The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-03 00:00:00

THE IRISH JOURNALS ON THE BATTLES.

The Irish Times devotes a leader to the praise of Mao-
Mahon, and says those who were loudest in condemning
what they admit to be the heroic enterprise of
Sedan would be warmest in its praise had it
been successful at the first. It contrasts Mac-
mahon with Dumouriez. —The Ilfail believes that
his chivalrous devotion will be of no avail, either to
Bazaine or to Paris. Bazaine made a gallant effort to
reach MacMahon, but it broke down. The probability is
that Sedan will be the prison of a broken, though brave
host.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

LIVERPOOL RACES.-FRIDAY.

SEFTON BIENNIAL.

Hopbine
Petronilla
Bishopthorpe

1

2
3

Seven ran.
NURSERY STAKES.

Little Princess....

Camera
Walton

Six ran.
SEFTON PLATE.

Filou
Ralph Lambton... ....... .
La Mousse

Six ran.
LIVERPOOL CUP.

Fidelia
Myosotis
Free Trade

Three ran.
STANLEY NURSERY.
Void.
WELTER PLATE.

Leases ..
Flash
Brother to Vex

Nine ran.
ALL AGED STAKES,

Lord J0hn...,..
Lady Flighty .
Walton '

LADIES' PURSE.

Four ran.

... :;

3

1
............ 2

`;

THE WAR.

THE BATTLES IN TIIE NORTH:
SCENES IN THE CORPS LEGISLATIF.

PARIS, THURSDAY

If what the papers say of war news is to ,be believed,
we are getting on nicely in the Ardenne forest. Mac
Mahon is achieving the most wonderful triumphs. He is
not only winning battles, but he is succeeding in more
directions than one. The Liberte simply -says he has
gained a great victory. The Public declares that everything
is going on with MacMahon as well as could be wished,
but Count Palikao keeps things secret—very secret. The
Public even assures us that he will not let his colleagues in
the Ministry know the contents of his despatches, for fear
at an involuntary indiscretion. These worthy colleagues
must be wonderful men. It would be Interesting to learn
whether he informs the Empress. She is a, woman, and
according to the old rule is more likely to be guilty of " an
involuntary indiscretion" than the unfortunate Ministers.
But even Count Palikao's extraordinary caution could not
prevent the Patrie going into full detail on the subject
That journal professes to know all about the operations
which were not confided to the Ministry. It gives the
following account of them :—" In spite of our habitual
reserve, the false despatches sent by the Prussians to the
foreign journals oblige us to state the facts pre-
cisely. Marshal MacMahon, whilst executing his
magnificent movement—all the phases a which we
have followed—has had numerous engagements with the
enemy, always glorious for our arms. He has effected the
passage of the Meuse in a brilliant manner, and has fought
with the Prussians a successful battle near Longwy, a
small town in the department of the Moselle upon our
frontier. The Prussians, defeated after a severe
contest, took refuge in the territory of Luxem-
burg, where they have been disarmed and de-
tained. This information, transmitted by our repre-
sentative at the Government of Luxemburg, has
just arrived in Paris. It may be seen from this and from
the situation at Longwy, Thionville, and Metz that the
plan of Marshal MacMahon has been accomplished with
perfect success." The same journal also says : —"A report has
spread that a despatch sent from Rheims this evening an-
nounces that a considerable action took place on
Wednesday. An important battle is said to have
been gained by MacMahon. This affair must not be con-
founded with that in which Marshal Bazaine destroyed
the Prussian cavalry. It is said that 60,000 Prussians
have been placed hors de combat. We reproduce these ru-
mours under all reserve." The Soir also has its version. It
declares that MacMahon was successful in passing the
Meuse, and that at Carignan, on Wednesday, a genuine
victory was gained.
So the reader will be able to see that all the papers have
news, and possess the further advantage of each securing
a different account. But there is a very dark side to
these admirable reports. There are very persistent rumours
of disaster to at least a portion of MacMahon's army,
and it is noticed that the Government is entirely silent. If
the Ministry has reasons for reticence, why should the
papers give news? On the whole the silence of the autho-
rities together with the not very reassuring fact that any
publication of unfavourable news is immediately punished
bysuspension of the paper in which that news appears, has
not produced a favourable impression here. The reports
in the papers are absurdly contradictory and untrust-
worthy. They give no satisfaction, for no one with the
least sense can doubt that if the French armies had won
a victory the Government would have been only too glad
to spread the news far and wide. We areutterly without
information from independent sources.

'Yesterday's proceedings in the Chamber, which have
already been briefly referred to, were highly interesting.
It will be remembered that M. Keller brough* forward some
melancholy details of the bombardment at Strasbourg, and
the condition of the peasantry in the "Lower libinedepart.
meat. Of the Strasbourg narrative the Chamber bad but
one opinion. It condemned the conduct of the Germans
in directing their fire upon the city instead of the fortifica-
tions, so that the sufferings inflicted upon the inhabitants
might induce them to press the Governor to surrender,
It expresied great commiseration for the unfor-
tunate victims of such barbarities s and it rose as
one man, and with tremendous energy declared
that the inhabitants of Strasbourg should never cease to
be French citizens. But the case of the peasantry was a
different one, M. Keller reported that bawls of Baden
peasants, armed with sabres, but without muskets or uni-
forms, had crossed the frontier, and were plundering the
Alsatians, The latter were not disposed to quietly sub-
mit to such treatment; but they were unable to resist.
They Lad no arms, and the Government refused to sup-
ply them with any. In some cases a display of valour on
the part of the peasantry of the Lower Rhine had even
been repressed by the local authorities. M. Keller pro-
posed that a commission should be appointed to examine
into the details of this affair, with the view of
nominating a special commissioner to see to the
defence of Alsace. The Minister of War was
not present when the question was raised, and an
adjournment to six o'clock was agreed to, in order that he
might be able to give explanations. When six o'clock and
the Minister arrived there was a stern dispute. Count
Palikao would have no special commissioner. For the
Chamber to nominate such a functionary would
be 'to interfere with, and to that extent to super-
sede, Government. One deputy called out that
the Government were incapable. " Dismiss them,
then," answered the Minister ; "to apppoint
a commissioner would be an act of defiance to the
Government." The Left denied this. The question, con-
tinued the Minister, is whether the Cabinet is worthy of
your confidenceor not. If it is, let us go on; if it is not, I
turn us out. We will not leave our pressing occupations
in order to come and discuss matters of this kincL
At this sally there was, as might be expected, a fearful
uproar. Fancy an English Premier telling the House of
Commons that he had- a great deal to do, and could not
find time to come and parley with such a contemptible
thing as a parliament. This sort of talk went on for some
time, M. Keller hitting the nail on- the head
when he declared that the Government had evi-
dently resolved not to allow the Chamber any par-
ticipation in the defence of the country. This is
obvious. It has a large and subservient majority
at its back, and the time has not yet come for that majo-
rity to desert its masters, like the rats desert a sinking
ship, or, to bring the comparison still nearer, like the
dummy senators of Napoleon I. deserted him, when his
hour of misfortune had arrived.

All the fine things said in this debate are not given
above. Just enough is quoted to shevr what the
relations between the Government and the Chamber really
are; on the one side is a bodyof men, including, no doubt,
several fanatical and unpractical persons, who honestly
wish the Parliament to exercise -a just control over the
affairs of the country ; on the other is a vast array of con-
venient persons who do precisely as they are bid. Need-
less to say that M. Keller's motion to submit the condition,
of the Alsatian peasants to a commission was rejected. It
mustered 59 supporters against 180.

There was another irritating question raised in this
sitting. Count IC4ratry declared that the officers of the
Garde Mobile were appointed through favouritism, and
that the list ought to be overhauled. After a good deal
of shouting, this proposition, too, came to grief.
4.nother refusal on the subject of arms has been re,
ceived from the Government. M. Dalloz proposed that
with -the view of encouraging the importation of arms, the
duties now paid upon that kind of manufacture should be
abolished. He expressed his confidence that, in spite of
the difficulties in the way of such trading, an abundant
supply of good breech-loaders could be had from England
and America ; and there can be little doubt that he was
right. The commission of parliamentary initiative to
which the proposal was referred, rejected it. If the duties
were taken of foreign arms, of course full liberty of
manufacture must be given to French artisans, which is
refused at present. It is the old story. Do what the
deputies of the Left and Centre may, they cannot succeed
in inducing the Government to give the people arms.
In these times of excitement and frequent disputes in
the Chamber, it would appear that the official reports of
the debates are not always characterised by strict accu-
racy. M. Pelletan complained yesterday that his words
had been garbled. He saw the proof of his speech—
French deputies very often correct their discourses
before they appear in print—and it was then quite
correct ; but when it was published the very opposite '
of what he intended to say was given to the world. It
had been altered after he had read the proof. M. Ras-
pail made a similar complaint. The Government re-
porters seem now to often adopt the expedient of mak-1
ing it appear that the latter part of_ an observation had
been drowned in wrathful or applauding exclamations,

when the obnoxious expression has really been quite
audible.

No incident worthy of mention has occurred in the
Corps Ltislatif to-day. From the explanation given by
the Minister of Commerce to the deputies it appears, to
regard to the provisioning of the capital for the prospec-
tive siege, that since the 29th August there have arrived
from Havre 4,800 waggons of grain, rice, coffee, and
sugar, and that already there are provisions made in oil,
wood, and live cattle sufficient for the next three months.
No less than five hundred much cows have arrived
in Paris, together with supplies of fodder in every
way adequate for their nourishment for a like period. All
this moreover-is but the advance guard, as it were, of the
supplies already purchased through the provident care
of the Minister of Commerce, and on their way now -to
the metropolis from all parts of Prance.
Many of the saloons of ' the Hotel [lieu ate at this
moment fully prepared for the reception of the wounded.
Four more of those inculpated in the affair of La Vil-
lette have been conducted to the prison of the Connell of
War.

From Havre we learn that the ir aurrean had just re-
entered that port. No credence was accorded to the
rumour relative to the departure of the Fillibuster from
America.

Further than this, in the Journal Ogiciel of to-day,
we read that the Minister of France at Washington, hav-
ing been consulted in regard to an announcement published
in the Figaro, concerning an expedition against the French
ports, has at once replied by telegram, through cable, that
the statement was absolutely false.