The Sun.
London, England, 1866-06-12 00:00:00

ThE SON, LO NDON, TUESDAY EVENING, JUNE 12, 1866.

Count states that the Imperial Government re-
serves to itself the right of taking the necessary
steps, since " nothing remains for Austria but to
take steps for defending her honour and
guarding her rights from being treated with
contempt." If arresting the Commissioners
instituted under its Government be not an
offence to the Vienna Cabinet, nothing else can
be assuredly so. It is at any rate a satisfaction to
find that Hanover has not been so easily won over
to the interests of Prussia, as some supposed that
she would be, and we find that permission has been
given to the Austrian Kalek Brigade to pass through
Hanoverian territory or to use their lines of rail-

way.
Count BISMARCK'S next move will be to send an
ultimatum to Vienna, calling upon the Austrian
Government to retract • the declaration that
was made by its representative at the Federal
Diet. The reply of Austria just alluded
to is considered in Berlin as approximating to a
declaration of war, and such is the state of affairs
that the recall of the Prussian and Austrian Am-
bassadors is immediately expected. Yesterday, at
the sitting of the Federal Diet, the Austrian re-
presentative announced that Prussian troops had
entered Holstein, and assumed " administrative
power" in the Duchy. He moved that the sol-
diers of the Federal army should be mobilised.
Prussia was threatening to occupy llano-
ver, which event would, of course, bring
about the commencement of hostilities. The
position of Prussia at the present moment is
indeed a most unenviable one, for on all sides she
meets with reproach and contumely. In the despatch
of Count MENSDORFF we find it asserted that in
non-Prussian Germany the voice of the public con-
science is against her, and even in Prussia many
truthful, independent minds would side with Austria.
In the House last night it was emphatically declared
by several speakers that the course pursued by
Prussia had alienated the respect of this country,
and caused its sympathies to be against her.

The discussion on Continental affairs produced
some effect at home, if it was not likely that it
would be of much service abroad. It succeeded in

postponing, by a good many hours, the continua-
tion of the Reform debate, and since the House
turned restive and declined to proceed further after

one o'clock very little was done beyond the intro-
duction of Mr. HUNT'S amendment. Certainly, as
Mr. DISRAELI partly admitted, Mr. GLADSTONE had
some grounds for vexation, seeing that the Govern-
ment has: only two nights a week for the discus-
sion of the Reform Bill, and seeing that the progress
hitherto made is so slight, and the Opposition

so persistent. At the same time, however, he cannot
hope to stifle all discussion when foreign affairs are
in so exciting and critical a position. No conclu-

sion was arrived at last night, for the debate on

Mr. liuYr's motion was not finished, and it is
evident that it will stop the way for some time,

since several members are anxious to address the
house upon it. There was, however, such a mani-

:est determination not to continue the debate las

evening that the Government would have been
very foolish to insist upon keeping the
house together. Two hours did not cer-

tainly allow much time for consideration,
but at least another hour was wasted in fruitless
talk. The Government had the consolation of re-
cording the largest majorities of which they can
boast this session on the motion for reporting pro-
gress, the first division giving them 49, and the second
42. These numbers show increasing strength on
the Ministerial side, and prove that their phalanx
is more fitted to resist the attacks of its adversaries
than formerly.

rrhn nm nmi rlnf T., TT 1
the effect that the £l4 conferring the county
franchise should be annual rateable value instead of
gross estimated rental. This, as every one knows,
would have the effect of raising the franchise, and
would, in fact, as Mr. GLADSTONE reminded the
House, reverse the decision of Friday night, for
instead of confirming the £l4 franchise, Mr. HuNT's
motion would raise it to £l6 or £l7. He himself
alluded to it as a sort of corollary of Mr. WAL-
POLE'S previous amendment, which, as we know,
was decidedly rejected on Friday evening. Mr.
HUNT, in introducing his motion, argued that in the
Bills of 185.1 and 1859 the county franchise was
based upon the rateable value of property, and it
was only in 1860 that the question of rates was dis-
pensed with. Mr. GLADSTONE admitted that the
Government had originally contemplated a rating
franchise, but he explained that that was before they
had fully informed themselves on the subject, and that
they had found on full and careful inquiry that even
the advantage of rating might be obtained by another
operation, while much evil might be prevented.
As for the raising of the franchise, if that was to be
done, let it, he said, be done by a direct motion,
not by a huge blow ; and he showed that the pro-
posed change would lead to great anomalies in
the admission of voters, and would produce serious
inequalities owing to deductions and allowances.
In 1859 Mr. DISRAELI himself found the difficulties
in the way of a rating proposition to be insur-
mountable, and though he expressed his belief that
recent changes in the law had tended very much to
equalisation, still we apprehend that great obstaelez
would be found in the practical working of the
scheme. The real objection to Mr. HUNT'S motion
is, however, to be found iu the fact that it would
reverse the decision of the house, and alter one of
the many features of the bill by restricting the re-
duction of the County Franchise.

ones.

We are glad to find from the answer given by
Lord RUSSELL last evening to the Earl of SHAFTES-
BURT that the Government intends to introduce a
bill for the extension of the Factory Acts for the
protection of those children not already included in
its provisions. We hope that the Government will
not lose time in carrying out this useful and humane
intention, but will take care that it is brought for-
ward in the present session, so that no unnecessary
interval may be allowed to elapse before it becomes
law. Measures of this kind are certain to meet with
a strong opposition from interested parties,
although experience has amply proved that
business benefits rather than suffers by the
limitation of the statutes. A better class of em-
ployes who work better, and are more orderly,
decent, and industrious, have succeeded in many
uthe
i s
doubly
to the old, weary, and disreputable hands.
I
caseoul
b ofy needed
thech ildenththee ig)rroeteedctioorunoecf
necessi-
ties acts -
against
ties of their parents on the one hand and their em-
, ployers on the other. Children's labour is cheap,
and there are many branches of
factory work which
, they can do. What does it matter if • the httlo

xc
e i de"
frame is injured for life from too early and
d v
exertion? What does it matter if the
is untaught, the heart uncultivated, if no
principle of right be inculcated to defend the child
against the dangers of evil companionship and pre-
mature knowledge of the world ? The father istoo
ignorant to know or care about such things, the
master is indifferent, and so the health and morality
of the future is mortgaged for the trifling gain of
the present. The accounts of the sufferings brought
upon many of these little ones by excessive and un-
fitting labour, at ages when one would think they

were scarcely out of infancy, are most harrowing ;
and these accounts are not the overdrawn pictures
of sentimental philanthropists, but the plain
matter-of-fact evidence of inspectors and overseers.
Lord SHAFTESBURY has done good sarvice in these
matters, and his name will always be held in affec-
tionate remembrance by the people of this country.
He has been permitted the satisfaction of seeing the
battle in which he fought so long and so gallantly
triumphantly won, but the victory is not yet com-
plete. There remains a great deal to be done for the
protection of those who cannot help themselves, and
who are too weak and powerless even to speak their
wrongs. The members of our Legislature will do
well to turn to the evidence of the Children's Em-
ployment Commission, and then to consider what
lies in their power to improve the position of these

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Monday Evening.
The Moniteur has a long private letter from
Munich, dated June 7, from which I translate the
most interesting points. The armaments continue
throughout the whole extent of the Federal territory
with redoubled activity, and successively all the
Chambers of the Southern States and of Saxony are
called upon to agree to extraordinary credits with
a view to meet the danger which may arise from a
war between Austria and Prussia. Up to the pre-
sent time the Diet has not adopted any resolution
with respect to the mobilisation of the Federal Con-
tingents. With a view to hasten and complete the
system of armed neutrality upon which they have
agreed, the Governments which took part in the last
conferences of Augsbourg and Bambourg have sent
military delegates to Munich. Austria and Prussia
are bound to hold at the disposition of the Diet, in
case of war, three corps d'annee of all arms to an
amount corresponding with their German population.
The 7th corps is entirely furnished by Bavaria, who
ought to equip 60,000 men. The small Principali-
ties form the division of reserve. The credits
demanded by the Baron de Pfordten in Bavaria
amount to 67 millions of francs, which sum will
enable Bavaria to increase her army to 120,000
men. In Saxony the armaments proceed, and M.
Beust, in order to carry them into effect, bas asked
for a sum of 17 millions of francs in order to place
the Saxon army on a war footing for a period of
eight months. A camp for military manoeuvres
has been formed between Pirna and Meissen.
The Journal des Debats, after analysing the tele-
graphic despatches, says—" It appears, according
to the latest news, that it is at Altona that the States
of Holstein will assemble, and as Prussia has de-
clared that she will not tolerate their meeting, it is
asked what measures M. de Manteuffel will adopt
in this respect, and if Austria, on her part, will be
contented with a simple protest in case the Prussian
General should oppose the meeting by force."
The Queen Dowager of Hawaii was received last
evening at the Tuileries by the Emperor and Em-
press. The Queen was accompanied by Major
Charles Gordon Hopkins, Minister of the Interior of
Hawaii ; Madame Hassloscher, Lady of Honour to
the Queen ; and Mr. William Martin, Charge
d'Affaires of llawaii in France.
The only account which the Constitutionnel has
about the war is, that, according to its information
from Kiel, it was not yet known whether General
de Gablenz would have recourse to arms to protect
the meeting of the Deputies of the States of the
Duchy of Holstein.
Here is the comment of the Siecle upon the posi-
tion :—" On rising in the morning every one listens
for the sound of cannon, but not a report is heard.
On the other hand, however, notes, memorandums,
circulars abound. We do not know what reply
Austria will give to the last circular of M. Bis-
mark ; but when two Governments abuse each other
in this fashion, it seems to us difficult to calculate
upon an approaching amicable arrangement between
them."
A special department of the Great Exhibition will
be devoted to a collection of international weights
-,.nroct nrid money of

A -Z:.

scientific convention has been appointed to superin-
tend this portion of the Exhibition. The mission of
this committee will be to examine into the most effi-
cacious means of making the Exhibition of 1867
subservient to the adoption and propagation of one
uniform system of weights, measures, and money.
This committee is composed of the following mem-
bers :—Messrs. Baudvillart, Edmond Becquerel,
Mathieu, and Pelegot, members of the Institute,
and M. Leone Levi, Professor of Commercial Law,
King's College, London.
The first Fontainebleau meeting this season, yes-
terday, was magnificent. The Emperor and Em-
press, and all the notables, and indeed great un-
known, were present. The following is au account

of the races :
Principal Prize (3d class), 3,000 f., for horses of
three years and upwards.
FnmCc, 4 yrs
La Fortune (11. Grimshaw) 2
Tourmalet (Kitchener) 3
Amount of prize, 3,1751. ; 273 f. to the second
horse.

Prix du Conseil General, 3,000 f. for entire horses.
Last Born (W. Carter) 1
Fantaisie
Chantilly
Amount of prize, 3,600 f. The winner was claimed
by Count d'Evry.
Prize of the Society for the Encouragement and
Improvement of Horses in France.
Stilton
Auguste
Baionette (G. Pratt) 3
Amount of the prize, 5,450 f. ; 500 f to the second
horse.

Emperor's Prize (Handicap), 4,000 f., given by
his Majesty for entire horses and mares of three
years and upwards.
La Favorite (G. Pratt) 1

Prince Regent (Mortimer) 2
Le Sioulet (Kitchener) 3
Coloquente
The betting was 10 to 1 against the winner, La
Favorite. Amount of the prize, 9,225 f. 500 f. to
the second.
Prix de la Venerio Steeplechase (Handicap).

Ossian (Lamplugh) 1
Betty (Esslez) 2
Robert ~ . .

Amount of prize, 5,225 f, ; 800 f. to the second
horse.

Cloud. Their Majesties will shortly proceed to
Vichy, for the benefit of the waters, and on their
return from thence will visit the departments of the
East, on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of
the annexation of Lorraine to France. Prince
Jerome Napoleon is about to leave Paris again for
Italy. The first manoeuvres of the camp at Chalons
win speedily commence.
Mr. Batty is said to be in a somewhat dangerous
state. There is gangrene about the wounds in-
flicted by the lioness, and Mr. Batty has suffered
considerable pain.
An eagle, " towering in its pride of place," has
been hovering over the lofty scaffolding erected
on the dome of the Invalides. The bird rested on
the summit for some time, and then continued its
flight towards the north-east. An essayist accepts
the incident as an omen that great events are ap-
proaching, and that the French Eagle will be in
the ascendant, for, according to the national legend,
" Dieu protege la France."
A convict has just been released from the hulks,
who has passed 35 years of his life in captivity. In
March, 1831, he was condemned for homicide by
the Court of Assize of the Celvados, and he made
his first appearance at the bagne of Toulon under
sentence of hard labour for life, but the punishment
has been commuted. He was the last. resident there
who was branded with the letters " T. P." (travaux
publics), meaning labour on public works. Brand-
ing criminals has been abolished since the revolution
of July, 1830.

Marriage of the Princess Mary of Cambridge