The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-31 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, YUESDA , JAN tiAlt Y 31, IZS

MEMBERS OUT OF TOWN.

At the annual soirée of the Manchester Conservative
Working Men's Association, on Saturday night, Mr.
Hugh Birley, M.P., and Mr. Cawley, M.P., contended
that the Conservative party had no desire to expend
money lavishly on the army and navy but to place them
in a thorough state of efficiency, so as to ensure peace at
home and respect abroad. Resolutions were passed ex-
pressing dissatisfaction with the peace-at-any-price policy
and false economy of the present Government, and a con-
fident belief that the next general election will place the
supporters of !the Liberal Government in a considerable
minority in the House of Commons.
Mr. E. M. Richards, M.P., addressed a section of his
constituents at Llandyssul on. Friday. The hon. gentle-
man reviewed the work of the last session, and then
referred to the one absorbing theme of the national
defences. He is not in favour of any increase of expen-
diture under this head. A. vote of confidence was passed
in the hon. gentleman. A resolution was also carried,
deal /ring the desirability of a Tenant Right Bill for
Wales being introduced into Parliament. The meeting was
held in the Tabernacle Chapel, and the hon. gentleman
spoke from the pulpit.

SIR FRANCIS GOLDSMID, 11. P., ON PUBLI C
AFFAIRS.

(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.)

Sir Francis Gbldsmid, M.P., was present last night at
the annual dinner of the Oddfellows of the Reading Dis-
trict. In replying to the toast of " The Borough Mem-
bers," he remarked that he had to perform a
doubloS task, namely, that of responding for
himself and his brother member, Mr. Lefevre, whose
absence they all regretted. Reverting to the war, Sir
Francis drew attention to the positions of France and
Germany. Looking to the latter, he said he had noticed
that there had grown up amongst the people a sort of
ambitious feeling for political power, and an
aspiration for union. King William saw this feeling
spreading amongst the people, and he, an ambitious
monarch, seconded by an able Minister, had taken
advantage of the opportunity, and the result had been
the establishment of a monarchical Government in
Germany. He blamed the Germans for the war,
and, though King William had been eminently
successful and had been rewarded by being created Em-
peror, yet he (Sir Francis Goldsmid) could not but think
that the attainment of the ambitions of the King and
the German people had been purchased at a very
high price. The Prussian Government was grasp-
ing and ambitious, for had they not raised
their small kingdom to a powerful empire by
crushing Denmark.? He was opposed to the acquisition
of territory by the Germans, which he could call
nothing but rascality. (Applause). He felt greatly
for the populations of Alsace and Lorraine.
Looking away from Germany to France, the
hon. member argued that all the trouble which that
unhappy country had been called to pass through had
been brought about by the Emperor Napo-
leon, a man who only gained his position by
shooting men in the streets, and driving from the
country the most intelligent and thoughtful men
she possessed. He trusted that Prussia would
be generous to France, and that France would
profit by the lesson she had learnt. It was also
to be hoped that no harm would come to England,
who, as all were aware, was not very much liked
by the victors. Sir Francis then proceeded to
allude to the Irish Land Bill, which he thought he could
safely assert had been found to work well both as regarded
landlords and tenants, and to the Education Act,which, he
thought could be carried out without any serious difficulty.
In reference to the navy, he was in favour of its being
increased, but thought in dealing with the army
it would not be necessary to follow the example
of Prussia, a country which, possessing no' adequate
navy, required to keep up a very large army. In the
English army there was a great want of reorganisation,
and he trusted to see an entire abolition of the purchase
system. (Applause.),

MR. DIXON, M.P., AND MR. MUNTZ, M.P.,
AT BIRMINGHAM.
(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAM.)
Last night Mr. Dixon, M.P., and Mr. Muntz, M.P.,
addressed their constituents, in the Town Hall, Bir-
mingham. Mr. G. B. Lloyd, the mayor, presided.
The following letter from Mr. Bright was read to the
meeting :

"My dear Mr. Wright,—l thank you for your kind
letter, and for the notice of the meeting, and for the invi.
tation to it. I regret very much that I cannot yet have
the pleasure of visiting Birmingham, and of being present
at your annual meeting. It is a great disappointment to
me not to be able to meet my constituents as usual before
the opening of the session ; but I am still so far from my
ordinary state of health that I dare not attempt anything
that would involve me in labour and excitement. I can only
trust to the kindness of my friends in Birmingham for
that forbearance upon which I often feel I have already
trespassed too far. I have worked hard in public and
parliamentary life for twenty-seven years with one inter
val of rest rendered necessary by illness; and now I am
forced from a like cause to indulge in another period of
cessation from labour. If my constituents feel that their
interests suffer from my absence from Parliament, and
that I am unduly taxing their patience, I should most
readily resign the trust they have committed to me for
twelve years past. If_in their kindness and forbearance they
will wish me to retain the honourable position of one of their
representatives, I shall retain it in the hope of being able
to serve them with earnestness and fidelity when my
health shall have been restored. I have good reason for
believing that a few months more of rest will enable me to
return to work without danger or inconvenience. Ido
not enter upon any public question, as I hope it is not
needful to assure the electors of Birmingham that I have
in no sense abandoned the principles upon which my
public course has been based. I thank you and the
gentlemen of the committee of the Liberal Association for
their kind sympathy, and am very sincerely yours,

" JOHN BRIGHT.

" Rochdale, January 18th, 1871."
The reading of the letter was followed by enthusiastic
applause.

Mr. J. S. Wright, Chairman of the Liberal Association,
moved a resolution assuring Mr. Bright of the unabated
confidence and affection of his constituents, and of their
gratitude for his former services, expressing joy at the
probability of his recovery, and urging him to take as
much rest as was necessary for the restoration of his
health.

Mr. Lakin, Secretary of the Labour Represention
League, seconded the resolution, which was carried
unanimously.

Mr. Dixon then addressed the meeting. Reviewing
the course he took the last session, he defended the Irish
Land Bill, and said although that measure might not
have produced all the effects desired, it must be remem-
bered that centuries, of oppression had deepened the dis-
affection in Ireland. With reference to the Education
Bill, he regretted the attendance at school had not been
rendered compulsory and without cost throughout the
country, but he believed that before long the full
programme of the Education League would be
adopted. After briefly referring to the war, Mr.
Dixon maintained that a policy of non-intervention was
always the best. He entirely agreed with Mr. Tre-
velyan's views as to army reform, and thought the forces
of England should be entirely defensive, and ought not to
be used for offensive purposes.
Mr. Muntz expressed his entire concurrence with Mr.
Dixon on the education question. Referring to the neces-
sity for reform in the military system of this country, he
condemned the excessive expense of the army, costing,
as it did, £ll4 per man, while in the Prussian army
the cost was only £23 per man. When he returned to the
House of Commons he meant to propose the abolition of
the purchase system. (The hon. member here called for
a show of hands on the subject, and the majority of the
meeting appeared to be in favour of abolition.) While he
did not desire to introduce the whole of the Prussian
system into the British army, believing that conscription
in any form would never do, and was not necessary for
this country, he was in favour of at least adopting the
three years' system, which would be the means of creating
a valuable reserve force for the purposes of national'
defence. -Votes of confidence in the hon. members were
passed almost unanimously.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—One Shilling Day, Monday,
January 30th, 1871.—Admission by season tickets, 2,493;
ditto on payment, 1,237 ; total visitors, 3,730.
A marriage is arranged between the Hon. Augustus
Erskine, second son of the Right Hon. the Earl of Kellie,
and Miss Harriet Forbes, third daughter of William
Forbes, Esq., of Medwyn, and will take place imme-
diately after Easter.

"Now, then, my hearties," said a gallant Yankee
captain, seeing that his men were likely to be outnum-
bered, " you have a tough battle before you. Fight like
heroes till your powder's gone—then run ! I'm a little
lame, and I'll start now."

At the Court of Bankruptcy, an extended injunc-
tion until after the 9th of February was granted in the
liquidation petition of Messrs. Liebert and Rogerson,
merchants, of London and Manchester. The liabilities
are stated to be £280,000.

THE BOMBARDMENT OF PARIS.

By special despatch, dated January 25, the corres-
pondent of the Daily News at the Crown Prince of Prus-
sia's headquarters forwards the following :—There is
silence along the front. The continued boom of heavy
guns has ceased. . Even the rifle shots which
were occasionally heard yesterday morning ex-
changed between the outposts have died away
since midnight on Thursday, the 26th instant.
The fire of the German batteries has been
suspended by orders from the headquarters. The guns
are ready ; there is plenty of ammunition ; the gunners
could resume fire at a moment's notice ; but that notice will
probably never be given, and the great siege may -be con-
sidered at an end. On Thursday afternoon Jules Favre
returned to Paris from his second visit to Versailles. At
that time the opposing batteries still thundered
against one another, and a storm of shells was whistling,
through the air. I passed the carriage of the French
statesman in Sevres as he travelled towards the outposts.
It was a sight to be remembered—the quiet equipage,
with a Prussian police officer on the box beside
the coachman, driving through the crowded military
colony of Sevres, with a gloomy winter's day to herald the
surrender, and the din of rival artillery along the front.
Up to midnight the fire continued ; then came a
pause. We have soon grown accustomed to the
silence which at first was so impressive. When
Favre came for the third time yesterday with
General Beaufort, of the French staff, it seemed as
though things were, indeed, drawing to a close.
Yet there is still some delay, and the negotiations are not
concluded up to the time when I am sending off this
despatch. All the soldiers at the outposts met and
chatted yesterday. At several points officers rode in
safety where two days ago it would have been deaths to
venture.