The Sun.
London, England, 1869-08-21 00:00:00

COBLESrONDELCE FECIA rmus,

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, FRIDI; August 20.

The conference between the Ministers and the Senate
Commission has resulted differently from what was
expected. It was currently reported yesterday that the
Ministers, after their two days' councils, had decided to
yield to the wishes of the Liberal majority and remodel
Article 2. To-day I learn from well-informed circles that
this has not been the case ; but that Article 2 is to
remain as it is, the Ministers having convinced
the Commission that the Ministerial responsibility
was sufficiently defined by the whole text of the
Senatus-Consultum, and that the proposed change in the
wording of the article would entail a plebiscitum. I find
that the Constitutionnel confirms this impression, and de•
clares that the Commission have done wisely not to insist
upon a point of mere form, though it holds that the
amendment to Article 11 should be strenuously persisted in.
This amendment reserves to a Senatus-Consultum the
task of regulating the relations between the Senate, the
Corps Le'gislatif, the Council of State, and the Emperor,
which, according to the draft of the scheme, are to be
regulated by an imperial decree. This as tide, I under-
stand, gave rise to an animated discussion yesterday at
the final séance of the Commission. Five Ministers were
present, of whom M. Chasseloup-Laubat and M.
Magne were, as usual, the chief speakers. I have already
referred to the arguments which they employed against
the proposed amendment of Article 2. The Ist, 3rd, and
4th Articles, were adopted with little alteration, the
Ministers retiring after giving their opinions upon the
disputed point. On Article san amendment was resolved
upon and accepted by the Government, the precise form
of which is not yet stated, but I understand that its object
will be to give the Senate the power of opposing in any
case the introduction of a law. Two slight changes
were made in Articles 7 and 8, while 6,9, and
10, remained untouched. Then came Article 11, upon
which, as I have told you, an animated discussion ensued,
terminating in the decision of the Commission to maintain
the amendment referred to as well as the re-establishment
of the address. These two important changes will go far
to reconcile the Liberals to the alterations made by the
Commission on certain points. It is rumoured that M.
Eouher voted for the address, which seems scarcely
prabable ; but it is an era of sudden conversions. The
Commission reassembles for the last time to-morrow, when
M. Devienne will read his report. Some of the members
have reserved the right of expressing their individual
opin:ons in the public debate.
It is stated in well-informed circles that, at a recent in
terview at St. C:oud, the Emperor expressed his dissatis-
faction at the dispute which bad arisen between the
Cabinets of Berlin and Vienna. He considers the whole
affair to be most inopportune.

The entertainment given by the Princo the other day
was in honour of his Sovereign's birthday, and not, as
was affirmed, in compliment to the Princo de la Tour-
d'Auvergne.

The Emperor did not appear at tho Council of Ministers,
his doctors having advised him to keep perfectly quiet for
some days after his convalescence. It is noticed that the
imperial equipages remain at the Camp of Chtdons, which
looks as if the Emperor proposed to go there in the
course of September, as was before announced.
A slight (accident occurred to the train in which the
Prince Imperial returned to St. Cloud, and ciused some
delay in his arrival. A piston broke, and it was found
necessary to employ an engine taken from a goods train at
hand.
The train which conveyed the body of Marshal Niel to
its last resting-place was met at Toulouse by the military
authorities, who accompanied it to Muret. General
Lebccuf, President of the Tribunal,pronounced the funeral
discourse at the cemetery of Muret.
The artists of the Hippodrome have resolved to have a
medal struck and presented to Mende;; as a tribute to his
brave conduct the other day. M. Arnault also displayed
great courage in going forward and shutthig the doors of
the cages which had been left open in the confusion that
prevailed. M. Lucas is not supposed to be dangerously hurt,
but his recovery will be a slow one. The Hippodrome has
had a run of ill-luck of late, for yesterday s jockey dis-
located his shoulder, and a velocipedist met with a serious
fall in the middle of the arena.

The first oysters have made their appearance at Lyons,
and cost the moderate sum of two francs a dozen. Matters
are not improved by the intelligence that they will shortly
increase in price.

MR. BRIGHT'S IRISH LAND SCHEME.

AI.

The Tablet thinks Mr. Bright's scheme for the settle-
ment of the land question deserving of consideration. His
plan is founded on the assumption that in Ireland many
occupiers of land wish to become freeholders, and that many
landed proprietors are willing to sell their property. He
proposes that, by means of a parliamentary grant,
the Government should lend the requisite fund■
to intending purchasers of land ; and ho cal-
culates that an annual payment of interest and sinking
fund, amounting together to less than 6 per cent.,•would
suffice to pay off the loans in thirty-five years. Upon this
system the purchasing tenant could be immediately
secured against eviction, provided that he paid regularly
the fixed yearly charge, and at the end of the thirty-
five years he would become an absolute freeholder.
But some points deserve careful deliberation.
For instance, how is the present landowner to get a fair
price for his land, if the present tenants are alone permitted
to bid for their holdings? And, on the other hand, if the
competition for the purchases of land be not restEcted to
the occupiers, how are these tenants to be protected
against the possible ill-treatment of parties who, with-
out any intention of becoming cultivators, may buy, as
middlemen, upon the speculation of extracting from th.,
actual tenants a larger sum than the yearly charge?
Or again, to go a step further, suppose that land has
been bought, on Mr. Bright's plan, by the present
occupier with the money advanced by the Govern-
ment, the new purchaser has then to pay, under
pain of eviction, five or six per cent. on the
advance for five-and-thirty years, and we find ourselves in
presence of a dilemma— either this purchaser has made a
good bargain, or he has made a bad one ; if a bad one, he
may fail to pay the stipulated sum and be subject to
eviction—if a good one, he may be tempted to sublet
his holding perhaps on short leases, perhaps to tenants at
will, at a higher rent than he has to pay. In the former
case he would be rather worse off than he is now ; in the
latter case we should have given him the means of repro•
clueing some of the very evils which it is now our object
to remove.

Amongst the curiosities of the session of Parliament
which has expired, it is noticeable that fishery affairr
were brought before the louses of Parliament upon no fewer
than sixty days.

A fire occurred at the shipbuilding premises, be-
longing to Messrs. J. and W. Dudgeon, Manchester-road,
Milwall, yesterday, causing damage, which is estimated
by one account at £BO,OOO.

The Sanitary Commissioners have adjourned their
inquiry till the commencement of next year. Owing to the
extent of the inquiry, and the immense mass of evidence yet
to bo taken, it is not expected that this important inquiry
will be concluded till the end of 1870, if so soon.

In the report of the London General Omnibus
Company it is stated that tho very encouraging results which
attended the use of maize as provender induced the directors
to substitute it entirely for oats. During the summer no
other grain has been used for the working studs.

Much uneasiness is being felt at Lydney, Wales, on
account of the disappearance of a widow lady. She with her
daughter attended the late Gloucester Assizes, and has not
been seen since. ller daughter has returned, seems to be
very excited, and states that she left her mother at Ivy Cot-
tage, Longhope—a house which does not, as far as inquiry
can discover, exist.

A man calling himself Wm. Henry Hall charged
himself at the Clerkenwell Police-court yesterday as
tho Cannon-street murderer, end as the portperator
of another at Highgate. About the latter, which ho
said had taken place on Saturday, no particulars could be
learnt. Of the man himself little was known. It was stated
that the man had attempted to commit suicide, and it was
plain that he was not sane. The case was remanded.
A correspondent of the Church Tones states that when
the Bishop of Winchester's eldest son had b.:en in orders one
year ho was presented by his father to the rich living of
Old Alresford, that the second son was presented to the
richest living in the diocese, that the third son, a laymar,
was made chancellor of the diocese; and that his son-in-
law and other relations had boon almost equally well pro-
vided for.

A working saw-grin& r obtained judgment in the
Sheffield County Court on Thursday against his employer for
the considerable sum of .C-16 45., the balance of wag
due. Tho allegation by which ho sustained his case
was that there had been no settlement between kns
and his master since 1866, an ho had received being
payments on account. At length he pressed for an ad-
justment of his claims, and was discharged. The
defence was that in May, 186 S, there was a settlement, and at
that time plaintiff admitted that ho was £6 in defendant's
debt. So large a swat as that claimed could not, it was con-
tended, have accrued in so short a time; and further, it was
asserted that the claim was made up of discounts deducted
from plaintiff's wages according to agreement. Plaintiff,
however, insisted that be bad always resisted these deduc-
tions, and lii4lfeour g:tve.ltiru i verdict for the full amount
;:utgled.