The Sun.
London, England, 1863-07-04 00:00:00

TIIEI3.3IOIIETER.

This morning
This day at Two o'clock 72

Barometer-30.26.
Wind—W. ; moderate, and fine weather.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
Cxis Diir.—Morning, 4h. 10m.—Afternoon, 4h. :31m.
To.woßßow.-Morning, 4h. 56m.—Afternoon, ~sh. 20m.

4.\,'CikVJ

LONDON, SATURDAY, JULY 4, 1863.

'Tis a very pretty quarrel as it stands—this one
resulting from the astounding discrepancies between
the statements made by Mr. ROEBUCK, on the
part of his Majesty the Emperor of the FRENCH,
and by Mr. LAYARD on the part of her Britannic
MAJESTY'S Government. Even Sir Lucius
UTRIGGER, in this age of non-duelling, might
have been disposed to repeat himself thus, by
echoing his famous ejaculation, could he but have
had his hot Irish blood stirred anew by conning the
particulars of the rise, development, and bewildering
complication of the misunderstanding which has
suddenly sprung up between the member for Sheffield
and the leaders of Lord PALMERSTON'S Administra-

tion. One way or another, there must somewhere
be enormous—we will use no stronger phrase than
—misrepresentation. Mr. ROEBUCK and Mr.
LINDSAY, with the recollection of their very recent
visit to the Emperor NAPOLEON in his palace at
Fontainebleau, both relate identically the same
story—both report his Majesty to have said so-and-
so, the very words uttered by the Emperor
have been reported (tpsissima verba) in the
British House of Commons—those words having re-
ference to his Majesty's diplomatic communications
in respect to the American war and the recognition
of the Confederates 1 The EMPEROR'S diplomatic
communications upon that head,that is to say, direct,
now indirect,with her Britannic MAJESTY'S Govern-
ment. Lord COWLEY has not yet had an opportu-
nity of coinciding with the opinions, or rather, it
should he said, with the recollections, of any one
among the high disputants. Neither, for that
matter, has the imperial foreign Minister of France,
M. DRoUIN DE L'HUYS. But saving and except-
ing those two responsible personages, the
EMPEROR'S foreign Minister and the QUEEN'S am-
bassador at the Court of the Tuileries—every
individual almost in any way interested in the
question at issue, has already now pronounced
himself either by word of mouth, or in writing, for
one or the other of the two diametrically contra-
dictory statements put forth. Nothing, it cannot
but be already remarked, could by possibility be
more positive, or more distinct, than the de-
clarations made by word of mouth the other evening
by Mr. ROEBUCK—in writing only this very morn-
ing by Mr. LINDSAY. Here are two most honour-
able gentlemen who vouch for the perfect accuracy
of their very recent recollections as to what occur-
red the other day at Fontainebleau. Mr. LINDSAY'S
objections to anything in the way of comment, or
we presume ha means, by comment, contradiction—
as yet—are resolvable obviously enough to one,
viz., that they are premature. He asks that all
comment, meaning of course, we repeat, contradic-
tion, shall be reserved yet awhile. " The debate,"
he reminds the general public, " is yet pending,
and comments can only prejudge. In the mean-
time," he adds quite distinctly, " I think it due to
Mr. ROEBUCK to say that wha.', he has stated is true,
and shall be confirmed by one in Parliament, with
time, place, and circumstance, when the debate
Ls resumed." Observing, with not unreasonable
vexation—" I have to regret that it [the debate]
is postponed for a time even so long as the 13th
instant." Opposed to these blunt words—preceded
by words if possible yet more plain and blunt in
their way, that is the equally positive and explicit
words conveying the original statement to the
knowledge of the House of Commons from the
lips of Mr. ROEBUCK—opposed to all these delibe-
rate declarations, uttered by the member for Shef-
field, written by the member fur Sunderland, we
have as yet nothing more than the rather confused
and hesitating, and upon one or two points
slightly evasive, denials of the Under-Secretary of
State for Foreign Affairs the hon. member for South-
wark. Those denials, however, it is but right to re-
mark at once, however vague they may be,and how-
ever uncertain in several particulars, are understood
to be hacked up by the coincident contradiction, so to
speak, of the noble earl the Secretary of State, Mr.
I,AvAnD's chief, and of Baron GROS himself, the
French EMPEROR'S Ambassador at the Court of St.
James's. The " facts" vary SO much in colour and
huein at every turn, that the quarrel "as it stands"
reminds one simply of the old fabuliet's dispute
about the Chameleon. As in that instance, actual
circumstances may prova to be totally different from
any inference Nve have formed of them hitherto.