The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-12 00:00:00

THE LEVEE EN MASSE.

The Tours correspondent of the Standard, in a letter of
the 9th instant, says :—A decree yesterday divides the
levee en masse into four bans, which will be called out
as required. The first ban is the single men between
21 and 40. These are called out by the decree of Sep
tember 29, but, like many decrees, that has been a
mere dead letter, and the men are for the most part
still in their homes. Does not this shew the utter
folly of issuing decree after decree without taking the
slightest care to see that they are carried out ?
The second ban takes in all married men up to 30, the
third from 30 to 35, the fourth from 35 to 40. No hint is
given of the dates at which these various bans will be
called out, but the general opinion is that, with the ex-
ception of the first, they will never be summoned at all.
It would, indeed, cause far less distress and inconvenience
to summon at once the conscripts of '7l and '72, This
would give 600,000 young fellows, even allowing for
the provinces occupied by the Prussians. These lads
would learn the use of arms and the necessary drill far
more speedily than the older men, besides which a large
number of the married men are at present enrolled in the
National Guard, and can be utilised for the defence of
their respective districts. It need scarcely be said
that the entire absence of hands for agricultural
manufacturing, and other purposes, by
.the absence
from home of all men, single or married, between 21
and 40, would be enormous, and that the number of
women and children who would be at once thrown upon
the State for support would be overwhelming. It is in
fact this very circumstance that the family bread winners
are still at home that enables France to support war with
less suffering, except in the invaded districts, than is ex-
perienced in Germany. By alI means make every
married man a National Guard, drill him and discipline
him to the utmost, and bring him into the field for
local defence ; but to take him away from his field or his
workshop until the very latest moment would be simply
an act of suicide for France, and such, I need hardly say,
it is generally considered to be here. Ido not suppose,
however, that M. Gambetta ever gave the matter a
thought when he dashed off his first decree, ordering a
general levee en masse.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

LIVERPOOL RACES-FRIDAY.
HANDICAP HURDLE PLATE.
Kelvin Grove...
Pompeii
Spitfire

FREE NURSERY HANDICAP.

Herod
Knight Templar
Barefoot
PLATE OF 50 SOVS.

Mocking Bird...
'Trojan
Skiff... ....... .. ... .....

3
Nine ran.
LIVERPOOL CUP.

Exciseman

Indian Ocean
Rosicrucian

Seventeen ran.

PERFORMANCES OF THE WINNER.

Exciseman, three years old, a brown colt by Saunterer,
out of Lady Elizabeth, in 1869 was third (Bst 101 b) to La
Rile (Bst 31b) and Syrian (Bst 121 b) for the Stephenson
Biennial for two.-year-olds at Newcastle-upon-Tyne ; was
beaten (colts Bst 101 b fillies Bst 81b) by his only opponent
My Lady for the Juvenile Stakes for two-year-olds at
York August, and was fourth (6st 111 b, car. Est 121 b),
and last (except Perfume, 3 yrs, Bst 111 b) to Camel (2 yrs,
6st 71b), Agility (2 yrs, 7st), and the White Slave (2 yrs,
6s. 111 b.) for the Eglinton Stakes at Doncaster. In 1870
won (Bst. 31b.) the Stephenson Biennial for three-year-
olds of £195 at Newcastle upon-Tyne from La Mlle (Bst.
31b.) and Etruscan (Bst. 121 b.); was second (6st. 131 b.) at
the same meeting to Dark Cloud (3 yrs., 6st. 71b.) for the
Stewards' Cup (handicap) ; was unplaced (6st. 121 b.) for
the Great Yorkshire Handicap, won by Border Knight
(4 yrs., Bst. 101 b.) ; was unplaced (6st. 71b.) for the Cesare-
witch, won by Cardinal York (4 yrs., 7st. 81b.); and won
(6st. 41b.) the Liverpool Autumn Cup, beating Indian
Ocean (3 yrs., sst. 101 b.) Rosicrucian (5 yrs., 9st.), and
fourteen others.

WINNERS OF THE LIVERPOOL AUTUMN OUP.

1856, Md. of Derwent, 3 y,
sst 111 b.
1857 Special License, 3 y,
sst. 71b.
1858 Special License, 4 y,
7st. 101 b.
1859 Meg Meanies, 3 y, 4st.
101 b.
1860 The Brewer, aged, 7st.
Ilb.
1861 Petra, 5 y, 6st. 91b.
1862 Gardener, 4 y, 6st. 61b.
BENTINC

1863 Blithfield, 3 y, 6at.

. _
131 b.
1864 Tartar, 3 y, 6st. 41b.
1865 Elland, 3 y, 6st. 41b.
1866 Beeswing, 3 y, 6st. 71b.
1867 Mandrake, 3 y, 6st.
101 b.
1868 Palmer, 4 y, Bst. 21b.
1869 Lictor, 4 y, 7st
1870 Exciseman, 3 y, 6st.
41b.

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