The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-06 00:00:00

AFFAIRS IN MADRID,

MADRID, January 1.
The news of Marshal Prim's death has created as much
surprise as consternation in the city. The bulletins and
the newspaper accounts have continued to be favourable.
The public has been assured again and again that there
was nothing unfavourable or exceptional in the wounds,
and that the fever attending them was in
no degree serious. There is no reason to believe, however,
that all were not deceived, and that the general illusion
on the subject was in a measure at least unintentionally kept
by us. The Pais says that the state of the invalid excited
grave suspicions in the minds of the few persons who were
in the secret, and that their fears were were greatly in-
creased when delirium set in. It seems from the account
given in the Impartial that it was about four o'clock in
the afternoon that the alarming symptoms declared them-
selves, and that they went on increasing until half-past
seven, when cerebral congestion was evident. At eight
the Marshal died. His widow is inconsolable. All
the Ministers hurried to the Ministry of War on learning
the alarming state of their friend and colleague.
Throughout Madrid the news made a profound impres-
sion, and many persons on hearing it withdrew from the
theatres and cafes. The Government immediately took
active measures for the preservation of public order. An
evening session of the Cortes was held, and no one was
permitted to be present at it but the actual members.
The ex-deputies have usually the right of entrance, but
on this occasion they were rigidly excluded. A detach-
ment of the civil guard and of police agents was stationed
L' in the rear of the building. Afilitary precautions of
great extent were also taken. The generals of division and
heads of brigade received orders to have their troops in
readiness for any movement, and twelve battalions of
volunteers were stationed at convenient spots in the city
to reinforce the garrison if necessary. The militia of the
city patrolled the streets during the night, but
' there was no attempt at disturbance. To-clay
Madrid bears quite a warlike aspect. The Cortes
are surrounded by detachments of the Civil Guard,
the artillery occupies the Plaza Mayor, volunteers occupy
the Calla del Arenal and the Teatro Real, while in the

palace and at the abode of the Regent there are great
numbers of troops. The supply of arms and ammunition
to ,the agents of public order, as they are called,
is very liberal. Throughout the provinces the
news of Prim's death has been • received with no
disorder, which is the more fortunate, as letters from
Malaga, Granada, and Badajos state that the news of his
death was the first intelligence received of the disaster.
In the Cortes the Minister de Hacienda (Senor
Moret) announced the death in a speech of
much feeling, saying that Prim, like Rossi and
like Lincoln, had died in the moment of concluding his
work, and of realising his aspirations, and calling upon
the Cortes to support the Government at this crisis. The
speeches which followed were similar in tone, and that of
Senor Martos was warmly applauded. Senor Chad,
as a representative of the minority, hastened to
assure the Government that he and his friends
shared their feelings of regret and indignation. He had
often differed from Marshal Prim, but he had
regarded him as an honourable opponent, and the mino-
rity, like the majority, would energetically condemn the
crime which had closed the life of the statesman. Rios
Rosas, while declaring his readiness to second in every
way the efforts of the Government to preserve public order,
demurred a little to the terms of the proposed
vote of confidence. An explanation from Senor Chao
was similar in its tone. The minority were averse to
committing themselves to a sanction of arbitrary in-
terference with individual rights while they were
anxious to uphold the Government as a body
for the time being. The Epoca, referring to
the request to Topete to fill Prim's vacant post,
remarks that it speaks very badly for the condition of
the Progressist party, that it could not find a politician
who could replace Prim even for a few days. A rumour
has been current of an attack on Zovilla's carriage. It
possibly arose from the following circumstance :—A great
alarm was excited in the eveninv in the Calle de
Belen by the sound of fire arms. It seems that
the civil governor, having received notice that arms were
deposited at a house in this street ordered an inspection to
be made by some of his officials and some soldiers. When
they reached the house a shot was fired from the balcony,
and after a short struggle a Carlist soldier was captured
in the house. A number of arms were found concealed
in the house. It is said that Prim had informed the
delegates from Navarre that he intended to raise the
state of siege in the four provinces and to concede an
amnesty to the Carlist press.
Queen Isabella is about to leave Geneva for England,
on a visit to the Empress Eugdnie.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.
During the time the convicts employed on the works in
connection with the construction of the additional docks
and basins at Woolwich dockyard were engaged at their
work on Wednesday afternoon, a sad accident occurred to
one of the number named Charles Honest, who is under-
going a sentence of seven years' penal servitude. At the
time of the occurrence the convict was engaged in attend-
ing the laden waggons on the tramway, when, as he was
doing so, he either fell or was knocked down between the
rails, when the waggon passed over him, cutting both his
legs from his body. He was immediately conveyed to the
infirmary e
at th convict rison ; but from the nature of
the accident he is not expected to survive the shock to the
system. The unfortunate man would have been
sdis-
cohnatrogneode
of on Mdear
In the official Army List for the present month the
names of those officers of the reserve forces who have
passed a satisfactory examination appear for the first time
penal syvit u de next,
on the completion of his
.
with the letter " P ' against them, those who have passed
through a course of military school instruction being indi-
cated by the letters " P S."
The great 30-ton gun, whose trial is anticipated with so
much anxiety, has at length reached the proof butts at
the Royal Arsenal, but another breakdown has occurred
almost at the last stage of the preparations. The gun was
being lifted by a crane from its truck on to the rough
"sleigh " or carriage on which it will rest while being

fired with the test charges, when the gear, though it had
been strengthened to bear the unaccustomed weight, gave
way, and the sleigh was crushed beneath the enormous mass.
The workmen from the carriage department are repairing
what is hoped to be the final failure, and the gun will pro-
bably be tried in a few days. From the well-known effect
of frost on iron, an increase in the temperature will favour
the success of the experiment, but the more severe the
weather the more satisfactory will the result be if the gun
stands the-proof.
One of the ships belonging to the new flying squadron
has got her gun-room crowded so that when she arrives at
the East Indies we shall not be surprised to hear of sick-
ness breaking out. Her gun-room complement is 11, but
she has had 10 supernumeraries appointed who will have
to mess in the gun-room.—Globe.

ART IN IRELAND.—The Lord-Lieutenant of Ire-
land visited the Royal Dublin Society's School of Art on
Tuesday, and inspected the designs, drawings, paintings,
&c., of the pupils attached to the school. His Excellency,
having been conducted through the building, expressed
himself much pleased. Dr. Steele stated that the pupils
of the Royal Dublin Society's school had gained a greater
number of prizes than those of any other school in the
empire, with the exception of Kensington.
THE NEW IRISH SECRETARY.—A London corres-
pondent says—Lord Hartington, Mr. Fortescue's succes-
sor. is a comparatively young man, but he has had
a long training in politics, and considerable expe-
rience as an administrator. Though not endowed
with any special knowledge of Irish affairs, he
has considerable aptitude in acquiring details,
has the recommendation of being the owner of
large estates in Ireland, and is gifted with those quiet
manners and that cool, phlegmatic temperament which
are so essential in dealing successfully with representa-
tives of such demonstrative and perfervid character as
those returned by the constituencies on the other side of
St, George's Channel.
A FRIENDLY CRITIC.—The Manchester Courier
states that at the meeting of the Salford Town Council on
Wednesday, Mr. Harrison opposed the election of Alder-
man Gendall as chairman of the Museum, Free Library,
and Park Committee on the ground that it would
be better to appoint some one " possessing
some knowledge of literature, a little taste in
art, and if some smattering of science could be
added so much the better." After much observation Mr.
Harrison had arrived at the conclusion that Mr. Gendall
was quite innocent of these necessary qualifications, and
he moved that the resolution appointing him be referred
back to the committee for reconsideration. The motion
was lost.
APPOINTMENT OF CHIEF CONSTABLE.—At the
Bedfordshire Quarter Sessions held on Tuesday last,
Major Warner was elected Chief Constable of the county
of Bedford, in the room of Captain Boultbee, who has
retired. There were originally 118 candidates, and that
number was reduced first to thirteen and then to seven.
The names of the seven were Colonel Barnard. Ken-
sington ; Mr. E. Churcher, Notting-hill ; Captain Dyer,
Cork ; Major J ones, Leicester ; Major Paton, Chester
Castle ; Major Warner, Colchester ; and Major Wilkin-
son, Bridlington Quay. The contest really laid between
Colonel Barnard and Major Warner, and at the final
voting the latter had twenty-four votes and the former
ten, giving the successful candidate a majoity of fourteen
votes.
BREAKFAST.—EPPS'S COCOA.--GRATEFUL AND COM-
FORTING.—The very agreeable character of this preparation has
rendered, it a general 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 •praperties 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 & C 0.,. Homceo-
. pathie Chemists, London. Also, makers of Epps's Caca6ine, a
very hin evening beverage,—Adirt.