The Sun.
London, England, 1871-02-13 00:00:00

LAW AND POLICE.

MR. SALA GOING INTO COURT.—A civil action for libel
is about to be brought by Mr. G. A. Sala against Messrs.
Hodder and Stoughton, the publishers of a recent book
by Mr. Hain Friswell, which has given offence in many
quarters. In this book Mr. Sala is made the subject of
personal remarks, and he intends to vindicate himself.
Mr. Serjeant Parry and Mr. Montague Williams are re-
tained for the prosecution, and Mr. Serjeant Ballantine
for the defence. The case is expected to create a good deal
of interest and amusement, as the extracts to be read in
court are certainly of the liveliest description. At one
time a criminal action was also contemplated against the
author, but we believe Mr. Sala will content himself with
the result of a civil process.—Orchestra.
INJUNCTION AGAINST THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT OF
NATIONAL DEFENCE.-Mr. Glasse, Q.C., applied in the
Court of Vice-Chancellor Malins, for an ex parte injunc-
tion against Lon Gambetta, Jules Favre, and other
members of the Government of National Defence, under
the following circumstances :—On the Ist December last
the French agent in London concluded a contract with
Mr. Frear, of Brighton, for the supply of ten million
cartridges for Remington rifles, and a similar number for
Chassepot rifles, for three million francs, the understand-
ing being that 500,000 should be delivered at Cher-
bourg within one week, and one million per
week afterwards, the whole to be delivered by the
28th February. The money was deposited with Messrs.
Gooch and Morgan, bankers of London, to the credit of
Mr. Frear, who assigned his contract to Mr. Lariverre,
merchant, of Cannon-street. One million five hundred
thousand of the cartridges were properly delivered ; but
the interruption of communication occasioned by the ex-
tension of the war subsequently created a delay, where-
upon the Bordeaux Delegation repudiated the contract.
Mr. Lariverre, convincing them, however, that the delay
was not attributable to any fault of his, the Delegation
again acknowledged the contract ; but as the decrees of
the latter had since been superseded by those of the Paris
Government, the plaintiff sought the injunction for the
purpose of preventing the money being paid to the
Government, and having it declared that Messrs. Gooch
and Morgan were holders of it in trust for him. The Vice-
Chancellor granted the injunction.

A Cincinnati paper tells of a charitable man in
that city who keeps a pair of dogs chained at his front
door, so that poor people who stop to " get a bite " can be
accommodated without taking the trouble to go in the
house.
In addition to the drawiny-rooms to be held by
the Queen on the 23rd instant, and on the 28th March,
the Prince of Wales will hold levees on behalf of her
Majesty on the 25th instant, and on the 22nd March at
St. James's Palace.
THE STAMP ACT AND FOREIGN SECURITIES.—
We are glad to be able to say that Mr. Lowe has con-
sented to relinquish the duty which the late Act imposed
on foreign securities, and that the law on this subject will
now be reduced to a rational, simple, and satisfactory
state.—Economist.
KINAHAN'S LL WHISKY.—
This celebrated and most delicious old mellow spirit is
the very cream of Irish Whiskies, in quality unrivalled,
perfectly pure, and more wholesome than the finest
Cognac Brandy. Note the words, " KINAHAN'S LL
WHISKY "on Seal, Label, and Oink. New Wholesole
Depot, 6A, Great Titchfieldstreet, Oxford-street, W.

The Saturday Review says that the German Govern-
ment has not yet intimated in any way what it really
means to insist on—further, perhaps, than to let it be
known that it will ask for Metz as well as Strasburg, and
for a large sum by way of indemnity. If once the con-
tending parties get so far as to reduce the negotiations to
a bargain about money, it is very improbable that peace
will be rendered impossible by the exorbitancy of the
German demands.. German statisticians may amuse them-
selves with calculating every item of an imaginary bill
they can run up against France ; and the friends of France
may justly urge, on the other hand, that, if territory is
taken, an abatement of the indemnity ought to be made
in proportion. But when once a serious effort to arrive
at an understanding is attempted, the question must be,
not what France can be shewn to owe, but what it can
be shewn to be able to pay. Unless the sum fixed on is
moderate, France will be simply unable to pay it. France,
even if peace is concluded now, has to face immense finan-
cial as well as political difficulties, and the Germans will
be strangely imprudent if they kill the goose to get at
the golden eggs. Whether peace will be desired by the
new Assembly it is impossible to say at present. It must
be remembered that we know a great deal more of what
is going on in that part of France which wishes for peace
than of what is going on in the large area which is as yet
untouched by the war. The machinery of election in
two-thirds of France is in the hands of men who, even
after the resignation of M. Gambetta, may still take their
inspiration from him. The majority of the Assembly will
probably consist of men who will vote for going on with
the war if they see a chance of raising a popular cry
against the terms of peace which the Germans may pro-
pose ; and Paris, which will be heartily for peace, will
have lost its accustomed ascendancy, because it will be
thought to be speaking under Prussian dictation. Pos-
sibly, however, the Assembly may be so far undecided
that the influence of, the neutral Powers may tell on it,
and it is, therefore, sincerely to be hoped that the Ger-
mans may be so far moderate that England and her
neutral allies may be able honestly to recommend France
to close with the offer that is made to it.

The Spectator says that what with the vigilance of the
Germans in keeping Paris for the present secluded, the
prevalence of rumours circulated to deceive, and the dis-
organised of the French Press, England remained on Fri-
day in almost complete ignorance of the results of the elec-
tions. The drift of the few facts known is undoubtedly
towards peace and some compromise between the Mode-
rate Republicans and the Orleanist party, but then the
facts known are very few. The vote in the North, at
Bordeaux, in Cherbourg, where the Prince de Joiuville has
been returned, and the rumoured election of the Due
d'Aumale, all tend in the same direction ; but as yet there
is no return from the South, no news from the Centre, no
evidence as to the extent to which the peace party is pre-
pared to go, and no statement of the governing datum of
all, the terms on which the German chiefs intend ulti-
mately to insist. Nothing has appeared on this subject
during the we,,k of the slightest official value, and it is
clearly the belef of all correspondents in Verailles who
reflect the opinion of the German Staff that the war will in
all probability continue. That impression may be spread
on purpose as an instrument of terror, or it may be real,
and result from a belief that the Kaiser will make no
peace with a Republic, or it may be -due merely to a
military feeling sure to be overruled by the political
Cabinet. Its existence, however, is certain, and so is the
fact that the Assembly, once elected, will be subject to
influences the force of which cannot be predetermined, to
oratory, to popular passion, and as it may chance to im-
pith% engendered by horror at the terms to be imposed.
No popular assembly is ever a mere Committee of Regis-
tration, and no French Assembly, fairly elected, has ever
been wholly beyond the influence of ideas. All that can
be said with any confidence is that the general drift of all
intelligence as yet received from French sources leaves on
the mind of impartial observers a pacific impression,
slightly increased, perhaps, in this country by the appa-
rent official confidence in the result of the negociations.