The Sun.
London, England, 1869-04-27 00:00:00

The Marseilles journals have another poisoning case to
report. The story is mysterious, and, of course, has been
rendered highly scandalous, reflecting ou a member of the
priesthood. A young woman, the wife of a labourer,
was in the service of an abbe. The husband, who
was previously in perfect health, died suddenly.
The occurrence was so unexpected that a sus-
picion arose that he bad been poisoned. The wife was
arrested, and confessed the crime, but added that she was
urged to it by the abLe. Both are in prison, and will
shortly be tried. Here is an outline which will probably
be filled up with another collection of domestic details,
Dr. Epstein, who was accidentally wounded whilst per-
forming a trick at the Cirque Napol6un, is likely, accord.
ing to Dr. Nelaton, to recover.
The Etenricird has died at last, Lut not the death of the
•righteons. Its Saturday's issue contained this notice :
"The Etendard, succumbing to the cemequences
of the preventive arrest of its chief editor, notwith-
standing the efrorts of its provisional atbninistration,
is obliged to suspend its publication from this day."
The Taillefer affair is being actively inquired into by M.
de Turcy, the examining magistrate. No doubt if every-
thing be disclosed the story will prove a remarkable one,
for in its present aspect it is entirely unintelligible. We
are told that the greater part of the ,12;:;2,000 received
by M. Pic as his share of Taillefees frauds was
spent upon the Etoian!, and yet this astonishing journal
has been in existence but a fhcrt time, and received
during its brief career all the Government advertisements.
The public will be slow to believe that all this money was
absorbed by the inglorious Etendord.
The public meeting orators seem to have definitely
taken the place of the newspaper writers as the favoured
objects of Imperial wrath. The Correctional Tribunal
has just been dealing with five of the heroes whc delight
in being the centre of attraction at Belleville. A terrible
accusation—inciting to hatred and contempt the Govern-
ment, provoking disobedience of the law, resisting the
agents of the public force, &c.—was followed by the
inevitable conviction. All five were sentenced to a fine of
£B, and imprisonment for terms varying from three to
six months.

M. Varin., a popular dramatic author, has just died at
the age of 70. He was the writer of about 150 pieces,
mostly played at the Vaudeville, Variaes, and Palais-
Royal Theatres, among the best known being the
" Saltimbanques," in which Frederick Lemaitre-obtained
one of his greatest successes, the," Chamber a Deux Lits."
the " Rue de la Lune," &c.

The Emperor drove to the Bois de Boulogne on Satur-
day, and walked on the margin of the lake for a consider-
able distance. Ile seemed in capital health. His Majesty
attends tolerably closely to State affairs, as well as to
matters of less importance which interest him. Commu-
nication between Calais and Dover seems to be his espe-
cial hobby. He is yet undecided, I am told, whether to
give his weighty aid to the project of a bridgeor a tunnel.
Plans are being prepared, and experiments made with the
bridge, but the tunnel is not forgotten. The Emperor had
a long interview on Saturday with Lord Richard Grosvenor
on this subject. On the same day his Majesty
gave another audience respecting a much less agreeable
question. M. Frere-Orban had a long private conversa-
tion touching the Belgian affair. What passed, of course
nobody knows ; but it is rumoured that the Emperor
specially desired the extension of M. Frere-Orban's stay
in Paris in order that the negotiations which have termi-
nated so badly mightbe reopened. This request, it appears,
has been acceded to, and the Belgian Minister has made
the concession, which, if the Ind4pendance Beige be correct,
will settle the business. The Belgian Government offers
to buy the Luxembourg line and lease a portion of it to
the East of France Company. This ought to settle the
difficulty, for it is a virtual surrender of nearly all that
France demanded. _ _

This is the last day of the session. The law respecting
the pensions to the old soldiers of the Republic and the
Empire comes on to-day, and a large number of these
worthies are gathering on the benches set apart for the
use of the public. Some of them have determined,
apparently, to impress the torpid deputies with
sentiments of historical pride, for they are dressed in the
uniforms similar to those in which they fought the battles
of the First Napoleon. It is expected that M. Rouher
will defend the law for granting these veterans a
pension. Hence a good many ladies have gathered
on the diplomatic and Ministerial tribunes. Every.
thing is ready—except the deputies. M. Schneider
has taken his seat, and looks blandly at the vast
hemicycle of desert before him. A few of the representa-
tives of France have at length crawled in, and the
business commences by M. Gmiroult with a speech on the
new opera buildings, lie has promised to be short and
not ask for money, and therefore they are hearing him.
The Governthent has apparently resigned itself to
allowing several of the Third Party to slip into
the next Parliament. In several places candi-
dates of this shade of politics are left in undis-
turbed repose, an unofficial candidate having no
chance against them. But this acti,nt of the Govern-
ment is from necessity, and not choice. Wherever there is a
prospect of beating the Third Party an Imperialist has
been put up. The next Corps Ldgislatif will be more
numerous than the one which gives up the ghost to-day.
In 1852 the number of deputies was 201 ; in 1857, 267; in
1866, 272—Savoy and Nice have been added. This year
it will be 283. Two departments—the Seine and the Var
are to have one deputy less, and thirteen are to have
one more—balance, e:even. The two who are to be cut
off in their sins behave badly ; but the thirteen destined
to exaltation have behaved well.

Lord Stanley of Alderley is said to be in a fast
tinking condition.

. The petition which Sir Sidney \Yatcr?ow•'s friends
thought of bringing against the return of Major Walker for
Dumfriesshire Las been altogether nband )ned.

Mr. J. Lothrop Motley will leave New Yolk for
England on the 19th of May, and Mr. Wasliburne, for
France, on the Ist of May.

The Colonial Prisoners Removal Bill, brought from
the Lords, has just been printed. It authorises the removal
of prisoners from ono colony to another for purposes of
punishment, and provides that all such removals hitherto
made shall be valid for all purposes.

The question which has been raised between the
Sheriffs of Middlesex and the hardlord of the house lately
occupied by Benjamin Higgs, at Tcddington, was again
adjourned at Judges' Chambers on Monday. it will come
before Vicc-Chancellor James again in a few days.
Lord Chief Justice Bovill, who had been prevented
for a week from performing his jt.dicial duties by illness,
on Monday took his seat upon the bench in tho Court of
Common Pleas, and proceeded with the heariog of cases in
the special paper.

On Sunday, at the Victoria Theatre, the well-
known Richard Weaver was engaged to deliver a farewell
sermon, and a most motley but enormous concourse of per-
sons attended. Unfortunately the crush was so great that,
amongst other accidents, a young child was dragged out of
its mother's arms and trampled under foot.

The Dublin Court of Common Pleas has ordered
Mr. Barry, Mr. Wt gueliii's solicitor at the Yonghal eft ction,
to show cause to-day why he .should not be suspended
from practising as an attorney for his recent speech im-
pugning the conduct of the judge who tried the electron
petition.

The Yorkshire Post is authotised to state that the
report that the family of the late Capttiin Edwards have re-
ceived .£25,000 as compensation from the London and
North-Western Railway Company for the loss cf that
gentleman and Lis son in the accident at Abergele is untrue,
the executors of Captain Edwards not having received any
compensation whatever from that company.
A man named Wm. Thompson, a lodging-house
keeper in Queen-street, Blackburn, purchased a number of
bottles at a sale on Thursday, and three of them, apparently
containing water, were placed on a large teapot by Thor:T-
WO, and left on the footpath near his house door. Two
boys, aged about four years, sons of Thompson and Henry
:Sharpies, grocer, saw the bottles on Friday evening, and
they drank some of the contents. Both wore frightfully
burned, the liquor turning out to be vitriol. On Saturday
their case was considered beyond hope.
Some correspondence between Mr. Murphy and the
Home-office is published. Mr. Murphy in a very long letter
con plains that his lecture at North Shields was prevented.
He sets forth that he is loyal to the laws and religion of the
country ; that he does not denounce her Majesty nor
abuse her Ministers; that he calls nobody heathen or heretic.
He admits, however, that he is xe:table "3IS an Irishman,'
but denies that he has used language ealeulat,d to promote
a breach of the peace. He poluls cut that the law nude'
which his 'ecture was stopped is ol.),:ele:p, and with an sir of
suppressed triumph, declares that it was directed against a
Romish conspiracy of 179 t). Be concludes by asking for an
interview. lu the short, curt, official letters with which sc
many correspondences are quasheo, Mr. Murphy is informed
that " Mr. Bruce must decline to comply with your ap-
pli a: ion."

By another official correspondence we are informed
that the action against Mr. Bradt:nigh on account of his publi-
cation of the National Refwvner, is stayed. Mr.Bradlangh pro-
tests that a Liberal Government ought never to have :...arria
on the action. The point raised on not that the paper tea:
blasphemous, lut vas an attempt, in a t( clinical point, tc
ruin the secularist and overthrow his journal by a aide