The Sun.
London, England, 1865-10-19 00:00:00

SPORTING INTEL GIGENI

VICTORIA CLUB BETTING-THIS DAY.

CAMBRIDGESHIRE.
Bto 1 agst Gladiateur (taken)
12 to 1 agst Salpinctcs (taken and offered)
100 to 8 agst Provisor (taken)
22 to 1 agst Ostregor (taken)
22 to 1 agst The Duke (taken)
22 to 1 agst Custard Castle (taken)
25 to 1 agst Gontran (taken)
25 to 1 agst Gardevisure (taken)
30 to 1 agst Regalia (taken)
33 to 1 agst Sister to the Drake (offered)
33 to 1 agst King Charming (taken)
'33 to 1 agst Nu (offered, take 40 to 1)
40 to 1 agst Wedding Peal
50 to 1 agst Victory
1000 to 10 agst Tennyson (taken)
1000 to 10 agst Argonaut

The French Press on the Alabama
Correspondence.

_... _

Several of the Paris journals publish comments on
the despatches exchanged between Mr. Adams and
Earl Russell, and seem to look on them as mere
diplomatic sparring and nothing more. The Presse
declares that all idea of hostilities between America
and England on such a futile cause is simply pre-
posterous, and that the rapidity with which the
Cabinet of Washington has disbanded its troops and
restored its peace establishment proves that it has
not the slightest intention of resuming a belligerent
attitude. The writer adds :
Mr. Seward and Mr. Adams are too intelligent not to
comprehend that, although their complaints are serious,
although their demand possesses an incontestable character
of equity, if considered in the strict point of view of the
existing right of nations, still there has not been on the
part of the British Government any precise material vio-
lation of national and international law. It is certain, on
the other hand, that the said Cabinet has not acted,
with respect to the Union, in a straightforward 'and
friendly manner—has observed a neutrality more apparent
than real.

Our contemporary believes that the Government
of the United States has a more elevated object in
view than any pecuniary reparation, namely, to call
the attention of the civilised world and of all the
Governments concerned to the omissions and im-
perfections of the present law of nations, and to
provoke from genaral good sense and the force of
public opinion a legislation on the subject of a more
extended and equitable character, and more in con-
formity with the progress of civilisation. The Monde
on the same subject remarks :
The American Government has not yet arrived at a sa-
tisfactory arrangement with the Cabinet of St. James in
regard to the question of maritime indemnities and the re-
cognition of the Confederates. A commission, however, is
spoken of. That comedy might well be called after that of
Shakspere, "Much Ado About Nothing." Doubtless the
Government of Washington only wishes to get rid of its re-
sponsibilii y towards the American shipowners plundered by
the Confederate corsairs. It often requires a much less seri-
ous affair to bring about a war ; and if one sets aside the
grandiloquent causes to which were attributed the Mexican
expedition, the indemnities demanded from Juarez were not
more worth speaking of than those demanded from Lord
Russell. Under the present circumstances, however, such
an eventuality is not to be dreaded, and the notes of Mr.
Seward will merely be made us of as matter of reverence
should the relations between England and America assume
an unfriendly tone at some future period.
The Gazette de France also remarks on the diplo-
matic correspondence which has been exchanged,
and refers to another description of claim made by
the American Cabinet on France, and which the
writer considers to be of such a nature as not to
present the slightest chance of being favourably re-
ceived. The character of the demand is explained
in the subjoined extract :
The issue of the dispute with England gives reason to
hope that the Government of Washing'on will not sig-
nify to France that she also will have to pay damages
for the same cause. Nevertheless, the American Cabinet
shows a desire to indemnify itself, and with that object it
has just sequestrated the merchandise of several French
merchants as a guarantee•for a sum of several millions
demanded for Customs' dues, which the Americans say
they have neglected to claim up to this day. The fol-
lowing is the foundation of the really strange demand,
which we should refuse to credit were it not of American
origin. In the United States, goods imported have
hitherto been charged with a duty based on the prime
cost of the object and not on the supposed price of its
sale after importation. Never was it otherwise at the Cus-
tom-house. Thus, a bottle of Champagne wine sold at
sf. in the caf‘s and hotels of New York and elsewhere was
valued, on its entrance, as having cost the maker 3f., and
paid duty in proportion. The American Government has
suddenly changed its opinion, and now decides that dues
on importation must be calculated on another principle.
It even pretends to go back on the past, and to give
to this modification of the tariff a retrospective force.
As the Amerieans are shrewed calculators, a very few
multiplications have sufficed to make out that the com-
merce on Champagne wine was indebted to it 11 mil-
lions; that of Bordeaux, 18 ; and that of the silks of
Lyons, from 25 to 30. The said Government has not con-
fined itself to putting forward this unheard-of pretension.
At once, without any form of trial, it has seized as a
security on the French goods stored in the warehouses.
The merchants, menaced with complete ruin by this
proceeding, have complained to the French Government.
Let us hope that it will speak, and even act, if necessary,
with firmness. Such is its duty."