The Sun.
London, England, 1866-01-18 00:00:00

THE 'SUN, L6D- ON, THURSDAY EVENING, JANUARY IS, ISC6.

tile national love for military glory. NAPOLEON
has, therefore, shown his Usual sagacity and discri-
mination in refusing to make the threatening aspect
assumed by the States towards Mexico a casus
belli. Perhaps, too, he thinks that MAxi-
MILIAN'S cause will be best served by a
temporary withdrawal of his avowed support. It
is the presence of European troops on their conti-
nent which chafes the pride and arouses the suscep-
tibility of the American people; and when this cause
for irritation is removed the Emperor of the FRENCII
may possibly believe that the Mexican throne will
be left undisturbed, or that the Cabinet of Wash-
ington and the advisers of MAXIMILIAN will be able
to settle their differences amicably. At least the
bugbear of the Monroe doctrine will not be so pro-
minently brought forward ; and as the resolutions
adopted by the Congress referred especially to the
maintenance of a Government on the American soil
by force of arms, the Cabinet of Washington, if it
chooses to adopt a conciliatory policy towards
Mexico, may easily reply to the resolutions by the
information that the obnoxious foreigners no
longer uphold the throne of Mexico in defiance of
the wishes of the Mexican people. That people,
like mother peoples, may very well be left to
settle their internal affairs for themselves, and
MAXI3IILIAN and the Republicans may decide
their differences without friendly interference
from either Europe or America. It is said,
on the one hand, that Envoys from MAXIMI-
LIAN are at Washington seeking for recog-
nition, and, on the other, that recruiting offices for
the Mexican Republican army have been opened in
several towns of Texas. These recruits are to be
commanded by Generals WALLACE and LOGAN, and
their object would be to expel the Imperialists. It
is manifest that Mexican affairs cannot remain in
static quo, but that some definite arrangement and
understanding must be come to in the interests of
all parties. Such indeed appears to be the convic-
tion at Washington, and now that the reply of M.
DROUYN DE LHUTS to Mr. BIGELOW has SO far
simplified matters, Mr. JOHNSON'S Government has
only to direct its attention to MAXIMILIAN himself,
who, if he is wise, will endeavour as far as possible
to conciliate his dangerous neighbours.

It was not probable, scarcely, indeed, possible,
that such terrific storms as have lately visited our
coasts should not have done more than ordinary
damage ; but the list of casualties which we have
published during the last few days must have
startled the most indifferent. Yesterday morning
the fearful intelligence of the foundering of the
steamship London in the Bay of Biscay with more
than 200 souls on board, was heard with general
consternation, and before the regret and horror of
all classes had half found expression, the news
reaches us of the total loss of the Royal Albert
in Bute Bay, Cornwall, with every soul on
board I Beside these catastrophes, the mere
loss of vessels like the Amalia or the Christiana,
which at other times would seem to be serious dis-
asters, become absolutely insignificant. Even
the numerous wrecks and perils, involving the loss
of :several lives, sink into comparative unimport-
ance. The caramities must rank in the record of
maritime disasters with the losses of the Royal
Charter, the Amazon, and the Birkenhead, not with
any ordinary shipwrecks. The Royal Albert was
just nearing home, after a long voyage, but the
London had not long left port. It was on the first
day of the new year, which was to the crew
and passengers to be such a brief one,
that the vessel steamed down the Channel
on her way to Plymouth, where she took up some
of her passengers. Judging from the melancholy
result, it may well be asked whether under such
circumstances captains would not be justified in
detaining their vessels rather than risk the safety of
their passengers in exceptionally dangerous weather.
It was only on the Bth that the London cleared
the land, and it was on the 10th, after
the gale had at one sweep carried off jibboom, fore-
topmast, gallant, and royal masts, and even blown
the main royal mast completely out of its socket,
that Captain MARTIN gave orders to put the
ship back for Plymouth. It was too late,
and after skill and seamanship, and, still
better, unfailing courage and unfaltering
devotion to duty could do had been done, the
solemn duty fell to the brave commander to tell his
passengers that no hope remained. The manner
in which he made this appalling communication,
and in which they received it, does honour to the
nglish name. With calmness, which could not be
indifference, while little children were clinging to
their parents' knees with resignation which could
not be hypocritical—while they stood on the
threshold of the presence of the ALMIGHTY JUDGE,
with courage which could not be bravado, with the
solemn words of prayer on their lips, these men and
women heard that life was to them a question of
minutes or hours—and this was no temporary excite-
ment. For four hours the vessel held on, and a few
men, under the guidance of the chief engineer, deter-
mined to try the last chances of a boat. These
few, after undergoing great risks, are all that
remain of the 270 souls that sailed with the London.
Captain MARTIN died, as he had lived, at the post
of duty, and with him went down this great com-
pany of human beings, leaving hundreds of friends,
no doubt, to mourn their untimely loss, yet giving
their country cause to feel proud of their children,
even while she regrets that so great a sacrifice has
been required of her.

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS.

(PROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, Wednesday Evening.
The following is all the information given to-day
by the Moniteur on the subject of Spain :—‘, No
new fact is supplied, either for the telegraphic des-
patches or correspondence, from Spain, as to the
situation of the rebels and the general position of
the kingdom, which appears to be satisfactory."
The Siecle makes these remarks :—" The Constitu-
tionnel, in a conspicuous place, says, "The news
from Spain continues to be unfavourable to the
insurrection.' In a despatch from Madrid, how-
ever, on the same day, we read that ' the insurgents
continue to retreat precipitately towards Portugal.'
These are rather curious confirmations, particularly
the latter. What ! rebels pursued by all the mili-
tary forces of a Government, beat a retreat since
they made their pronunciamento ; their safety is only
in flight ; they fly with the greatest promptitude,
but yet they find means to temporize in their forced
marches ; they continue their rapid flight just as
one proceeds with ordinary work ; and perhaps
one day it may be said of Prim, so persevering in
his course, "unus qui nobis cunstando restituit rem."
There having been reports of the reappearance
of cholera in Paris, I have made some inquiries
into the subject, and can assure you that there is
not the slightest foundation for these mischievous
rumours. It is also stated officially in the Union
Medicale that there is no case of cholera either
in the hospitals or in the city.
A private letter from Guadeloupe gives some
alarming details upon the subject of cholera in that
colony. The disease first manifesteditself at Pointe-
a-Pitre in the month of October, and the number of
deaths increased sensibly- every day. The mini-
mum number of deaths was two a day, and the
maximum 50. The average during the month of
November was 30 each day. The epidemic de-
clared itself at Basse Terre, on the 20th November.
On the 4th of December there had been 1,500
deaths in a town of 8,000 inhabitants, where the
average number of daily deaths is but two. White
men and blacks fell victims without distinction. On
some days there were so many dead bodies that it
was difficult to bury them. At one time there was an
idea of throwing them into the sea, at the risk of
infecting the neighbouring islands. On the 25th
of December the number of deaths had diminished
to 47 a day, but, in fact, the inhabitants had fled
from the town by hundreds. After devastating
Point a Pitre, the cholera propagated itself
throughout the whole island. It raged at
Capesterre and at Trois Rivieres, the two
most picturesque and most admirably situated
suburbs of the island. It also attacked
Les Saintes and Marie-Galante. At La
Desirade, where its attacks were as alarming
and as fatal as at Basse Terre, hundreds of dead
bodies were burned with the idea of preventing the
progress of the epidemic.
A terrible example of the ferocity of the wolf has
occurred near Rodez, in the district of the Cevennes.
A man, while digging the ground in search of
truffles, was attacked by a very large and savage
wolf, which mutilated him in a shocking manner.
The animal then attacked a girl who was minding
some cattle. A gentleman, who was out shooting
with a double-barrelled gun, luckily made his ap-
pearance. He was afraid to fire at the wolf lest he
should kill the girl, but the former abandoned his
prey and attacked the sportsman. The attack was
so sudden and impetuous that he could not make
use of his gun, and the wolf nearly tore
out one of his eyes. The gentleman, how-
ever, although wounded as he was, soon
regained his self-possession, and fired both
barrels at the wolf. The animal weighed more
than 1001bs. Both the man and the girl have since
died from the injuries inflicted by the welf. It
had received a gunshot wound on the same morn-
ing, which is supposed to have made it more fero-
cious than usual.

The weather to-day has been fine and very mild,
but the observations taken yesterday at the Obser-
vatory of Paris presage storms in the north of Nor-
way, the action of which may extend to the North
Sea. The barometer pressure is very great. An
unusual number of wild ducks fly about the Seine,
from which circumstance some of the weather pro-
phets here surmise that we shall have yet a
severe winter. In the country around Paris, how-
ever, the trees begin to show buds. The rose
trees, particularly, are beginning to shoot forth
buds.

Of the nine candidates for admission to the
Paris Jockey Club, the six following have been
elected :—M. Delamarre, staff officer, son of a
member ; M. Halley Clapareda, son of the deputy;
the Duke d'Albufera, M. de Turrenes, Baron Beth-
man of Frankfort, and Mr. Vansittart of London.

The operations -necessary for building the new
Exhibition in the Chanip de Mars proceed very ra-
pidly. The excavations for the platform of the
Palace have been made to the extent of 100,000
metres. More than half of the masonry requisite
for the foundations, the sewers, and the subterra-
nean galleries for air, have been completed. The
total cubic extent to which the works have reached
is 16,000 metres. The lower portions of the me-
tallic carpentery work have been fixed, and towards
the end of February the other metallic supports re-
quired will be in their places. There is every rea-
son to suppose that the contractors will be able to
have their task finished before the time appointed.

Another double suicide has been committed in
Paris. A man and his wife, residing in the Rue
Tournefort, not having been seen during the day,
some alarm was excited. The man was a shoe-
maker, and some of his customers having called and
knocked without making any one hear, the Com-
missary of Police was sent for, who advised the
door to be broken open. They were both found on
the bed dressed, holding each other by the hand,
quite dead. A pan of charcoal near the bed indi-
cated the mode.by which they had committed sui-
cide. No writing was found, nor is there any ex-
planation of the cause of=their fatal resolution.

The Government, earn stly desiring to give every
possible facility to electors, has just extended the
time for the revision of the list of electors from ten
to twenty days. " This measure," says the Patrie,
"the initiation of which entirely belongs to the Go-
vernment, prove that the free and regular working
of the principle of universal suffrage interests the
authorities as much as the citizen. This object is
to place beyond the attack either of time or political
circumstances the exercise of the right which is the
basis of our Constitution."
An anecdote is related to show the morbid sym-
pathy of our countrymen with criminals. At the
trial of the assassin Poucett, at Versailles, on Satur-
day, the prisoner called for a glass of wine to ani-
mate his courage, and it was given to him. Four
Englishmen present, it is said, had a longing desire
to possess the glass out of which the murderer had
drank, and offered the officer of the court, M. Mas-
son, ten Napoleons for it. The officer refused, when
the amount tendered was increased to twenty Napo-
leons. The more the Englishmen desired to possess
the glass, the more the officer refused to let have it ;
but the collectors of articles tainted by criminals,
it is said, told M. Masson that they intended to
come again to Paris shortly, when they hoped they
should be able to advise him to change his deter-
mination.

THE RIGHT lION. DE. LUSHINGTON.-lt is
understood in certain legal quarters, like!), to be well in-
formed on the subject, that as soon as the "prize" case re-
lating to the Banda and Kirwee booty is disposed of, this-
venerable judge will retire from the bench. 'Dr. Lushing-
ton is in his 91st year, having been born in 1775, and is the
oldest judge on the bench. The right hon. gentleman was
appointed Judge of the Admiralty Court in 1838.

DOUSE PROPERTY AT SOUTH. KENSINGTON.—
Yesterday. a compensation case, " Hoofstetter V.
The Metropolitan Railway," occupied Mr. Humphrey, the
coroner, and a special jury to a late hour, at the Sheriffs
Court, Red Lion-square. The evidence of the lawyers
was of an extraordinary character as to the value of the
property. The claim made was £5,250, and the company
had offered £3,000. The house taken was 52, Thurloc-
square, and Mr. Hoofstetter had taken another house, 24,
in the same square. For the claimant the house was said
to be worth £lBO a year, and on the other side, £l4O. The
assessor recommended the jury to ascertain the rental, and
then apportion the compensation. The jury assessed the
compensation at £3,100.