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

LAT EST INTELLIGENCE. SUN OFFICE, 8 A.M. THE WAR. THE BOMBARDMENT. FORTS VANVRES AND MONTROUGE ON FIRE. ROYAL .HEAD -QUARTERS, VERSAILLES, January 8. The King telegraphs to the Queen as follows : " Prince Frederick Charles is still continuing hic3 victorious advance against Le Mans. " In the North everything has bean quiet since the 3rd inst. " The bombardment here is proceeding favourably. A barrack in Fort Vanvres has been set on , fire by our guns." Evening. German columns advancing against Gen. Chanzy have reached Nogent-le-Rotrou, Sarge, Savigny, and La Chartre, having had at certain points to encounter severe resistance. The bombardment before Paris has to-day been warm, and is being successfully continued. The bar racks in FortMontrouge have been set on fire. It is stated that German shells have fallen in the gardens of the Luxemburg. French accounts represent. the loss of the Army of the North in the fight of the 2nd and 3rd against General Goaben as about 4,000 men, and the Ger man losses as about 9,000. But reports received here to-day from the let Army state tnat our losses in those engagements were 11 officers, 117 men killed, and 35 officers and 667 men wounded, while 236 men were missing. BOUROGNE, January 8. On the night of the 7th Daujoutuis, to the south of Belfort, was taken by storm. The Schneidemiihl Battalion, under Captain Manstein, especially dis tinguished itself on that occasion. Two staff officers, 16 officers, and more than 700 unwounded prisoners were captured. Our loss was, one officer and 13 men killed, and 65 wounded.—Times. The following telegrams come through Reuter's agency : ENGAGEMENT NEAR LA FOURCHEE. WEIMAR, January 9. The Grand Duke telegraphs to the Grand Duchess as follows: - "On the 6th inst. the 44th Brigade had a sharp engagement near La Fourchee. The 94th Regiment stormed and took the village of Naliin, capturing 3 guns. Two officers and nine men were kiled, while 2 officers, 1 sergeant, and 85 men were wounded. On the Bth inst. the 94th Regiment occupied Nogent le Rotrou." COUNCIL OF WAR SUMMONED. The following is the full text of the note which appeared on the Ist instant in the Official Journal : "At the moment when the enemy threatens Paris with bombardment the Government, resolved to make a more energetic resistance, has summoned a council of war, under the presidency of the Go vernor, and composed of the Generals commanding the three armies, the Admirals commanding the forts, and, the Generals at the head of the artillery and engineers. The council has been unanimous in the adoption of measures which unite the National Guard, the Mobile Guard, and the army for the most active defence. These measures will demand the co-operation of the whole population. The Government knows that it can reckon upon the courage and inflexible will of the people to fight to the last. It recalls to all citizens that in the deci sive movements which are about to be made, the energetic maintenance of order is more necessary than ever, and it can rely upon that not failing." THE GERMANS IN THE NORTH OF FRANCE. LILLE, January 9. The Germans are massing south of Bapau me. Yesterday there was an engagement at Manche be tween sharpshooters belonging to Lille and a body of lans. The latter were defeated, 43 of their num ber being taken prisoners, including two officers. There were four of the enemy killed or wounded, a Captain being among the latter. The Prussians have raised the siege of Langres. NEWS FROM HAVRE. HAVRE, January 9. Yesterday 600 Germans, with artillery, entered PoScamp. They left to-day, after having levied re quisitions. They announced that they would shortly return. They cut the telegraph wires and boarded an English brig lying at anchor. which however they found laden only with coal. The Francs-tireurs have captured about forty thlans at Berles-aux-Bois. No Prussians are reported between Lillebonne and olb ec. To-day a floating battery struck against Havre pier, and went down. The crew, numbering 400 flier, were saved. FIGHTING ON THE LOIR. BORDEAUX, January 8. The following official dispatch has been sent to the Prefects, concerning the operations on the Loi r : "According to the reperts of the entire operations on the 6th inst., General Jouffroy was compelled to abandon some positions on the Loir, while General eurten repulsed the enemy. On the 7th large forces attacked our advanced posts in the neighbourhood of Vendome, and there was a slight engagement near Villeporcher. We have made prisoners. . Some Atobiles of Isere failed to answer the roll call. In cursions of the enemy's cavalry are reported in the I) epartment of Lure." BORDEAUX, January 7.* Advices from Le Mans to the Gth instant give the following further details of the fighting yester day " To-day, about 11 a.m., the enemy attacked general Curten, in the district of St. Cyr, Villepor her, and Villechauve, in the department of Loir-et eher. The Jobey column being d r i ven b ac k upon v '' N euville, General Curten immediately brought up Supports, and took up the offensive, re-occupied all the positions, and repulsed the enemy beyond Armand, which our troops re-entered during the 46 ht. The l o ss o f the e ne m y i n woun d e d men an d prisoners was considerable ; ours, on the other hand, W'S trifling.. "General Jouffroy came up at 2.30 p.m., and 'contributed greatly to the success of the operations." * This message has been delayed in transmission. TILE BOMBARDMENT OF BELFORT. BORDEAUX, January 0. A-dvic es f rom Belfort to the 2nd instant state that b le bomb ar d ment continues without serious damage e i ng inflicted upon the town. T e n h o u ses h ave Th e burned, and the fortifications are s till i n t ac t. 11,e f loral and mat er i a l con diti on o f th e p l aca i s ex ttedent, and th e garr i son has provisions for more than Llree months. T he blo c k a d e of the French Channel ports has been raised as far as regards coals. The B iecle annou nces th e arres t o f M . Pi nard, the ez -- ` lll Perial Minister. He is reported to have been 4 )lt t o L yons. Tilis telegram has been delayed in transmission. REOCCUPATION OF BAPAUME. BRUSSELS, January 9 (Afternoon). According to news received from the North of France, Bapaume has been already re-occupied by 4,000 Prussians; and the German army of the North is concentrating for an approaching battle. There has been no fighting for three days. rlieir gave se on enant nuns' early r was. THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY, JANUARY 10, 1871. THE SINKING OF BRITISH VESSELS BY BLOCKADE OF DIEPPE. THE PRUSSIANS. MESSAGE FROM COUNT BISMARCK. The blockade of the French ports occupied by the Ger mans appears to have commenced in earnest. A corres pondent at Newhaven writes on Sunday night as follows : —"I left here in the Marseilles at 2.30 a.m. on Sunday morning. When about twelve miles from Dieppe we sighted a large French man-of-war steaming off the port. Having proceeded some seven or eight miles further we ran up our colours. She did the same; and requested us to come as close alongside as we could. A very heavy sea was running at the time, but we went as near as we could, and in answer to the questions addressed to him our captain replied that be was bound from Newhaven to Dieppe, with passengers and 150 tons of rice and rapeseed. He was then informed that he must return to Newhaven. He answered that he wished to see the company's agent at Dieppe, to which a reply came, ' Captain, you must not.' At the same time the bow port was opened, shewing us a big gun, and two guns aft were also run out. We could see, too, that all the guns were manned. By this time we had drifted too far to shout any more, and as it was very clear that if we tried to proceed we should be fired upon, Captain Payne ordered the boat's head to be turned round for Newhaven, off which we arrived at 4.30 p.m., but had to wait for the tide until half-past nine at night befoie we could enter the harbour. I must mention that the frigate had two men on the look-out at the masthead, and that the man who shouted out to us was a black man, who received his orders from an officer in uniform. She could not have been more than five miles from Dieppe, as we could see the people on the pier. This is the first time that the boat has been stopped, and it is supposed that the Prnssians must either be in Dieppe or the neighbourhood, and that the French captain thought they would take possession of our cargo of rice if it was allowed to enter the port. There were twelve passengers on board our steamer. The captain would have sent off a small boat to communicate with the frigate, but the sea was so heavy that no small boat could have lived in it. As the objection to allowing us to proceed ap pears to have been the fact of our carrying cargo, we shall probably make another attempt with passengers alone on Monday evening. A telegram has been received from Dieppe, stating that our boat had been seen to return, but giving no information as to the state of affairs in that town.—Correspondent of the Daily News. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.) • The following message from Count Bismarck to the North German Ambasiador in Londou respecting the British vessels sunk in the Seine was communicated to Lord Granville yesterday afternoon : " VERSAILLES, January Bth, 1871. " The report of the commander of that party of our army by which the English collier ships were sunk in the Seine has not yet arrived. But as far as our intelligence goes, the general outline of the facts is 'known. You are authorised in consequence to say to Lord Granville that we sincerely regret that our troops, in order to avert immediate danger, were obliged to, seize ships which belonged to British subjects. We admit their claim to indemnification, and shall pay to the owners the value of the ships according to equitable estimation with out keeping them waiting for the decision of the question who is finally to indemnify them. Should it be proved that excesses have been committed which were not justi fied by the necessity of defence, we should regret it still more, and call the guilty persons to account. The official answer to Lord Augustus Loftus's note will follow after the report from the Army has been received." NARROW ESCAPE OF 11.31.5. VAL OROUS. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.) Last evening H.M.'s frigate Valorous drifted from her moorings in Plymouth Sound on to a shingle bank, her chains having given way during a sudden squall. ]?ortu. nately the frigate, whose keel took the ground, was brought up with an anchor just in time to prevent her going broadside on to the bank. She has sustained little injury. THE GREENWICH MEMORIAL. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM. Last night a public meeting, attended by about 1,500 persons, was held in the lecture hall, Greenwich, in sup port of a requisition to Mr. Gladstone, calling upon him to resign his seat for that borough. The meeting, which was presided over by Captain Dominy, was of a most up roarious character, a large body of roughs being present especially to prevent those favourable to Mr. Gladstone from being heard. The requisition, it was stated, had been signed by over 4,000 persons, and the complaint made was, that not only had Mr. Gladstone's Ministry closed the dockyards in the borough, and thus driven the work ing man from his home, but that the Premier had alto gether neglected his constituents, and had never con descended to appear among them. The following reso lution was proposed and seconded amidst the greatest confusion : " That having ceased to have any confidence in the Right Hon. William Ewart Gladstone as a Minister of the Crown, either in his home or foreign policy ; and, moreover, taking into consideration the shameful neglect he has shown towards the interests of this borough, which returned him a stranger, when r ejected by two enlightened constituencies, who knew him better, we now deem it necessary, in pursuance of the object for which this im portant meeting was convened, to demand from him a restoration of that Parliamentary trust which in an unguarded and evil hour we committed to his charge." The resolution was not put to the meeting, as a rush was made to the platform over the reporters' table, and the chairman and his immediate supporters had to beat a hasty retreat. A kind of free fight, lasting upwards of half an hour, then took place, after which Mr. Baxter Langley, who was a candidate for the borough, and gave way to Mr. Gladstone, obtained a hearing, and complained of the Premier's neglect of the borough, though disclaiming all connection with the pro moters of the requisition. Ultimately a vote of confidence in Mr. Gladstone was moved and seconded, and declared by a new chairman to be carried, and the meeting termi nated in the greatest disorder. THE FINANCES OF FRANCE. The financial position of the French Government is becoming extremely difficult—more so, says the Patrie, than the military :situation. A. recourse to as3ignats is confidently expected as the only remain lug resources.—Telegraph Telegrams. PRUSSIA. AND LUXEMBURG. BERLIN, January 9. Count Bismarck has caused the Government of the Grand Duchy of Luxemburg to be officially in formed that on the first breach of neutrality—parti cularly on the occasion of the siege of Longwy— part of the Grand Duchy will be occupied by German troops. In any case a demand for indem nity will be addressed directly to the Luxemburg Government.— Telegraph. REPORTED INSURRECTION IN SPAIN. A. telegram from Madrid, dated the 6th, says that a Republican insurrection has broken out at Bamia, in the province of Grenala. The insurgents have already taken the field, but the movement is con sidered unimportant. INDIA. CALCUTTA, January 8. Intelligence has been received of the probable re conciliation of Yakoob Khan and the Ameer. The former has expressed his desire to retnrn to Cabul and ask for forgiveness, which the Ameer is willing to grant. The agreement has not yet been adopted, but the proposal has certainly been made.—Tines Telegram. AMERICA. NEW YORK, January 9. The New York Times, discussing General Schenck's mission, expresses its opinion that no Minister will ever secure more favourable terms for the settlement of the Alabama claims than Mr. Reverdy Johnson, who, though much abused, directed the negotiations very skilfully and successfully. The World condemns the President's course to wards Mr. Motley, and says that the public wish to know why Mr. Motley remained unmolested till his friend, Mr. Sumner, resisted the President in the San Domingo scheme.—Reuter's Telegram. (CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.) MR. MUNDELLA, M.P., ON EDUCATION. _ . Mr. Mundella, M.P., speaking at a Band of Hope festival at Stockport last night, referred to the advan tages which would result from the Education Bill if the people of this country took care that its intentions were properly carried out. The hon. member depicted the advantages which he had seen attached to the American sehool system in a recent visit he had made to the New England States. The whole system far surpassed that of England, as did also the system in operation in Ger many. SIR C. DILKE, SIR H. HOARE, AND THEIR 'CONSTITUENTS. Last night the two baronets, members for Chelsea, addressed their constituents at the Vestry Hall, and were both well received. Sir C. Dilke. who was at the seat of war during the early part of the campaign, avowed that his sympathies in common with those of most of his countrymen had entirely changed, and were now as strong in favour of the French as they had originally been of the Germans, for the simple reason that France, having thrown off Imperialism, had adopted Liberalism, whilst the Germans had shewn themselves animated by the lust of conquest, and were not in any way justified in their demands for the annexa tion of Alsace and part of Lorraine. It was now feudalism fighting against liberalism. France was wrong in the first instance, and had England then inter fered he believed the war would have been stopped. Speaking from his personal experience, he avowed that the Alsations were ardent French patriots, and among the best soldiers in the Republican Army. He was of opinion that the time had come when our Government should formally recognise the Republican Government of France. He had heard it rumoured that there were objections to that course in very high quarters. If that turned out true, nothing that had yet occurred would give a heavier blow to the monarchy in this country. He commented upon the waning influence of England, but said that there was a point of endurance beyond which wa could not go, and that if we were pre pared to allow all treaty obligations to be put aside at the mere pleasure of any Power, none of our commercial treaties would be worth the paper on which they were written. He did not regard the present war as one that would clear the air. It had put an end to Cwsarisru and government by Imperial democracies ; but unless nations would consent to be bound by arbitration this would only be the forerunner of a series of wars which would con vulse the world. His only hope in the cessation of this struggle was in some action of the Con ference now about to assemble in London.— Sir H. Hoare, who also addressed the meeting, also avowed his sympathy for France, and characterised the conduct of Bismarck in insisting upon annexing a country the population of which was four millions, against their will, as monstrous. The Prussians might even take Paris, but that would not end the war. It would take at least 250,000 men to hold it, and in six weeks the French would have a million of men in arms. He was confident that the war would last a long time, and he believed that be fore the end of the year we should see Metz besieged by Frenchmen. He then adverted to home topics, and spoke strongly in favour of reorganising the army and extending the militia by making every district supply its quota of men, no substitutes being allowed. (Cheers.) --- ANOTHER PRUSSIAN WAR VESSEL OFF CORK. The Cork Examiner is informed that a Prussian war steamer appeared off Cork harbour late on Saturday evening,, and, having received some instructions from Queenstown, proceeded on her cruise. The Examiner has reason to believe the steamer is not the Augusta, but a second Prussian cruiser. NORWICH ELECTION PETITION. The hearing of the Norwich election petition was re sumed. Mr. Tillett, M.P., was examined. He said that he distinctly understood that in 1868 no persons were to be hired to attend the nomination. Mr. Coaks had a bitter personal feeling against witness. Witness said he gave positive written instructions in 1870 that Mr. Ray was not to be employed as one of his agents. TRADE AT BIRMINGHAM.— The trades in the Birmingham district are busier than ever on account of the war. In Birmingham the demand for military guns and ammunition is prodigious. The Small Arms Factory at Small-heath, the largest of its kind in the ➢Tidland Metropolis, which, in the early part of the year, was only employing a portion of its machinery, has now its enormous producing power taxed to the uttermost, and the other gun factories in Birmingham are so pressed with military orders that the local merchants are actually sending to Belgium for a supply of " birding " and other description of sporting fire-arms. SUPERSTITION IN COUNTY DOWN.—At the New tonwards Quarter Sessions last week, Hugh Kennedy sued his brother John for payment of a sum alleged to be due to him for wages and other " services." What these services were is explained in the plaintiff's exami nation. He stated that his brother's house and land were frequented by witches, and that he had been employed to banish them. The witches did not belong to the " good people," and were maliciously inclined towards his brother—the consequence of which was that his land got into a bad condition, and his cows into a state of settled melancholy. There was a certain charm of great repute in the neighbourhood for put ting to flight these unwelcome visitors ; but it was only useful when properly applied and performed, and no other person but plaintiff could be got to undertake the task. The method pursued was this : The plaintiff locked himself in the house alone ; he stopped up the keyholes, closed up the windows, stuffed up the chim ney, and, in fact, left no mode of egress to the unfor tunate witches whom he was to summon into his presence. He then ilea Ore and put a pot of milk on it, and into the pot he put three rows of pins ari4 needle's, which had never been sullied or contaminated by use. These he boiled together for half an hour, duriug which time the witches were supposed to be suffering the most excruciating tortures, and had at last to take to flight. They had never been seen or heard of since. The cows resumed their former healthy condition, and the land its wonted fertility. The case being one of a rather "com plicated" nature, it vas left to arbitration. Subsequently it was announced in court that the sum of 10s. had been awarded to the plaintiff. NATIONAL TEMPERANCE LEAGUE. Yesterday evening a special public meeting was held in Exeter Hall for the promotion of the total abstinence cause. The great hall was well filled. Mr. Diliwyn Sims, who occupied the chair, opened the proceedings by obsery - ing that the longer he lived and the more he reflected, the more he felt convinced that the great principle which they advocated lay at the basis of any real improvement of the people. He felt encouraged by the spread of the cause in the country to come forward and take the chair on that occasion, and he was gratified by the sight he saw before him to see that it was spreading also in the metropolis. The total abstinence cause was one which no one need be ashamed of, seeing the great evils which the use of intoxicating liquors had produced. He thought the sale of intoxicating liquors in railway stations ought to be given up, and he was inclined to attribute some of the accidents which had occurred on railways to the facility with which the men procure drink at the various stations. He did not believe in the utility of stimulants even as medicine, and congratulated the society on the fact that a medical journal had been established to advocate that view. He had been a teetotaller himself for thirty years, and though he could not boast of being a robust man, he felt sure he lost nothing in health by being a total abstainer. The Rev. Mr. Stubbs, the Rev. Mr. Yeames, Mr. W. Saunders, Mr. Smithies, Mr. G. Campbell, and others delivered powerful and eloquent addresses, in the course of which it was stated that there were 600,000 drunkards in the country, that 60,000 persons perished annually from the effects of drinks, and that 20 sovereigns laid on every page of the Bible would not represent the money laid out every year on intoxicating liquors. Drink was the source of ignorance, poverty, vice, crime, and of incalculable misery —not only to the drunkards themselves, but to their wives and children; and, in such circumstances, was it not the bounden duty of every Christian man and woman to use every possible means to abate the evil ?—and the best way of accomplishing that was to resist in the beginning, and to prevent the enemy from obtaining any admittance. A very interesting feature of the evening's proceedings was the excellent singing of the United Kingdom Band of Hope choir, 600 strong, consisting chiefly of children. A temperance song, adapted to the tune of the " Mar ise," was greeted with enthusiastic applause. The effect was very telling, and especially the chorus— " March on ! March on ! all hearts resolved, To victory we go." An encore was result, and the melody was repeated, appa rently with as much satisfaction to the singers as the audience. A long programme of temperance melodies were sung during the evening under the able conductor ship of Mr. Frederic Smith. During the past year 165 persons joined the Cam bridge Junior Conservative Club. Judgment is appointed to be given in Mr. Voy sey's case at the sittings of the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, which commence on Monday next. The Post is authorise i to state that a marriage is arranged between the Marquis of Ailsa and the Hon. Evelyn Stuart, third daughter of Lord Blantyre. The paper manufactory of Mr. George Si tnona, Castle Gate, Nottingham, was burned down on Saturday night. The loss, which is covered by insurance, is roughly estimated at £lO,OOO. Two of the Fenian prisoners—" Pagan" O'Leary and Ryan—whose terms of imprisonment were nearly run out, and who have been unconditionally released, arrived in Dublin on Saturday. It is said that a nephew of Mr. Bruce, the Home Secretary, is one of the numerous candidates for the secretaryship of the London School Board. Some dissa tisfaction is now being expressed at the slow and hesitating manner in which the Board is buckling down to its work. A great portion of the extensive iron warehouse of Messrs. Bailey and Co., in Liverpool, beneath which excavations are being made, gave way on Saturday morning. A gap of about forty feet in width and thirty feet in height has been left in the building. No one was hurt. DEATH OF i\ll. MUNROE, THE S C ULPTO With deep regret, we have to announce the death of Mr. Alexander Munro, the sculptor. For a long time this admirable artist . and most amiable man had been in bad health—in such bad health, indeed, that his recovery was generally considered as hopeless. He died at Cannes on the Ist inst. NIGHT HOUSES AT LivmtPooL.--The Liverpool Recorder, in his charge, yesterday, recommended that in future the magistrates should issue warrants against all keepers of night houses who were known to harbour pros titutes. In in this way he thought such houses would become suppressed in Liverpool for want of custom. It is said that his Highness the Nawab Nazim of Bengal has drawn from the India Office upwards of three lakbs of rupees during his sojourn in England. "It would not be difficult," remarks the Indian Daily News, ``to account fO i r some cf this epeuditure. It is capital invested; 'though we are not sup that it Will prove a capital investment." 4 eirenlar hati been issued by the Medical Depart ment of the Privy Council, in which the attention of the local authorities is dir ec t e d to Section 28 of the Vaccina tion Act of 1867. By this they are empowered to ap point special officers to institute inquiries, and take proceedings necessary to check the further spread of small-pox in those districts where it has become epidemic. PRUSSIAN TORPEDOES. The Berlin correspondent of the Daily News, writing on January 6, remarks :—lt appears that the attempts to block up the Seine by sinking ships are to be given up, at least a far more effective means for the same purpose is now resorted to. A detachment of 50 pioneers and 30 sailors, commanded by Captain Vincenz, of the Navy, has left Kiel by a special train, conveying a great number of torpedoes to Paris. Unfortu nately this will mar the project of bringing pro visions to Paris after the surrender, by means of river navigation ; for experience has already shewn that it takes time to remove torpedoes when once placed. The French have to thank the originator , * of the fortification of their metropolis for the growing sufferings and dangers to which the whole population of France, including the innocent, is exposed ; for it is solely this avowed preparation for war to the knife, which every other civilised nation hitherto has shrunk from resorting to, that has given to the present war its character. One almost feels as if some new light had been thrown on the fate of fortified Nineveh and the Assyrian Empire. Between States that are to recog nise one another's existence there ought to be, in the interest of humanity, some limit fixed, at which the refusal to acknowledge defeat in war ceases to be valour and becomes crime. And a very natural limit of this kind is to protect the great hives of population, and particularly the metropolis itself, by resistance in the open field. The question now has assumed this shape : are other nations, particularly Germany and Austria, to imitate the French example, and fortify their capitals, thus making, like the Romans, war the supreme rule of life, and peace a mere lucky accident ; or is it once and for ever now to be proved that even a fortified capital may delay, but not altogether prevent, a final, and all the more complete defeat? I wish that the people of Paris could listen for but one evening to the talk of the people of Berlin about them. They would discover what they, perhaps, might expect, no animosity, but still less of what they believe the whole world owes them, namely, admiration. They are talked of as harm less fools, as children, irresponsible for their acts, and that even by the least educated classes, among whom never theless every third man has been in Paris. THE CONFLICT AROUND HAVRE. From Havre January 6th, the correspondent of the Daily News writes :—As I telegraphed last evening, wild rumours were spread about town to the effect that General Roy was surprised and defeated, and that his troops had fled in disorder to Honfleur, and were to arrive here by midnight. Also, yesterday evening, General Peletingeas, with all his corps, returned to Montiviliers, why or wherefore nobody knows ; but his sudden retreat has completely taken us by surprise, for we believed it to be his intention to go forward, and push the enemy back on Rouen, which city he, in concert with Roy, hoped to free from the rule of his Majesty of Prussia. But it appears now that their plans have been knocked on the head by the defeat of the Army of the Eure. It is, however, advanced by the journals that the retreat of Peletingeas is a strategic movement, which I must admit I cannot see through. I fail to see any strategy in marching a body of troops about 30 miles through the country and coming back again without encountering the enemy. However, I dare say that the gallant general has his reasons, which we may know to-morrow or after. By the accounts published to-day of the engagement at La Bouille, yes terday, it would seem that the enemy, attracted by a fire which an advanced body of Francs-tireurs had imprudently lit, crept up and surrounded them without firing a shot. This surprise, of course, caused the greatest confusion, and after a lively combat between the Prussians and the main body of French, in the Forest of Londe, the latter gave way and retreated in two directions, one body taking the road to Honfleur the other that to Bernay. It is said that the French made an energetic resistance, but the fog being so dense prevented them from seeing the actual position or strength of the enemy. The losses on the French side are represented to be 400 killed and 303 wounded, while those of the enemy are estimated at 800 killed and wounded. It is to be regretted that some hundreds of Mobiles made a most shameful race of it ; they fled to Honfleur in total disorder. Examples should be made of some of these runaways ; at all events they were at once compelled to go back and rejoin their regiments. THE LONDON TRAMWAYS. Mr. Bazalgette has furnished the Metropolitan Board of Works with a report upon the bills for the extension of Metropolitan street tramway; which are to come be fore Parliament in the approaching session. Several lines which last year received the sanction of the Legislature are, he says, only now being completed in many of the leading approaches to Lon don, and sufficient time, therefore, has not elapsed for testing their merits by experience. A tramway mania, he thinks, has seized the minds of promoters, which, if not checked and carefully controlled by the result of experience would, he fears, be attended with the most injurious results. In the years 1869-70 the existing companies obtained parliamentary powers to lay down about 82A miles of tramways, and to raise capital to the amount of £1,051250. This year it is pro posed to add a further length of 266 miles of tramways with powers to raise a further sum of about £2,830,000, or, in round numbers, together involving an expenditure of about £3,880,000. for the construction of about 350 miles of tramway; being at the rate of about £ll,OOO per mile. The gauge in all cases appears to be 4ft. Biin. Sixteen provisional orders of the Board of Trade are ap plied for, under the Act of 1870, to lay down tramways. The driver and the conductor of a tramway car was sum moned at the Thames Police-court for having run down a cab in the Mile-end-road. There was no doubt about the fact, but the defence was that the injury to the com plainant's vehicle was caused by accident and not by design. The magistrate was at first inclined to send the tramway driver to prison, but' u lti ma t e l y a fine was in flicted in each case, and th? company was ordered to compensate the cabman. GREAT FIRE IN LABIBETII.—About nine o'clock last night a fire—the brilliancy of which attracted some thousands of persons to the Surrey side of the Thames — broke out lon the extensive premises of Mr. William Younghusband, oil refiner, Old Barge-house WlArf, Commercial-road, Lambeth. The flames having attacked the cellars and warehouses, in which were stowed an un usual quantity of oil and several casks ofiltriol, the water appeared to have n o e ff ec t; and the flames ascended with great force, illuminating the metropolis for some distance. Before the fire could be extinguished, Mr. Youucrhus baud's premises were entirely delltroyed. TATTER-TigxEs TN A.ATE4IPA,.-m•We hear. from New York of a new arrangement by the Post Office. The pillar-boxes are connected with a pneumatic tube that runs round the city to the general receiving-house. As the letters are dropped into the box they are blown along the tube at the rate of sixty-five miles an hour7—Ruilckr. - - THE BOMBARDMENT OF THE PARIS FORTS. The special correspondent of the Daily News sends the following, dated Versailles, Jan. 6 :—The second day's bombardment of the forts south of Paris was favoured by much finer weather than attended the opening of the German fire yesterday. It is a bright sunny afternoon, and there is no mist on the lower ground to hinder the gunners in taking aim. Mont Valdrien has not been attacked, so the rival artillery in that direction remains almost silent ; but beyond the hills of :Hendon and Clamart there is the same deadly growl and rumble as was heard yesterday morning. If we may ildge by the smoke puffs over the German batteries, and by the steady booming of their cannonade, a fiercer fire is being poured on the French on the second than on the first day of attack. More batteries seem to be engaged, and having got the range the besiegers have warmed to their work. It is an artillery duel of intense interest for both sides—a fair stand-up fight between forts and batteries, with Paris shuddering behind. I see no sign of damage produced by the stray shells which are said to have fallen into the city. There are domes and towers glittering in the sun, there is an expanse of white houses and of tiled and slated roofs as of yore. The people in the streets may be going quietly about their business, and the families of hungry children high under the tiles may be crying for food rather than for fear cf the Prussians. But they must hear all this in Paris. They have war brought home to them in the thunder of those batteries against their outlying forts. They can get a better view of what happens than can be obtained from the besieging side. To them the crest of the hill above Issy, Vanvres, and Montrouge must show a threatening spectre of smoke clouds rising athwart the sunlight, and they must have the sound of bursting shells brought down to them by the wind. Without being as yet in danger, the Parisians have danger at their very door. An exciting artillery duel has not the element of dash which makes a battle, nay, even a small skirmish, so different to other sights. Great guns boom forth in quick succession ; smoke rises on the wind, and the noise is deafening. But no charge is made. There is no gallop of cavalry to the front, or steady, crackling advance of an infantry line. You see a number of dull earthen mounds, with suggestions of an un finished railway embankment about them. There are black objects peeping over the mounds, and these flash out at intervals, with sudden shocks, which make the ears tingle. Men are busy about them, and words of command sometimes are heard. But the principal part is played by the inanimate black objects. The great injuries are borne by the dull earthen mounds. The forts are not much more conspicuous than the batteries ; they look like mere railway embankments on a larger scale. Now it is from above, now from below, that the flashes come fastest. Over each party there is a continual smoke-cloud slowly dis persing on the wind, and then replaced by fresh bursts of smoke as they fire again and again at each other. The forts have the worst of it, in so far that more shells crash straight into them than seem to strike the batteries ; but we can not tell which of the deadly visitors takes effect. Dust flies up, and the report is heard. Perhaps some one has fallen. If so, enough are left to continue the work. Answering flashes come thick and fast. The two rival lines of fire mingle in the road and die away, and rise and mingle again. There was some loss yesterday in the Ger man batteries, but the exact figure is not known. I hear that the effect of the fire from Montrouge was most deadly, and that the Germaus consider their battery No, 9 to have done especial damage. THE TERMS OF SURRENDER. The special correspondent of the Telegraph sends the following from Versailles, January B:—As far as I can gather, the German modes operandi to be adopted after the fall of Paris will be nearly as follows :—First, the King will not enter the city at all, as was his Majesty's inten tion two months ago. He will instantly return to Berlin, .leaving the allied armies under the command of the two Royal Field Marshals. Paris itself will receive no garrison —the protection of the city will be confided to the National Guard, which will not be dis armed. Of course, the regulars and Moblots will be sent to Germany. The forts will be garrisoned by German troops. The main body of the besiegers, as also of the other German armies now in the field, will retire to the province of Champagne, which they will hold in pledge for the war expenses, &c. Alsace and Lorraine Germany considers her own, now and for ever. Holding the Paris forts and Champagne, the Germans will discuss terms, and leave France at complete liberty to re-consti tute her Government, and to continue the war or not, as she pleases. Upon the correctness of this programme, I believe you may rely. THE MINISTRY. We are authorised to state that Mr. George Shaw Lefevro has accepted the Under-Secretaryship not for the Colonies but for the Home Department. Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen will succeed Mr. Monsell at the Colonial Office. At Bow-street, on Friday, a well-dressed man, de scribed as Dr. John Barnes, appeared before Mr. Flowers to answer a summons which charged him with causing indecent handbills to be circulated in the public streets. Mr. Flowers fined the defendant £2 and costs. A letter from St. Petersburg, dated a few days since, describes vividly the universal tone of exultation in political society at what is regarded as the complete suc cess of the Emperor's breaking through the treaty of 1856. Any doubt, however expressed, of the issue of the Confer ence in a sense unfavourable thereto is laughed at con temptuously.—Manchester Guardian Correspondent. The cold has brought wolves from Poland and Russia, into Prussia as far as the Oder. Three were seen near Glogau ; others elsewhere. It shews that in Poland the snowfall must have altogether deprived them of food ; for they know the German territory, swarming with hunts men, well enough not to risk their lives, which in Poland and Russia are pretty safe. ENGLISH HORSES FOR FRANCE AND PRUSSIA.— On Friday several valuable teams of young horses arrived by railway in London, having been purchased by army horse contractors at Preston horse fair for exportation to France and Germany. They left London for South ampton and other ports for immediate shipment to the seat of war. BIRMINGHAM "MORNING NEWS."— A. capital of £30,000 is required to carry on the business of a Birming ham newspaper, entitled the Morning News. As the shares have been fixed at the high value of £5OO each, we imagine that private capitalists and parties interested are about to engage in the enterprise, and that the public will not be called upon to subscribe.—Railway News. PILOGRESS IN BELFAST.—A sign of the increasing prosperity of at least one portion of Ireland is thus noted by the Belfast Daily Examiner:—" The prosperity of our borough, soon, we trust, to be raised to the rank of a city, is most remarkabl e . Th e a pproaching census will, it is generally believed, find 160,000 inhabitants in Bel fast, against somewhat over 120,000 in 1861, or an increase of one-third." A TERRIBLE MOMENT.—The Glasgow Citizen re ports that while Thomas Johnston, who is employed in Dundas-hill Distillery, was on Thursday in the act of lighting a gas jet at the end of a mash-tun, he accidentally stumbled, and his left hand became entangled between two wheels in connection with the stirring machinery. Johnston, finding he was being gradually drawn in, though the machinery was moving at a slow rate, with great presence of mind managed to get hold of a knife in his right hand, with which he cut oft his left arm at the elbow, and thus extricated himself, and in all probability saved his life, ELEMENTARY TEACHERS. In answer to an ap plication made at the Science and Art department to recognise as a teacher under that department the master of a national school in Liverpool who had accepted an,,in vitation to teach mathematics in the new Science School recently opened at Kirkdale, intimation has been received to the effect that elementary school teachers, who have passed through training colleges, shall be permitted to earn payments on results in the first stage of pure mathe matics under the department, without undergoing the usual examination. This arrangement will be a great boon to the pooTly-paid, eietueutary teachers. THE IRISH LAND BILL.—Sir John Gray has deli vered an address to his constituents on the Land Bill, in which he declares that the day the Queen's sign manual was attached to the bill eonverting its pro visions into absolute law, property to the amount of over seventy millions of pounds ste l ik passed by that stroke of the pen f.r4T Tie, side of the ledger to the other, The , property which the flay'befOre the bill was signed by the giieen was 'the property of the land lords of Ireland became the day following—nay, the very instant the bill was 4igned—the property o.f the, tenantry of Ireland; and th e a mo u nt of the absolute Araperty belonging to the . tenantry . , as the resnlit of the bill, exceeds seventy millions. I believe (Sir %TAR said) I should be antler the Agiwe if I said eighty millions ster ling. sir. John Gray explained this to mean the contingent liability of landlords for compen sation for improvements and disturbance. Sir John made a suggestion that a fund should be to baying the g provide for the poor tenantry tb.7.,(1 means si ) land courts assisted by tllo most ablo panneel In 4 dv il i n i gi . tering the law, as to sustain its proyifilglia, ~`..+,-- OUR COTEMPORARIES---This Morning. ENGLAND AS A MEDIATOR. The Times says :—Peace may be contemplated as pos sible, and perhaps probable, a week, a fortnight, a month hence, but at this moment we are in the midst of a crisis of the war which must be overpassed before the suggestion can be entertained. Paris must fall. At a time when everything points to an early capitulation of the city, it is useless to dwell upon the supposition that the Germans will allow anything to interfere with their course be fore its surrender. For more than three months they have sat down before Paris. For a yet longer time it has been a fixed idea of the German mind that France must be humiliated by the subjugation of the city which has been the chief offender in nursing the French jealousies of German unity and growth. Now at length the consummation is at hand. It is ap parently demonstrated that the Provincial Armies of the Republic, brave and ardent as may be their soldiers, are unable to advance to the relief of the city in time to prevent its surrender. The long delay has doubtless taught the Germans many things. It has led some of them to doubt whether it was wise to march upon the capital after thy` destruction of the last regular army in the field. It has produced a general agreement of opinion that when Paris shall be taken there shall be no attempt made to carry the war further into France. But Paris must be taken, and not until the few days or weeks yet re maining to it shall be accomplished can negotiations for peace be profitably mentioned. Referring to the various courses open to England, the Times says:—We may, as we did, propose an armistice, but we made no suggestion as to the terms and conditions of the armistice. So we might now urge the necessity of peace, but we could offer no opinion on the proper terms of peace. Another position of a Neutral Power involves an assumption, on befitting occasions, of the right of judgment. We have refrained from asserting this right from a fear that it would be undignified to express an opinion where we had no intention of enforcing it ; but thongh the judge who can order execution of his decrees is exalted above the moralist who simply pronounces condemnation or acquittal, yet the latter is preferred to the man whose sole care is to ex press no opinion whatever in any cause. Our silence deprives us of all opportunity of usefulness. Most of us can see the opportunities we have missed already, and it is not too much to ask whether the fall of P.sris may not be another opportunity to be seized or to be neglected. WILL PARIS FALL ? Conflicting as are the conclusions which are drawn from the present aspect of the military situation in France, says the Standard, we suppose there is one upon which all men are agreed, that no one can now foretell with any certainty the conclusion of the war. It is some time since the Germans desisted from their confident predictions that they would all spend their Christmas-day at home. Christmas has come and gone. The new year has come, with no novelty, but a sameness of horror, and we are getting on well into the year 1871. The aspirations of the sanguine King do not stretch any farther now than hoping " that the war will come to a close in 1871." There is something in the present aspect of affairs which consti tutes for the invading force a rude awakening from that dream of triumph in which it indulged after Sedan. It is one thing to feel your foot on the neck of your enemy, another thing to be engaged in the death grapple with one as strong as yourself. The first was the situa tion which the Germans fondly pictured for themselves : the latter is the stern reality to which they have awakened. The two armies of France fell so suddenly before them that they imagined themselves very great men indeed, conceived that. all possibility of resisting them was at an end, imposed a humiliating programme on the defeated enemy, and endeavoured to force it down his throat by sheer brute force. The Germans mis calculated, and are only beginning to find out their mis take. Their army and their Landwehr are now confronted by the levee en masse, by bodies of troops which already outnumber them, which will soon be able to sweep them away by mere physical weight. German resources are at an end ; but every day adds to the strength of the enemy. The capture of Paris does not necessarily imply the defeat of France, but the possibility of its fall must now be seriously considered. After repeated attempts, its garrison has failed to cut its way out. Provisions are failing. The population now lives chiefly on bread and wine, and we can scarcely suppose that its fortitude will enable it to hold out, if unrelieved, for more than another month. Paris has done good service in holding half the German army at arm's length, while myriads of French men are drilling and fighting in the provinces. Though, since the abandonment of Mont Avron, where some of the unhappy shopkeepers who serve as National Guards seem to have behaved badly, two of the forts in the east, Rosny and Noisy, and two in the south-west, Issy and Vanvres, have been lately bombarded, until it is said their guns have been silenced, there is every reason to believe that her fortifications are so strong that Paris can only be taken by being starved. But will she be starved, or will the provinces come to her rescue in time? WANT OF SYMPATHY WITH FRANCE. Commenting on the French complaint of English want of sympathy, the Daily News observes :—There is some thing more than mere coincidence in the appearance of complaints from eminent and moderate Frenchmen as to the attitude of England at the very moment when English feeling and sympathy have gone over so conclusively to the side of France. Public opinion in England is nearly always on the weaker side. Did we sympathise with Denmark or with Germany in the Holstein war ? Is it not a per petual source of difficulty with the United States that English opinion took part with the South in the Civil War? At the opening of this present war, when the English press and public) denounced the Imperial aggressor, which was believed to be the stronger ? Did not all the world anticipate that the French army would advance victoriously into Germany, and. was there not as much astonishment as there was satisfaction at the Imperial defeat? At the present moment, when English feeling moves towards France, is it so because France is conquering, or because she is losing ? It is difficult for Englishmen, just at this mo ment, to express all they feel for France. A noble nation may well recognise that good taste demandsof us that we should keep our pity to ourselves, We wish to see Germany united, but we cannot afford to see France humiliated and destroyed. If Paris is not the capital of civilisation, it is one of the most important of its capitals. The French genius is perhaps not so much original as interpre tative. By its admirable clearness of thought and of ex pression, it gives ideas currency. Other nations may originate them, but till they have passed through the de fining and refining process to which the French intellect subjects everything, they gain no empire over the minds of men. In politics the French are after all the apostles of liberty. England may discover and apply the principles of democratic freedom, but France formulates them into doctrines, and preaches them to th e wor ld. The French ton gue i s the international speech of Europe, because French thought is the international possession of Europe. No, we cannot do. without France, and we do not wish to, try. Nor need Frenchmen fear that we shall have to do without her. France is down, but she will rise again. She has fallen in a bad quarrel, she has suffered beyond all her demerits ; but the sympathy of the world. has rallied to her, and that sympathy will save her. There is a point beyond which her humiliation could not go, and that point is long past. We have already witnessed with joy her resurrection from a twenty years* entomb ment, and though that resurrection takes place under hard conditions and the new life lwgins in pain and struggle, it will at length bring r, et w hope to Europe and new freedom to the world. THE FROCiR s ESS OF THE BOMBAREOLEXT. The Telegraph, in reviewing the progress of the bom bardment of the French forts, says :—From the accounts, we suspect that the pleateau of Fort Avron had to be evacuated, not so much on account of the injuries sus tained by the work itself, as because the annoying fire of the enemy's batteries commanded every approach from the neighbouring forts. The real horror of th e bombardment will only commence when the Prussians may b e in a position. to shell Paris itself, and resolve to employ their advantage. There is a vast difference between the fall of shells in the open fields—where, in two cases out of three, they are embedded in the earth—and the crashing of suc h ni i, siles upon roofs and pavements. The dwellings of a great city obstruct the view, SO that it is not pos sible, as in the case of a fact, to,signal the course of the ap proaching messenger of destruction ; and, even if it were, the inhabitr.nis are not in a positio n t o run a t once under cover, like troops manning a fortified post. A shell burst ins in a room will knack down the walls, will send the roof clattering inta the street, will tear up the ceiling. More over, it invariably happens that in, a short time the enemy gets the range of the leading thoroughfares, and dropping fire a shel l s reudexs the streets imp assa bl e , It is true 'that, even in a crowded town, the actuall casualties are wonderfully small compared with mass of . projectiles hurled, but the agony, the terror, the misery eaused by such a catastrophe are thin gs terrible to contemplate. We hoped that the last arid crowning misery may Yet be spared the French capital. Should the further prosecution of the siege be marked by the same pitiless consistency in destructive effort that has hitherto characterised the German operations, and the storm of deadly missiles be lowed into the city after the surrounding forts have crumbled into shapeless ruin, pity for the suffering non combatants will supersede all other considerations. Until that time comes the bombardment has for us only the interest of a duel between hostile batteries, revealing some of the most impressive and terrible aspects of war„ ng, the Tai ert- ies, and He hey iem Wit% ight ded, rent , ads, " of ►ded d to 3on- 1, as will Lord local .s the Chip's very as a , ade her of Mr. an of noble n the poet