The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-29 00:00:00

TEE POLES IN THE PRUSSIAN ARAIYR.

The Polish journals report that a oonspiracy has been
discovered among the Poles of the Prussian army with
the object of laying down their arms en masse, and making
themselves prisoners of France, against whom they will
no longer fight, such a war being opposed alike to their
personal sympathies and to their national interests. A
number of officers and non-commissioned officers, after
being examined, were taken to the fortress of Stettin for
trial. Having been judged by a council of war, seventeen
of them were shot. These were all offieers : the number
of soldiers and non-commissioned officers exe-
cuted is not known. Among the papers found
on the conspirators were several documents shewing the
existence of a National Polish Committee, anti-Russo-
Prussian, whose leaders are unknown. A rising in favour
of France is organised on a grand scale. A number of
able secret agents, belonging to all classes of society, are
acting with great energy. The central committee publishes a,
Polish Bulletin, of which several extracts are translated
in German, French, Italian, Russian, the Scandinavian
languages, and even in Turkish, Arabic, Armenian, and
Persian. The copy of this Bulletin seized on the Polish
soldiers stated that several of them had been corresponding
with it, and that plans and projects of the most secret
kind had been partly revealed. Several employes
in the political, diplomatic, and military offices
suspected of having abused the confidence of their
respective chiefs have been arrested. A good many of
the secret papers of their offices have disappeared in an
incomprehensible manner. These facts have produced
great agitation both in Russia and in Prussia, and have
hastened on the execution of their secret treaties It is'
believed that the sudden disappearance of these missing
papers decided Russia on :throwing off the mask much
sooner than she intended, by issuing her note denouncing;
the Treaty of 1856, without longer concealing her for-
midable armaments. The Bulletin proves that secret
treaties have been in existence between Russia and Prussia
for the last half century, and gives the dates of five :-
1822, 1831, 1850, 1864, and 1868.

On Tuesday a flock of swans from the islands and
nits around Twickenham, Hampton, &c., made their ap-
pearance near Westminster-bridge, loitered on the water
for some time, and then made off for their old quarters. It
is only in severe weather these birds venture so far down
the river.

Mr. J. R. Davison, the newly-appointed Jude
Advocate-General, in succession to Sir Colman O'Logh-
len, is the second son of the Rev. Edward Davison, rector
of Harlington, Middlesex, and incumbent of St. Nicholas,
Durham. Mr. Davison was called to the bar at the
Middle Temple, and joined the Northern Citcuit. He was
appointed a Queen's counsel in 1866, and is chairman of
the county Quarter Sessions. He was first returned at
the general election of 1868.

THE LONDON SCHOOL BOARD.—Mr. Croad, the
secretary of the Bishop of London Mission, and Mr.
Sharpe, of the City of London School, are candidates for
the secretaryship of the London School Board. There
are now so many good candidates for this office that the
Board is likely to suffer from an embarras de riehesse. It
is said that some time hence it is intended to propose that
a salary should be given to both the chairman and the
vice-chairman ; but after what occurred on the day of
election, this report seems incredible
A NEW GUN FACTORY FOR BIR➢IINGHAM.--It
is understood that the railway carriage works at Saltley,
lately occupied by the North Western Railway, and
more recently the property of the Metropolitan Carriage
Company, have been purchased for the erection of premises
and machinery to make small arms upon the same prin-
ciple as that established at Small Heath. The promoters
of the new company are stated to be Mr. Westley
Richards, of this town, and Messrs. Greenwood and
Batley, of Leeds, the eminent machinists.—Birmingham
Gazette.

SKATING IN THE FEN COUNTRY.—The Fens of
Cambridgeshire occupy a pre-eminence in skating matters
for which there need be no wonder, considering the
facilites which exist for the pursuit of the sport. The
principal of the numerous skating courses is the Great
Wash, in the Bedford Level, which stretches from the
neighbourhood of Denver, in Norfolk, and runs right,
across the county of Cambridge by Welney and Mepal to.
Earith in Huntingdonshire. The frosty season having set
in, a magnificent supply of good ice has been provided,
and since Saturday last there has been little else going on
in the Fens but skating.
ENCOURAGING PRECEDENTS.—The Si&le, in com-
menting on the recent reverses of the French arms, says
that all national wars have begun with defeat to end in
victory. In the Spanish war the Skaniards were defeated
at Somme, Sierra, and Ocana in pitched battles, but
avenged themselves at Vittoria and elsewhere. In the
Russian war of 1812 the Russians were defeated at
Smolensk and Moscowa, to avenge themselves at
Beresina and Niemen. In Germany in 1813 the Germans
were at first defeated at Dresden, Lutzen, and Bantzen,
to conquer at Leipsic and Waterloo.

GREAT FIRE AT LEICESTER.—A fire causing
very large damage occurred at Leicester yesterday morn-
ing. Messrs. Kart and Levy's wholesale clothing
manufactory, where the fire originated, was completely
gutted. The establishment was closed from Saturday till
Tuesday, when Levy and several of his assistants com-
menced stock-taking. The place, when closed at eight on
Tuesday night, was apparently safe. The warehouse is
of four storeys ; the fire broke out on the second floor.
The stock is believed to be, worth from £15,000 to
£20,000. It is entirely destroyed. Insurance to the full
amount is effected in the Sun Office.

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