The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-10 00:00:00

` THE SUN, LONDON, THURSDAY EVENING, 'FEBRUARY 10, 1870.

thl host detested and feared 'of Irish titles, It Is
a difficulty, too, which no efforts have
been able to overcome. The Conservative Government
suffered from it, and the repeal of the Habeas Corpus
Act would not avail; and at all previous periods of
danger the evil and its effects have been the
same. To charge the present impunity of out-
rage upon the Government is unreasonable and
unjust. The fact is deplorable, but it must not the
less be unshrinkingly met, that there are scarcely
any means of procuring testimony of Irish crimes;
and it is upon this miserable assumption that
the government of the province must be conducted.
It is highly probable that the promise of a land
bill has raised hopes which will be doomed
to angry dikappointment. The present land bill is
not, however, the first that has been mentioned, nor
is any connection to be traced between och a pledge
and agrarian outrages. And surely wise and needful
legislation is not to be set aside because it gives riE
to exaggerated expectations.

Another riot took place in Paris on the occasion of
M. ROCHEFORT'S arrest. It will be remembered
that the celebrated pamphleteer was sentenced
to six months' imprisonment for insulting the
EMPEROR'S family, and inciting the people
of Paris to revolt, just after the death of VICTOR
Nowt. Sentences of imprisonment for seditious
articles are not very rigidly enforced in France ; the
culprit can go to gaol almost when he likes, and is
by no means uncomfortable in his. com-
pulsory lodging. M. Ro c HEFORT, accordingly,
remained at large until the period during which he
could appeal against his sentence expired. On Mon
day evening he was arrested at a public meeting.
The mob immediately gave vent to its rage ; the
commissary of police was maltreated ; one or
two sergents de vile were hurt ; and
an attempt to form barricades ended in
discomfiture, and the arrest of about two hundred
persons. The Paris correspondent of the Telegraph,
whoso special mission is to inform us that everything
invariably goes well in France, and that the
Empire is doing nicely, whether as a despotism
or a constitutional form of government, is
careful to announce that the disturbance
has been alight, and attended with no disagreeable
consequences. Probably the two hundred prisoners
will view the matter rather seriously i but it is clear
that the riot wag easily overcome, and equally evi-
dent that scarcely any popular outbreak can with-
;tend the forces at the command of the EMPEROR'S
aovernment. Nevertheless. these repeated attempts
A insurrection must be none the less disheartening.
rho pitcher may go the well once too often. A
,•ity which has so often accomplished a revolu-
tion may possibly at some time find a chance
3f proving itself irresistible, though, as we have
said, the danger is not great. But even if victorious,
the Government must ever be on the alert, and all
Its measures must be taken with due
allowance for the implacable hostility of
several hundred thousand persons. The lower
)rders of Paris must be credited with some-
thing more than what the Telegraph's illustrious con-
tributor calls a " love of fun." These repeated
attempts to raise an insurrection, at great
Sanger to their projectors, testify to an
Irreconcilable hatred of the present regime.
Paris is to NAPOLEON 111. what Ireland is
to us; it is both a peril and a disgrace. Nothing
:an appease it, and the war between the two parties
zan end only in the defeat of one. Pos-
sibly the Sovereign may persuade himself
that order needs re-establishing, and that a rule of
repression must begin. If he does not, things may
last in their present shape until the close of his
reign. And as that event may be near, and cannot
be very far off; nothing can be more natural than
that the order-loving people of France and of Europe
generally should be profoundly apprehensive of the
results.

THE NATIONAL EDUCATION LEAGUE,

A numerous and highly influential deputation from the
National Education League, among whom were Sir Charles
lke, M.P., the Chamberlain of London and many other
gentlemen of consideration, waited on Wednesday upon the
Lord Mayor to ask him to afford them the use of the Egyp-
tian Hall in order to a public meeting of the citizens in re-
ference to the subject of a national education,and to preside
over it. The deputation was introduced by Sir Charles
Dilke, who took occasion to state the general objects of
the League. He said the subscriptions which were begun
in April last, amounted to nearly £54,000, and the
enrolled members now were about 10,000. There
were sixty branches in the kingdom, and the enrolled
members included about fifty members of Parliament.
In the metropolis alone there were already 1,000 enrolled
members and fourteen recognised branches. The Lord
Mayor, amid cheers, said he would grant the use of the
Guildhall for the purpose of holding a public meeting
on the general subject of education, and would preside
at it himself : but ho intimated in effect that he
by no means gave in his adhesion to all the principles of
the League.

After hearing witnesses, who gave the accused
excellent characters,
Mr. Tyrwhitt said he thought it as well, for the
sake of the accused themselves, that their wit-
nesses should be heard. He did not believe there
was any intention on their part to steal the dog,
and they would be discharged.