The Sun.
London, England, 1870-11-30 00:00:00

8 7C; .

capable of serving for food. Especially among horned
animals is the diminution remarkable. Two young bears
also, the gift of Prince Couza to the institution, have
been given over to the butcher. A great many birds,
too, are gone. The birds of prey appear to rest tranquil,
except the great eagle, who looks pined. A strong
earthen barricade has been erected befyro the cages of the
lions, leopards, tigers, and panthers, to prevent their
escape in the event of a projectile destroying the bars of
their prison.

The Gaulois has appeared with itn article against M.
Gambetta, whom it designates " the tyrant of Tours."
The feeling at Hamburg against England is very strong.
An Englishman there is hardly treated with civility.
The German. editors have been officially cautioned
against printing correspondence on military movements
in Germany and France.
La Hann says that from information contained in
another paper it appears that General Vinoy, having left
Paris in a balloon, was on his way to Tours.
The now forts of Metz are being completed and armed
by Prussian engineers. The officers of the garrison,
expecting to remain there, have sent for their families.
, Alsatian Mobiles, prisoners of war, who own real pro-
perty, are released on signing a document signifying
their consent to the confiscation of their land if they fight
again against Germany.
The state of affairs in Algiers greatly resembles that
which lately existed at Marseilles. The place is without
a governor, a Government, or any official empowered to
sign a despatch.
The potato diggers outside Paris having been fired at
the business is now practised on more scientific principles.
The French come out in parties of three—two skirmish
assiduously, while the third digs with equal assiduity.
Some French officers who fought at Le Bourget deny
that Count Waldersee was caught in a trap and killed, as
the Germans affirm. The Germans, however, have re-
tracted the accusation themselves, so that this point may
be considered settled.

The expense of the war to North Germany, according
to the Cologne Gazette, is more than a million thalers. It
has already cost 119,000,000, or, including the marine,
121,000,000 thalers. A thaler is about three shillings
therefore, the war has cost hitherto £18,150,000.
,Three captains of the Mobiles of the Eure-et-Loire,
named De Rougemont, De Prunelles, and De Loynes—
have been cashiered for "blameable conduct" in the affair
of Epernon. Thess officers are all noblemen, their dis-
missal thus sheaving that the Republic is no respecter of
persons.

The Hessiische Morgen Zeituug says :—" Marshal Bazaine
has taken a villa in Cassel till Easter. Madame Bazaine,
a handsome lady of about twenty-five years of age, has
brought with her two children—one three years and the
other eighteen months old. Bazaine's six officers of
ordonnance'—a general, a colonel, two captains, and two
lieutenants Twill remain near him."

The Gazette de France states that M. Galvez, Minister
of Peru, being anxious to quit Paris, requested a safe
conduct from M. de Bismarck, who refused it. Import.
ant affairs and the illness of his wife in London, induced
M. Galvez to determine to leave Paris at all risks. He
therefore quitted the city, and on arriving at the Prussian
lines he was at once arrested, but, declaring his diplomatic
character, he insisted on being allowed to pass. Re-
ference was made to Versailles, whence, two hours later,
came an order to allow the diplomatist to proceed, on his
journey.

A letter from Ostend of the 26th instant says that the
Lord Warden, from Folkestone, brought over to that port
on the previous day a shipment of gold in ingots of the
value of sixteen and a half millions of francs for the
Prussian Government, this being the third arrival of the
same character in Ostend within d week. These amounts
are said to form part of a total of one hundred million
francs.

A Belgian correspondent sums up the reports of the
German papers by saying that the passage of the trains is
most difficult, and that so many things are wanting at
Versailles that the besiegers are worse fed than the be-
sieged. The investing army of Paris suffers greatly, and
so many special trains are sent back to Germany with the
sick men, that they impede the progress of the provision
trains.

A balloon cannon has been made by Krupp. It con-
sists of a platform resting on four wheels, moveable in all
directions, from the oentre of which an iron cylinder five
feet high rises obliquely. In the upper part of this fixed
cylinder a tolerably short gun is inserted, moveable in all
directions. The arrangement is something like that of
large stationary telescopes. The range of the gun is 1,300

or 1,500 feet.
Great diversity of opinion is perceptible in the French
press as to the future destinies of France. The France
and the Onstitutiorenel demand a Constituent Assembly,
the Union Liberate considers such a suggestion fatal, and
maintains that nothing should be thought of but the
national defences. The Liberte recommends the election
of a President, the Patric calls for a Plebiscite, while
the Gazette de France proposes a monarchy under
Henry V.

Up to a fortnight ago the total of the North German
and Baden losses was as follows : —l. Officers—dead, 802 ;
wounded, 2,426; missing, 24. Total, 3,252. 2. Soldiers
—dead, 10,499 ; wounded, 50,p45; missing (which cate-
gory includes the dead not fohnd), 7,872. Total, 68,620.
Grand total of all losses, 71,872. To this figure must be
added the Bavarian losses, officially reported up to the
battle of Orleans, with 901 dead and 4,614 wounded. The
Wurtemburg losses remain to be accounted for, as also
those by sickness in the whole army.

A decree has been published at Tours ordering the im-
mediate formation of camps for instructing and concen-
trating mobilised National Guards called out by the
decret of the 2nd of November. Mobile Guards, Free
Corps, and contingents of the regular army 'will also be
admitted into these camps, which are to be formed at St.
Omer, Cherbourg, Coulie, Nevers, La Rochelle, Bor-
deaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Toulouse, Pas des Lanciers,
and Lyons. The camps at St. Omer, Cherbourg, La
Rochelle, and Pas des Lanciers will be put in a fit state to
receive 250,000 men, and will be strategical camps. Each
of the others will be capable of containing 60,000 men, and
will only be camps of instruction.

A French paper tells a singular anecdote, which needs
some explanation. Lady A. Loftus, the wife of the English
Ambassador at Berlin, went a few days since to one of the
ambulances, in their city, with another lady and an
English gentleman named Cochrane. Their object was
to dispense cigars to the wounded ; but the manager of
the establishment, a Prussian officer, who had not been
consulted in the matter, remonstrated angrily. Mr.
Cochrane would have replied, but the Prussian shouted
him down. The friend of Lady A. Loftus made an observa-
tion, and was answered in most insulting language. The
French paper attaches great importance to this incident,
and waits to see what action the English Cabinet will take.

TIIE FRENCH FLEET.—The Monitsur, in giving an
account of the French fleet, says that the great cities on
the Weser and the Elbe, which have suffered the most
from the blockade, have spread the report of the Hamburg
blockade so as to excite the sympathy of English merchants
interested in their affairs. They are greatly incensed
against the French fleet which has caused them immense loss,
and thus made up for its former inaction through the im-
possibility of entering the rivers on account of the lowness
of the waters. The supposed departure of the fleet a
month ago was a clever manoeuvre. Admiral Bouet only
stayed at Cherbourg so long as is was necessary to
replenish his stores. The commandant of the Prus-
sian fleet was not deceived, and remained with his war
vessels in the Bay of Jande. The merchant fleet, how-
ever, seized the opportunity to expedite a number of
vessels, and at the same time the Prussian ships which
had taken refuge in English ports hastened to seek the
coasts of Hanover. In the midst of this the French
frigates returned to their post, and the German authori-
ties issued orders for the lighthouses to be extinguished
and the buoys to be removed from the mouths of the
Elbe and the Weser. In consequence of this the German
vessels were forced to surrender themselves. Some
venturous exceptions endeavoured to enter the bays, but
they came upon the torpedoes which had been placed
there for the benefit of the French, and were blown up
under the eyes of those for whom King William's engi-
neers had designed this agreeable reception. It
has resulted from these various circumstances that the
Prussian merchant fleet has sustained great losses,
more especially during the last few weeks. It has been
estimated that the loss to Germany by the blockade since
the blockade amounts to £2OO a day. If the Baltic fleet
has not accomplished greater works, it is owing to the
fact that she had insufficient forces from the period of her
departure from Cherbourg until the disaster of Sedan.
She was hampered in her movements by the uncertain
action of the authorities as well as by the political cir-
cumstances that have successively occurred. 'There were
observable throughout her organisation the same inca-
pacity and absence of any plan of action which were
noticeable in the Imperial armies.

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THE EASTERN QUESTION.

THE CABINET COUNCIL.

It will be observed that the various accounts
published of the decision come to at the Cabinet
Council held on Monday, all indicate a pacific Coll"
elusion. The Times says that Earl Granvillo's
answer is as firm and decided as if no promise of
peace had been vouchsafed. The Times, hen
ever, fully recognises that the disposition 01
Prussia is friendly, and that she is employing her
efforts to procure peace. The Times would welcome
a conference. The Telegraph is more precise. It saY3
that Prussia has fully convinced the British Govern-
ment of the honesty of her intentions. Mr. Glad-
stone's Cabinet can have no objection to the principle of
a conferenoe. The Poet is less trustful of Prussias
good intentions, but treats the notion of a conference
with every respect, The Daily News has no doubt
that a conference mialit meet in London and honour-
ably grant terms which would satisfy Russia. M
to the obnoxious circular, it seems generally agrecl
that Russia must withdraw that document in order
that the conference may meet with any chance of
success.

The Pall Mall Gazette is very doubtful about the atti.
tude of Prussia. The conference may mean simply that
the assistance which Prussia is to give to Russia il)
claiming the abrogation of that clause in the TrcatY
which neutralises the Black Sea is postponed. "
never supposed that her help would be active, that it
would go beyond abstention and the maintenance of
a threatening attitude from Russia's side : help with
would probably suffice amply for the Czar's purposes.
And this help can be rendered in full at the proposed
Conference. Indeed—always assuming the existance Of
an understanding which even now we do not take for
granted—Count Bismarck's suggestion is one for Per"
forming his part of the bargain when he can do so With
the greatest security for Germany and to to the
greatest profit for Russia. Surely this is a
very serious state of things, and one which
demands all the courage as well as all the cunning
of our Government to cope with. Of course it may tan
out that there is no ground at all for suspecting the exis-
tence of such a bargain ; but, so far, everything
tells in favour of that suspicion, and if the
agreement does exist it is most formidable. The
proposed Conference is nut likely to modify ft,
if France is fairly beaten in the interim ; and what 1
means, then, is, that in a few weeks—a few months —We
shall find ourselves again confronted by the determination
which Russia may for the time withdraw, openly backed
by Germany. And if that be our case, the question will
be the very simple one not of defying but of resisting de-
fiance, or of accepting a blow fatally humiliating and dc"
structive to England."