The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-14 00:00:00

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The following is the full text of the Emperor's
letter to M. Drouyn de Lhuys, read at the sitting
of the French Chambers yesterday :
" Palace of the Tuilerks, June 11.
"M. le Ministre,—At the moment when the
hopes of peace the meeting of the Conference bad
led us to entertain seem to disappear, it is essential
to explain by a circular to our diplomatic agents
abroad the ideas my Government proposed to intro-
duce into the councils of Europe, and the conduct it
presence of approaching events.
intends to adopt in
"This communication will place our policy in
its true-light.
" If the Conference had taken place your lan-
guage, you are aware, would have been explicit ;
you would have declared in my name that I repu-
diated any idea of territorial aggrandisement—
(' Very good, very good')—so long as the European
equilibrium should not be disturbed. (Agitation.)
"In fact, we could only think of extending our
frontiers if the map of Europe were to be modified
fur the exclusive profit of a great Power, and if the
adjacent provinces asked for annexation to France
by freely-expressed votes. (Fresh approbation.)
" Except under these circumstances, I consider
it more dignified for our country to prefer to acqui-
sitions of territory the precious advantage of living
upon good terms with our neighbours—e Very good,
very good')—while respecting their independence
and their nationality. (Fresh approbation.)
"Animated by these sentiments, and having the
maintenance of peace alone in view, I had appealed
to England and Russia to address in concert words
of conciliation to the parties interested.
" The agreement established between the neutral
PoVers will in itself alone maintain a pledge of se-
curity for Europe. (Fresh movements of adhe-
sion.) They had displayed their perfect impar-
tialityk solve these it i
shoulds my
by adopting the resolution to restrict discus-
sion at the Conference to pending questions.
:
fr a 14 Tlyo
dealt
reh
opinionthey
leasedf
shouldrom t
hbee
diplomatic veil with which they are
, and
that the legitimate wishes -
of sovereigns and peoples
should be taken into serious
consideration. (' Very
good, very good.')
" The conflict that has arisen has three causes :
" The ill-defined geographical situation
of Prus-
sia ; the desire of Germany for a political
reconsti-
tution more conformable to her general wants ; the
necessity for Italy to secure her national inde-
pendence.

" The neutral Powers could not wish to interfere
in the domestic affairs of foreign countries. Never-
theless Courts which participated in the acts consti-
tuting the Germanic Confederation were entitled to
examine whether the changes asked for were not
calculated to compromise the established order of
Europe.
" So far as we are concerned, we should have de-
sired for the secondary States of the Confederation
more intimate union, a more powerful organisation,
a more important part—(applause) for Prussia
greater homogeneity and strength in the North; for
Austria the maintenance of her great position in
Germany. (' Very good.')
" We should further have wished that Austria
could have ceded Venetia to Italy in exchange for
an equitable compensation (' Verygood, very good')
—for if, in concert with Prussia, and without heed-
ing the treaty of 1852, she waged war upon Den-
mark in the name of the German nationality, it
appeared to me just that she should recognise the
same principle in Italy, as completing the indepen-
dence of the Peninsula. (Applause.)
" Such are the ideas we should have endeavoured
to promote in the interest of the repose of Europe.
It is to bs feared, now that the fate of arms alone
will decide, in face of these eventualities, what is the
attitude suitable -to France.
" Ought we to manifest displeasure because Ger-
many finds the treaties of 1815 powerless to satisfy
her national tendencies and to maintain her tran-
quillity ?

" In the war upon the point of breaking out we
have only two interests—the preservation of the
European equilibrium, and the maintenance of the
work we have contributed to build up in Italy.
Very good, very good.')
" But does not the moral force of France suffice
to preserve those two interests ? Will she be obliged
to draw the sword to make her voice heard ? Ido
not think so. (Fresh marks of assent.)
" If, despite our efforts, the hopes of peace are not
realised, we are nevertheless assured by the declara-
tions of the Courts engaged in the struggle, that,
whatever may be the results of the war, none Of the
questions affecting us will be settled without the
consent of France. (' Very good, very good.')
" Let us remain, therefore, in a watchful neu-
trality, and strong in our disinterestedness, animated
by the sincere desire of seeing the peoples of Europe
forget their quarrels and unite in the pursuit of
civilisation, liberty, and progress, let us remain con-
fident in our right and calm in our strength. (Pro-
longed applause.)

" Herewith, M, le Ministre, I pray God to have
you in His holy keeping.

(Signed)

" NAPOLEON."

Royal Geographical Society.

An ordinary meeting of this society was held on Monday
evening in Burlington House. Sir Roderick Murchison,
who was in the chair, announced that the Duke of Edin-
burgh had that day been elected a fellow of the society,
and he made some remarks on the fitness of his royal high-
ness, as a great traveller, to become one of their members.
Among the other gentlemen announced as having been
elected fellows was Mr. Charles Kean.

Mr. 3fAnxnAht read a paper on the clearing away of
forests on the hills in the south-west of India, and on the
effects produced thereby in dessicating the interior parts
of the country. He stated that the mountain range which
forms the _..,; A.l-1-4-----..... vi Imam, rising to a
-neignt of Om, arrests the clouds blown from the
western ocean by the monsoon, and that there is, in con-
sequence, an abundant rainfall during those months,
amounting in some places to as much as 200 inches. The
mountains were formerly covered with forests, which, as
Mr. Markham observed, diminished the evaporation, and
season ; but, latterly, the forests have
by retaining the moisture, diminished the dessication
during the dry
been to a great extent cleared away for the cultivation
of coffee, tea, and of the chincona tree, and the effect is
becoming very sensibly felt by diminishing the quantity of
water and increasing the necessity for irrigation. The sur-
face that has been deforested was stated to be equal to the
whole extent of Ireland ; and Mr. Markham pointed out
the importance of compensating for the loss of the mois-
ture-retaining power of the forests by making extensive
reservoirs in the valleys to collect the rain that falls during
the monsoon. Owing to the hard character of the rocks,
the water drains rapidly from them, instead of being ab-
sorbed into the ground; and the effect of the removal of
the trees was to flood the rivers and to carry off the water
more quickly than formerly.
In the discussion of the paper, Sir WM. DENIsoN, Go-
vernor for many years of Madras, confirmed the statements
of Mr. Markham, whom he complimented for having in-
counteract the dessicating effects of clear-
troduced the cultivation of the ehincona tree into the
western parts of India, which, in the course of time,
apyartthialelyforests. He also enforced the necessity a
purpose of irrigation. II
Crawfurd denied that the clearing away of trees r.
ciwnogonusatlruwd cting reservoirs for the
. would
ita.vosinso.- possessing a suffi-
ciency
and 11'
increase the amount of evaporation, and he. Instanced
Java as being without- forests, and yet nos
of moisture. Sir Fleury
on the contrary,
coplanasntrioefs that had been reducedb from a state
iadnsdtauncecedsthofe
of the forests that once covered thems . parts of Persia as
of luxuriant fertility to barren desert they.
chison adverted to the geologicalcharacter 1.1
-
clearingd awayAf
of the moun-
tains in the south-west of India. Ile said that the gneiss
rock of which they are composed was among the oldest of
the geological series, and that, from its hard structure, the
rain would drain off it rapidly.
A second paper, by Colonel SEELE, was then read, "0 e
Mediaeval Travellers to China," in which ho had collected
from the writings of old travellers various a
then known re-
as
specting the original explorations of China,
the 12th
vel
the
Cathay, some of which were as far back
turY• Among the strange fictionsons
narrated
in these tracon-
-
len? tales there could be traced a
altogether discarded.
so
showed that they ought notm o d thread of truth, which
e remarks on the paper, which,
he said, brought to notice
Lord Strangford made
the
works
of some travellers not
a- then adjourned to the
The meetingpreviously known.
25th instant, which will be the last meeting of the session,
r will be read by Mr. Baker, the
and on that occasion a paper
African traveller.

Their Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess
of Wales will honour the Earl and Countess of Dudley with
their presence at a grand ball to be given 911 the 18th fast
at Dudley House, Park-lane.