The Sun.
London, England, 1870-04-28 00:00:00

MARSHAL PRIM ON DUELLING.

-----
The " man of the situation " in Spain does not often
dulge in speeches on abstract topics, but he has found
.it
needful to expound the principles of duelling. The Carlie 4
have been much dissatisfied at the sentence on the putt
of Montpensier. A Carlist deputy, Senor Ochoa, broU
the matter before the Cortes, complaining that the tria,,
and sentence had caused astonishment, indig
ed
and scandal. Marshal Prim replied. He denl
the astonishment, indignation, and scandal. He declare!
that the right to try the Duke belonged to the Council or
War, and that neither the Government nor fill
other authority could revise the sentence.
belonged All greeia
the jurisdiction to the Tribunals de ,1°
Guerra. With respect to the composition of t'le..
Council, that pertained purely and simply to e
Captain-General, who had the right to norninae
any officers he pleased without distinction between
generals and brigadiers. Prim concluded by reprovil
Ochoa for raising the question, and by expressing
common-sense opinion on the folly of duelling, wI Ileh 3
quite English-like in its character, and which, were l
shared more generally by, the continental nations,
would soon put an end •to the barbarous system'
He said duels would continue until God should se
fit to enlighten all men and to teach them to 0131.
prehend that "reason was not to be encountered
the blade of a sword or in the barrel of a pistol." JD Ye•
marked :--" I must say I cannot comprehend what inot11:::
Senor Ochoa has in bringing up this question. A lament:
able deed has occurred which I not only deplore, but which,
if I had known of it, I would have prevented at all cost,
even at the critical moment; but it was impossible it
me to do so. But, gentlemen, is it a new thing
us? How often have not such things been repeated? f
Here in these very Cortes does not Senor Ochoa know 0_
deputies whom force of circumstances has compelled t°
cross arms with tose wh were eir riends oyesterdaYd
but who, by the achcidentso of life, th
weref suddenly y cony rte
into enemies? This has occurred even here, and this
continue until God sees fit to enlighten all men and
the
blade them that reason is not to be encountered in
blade of a sward or in the barrel of a pistoL" (.1-4°u
cheers.)

MANAGED MUCH BETTER IN FRANCE.
The French, says the Pall Mall Gazette, do not en/
their food without suspicion any more than we do, bit
they seem to take tolerably energetic measures towarosA
securing the purity of the articles they consume. f;
French journalist wandering about what he calls tl
" ham fair," says he suddenly became aware of a grla
tumult not far from him, and, turning to ascertain l.ra!',
s
cause, perceived a cart which appeared to belong to se
employ& of the prefect of police, and which was fag'
filling with hams, sausages, and other savoury articles;
amidst much laughter and plenty of " chaff'
.
This operation came to an end, and the
agents of the prefect were about to retire, wnsesr
curiosity prompted the amused spectator to en"
into conversation with one of them respecting this strange
scene. " Sir," said this individual, with honest pride,
"Paris has no idea of the services we render it. But for
us the population would be decimated. You see, sir, that
•in a town like this, in which you must satisfy. nearly
2,000,000 appetites daily, the supply of the public need
offers facilities for imposition which would lead to univel
sal fraud, if some measures were not taken. Every
f
thing that can be eaten or drunk tempts the cupidity "
~
Adulterators.• It would be well if innocuous frauds alone
were perpetrated. He who adulterates coffee wit
chicory, chestnuts, acorns, potato beetroot, carrot,
turnip, maize, can give no one gastric fever, but some
will employ ground bricks ! Oil may be adulterated in
thirty-eight different ways. As to this, it needs only
to be remarked that Paris consumes more than a million
litres of salad oil ; but only one hundred thousand litres
at most of real olive oil find their way into the capital.
What is the rest made of ? Truffles are made at will witlif
yams, mushrooms, and even cork. In the lowest class eh
restaurants you find cats', horses', and even rats' flesh
cooked. Yes, sir, without continual supervision continual
mishaps would occur. This supervision is exercised u`
the most varied forms. Sixty inspectors incessantly keep.
watch over the butchers' meat ; wine tasters v"
employed to judge of the beverages sold in three
thousand Parisian public-houses. At the 1131 i
seventy persons are employed solely to ascertain by hold:
ing eggs up to a lighted candle whether they are fresh
enough for consumption. As to ourselves, sir, we form
part of the scenting-out brigade. It is our duty to discover
by the smell the condition of all sorts of eatables offer?'
for sale. We' begin our work every day at eight o'clock,
generally arrsnging not to pass over the ground already
reconnoitered by our colleagues but this we sonstr
times have to do, as those tradesmen whose goals
have been lately overhauled are very apt to think theta;
selves safe, and take advantage of their fancied
security to make dishonest profits. In twelve months we
visit two thousand five hundred establishments, and ,s.lve
have to bring about twenty actions a week against dies'
honest tradesmen. All comes under our jurisdictions',
tainted meat, rotten fruit, milk adulterated with horses
brains, whiting, &c. This is not all ;we have to examine
the state of the kitchen utensils in the five thousand eign;
hundred restaurants, eating-houses and tables d'hote of
the capital, otherwise verdigris would claim a yearly tri
bute of victims."