The Sun.
London, England, 1869-03-24 00:00:00

(From Fun.)

THE REAL " CONDEMNED SELL."—The firm of Overend
Gurney, and Co.
NOT A BAD SHOT.—The Duke of Somerset said the
other night in the House of Lords that every British
missionary requires a gunboat. Of course the missionary
wished himself a canon on board it.

QUITE RIGHT TOO !—The Court Journal says that Mr.
Tennyson has "again refused the offer of a peerage."
Well, considering some of the people who have been made
lords, he is wise in refusing a baron honour.

IT'S AN ILL WIND.
The wind, I see, stays E— due E
And doesn't make a wee stir ;
But, oh, dear me ! why should it be
So Easterly at Easter?

(From Judy.)
A CONSTANT READER.—A sub-editor.
A MOURNING COACH.—G. Morrison, Esq.
"THE NOBLEST ROW-MEN OF THEM ALL."—The Oxford
crew.

A SUGGESTION BY A DUNCE•TNANE.—The destination
of the Scotch faggot-voters should be Birnam.
THE UNIVERSITY TEST ACT.—The Oxford and Cam•
midge match.
THE LAST SOLUTION OF THE REFORM LEAGUE QUES.
TlON.—Dissolution.

CJARESPONDEECE PROM PARIS:

_.- _o-

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, TUESDAY, March 23.

The 'arrangement of the difficulty with Belgium will
have been made known to you long ere this. It is impor-
tant to note that the question is not absolutely settled.
The differences are to be referred to a commission, but it
does not follow that the commission will be able to devise
a final settlement which will please both parties. The
commission will " consider " the commercial relations
between the two countries ; it will also " consider" the
contract between the two railway companies ; but
we have yet to wait for the result of all this
consideration. The anticipations of the papers here are
as optimist as ever, but it would be premature to affirm
that the dispute is finally disposed of. I mention this
simply because the leading Belgian papers, which have
preserved a very conciliatory attitude throughout the
difficulty—replying to the gross insults of the
Paris journals with perfect politeness—are now
writing in a very suspicious tone. The Etoile Beige
and the I2zdependance Beige, decidedly the leading organs of
Brussels, both speak in the same tone. The Etoile says
the Belgian Government will never hear of a Customs'
union with France, and is less than ever disposed to ratify
the contract between the East of France and the Luxem-
burg Companies. It will agree to any solution of the
dispute which will strengthen the commercial relations
between the two States ; but such a solution must in no
wise interfere with the absolute maintenance of the national
independence. The other Belgian journal publishes pre-
cisely the same statement, or, rather, is somewhat more
positive. This plain speaking would seem to indicate that
we have not yet heard the last of this miserable quarrel,
The source from which this information comes is at any
rate worthy of every respect.
The storm, according to the last advices, still raged on
toe north and west coasts. The wrecks during the last
few days have been very numerous. Several merchant
ships have been cast on the shore between Honfleur and
Isigny, and the fishing vessels have been decimated.
Some parts of the country are inundated, but the damage
in this respect is not excessive.
A disastrous explosion of fire-damp occurred in the
ll6rin colliery, near Valenciennes. Three were killed and
twenty wounded, of whom two are in a hopeless condi-
tion. This accident occurred on the 10th, but so admi-
rable are the arrangements for collecting news in this in-
tellectual land, that it has only just been telegraphed to
Paris !
The Nabob of Bengal, accompanied by his two sons and
Colonel Layard, has arrived at Marseilles. For some
reason or other this potentate has chosen to spend several
days at the insalubrious port on the Mediterranean. He
will then proceed to England yid Lyons and Paris.

More than 300,000 persons visited the Place de la
Sorbonne on Sunday.
There is some talk of Prince Napoleon becoming Presi-
dent of the Senate. The Chevalier Nigra has, it is said,
returned to Paris, and thus all speculation as to his desti-
nation are ended.

No less than twenty-one journalists are candidates for
the Corps L4gislatif.

According to the I°•ish Times, the Lord Chancellor
of Ireland is to be made a peer.

The petitioners in the Oldham election inquiry
have withdrawn from the ease. Messrs. Hibbert and Platt
aro therefore declared duly ele,ted. Costs reserved.

On Tuesday there was no vacation judge at the
Judges' Chambers, Mr. Justice Mellor being obliged to pro-
ceed to Kingston, on account of the illness of Chief Justice
Cockburn.

At the Liverpool County Court, on Monday, Mr.
Parratt, son of a town councillor of Liverpool, was con-
victed of bribery at tho last municipal election for South
Toxteth Ward, Liverpool, and fined 40s. and costs.

The Select Committee of the House of Commons
on Parliamentary and Municipal Elections held its first
meeting on Monday, and elected the Marquis of Hartingten
as its chairman.

An election to the dignity of Foreign Associate of
the French Institute took place on Saturday. Mr. J. S.
Mill was one of those put in nomination. Count Sclopis, who
was elected, is a Piedmontese. Ho obtained twenty votes,
Mr. Mill seven, and M. Quetelet, a Belgian, two. Mr. Mill
was by far the most distinguished candidate.

A Parliamentary return issued on Tuesday com-
prises a report from Rear-Admiral Warden, enclosing letters
from Rear-Admiral Ryder and the commanding officers of
her Majesty's ships in the Channel squadron, upon the sub-
ject of the respective merits of the various ships. The ships
reported on aro the Bellerephon, the ?eionitaur, the Royal
Oak, the Achilles, the Warrior, the Defence, the nine()
Consort, and the

The Horsham petition will be heard on April `otlt.
In this case there was a double rAurn. A'though br Lsory,
&c., are charged in the petition, it is believed that most
importance is attached to the scrutiny of votes which is
prayed for in each petition. Neither of the members peti-
tioned against (Mr. Hurst and Major Aldridgo) are, it is
understood, allowed to sit or vote in the house, baying re-
ociyod an official intimation to that effect.