The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-30 00:00:00

LUXEMBURG'S REPLY TO PRUSSIA.

The reply of M. Servais, the Luxemburg Minister,
to the circular of Count Bismarck has been issued. M.
Servais contends that the information acted on
by the Prussian Government is incorrect. Luxem-
burg had a difficult, part to play, being too feeble for
self defence and yet liable to attack without fault of its
own, and a great part of the war was waged on its very
frontiers. False reports addressed to the belligerent
powers constituted another great danger, and complaints
of alleged breaches of neutrality were received from both
sides. Those from the French side, were however,
the most frequent, and M. Servals reminds Count Bis-
marck that the Luxemburg Government has received
from Berlin tokens of approbation. Luxemburg allowed
the passage of the German wounded, which Belgium re-
fused, and on November 28th a Lidg-e firm
offered the Luxemburg Government a good price for old
guns, to be converted into weapons of the new systems.
After referring to the Prussian authorities, the Luxemburg
Government refused to sell the guns, and received the
thanks of Herman Thile. As for the charges made by Count
Bismarck, Al. Servais says that he has beard of no out-
rages on German subjects, but Luxemburg has been most
charitable to Germans expelled from France. The only
offences the government had to repress in recent times
were committed along the frontier by German subjects.
As to the transport of provisions to Thionville it only took
place on one night, and the train bringing the goods did
not receive them in Luxemburg. However the best answer
to this charge, M. Servais thinks; is found in the fact that
hundreds of trains had been forwarded by the Luxemburg
railways with victualling for the German armies, much of
which was obtained from Luxemburg contractors in the
duchy itself. As for the Thionville train the Government
cannot be accused cf want of vigilance in let-
ting it pass, since the servants of the German
Zollverein also failed to detect it. With regard to the
passage of the French troops through the Duchy after the
surrender of Metz, M. Servais observes that the number
of soldiers was greatly overrated. Many of the French-
men so passing were doctors, students, &c., left free by
the Prussians, and these were mistaken by ignorant people
for soldier* The French troops, moreover, did not go into
France, but into Belgium, a neutral State, which the
Luxemburg authorities had no right to hinder them from
doing. The small number of the Luxemburg forces
renders it impossible that it should undertake to intern the
thousands of primness who might escape. After touching
on several other topics, M. Servais says that the resolve
of the Prussian Government has not been notified accord-
ing to the London Treaty, whose stipulations it treats as
nullities.

A great insurrection has broken out in Mongolia.
20,000 armed men have risen against the Chinese
authorities.

In the third week of December there were 145,000
persons in receipt of parochial relief in the metropolis, of
whom 36,002 were in the workhouses, and 108, 998 were
out-door paupers. The total shewed,,a decrease of 7,537
as compared with the corresponding period of last year.
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