The Sun.
London, England, 1866-10-10 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONLON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, OCTOBER 10, 1866

un±il the faculty and institutions of self-government '
are developed." It is probable enough that another
century may elapse before the French people attain
their full political development. " Time," says Sir
J. X. Sllurruworrnr, "is required for all great
' ehr.nges, and any attempt which is not in
harmony with this law is certain to fail.
Certain great forces are in constant action, and
;they refuse to be hurried in their course. If, how-
-1 fever, their natural development is impeded they
gather strength, and at last break through the
.ordinary succession of events." The speaker
.clearly showed the truth of this when he reminded
his hearers how ephemeral and unstable the forms
of government created by revolutions generally are.
They express the prevailing feeling or sentiment
of the moment. They have their origin in the
, strong convictions or vivid anticipations of
enthusiastic minds, but unless they accurately
represent the actual growth of the state, and the
slow but steady progress of the people, they are
certain to crumble and fall. All sanguine expecta-
tions of the rapid evolutions of new forms of go-
vernment in nations, ill prepared by their ante-
, cedent conditions, are not warranted by the ex-

perience of history, and generally all sudden
transitions in national policy partake of the character
of revolutions and of their weakness in the presence
of surrounding conditions not in harmony with
them. One of two things must result from such
rapid changes—either the new condition must
subordinate all surrounding conditions to itself or
it must collapse and perish. Where any strong
conviction or principle has gained ascendancy, and
has been really based upon the public convictions,
and, in harmony with the spirit of the time, it has
produced most striking effects. Thus the desire for
the elevation of the masses and for the ameliorition
of suffering have within the last few generations
worked marvellous changes. Sir J. SHUTTLEWORTH
briefly catalogued the most important of these, but
even then the list was a long one. If we look back
to the state of our prisons, the condition of our
penal law, the ignorance of the labouring classes,
and the political situation of the great body of the
people in the last century, we shall realise in some
measure the vast and beneficial advance which has
been made. And, happily for the country, the same
civilising and elevating influences are still at work,
and all we have to learn from the experience of the
past is to wait with patience for their gradual effects.
Looking back with the eye of a philosophic histo-
rian over the busy pages of our English annals, Sir
J. SHUTTLEWORTH traces the ancient degra-
dation of the serf in the miserable condi-
tion of our paupers. The ancient Saxon
idea of personal dignity and civil freedom can only
in the present day be fully carried out by a liberal
system of national education. The half-pauperised
agricultural labourers and the unlettered small
tenant farmers are still, politically speaking, the
thralls of the landlord of the soil. The changes
which were thus apparently made centuries back
are not even yet fully developed. While the facts
thus ably set forth are in some sense discouraging
to the ardent reformer they are full of suggestive
information, and they afford him grounds of hope
that the real principles of social progress, however
tardy in their development, yet possess within
. themselves a germ of vitality and endurance which
no opposing influence can weaken, no tyranny can
subdue.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS•

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

I
PARIS, Tuesday Evening.
mt.,—, ..;,e,..igne .I:o2.ati-20. Vat? iiig diuduhlirTilit
military arrangements of Saxony with the Direct-
ing Government of the Confederation of the
N or th.
The Gazette du Nord, of Hanover, says that the
document giving up the possession of that country
to Prussia contains the following regulations, among
others :
" We order all the inhabitants of the ancient
kingdom of Hanover, in future united to our mo-
narchy, to recognise us, from this moment, as their
legitimate Sovereign and King, and to pay obedi-
ence to our laws, ordinances, and commands.
" We will protect every one in the possession and
enjoyment of his private rights, justly acquired,
supposing that they will be faithfully administered
until the Prussian Constitution shall come into ope-
ration in the country, when we alone are to exercise
legislative power.
"We wish to preserve the laws and institutions
of the countries which hitherto have formed part of
the kingdom of Hanover, and to maintain all par-
ticularities, so long as they do not operate to the
prejudice of the requirements resulting from the
unity and interests of the State."
The Government has received, officially, the news
that Victor Emmanuel signed the treaty of peace
between Austria and Italy on Saturday last. The
ironclad Italian squadron left Ancona on the 30th
of September for Tarentum. Great numbers of
addresses continue to be sent to the municipal autho-
rities in Italy expressive of satisfaction at the signa-
ture of the treaty of peace.

Although the inundations happily have subsided,
accounts arrive daily which show the immense ex-
tent of the disaster. The Government has done all
in its power to relieve the sufferers, and private
charity is so active that the Moniteur cannot find
space to detail the subscriptions.
The other day an ingenious scoundrel went to the
Restaurant in the Rue deßivoli, and had a copious
and excellent dinner, washed down with expensive
wine, coffee, and liqueurs. When he had finished
he asked for pen and ink, and calling the
waiter asked him to deliver it to the first policeman
whom he should meet in the street, and wait for an
answer. The waiter took the letter. When opened
the contents were found to be as follows :—" Mon-
sieur le Sergant de Ville, I have just committed an
offence. If, as is your duty, you wish for proof of
the fact come back with the person who will deliver
this letter to you and arrest me, for I am guilty.
Your servant, Leon 11----, a tumbler." The police-
man came immediately. On perceiving him he got
up and said, " Here I am." Addressing himself to
the Restaurateur, he said, " I have bad a good
dinner, but I have not a centime to pay for it. To
avoid any scandal I have informed the police, and I
now deliver myself up." The unpleasant customer
then walked quietly with the policeman to the Pre-
fecture.

Viscount de Laferriere has been appointed Cham-
berlain to the Emperor, in the room of M. Bac-
ciochi, recently deceased.

A man has been arrested on suspicion of being the
murderer of the woman of the town, named Tis-
seraud, in the Rue de Ponthieu, near the Champs
Elysees, of which I gave an account about a month
ago. lie is a man of 32, a valet de chambre out of
place. At his lodging two razors were found both
spotted with blood. Other circumstances strengthen
the suspicions of the police.

The papers published in the south of France
give an account of a strange and serious revolt
among the young prisoners in the Penitentiary of
the Isle of the Levant, near Toulon. The esta-
lishment is destroyed, burnt, and pillaged. The
steamer Robuste was hastily despatched from Tou-
lon, having on board the Sub-Prefect, the Pro-
cureur-Imperial, and 140 soldiers, under the orders
of a chief of battalion, and 20 gendarmes, com-
manded by a captain. The insurrection was
fomented by some young Corsican prisoners who
had only been at the island two days. After hav-
ing mastered the director and wardens of the prison,
the insurgents set fire to the oil petrole and spirits
which were in the prison. A terrible explosion was
the result, and 14 of the conspirators were either

suffocated by the flames or perished in the ruins.
Had it not been for the devotion of the superin-
tendent of the Semaphore the director of the prison
would have perished. This courageous man suc-
ceeded in delivering the director, who was about
to be engulphed in the flames. He, however, was
attacked while endeavouring to execute his perilous
task, and was pursued, ill treated, and thrown into
a hole, his thigh being broken by the fall. The es-
tablishment is completely destroyed. At the time
of the return of the Robuste fourteen dead bodies of
the insurgents had been found under the burning
ruins. The insurgents did not make any resistance
to the armed force. The amount of injury to pro-
perty is estimated at from 40,000 f. to 50,000 f. The
cause of the revolt is said to be the refusal of the
demand of the insurgents to have an unlimited
supply of tobacco and six hours of recreation every
day.
aiving an account of the death
A Paris paper in
of the crocodile which escaped from the aquarium
of the Agricultural Hall, London, says that if tears
be shed for his memory they will only be crocodile
tears.
A Scotch lady residing at Florence, who recently
had an interview with Garibaldi, says he always
carries with him an oak stick, on which is beauti-
fully chased Scotch thistles. It was a present
from some Scotch workmen, and the lady told Gari-
baldi that he had many partisans among the Scotch.
Garibaldi has suffered much from the last campaign,
and is ill and thin. his hands are very lean, and
he is still very lame. The letter adds that Gari-
baldi treats his soldiers like a father.
Verdi's new opera of " Don Carlos " is under
' rehearsal, and it will be produced early in December.
It was at first stated
_that Sardous's new comedy
would not have any title. On second thoughts,
I however, the author intends to call it "La liaison

N euve."
The accounts from the vintages are more favour-
able since the fine weather, but upon the whole it
seems to be feared that even where the produce has
been abundant the quality of the wine will not be
so good as it was last year.
The sea serpent is neither dead nor asleep—at
least if we are to believe an account sent from Barie
to the Guienne. The account says that some bold
sailors who were crossing the Garonne when that
river was overflowing its banks, perceived between
the two waters a serpent of enormous length and
fatness, which upon the approach of their boat
made a tremendous plunge and disappeared. The
Guienne does not favour its readers with any de-
scription ofathis monster, but possibly it was " very
like a whale."
The weather has been bright, beautiful, and warm
throughout the day, but in the vicinity of Paris, at
the distance of a few miles, the fields were covered
with frost before the sun rose. Au intensely cold
wind prevailed in the early part of the morning
yesterday.

L A TEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

AUSTRIA AND HUNGARY.

VIENNA, October 10.

The convocation of the Hungarian Diet is ex-
pected to take place immediately after the publica-
tion of the treaty of peace with Italy. The Diet
will meet in the middle of November, at which
period all the other provincial diets will also as-
semble.
The surrender of the fortresses and war material
in Venetia has already commenced.
A rumour is current in diplomatic circles that
Baron von Friesen, the Saxon Plenipotentiary, has
concluded the negotiations with the Prussian Go-

vernment.
The King of Saxony is said to have ceded the
fortress of Konigstein to Prussia, and to have also
agreed to place the Saxon army under Prussian
command.

ITALY.

FLORENCE, OCt. 10.

The Austrian garrison evacuated Peschiera to-
day, which was then occupied by the Italian troops.
It is stated that the Austrians will quit Mantua
to-morrow or the day after.

An affray took place at Verona on Monday be-
tween some of the Austrian troops and the inhabi-
ants. Perfect order, however, now prevails in

:hat city.

SWITZERLAND.

PARIS, Oct. 10.

Several cases of cattle plague having recently
occurred in the cantons of Grisons and Schaffhausen.
The Minister of Agriculture has without delay
suspended the execution of the Ministerial Ordinance
of the 2d inst., in as far as relates to the frontiers
of Germany and Switzerland, from the Moselle to
Upper Savoy.

HESSE DARMSTADT.
DARMSTADT, Oct. 9 (Evening).
The Grand Duke has issued a decree, dated the
7th inst., dissolving the Hesse Darmstadt Estates.

BAVARIA.

MUNICH, Oct. 9 (Evening).

Councillor sf State, Pfistermeister, and Minis-
terial Secretary, Lutz, have given in their resigna-
tion, and will be succeeded, the former by llerr
Naumayr, and the latter by Herr Feilits.