The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-16 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDoiN. SATUIWAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 16, lic7.

satellite Count BISMARCK, asked for the ad- '
vice or encouragement of the Chambers before
they set out upon their crusade against the liberty
of North Germany, but now they demand that there
shall be a full and complete response to their efforts,
and that " joint and unanimous exertions" shall
make the ground of their exploits fruitful. We
learn with regret, from this discourse, that the
harvest has not been good in Piussia, and that in
some districts it will be necessary to take extraor-
dinary measures to provide for the distress thereby
occasioned. The pressure that has weighed upon
commerce is reported to be removed, and great
hopes are enterteined of future • prosperity, in
consequence of the Treaties now in formation, and
those which have recently taken effect. It is easy
to deal in platitudes, and the Germans are, it is
well known, adepts in that fine-sounding phraseo-
logy, which may mean a good deal, and may again
mean nothing at all. Thus we may dismiss with-
out much regard all the remarks of the King about
the " additional pledges of security, and the en-
larged field for organic development which the
Prussian people have acquired through the organi-
sation of the North German Confederation," and
merely speculate upon the mysterious an-
nouncement that, in common with the South
German States, they have gained social
interests, and an effective protection of all the
higher blessings of national existence. We know
at any rate that, whatever these wonderful
things mean, they do not mean liberty of action or
expression of opinion in the acceptation of the term
in which we employ them in this country ; and it is
the best satire upon all these fine-sounding
phrases so glibly employed by the KING that a
member of the Chamber of Deputies should
now be sentenced to two years' imprison-
ment for merely stating his views on public
questions. Some interest will be excited by the
allusions here made to the relations of Prussia with
respect to Foreign Powers, and peace seems to be
the order of the day just now. With reference to
Italy the KING speaks rather ambiguously, and
infers that he is ready to take the field in defence of
the Papal authority ; but surely he is too late in
the day, and anyhow would be regarded as de trop
when the French forces were there before him.
Whatever happens, however, KING WILLIAM sees no
danger that threatens the maintenance of peace,
and that intelligence will be reassuring to many,
though others may regret that the next time the
equanimity of Europe is disturbed he may not be
consulted in the matter, but have hostilities forced
upon him nolens volens, as the case may be. The
German movement, we are told, is peaceful, but it
may be of that class of creations which contain the
seeds of decay in their very formation, and are at
the best but meretricious displays of excellence and
false representations of peace, having neither
strength nor security in them.

The boisterous and uncertain condition of the
weather, and the continual reports of wrecks and
maritime disasters which reach us from various
parts, renders it a matter of especial congratulation
that the valuable system of storm signals, established
by the late Admiral FITZROY, is about to be renewed.
This good result is to be attributed to the persever-
ing exertions of the committee of the British Asso-
ciation, and more especially of Colonel SYKES, M.P.
for Aberdeen, who have impressed upon the Go-
vernment the importance of resuming these signals,
which during the time they were in use were productive
of much good, and could at the worst do no harm.
There is undoubtedly in the present condition of
our meteorological knowledge some degree of un-
certainty about all weather forecasts, but it is mani-
fest that such uncertuinty is more likely to diminish
with practice and watchfulness than by the total
abandonment of the system. A very large pro-
portion of the prophecies of Admiral FITZROY were
promptly realised, and there is no reason to suppose
that his calculations were altogether incorrect in those
cases in which they failed of immediate fulfilment,
since there might be considerable atmospheric dis-
turbance, although the full force of the tempest might
fall elsewhere. Mr. GLAISHER, no mean authority,
Mr. DAVID MILNE HOME, chairman of the Scottish
Meteorological Society, united their efforts to those
of Colonel SYKES, and we congratulate them upon
having rendered the public an important service.
These signals were in many instances the means
of saving the lives of our coast fishermen who run
great hazards almost unheeded. Mr. WILLIAM
BOYD, Hon. Secretary of the Royal National Life-
boat Institution, has just favoured us with
an interesting communication regarding these
poor men, whose lives are often needlessly
sacrificed owing to the deficiencies of their
boats. The association, of which he is a member,
has, in pursuance of its benevolent object, devised a
practical safety fishing-boat, which has more than
realised the expectations of its originators. Mr.
BOYD writes from Peterhead, where he has seen
one of the boats tried, and he gives the most con-
vincing proof of its success in the fact that he has
just remitted to the Institution a sum of £26 17s. Gd.,
being one-twelfth part of the earnings of the safety
boat at Peterhead since the month of May last. It
will thus be seen that the boat is of great value in
a pecuniary point of view, as well as from its
safety properties. The fact is that the importance
of deep-sea fishing has never yet been rightly esti-
mated, and yet we know that, however bad a fish-
ing season may be, the fish are there if we could
but get at them. A bad harvest on land is due to
the actual absence of crops, but a bad harvest at
sea is due to our being unable to reap what we
know is there. As Mr. BOYD remarks, the one
element which determines the result of the herring
season is weather, and thus any improvement which
makes the fisherman more independent of the weather
will have all important effect upon the trade.
The safety element, too, must not be overlooked.
Only those familiar with coast li.ee can form an
idea of the number of humble tragedies constantly
being rehearsed in the fishers' cottages. The
pathetic tones of the old Scotch ballad warns us
against despising the " caller herrin'," for

"Wives and mithors, maist dospairin',
Ca' them lives o' men."
Mr. BOYD, in his letter, refers to many melancholy
cases which have come under his own notice, and
he confidently hopes that the new boat may avert
many similar catastrophes. This boat has three
elements of safety. Ist. The usual fore cabin is
made a water-tight compartment, with acce:43 by a
water-tight hatch in the deck ; 2d. The usual com-
partment in the stern is also NI ater-tight ; 3d.
Running a side deck along each side. Practical
seamen will at once see the value of these simple
changes, by which the boat may be converted into
a decked water-tight vessel iu a few minutes, and
the perils of a sea life very greatly diminished.

It is said that General GRANT is about to issue
an order dissolving all volunteer and military orga-
nisations in the South. This would be a wise step,
since the Government is surely strong enough to
protect all parties, and the formation of these
societies, and the facilities which they give for
obtaining and secreting large quantities of arms, are
most prejudicial to the internal interests of the
country. There is less wisdom in the order said to
have been given by the PRESIDENT, that all the
Fenian arins seized during the raid on Canada

should be given back to their owner& While
Fenianism is still active, and there are rumours
abroad of another intended raid, it is no wonder
if in face of such proceedings our. Government
should think it prudent to strengthen our forces
in Canada. As we expected, a postponement of
the trial of JEFFERSON DAVIS is now 'talked of, and
the ,New York Herald states that it will be post-
poned until the May term of the Richmond Court.
This decision, it adds, is in compliance with the
wishes of the Government counsel, in order that
Chief Justice CIIASE may preside and a new in-
dictment be framed. Why Chief Justice CHASE
should be selected may very well be asked. He is
no friend to the prisoner, and would very likely
much prefer keeping out of so awkward an affair
as this political trial. Whichever way he acts his
presidency will not be likely to improve his chance
of the White House, which is just now supposed to
be his chief ambition.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Friday Evening.

The Emperor will open the Legislative Session
on Monday next in person, with the accustomed
formalities.

A slight change in the Ministry by the accession
of M. Pinard to the post of Minister of the Interior
and of M. Magne, in the room of M. Rouher, as
Minister of Finance, scarcely excites any observa-
tion in Paris as it was anticipated, and does not
imply any change of policy, either foreign or
domestic. Your readers will have been prepared
for it from my correspondence some days ago. As
to the Marquis de la Valette, there has not been
such a popular Minister of the Interior for many
years. lie retires from circumstances quite un-
connected with politics, and with the full esteem
and confidence of the Emperor, the proof of which
is to be found in the nomination of the Marquis as
a Privy Councillor.
General de Failly, accompanied by the officers of
the French expeditionary corps, has been received
by the Pope at a solemn audience. His Holiness
expressed in warm terms the sentiments of gratitude
inspired by the generous assistance of the Govern-
ment of the Emperor and the devotion to his cause,
of which the French officers had recently given
proof. The Holy Father then bestowed his apos-
tolical blessing upon France and her army.
A private telegram from Bucharest announces
that in consequence of interpretations directed
against the Ministry by certain members of the
Chamber of Deputies, Prince Charles had ordered
the dissolution of the Parliament of Roumania.

It appears by the latest news from Rome that the
city was perfectly tranquil, and had quite recovered
from the recent alarms which had been created there.
The Pontifical and French troops returned from
their expedition, and were everywhere received
with sympathetic acclamations by the people. The
numerous Garibaldian prisoners were confined in
various buildings. The Pope, with his accustomed
benevolence, had given orders that they should be
treated with the greatest kindness and indulgence.
The Spanish Government has just issued a Royal
ordonnance, which places the military administra-
tion of the Island of Porto Rico under the direct
control of the Captain General of Cuba. This
measure has been adopted with a view to facilitate
the armament and defence of the Spanish Antilles,
by increasing the intimate union between the two
commands.

If the proposed new congress should not defini-
tively take place, at all events we have recently had
a mimic congress or assembly of diplomatists here.
They, however, have left. M. Benedetti has re-
turned to Berlin, and M. de Sartiges to Rome. M.
Malaret is about to resume his diplomatic duties at
Florence, and the Prince de la Tour d'Auvergne,
the Ambassador from France to England, will re-
turn to London in a few days.
M. Philoxene foyer has just died, and although
only 38 he had distinguished himself notably in the
world of letters. His first work was an elaboz ate
defence, criticism, or apology of the " Rhine," by
Victor llugo ; and his next production was one
which required much labour, the " Universal Dic-
tionary." At the club of the Societes Savantes
M. Boyer subsequently gave some very interesting
literary conferences, in which he reviewed the works
of Byron, Henri Heine, Chateaubriand, Schiller,
Balzar, and last, not least, Shakspere. The Lam-
bert prize was awarded to M. Boyer in 1862 by the
academy for his literary labours. Among his dra-
matic pieces were " Sepho," "Le Feuilleton d'Aris-
tophane," " Le Cousin du Roi," and " L'Engage-
meat. He also wrote numerous miscellaneous wokrs
both in prose and verse.
The Academy of Fine Arts has chosen M. Cabat
to fill the place vacant in the section of painting in
consequence of the death of M. Brascassat.
There is yet another garotting attack. Two
workmen were passing along the avenue Suffren,
near the Champ de Mars, about 10 o'clock at night,
when they were assailed by four individuals so
suddenly that they could not defend themselves,
and the watch and chain of one of them was stolen.
The workmen, however, recovered from their sur-
prise, and pursued the malefactors. Assisted by the
police they were fortunate to capture one of the
men, who luckily had the watch and chain upon
him. _ _ _

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A young Italian girl of 23 has made an attempt
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town, but having been deceived by a young gen-
tleman of Aix, she went to his residence and asked
to see him. The moment he came to the door she
fired a double barrelled revolver at his left side.
She then fired into her mouth. The girl was taken
to the hospital immediately. It is doubtful whether
either will survive.
In October last M. Klotz, the proprietor of Le
Soleil, M. Fauve, the editor of that journal, and M.
Schiller, the printer, were condemned to fine and
imprisonment for the insertion of an article " calcu-
lated to disturb the public tranquillity, and excite
hatred and contempt against the Government." The
defendants appealed against the sentence, and the
appeal was heard by the Sixth Chamber yesterday.
That court confirmed purely and sitnply the sentence
of the former tribunal. That sentence was—Klotz
to a fine of 500 f., Fauve to two months' imprison-
ment and a fine of 500 f., and Schiller to pay a fine
of 300 f. The defendants were condemned to pay
the expenses.
Again a day, probably unparalleled for
brightness and warmth, was the 15th of No-
vember. It was a summer day in every respect.
The phenomenon of the shooting stars is
stated to have taken place in conformity with the
programme, but the brilliant spectacle was not
visible until three o'clock in the morning, and I con-
fess that I did not see it. However, I shall be able
to give some account of it.
It appears from some interesting statistics rela-
tive to the railways in Prussia, that since 1838,
when the first railway was opened for traffic in that
country, the average annual length opened for
traffic was 256 kilometres. A kilometre is 1,000
metres. The total network of railways at the com-
mencement of 1866 presented a development of
6,891 kilometres, and at the c mtnencement of this
year, in consequence of the territorial aggrandisement
effected by Prussia, their extent was increased to
9,219 kilometres, representing a capital of 2 milliards
250,000 francs. The average expense of construction
was 251,8211. per kilometre. In Belgium the cor-
responding expense of construction was per kilo-
metre 345,000 f. ; in France, 412,000 f. ; and in
England, in consequence of the high price of land,
495,000 f. per kilometre. In 1865 the number of
travellers by railway in Prussia was 34,750,000, and
298 millions of metrical quintals of merchandise
were carried. The gross receipts during that year
were 69,750,000 f. ; adding supplementary receipts
the general total was 245,500,000 f. The working
expenses amounted to 98,625,000 f.

THE FENIAN CONVICTS AT MANCHESTEIt.—It is
stated that the four men condemned to death for the murder
of Sergeant Brett will be executed at 8 a.m., on Saturday,
the 23d inst. The guard has been doubled within the prison
Mute the men were condemned.