The Sun.
London, England, 1862-01-01 00:00:00

A letter from Paris says, The unpleasa, _nci is
that occurred at Valencia between Marshal Pelissier
and the Captain-General, Don Jose Orozco, and to
which I alluded in one of my late letters, gave deep
offence to the Spanish Government. General
Orozco sent in a report of the whole affair to the
Minister of War at Madrid, and the Spanish Am-
bassador in Paris received instructions, without loss
of time, to demand explanations and reparation
from the Imperial Government. The note addressed
to the French Minister of Foreign Affairs was
couched in firm and dignified language. It staled
very explicitly that in this instance Marshal Pelis-
sier hid completely failed in the respect due to a
private individual, and still more to a foreign gene-
ral officer in the exercise of his functions; and it
described as they deserved the extraor4oiry lan-
guage and the quite as extraordinary gestures made
use by Marshal Pelissier in his interview ‘Nith
General Orozco. It faithfully expressed the pain-
ful effect produced on every member of the Gevern-
ment, the Diplomatic Body, and the society- of
Madrid. All classes of that capital regarded the
gratuitous offence as offered not only to.the Cap-
tain-General of Valencia, but to the-whole army,
and consequently to the national honour. Marshal
O'Donnell, one of the last men to submit to such
conduct, appears to have authorised General Orcze
to write to Marshal Pelissier, asking him whether,
if such language were made use of to himself, he
would put up with it. Something was said of the
probability of a hostile meeting between the two;
-but-I have reason to believe that, owing to the
personal intervention of the Empernr ----- •
satisfaction Ilk now been cf:
Government as well aps-46---Gegeral Orozco. The
followitig is the report from the Captain• General
of Valencia to the Minister of War. I have re-
ceived it from that capital, and it is a temperate
and, I believe, correct statement of what passcd
",To HIS EXCELLENCY MARSAL O'DONNELL, MINISTER,
OF WAR

" Valencia, Nov. 30.
"Excellency,--Tile steam frigate Christophe
Colomb, of the French Imperial navy, having on
board Marshal the Duke de Malakhoff, anchored this
day in the port of La Grao (the port of Valencin) at
about half-past Bin the morning, and in about an
hour afterwards she saluted the Spanish flag with
21 guns. At half-past 101 was informed of the ar-
rival of the Christophe Colomb, and of the salute she
had fired. Nevertheless, as La Grao is not a mili-
tary port, I did not consider that it was my duty to
return the salute before I had received your Excel-
lency's orders. I nevertheless despatched one of my
aides-de-camp on board to present my compliments
to the Duke, and to acquaint the captain of the
Christophe Colomb that Valencia not being a for-
tress, I found it necessary to solicit of your Excel-
lency the authorisation to return the salute, which
I should not fail to do as soon as the order reached
me. My aide-de-camp returned by 12 o'clock, and
informed me that the Duke de Malakhoff had landed.
Wishing to pay the Marshal a mark of respect, I
forthwith proceeded to the residence of the French
Consul, where I expected to meet him. After hav-
ing waited a long time, I was told that his Excel-
lency was stopping at the railway terminus, and that
his intention was to remain there until he re-em-
balked. As I had resolved to present my respects to
the Duke de Malakhoff, although the Marshal had
not deigned to send me an aide.cle-camp, notwith-
standing my rank of Captain-General of the district,
I went to the station. At that moment I wore a civi-
lian's dress coat, with the sash of General and the
Grand Cross of Charles 111. Judge of my surprise
when I heard myself reproached by a person who was
not my superior with not having presented myself in
uniform. lat first thought that the Marshal was ig-
norant of my quality, and I mentioned my title of
Captain-General of the district. I added that I came
as a private individual to salute his Excellency, and
to offer him my respects. The Duke asked me, in
an angry tone of voice, whether Spanish
general officers were not in ie habit of wearing
a uniform ? I replied that we did wear it, but
under certain circumstances, such as the present,
general officers were privileged to wear the dress
in which he saw me. The Marshal, continuing in
the same tone, reproached me for not having yet
returned the salute. I observed to him that, Va-
lencia not being a fortified town, I required a su-
perior authorisation to perform that formality, and
that as soon as it reached me I should hasten to
execute it. The Duke de Malekheff continutd,
however, to conduct himself in a manner such as I
would not exhibit towards a private soldier, drink-
ing and smoking, turning round the table, and
swearing in an unseemly manner, taking no notice -
of our respective positions. Tio totally forgot that were there in the presence of our subordinates.
This was not all ; he ordered me to dismiss front
the service, and to punish, the captain of the pore,
who had promised that the salute should be re-
turned; and when I replied that I had no authority
to dismiss a functionary, but that I would institute
an inquiry and communicate the result to my Go-
vernment, he interrupted me in a rage, and threat-
ened to refer the matter to his Majesty the Em-
peror. I was obliged, Excellency, to arm myself
with extraordinary patience to prevent myself from
committing an act which would have produced a
conflict. Sacrificing everything to the dignity of
my country, I preferred withdrawing, convinced
that "y our Excellency, as the worthy chief of the
Spanish army, would take this affair to heart. It
appeared that it was designedly intended to violate
every respect due to a general commanding a mili-
tary district in the grossest manner, and in pre-
sence of several persons, who could scarcely restrain.
themselves ; and his very character of representa-
tive of the Queen and of her Government was
slighted. I believe there is not a Spanish general
who does not feel himself insulted in my person by
the strange conduct of the Duke de Malakhoff. It
was two in the afternoon when I received autho-
rity from your Excellency to return the salute.
I forthwith despatched a mounted battery to
Grao. I, nevertheless, did not send with it
the General second in command—first, because I
had already politely presented myself in person to
Marshal the Duke de Malakhoff; and, again, in
order not to expose another general officer to the
blustering which I had endured. It appears from
the report of the captain of the port, that he had
by no means undertaken to return the salute. I
have further convinced myself, during my conversa-
tion with that functionary, that the Duke de Mala-
khoff had likewise treated the officers of the port
with disrespect, and that he had threatened Lieu-
tenant Van-Halen, of the navy, with his stick.
Your Excellency will comprehend my just suscep-
tibility. lam convinced that the Marshal's foul
language was not addressed to me, and that the
word ' ass,' which fell incessantly from his lips, was
applied to the French Consul. That functionary,
indignant at this wanton discourtesy towards him.,
self, immediately informed his immediate chief, the
Minister for Foreign Affairs.
" JOSE DE OROZCO."

GRANGES IN TEE HOUSE OF LORD,S%

Several changes have taken place in the House:of
Lords during the recess. By the deaths of the Earl
of Eglinton and the Earl Fortescue the number of
peers has beeb reduced by two, the present Earl of
Eglinton being only 20 years of age, and the pre-
sent Earl Fortescue having for some time past hqd
a seat in the House of Lords as Lord Ebrington. In
consequence of the death of the 'Earl Mount Edg-
cumhe, Viscount Valletort, late M.P. for Plymouth
was entitled to take his seat as a peer at the com-
mencement of the next session of Parliament. His
lordship was born in 1832. By the death of Baron
Ponsonb4y, intelligence of which reached England.
early in October, his uncle, the Hon. George Pon-
sonby, born 1807, succeeds to the peerage. Ia
consequence of the death of the Hon. Dr. Montagu
Villiers, late Bishop of Durham, a change will take
place on the episcopal bench. Dr. Henry Philpott
the recently consecrated Bishop of Worcester, will
succeed Dr. Waldegrave (Bishop of Carlisle) as
junior bishop, and will take his seat as chaplain to
the House of Lords. Dr. William Thomson, the
new Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol, will be with-
out a seat as a spiritual peer until a vacancy arises
in a diocese other than either Canterbury and
York, London, Durham, and Winchester.

STRIKE AT THE EXHIBITION,—The workmen
engaged upon the eastern dome of the Exhibition Budding
struck work yesterday, and those vngaged upon the western
come were expected to leave this morning. The• n,en ;,re
.
dissatisfied with the amount of wages they receive' for the
number of hours they work per day,
the great amount of
exertion and labour expected from them, and tne dangerous
nature of the employment. Tho men have beanfor some
time much dissatisfied, but, finding no attention paid to
their complaints, have struck as the only mode left them
of obtaining attention to their grievances. It is not ex-
pected the strike will bo of any long duration, as it is im-
perative that no delay should take place in the works, and
doubtless some immediate arrangement will be entered into
between the contractors and the Workmen.