The Sun.
London, England, 1870-07-19 00:00:00

OFFICIAL PRUSSIAN STATEMENT.

The official Staats Anzeiger publishes under reservation
of further communication two official documents in order
to explain certain statements put forward by the French
Ministers in the sitting of the Legislative Body, held on
the 15th inst. The first document, which has been
drawn up under the immediate superintendence
of the King himself, states that M. Benedetti
demanded on the 9th inst. that the King should order the
hereditary Prince of Hohenzollern to withdraw his accep-
tance of the Spanish Crown. The King, however, declared
that not having ordered the Prince to accept the Crown,
he could not order him to renounce it.

In a second audience on the 11th instant, M. Benedetti
endeavoured to put some pressure upon the King, and
demanded that he -should impress upon the Prince the
necessity of renunciation, but his Majesty replied
that the Prince was free to act, and also was abroad. On
the public promenade at Ems, on the 13th instant, the
King handed to M. Benedetti an extra sheet of the
Cologne Gazette, containing a private telegram
in reference to a renunciation of the Prince of Hohen-
zollern, his Majesty adding at the same time
that he himself had not yet received any letter from
Sigmaringen on the matter in question. Thereupon,
M. Benedetti declared that what he meant was a renun-
ciation, and asked on the part of Prussia that the King
should distinctly promisenever ftgainto consent to the can-
didature in question. His Majesty firmly declined to com-
ply with this demand, but M. Benedetti nevertheless
insisted upon a third audience, in order to resume the
topic. The King refused to grant this audience, on the
ground that no further reply was necessary, and that all
negotiations should pass through the hands of his Cabinet.
The wish expressed by M. Benedetti to leave was granted
by the King, and on his journey to Coblentz, in going to
the station, his Majesty courteously saluted M. Benedetti.

The second document contains a report by Prince
Radziwill, aide-de-camp to the King, in reference to the
manner in which he intimated to M. Benedetti the King's
message declining another audience. The document
declares that the whole of the audiences in question were
merely of the character of private conversations, since M
Benedetti never stated that he acted by authorisation or
as negotiator.

The Staats Anzeiger says, in conclusion, that the French
Government was well aware that Baron Werther was not
recalled from Paris, but had merely received leave of ab-
sence, and had delegated his functions to Count Solms-
Sonnenwalde, as on former occasions, and that he in-
formed the Government of the matter.

A woman named Downes was convicted before
the Common Serjeant, on Saturday, of having stolen
Russian bonds valued at £9OO, and was sentenced to be
imprisoned and kept to hard labour for eighteen months.

THE FACTORY BILL.--The Parliamentary Com-
mittee appointed to consider the provisions of this bill,
which principally affects the question of the employment
of women and children in the Turkey Dye Works, in Lan-
cashire and Yorkshire, met yesterday. A large number
of persons interested in the question were present, but
after considerable discussion it was decided that it was
necessary to hear evidence, and the committee contented
itself with examining the clauses of the bill.