The Sun.
London, England, 1867-12-30 00:00:00

THE IRENCH ARMY.

On the order of the day being read for resuming
the debate on the Army Organisation Bill in the
Legislative Body, M. Rouher said :
" I come to express the sentiments of the Govern-
ment on the amendment supported yesterday by M.
Louvet. That amendment consists of two propo-
sitions—one that contingents of 100,000 men, and
eight years' service, with leave to marry during the
last two years, will provide a sufficient military
force ; and the other, which he only touched on
in a subsidiary manner, that in case this should not
be so, the plan would be to have recourse to a
prolongation of the service and an increase in the
contingents, to meet the defence of the national
territory. With respect to the first, I maintain that
the proposition of M. Louvet would not give us an
army superior in numbers to the present one, the
insufficiency of which is admitted, being only
620,000 men ; the hon. Deputy's plan would cer-
tainly give 695,000, but that number includes
21,000 men of the marine reserve, who ought not
to be reckoned. The hon. Minister of War has
stated that he requires a naval reserve of at least
32,000. In case of a great war hostilities would
not be confined to land ; and if they were, France
would lose a portion of her force, for the French
navy is certainly one of the first in the world.
(Hear.) Then the liberty of marriage during the
last two years in the reserve would withdraw 50,000
or 60,000 men, who certainly could not be called
upon except under circumstances of imperious
necessity ; so that these deductions bring the pro-
posal of M. Louvet to this—that it would keep
the number of the effective at its present
amount. The opinion of the high military commis-
sion which has been invoked in support of the
amendment is in reality against it, for it declared
that France required an effective of from 700,000
to 800,000, the latter being what ought to be aimed
at, although' the former might be accepted with re-
signation. (Hear, hear.) M. Gressier has stated
in his report that we must have an effective of
800,000 men. That is also the programme of the
Government, and is founded on a settled conviction.
If the day should come when a larger force would be
required, we should all in this Chamber be of one
accord, the question being that of the independence
of the country. (General approbation.) But has
the committee erred in fixing the effective force too
high at 800,000 men ? I was witness of the war in
the Crimea, and I saw the Chief of the State arrive
at the conviction that contingents of 80,000 were
insufficient for a great war. During the Italian
campaign the army had still the contingents of
140,000 voted in 1854, 1855, and 1856; neverthe-
less, the effective was only 639,000 men ; and of
that force, the necessary deductions made for
Algeria, the depots, garrisons, frontier fortresses,
and home service, there remained only 315,000, of
whom 229,000 entered Italy, and of that mass of
men only 107,000 were able to fight at Solferino,
the rest being employed in other parts of that coun-
try. These are inevitable reductions which great
armies sustain when they have to take the field.
" M. Gamier Pages—But the necessities are the
same for all.

"M. Rouher—Without doubt ; but if we be in a
position of inferiority as respects the enemy, and
the defalcations are made equally on both sides, the
latter will still have a redoubtable army, while
we should be in a perilous position. (Hear, hear.)
There are in Europe four great military continental
Powers—ltaly, Austria, Prussia, and Russia—and all
of them have been actively increasing their military
resources for a year past. The result of the army
organisation in Italy is, beside •the national guard
and, volunteers, a permament army of 900,000 men.
(Movement.) Austria has reconstituted her mili-
tary state, and, independently of her national guard,
her forces amount to 1,200,000 men. In Russia
the effective on a war footing may be raised to
1,440,000 soldiers.
" M. Leopold Javal—These cffectives are the
ruin of Europe.
" M. Rouher—L too, ardently desire the hour of
disarmament to arrive, but I do not believe any
titan could seriously counsel us to present ourselves
with naked breasts and disarmed to any who might
desire to attack us. (Cries of ' No, no.') We can-
not iu this matter give way to sentiment. The Con-
federation of the North has just concluded the con-
stitution of its army, and in 48 hours can place on
foot an effective of 1,300,000 men, and we come to
ask 800,000 soldiers.

" Garnier•Pages--1,200,000 men, with the
National Guard.

The President—M. Garnier-Pages, I request
you to listen attentively ; you will under stand bet-
ter, and will not be so inclined to interrupt.
M. Rouher —I was making a comparison of
army' with army,' and the 800,000 men we ask
are alone to be compared with the effective force
of other nations. I do not seek to alarm the
country; if a coalition should be farmed against
France the latter would not be without allies. I
suppose a war waged between France and a single
one of those nations, and I declare that, to say
an army of 800,000, Frenchmen might be opposed
with success to a foreign force of from 1,200,000 to
1,300,000 men, is to show great reliance on the
courage and solidity of our troops. (Various
movements.) I have heard said, You want only
a defensive army.' Certainly, we do not want one
to make conquests, but I cannot comprehend
that, France, after being attacked, should re-
main only on the offensive, or, if I understand
the proposition, my feeling of patriotism is wounded
by it. (Hear, hear.) I cannot admit such a
system as would deny us the right to carry the
war into the enemy's country. (Fresh ap-
plause.) M. Louvet's proposal, by limiting our
army to 695,000 men, is insufficient, because it adds
nothing to our present force. What we want is
750,000 or 800,000 men, in order that we may be
answerable for the security and independence of
the country. (Hear.) Now, a word respecting the
hon. Deputy's subsidiary proposition, to the effect
that it is better to have small contingents in ordi-
nary times and to raise them when the necessity
arrives ; but I must first correct a statement of M.
Louvet, that this bill would augment the military
changes by 40 per cent. That is an exaggeration,
even in an arithmetical sense ; but what I repel is
the statement that five years in the active army and
four in the reserve involves a heavier burden than
eight or seven years in the effective service. The
question is this :—France wants 750,000 to 800,000
men ;
.whether it is less onerous to pass an addi-
tional year in the reserve, with a contingent of
100,000 yearly, or to serve only three years in
the reserve and increase the annual contingent to
110,000 men ? Now, the probability of recall under
the colours during the fourth year in the reserve is
equal to 63,000. Of each contingent of 100,000
there remain 13,000, who form what is called the
young reserve ; and the period of nine years gives
a general reserve composed of two elements :
100,000 odd of young recruits, and upwards of
200,000 soldiers who shall have served five years ;
the former can easily be enrolled among the latter,
who have been inured to active service. But the
Hon. M. Louvet's system reverses this, and under it
the young recruits would nearly equal in number
the tried soldiers. This would constitute a perma-
nent evil. But I will leave military criticisms and
turn to civil interests. The augmentation of 10,000
in the contingent—that is, 60,000 men in the
course of six years—would represent, for
those additional men, 1,500,000 working days
lost during their five months' exercises in the re-
serve; and besides, they would form part of the
young res erve, and might be at any time incorporated
in the active army. In point of view of marriage
those 10,000 would form an additional number who
could not marry during six years, equal to 60,000
young men debarred from contracting matrimony
for a year. With regard to replacement, M. Louvet
has told you that the prolongation of the service
will raise the price of substitutes, but that is an
error ; it is not the duration of the service that re-
gulat es the price, but the composition—that is to
say, the number of those wishing to be replaced.
With. a contingent of 100,000 men there will be a
certf Lin number of substitutes required ; increase that
effective by 10,000, and the number will be greater ;
and, if 10,000 are added, greater still ; but the inten-
tiQu not to augment the contingent, but to keep it

at 100,000 men, so that the number of substitutes
will not be enlarged. With respect to marriage, the
amendment aggravates the interdiction by making it
fall on a greater number. The proposers could only
be right if they asked for eight years' service, while
they left the contingent as it is at present ; but I
have demonstrated to you that such a proceeding is
utterly impossible. And Ido not hesitate to again
affirm that one year more in the reserve will be an
infinitely lighter burden than an addition to the
contingent of 10,000 men. You have been told
that to fix nine years as the period of service by an
organic law is to disarm the Chamber. Is that
argument sound ? Is there not a necessity that au
organic law should decide on the duration of the
service ? As to the contingent, it is the right of the
Chamber to fix it annually. That you should con-
stitute yourselves the defenders of the civil interest
against any exaggeration of the military] is easily
understood ; it is your duty, but that is not all ;
you have also the sacred mission, under solemn cir-
cumstances, of placing in the hands of Government
the forces which might be required for a great and
legitimate war. (Hear.) If you had to discuss every
year the duration of the service you might modify it,
and it could so happen that you would have under
the flag soldiers whose time of service would be of
unequal duration. (Hear, hear.) That state of
things could not be allowed, therefore the duration
of the service must be fixed by an organic law. You
wish, in order to abridge the time, to increase the
contingent. But take care; a great war may last
several months, and necessitate the calling out of
all the force of the country, Well, if you have ably
husbanded your contingents, will you not be
stronger at the moment of danger ? (Hear, hear.)
The contingent is the daily resource which must not
be exhausted beforehand, and in the duration of
the service, wisely regulated, you will find a com-
pensation which will permit you to husband it.
Your prerogatives will therefore remain entire; they
are not, I believe, in the way of becoming weakened;
they tend, on the contrary, to expand.' Well, deve-
lope them for the greatest good of the country.' "
(Prolonged applause.)

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HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Dec. 29.
2The Queen drove out in the grounds yesterday
afternoon, accompanied by Princess Christian. The
other members of the Royal family also went out.
Her Majesty the Queen, Prince and Princess
Christian, Princess Louise, Prince Arthur, and
Princess Henriette of Schleswig-Holstein, attended
Divine service at Whippingham this morning.
The Rev. George Prothero, assisted by the Rev.
R. Duckworth, officiated and administered the Sa-
crament of the Holy Communion.

The Lady in Waiting to her Majesty and the
Equerries in waiting were in attendance.
Prince Leopold and Princess Beatrice attended
the morning service at Whippingham.

POLICE lIITELLIGENOE.—This Day.

MARLBOROUGH-STREET.

THE MARQUIS TOWNSHEND AND THE CRIPPLE.'
John Toohey, a lame man, was charged before Mr.
Tyrwhitt with begging.
The Marquis Townshend said that the previous
afternoon he saw the prisoner walking along Picca-
dilly apparently very lame, one leg resting over
the other. He saw the prisoner receive, though he
did nut ask for it, money from a gentleman, and be
then walked much quicker, the fault in his leg ap-
pearing to diminish after receiving the money. ge
gave the prisoner into custody, and had brought the
case forward for two reasons ; first, in the belief
that eerious results might take place to ladies from
seeing such objects about the streets, and consider-
ing that steps ought to be taken to prevent such a
practice ; and secondly, from a feeling that if the
prisoner was really in a state of distress he had
not taken the proper means of obtaining
relief. At the station ss. was found upon the
prisoner.

The prisoner held up his leg, and said that it
could not be worse, as it was in a state of mortifi-
cation, and he would, if discharged, apply to St.
George's Hospital for assistance.
The Marquis said the prisoner so carried the leg
that it was exhibited to all the passers-by.

Mr. Tyrwhitt said he had no dcubt the exhibition
of the leg was to excite charity, and the prisoner
clearly came within the Vagrant Act, and he should
send him to prison for a month. Such exhibitions
were no doubt, as was stated, dangerous.
WILFUL DAMAGE.—Charles Parr,
,a tailor, was
charged with breaking a pane of glass, of the value
of £5, in the window of Mr. Wolmershausen, tailor,
48, Curzon-street.

The prisoner had a dispute with Mr. Wolniers-
hausen, for whom he was working, respecting the
payment for an article of clothing, Mr. Wolmers-
hausen considering he had amply paid fur it, and
the prisoner that he had not, and the prisoner
afterwards went out and broke the window, of the
value of £5.

Mr. Cornelius O'Conner, clerk to Mr. \Vol-
mershausen, and Thomas Elam, 76 C, both proved
hearing the prisoner admit that he had broken the
window.

Mr. Tyrwhitt said there were times when men of
the prisoner's class were peaceable persons, but
those times had changed now. The prisoner was
evidently a very conceited person, and would have
to pay £5 damages, and a fine of ls., or 21 days
in default.

DESTRUCTION OF .NITRO-UrLYC.ERINE.—In accord-
ance with a recommendation of the Gateshead magistrates,
the nitro-glycerine reported from Uswurth Colliery 113°
been destroyed. The liquor, which was contained in lb
wicker-covered canister, was conveyed to a field by order
of Mr. Coxon, the colliery viewer, and a lighted patent
fuse was placed in the bung. The spot chosen was away
from any human habitation. When the compound fired,
a light blue smoke was wafted into the air, followed by
report like the roar of artillery. The ground where the
explosion took place was torn and ragged for many Yard°
around, while the top of an adjoining hedge was
clipped. Seven pounds of this compound was also found
on Friday stored in the pantry of a sinker at Chester-moor
colliery, and it was destroyed on Saturday. The Northern
Daily Express reports that proceedings are to be instituted
against the persons who introduced into Newcastle the
nitro-glycerine which caused the late explosion. neatly

THE ACCIDENT AT THE BWLLFA COLLIERY."'"
A brief telegram on Saturday announced a fatal ace',
dent at the Bwllfa Colliery, near Cwmdare. It woule
seem that this pit is about three miles from Aberdare. Its
is one of the most important of the steam coal collieries '7'
the district. To understand the circumstances surround'
ing the accident, a section of the upcast shaft must be
imagined. On one side, running down the pit some die;
tance, was a wire rope worked by engine power, and
protected by being encased in a wooden tube. Below this
was the furnace. On the opposite side was the 4-ft. scan''
about 100 yards from the surface. About 50 yards below
this again was a drift 350 yards in length, and supplied
with air from the downcast pit through the 4-ft seam
means of a wooden tube. This ran below the furnace;
Five men were working the night turn in the drift, an
were about being relieved by five day men. About 51%
o'clock smoke and flames were observed issuing from the
upcast shaft, and the safety of the ten men below became the
first consideration. An attempt was made to get down, butl.
was frustrated by the density of the smoke. At this crlsie
Mr. Kirkhouse, the manager, descended in spite of the
danger, and entering the drift found about halfway 6:e
men dead ; pushing his inquiries to the face of the drfitt
he found five more men groaning. They were immediateli
taken out. and brought up. After medical treatment, al
are happy to say they recovered. The origin of the fire e
doubtful, but it is supposed that the wooden air tub!
°
caught fire after the rope tubing was burnt, and till
diverting the current of air from the drift, the smoke fral
the wood suffocated the men. It seems extraordinary
the day men coming down before the fire broke out no'eit
noticed anything unusual ; the men in the drift had Bra: a
fire, but thought nothing about it. If they had heeded
the warning not a life in all probability would have bees;
lost. It is also singular that the air communicating
the drift was damp, though sufficiently burnt to pretelli
the air from flowing to its destined point. Another fa°,
in connection with this occurrence is that the men halfwel
in the drift were suffocated, while thous
_MAIO 1011
egibed. though *lilt"owlti