The Sun.
London, England, 1870-09-01 00:00:00

AMERICAN MAILS.

BREST, AUGUST 31.
The Transatlantic Company's steamer Lament arrived
hex e at 10 this morning from New York, with 109 passen-
gers, and $32,212 in specie.
QUEENSTOWN, AUGUST 31.
The Cunard Royal Mail Steamer Tripoli, arrived here
from Liverpool at 11 a.m. to-day, and having embarked
mails and passengers, she proceeded for Boston, on receipt
of the former, at 4.30 p.m.

(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.)
MR. MUNDELLA, M.P., AND HIS
CONSTITUENTS.

Last evening, Mr. Mundella, M.P., delivered his
annual address to his constituents at Sheffield. In review-
ing the work of the past session he dwelt at some length
on the Education Bill, and criticised its principal features,
as well as its defects. The Irish Land Bill and other
measures were also touched upon in the course of his
address. With regard to the forthcoming session, the
hon. member expressed strong hopes that time would be
found to deal with several measures for the especial
benefit of working people, such as the Truck Act and the
Mines Regulation Bill. He also trusted an im-
portant change would be made in the licens-
ing system. Having just returned from a jour-
ney through Germany, he gave some account
of the scenes he had witnessed as illustrating the horrors
of war and the intensity of the struggle. As to the atti-
tude of England, he hoped a strict neutrality would be
maintained. He trusted the people of England would
not be lashed into a war frenzy, for he considered that it
would be most unwise to attempt to keep pace with the
armies of Europe in strength. It was impossible for
England to do it, and it would be foolish to make the
attempt. Germany had a great national army, in which
all male persons from twenty to fifty years of age were
liable to take part in defensive warfare, whilst France
had spent millions upon a professional army. He
would not venture to say what would happen
to the German army now in France. He
could not tell what France might do in her
agony and despair. Her troops were as brave as any
in the world, and every man would fight like a tiger
robbed of its cub ; but his belief was that no Frenchman,
so long as this war lasted, would ever set foot upon
German soil. It was to be noticed that the facilities
for railway locomotion on the Continent were immense,
so that vast bodies of troops could be moved with great
despatch. Directly war broke out between France and
Germany, only the fronti:x line formed the division be-
tween the two countries, and trains could carry troops
from one country to the other with the utmost expedition.
But with England it was different, Her geographical
position was such that Englishmen had to thank Provi-
dence that they were surrounded and encompassed
by the inviolate sea. To effect an invasion an
enemy must first encounter the strongest navy
in the world, and even if we were conquered, which
was an impossibility, the people would rise as one matt to
drive the invader back into the sea. What was required
was not an augmentation of our forces, but a better
organization. Especially he advocated the abolition of
the system of purchasing commissions in the army. With
better organisation England need have no fear of a foreign
foe, and this was all that was required in the present
emergency.—A vote of confidence in Mr. Mundella was
cordially passed.

CHASE OF VESSELS OFF PLYMOUTH BY A

FRENCH MAN-OF-WAR.

The paddle-wheel French man-of-war which captured
the North German barque Julius off Plymouth on the
22nd of August has returned to her former station in the
channel, after having conveyed her prize to Cherbourg,
and was last evening plainly seen off the Hoe. She bore
down on three merchant vessels, all of whom hoisted the
colours of neutral Powers, and she sheered off. As the
evening closed in she was in full chase of a large ship
which appeared to be running from her, and was there-
fore, probably, a German vessel.