The Sun.
London, England, 1870-02-21 00:00:00

THE FRENCH OCCUPATION OF ROME.

The full text of Count Daru's letter to M. Veuillot, at
Rome, is published in the French papers. It is as fol-
lows :—" My devotion to the Church and to the Holy See
is above suspicion, but acts of imprudence must not ren-
der my task too difficult. We are a free Government,
obliged to consider public opinion. Now there are certain
acts of the Council which might offend the existing
Chamber, and still more a new Chamber, if a general
election should become necessary. Who knows whether a
parliamentary votes may not force us to recall our troops
from Civita Vecchia ? It is then necessary to be.
prudent at Rome, to avoid everything which may offend
public opinion, or create discontent among a large portion
of the Catholics and the episcopate. If, for instance, de-
cisions should be arrived at which might materially
modify the relations of our bishops with the Pope,
placing them in too absolute dependence on
the Court of Rome, our Concordat would be
violated, and our relations with the Holy See compromised.
In the present state of feeling at Rome there is too much
passion, too much agitation on both sides ; no good can
result from such a situation. If the Council were to
adjourn, men's minds would have time to grow calm, and
to adopt resolutions more in conformity with the re
interests of the Church and the Holy .See."

THE FRENCH FORGED LETTERS.
The Court of Assizes of the Seine has commenced the
trial of- Lucas, the author of the forged autographs,
palmed off on M. Michel Chaslcs, of the French
Academy. The accused is of small stature, an& has a
well-developed forehead, and a physiognomy indicating
great intelligence. He is the son of a small farmer near Char-
tres, and received an indifferent education, which he after-
wards improved by reading. He began life in a solicitor's
office, and probably acquired his taste for historical re-
searches when he was with the avoue Courtois, who
gained some notoriety by his spurious genealogies. He
made acquaintance with M. Chasles several years
ago, and passed himself off as the descendant
of Count BoisjourdaLn a famous collector of
the last century. ie fabricated, the auto-
graphs by degrees as they were sold to M. Chasles,
who paid him 140,000 francs for the 27,000 he purchased
during eight years. They comprised writings of
remarkable men and women of all ages and countries ;
they were all written in French of the fifteenth
century, which Lucas accounted for by saying
that many were copies from the collection
of manuscripts at the Abbey of Tours. M.
Chasles was so credulous that a letter to Galileo from
Louis XIV., who was only three years old when the
great astronomer died, did not excite his suspicions. M.
Chasles discovered the source of his treasures by
setting the police to watch Lucas, whom he
suspected of sending his autographs abroad. They
found that he was in the habit of copying
daily 01.1 ')enks 'and manuscripts at the public libraries.
The tic however, seems to have shewn great in-
eenaity in preparing his paper and ink to give them the
appearance of great age. He did not deny the charge, but
refused to say what had become of the large sum of money
he had received from the prosecutor. He maintained.
however, that he had not acted from mercenary motives,
but from a patriotic sentiment. He affirmed that Newton
was only the plagiarist of Pascal, and that the honour o!
France was concerned in proving it. He declared that
some of the documents were not simulated, and that it
was a mistake to suppose that M. Chasles had paid him
too much. His object was a good one, and if he had not
acted with wisdom he had at least acted with uprightness
and patriotism. The trial was adjourned for a week
when the counsel for the defence will be heard.

THE TUOTIN CLIFFF DISPUTES.—" A little stub-
Wornness on both sides " is the explanation afforded by
the chairman of a miners' meeting with regard to the.
delayed settlement of the dispute between Messrs. New-
ton, Chambers, and Co., and the miners formerly employed
by them at the Thorneliffe collieries.. Neither of the con-
tending parties seem disposed to yield on one or two of
the points at issue, and both are averse to being considered
beaten ; so the unhappy difference still keeps a numerous
body of men unemployed and a large amount of capital
unproductive.

Mr. Leighton is recovering satisfactorily from ill-
ness; it is, however, said to be by no means certain that his
p'cture will be ready for the forthcoming Royal Academy

Exhibition.

A Scarborough tradesman, who had been in the

habit, after having become intoxicated, of resorting to che-
micals to sober him, has been poisoned by taking bichro-
mate of potass in mistake for the chemic All which he usually
drank under these circumstances.

Tho Globe announces that a Conservative banquet
will take place in the City on the evening of Wednesday,
Qth March next. Several members of-the late Conservative
Administration have already accepted invitations. The
whole-arrangerhents are being made by the City of London
ConzelvetiTe Association.