The Sun.
London, England, 1870-12-20 00:00:00

CONDITIONS.

In all cases instructions to forward Telegrams are received
subject to their acceptance and transmission by the Post Office.
The Telegrams to be used only in one newspaper or news-
room, and are not to be copied.
No order for less th u Three Months can be accepted, and
prepayment is essentia . •
Orders received on M nday MORNING can commence on the
following Thursday ; orders received on Thursday MORNING can
commence on the iollowing Monday.
Two weeks' notice must be given before the expiration of the
current quarter if the service is not to be continued.
WILLIAM SAUNDERS, Proprietor.
112, Strand, London. W. 0., December 1, 1810.

MIDNIGHT MEETING MOVEMENT. Office, 5,
Red Lion-square, W.C., London.—During the last 10 years
this Institution has been instrumental in rescuing a vast number
of poor girls from a life of degradation and misery. The plan
adopted has been to seek the wanderers in the streets of London
and gather them together at the midnight hour, when short and
faithful addresses have been given.
During the present year the Meetings have been held nearly
every week in seine of the most frequented districts of the
metropolis.
The promOters have abundant evidence that these efforts liave
been most successful in effecting a great moral change in mrny
fallen ones.
FUNDS:are

To enable them to continue their important work, —J.,- .
earnestly solicited, and will be thankfully received by Mr. John
Stabb, lion. Sec., 6, Bed Lion-square, W.C., London ; and at the
Union Bank of London (Oarey-street Branch), W.C.

A German letter from the neighbourhood of RoUen
mentions the fact that every district in which the diree4on
post 4 have been destroyed er defaced is punished by the
invading army with a fine, unless the local authorities
immediately repair the damage. The French, says the
writer, have frequentlyendeavoured in this way to obstriact
the movements of the enemy, but they are now beginning
to find this amusement rather too expensive.
Langres, which the Germans have decided to attack i
a place of considerable military importance, commann
the passage from the Valley of the Saone to that of th
Seine, and is now very strong. The siege of such a fortress
unless conducted with vigour to an early terminati
would involve the subtraction of a considerable number
troops from the German army, for the double purpose
investment and cover.

A report is in circulation in Vienna that a conference
respecting mediation on the part of the neutral Powers
was held at the Foreign Office on Tuesday, at which Ltord
Blomfield was present. The basis proposed was that the
neutrals should acquiesce in the annexation of Luxembing
and acknowledge the German Emperor, and that France
should pay 1,200 millions of francs, agree to raze
two frontier fortresses, cede a strip of Alsace, and 'ac-
knowledge the German empire. Count Mosbourg declared
that France would rather pay more money than cede
oven a few square miles of territory.-- Manchester
Guardian Telegram.

A correspondent of the Ind4endance Beige writes from
Toulon :—" The Mediterranean squadron is reorganised ;
its Commander-in-Chief, Vice-Admir'al Jurien de la Gra-
viere, has hoisted his flag on the Magenta, which
has been refitted. He is about to assemble in the
Gulf of Juan all ships now moored at Toulon, and will
address to them his proclamation on his return. It is
well known that Admiral Jurien had already commanded
this squadron, which he took last year to the fetes of
A jaecio, when the Empress, on her return from Sulpz,
was present at the inauguration of the monument; to
Napoleon I."

The charge brought against Sir William Russell, M.P.,
was resumed before the Lord Mayor yesterday.
. Howard Ashton Holden said he was a railway
contractor, and his address was Edinborough-house.
In October, 1869, the defendant was introduced
to him by Pooley, and he wanted some advances.
He gave a reference to the Gloucestershire Bank.
Witness subsequently. gave Pooley an outline of the
Kidwelly Railway Company, and asked him to induce Sir
William to give his acceptances for bonds of the Company.
Witness made the same propogal to the defendant. He
proposed £20,000 acceptances should be given by Sir
William, and that he should receive its equiva-
lent. Thu.defendant refused, and witness offered £lO,OOO
in cash, and £lO,OOO in bonds. The defendant proposed
that he should give £5,000 instead of the,220,000 suggested
by witness. At the time knew Heslop, and that person
acted as agent to witness. Subsequently Heslop offered
witness rails and suggested various modes of payment.
The first proposal was half the amount by Hutchings on
Sir William. He agreed to give Sir William £1,500 in
cash and half in debentures of the railway.
It was filially concluded that Hutchings should draw on
Sir William. Witness wanted a portion of the rails for
the Kidwelly Railway, and the remainder from Dawson
and Co. Witness represented the company, and, Sir
William Russell did not know Heslop in reference to the
matter now before the court. £BO,OOO had been laid out on
the Kidwelly Railway Company. The line was not com-
pleted, and witness agreed with Thomas Hutchings to
complete it: As to the bill, the defendant acOiepted it,
but knew nothing- of the transaction in the rails. Young
Pooley went with the bill to Manchester, and witness was
charged £5 as his expenses. Witness went on to explain
how Sir William Russell received the £1,500, and said
that he (witness) sold the rails to Messrs. Tell, on behalf
of the Kidwelly Railway Company. He was to receive
£3,190 for the mile.
Cross-examined by Mr. Metcalfe : The company was
dissolved last September, iu consequence of the Act of
Parliainent having lapsed. The name of the company
was only painted off the door last Friday. Had not seen
Mr. Hutchings at-the office more than twice in six months.
At the time witness bought the rails he was not in the
' Bankruptcy Court. Hutchings had been a bankrupt.
Mr. Thomas Hutchings said in 1869 he was connected
with the Kidwelly Railway Company. He was at first one
of the directors and subsequently a contractor. In
November the last witness spoke to him concerning the
rails. Mr. Holden told him he had purchased rails
for his (witness's contract). After drawing the bill on
Sir W. Russell he heard nothing further till the
4th of December, when Holden said there was some
difficulty in paying over some Money to Sir William
Russell—part of an arrangement he had made with him.
After that witness received Is letter from Holden to meet
him at the witness Taylor's office. He went to Pooley's
with Heslop, and they all three came to Westminster
again, and saw. Taylor. Holden said he had
to give £1,590 to the defendant, and that the
rails would not be absolutely sold. On that he
signed the bought note and endorsed the cheque. Had
talked with Pooley about this case.
Cross-examined b•
.1 Mr. • Metcalfe : His first connection
with the company was as director. He 'held no shares,
and paid nothing. Witness did not get a farthing out
of the transaction. Had been bankrupt two or three
times ; the last was about two years ago.
John Giant ille, manager of the Metropolitan Bank, had
in October, 1869, had cheques amounting to £1,500. That
had been paid on to Mr. Pooley's account.
Willian Henry Fisher, of Manchester, commission mer-
chant. In November was applied to in reference to an
advance. A Mr. Whymark called, and it was
agreed that witness should give £2,500 on the
rails for two months. He said he was acting
on behalf of some Welsh railway. Subsequently
Whymark and another person came, and witness was told
the rails were in Staffordshire. Witness found they .were
different from what he expected, and he therefore did not
conclude the transaction. Would have been willing to
advance the money had he thought it had been for the
defendant. Never heard Sir 'William's name mentioned
in the matter.
This was the evidence for the defence, and the Lord
Mayor having consulted the Chief Clerk, said he did not
think that it was proved that the defendant was the
buyer of the rails. There was not sufficient evidence to
warrant him in putting Sir William Russell on his trial.

THE ALBERT RECONSTRUCTION SCHEME.
Yesterday a meeting of the policy holders claiminiko be
creditors of the Bank of Loudon and National Provincial,
Insurance Association, (amalgamated with the Alibert)i
was held in order to ascertain whether the Associßionl
assented to, or dissented from the plan of reconstruction,
of the Albert' Company, which has been proposed by the•
committee, of which Mr. James Thomson is the chairman.
The meeting was held under the order of Vice-Chancellor
Bacon. Mr. John Young, the official liquidator, presided
by order of the Court.
Mr. James Thomson explained the' reconstruction
scheme, and in recommending it to the meeting said it
was being looked to as the main beacon of hope to save
• many families from utter destitution. The scheme was
based on three considerations--first, that pure and
simple liquidation was dicta strous to all interests
concerned; secondly, that it would confer great
benefits on the policy-holders on account of the
policies they held ; and thirdly, whilst the share-
holders of the amalgamated companies considered
that the amalgamation with the Albert relieved them of
all legal liability, it was worth their while to contribute
towards the' carrying out of the scheme in order to shake
themselves free frornthe liquidation and to save themselves
from future hostile proceedings, not to speak'of the moral
obligation to contribute to the scheme for the purpose of
relieving the unfortunate policy-holders from the loss which
must otherwise fall upon them. It was for the policy
holders to say whether they would accept the scheme or
rely upon their claims upon the Albert assets or upon
their claim on the Bank of London Company, which,
although solvent, repudiated liability. The scheme was
entirely a policy holders' scheme, and not a shareholders'
scheme, as had been suggested. He urged the unani-
mous acceptation of the scheme, and reminded
the meeting that it had no connection with the
" New Albert Company." He concluded by moving
" That the policy hoklers of the Bank of London and
National Provincial Insurance Association present at this
meeting approve and accept the plan of reconstruction now
put forward, subject to such modifications as may be sanc-
tioned by the Court of Chancery."—Mr. Dalton, of Car-
lisle, seconded the resolution, and reported that the Car-
lisle policy holders approved the scheme.—Mr. J. S. ,
Manton, of Birmingham, reported that the Birmingham
Policy holders approved the scheme, and considered that
the wisest and best thing to do was to adopt it.—
Mr. Geyer, representing the British Equitable Insurance
Company, also assented to the scheme.—Mr. James
Steele, of Liverpool, said the policy holders there were in
favour of the scheme in the main, though they suggested
that the 25,000 a year for " loading " should be held in
abeyance, as a guarantee against any frrther reduction
than 15 per cent. from the policies.--Mr. J. T. Wood-
cock, of Leeds, expressed the views of the Leeds policy-
holders in favour of the scheme.—On a Dhow of hands the
scheme was assented to by 68 against 10.—A poll was
demanded.

HER MAJESTY'S SIIIP BRITANNIA.—We are en-:
abled to state upon reliable authority that there has been
culy one case of scarlatina among the naval cadets on
board her Majesty's ship Britannia • but as the holidays
commence on the 21st inst., it has been thought desirable
by the authorities to send the remainder of the boys to
their homes.— A rmy and Navy Gazette.

INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION OF 1871.—At the
last. meeting of the General Purposes Committee it was
settled that the price of the season tickets' should be
three guineas, as in 1862. But on this occasion the season
ticket, besides giving admission to the Fine Art and
Industrial Exhibitions will admit to about 130 day per-
formances of music in the Royal Albert Hall, and to the
great flower shows and gardens of the Royal Horticul-
tural Society. Further particulars will shortly be adver-
tised.

FATAL COLLISION AT SEA.—A.bOllt six o'clock on
Saturday night the vessel Hope On, of Blyth, coal laden,
for Fecamps, Brown, captain, was run into seven miles
off Hasborough, by the brig Eugenie, Farrier, captain,
from Yarmouth, bound for and belonging to Blyth. The
Hope On sunk in three minutes after the collision. The
captain, mate, an able seaman, and au apprentice 'were
drowned. Three bands were picked up by the Eugenie 's
boat. The latter vessel bore up for Corton Roads on
Sunday, and landed tho rescued men.
Mr. Sandford, the Secretary to the Education De-
.,
partment, in replying to a letter from Mr. George Potter
and others complaining of irregularities at the recent
School Board election at Westminster, has officially con-
firmed the statement made verbally by Mr. Forster last
week, that the Education Department has resolved not to
undertake any inquiry into the validity of the late elec-
tions, but to refer all complaints to the Court of Queen's
Bench.
Mr. George Anderson, M.P., as arbiter between
the Scotch pudellers and their employers, has give' his
final award. He adheres to that formerly issued, to the
effect that the puddlers should receive an advance of six-
pence per ton, and that the masters are entitled to a like
reduction on all such " doubling " as has been paid for at
the rate of one shilling extra. A similar dispute in the
North of England trade has also been settled by arbi-
tration.
The Irish Presbyterians are determined to make
a firm stand on the question of Irish education. -On this
subject, unlike that of disestablishment they are unani-
mous. They are strongly opposed to any change in the
national syStem which will tend to make it more denomi-
national than at present. They would prefer, indeed,
that changes should be made in the opposite direction,
and would probably be content to accept a purely ,ecular
mrstem, rather than that any further advance sh,mld be
made in the direction of denominationalism. It iv ac-
cordingly announced that the General Assembly's 'Educa-
tion Committee are making arrangements to hold public
meetings in the leading towns of 'Ulster, in relation to
the recent report of the Royal Commission and the action
of the Government,

MADAME TUSSA UD'S EXHIBITION, Baker-
street.—On view Portrait 31odelii of the King and
Crown Prince of Prussia, Prince Leopold of Hohenzollern. Also
Count von Bismarck and Count von Moltke.—Admissfon Is.:
children under ten years of age, 6d, gxtrg rooms, 6d. extra.—
Open ir9m 10 a.m. till 10 p.m.