count Bernstorff has received instruction to wel come the Austrian advances. The following pre liminaries are made : Ist. France undertakes to surrender 2d i war ships 1,000,000,000 thalers, and a strip of land four German miles broad along the left bank of the Rhine. 2nd. France undertakes to surrender a fort (?) till the conclusion of peace. Prussia guarantees 2,000,000 rations daily to the Parisians. 3rd. France undertakes to destroy all her forts within twenty miles of the Rhine.—Daily News. CONSTANTINOPLE, January 12. ;The Porte has no intention, but, on the contrary, objects to settling direct with Russia. It Will leave the Conference to decide upon the Eastern question.-1 Imes. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.) THE FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION AT RENI. SHAW PARK COLLIERY. At the inquest on the bodies of the twenty-seven men killed by the explosion at Renishaw Park Colliery, Police Inspector Hallam gave evidence as to the property found upon the deceased. Some of the men had pipes and tobacco in their pockets ; and upon the person of the de ceased Matthew Savage about eight or ten matches were discovered. The Government Inspector of Mines for the district, Mr. Evans, examined the pit yesterday morning in company of Mr. G. Wells, one of the proprietors, and several of the principal colliery officials. Thomas Good win, the man most seriously injured, has recovered con sciousness, but he still lies in a precarious condition. FIRE AT SHEFFIELD. Great excitement was caused in Sheffield last night by a fire which broke out in Messrs. Gray and Hender son's large drapery establishment. There were a hun dred and fifty persons on the premises at the time, and it was feared that the conflagration would spread to the ad joining places of business, which, in anticipation of such a disaster were rapidly cleared of their stock. The fire men, however, succeeded in confining the flames to the shop where they originated, and the fire, after doing con siderable damage, was got under. None of the inmates of the building sustained any personal injury. LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY AT SEA. Mr. Plimsoll, M.P., addressed a meeting of the Man chester and Salford Trades Society last night on the sub ject of marine insurance and losses of life at sea. A resolution was adopted pledging the council of the society to support Mr. Plimsoll to the full extent of its powers in his laudable object of influencing public opinion in favour of legislative inquiry with a view to the prevention of the great loss of life and destruction of property caused by the overloaded, unseaworthy, badly stowed, and insuffi ciently manned vessels which are engaged in the merchant service. FATAL QARRY ACCIDENT. A landship occurred in a stone quarry in the village of Halliwell, near Bolton, yesterday. While the men em ployed in the quarry were dislodging some stone, two tons of it slipped and crushed to death William Grimshaw, aged 50 years, and seriously injured another man. Grimshaw's back was broken, and his head forced into his chest. MR. JOHN STUART MILL ON WOMAN SUFFRAGE. A meeting in favour of woman suffrage was held in Edinburgh last night. Mr. John Stuart Mill was one of the speakers, and in the course of his remarks he said that a man's wife was very often the prompter of what he did, and how was it to be expected that he would learn to postpone private interests to public ones while he had beside him in the person of his wife one who had been trained to understand nothing whatever of the duties which he owed to the public ? How, too, could a woman have a conscience abOut the public good if she was told and believed that it was no business whatever of hers ? Give women the same rights as men, and the same obligations would follow. Another reason for conferring the franchise upon women was to be found in the vast amount of brain power and practical business talent which they possessed, but which now ran to waste for want of an outlet into those great fields of public use fulness in which such qualities were very much wanted. The exclusion of women from the franchise was the last remnant of the old bad state of society, the regime of pri vileges and disabilities. LEICESTER SCHOOL BO ARD. The result of the election of members to serve on the Leicester School Board is, that six Churchmen, two working men (to what religious body belonging is not stated), one Primitive Methodist, one Roman Catholic, one Independent, one Baptist, and one Quaker have been returned. THE BISHOP OF MANCHESTER AT ASHTON. UNDER-L YNE. The Bishop of Manchester, who was present at a soiree at the Mechanics' Institution, Ashton-under-Lyne, last night, alluding to the subject of education, said that what young men in England most wanted, was systematic instruction, which would go far to raise the people of this country, and to reduce crime. His lordship also urged that strenuous measures should be adopted against intem perance, which Unhappily prevailed to a large extent amongst all classes of the community. THE MINERS' CONFERENCE AT MAN CHESTER. The Miners' National Conference at Manchester closed its sitting last evening. At the opening of the proceed ings the Chairman referred to the sad accident at Eckington on Wednesday morning, by which twenty-seven persons were killed. He quoted it as an instance of the apathy of some classes of miners to these accidents that there was no representative present from any of the Der byshire collieries to take an active part with the Confe rence in their action with respect to the regulation of mines and the prevention of accidents. Resolutions were adopted, urging the necessity of checkweightmen being appointed at every pit-head ; on behalf of the miners declaring in favour of the weekly payment of wages ; and against the trade system of seeking protection from the funds of Trades Unions ; and also an amendment of the law enabling the families of miners to obtain compensation for loss of life or personal injury in accidents. The Conference also approved of the establishment of Boards of Arbitration in all mining districts for the settlement of disputes between employers and the employed. The President addressed the Conference on the subject of inspection, and the suspervision of the inspectors by the Home Secretary, whose other occupations were so heavy that he would not give due attention to the special merits of miners. After hearing this speech, the Conference entered into a long discussion on the subject, in the course of which many-of the delegates declared their concurrence in the chairman's opinion. Ultimately it was agreed unanimously to memorialise the Government for the appointment of a Minister of Mines. Mr. Alexander Macdonald was re appointed President of the Conference. THE PRINCE OF WALES IN GLOUCESTER SHIRE. Owing to the frost, the Prince of Wales, who (with a distinguished party) is the guest of Lord Fitzhardinge, at Berkeley Castle, went out shooting instead of hunting, yesterday. To-day there is to be a ball at the castle, to which Lord Fitzhardinge has invited some three hun dred of his tenants, tradesmen, and others. FAILURE IN MANCHESTER. The Manchester papers of last evening announce the suspension of George Triandafillidi, of that city, engaged in the India trade. The liabilities are said to be £lB,OOO. THE NEW RECORDER FOR READING. Mr. James 011iff Grafths , Oxford Circuit, barrister at LON.DOIN, FR law, the newly appointed Recorder for Reading, took his seat for the first time on Thursday, on the occasion of the holding of the General Quarter Sessions of the Peace. RELIGIOUS EDUCATION OF MINORS At the Court of Chancery, Dublin, the case of Meade's minors was heard. Miss Romayne sought possession of two children named Meade, daughters of a solicitor in Dublin, by her sister, deceased. Miss Ho• mayne, it appeared, wished to bring them lip in the Roman Catholic faith which their mother professed, and in accordance with an agreement between Mr. Meade and the late Mrs. Meade. Mr. Meade has since re-married. The Lord Chancellor refused to grant the prayer of Miss Romayne's petition, and the father retains the custody of his children. LOSS OF A SCHOONER. The schooner Dartmouth, of Penzance, 74 tons register, James master and owner, laden with coals, from Cardiff to Penzance, experienced heavy weather on - Wednesday off the Land's End. She struck on a rock about 2 p.m. off Porthcurnon, and went down. In about an hour after wards the crew got into their boats, and were taken on board the schooner Victoria, going to Penzance, where they were landed. The Dartmouth and her cargo are insured. THE FATAL COLLIERY EXPLOSION. The missing man Bolsover was found at eight o'clock on Thursday morning, very badly burnt, at the bottom of the Jenny-road. There are not any more reported dead at present. All the injured are going on favourably. The inquest on those killed was opened by Mr. Brisby, coroner, at the Titwell Arms. After the bodies had been identified the inquiry was adjourned till Monday week. The cause of the explosion is supposed to be the firing of shot in the main road which let in the gas. The mineral engineer says he cannot understand such a great loss of life from so small an explosion. The ventilation is said to be good. The bodies were put in pitchy pine coffins, and sent home. Twenty-five of the deceased have left wives and families. Breach-loadcrs are now in course of issue to the Isle of Wight Volunteers during the past few days. They have been served out to the Ist (Ryde), 2nd (Newport), and 4th (Nunwell) corps. 143 were received by the former, and 80 by the last named corps. ANOTHER COLLIERY EXPLO- SION. FIVE MEN KILLED AND FIFTEEN INJURED. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.) An explosion occurred yesterday morning at the colliery of the Crewe Coal and Iron Company, at Leycett, near Newcastle-under-Lyne. Four men were killed on the spot, one died shortly afterwards, and fifteen were more or less seriously injured. A shot, fired in the ten feet seam contrary to orders, was the cause of the explosion. Four of the men killed were married, and have left families behind them. Those injured (amongst whom is the man who imprudently fired the shot), are expected to recover. The names of the killed are John Johnson, Samuel Mason, George Powers, Halmer-end (unmar ried); George Lougbore, Newcastle ; Samuel Whalley, Audley. DEATH OF MR. PAUL BEDFORD• The elder generation of playgoers will receive with regret, but not with surprise, the intelligence of the decease of Mr. Paul Bedford, who expired late on Wed nesday evening, at his residence, Linsey-place, Chelsea. Mr. Paul Bedford was a native of Bath, where he was born about the year 1796, and after a short probation on the provincial stage, he made his first appearance in Lon don at Drury-lane Theatre, November 2, 1824, when he represented Hawthorn in the old English opera of " Love in a Village." CRYSTAL PALACE.—One Shilling Day.—Thurs day.—The admissions by season tickets were 2,480; do. on payment, 2,969 ; total visitors, 5,449. The Musical Standard announces that Liszt has been invited by M. Bismarck to take the direction of the Berlin Academy of Music in the place of Joachim. In a letter just publishe l the Bishop of Bath and Wells expresses the opinion that " the proceedings of the English Church Union will destroy the English Church if they are encouraged in their present course." The Musical Standard says that among the young German defenders of Fatherland before the walls of Paris, is the youngest son of Hugo Pierson (the composer of " Hezekiah" and " Jerusalem ;") a cadet (ensign) in the 7th Infantry Regiment, Wurtemburg Division, a regi ment distinguished for participation in the hottest conflicts ; young Pierson, we hear, being in the hottest of the fire. INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF 1871. The following noblemen and gentlemen have consented to act as (judges to select paintings for the forthcoming exhibi tion :—The Viscount Bury, M.P. ; The Lord Elcho, M.P. : Sir Coutts Lindsay, Bart ; Mr. Alfred Elmore, R.A. (representing the Royal Academy) ; Mr. Alfred Clint (representing the Society of British Artists) ; Mr. Alfred Hunt (representing the Society of Painters in Water Colours) ; Mr. Henry Warren (representing the Institute of Painters in Water Colours) ; Mr. F. Dillon ; and Mr. H. S. Marks. FIRE NEAR THE LYCEUM THEATRE.—This morn ing, shortly before three o'clock, a fire was discovered at a house in Exeter-street, Strand, used as an oyster-shop and refreshment-rooms, and as the back of the premises adjoined the Lyceum Theatre, fears were naturally enter tained that the fire might extend to that building, the more especially as before an engine arrived the house was alight from top to bottom. It would seem that before the fire was detected it must have been burning for some time, as those who were first on the spot saw flames at the lower and at the upper part at the same time. There was some delay in the arrival of the engines, which may be accounted for by the fact that a reflection in the sky showed that a large fire was also burning in the western part of London. Though nothing could be saved of the premises, fortunately the fire was prevented from extending; and thus the neighbouring theatre and the many other buildings adjoining—forming a solid block, without any space been—were uninjured. GARIBALDI ON THE POSITION OF FRANC E.— The following letter from Garibaldi, dated Autun, Jan. 2, has been published :—" The situation of France is very far from being so bad as certain interested pessimists wish to make , people understand. The permanent future of the Republic is beyond a doubt, and the reasons which lead me to that conclusion are as follows :—The. French army is daily increasing in numbers and in confidence. The Prussian army is doing just the opposite. For my second conclusion I will put to you the following question :—Do you believe that in France there is a single man who would be capable of proposing a de grading peace? Did such a man exist, he would be torn to pieces within twenty-four hours. So much for France. As for my humble self, I feel truly happy, at the end of my career, to be able still to do service to the holy cause of the people, and assuredly I shall do this with all the devotion of which I am capable.—Yours sincerely. G. GARIBALDI." THE WAR AND THE GOVERNMENT.—Last night the fourth of a series of public meetings, commenced by a committee of which Mr. Charles Bradlaugh is president, was held at St. George's-hall, Langliam-place, Regent street. The object of these meetings, as expressed in the placards calling them, is "to express sympathy with France, to protest against Prussian aggression, and to call on the English Government to use its influence in favour of peace at the Conference of European Powers about to meet in London." The hall was well filled, and the chair was occupied by Mr. Austin Holyoake. The meeting was addressed by Messrs. Bradlaugh, G. Odger, Le Luber, Dr. Bowkett, and others, in speeches strongly denouncing the barbarous and aggressive conduct of Prussia in carrying on the war against the French Republic and people, and con demning the conduct and policy of the English Govern ment before and during the war. Resolutions in accord. ance with the object of the meeting, and identical in terms with those adopted at the previous meetings, were carried unanimously, and the proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks to the chairman. BREAKFAST.—EPPS'S COCOA.--GRATEFUL AND COM FORTING.—The very agreeable character of this preparation has rendered it ageneral 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 preoperties of well-selected cocoa, Mr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctors' bills. Each packet is labelled—JAMES EPPS Sr Co., Homceo pathic Ckemists, Loudon. Also, makers of Epps's Caca6ine, a very thin evening beverage, —Advt. DAY, JANUARY )3, 1871. THE BATTLE OF BAPAUME. The special correspondent of the Telegraph at the head quarters of General Von Goben, near Bapaume, sends the following account of the engagement, under date January 4 : —The enemy began by an attack upon the Faubourg d'Arras, and by an attempt to drive the 33rd Regiment out of the Vil lage of Grevithers. In this the French signally failed, being driven back and pursued by the 33rd into the Village of Biefvillers, which the Prussians stormed and took possession of. ' But the French made the village soon too hot to hold them. Heavy masses of infantry came on to attack the gallant little band, amongst whom the French artillery was making sad havoc. Slowly, and with their faces to the enemy, they retreated upon the suburb of Bapaume, where they found the 65th Regiment at their backs, and whence a quick and uninterrupted fire was soon poured upon the French troops. Meantime, the Prussian artillery posted on the Arras road swept the plateau beneath, and poured a plunging fire of shell into the heavy French masses as they struggled across to gain the Faubourg d'Arras. The 33rd Regiment, fearfully reduced, —I mean the two bat talions of that regiment—had now taken possession of the old citadel of Bapautne, situated on the Albert-road, and of the windmill to the left. The 65th held a part of the Faubourg d'Arras, while two horse artillery batteries were sent forward to the left, and, taking up a posi tion at Ligny, opened fire upon the French right. The action now became general. Bapaume was in a circle of fire and smoke. The Prussian left, overwhelmed by the numbers of the enemy and the hot artillery fire, was beginning slowly to give ground, when the Rhenish Jagers, with two fresh batteries, deployed to the Prussian left and came into action. Meantime Prince Albrecht had marched upon Bancourt from Equoncourt, and had detached two batteries with some cavalry in the direction of Beugny-le- Chateau, whilst he himself, with the 40th Regiment and the remainder of his command, excepting the Hussars of the Guard, engaged the enemy's left from Fremincourt. The Hussars of the Guard were sent along the road to Cambrai, to make sure that no troops were advancing on our right from that place. At the village of Boursies, two regiments of French infantry, with a squadron of cavalry, were repqrted as advancing on the Cambrai road upon our right flank. The officer in command was equal to the emergency. A squadron was dismounted, and took possession of the buildings and outhouses of the village. No sooner were the French within range than the Hussars (Toned a heavy fire upon them with their carbines; and the astonished Frenchmen, thinking the village held by infan try, made a hasty retreat. While matte's were going on thus on the centre and right of the Prussian army, General Count Groben advanced against the French right from Miraumont. Making a slight detour to his left flank, he suddenly appeared on the enemy's rear, and, opening fire from his artillery, made them imagine he was about to attack them in reverse. This had a very good effect, for it compelled the French centre to draw off some of their forces, and gave a little breathing - time to the gallant defenders of Bapaume. Meantime confusion was supreme in the streets of that town. Towards 1.30 things were looking serious ; the heavy fire and superior numbers of the French had told heavily, so much so that the suburb of Arras was relinquished, and the 29th Brigade, under Colonel Bock, retired into Bapaume. The 30th Brigade formed up in rear of • the town on the Peronne road, and for a short time the French ceased their operations, except on the right flank—when Prince Albrecht was hotly engaged, neither side gaining any advantage. At 5.30 the French entered the Suburb of Arras before Bapaume, and com menced erecting barricades at 200 yards from the Prussian forces. At six p.m. they were driven out of all their positions by the Jagers and the 33rd, and the combat closed by the French occupying their old positions on the Arras and Douai roads. The General in command, finding his losses so heavy, and the enemy so superior in numbers, had determined upon retreating across the river Somme. Orders were accordingly given to that effect, when it was discovered that the French army was also in retreat, having been as roughly handled as ourselves, if not even more so. Already had the heavy baggage trains com menced their retrograde movement, when it was ascer tained that the French Gen2ral was withdrawing his troops in a northerly direction, and it became consequently unnecessary to make any retreat on our side. And thus ended the battle of Bapaume, in which the Prussians , had ohly 10,000 infantry engaged, with 84 field pieces. The French brought into the conflict at the very least 30,000 men, with sixty pieces of cannon; but, not withstanding this preponderance of force, they never for one moment drove the Prussians from their posi- tions. FRANCE'S MONETARY DIFFICULTY. Writing from Bordeaux, the special correspondent of the Standard remarks :—Government have succeeded in extri cating themselves from the monetary difficulty which a few days since was becoming most embarrassing. They have done so by cutting the Gordian knot. M. Cuvier, the sub.governor of the Bank of France here, was opposed to that institution granting the very large advances which were required by the Government. He has, therefore, been dismissed, upon the ground of ill-health for three months, and a more accommodating gentleman appointed in his place. The loan is said to be made by the Bank of France in concert with several foreign capitalists. The terms of the loan have not been made public. Although by no means an advocate for high-handed measures, yet in the present case I do not see that Government had any other course open to them than that which they took. Money was an absolute necessity ; enormous sums in cash have had, and still have, to be paid abroad for arms ; immense SUM are also required here for clothes, boots, armaments, and food for the countless number of men under arms ; and although in France these things may be paid for in short bills, still the bill must be taken up when presented. The expenses of such a war as France is now waging, a war in which, excluding Paris, she must now have nearly a million of men under arms, including the young levies in the camps, must be something fabulous. Considering the number of arms which Government must by this time have in their possession, it is certainly singular that they delay calling out the contingents of 1871 and 1872. These young troops could be assembled at the camps, and could learn their drill with the Mobilis6s there. The camps, including that near Cherbourg, will shortly contain nearly 400,000 men. These would be at once doubled by calling out the two years' contingent, and in two months some 700,000 or 800,000 men would be ready to take the field. Can you wonder that, reviewing the enormous forces which France has yet at her disposal, I should refuse, in Spite of her official blunders and her administrative incapacity, to believe in the possibility of her final defeat ! Mr. Otway, the late Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs, has announced his intention of addressing his con• stituents in the Lecture Hall, Chatham, on Monday even g next. The Dublin police magistrates have recently fined a number of dealers in heavy sums for vending "poisoned confectionery." The confections were adulterated with chromate of lead and terra alba (pipe-clay). A. great number of French are imprisoned in Bel gium. The forts at Antwerp and the camp at Beverloo contain the greater number. The most rigorous surveil lance is kept over them, and the Belgian soldiers are now forbidden to speak to them in the barracks. All shop people and merchants who require to see the military authorities are furnished with a passport, and are escorted everywhere by a guard. SOUTH AMERICA.—New York papers have intel ligence that the siege of Montevideo continues. A severe shock of earthquake has been felt at Santiago, Chili, but no damage was done. Bolivia continues in the chronic state of revolution. Lima advices to the 14th of December state that the effects of the European war were felt heavily in all branches of business. Exchange could not be pro cured. The Government exacts a tax of 3 per cent. on all coin exported. A French man-of-war had captured the German ships August, from Hamburg, and Gazelle, from California. Both vessels were taken to Tahiti. The Chi lian Congress had granted a subsidy of $20,000 a year to the Panama and West India Cable Company, on con dition of connecting Callao with Europe by telegraph. The steamer Virgin had returned to Puerto-Cabello from Curacoa. She was searched at the latter place, but nothing was found to indicate a hostile vessel. The Hay tian President, Saget, has granted an amnesty to all the adherents of the late President Salnave. The Parliament of Jamaica was to open on the 26th. A surplus of £30,000 for last year appears in the financial Budget. In the case of the recent coffee seizure in Kingston, Jamaica, the sal vors have refunded the amount at issue with the New Orleans underwriters. A Havannalx telegram of the 27th says that 2,000 soldiers arrived there from Spain on the 26th. The Cuban Colonel Ryan, according to 'Panama advices by way of Jamaica, arrived at Panama December 12 with a quantity of ammunition and arms for the Cuban insurgents, and a force of 150 men. A reinforcement was expected at Aspinwall. Ryan was awaiting the arrival of a steamer from New York (the Hornet) to carry his stores and men to Cuba, but she had not arrived at Aspin wall up to December 21. Captain Craig, of the barque Speedawa,y, and three sailors, were drowned in the har bour of Cardenas, December 26. THE BONI 811 l DMENT. From Margency, • the headquarters of the Crown Prince of Saxony, the special correspondent of the • Dail) News thus writes on January 9 :—Forts Rosily, Noisy, and Nogent preserve their strange silence, with the blinds down or the shutters up, whichever expression may be preferred. Nevertheless, we are not daring to take liberties with them just yet. That mask of facines may hid what would fearfully punish any rashness. But MIN they are being steadily fired into measures are in progress to test tbsir actual condition and if. contrary to my expectation, this is found to h what it is wished to be, operations will at once follow which will involve the disuse of the battery emplacements that are now doing service. Fcstina lente is the motto, but that does not hinder judi cious following up. Meanwhile, the last intermittent French fieldwatch is definitely ascertained to have quitted \ Bondy, and Bondy utterly .deserted is a strong tempta tion to men who are in the mood for yielding to one that need not be very strong. Drancy, which still shews signs of hostile occupation, would then become utterly untenable, if, indeed, it shall not have been deserted to-night. In a day or two I shall have no cause to refrain from plain speaking on what is passing, because the necessity for reticence will have passed away.. But it may be safely assumed that things are looking very well on this side for the cause of the be• siegers. I may not be travelling out of the record when I allude in a sentence or two to some information which I have casually obtained, but which may be relied on, concerning the progress of the bom bardment in the south. Forts Issy and Vanvres were silenced yesterday, it was believed definitely, and experi mentally during the night some batteries were pushed for ward a thousand paces closer to them. Under this aggravation these forts this morning recommenced a feeble fire reply to a very brisk one. The batteries play ing on these forts are at Meudon, Clamart, and Porte Chatillon. Six batteries in all, as I understand, con verge their fire into Issy, five into the other fort. The batteries in the Park of St. Cloud face in three directions—one to St. Cloud and Valdrien, another to Boulogne and further, a third to Billancourt and beyond. The batteries at Meudon radiate their fire towards Boulogne, Billancourt, and over the Ile St. Ger main, to Point-du-Jour and Paris. Of the six Clamart batteries four concern themselves solely with Fort Van_ vres, and two devote their attentions to Fort Issy. La Verite states that there is no loss of courage, or evidence of despair among the Parisians. They are, however, clamouring lonely for a change of Government. Trochu is branded as an imbecile, and his "plan" denounced as fatuity itself. The demand is for 4 Government that will act, and the clamour is for sorties, sorties, sorties. Of course, it is easy either for a patriot in a wine shop or a journalist in his bureau to advocate frothily a continuous resort to sorties. We have seen sorties tried, and tried very hard, too, under better conditions than any sorti e can now, even by the most sanguine, be expected to embrace. What came of them? To the clamour for sorties, sorties, sorties, the echoes of the past continually are answering, failures, failures, failures. What is there in the future that its echoes should reply more favourably ? But Paris, or what passes for Paris in the way of making noise and revolutions, will not look plain facts in the face. There is a strong revolutionary tone in the writings of La Verite. A revolution might be no bad thing. If I read Trochu aright, although something of a potterer, he is a man who has set his teetl bard against capitulation. Were he " dismounted ". use the expression the Germans are so fond of as regards fort guns—a pant must take his place after the hearts of the Parisians, in their present mood. lie would go at a sortie like a bull at a gate. The result would be disastrous. Then the army the real fighting men—who have already been shouting `• Peace " as their generals rode past, would shout " Peace " in the ears of Paris, in accents not to be misunderstood, pointed as they would be with a firm determination to endure no more, for the sake of others who w;' --to not stand abreast of them in the field, slaughter in battle, ruthless destruction by bombshells, the agonies of cold that kill men as they stand at their posts—in a word, hopeless tortures, dangers, and hardships. When this shout, from the throat of the army, rings in the ears of Paris, then we may make ready, for the end will be very nigh at hand, and neither impulsive general nor clamorous patriots will postpone it. ANOTHER ACCOUNT. The special correspondent of the 'Telegraph sends the following from Versailles, dated January 10 :—During Sunday night not only shells, but also rockets were fired from the German batteries into Paris. The bombardment of that city, as well as the circumjacent forts and out works, is now an officially recognised proceeding, and the attack is ordered to be carried on without intermis sion. The active prosecution of the siege operations has been placed absolutely under the direction of the chief of artillery, who is virtually independent of the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief the armies of in- vestment. All the batteries, whether of siege guns, mor tars, or rockets, are supplied with ammunition for eighteen days. All the scientific officers count upon the surrender of the city before that supply shall have been exhausted; but, at the present rate of firing, the ammunition already provided in the batteries would last for a month, and additional large quantities are constantly being brought up. Yesterday there was a heavy snowfall—the heaviest we have yet had—which interfered with the prosecution of the bom bardment during daylight ; and consequently the firing was slack. The forts are very slack in answering the bombardment, but the enceinte and the emplacements keep up a lively and continuous fire. Three shells struck by a French obus exploded in No. 1 battery. The front actually under attack consists of about a quarter of the enceinte, or twenty-three bastions, mounting in all six hundred guns. The heaviest French guns are mounted at Montmartre. There are few monster pieces, except those on Mont Valerien, on this side of the defences. Fort Issy has been much damaged internally, and on Fort Montrouge the barracks ' and buildings within the ramparts have been burned down. It is intended to destroy the Hotel de Ville, the Invalides, and the Luxemburg Palace. Next Sunday night, ten thousand incendiary shells will be thrown into Paris. On the night of the Bth 86 Germans captured, by a coup de main, the French battery Notre Dame de Clamart, situated on the left bank of the railway line, about 1,700 yards in advance of any position hitherto taken by the Prussians on this side of Paris. The guns of the work were immediately turned upon Fort Issy, and a smart fire was opened, which did most of the damage sustained by that fort. General Vinoy reviewed the French troops outside of Paris yesterday. Whilst he was riding along the line, the soldiers cried out, "La paix !" to which he replied, "Au contraire, je vais vous conduire au feu ! ' The actual strength of the fighting armies now in France, including the recent drafts, is about 630,000 men of all arms. The Ist Bavarian Corps—that of Von der Tann— which was so badly cut up in the battles to the west of Orleans, has received reinforcements. Around Paris there are eight full corps, besides cavalry and Landwehr. Opposed to Chanzy there are four full corps and two cavalry divisions, while Bourbaki is attended to by three full corps, and some detachments besides. In the North there are two full corps—the Ist and the Bth— now transferred to the command of Von Goben, Man teuffel having been sent to assume the command-in-chief of the Army in the East, which, I believe, will be called the Fourth Army. Several changes of command have also taken place in the German Army of the Loire, and in the corps which compose the Army of the East. Generals Werder and Zastrow, with the 14th and 7th Corps, along with the 2nd Army Corps, are look ing out for Bourbaki. Werder's Corps is now accidentally strongly than any other in the whole army. Many drafts and reinforcements from Germany, Strasburg, and other places in Alsace, which were originally intended to march westward, and join the other corps, have been sent over to the 14th. Zastrow's Corps has also been fully reinforced. His right wing rests on Auxerre. All the town garrisons —not those of the fortress towns of course—and the Etappen-commandos in Alsace have been dissolved and despatched to strengthen the armies in the field, the inhabitants in those regious being now fully submissive to the German rule. A victory, won by Zastrow, has just been reported. Rumours of mediation, offered by the neutral Powers, is growing stronger 4nd stronger, LAWYERS AGAINST EACH OTHER. —At the Court of Queen's Bench, the Attorney-General moved, on behalf of Mr.. Huddleston, Q.C., and Mr. Harrington, members of the bar at Oxford Circuit, for a rule nisi calling upon Mr. George Walker, who was also a member of the bar, to spew cause why a criminal information should not be filed against him for libel, contained in letters written to them containing most serious reflections on their profes sional character and conduct ; in fact, inputing to them that they had deliberately conspired together for the purpose of betraying their olient's interest in the case of Walker v. Lord Valentia, in an action tried in the spring of 1869, at Oxford, before Mr. Baron Pigott. The Lord Chief Justice said the learned counsel ought to have a rule.—Rule granted. OUR, COTEMPORARTES—This is orning PARTS AND THE GOVERNMENT OF DIFENCE. The Times, referring to the defeat at Le Mans, the con tinued resistance in Paris, and the misstatements made to the Parisians by those in power, says :—Men who have behaved so nobly ought to be deemed worthy of hearing the truth, and capable of facing it. We have little doubt that stern despair would nerve them to their duty as effi ciently as fallacious hope. But, were it otherwise, we do not envy those who assume the . responsibility of en couraging the people to resistance by a deliberate system of deception. Never -was nobler end promoted by bassr means. As to the expediency of France con tinuing the struggle after Sedan there may be two opinions, but there can be no question as to the right the country had of knowing what it was fighting for, and upon what chances of a successful issue. France has fought nobly both in and out of Paris, but she might, perhaps, have been stirred to greater and more successful exertions if there had been less reciprocal reliance of the Capital on the Pro vinces and of the Provinces on the Capital. With a direct appeal to his noblest instincts, every Frenchman might have been brought into tha ranks. But, thanks, to the misrepresentation s of the Government, and of its Press, the idea began to gain ground that it Was "the duty of every man's neighbour to fight for his country." Nay, the conviction prevailed that this duty was being scrupulously fulfilled. The struggle—what ever may be said or thought to the contrary—is now drawing to an end, and those who were bent on pro longing it to the complete exhaustion of their country will soon be able to judge of the results of their system. They fought, we are told, not for victory, which was impossible, but for honour. But even on that ground they baffled their own purpose, for they distrusted the national courage and patriotism, and car ried on the war upon false pretences. Had M. Gambetta and his colleagues spoken the truth, the nation, together with the army, would probably have laid down the sword. Had Paris seen what she could really hope from the Provinces, she might have shrunk from the hardships of a siege only too certain to end in a capitulation ; and had the Provinces been told of what little avail mere courage and enthusiasm would prove against thoroughly trained and disciplined valour, they would hardly have lent themselves to campaigns which could lead to nothing better than the calamity of .Orleans or the probably no less disastrous catastrophe of Le Mans. THE BOMBARDMENT OF PARIS. How will it end ? asks the Standard. That is the question which all Europe is asking itself. It the bombardment of Paris has been inaugurated with the philosophical ferocity of cultivated Vandals, it will not be terminated by a soulless and spiritless surrender. It is an idle task to address any appeal in the interests of humanity to a nation, an army, and a Monarch, possessed by the fatal lust of conquest and of blood whin, amidst their high powers of military organisation and skill, are the great distinguishing features at the present moment of the Prussians, Slaughter, suffering, sorrow—these con stitute the foundations upon which the new German Empire is based. Aforituri to salutant—the traditional greeting of the dying gladiators to the classic Cesar, might well be placed in the lips of thousands of Frenchmen, whose death glance reveals to them the onward progress of the Teuton Kaiser. Empires founded on bloodshed perish in blood. We see the beginning of the new German Empire ; what is to be its end? To decline to be satisfied with anything save the dismemberment of a nation and the destruction of 'a capital, to create a carnival of annihila tion and a saturnalia of slaughter—this is what the bom bardment of Paris means. And the Germans are the most enlightened, the most philosophical, the most humane of mankind. • The Evangel of Teutonism is to abolish the frivolity of the Celt. King William is the most highly-religious Monarch in existence ; he is also reported by his interviewers to be passionately at tached to 1 hakespeare. Was it not our great national poet who said that it argued no Divine attributes to quote - Scripture. King William can indeed quote Scripture: for his purposes. And what is that purpose ? The de struction of the most brilliant and most cultivated city,' in Europe; the ruthless massacre of thousands of: . women, children—shall we add, patriots ? "As for Zeus-born kings," says Homer, " this is the way' of them." Europe will in future pray to be delivered from beatific allegiance to divine monarchs. We have • protested against the barbarity of this bombardment a: bombardment by a sovereign who said that he made war,' "not on French citizens, but on French soldier.;." It is needless to protest against its impotence. A city may' be destroyed, but it oan be restored. "The whirligig, of time works its revenges." The unctuous piety of a, Divinely-ordained Monarch cannot exempt him from the operation of this common law, 'We know something of ' King Bomba I. Who will go down to history as King Bomba 11. ? Truth is a Teutonic virtue; is hypocrisy a' congenital Teutonic vice ? Reviewing the late French defeats, and the progress of r the bombardment of Paris, the Daily News remarks :—To ' famine, frost, and fever succeeds the ordeal of fire. The bombardment of the city —so often speculated on, and so: long postponed—has at last begun. Itis, however, rather to the moral than to the military aspect of this bombardment ' that public attention will be directed. The world looks on at the hideous spectacle of a great capital, containing two millions of people, subjected to the horrors of war, and once more asks for what purpose is this misery in flicted. Both sides are tired of it, yet the one will not, offer peace and the other will not ask it. The Germans. have shrunk from bombarding Paris till now, yet now they prefer to fire upon the helpless and starving crowd behind the walls rather than make an offer of terms. Such an offer would have come with peculiar grace from the conquering • Power just at the present time. The Bordeaux Govern ment has unhappily once more stimulated Paris with false statements and baseless hopes, but the real position of affairs is well known all over the world to be as bad as possible for the French. If such an offer had been made, it is quite possible that it might have been rejected ; but had the offer been a moderate one it would have put Paris in the wrong, had i t been a magnanimous one it would have reassured Europe, and once snore rallied public opinion to the German side. Such an offer would not only have well become the King of Prussia, but would have been the simple dictate of a high sense of honour. It is not usual to fight an antago nist when he is down. Paris lies stretched out before the German armies, within reach of their batteries, and practically defenceless against their fire. From the German position a part of the city can be laid in ruins, and that position will pro bably become more and more threatening as the bom bardment proceeds. Will the King accept the responsi bility of burning the city without offering some terms of escape? Will he " cry havoc and let slip the dogs of war," without one final effort to come to terms ? The hellhounds are yet in the leash ; cannot some effort at negotiation be made before the stern strategist who holds theln lets them loose ? If no such effort is made,. if punctilio is to be stronger than humanity, and the non-. combatant population of the first city of the continent is to be exposed to the horrors of bombardment, history and humanity will hold all who have been parties to it guilty of one of the greatest crimes in the dark annals of the world. HELP FOR FRANCE. The Telegraph, referring to the recent appeal to Eng land for help, says:—To aid the destitute clients of the Bishop in and near Versailles, sufficient sums will be at once forwarded, furnishing, we trust, means of pre-: sent assistance. But for those early and most dread ful days of necessity when Paris will be opened, a grand and sustained effort is requisite ; and the Committee must settle the right plan for compre hensive and ready action. Probably in the body of French clergymen who signed the appeal, and in those who can be added to their number from the capital, will be found as suitable an agency, both for they first and second part of the task, as could be desired. Our last word for the present is to the English public, never wanting to a noble and humane cause. We are in peace and comfort—those who suffer outside and inside the line of fire and death are in peril and anguish ; we have spent a Christmas and New Year of hap piness and prosperity —our fellows beyond the Channel Sea have passed by death, disease, and terrors indescribable from year to year. Entirely foregoing sides and policies, then, and leavkg judgment to " Him who judgeth aright," we h ave th us one last opportunity of shelving France that England has not watched with in difference the outpouring of so much innocent blood. Let the moment be seized with ardour •by men of all opinions in the brief interval while the effort is possible and will be most prized. Let all who feel for the beautiful city and her gay, courteous, hospi table people join to render this offering of national friendship adequate and ample. It will save very many lives ; it will avert, perchance, an unparalleled catastrophe ; anti it will be a memory laden with most gentle and fruitful influence for both nations when the dire struggle shall have past, and when Paris learns how. in the time of her extremity, generous hearts in England grieved over her awful sufferings, and were roused to send timely assistance. ~'i '