The Sun.
London, England, 1867-06-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATOROAY EVENING, JUNE 29, 1867.

upon him when a young man—(a laugh)—yet he
bad succeeded in breaking up the Liberal party.
This was a question, however, which would have
to be settled on the hustings -at the next election.
(Cheers.) Whatever became of the present bill the
Conservative party were pledged to household suf-
frage, and the bill shorn of all dodges would be a
household suffrage bill. When this was obtained,
and an equitable distribution of seats with it, the
people would be as near manhood suffrage as pos-
sible. He concluded with moving :—" That in the
opinion of this meeting the redistribution scheme of
the Government cannot be regarded as even a tem-
porary settlement of the question. It is unfair and
deceptive, seeking through the instrumentality of
increased representation to the counties to counter-
act the wide extension of the suffrage at length
given to boroughs, and while retaining members
for small and decaying towns of 4,000 to 5,000
inhabitants, leaves Marylebone, Finsbury, West-
minster, LambAh, Manchester, Liverpool, Bir-
mingham, Leeds, Sheffield, and Bristol, without
increased representation.
Mr. PRICE was then announced to speak amid
loud cries of " Mill." Silence having been obtained
for him, it was announced that 'he was a working
man, who had made good use of his time, and
he proceeded to speak with remarkble force, and in
a manner which enchained the attention of the
large meeting, even at the late hour of nearly 11
o'clock. He urged the meeting, amid loud cheers,
to keep united, that the present truculent Ministry,
who, he said, had thrice placed London in all the
throes of civil war, should be ousted from power if
this question were further paltered with.
The resolution was carried.
Mr. PROBYS proposed the following resolution :
—" That, in the opinion of this meeting, the Na-
tional Reform Associations are bound to continue
their present organisations, in order to secure a just
redistribution of seats, the ballot, and such an ex-
tension of the county franchise, as will give the
suffrage to the great bulk of the inhabitants of the
numerous large county towns and villages which,
with a £l2 rating franchise, would remain excluded
both from borough and county representation."
Mr. BEALES, amid cries of " Mill," was called
upon to second the resolution. He commenced by
saying that he regretted to stand where Mr. Mill
should stand, and to this there were cries of
" Hear." Ile proceeded to speak of the Hyde-park
riots, and announced that the League, of which he
was the head, was about to hold a demonstration in
favour of the Irish Reform Bill. The course of his
observations was stopped by a cry of" Time," fol-
lowed by some disturbance in the part of the hall
whence the cry arose, and the speaker, in a greatly
excited state, said if the person who uttered that
word was present at the meeting a fortnight ago in
that hall he had no business there that evening.

Mr. MILL, M.P., in coming forward to second
the resolution, was received with the most enthu-
siastic cheering. He said there was not the slightest
need that. he should address the meeting, for all
that he should have thought it useful to say had
been anticipated by some speaker or other who
had preceded him, he hoped therefore they would
excuse him. (Loud cries of "Go on," and cheers.)
Considering that many of those present were his
constituents, he certainly felt that they had a right
to know what he thought on the subject of the
redistribution of seats, and he would therefore
at that late hour very briefly tell them. (Cheers.)
He thought, then, that if the Reformers
were willing to continue to do their duty
they would agitate until they had got a far
better Reform Bill than the one then before
Parliament upon the subject of redistribution.
Above all, no Reformer ought to be satisfied
until the large towns obtained, not three members
here and there, but a great number of additional
members. When he spoke of the large towns he
naturally included the metropolitan boroughs,which,
even upon the single ground of of population, were
entitled to a large increase of representation. But
all the large towns were entitled to an increased re-
presentation, not only upon the principles advocated
by the Liberals,but upon the principles even of their
opponents, for Mr. Disraeli hal himself declared
that the counties ought to have a much larger re-
presentation than they had at present, because,
taking the whole rorulation into account, the
counties were more populous than the towns. If
that argument were good for the counties it was
good for the large towns. London contained
3,000,000 of inhabitants. Now, if they allowed to
the counties 12,000,000, then, according to the ratio
of the population, London ought to have one-fourth
of the whole county representation of the country;
therefore London would be entitled to 40 or 50
members, and other large towns to a proportional
increase of members, this increase, of course, being
at the expense of the representation of the small
towns. But he would invite the meeting to look
more closely into the question as it affected the
counties. Of what was,the population, consisting
of eleven million inhabitants in the counties, com-
posed? First, there were the landlords, and next
the farmers ; but these did not constitute the whole
eleven millions ; there were the small shopkeepers
and the professional men living in the small unre-
presented towns, though it was not known how
many of them would have votes. But even these
did not make up the eleven millions. How, then,
was that number made up ? Why, it was made
up by the agricultural labourers. Now, he should
like to ask whether there was any gentleman who
would stand up in the House of Commons or any
other place and say that the landlords as county
members represented the agricultural labourers ?
Why, those were precisely the only people that
the agricultural labourers ever had any dispute
or quarrel with. But let them look at the subject
in another point of view. These agricultural
labourers had no votes, nor were the landlords dis-
posed to give them any ; but if they possessed no
votes the Conservatives had no right to count that
portion of the population as forming a part of the
county constituencies. But sometimes it was said
that, although these people were not represented
directly, they were indirectly or virtually repre-
sented—that was to say, they were represented vir-
tually or indirectly by those who had the same
interest as themselves. He would ask, had the
agricultural labourer the same interest as the land-
lord and the farmer ? It might be all very true to
say that they had all the same interest in the long
run ; but mankind were influenced by their imtne-
diate rather than their remote interests, and if he
had any immediate interest to be settled he should
much prefer that the man who..bad to decide the
matter should not be chosen from persons who had
opposite interests to his own. (Cheers.) The town
and borough members were better representatives
of the agricultural labourers than either the land-
lords or the farmers. The town members had no
disputes with them ; they were not their masters ;
they never disputed with them about their wages.
Moreover, it was their wish to educate the agricul-
tural labourers, while the farmers did not want
them to be educated. They said it made the
labourers too independent, and they wanted them
to labour at an early age, and therefore it was im-
possible for them to go to school. He did not apply
these remarks to the landlords, many of whom were
very desirous that the agricultural children should
be educated. But, after all, things might and
woul 1, no doubt, go on much better, even between
the farmers and the labourers if it were not for that
accursed gang system. Now, the town members
never had anything to do with such things as gangs ;
but, the system having taken possession of the agri-
cultural interest, be could not conceive that any man
would choose to be represented by a person connected
with it. Then, again, there was the gamekeeper, whose
word was law ; it might be denied, but it was a great
pity that every now and then something hap-
pened that gave a great deal of colour to the state-
ment. A recent case had been brought to light by
a clergyman of which the world would otherwise
have known nothing. A gamekeeper, who had pre-
viously had an accident of making a mi3take in
charging a person wrongfully, made another mis-
take in swearing that two persons had been seen by
him in the act of poaching. The father and mother
of the two delinquents gave positive evidence that
those two persons were in their houses the whole of
the night. They were disbelieved and the game-
keeper believed. One of the accused was dis-
charged, and the other sent to prison; but while

that man was suffering imprisonment two persons
came forward and confessed that they were the per-
sons who were guilty. One would have supposed
that the magistrate would have let the accused man
out of prison, but he did not see it in that light,
and it was not till after considerable delay he was
discharged by the Home Secretary. As- to any
atonement being made to the man, such a thing was
never to be dreamt of. Nay, more, after all, the
man though innocent was held to bail. These
things did not often happen ; but even one such-
case a year was sufficient to show the sort of rela-
tion existing between the landlord and the agricul-
tural labourer, and which would make it not at all
probable that the labourer would elect the landlord
to represent him in Parliament. Therefore, what-
ever argument might be founded on the agricultural
population of the counties did not at all include the
agricultural labourers. It was said that these la-
bourers had no votes; but that was not strictly
correct, for some of them had votes. He might be
asked where. Why, in the towns and, still more,
in those petty sham counties—that was to say, in
those places hardly better than villages which had
large landed districts attached to them. All the
agricultural labourers would have votes, but these
would count as town votes, and, therefore, as
he had said before, the town representatives
were the more real representatives of the agri-
eultural labourers than the landlords. 'Well, it
being assumed that the great towns ought to
have more representatives, the question, then, to
be considered was where were those additional mem-
bers to come from. He would call attention in
respect to this point to those small sham counties of
which he had spoken. They were Cricklade, Ayles-
bury, and Shoreham. By the disfranchisement of
other boroughs these bad had the surrounding dis-
tricts added to them, and ought, therefore, to be
eounted among the county representatives. By the
Reform Bill of 1832 many of these boroughs were
created. A Conservative member of the House of
Commons the other day gave the history of Wen-
lock, which covered 75 square miles, while the town
was not larger than a village, and yet it returned
two members to Parliament. He should like to know
where they could find a better place than this for
disfranchisement, which would give them two mem-
bers to be disposed of elsewhere. There were other
places of a similar description, and the hon. gentle-
man mentioned Thetford, Tavistock, and Totnes,
all of which returned two members, the plan gene-
rally being that the patron returned one member,
and the people the other member. Some of these
places were to be deprived of one of their members,
and the question was who would be the loser, the
patron or the people? (Cheers.) Where there was
no member to be disposed of he feared the patron
would be stronger than the people, but all such ought
to be considered county representations. He would
give the Government what credit might be due to
them for having given additional members to the
metropolis, and also a member to the London Uni-
versity ; but while they added largely to the repre-
sentation of the counties they would not grant any
additional member to the great towns. (Cheers.)
A vote of thanks to the chairman brought the
meeting to a close at a quarter past 11 o'clock.

free entrance at all times, even to sleeping
apartments, and the appearance of -My Lord upon
the Imperial Terrace, or elsewhere, - was a never-
failing indieation that. his master was at no great
distance. When the Czar decided upola visiting the
Exposition the question was raised as to 'whether
or not the animal should accompany him, many of
the Russians holding it to be an ill omen if the dog
were to quit his master. It was eventually decided
that the dog should remain behind ; the animal,
however, pined for his master, and in a short time
died, it is stated from chagrin at his departure.
The news telegraphed to Paris was concealed
from the Emperor for the time, and it was
not until the -eve of his departure that he re-
ceived intelliOnce of the loss of his favourite.
The superstitious Russians, it would appear,
see some connection between this affair of the dog
and the attempt of Berezowski. However, I offer
no opinion. Whilst keeping aloof from superna-
tural theories, I hold, nevertheless, that all things
are possible to Providence, and say, as the old
woman in England, who went to see the conjuror,
said to her husband—" Timothy, my dear, I ain't
superstitious, but I'd rather go home."
The little grey soldiers of the Prince Imperial
have, it appears, set a good example, or have been
made the medium of a precencerted movement, and
companies of French Tireurs of Free Rifles are
already forming in more than one department of
France. She cannot do better than to follow the
example of England -in this respect, whose volun-
teers need only practical experience to rank them
amongst the first rifle troops in the world; and if, as
is reported, we are to have in July International
Rifle Matches, as well as other international con-
tests, the French Tireurs will do well to look to
their laurels, especially at ranges from 500 to 1,000
yards.
The Fete Dieu has been celebrated this week by
all the parish churches of Paris, and the Banlieue,
with unusual solemnity. A singular spectacle was
presented at the Church of the Madeleine. During
its celebration the Sacerdotal Procession encoun-
tered on its way two battalions of the line ; the
Colonel in command immediately ordered a halt and
military salute, and amidst a flourish of drums and
cornets, the regiments knelt down as one man to
receive the blessing of the venerable Cure who led
the march of his flock.
The International Monetary Commission has had
four levees, during which all-important and funda-
mental questions have been decided almost unani-
mously, and there is little doubt that before long a
common system will be adopted, which will save
bankers, merchants, and travellers for the future
the trouble and loss of an exchange of moneys.
Great excitement was caused at the Esplanade
of the Invalides on Sunday last by the ascent of
Nadar and his friends in his celebrated Giant,
the largest balloon in the' known world, holding
6,098 cubic metres of gas. The balloon rose into
the air at seven minutes to five p.m., the intrepid
aeronaut being accompanied by six of his friends.
After a short voyage the balloon descended at
Lonjumeau, without accident er injury of any kind,
at eight o'clock in the evening. Preparations, it
is said, are making for another ascent, which will
have a much longer duration.
A despatch is said to have been received at the
American Embassy from Mr. Seward, who, it is
reported, by the bye, will shortly accompany the
President on a visit to the Exposition, to the effect
that the Emperor Maximilian, having been set at
liberty by Juarez under the punishment of banish-
ment from Mexico, has embarked for, and is on
his way to, England. If this be so, the policy of
the Mexican leader is wise, and shows the strength
rather than the weakness of his position.
On Sunday evening last the first international
banquet between the foreign delegates and the
working men of Paris took place at the Restau-
rant Rouz6, in the Park of.the Exposition. Great
cordiality and harmony prevailed, and numerous
toasts were drank, in French, English, and Italian
to the welfare and prosperity of the respective
countries, strong feelings_being expressed as to the
necessity and value of peace with all the world.
The Ottoman Ambassador left Paris for Toulon
on Wednesday in order to 'receive his august mas-
ter, the Sultan, who will arrive in Paris on
Sunday. The Prince of Wales and his Royal
Highness the Duke of Cambridge will also take
part in the approaching ceremony of the Ist of
July ; after which they will again return to London
to be present at the review ordered by the Queen
for the sth. Great preparations are making at the
Palace of Industry to do suitable honour to the
grand ceremony of the Ist. The grand nave is
tus
et r
converted into an amphitheatre, the seats of which
reach as high as the upper galleries, the space of the
isa , while
of the flags of all the nations
rnents, decorations, &c.,
centre being appropriated to the reception of speci-
mens
of every kind of
erected against the eastern end of the Palace on the
interiorladregce dais
soniss
swoifdiletlhpeorfiwntochripeld. llaTlluy
consiste,hriee arrangements,
the
A
are carried on under the superintendence of M. Al-
drophe, architect to the Imperial Commission, and
[ M. Dutron, architect at the Palace of Industry, to
show the minute attention paid by the arrangements
for this imposing ceremony. Even the bells to be
introduced into the chorus of the hymn have been
selected by M. Jules Cohen himself at the Exposi-
tion, after a most careful scrutiny in the presence
of the Prince of Leuchtenstein, President of Honour
of the Exposition Russe. The Palace was honoured
on Tuesday by a special visit from the Prince Im-
perial, who has perfectly recovered from his late
indisposition. The Prince, who was accompanied
by his Governor-General) Trossard, Commandant
Lamez, and Dr. Corvisart, spent two hours in the
Palace, his attention being principally directed to
the artillery, paintings, and naval exhibitions.
The Cirque Americain bas proved a successful
hit for the Theatre
and I am informed
that the directeur has offered terms little short of
carte blanche to the champion rider of New York,
James Robinson, provided he will renew his en-
gagement for a more lengthened period. The per-
formances of Robinson and his son Clarence require
to be seen in order to be believed. Mounted upon
a horse in an entire state of liberty, without saddle
or bridle, the two perform evolutions which leave
far behind the much talked-of feats executed on
horseback by the Pawnees and Comanches. I
noticed especially an act when, whilst the horse in
the enjoyment of full liberty courses at full speed
around the arena, the champion rider stands on his
back moveless as a graceful statue, whilst his inte-
resting little son stands equally firm and motion-
less on the top of htti father's head. In the person
of James Robinson the Americans have carried off
the palm of horsemanship from the whole world, and
many another instance of the persevering and go-a-
head spirit which animates that nation already so
mighty, but still in the infancy of its future gran-
deur, will be preserved amongst the souvenirs of
those mho visit Paris and the Exposition 1.1 'verselle
ni
in 1867. lam aware that, though late in the field,
many honorary distinctions are in store for them,
and trust that upon the momentous occasion of the
Ist of July the result may be such as to justify and
even exceed the warmest hopes and anticipations
their friends may form on their behalf.
I observe that our American friends have deter-
mined upon celebrating the anniversary of Ameri-
can independence by a Ate, of surpassing brilliancy,
for which purpose the Prd Catalan has been engaged
not only for the day,
but also for the evening. The
arrangements, I understand, are placed in the
hands of a committee, Mr. Tucker, No. 4, Rue
Scribe, taking a prominent part in its labours. The
programme, besides announcing a ball, concert,
theatrical representation, &c., contains a lengthened
list of the various open air amusements, characteris-
tic of fetes in geueral. I hope, in my next, to send
you a full report of an affair which cannot fail,
under present auspices, to be carried out in the
most satisfactory and successful manner.

Paris, June 26.

My correspondence this week must all be very
dazzling, as it has become a matter of conscience to
describe some of the jewels at the Exposition.
Amateurs of precious stones go to the jewellery dis-
play at the Champ de Mars with the same enthu-
siasm which inspires a bibliomaniac is search of a
rare edition. What there is in the possession of
gem to make Women go supremely happy is not

creditable to womankind, for the value of the
ardently desired jewel, and not so much its lauty,
makes it so priceless in the opinion of many: To
have a set of pearls such as no one else can pay for
is the chief merit of a valuable necklet, tiara,
and ear-rings. One of the most interesting studies
a philosopher could make would be to take up his
station round the central stand at the Exposition, in
which the wealth of jewellery is displayed. Here
he would see women assemble from every clime—
the Spanish scuarita, with Southern skin and dark
eyes, all flashing with delight, while contemplating
the famous peacock all studded with diamonds—
rubies and emeralds poised on a single pearl—and
looking ready to perch in Mahomet's seventh heaven.
Here, too, stops the haughty English peeress, and
her lip uncurls as she admires the large emerald
star with a diamond in the centre, which alone
weighs 35 carats, and is valued at £6,600. The
German baroness raises her clear blue eyes to the
roof of the edifice in rapture, which unfortunately
is not speechless, for her gutturals spoil the effect of
her fervent gaze. Both gaze and gutturals, how-
ever, are intended for an ornament representing a
bunch of ribbon with flowing ends. It is com-
posed, of course, of diamonds. The diamond cross
arrests the graceful Italian, and she says a mental
" ave" before it, with some hope that the saints will
perform a miracle and make her a present of it.
This cross is composed of one large black pearl in
the centre, two large oblong stones at the upper and
lower limbs, and several smaller ones in the cross
branches. But among all these beauties a tulip,
which is composed of diamonds and rubies, proves
the grand attraction for Parisiennes here ; they
flutter in Bismark costumes as thickly as partridges
over a stubble field, and look in this peculiar
attire much like these birds as they trot about
nodding their heads knowingly. A constant twitter
and showers of " mon dieu" express their satisfac-
tion, while a few sighs are suppressed and envious
glances subdued. In fact, all of Eve's daughters
are moved, even the coal-black negress, when she is
told that two crowns exhibited by the jewellers
to the Queen of Madagascar are much like that
worn by the Queen of Great Britain. The only
difference is that the finances of the island do not
admit of anything but paste stones, instead of real,
which small circumstance is not of much conse-
quence to negro admirers. Other people may be
of the same opinion, but not so ladies like a queen
of the demi-monde, whom I will for the sake of
contemporaries here call Sosie.
Sosie was very lovely ; every lady thought so in
Paris some ten years ago, for my tale about dia-
monds is rather old, though many may have never
heard it. Sosie was not only lovely, but she was an
actress, so that when young Baron de S— left
Tournaine in all the pride of youth, title, and for-
tune, and met Sosie he naturally fell in love with
her. Our hero's mother was very much shocked at
his intimacy with the actress, as all mothers ever
are in similar circumstances ; but persuasion, ad-
vice, and promises were vain, and " dear Alfred"
embarked on the high road to ruin. Sosie went
everywhere with him—to the races, opera, &c. She
liked seeing everything, and besides, she had a little
white pug, and enjoyed above all things her open
caliche, sumptuously lined with blue satin and covered
with the downiest white rug, in which she and pug
snugly drove round the Bois with or without friends,
as the case might be. BUt these were the—l was
going to say, balmy days of life, only I remember this
all happened in the winter of 1857. These were
more appropriately therefore the feverishly-loved
and relentless days of Sosie's life, though everything
was bright as seen under icicles and gaslight.
One morning Alfred promised her a set of dia-
monds for a fancy ball, which all her theatrical
associates were to attend. Poor Sosie she was so
delighted that she published far and near that Alfred
would end locked up at Chichy for her sake. The
eve of the ball the jeweller sent word that the dia-
monds could not be ready for the following day,
but that he would lend Sosie a splendid paste set
for the ball. Sosie flew in what ladies call a passion,
and a real scene was acted, at the close of which
Alfred clearly understood that he, and not his lady
love, would be dishonoured if paste ever touched
her white shoulders. Sosie did more than act ; she
told the Baron it was " all a gef-up" between him-
self and the jeweller; " a very good pretence," &c.,
&e. -And the result of the etceteras was that
Alfred clutched up his hat, pulled it low over his
eyebrows, slammed her door, and went out desperate.
He cooled down on reaching his own home, where
he asked for his mother ; she was out. He walked
into her boudoir and sat down to reflect. Sosie
has suspected him of a very mean thing certainly ;
she had taunted him, but she was so disappointed,
and he was so fond of her that he allowed for her
passionate outburst. Poor Sosie, again ! What was
to be done to recover her good graces ? He
looked round, there stood a quaint old cabinet.
He rose stealthily, opened it, and withdrew a
square, massive box, and from within that a won-
derful set of glistening diamonds. They were his
mother's. No matter; he slipped them in his coat
pocket, and an hour after stood before Sosie.
" Here are your diamonds after all," he said gaily.
" Remember," he•added gravely, " I never break a
promise."

Sosie cried and jumped for joy.
" They are not quite yours," faltered forth our
hero. " They are my mother's, but they are very
valuable, and you can keep them till you have your

own."

Sosie looked thunderbolts.
" They are finer than those I have ordered for
you, Sosie," urged Alfred, which communication,
however, was no solace, but the actress wore the set
at the ball, and was the glorious centre of every
woman's envy.
Towards two o'clock, just as the cotillon was turn-
ing into a furious scuffle, whirl, and confusion, a
lady in a bonnet and mantle suddenly made her
appearance among the dancers. She walked straight
up to Baron S—, though his gaze was following Sosie.
"My son," .said a voice behind him. He turned,
and started. It was his mother. " What have
you done with my diamonds ?"
" For God's sake, mother, Sosie—come, mother,
come away."
" Have you paid your debts with them, Alfred ?
Have you pawned them ?
Just then Sosie approached.
" She has them on !" exclaimed the Baroness.
" Oh ! Alfred, your poor father's gift to me."
Alfred seized his mother's arm and dragged her
to her carriage. . • • • •
The next day, when Alfred's servant cautiously
entered his room to open-his master's blinds, he
found the young baron's corpse across the bed and
a letter on his table.
" Dearest mother, I can never lift up my head
again ; my disgrace was public ; in the eyes of all
I am a thief, but I die repentant."
The mother's story cannot find room here. She
has never forgiven herself for exposing her son's
folly, but Sosie kept the diamonds.
She and her pug drove round the Bois till some
officials put an execution in her dwelling, when
Alfred's mother bought her oiVn set of diamonds
back again, and Sosie retired to private life, some-
where in Germany.
This is how it is : paste does not find a ready
market in the demi-monde. The article does not
sell when adoring Alfreds do not cud at Clic'uy,
but by their own hands.
The Exposition diamonds have led us far away,
but although the story is somewhat old, it is founded
on facts.

The renewed demand for confiscation on the part
of Mr. Thaddeus Stevens has had a beneficial effect
on the South. the Republican papers of the North
have so universally condemned his policy that the
people of the South cannot help seeing how totally
opposite to Northern sentiment the measure advo-
cated by Mr. Stevens is. The Republicans of the
South now perceive that they will not be sustained
in harsh measures by their party in the North.
They have therefore shown it by throwing over
those proceedings which so strongly tended to widen
the bfeach.
The Dunderberg is about to sail for France,
under the command of Captain J. J. Comstock, to
be delivered in terms of the contract to the French
Government in French waters. She will be fully
equipped, and has now on board a battcry of six