The Sun.
London, England, 1869-05-20 00:00:00

MAY 20, 1869.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, WEDNESDAY, May 19.

The election riots have not, it appears, beet confined to
Paris. Disturbances have taken place at several
places in the departments, though it does not
appear that any of them have been of great
moment, or that they have assumed the proportions
3f the Paris riots. As might have been expected, Nimes is
one of the offending places. On Sunday evening, on the
termination of a public meeting, some two or three
hundred individuals promenaded the town, singing
the obnoxious " Marseillaise." They betook themselves
to the place of the Prefecture, but they did not remain
there more than a few minutes. The Patrie states that
the authorities did not at first intervene. But about mid-

night, reinforced by libations, the mob returned, and then
the guard was called out. No collision, however, took place,
Ind the mob shortly after dispersed, promisingafresh thani.
festation next day. This promise was not fulfilled, at least
the last account avers that" tranquillity had been restored."
Disturbances have also taken place in the Aude depart.
ment, and at Bourges, and a sanguinary conflict is reported
from the Aude; but we are as yet without details of these
occurrences.

As I have before said, the capital returned none Lut

Opposition deputies at the late election, and therefore the
Left can gain only in the sense of electing more extreme
antagonists to Imperial rule. The great question of what
the departments will do must be left to the decision of
next Sunday and Monday. I hear conflicting retorts
as to the doings and prospects of the several par
ties. One account, which comes from a. very good
source, is particularly remarkable. The designation of
" official candidate "—the proud title which was so sure a
pass to the Corps L6gislatif in IS63—is now, I am told,
rejected everywhere. M. Calley Saint-Paul came for-
ward, it was both expected and represented, as a Govern-

menu candidate. But he has been found too Liberal, and
the Prefect has put up M. Bardinet against him. The
latter is receiving the most strenuous Imperial support.
In the Haute-Vienne M. No,lathier offered himself, and
was received with open arms by the Administration. The
authorities were so enthusiastic about this candidate that
they induced M. Marc de Lagu6rronnare to withdraw in

his favour. But how ungratefully the perfidious
Noualhier has repaid this affectionate zeal! He has repu-
diated the patronage of the Administration. Being called
upon to explain why he voted against the Press Law in 1867,
he replied that it was not liberal enough ! The Opposition
cannot do better than vote for Government candidates
of this stamp. In other departments the Independents
are prospering. In the Basses-Pyren6es M. Gustave
Fould, a strong Independent, is making headway against
M. Lavielle, the deputy who represented this circumscrip-
tion in the defunct Chamber. Still too much reliance
ought not to be placed on these reports. As Captain
Bunsby would say, the meaning of them "lies in the
application." Too much significance may readily be
attached to a few isolated facts. The pigheaded country
voters may, in spite of all the efforts to enlighten them, send
a rigidly Imperialist majority to the Corps L6gislatif ; or,
without imitating the "sanguinary radicalism" of Paris,
they may elect a powerful force of :Moderate Indepen-
dents, whose hostility to personal government could hardly
fail to be productive of the greatest results.
Above one hundred unfortunate prisoners have good
cause to remember the Paris riots of last Wednesday and
Thursday. The total number of arrests was 149, of whom
only 17 have been set at liberty. Of the 132 culprits yet
in custody, 23 have previously made their appearance in a
court of justice, and 62 are under 20 years of age ; 93
exercise mechanical occupations. The remainder are
clerks, students, &c.

The period of public meetings has terminated, but the
Opposition is not the less active. The oratorical cam-
paign is at an end; but the journalists are having their
turn, and they are making the most of it. They are as
iiligent in tilling- their colums as the public is in
reading them. The sale of newspapers is immense 6
Although the evening journals print an additional num-
ber, copies are scarcely to be procured in certain quarters,
end are snatched up from the kiosks the moment they
appear. Nearly every man you meet is reading a news-
paper, and the omnibuses are transferred into reading-
rooms of two storeys. Besides the journals, the war is
sustained by means of an unlimited supply of placards.
Your dead walls, and walls which could not be accounted
• g dead," were pretty well ornamented in London and other
olaces last year ; but the placarding here far outdoes you.
great ingenuity of device is shewn. Provision is made for
ell tastes, both literary and political: And it is appre-
';iated. All the walls containing these placards, addresses;
invocations, and professions of faith, are surrounded by
?alter crowds of readers. There can be no doubt of the
interest taken in this election ; equally little doubt that
't causes more excitement than any previous contest of the

Many of the leading statesmen of Europe—Napoleon
[II., Lord Derby, Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Disraeli, and King
Tohn of Saxony—have become citizens of the Republic of
Letters. Count Bismarck thinks it time to enrol himself.
He is about to publish a German verse 'translation of the
lEneid," Books I. to VI. This is not a new work by any
means. It is a pt'elte de jeuncese, and was written
twenty six years ago.

HISSIONAAY DIFFICULTIES IN CIII.N.A.

It is satisfactory to learn, from the correspondence just
'aid before Parliament, that the state of affairs in China
is pacific and encouraging. We may congratulate our-
' elves on having escaped aseriousdifficultyby the prudence
nd decision of Sir Rutherford Alcock who acting on the
vrinciples now adopted by our authorities, refused to
countenance any reckless employment of force. Sir R.
Alcock, in opening the correspondence with Lord Stanley
'expecting the affairs at Hankow, expresses some uncasi-
ess as to the consequences of these frequent outbr4alts,
snd doubts whether the missionaries are justified
in provoking the dangers resulting from their
attempts to establish missions in the interior; away from
the treaty ports. It becomes (says Sir B. Alcock) matter
for serious consideration how far the Government will be
disposed to protect the missionaries should they persevere
in their present nurse. The affair at Hankow may be
briefly told. The port itself is situated about 600
miles up the Yang-tze, and is one of our consular
ations. The missionaries extended their labours beyond
he treaty limits to Wuchang, where the people became
irritated against them, and made angry demonstrations.
The missionaries appealed to the Hankow Consul, Mr.
Caine, who forthwith invoked the aid of a war vessel from
Nanking. As this request was not at once responded to,
Mr. Caine wrote in some indignation to Sir Rutherford
Alcock, urging that " a vessel of war of some sort "
should be always kept on the station. Sir Rutherford.
eery sensibly answered that it was neither necessary nor
possible to station a gunboat at every port, anl
business
that if the consuls could not conduct the
advantage
aid,vathnetairgeeoinnsublaaNt,einsawaithtoruetatythoefiramity ailh
therecwomasmleirtetele.
Siros
aßa.ndy Alcockag.
c evidentlyho IF
votohfoaurght moreth the disturbances.oustd an thaetill'aonr
ru
t
kow dispute was likely to prove, b
one er two vessels might be stationu he suggested that
ec iln,otthheis. Ypraonpgo-stazle
to protect the three ports in that river. ,
ahcoleser,andtheas
the home Governmentintelligence a
r e
announces un wi l
that n g tolatet
"peace and order had been restored " at all the ports, and
that "there was no more cause for anxiety at any point,,
d Clarendo t the
Sir
telegram conveying this
we may hope the demand for war vessels will for the
present diminish. The answer
welcomeof
Ler n
rese
news assures
B. Alcock that
"it is the intention and
desire of this country that the intercourse
with' China should be maintained by friendly means, and
should not be subject to interruption by injudicious and
rash proceedings on the part of British subjects."
account of the Foremia difficulty, now happily at an end,
is given very
fully in No. 3 of the papers. The dis-
turbance arose from a report which was current among
the Chinese that the missionaries were admini4pring;
and the missionaries applied to
Jamieson for assistance. He endeavoured to allay
poisonous drug to the people. A native Protestant preacher
i‘wiars. seized and imprisoned,
the excitement, and advised them to remain quiet.
Further disturbances occurred in connection with
the missions, upon which Lieutenant Gurdon, of
the A'gerine, acting on the requisition of , Mr.
Gibson, Acting-Consul at Formosa, seized and held
Fort Zelandia, and the town of Amping. This conduct
was strongly censured by the Foreign Office. Lord
Clarendon at first threatened to remove Mr. Gibson
from his post, but . finally left him in char'e
till further orders. Ten thousand dollars, exacted
by Lieutenant Gordon from the people for his
expenses. were refunded by the Admiral. The English
Government appear to be fully sensible that by the con-
stant employment of force in these dispu' es they weaken
their ground of appeal to the Chinese authorities to fulfil
their treaty obligations. The account of the Yang-Clicw.
Foo difficulty is somewhat different in its character. In
this case the local authorities at Yang-Chow-Foo are held
responsible for the damages, and after a correspondence
with Prince Kong, this payment is insisted on by Sir B.
Alcock. At the close of the lengthy correspondence
arising from an attack made by some Chinese villagers on
the boats of H.M.S. Cockchafer, Lord Clarendon desires
the consul.; generally to discourage imprudent excursions
into the interior on the part of British subjects, who must
not expect redress for injuries so wantonly incurred. •

The Princess Charlotte, of Mexico, is to be con.
Med to 8a52141:3014p.)
tauLths. s ;