The Sun.
London, England, 1869-06-01 00:00:00

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, MONDAY, May 31.
. .
The best friends of the Empire in England and other
countries—and its foreign friends are not specially nume-
rous just now—are so struck with the shock sustained by
Imperialism at the general election, that they advise
immediate reform. Even the Morning Herald, well-
known as one of the firmest of Napoleon's supporters, is,
I observe, of opinion that concessions ought to be made to
the Liberal spirit of France. A little relaxation of
personal rule now may save the dynasty ; a little later
may be too late. Unfortunately, the official
papers of Paris write in the opposite strain. The Pu7,tic
publishes an article precisely similar to the reactionary
manifesto which I yesterday noticed in the Peuple. The
Pudic says that the elections of Paris, Lyons, and Mar-
seilles are a menace to which the Government cannot
oppose a policy of weakness.
Decidedly, the behaviour of the authorities at this
electoral contest has not been remarkable for its
honesty. The Patric, of to-day, comes out with a
flourish of trumpets and drums, about the perfect good
faith and justice of the administration in the various
department:. It complains that Liberal journals have
accused the authorities of exercising undue pressure for
the purpose of returning official candidates. In answer to
this charge, it publishes the text of M. de Forcade la
Roquette's famous circular to the prefects—the circular of
which so much has been said, but which has never before
seen the light. This document states that though the
prefects have the power to suspend the maires and
their subordinates, yet this power must not be
exercised during the electoral period, lest it might be
attributed to political motives. " We are not accustomed,'
says M. de Forcade la Roquette, "to influence elections
by measures of this kind."
This parade of justice is very imposing, no doubt, and
looks well in print. Unfortunately the Empire adopts
one policy in the sight of the public and another in
private. At the moment that this generous circular is
published, a curious illustration of the " mildness
and equity" of the authorities comes to light. M.
GoUrdon, mayor of Lormont, who has been twenty
years a member of the Council of Arrondissement at
Bordeaux, and who has recently been decorated for his
administrative services, has resigned. In a letter to the
Gironde, M. Gourdon declares that "his dignity as a man,
as a citizen, and as a public functionary, does not permit
him to submit to the instructions sent to him from
the Prefecture relative to the second balloting
which is to take place in the third circumscription."
These orders, transmitted to M. Gourdon verbally
by the Vice-President of the Council of Prefecture, are
to the effect that " the Prefect is determined, at any
price, to return M. Travot (the official candidate) ; that a
mayor is required at Lormont who will go from door
to door, to the house of every elector ; and, finally, that
the superior functionary is disposed to remove every ob•
stacle in order to secure the triumph of his protégé."
This remarkable example of the impartiality of the autho-
rities needs no comment. When the local authorities are
expected to canvass votes from house to house, the force
of official intervention can no further go.
Lissagaray, in the A ren ir, of Auch, promises us some
lively details respecting the election of the notorious M.
Granier de Cassagnac, the Emperor's intimate friend and
—the editor of the Pays. The Avenir plainly states that
the electoral urns have been tampered with in several
communes. Fair means or foul, it is much to be regretted
that M. de Cassagnac has been returned. It is said that
when the Corps LEgislatif does assemble there will
be a desperate fight at the first onset on the confirma-
tion of various returns. The Opposition mean to protest
against numerous official deputies as unfairly returned.
So fierce, it is expected, will be the opening sittings that
a strong party in high quarters advocate the putting off
of the preliminary session for six months. This is the
limit allowed by the Constitution. It was originally
designed to assemble the House at the end of June.
Public meetings are now being held in all the circum-
scriptions. Some of them are very tumultuous, but so far
riot has been avoided.
The epidemic amongst the cashiers has seized an inter-
esting pair of twins. The managers of the Agricultural
Banks of Laon and of Coucy have taken to flight, each
leaving a considerable deficit.
The revolutionary spirit in France seems to be in-
herent from earliest youth. One of those school
revolts which are not unfrequent in this country has
just taken place at the College of Evreux. Some
of the elder students had for some time shewn great dis-
satisfaction with the harshness of the director of the
college. The puniihments he inflicted were heavy, and
his language by no means mild. A day or two ago some
thirty of them were confined at their studies whilst the
rest were at r c:eation. During the absence of the
director a young usher inflicted a fresh punishment, which
the pupils, with the support of the whole school, refused
to submit to. On the head master's return he ordered
three of the offending pupils to be confined in a cell ; their
companions rose in revolt and broke open the door ; but
the three prisoners declined to take advantage of this
opportunity to recover their liberty, and remained calmly
in their confinement. The director now lost all control
over his temper, and ordered the expulsion of the three
youths in question, but who hail not taken any part in
the riot. This act was considered so unjust that all the elder
boys demanded that the measure should be retracted or he
extended to them likewise. The original three have, in
consequence, been swelled to thirty, all of whom have
been bent back to their parents.
A singular advertisement appears in Galignani to-day. A
partner who can dispose of £l2O is '• wanted." The under-
taking to be embarked in is the making of "an excava-
tion, at two leagues from Paris, in an underground
passage, which afforded communication between two con-
vents destroyed several centuries back. The excavations
will be directed by means of an electro-attractive '
instrument, which reveals the presence of precious
metals at whatever depth they may be buried."
In addition to large stores of the precious metals, rich
archaeological treasures may be expected in this mine
which requires but £l2O to work it. The advertiser is a
lady.
I notice an announcement in some of the German papers
that Count Bismarck might possibly retire into private
life if the North German Parliament aed the Prussian
Chambers reject his financial schemes. The papers here
have reproduced this statement with the usual anti-
Prussian peean, but the Cross Gazette indignantly denies
that Count Bismarck entertains such an idea.

The Established Church of Scotland in its General
Assembly has resolved to petition Parliament for an altera-
tion of the law of patronage.
Intelligence reached Wrest Hartlepool on Saturday
morning of the total loss of a large Prussian brig, with all
hands. Nothing certain is known as to the brig's identity
further than that she was painted white, had a figurehead of
the same colour, and her headboards bore the name (as nearly
as could be made out) of Ostern.
It is stated that Mr. Bernal Osborne will become
a candidate in the Liberal interest for Nottingham in the
room of Sir Robert Clifton. The Echo is informed that Mr.
George Potter will come forward as the working-mon's can-
didate. Mr. Potter will refrain from issuing his address
until after the funeral of the deceased.
A murder, as revolting in some of its incidents as
the Norwich ti agedy itself, has just come to light at Dews-
bury. The dismembered body of a female child, far gone in
decomposition, was found on Saturday in a-well that sup-
plied many families with water. Typhoid fever has been
prevalent in tha neighbourhood, and it is now attributed to
the use of tho water poisoned in this horrible manner.
A. stabbing case of a serious nature, and involving
two sufferers, occurred in Liverpool on Saturday night. A
man named Richard Larkin, re siding with his daughter,
Catherine Kirby, and her husband, James Kirby, at 113,
Elias-street, quarrelled with Lis daughter, and during the
quarrel ho stabbed her under the arm with
a bayonet, and
afterwards stabbed her husband in the abdomen. Larkin is

in custody.
The Star is assured, upon the very best authority,
that Mr. Motley comes to this country upon a mission of
peace, and for the purpose of conciliating and binding
closer and closer the ties of friendship between the two
countries. He repudiates entirely the statements which
have been promulgated to the effect that he comes armed
with authority to demand an immediate settlement of the
Alabama claims.

A conference of the representatives from the van-
oils Conservative associations throughout Lancashire was
I.rld in the Town Hall, Manchester, on Saturday afternoon,
fOr the purpose rf making arrangements for a great county
mass meeting to be hold in Manchester, calling upon the
House of Lords to throw out the Bill of Mr. Gladstone for
difettablishing and disendowitig the lash Church. It was
resolved that the demonstratian be held in the Pomona
Gardens on the 12th of June.

The brig Robert and Mary, belonging to West
Mirth pool, sailed from that port about a month ago, with a
cargo of coal, for Cronstadt, and, in the absence of Captain
Knaggs, the command was entrusted to the mate, Thomas
Barker, a Whitby man. Information has been received
that a quarrel ensued between the mate and a lad of 20•
years of age, named Elder, also belonging to Whitby, relative
to disobedience of orders given by him to Elder. In the
course of the quarrel the mato dealt the latter a back-
handed blow, on which the lad seized a handspike, and felled
him on the dcck with a violent blow on The heaclilmai
effc,ctq 9t./4LO, Barlcki diet the sang, owning, .