The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-03 00:00:00

ME SUN, LONDON, SATURD" DECEMBER 3, 1870.

sarily irreligious. He had already taken part, and in•
tended still to do so, in pressing forward the opening of
universities to Nonconformists, so as to get rid of every-
thing like religious differences at the highest seats of
education. Such differences he hoped, would
soon vanish from the question of elementary
education, which ought to be common ground
for all to unite upon. The differences, that separated
Christians on the subject of elementary education would
disappear when the new system came to be worked out,
It would then be found that this was a matter upon which
all could unite and do honest and good work without any
compromise of particular opinions.

MR. THOMAS HUGHES, M.P., AND HIS
CONSTITUENTS.
Mr. Thomas Hughes, M.P., addressing his constituents
at Frome last night, referred to the capture in Canadian
waters of a New England fishing boat by an English
cruiser, than which ho said nothing could be more un-
lucky. The Fisheries Question kept alive most bitter feel•
ings, which were natural enough, because England was
insisting upon rights which her statesmen felt could not
be supported. Since he had been to America he was
more than 'ever persuaded that the people of the
United States were England's true allies, and would reply
cordially to any advances on the part of this country.
He trusted that the present Government would forthwith
take action and settle the Alabama claims and the
Fisheries Question. Then England and America would
be on terms of real friendship, and unitedly powerful
enough to maintain the peace of the world.

• THE IRISH CAUSE CELEBRE.
THE JUDGMENT.

The Taylor case for a separation a mend et thorn con-
cluded yesterday at Dublin. Judge Battersby gave judg.
went. He reviewed the evidence at length, and said he
considered the petitioner's case proved, but the respon-
dent's case had not been made out. It was noticeable
that the respondent made no charges of adultery against
his wife until the present suit, and now he
sought evidence against the least creditable wit-
nesses, relying upon the testimony of discharged
servants, hotel waiters, and ostlers. He had not pro-
duced one respectable witness, except his mother, and she
deposed to circumstances of which she had no knowledge,
but which she persuaded herself were true. If the evi-
dence given by Dr. O'Hare, of Belfast, were true, the
sooner the police watched his movements the better. The
judge therefore declared the petitioner entitled to the
separation prayed for, and granted her permanent ali-
mony.

PLAYING WITH FIREARMS AGAIN.
A labourer named Hawks was firing cannon in honour
of the Nonconformist victory at the election for the
Bridgwater School Board, when the piece bursted, and so
injured his lower extremities that he died an hour after-
wards from hemorrhage.

£250 FOR INJURIES BY RAILWAY ACCIDENT.
At the Manchester Assizes, on Thursday, a draper,
named Turner, carrying on business in Oldham, recovered
2250 damages from the Lancashire and Yorkshire Rail.
way Company for injuries sustained in a collision at Los-
tock Junction, in September last.

THE GREAT SORTIE FROM
PARIS.

The correspondent of the Daily News at the Head-
quarters of the Crown Prince of Prussia at Versailles,
telegraphing on the 30th November, says that further
details have come to hand of yesterday's fighting before
Paris. it becomes clear that a very important sortie
was attempted against Choisy-le-Roi, and that the feigned
attacks upon Montretout and Bezons were likely to have
been pushed home had any weakness been found in the
Prussian line. The French began their movement against
Bezons in the middle of the night of the 28th to the 29th
by a heavy cannonade from Mont -Valerien, and
there was an attempt, or the pretence of an attempt,
to throw a bridge across the Siene. There was an
exchange of fire with small arms between the
opposite sides of the river, and the whole Prus-
sian force on the Peninsula and the Carribres of St.
Denis was on the alert. Meanwhile the French were
preparing to attack Montretout with a body of infantry
moving up from Surennes, under cover of the guns of.
a new work of Mont Valerien. At eight o'clock yester-
day morning this attack commenced. The Prussians
were vigorously shelled. Detachments of Gardes Mobiles
began to skirmish. Several Prussian field batteries
moved up in support, and a large force of infantry of
the line was soon ready to assist the Jager companies
of the sth Corps which were engaged with the French.
Gunboats on the Seine took part in the action by throw-
ing shells among the Jagers. It is said that fire was also
opened from batteries at Boulogne. The Prussian guns
did not reply, because they were placed in a position to
do execution upon troops which might press home,
and the French though hotly skirmishing did not
advance. I have heard from men who were engaged
.with them for several hours that they made two
or three rushes to the bent, as though half inclined to do
strong work at Montretout, but that their supports so
manoeuvred as to give the idea that no order to storm it
had reached them. They seemed to be in strong
force and to chafe against the restraint of a
feigned attack. They would, however, have lost
frightfully had they been more pushing, for
the Prussian positions were carefully prepared.
The French officers exposed their lives freely to hold their
men just where they were wanted, and the cool, steady
fire of the Jagers caused much loss to the Gardes
Mobiles. One French officer sprang to the front, and
made straight to the place where the Jagers lay. He
was shot down just as he turned to wave on the hesi-
tating skirmishers, By about midday the fire from Mont
Valerien slackened, and the Mobiles withdrew to
Surennes. The sortie against Choisy-le-Roi began a
little later than the feint against Montretout. At nine
o'clock yesterday morning some twenty French bat-
talions came out from Villejuif, and advanced
towards the position of the Gth Prussian Corps. The
guns of the new work at Villejuif supported the attack
by an incessant fire, which fell mainly on the right
of the 2nd Bavarian Corps, and caused comparatively
small loss. The French are said to have shewn great
energy at the beginning of the movement, but were soon
discouraged, and soon halted by their general's command
when the Prussian bullets began to shower upon them. It
was thought necessary by the besiegers to unmask
their batteries of field artillery. These caused the
French much annoyance. The officers who led the
sortie tried hard to keep their men in order, but the fore-
most battalions became a good deal confused ; supports
did not push on, and in two hours the affair was over.
It is estimated that the French loss must have
been between five and six hundred men. The
Germans lost about one hundred, thirty of whom
were Bavarians injured by the artillery fire, the
rest being Prussians of the Sixth Corps. I rode out to-
wards Choisy-le-Roi, and found the country alive with
German troops mustered to repel the sortie. It is no idle
boast of the besieging forces that they can concentrate
twenty-five or thirty thousand men upon any
lreatened point. The weather was raw and

misty, and the mud very deep; but the Germans
were in excellent spirits, some of the
columns were singing, others were enlivened by the
music of brass bands. Everyone knew exactly where to
go and what was expected of him. The Wurtembergers
on the extreme left were heavily cannonaded last night,
with about one casualty to every five hundred shells
sent against them. Report says that firing was also
heard to the north. There was much shelling
during the night from the whole line of southern
forts. The French are roused to immense activity, and
the impression gains ground that the final efforts are
being made. The reckless waste of ammunition is
accounted for by Trochu knowing that food must fail
before he can possibly spend all his powder and shot.
The French are firing more and more heavily as the day
goes on.

M. GAMBET rA'S SPEECH.
The following is the speech of M. Gambetta, delivered
at Tours, on Thursday, and forwarded by telegraph by
the correspondent of the Daily Telegraph :—The Delega-
tion of the Government received yesterday—Dec. I—the
news of a victory gained under the walls of Paris during
the days of the 28th, 29th, and 30th Nov. This news
was brought to Tours by the balloon " Jules Fevre,'
which fell near Belleisle-en-Mer at four o'clock.
M. Gambetta, addressing a great crowd assembled
in the court of the Prefecture, confirmed, in the following
terms, the great and fortunate news:—" Dear fellow-citi-
zens : After seventy-two days of a siege unexampled in
history—seventy-two days consecrated to preparing and
organising the forces of deliverence—Paris has thrown
itself outside of its walls to break through the circle of
iron which strangles it. A numerous and valiant
army, prepared with prudence by consummate chiefs,
whom nothing has been able to shake or to perturb in
their laborious talk of organising victory—this army has
been ableto await the destined hour, and the hour has
come. Excited, encouraged by the invigorating news
which came from Orleans, the chiefs of the Government
had resolved to act ; and, with one accord, we have
all been awaiting for some days in deep anxiety
the result of our combined efforts. On the 29th of No-
vember, in the morning, Paris put herself in motion. A
proclamation by General Trochu informed the capital of
this supreme resolution, and, before marching to the
combat, he threw the responsibility of the blood which
was about to flow on the head of that M;nis-
ter and that king whose criminal ambition
tramples under foot modern justice and civilisa-
tion. The sortieing army is commanded by Gene-
ral Ducrot, who, before entering the field, made oath, in
the manner of the ancients, in the presence of the city
besieged and of France consumed by anxiety, that
he would never re-enter the city unless dead or victo-
rious. I give you,' continued M. Gambetta, in
their own laconism, the tidings brought by, the
balloon Jules Favre' —a name of good augury
and leer to France—which fell this morning at
Belleisle-en-Mer. On the 29th of November, in the
morning, the sortie directed against the German line of
investment began upon the right by Choisy, L'Hay, and
Chevilly. In the night between the 29th and 30th, the
battle was prolonged upon these various points. General
Ducrot, on his left, had passed the Marne on the 30th,
in the morning, and occupied successively Mely and
Montmedy. He strongly pressed his movement
on the left, passed the IVlarne, and, with his back
to that river, placed himself in order of battle from
Champigny to Bry. The army then crossed the river
upon eight bridges, and bivouacked on those positions,
after having taken two guns from the enemy. The re-
port of the engagement was made to Paris by General
Trochu himself ; and in that report, in which all are
praised, is silent only as to the great share which Gene-
ral Trochu has taken in the battle. As Turrenne did,
it is established that he retrieved the balance of
the fight upon several points, carrying forward the
infantry by the impulse of his presence. During this
battle the whole circumference of Paris was covered by a
formidable fire—the artillery searching all the positions
of the German line of investment. The attack of our
troops was supported during the whole engagement by
gunboats launched upon the Marne and upon the
Seine ; and the circular railway of M. Dorian,
whose military genius cannot be too much cele-
brated, has co-operated in the battle by the aid
of iron-clad waggons, which maintained a fire
upon the enemy. This same day of the 30th November,
in the afternoon, witnessed a vigorous attack by Admiral
La Ronciere, always in the same direction of L'Hay and
Chevilly. He advanced upon Longiumeau, and carried the
positions of Epinay beyond that place—the entrenched
positions of the Prussians, who have left in our hands nu-
merous prisoners and two more guns. At the hour at
which we read this despatch from Paris a general action
should be going on along the whole line. The attack on
the south
_of the Ist December was to be directed by
General Vinoy. Results so considerable could not have
been attained without serious losses. We have 2,000 men
wounded. General Renault, commanding the 2nd
Corps, and General Ducrct have covered them-
selves with glory and merited the gratitude of
the nation. The Prussian losses are very con-
siderable. All these informations are official, for they are
addressed by the Chief of the Staff, General Schmitz, to
Leon Gambetta." The Minister of War continued :
" The Genius of France, obscured for a moment, now re-
appears. Thanks to the efforts of the entire country,