The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-04 00:00:00

IN THE NOItTII WIT II MA.NT EUFFEL.

The special correspondent of the Telegraph, writing
from the headquarters of the Eighth Army Corps, Albert,
Christmas Day, says :- —I am at a loss to account for the
hasty retreats of the French. General Faidh erbe, at the
battle of Pont-Noyelles, commanded forces, taking the
computation of his own officers, three times as strong
as the Corps of General von Goben. He had
the most magnificent position nature could give
him, and was assisted by a powerful and well-
served, artillery. But he permits the whole of the
24th of December to slip by without doing a single thing,
and in the end he retires upon Arras. Now, supposing
that he had even received intelligence that General von
Senden was advancing to his left rear, and that the
Prussian army had received reinforcements, he never
tried to ascertain this by any reconnaissance upon
either flank. Had he made a strong reconnaissance
towards the Prussian right flank, or crossed the Somme
at Fouilloy with 20,000 men, whom he could have
well spared, and marched upon Amiens, the Prus-
sians would have been forced to retire upon that town.
But no ; he wastes a whole day, permitting General von
Senden to advance, and the Prussians to telegraph for
reinforcements. The French troops who fought were
almost all line troops and marines, therefore he has not
even the poor excuse that he could not depend upon
his Mobiles. This morning, at an early hour, General
Mauteuffel received the astounding intelligence
that the French had retreated during the night.
Everything was, of course, "boot and saddle "—cavalry
to the front. At high noon, the staff rode towards
Albert, upon which road a brigade was advancing. At
Franvilliers we heard that Albert was occupied by the
French troops, so that it would be necessary, if they in-
tended remaining, to drive them out in order to get quar-
ters for the night. As we rode thro ugh La Houssoye the
dead bodies lying about and collected close by
the grave-yard spoke but too plainly of the
carnage of the 23rd. The% severe frost had
stiffened them into all sorts of quaint attitudes ; and as
we passed the churchyard, friend and foe were being
buried in the same grave: Arrived at Albert, we found
that General Robin, with 3,000 men, had just left it, so
that, you see, we are treading upon the heels of the retir-
ing enemy pretty quickly. Many prisoners have been
made upon the road, and the cavalr y are pursuing in
emery direction. This evening the Prussian Army
accupies Bray-sur-Somme, Albert, and Mclean-
rille, their patrols all in front. The French are in
Bapaume, and to the left and right of it. At Albert the
Prussians obtained some curious letters addressed to their
friends by French soldiers engaged in. the battle of the
23rd. The best proof of the skill with which the
Prussian handful of troops were disposed is the
fact that the French; as appears from these letters,
Imagined they were 100,000 strong. I put the strength of
the French army down at '60,000 men and sixty guns.
rhis morning (December 26) the whole of the army is ad-
vancing on the line of the French retreat.. We march
upon Bapaume, and, so far as I can see, we shall have to
fight for our beds.

TREATMENT OF THE TREASON-FELONY

PRISONERS.

Last year, when the Irish members of Parliament com-
plained that Mr. O'Donov an Rossa and the other Irishmen
who had been convicted of treason-felony were inhumanly
treated in the English prisons, the Government issued a
Royal Commission to test the accuracy of the complaint.
That ~body visited the prisons of Dartmoor, Portland,
Chatham, Woking, and Pentonville ; it examined the
prisoners by means either of oral or of written statements,
and yesterday the Government published the report of
the investigation. Tht Comrpissioners speak favourably
of the general fashion in which those prisons are ad-
ministered, as re spectsv the treatment, diet, and disci-
pline of the inmates. At the same time they suggest
certain changes. They see no reason to doubt that the
existing diet is sufficient in quantity, unless in seasons
of unusual severity, or when the convicts have to
perform labour as hard as that exacted at Chat-
ham. In such cases, or under extraordinary circum-
stances, they think that the diet should be in-
creased. They also recommend other minor changes, such
as a more direct and frequent supervision of the meat
and other articles of food by the medical officer. While
the commissioners have every reason to believe that the
prisoners receive due care and attention from the
medical officers, they recommend that those officials
should be required to possess qualifications both in medi-
cine and surgery, instead of only in one branch as at pre-
sent. They propose also that the medical inspection
should be more frequent and rigid ; that the infirmary
wards of Pento nville should be better ventilated, and that
in each gaol a separate kitchen or cooking department
should be appropriated to the infirmary. All the dark
cells, and especially those of Milbank, are pronounced
to be imperfectly ventilated. The average amount of
labour exacted from the convicts is found not to be
excessive far able-bodied men ; but it is deemed pro-
bable that some prisoners do so far suffer from the
tasks as to fall off in weight; and hence it is suggested
that in particular cases the amount should be reduced.
The commissioners also recommend that the rigour of
the regulations should be mitigated in such matters as
the privilege of the prisoners to memorialise the Home
Secretary, and to write letters. They further propose
that, except for the immediate co ntrol of personal vio-
lence, and during a short period, manacles should not be
employed without the written order of a governor or a
deputy-governor. They likewise suggest that the punish.
ment of the dark cell should not be administered without
a similar warrant, nor be continued for more than twelve
hours without a fresh order. A second part of the report
is devoted to the consideration of the question whether the
treason-felony prisoners have been subjected to excep-
tional hardships. The commissioners find fault with the
officials of Pentonville for taking away, in mid-winter,
the flannels with which the convicts had been supplied in
Mountjoy Prison. With respect to the charges that the
prisoners have been employed in degrading tasks, that the
cells were unfit for abode, and that the diet was bad, the
commissioners, on the whole, acq nit the authorities of all
blame. The special case of Mr. O'Donovan Rossa
is then considered. The commissioners find that,
as he himself asserts, h e was really manacled for thirty
four days, and that for three days, except at meal-times
and at night, he was m anacled with his hands behind his
back. The commissioners also find that Mr. Clifton, the
governor, was wrong in charging Mr. O'Donovan Rossi
with an attempt to carry on a love intrigue by means of
letter ostensibly intended for his wife, but really, as the
governor thought, for another woman. They further
bear testimony to the can did and straightforward fashioz
in which Mr. Rossa gave his evidence. The corn
plaints of the other prisoners were also specially
investigated, but, as their cases excited less interest
they do not call for special note, The geneTal conclusiol
of the commissioners is, that the treason-felony prisoners
have not, as a class, be en subjected to any exceptional',
severe treatment, but t hat, on the contrary, the discipline
has been relaxed in their favour. At the same time, it, i
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Stops are, it is said, being taken by various
Republican and Democratic Associations to give a public
reception to M. Jules Favre on his arrival in London for
the purpose of attending the forthcoming. Conference,
should he be delegated for that purpose by the Freud
Government,

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