The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-20 00:00:00

LON DOX, IVEDN E'SDAY, NO V. 20, 1567.

The Ses.,ion has opened under favourable circum-
stances, and, we may hope, for the best, since all
parties seem inclined to combine to make the best
use of their time. It cannot be denied that the
Government meet Parliament under circumstances
of sonic difficulty, but the only way to get over that
Cifficulty will be to look the matter fairly in the
face, and to consider what can be done to vindicate
the honour of the country. The Royal Speech was
couched in most expressive terms respecting
th.,:! Abyssinian expedition, and, more fully

than such compositions generally do, explained
low Parliament must come to the aid of the Sove-
reign and her advisers in disposing of a matter that
deeply involves the credit of the country and inter-
fering with the conduct of our affairs abroad, inas-
much as the safety and welfare of our fellow-sub-
jects are outraged. The DERBY Administrations
which have held office during late years have been
proverbial for having the luck of dealing with
awkward things ; and this Abyssinian affair
threatens to be not the least vexed question of the
day. It is a satisfaction, at any rate, that the
whole subject is now before both Houses of
the Legislature, and hence the public mind will be
fully represented, and all will have an opportunity
of understanding those particulars, which during
the recess can never be so well comprehended in all
their bearings. For some time past those best in-
formed and most familiar with things believed that
something more than ordinary would come of the
dilly-dallying of King THEODORE, but perhaps even
they hardly expected that the affair would increase
in magnitude and importance until a Session of
Parliament was anticipated, in order thatfull powers
might be given to the Executive to send out an ex-
pedition to rescue the prisoners, or at least to
avenge their wrongs.
Au °ppm tunity was afforded last night for the
illustration of that good feeling which, to the credit
of English political life, always was superior to mere
party conflicts and ambitious views. Mr. GLAD-
STONE, in a graceful manner, offered the Chancellor
of the Exchequer the sympathy of the House under
the trying circumstances in which he had to meet
them, and refrained from touching on those
minor points relative to the recess speeches,
and so on. The remainder of the right
honourable gentleman's speech was very much
to the point and most statesmanlike in its sugges-
tions. He advised the House to have faith in Par.

liament, and not to add the expenses of this expedi-
tion to the debt of the country. The Chancellor
of the Exchequer, who was received with general
cheering, returned his thanks to the House for the
kind manner in which they sympathised with him,
and in a short speech alluded to the chief points of
the Speech. Tho Abyssinian Expedition, he ad-
mitted, had not been agreed to by the House, and
it was quite free from pledges on the sub-

ject. It is worthy of notice, as Colonel HoGG
observed in seconding the address, that Lord STAN-
LEY could not have informed the House of the
expedition to Abyssinia at the end of last session,
because at that time King THEODORE had not an-
swered the ultimatum which had been sent to him.
In the House of Lords Lord RUSSELL alluded to

be expedition to Abyssinia in rather captious

terms, which were the more uncalled for as a great
of the mismanagement of the earlier stages of the
affair, rests with the noble lord himself and his col-
leagues. Regarding Reform the noble lord
tried some bitter jokes, and assured Lord
DERBY that be had better have explained how
the Scotch and Irish bills would be for the good of
the House, rather than content himself by saying
that he was going to take two more leaps in the
dark. Lord DERBY made an effective speech, in
which he very truly declared that all who entered at
all into this Abyssinian question must see that the
honour and dignity of the British Crown could no
longer be treated with insult, and the offenders be
treated with impunity. The noble earl showed
the House in the most complete manner
that all had been done by the Government which
could possibly be done to settle the matter in an
amicable form. We would direct particular atten-
tion to this pas age of the noble lord's discourse,
because some have been very ready with their cri-
ticisms on the subject before they understood it

themselves. A time must come in all discussions
of this kind when remembrance must cease and
action begin, or of what avail is it to have force at
our command at all ? No doubt much may
' often be done to smooth down things, and let
arbitration take the place of war; but there are ex-
ceptions to every rule, and this Abyssinian matter
is unquestionably one of them. On the whole, we
may conclude that the Government has been well
received by Parliament, and that the unanimous
acceptance of the Address to her MAJESTY by both
Houses of Parliament is a good augury of success
for the future. The part of the Speech relating to
education is satisfactory, and Mr DISRAELI declared
it meant more than a flourish, and that her
MAJESTY'S Ministers were fully determined to deal
with the question as soon as possible. This is well,
for the general feeling of the public has long
decided upon the necessity that exists for some steps
to be taken ; and no Government can hope to
meet the approval of the public which does not deal
with this vital topic in an unprejudiced manner,

and quite irrespective of the doctrines of party and
intolerance.

The intelligence from the West Indies continues

to be of the deepest interest. Official advices from
St. Thomas report that all the officers and engineers
of the Rhone were lost with the vessel. Out of 145
passengers 25 were saved, but most of the crew
were drowned. Five steamers and sixty vessels
were wrecked, and on shore the destruction was of
an equally terrible character, the town being, it is
said, almost in ruins. Happily, though the
accounts of the hurricane at St. Thomas's appear
to have been in no way exaggerated, there
is reason for hoping that the catastrophe at
Tortola has been unduly magnified. The British
consul at Cuba has declared his belief that the news
of the submersion has been much exaggerated, and
our Consul at New York telegraphed yesterday to
the Foreign-office that the intelligence was only re-
ceived by the New York Herald, and was doubted
in New York. The Consul at Havannah had in-
formed the Consul at New York that no particulars
had been received, but that the rumour was thought
to be greatly exaggerated. This is further con-
firmed by the fact that a letter, dated November 1,
had been received at Havannah from Tortola, say-
ing that a great fire had occurred there during
the hurricane of the 29th, and mentioning that a
family had been drowned. If this is the only
foundation for the alarmiEg reports which have
excited such widespread consternation, it is a
noticeable instance of the rapid growth of rumour.
Notwithstanding our indignation at the reckless
propagators of such false news, we can only hope
that it may prove the case, but catastrophes are
not unfrequent in these tropical sear, au' we know

the recent tempests have been of
au exceptionally violent rature. Po.sibly the
truth lies somewhere between the, two accounts.
There may have been great loss of life without
" every living thing being destroyed." The sea
may have swept over some low-lying districts im-
mediately on the coast without" the island having
been submerged for eight hours." The authorities
have adopted the wisest course in sending instruc-
tions to the Admiral commanding on the North
American station, desiring him to send a ship of war
to the Island of Tortola. It is quite time that this
crud suspense were put to an end, and that the real
nature and extent of the disaster were made public.
The American news itself is not especially
striking. Mr. THADDEUS STEVENS has written a
letter on the finances, declaring that he abhors
repudiation, but that he thought Gov_lnment was
not bound to pay tha principal of the ive-Twenty

Bonds in coin. He denounces the national banks,
and recommends the issue of four million dollars
legal tender monthly for the redemption of the
bonds. This question of the finances is likely indeed
to occupy a prominent position in the discussions
of the coming Session, and we have yet to see
what will be the effect of a more moderate and
less reckless assembly. The Democratic majority
in the late New York State elections was
over 42,000, which indicates a considerable change
in the feeling of the people. The several conven-
tions throughout the States are adopting various
courses. One of them, the Conservative Conven-
tion in South Carolina, has Wined an address pro-
testing against negro supremacy—a protest in which
they will have a good many secret if not avowed
sympathisers. The Alabama Convention has taken
up a new grievance, and memorialised Congress for
the removal of the cotton-tax.

General GRANT has issued a singular and some-
what mischievous order respecting the property in
the South. He has ordered the Freedmen's Bureau
Commissioners to take possession of all property in
the South recorded as abandoned, and to dispossess
unlawful occupants and all owners of property not
making formal application for restitution before the
Ist of January. This is placing a dangerous weapon
in the hands of the Freemen's Bureau Commis-
sioners, and is paving the way for that confisca-
tion of the planters' property for the benefit of
the negroes, which has been so often talked
about by Radical leaders, but always denounced
by the common sense and justice of
the country. If it is not intended to
lead to any such consequences, its effect is still
likely to be bad, because the blacks on hearing of
the order will naturally believe that the good time
which they have been taught to look for so long is
actually at hand, and in the present disturbed and
unsettled state of their minds the disappointment
which awaits them will be like a spark to tinder.
The PRESIDENT happily seems determined to main-
tain his authority as Commander-in-Chief, and
as such assumes the supreme direction of
military affairs. He has assigned as a
reason for suppressing the militia organisations in
Washington the fact that they had been organised
without his sanction as Commander-in-Chief under
the Constitution. A firm hand is much needed on
the reins, and we hope ho may succeed in keeping
his turbulent subordinates in check.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

PARIS, Tuesday Evening.
There is nothing of interest respecting Italy un-
less a proclamation from Mazzini, dated Nov. 8,
may be so classed. It is as absurd as the Garibal-
dian manifestation. In this proclamation Mazzini
calls upon his "fellow-citizens" to rise en masse,
overthrow the Government of Victor Emmanuel,
and march upon Rowe. These are brave words,
quite in the Garibaldi style, and will, no doubt, be
as effective in thair results as the projects of the
hero of Caprera.
A letter of a similar character also sees the light
from Count de Falloux, the ultra-Conservative and
reactionary Minister of 1848. The count is quite
as angry with Victor Emmanuel as Mazzini. In-
deed he is equally displeased with the French Go-
vernment for not sending an army to Rome much
earlier than it did. The count, however, is pleased
to believe that there is no essential difference in
principle between France and Italy.
I yesterday briefly noticed the spectacle out of
doors on occasion of the opening of the Legislative
Session. The crowd in the environs of the Louvre
was immense, greater, perhaps, than on any similar
ceremony of the kinl. The Ambassadors, Cardi-
nals, Ministers, and other great personages arrived
by the Rue de Rivoli, and entered the Court of the
Palace of the Louvre by the gate opposite to the
Rue de Marengo. There wai an uninterrupted suc-
cession of splendid carriages for a long time. Places
were reserved fur the Officers of State, the Ambas-
sadors, and their wives. The Empress left the
Palace in a carriage drawn by two horses, the
National Guard being formed in line to the right,
and the Imperial Guard to the left. Her Majesty
was received, on her entrance, by the Princess
Mathilde and the Princess Lucien Bonaparte. She
proceeded to the Tribune to the right of
the Throne, preceded by the officers on duty,
and followed by the Princesses, the Ladies
of Honour, the Officers of the Household, and the
Emperor's Aida-de-Camp. The reception of the
Empress was cordial and enthusiastic in the extreme.
A salute of 21 guns announced the departure of the
Emperor and the Imperial Prince, who were received
on their arrival in Galerie Francaise by Prince
Louis Lucien Bonaparte, Prince Lucien Murat,
Prince Lucieu Bonaparte, Prince Joachim Murat,
and Prince Napoleon Charles Bonaparte. The whole
assembly greeted them with warm and earnest
acclamations.

The Emperor immediately took his place upon
the Throne, and the Grand Master of the Cere-
monies, by the Emperor's order, then said, " Gentle-
men, be seated." The Speech was several times
interrupted by cries of " Vive l'Empereur ! Vive le
Prince Imperial."

The Minister of State, having received the direc-
tion of the Emperor, requested the members of the
Legislative Body who had been elected since the
close of the Session to take the oaths to the Emperor.
The following Deputies took the oaths accordingly :
Viscount Cornudet, M. Dessaignes, Baron de Four-
ment, and M. Geliot. This proceeding being con-
cluded, the Minister of State declared, in the name
of the Emperor, that the Session was opened. The
Emperor, Empress, and the Imperial Prince then
retired amidst the prolonged and hearty acclama-
tions of all.

This was probably the last time that the ceremony
of opening the Session of the Chambers will take
place in the Salle des Etats of the Louvre, as the
splendid new building in the centre of the Carrousel,
so long iu course of construction, will be finished
by the opening of the next Session. The Emperor
will then be able to walk from the Tuileries to the
Salle, where the Session will be opened, and the
building, where the ceremony took place yesterday,
will again be devoted to the Museum of Painting
of the Louvre.

The Siecle cavils a little at some of the points of
the Speech, but it has given satisfaction to almost
all the other journals ; and go where you will in
Paris you hear expressions of approval of it, and
the most favourable auguries are drawn from it as
to the couAnuance and consolidation of peace.
The Figaro has a correspondent at Rome, who
sends as authentic au account of a conversation be-
tween the Pope and Captain Marambat, of the
59th Regiment of the Line. The Pope, after having
visited the wounded of his own troops, the French,
and Garibaldians, said to the captain—" You have
in the French army a new plaything, which it ap-
pears produced marvellous effects upon the field of
battle. My soldiers were much less solidly armed,
and the great loss among theta no doubt arises from
that circums'anc:. Give ISI3 some explanation
about this Chassepot gun." The captain, although
wounded, and still suffering great pain, sent for
some of his soldiers, and gave them orders to take
his gun and exhibit all its capabilities to the Holy
Father.

'1 he most productive month of the year for the
theatres during the Exhibition was the List-. During
that mouth the total receipts wero no less than
2,875,919 f. 19c. So that great intellectual compe-
tition gave an impetus not only to art, manufacture,
science, and industry, but to the drama.
An ingenious swindler has managed to obtain
200 f. in this way :—A well-dressed gentleman went
to a cafe in the Faubourg St. Mirtin, and address-
ing the proprietress at the counter, asked her if she
would have the goodness to take charge of 200 f.,
which he expected a commissionaire would bring to
him at her establishment. The lady of course was
ready to oblige a customer, who ordered a glass of
Madeira. He sipped and sipped for some time, and
then pretended to be impatient. At last the commis-