The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-13 00:00:00

DEATH OF MR. PAUL BEDFORD•

The elder generation of playgoers will receive with
regret, but not with surprise, the intelligence of the
decease of Mr. Paul Bedford, who expired late on Wed-
nesday evening, at his residence, Linsey-place, Chelsea.
Mr. Paul Bedford was a native of Bath, where he was
born about the year 1796, and after a short probation on
the provincial stage, he made his first appearance in Lon-
don at Drury-lane Theatre, November 2, 1824, when he
represented Hawthorn in the old English opera of " Love
in a Village."

CRYSTAL PALACE.—One Shilling Day.—Thurs-
day.—The admissions by season tickets were 2,480;
do. on payment, 2,969 ; total visitors, 5,449.
The Musical Standard announces that Liszt has
been invited by M. Bismarck to take the direction of the
Berlin Academy of Music in the place of Joachim.

In a letter just publishe l the Bishop of Bath and
Wells expresses the opinion that " the proceedings of the
English Church Union will destroy the English Church if
they are encouraged in their present course."

The Musical Standard says that among the young
German defenders of Fatherland before the walls of Paris,
is the youngest son of Hugo Pierson (the composer of
" Hezekiah" and " Jerusalem ;") a cadet (ensign) in the
7th Infantry Regiment, Wurtemburg Division, a regi-
ment distinguished for participation in the hottest
conflicts ; young Pierson, we hear, being in the hottest
of the fire.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF 1871. The
following noblemen and gentlemen have consented to act
as (judges to select paintings for the forthcoming exhibi-
tion :—The Viscount Bury, M.P. ; The Lord Elcho,
M.P. : Sir Coutts Lindsay, Bart ; Mr. Alfred Elmore,
R.A. (representing the Royal Academy) ; Mr. Alfred
Clint (representing the Society of British Artists) ; Mr.
Alfred Hunt (representing the Society of Painters in
Water Colours) ; Mr. Henry Warren (representing the
Institute of Painters in Water Colours) ; Mr. F. Dillon ;
and Mr. H. S. Marks.

FIRE NEAR THE LYCEUM THEATRE.—This morn-
ing, shortly before three o'clock, a fire was discovered at
a house in Exeter-street, Strand, used as an oyster-shop
and refreshment-rooms, and as the back of the premises
adjoined the Lyceum Theatre, fears were naturally enter-
tained that the fire might extend to that building, the
more especially as before an engine arrived the house was
alight from top to bottom. It would seem that before the
fire was detected it must have been burning for some
time, as those who were first on the spot saw flames at the
lower and at the upper part at the same time. There
was some delay in the arrival of the engines, which
may be accounted for by the fact that a reflection in the
sky showed that a large fire was also burning in the
western part of London. Though nothing could be saved
of the premises, fortunately the fire was prevented from
extending; and thus the neighbouring theatre and the
many other buildings adjoining—forming a solid block,
without any space been—were uninjured.

GARIBALDI ON THE POSITION OF FRANCE.—
The following letter from Garibaldi, dated Autun, Jan. 2,
has been published :—" The situation of France is very
far from being so bad as certain interested pessimists
wish to make, people understand. The permanent future
of the Republic is beyond a doubt, and the reasons which
lead me to that conclusion are as follows :—The.
French army is daily increasing in numbers and
in confidence. The Prussian army is doing just the
opposite. For my second conclusion I will put to you the
following question :—Do you believe that in France there
is a single man who would be capable of proposing a de-
grading peace? Did such a man exist, he would be torn
to pieces within twenty-four hours. So much for France.
As for my humble self, I feel truly happy, at the end
of my career, to be able still to do service to the holy cause
of the people, and assuredly I shall do this with all the
devotion of which I am capable.—Yours sincerely. G.
GARIBALDI."

THE WAR AND THE GOVERNMENT.—Last night
the fourth of a series of public meetings, commenced by
a committee of which Mr. Charles Bradlaugh is president,
was held at St. George's-hall, Langliam-place, Regent-
street. The object of these meetings, as expressed in the
placards calling them, is "to express sympathy with
France, to protest against Prussian aggression, and to
call on the English Government to use its influence
in favour of peace at the Conference of European Powers
about to meet in London." The hall was well
filled, and the chair was occupied by Mr. Austin
Holyoake. The meeting was addressed by Messrs.
Bradlaugh, G. Odger, Le Luber, Dr. Bowkett, and
others, in speeches strongly denouncing the barbarous
and aggressive conduct of Prussia in carrying on
the war against the French Republic and people, and con-
demning the conduct and policy of the English Govern-
ment before and during the war. Resolutions in accord.
ance with the object of the meeting, and identical in terms
with those adopted at the previous meetings, were carried
unanimously, and the proceedings concluded with a vote
of thanks to the chairman.

BREAKFAST.—EPPS'S COCOA.--GRATEFUL AND COM-
FORTING.—The very agreeable character of this preparation has
rendered it ageneral favourite. The Civil Service Gazette re
marks:—" By a thorough knowledge of the natural laws which
govern the operations of digestion and nutrition, and by a
careful application of the fine preoperties of well-selected cocoa,
Mr. Epps has provided our breakfast tables with a delicately
flavoured beverage which may save us many heavy doctors'
bills. Each packet is labelled—JAMES EPPS Sr Co., Homceo-
pathic Ckemists, Loudon. Also, makers of Epps's Caca6ine, a
very thin evening beverage, —Advt.

DAY, JANUARY )3, 1871.

THE BATTLE OF BAPAUME.

The special correspondent of the Telegraph at the head-
quarters of General Von Goben, near Bapaume, sends
the following account of the engagement, under date
January 4 : —The enemy began by an attack
upon the Faubourg d'Arras, and by an attempt
to drive the 33rd Regiment out of the Vil-
lage of Grevithers. In this the French
signally failed, being driven back and pursued by the
33rd into the Village of Biefvillers, which the
Prussians stormed and took possession of. ' But the
French made the village soon too hot to hold them.
Heavy masses of infantry came on to attack the gallant
little band, amongst whom the French artillery was
making sad havoc. Slowly, and with their faces to the
enemy, they retreated upon the suburb of Bapaume,
where they found the 65th Regiment at their
backs, and whence a quick and uninterrupted
fire was soon poured upon the French troops.
Meantime, the Prussian artillery posted on the Arras
road swept the plateau beneath, and poured a plunging
fire of shell into the heavy French masses as they
struggled across to gain the Faubourg d'Arras. The
33rd Regiment, fearfully reduced, —I mean the two bat-
talions of that regiment—had now taken possession of
the old citadel of Bapautne, situated on the Albert-road,
and of the windmill to the left. The 65th held a part of
the Faubourg d'Arras, while two horse artillery batteries
were sent forward to the left, and, taking up a posi-
tion at Ligny, opened fire upon the French
right. The action now became general. Bapaume
was in a circle of fire and smoke. The Prussian left,
overwhelmed by the numbers of the enemy and the hot
artillery fire, was beginning slowly to give ground, when
the Rhenish Jagers, with two fresh batteries, deployed to
the Prussian left and came into action. Meantime
Prince Albrecht had marched upon Bancourt from
Equoncourt, and had detached two batteries with
some cavalry in the direction of Beugny-le-
Chateau, whilst he himself, with the 40th Regiment
and the remainder of his command, excepting
the Hussars of the Guard, engaged the enemy's
left from Fremincourt. The Hussars of the Guard were
sent along the road to Cambrai, to make sure that no
troops were advancing on our right from that place. At
the village of Boursies, two regiments of French infantry,
with a squadron of cavalry, were repqrted as advancing
on the Cambrai road upon our right flank. The officer in
command was equal to the emergency. A squadron
was dismounted, and took possession of the buildings
and outhouses of the village. No sooner were
the French within range than the Hussars (Toned
a heavy fire upon them with their carbines; and the
astonished Frenchmen, thinking the village held by infan-
try, made a hasty retreat. While matte's were going on
thus on the centre and right of the Prussian army,
General Count Groben advanced against the French right
from Miraumont. Making a slight detour to his left
flank, he suddenly appeared on the enemy's rear, and,
opening fire from his artillery, made them imagine he
was about to attack them in reverse. This had
a very good effect, for it compelled the French
centre to draw off some of their forces, and gave
a little breathing - time to the gallant defenders of
Bapaume. Meantime confusion was supreme in the
streets of that town. Towards 1.30 things were looking
serious ; the heavy fire and superior numbers of the
French had told heavily, so much so that
the suburb of Arras was relinquished, and the
29th Brigade, under Colonel Bock, retired into
Bapaume. The 30th Brigade formed up in rear
of • the town on the Peronne road, and for a short
time the French ceased their operations, except on the
right flank—when Prince Albrecht was hotly engaged,
neither side gaining any advantage. At 5.30 the French
entered the Suburb of Arras before Bapaume, and com-
menced erecting barricades at 200 yards from the
Prussian forces. At six p.m. they were driven out
of all their positions by the Jagers and the 33rd,
and the combat closed by the French occupying
their old positions on the Arras and Douai roads.
The General in command, finding his losses so
heavy, and the enemy so superior in numbers,
had determined upon retreating across the river Somme.
Orders were accordingly given to that effect, when it was
discovered that the French army was also in retreat,
having been as roughly handled as ourselves, if not even
more so. Already had the heavy baggage trains com-
menced their retrograde movement, when it was ascer-
tained that the French Gen2ral was withdrawing his troops
in a northerly direction, and it became consequently
unnecessary to make any retreat on our side. And thus
ended the battle of Bapaume, in which the Prussians ,
had ohly 10,000 infantry engaged, with 84 field pieces.

The French brought into the conflict at the very least
30,000 men, with sixty pieces of cannon; but, not-
withstanding this preponderance of force, they never
for one moment drove the Prussians from their posi-

tions.

FRANCE'S MONETARY DIFFICULTY.
Writing from Bordeaux, the special correspondent of the
Standard remarks :—Government have succeeded in extri-
cating themselves from the monetary difficulty which a
few days since was becoming most embarrassing. They
have done so by cutting the Gordian knot. M. Cuvier,
the sub.governor of the Bank of France here, was opposed
to that institution granting the very large advances
which were required by the Government. He
has, therefore, been dismissed, upon the ground
of ill-health for three months, and a more
accommodating gentleman appointed in his place. The
loan is said to be made by the Bank of France in concert
with several foreign capitalists. The terms of the loan
have not been made public. Although by no means an
advocate for high-handed measures, yet in the present
case I do not see that Government had any other course
open to them than that which they took. Money
was an absolute necessity ; enormous sums in
cash have had, and still have, to be paid abroad
for arms ; immense SUM are also required here for
clothes, boots, armaments, and food for the countless
number of men under arms ; and although in France
these things may be paid for in short bills, still the bill
must be taken up when presented. The expenses of such
a war as France is now waging, a war in which,
excluding Paris, she must now have nearly a
million of men under arms, including the young
levies in the camps, must be something fabulous.
Considering the number of arms which Government
must by this time have in their possession, it is certainly
singular that they delay calling out the contingents of
1871 and 1872. These young troops could be assembled
at the camps, and could learn their drill with the
Mobilis6s there. The camps, including that near
Cherbourg, will shortly contain nearly 400,000 men.
These would be at once doubled by calling out the two
years' contingent, and in two months some 700,000 or
800,000 men would be ready to take the field. Can you
wonder that, reviewing the enormous forces which France
has yet at her disposal, I should refuse, in Spite of her
official blunders and her administrative incapacity, to
believe in the possibility of her final defeat !

Mr. Otway, the late Under-Secretary for Foreign
Affairs, has announced his intention of addressing his con•
stituents in the Lecture Hall, Chatham, on Monday even

g next.

The Dublin police magistrates have recently fined
a number of dealers in heavy sums for vending "poisoned
confectionery." The confections were adulterated with
chromate of lead and terra alba (pipe-clay).

A. great number of French are imprisoned in Bel-
gium. The forts at Antwerp and the camp at Beverloo
contain the greater number. The most rigorous surveil-
lance is kept over them, and the Belgian soldiers are now
forbidden to speak to them in the barracks. All shop-
people and merchants who require to see the military
authorities are furnished with a passport, and are escorted
everywhere by a guard.

SOUTH AMERICA.—New York papers have intel-
ligence that the siege of Montevideo continues. A severe
shock of earthquake has been felt at Santiago, Chili, but
no damage was done. Bolivia continues in the chronic
state of revolution. Lima advices to the 14th of December
state that the effects of the European war were felt heavily
in all branches of business. Exchange could not be pro-
cured. The Government exacts a tax of 3 per cent. on all
coin exported. A French man-of-war had captured the
German ships August, from Hamburg, and Gazelle, from
California. Both vessels were taken to Tahiti. The Chi-
lian Congress had granted a subsidy of $20,000 a year to
the Panama and West India Cable Company, on con-
dition of connecting Callao with Europe by telegraph.
The steamer Virgin had returned to Puerto-Cabello from
Curacoa. She was searched at the latter place, but
nothing was found to indicate a hostile vessel. The Hay-
tian President, Saget, has granted an amnesty to all the
adherents of the late President Salnave. The Parliament
of Jamaica was to open on the 26th. A surplus of £30,000
for last year appears in the financial Budget. In the case
of the recent coffee seizure in Kingston, Jamaica, the sal-
vors have refunded the amount at issue with the New
Orleans underwriters. A Havannalx telegram of the 27th
says that 2,000 soldiers arrived there from Spain on the
26th. The Cuban Colonel Ryan, according to 'Panama
advices by way of Jamaica, arrived at Panama December
12 with a quantity of ammunition and arms for the Cuban
insurgents, and a force of 150 men. A reinforcement was
expected at Aspinwall. Ryan was awaiting the arrival
of a steamer from New York (the Hornet) to carry his
stores and men to Cuba, but she had not arrived at Aspin-
wall up to December 21. Captain Craig, of the barque
Speedawa,y, and three sailors, were drowned in the har-
bour of Cardenas, December 26.