The Sun.
London, England, 1869-01-15 00:00:00

INDIA.

BOMBAY, Jan. 14.

The defeat of Abdool Rahman Khan is confirmed.
The battle took place at Ghuznee subsequent to
the 24th of December. The exact date is not yet

known.

The troops of Abdool Rahman have joined
Ameer Shere Ali.
HOMEWARD INDIA, CHINA, AND
AUSTRALIAN MAILS.
SUEZ, Jan. 14.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Surat arrived from Calcutta at noon to-day.
FRANCE.

PARIS, Jan. 15.

The official journal of the empire says the Con-
ference held a meeting yesterday, and then ad-
jonrned until to-day.

The Constitutionnel conjectures that the Confe-
rence will achieve its work of conciliation and peace

despite the absence of the Greek representative.
The same paper believes that Greece, being aware
of the unanimity prevalent among the Powers, will
finally shape her course in conformity with the re-
solutions which have been adopted.

Bo CRSE, Jan. 13.—Three o'clock.—The mark€t
closed as follows :-
41 per Cent.
End of month... Ithl'an Loan
3 per Cent
End of month 7O 22_1 Mexican Loan ... 24 50
Credit Mobilier 276 20 Do. Bonds
End of month... 280 Spanish Threes
Credit Fonder ...1532 Rome Debt —
End of month... Deferred

RAILWAYS.

Cash_
Orleans ................................ 926
N orthern ........ ....................
Lyons and Mediterranean .........
97:
Southern....• - 586.1.
Western
Eastern ............
Sardinian
Austrian
Lombard .....
North of Spam
Saragossa
Roman

THE LADIES' SHOEMAKERS' STRIKE.

Immediately after the discharge from custody of
the dedfdants—Shepherd Cook, Emmett,
the
elder, and Emmett, the younger—who were
eenr, , Brayne,
tried at the Old Barley yesterday for conspiracy,
and acquitted, they were invited to attend a meet-
ing of their friends, members of their society, at
the Bell Inn, Old Bailey. Mr. G. Odger, secretary
of the London Trades' Council, took the chair.
many women, were
ypresent About
eh t
.200 T
he persons,ehairavai, in addressing the meeting,
including 3
said that, perhaps, the present was the most im-
portant period which had ever occurred in the his-
tory of Trades' Unions. Considering the amount
of prejudice which had been created against Trades'
Unions by a part of the press ; taking into account
what had been disclosed in the evidence of the
Broadhead outrages, and looking at the comments
—many of them erroneous—made upon the evi-
dence given before the Trades' Union Commission,
it could not be denied that the decision in the case
just tried was of the highest importance, and
calculated to inspire them all with hopes that
Trades' Unions would receive more fair play than
many of their opponents were willing to give them.
In the present case the men had acted with
prudence and discretion. The case had already been
before the public, and the conduct of the men
engaged in it had disarmed all hostile criticism.
That fact went to show that when tradesmen con-
ducted themselves in a straightforward manner,
and kept fairly within the limits of the law, they
might reasonably hope to have justice done them.
The case just tried was all the more hopeful for
trades' unionism, as it came immediately after a
decision recently given at the Central Criminal
Court, under Mr. Russell Gurney's Act, which
gave legal protection to the funds of trade
societies. He referred to the conviction and sen-
tence to six months' imprisonment of the secretary
to the Bricklayers' Society for embezzlement of the
society's funds. Comparison bad been drawn
between this case and that of the tailors tried
some time ago before Mr. Baron Bramwell, but he
maintained there was little comparison between the
two cases, because the men in the case just tried
had acted with the most perfect propriety. He
should advise the men always to act within the
limits of the law, because that line of conduct
would keep them in a legal position, and not
put them in an offensive light before the public.
By acting thus trades' unionists would win the
respect of those who at present had their doubts
about them. Mr. NV. Emmett, the elder,
one of the defendants in the case, ad-
dressed the meeting, and said that arbitration
had been offered to the prosecutor, but the latter
refused to name six employers to confer with six
workmen. Mr. Emmett believed that all trades'
unionists would be very glad to substitute arbitra-
tion for strikes ; but in order to make arbitration
effective it should be compulsory. If otherwise,
" cutting" employers would not consent to it.
Other members of the society addressed the met-
ing, urging union and moderation among the men,
and the proceedings concluded with a vote of thanks
to tho chairman._

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, THURSDAY, January 14,

If there is such a possibility as a rational suicide, the
merchant of Vanvres who has ended his days
because he despairs of the state of politics
may lay some claim to that title. Such an
instance of political insanity is not without parallel.
A strange case of madness is now causing considerable
sensation at Paris. Father Mingeard, companion of the
illustrious Lacordaire, has gone mad. Your readers will
doubtless remember that this Christian orator was endowed
with the most exalted ideas of democracy, which he carried to
such an extent that the Government thought it necessary
to forbid his preaching, after a celebrated discourse on
behalf of the Poles. His political convictions, however,
remain as strong as ever, and there can be little doubt that
his enforced silence led to this melancholy result. Father
Mingeard suffers from political madness.
The Committee of Finance for the city of Paris has
published the budget report for the capital. The Journal
Officiel highly lauds this document. The good people who
pay the bill, though not adverse to the beautifying of their
city, do not express an equally enthusiastic approval.

The Tribunal of Correctional Police is coining down
rather heavy upon the duellists. Several have suffered
penalties during the last few weeks, and now six—
two principals and four seconds have just been
mulcted in a fine each, besides having to go through the
process of a public trial. It is satisfactory to find that the
Second Empire is doing something to repress this evil.
The law, however, is by no means so strict as it ought
to be.

The proposed bridge across the Straits of Dover crops
up occasionally. The Emperor, who takes a very lively
interest in the project, has examined the plans, and they
will shortly be submitted to several eminent engineers.
Whether the stupendous undertaking will ever be com-
menced I cannot say, but it has already gone through
much of the preliminary stage. The Channel has been
carefully sounded, and it is found that the depth varies
from ISO to 100 ft., in no case exceeding the former figure.
M. Boutet is the originator of the scheme, which finds
much favour here.

The consumption of horseflesh is on the increase here.
Not only is there a pretty brisk trade done at the public
shops, but it is quite an open question how much that
passes for beef is really horse. Many an Englishman who
has innocently sat down to a steak in a Paris restaurant
has unwittingly partaken of the new food. In Berlin
4,044 horses have been slaughtered for food during the
last year. The Langham banquet did not succeed in
dissipating English antipathy to innovations in food, but
the Continentals are by no means equally particular.

There is some talk that the Figaro will be sold for
£4o,ooo—a very fair price, I should imagine, for a ;Paris
journal. M. de Sainte Beuve, who has gone over to the
Temps, receives less than £l,OOO for his yearly services.
This is indifferent pay for such a man, but then FranCe is
not the land of the remunerative newspaper, and pro-
prietors are compelled to recompense genius according to
their pockets, and not according to its worth.
London rents are outrageously high, but they can hardly
outrun the prices demanded here. For the ground floor.
entresol , and cellars of a house in the Avenue Napoldon
£2,200 is to be paid, according to the terms of a lease, for
the first three years, and £2,880 for the next six.
The Journal de Liege gives an interesting incident
apropos of the illness of the Duke of Brabant. The young
invalid has a great passion for music, and much:of the long.
suffering which has excited such just admiration has been
due to the soothing effects of Orpheus. His mother,
perceiving that he had a special taste for the harp,
resolved that none but ;herself should furnish him
with that distraction. In the midst of her melancholy
duties she has found time to learn the instrument, and,
thanks to an efficient harpist, now plays well.

THE ITTATHL'R TABLE.-THIS DAY.

METEOROLOGICAL REPORTS.

Extreme Sea
Friday, f .......q, 1
F. 0
Jan. 15, B. T. ''' W. Ito F. D. WH. to
8 a.m. 1
; ?-4 12 - _ 9
--- -,-
Nairn
Aberdeen
Leith
41 E. 2 6 S. 0. o'ol
Shields .
.
Scarborough 29•57 f. 44 i 43 5. 7 2 S.S.W. 0. o'ol 4
Yarmouth
Helder ..• --
eux haven .: —'—
Skud esnses - ——
Ardr ossan
Green castle 29-50 r. 45 44 N.E. 1 7 S.S.E. c.r010•05
Holyhead
Liverpool
Valentia
Cape Clear 29 68r. 45 141 N.N.W. 5 9 W. c. ;0'45 4
Roch e's Pt. 29•66 r. 44 !42 W.N.W. 8 9 S. 0.c.10'62 5
Penzance
Plymouth
Weymouth 29 615. 49 ,47 W.N.W. 1 6 E.S.E. c.o.!0'111 2
Portsmouth 29•631. 48 47 S.W. 6 6 S. 0.c.;0'20 5
London ,
C'peGrisNez 2973 f. 43 141 S. 8 3 S.E. c.o. I 4
Brest . . . 20 52r. 48 {44 N.W. 4 7 S.W. r. 0.010 3
L'Orie nt ' --
lloch efort
Biarritz
Corunna —
Brussels . •
Paris - _- _ _.
Strasbourg — _ _ _ _
Toulon ~.. 20'20r. 3) E.S.E. 4 7 S.S.E. 0. -- 6
Heart's Con-,
tent (9 a.m.;
local time) I --
___