The Sun.
London, England, 1868-09-22 00:00:00

CORRESPONDENCE FROM PARIS

(mom OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, MONDAY, Septeinber 21.
The news of the rising in Spain is the one topic beiv ;
but, except an infinity of rumours and contradictory state.
thents, there is little intelligence with which to satisfy the
interest which has been excited by this most serious
affair; The Bourse has suffered somewhat, but I see
the English funds are as little affected by the explosion as
by the news of a revolution:in Central America. With the
exception of this engrossing event, the bulletin is of the
most meagre description. The relations between France and
Prussia, or rather between the French and Prussian papers,
remain where they were, and are likely to do. There is as
article in the Berlin Correspondence which might have
excited some attention at another time, but as its general
tenour is merely to prove that the armaments of France
are not defensive, it cannot be deemed a very remarkable
production. The Kiel speech has been followed by othere
which have contained no allusion to politics, and has thus
been almost forgotten.

The aspect of affairs in the East has been rather
threatening ; but the alarming report that the Turks
intended to cross the Danube into Roumania has not bean
followed by the execution of that perilous resolve. The
Independance Bclge publishes a statement to the effect
that the Roumanian Government has addressed a com-
plaint to the English and French Governments respect-
ing the aggressive attitude of the Porte ; hut as
the Belgian journal does not believe this Tumour, it
cannot expect that it will gain crekace elsewhere.
The public mind is, in sooth, uttity demoralised, and
knows not how to find realit'n or dreams with which to
relieve itself. In sevol7,:i of the provincial papers I find,
for instance, 'positive announcement that war is
on thq -point of breaking out, with an allotment
of the various commands in the army. The Em-
peror is to be the Commander -in - Chief, with
Marshal Niel for his second in command. Mac Mahon
is to have the first corps d'armee, Bazaine the second,
Lebrun the third, Canrobert the reserve, &c. The papers
Plfolish anything, and the people believe it. It is hardly
Possible to over-estimate the injury wrought by the pre-
vailing incertitude.
The improvement in the health of Count von Goltz is
attributed to the new treatment of Dr. Witmans, by the
application of tan. Dr. Van Smidt, who treated the
Prussian Ambassador without success, has asked the
modest sum of £1,200 for his services, but he has been
granted only a third of that amount.
The elections in the Niesre and the Moselle are both
safe for the Government. The Opposition could hardly
expect any success in these districts. Their chief con-
solation for defeat is, that in the Nibvre, at least,
the successful candidate did not obtain a majo-
rity of the whole number of voters. The official
candidate polled 15,708 against 3,894 of his opponent ;
but the register contains 32,776 names, leaving 11,085
absentees, besides 1,877 lost votes. These were evidently
those who persisted in voting for the third candidate, M.
Gambon.

There is a rumour current in diplomatic circles here, that
the French Government has made further overtures to the
cabinet of Vienna by inquiring as to the attitude of the
Austrian Government in case of a commercial union
between France, on the one hand, and Belgium, Holland,
and Switzerland on the other. Baron Beust is said to
have responded that the interests of Austria would in
no way be affected by that measure, and that she would
not seek in any way to prevent its adoption. It is added
that the Cabinet of the Tuileries has not given up the
project, and that it will be on the Lapis again shortly.
From the various reports of the vintage it may be con-
cluded that the quantity is not large, but that the quality
is of a very high order.

Judging by hints thrown out by the Mon iteur and
other official journals, the entry of Baden into the Con-
federation of North Germany is the subject of much atten-
tion on the part of the French Government. The Ministe-
rial paper of Berlin, the North German Gazette, declares
that not only is the report of the forthcoming annexa-
tion a pure invention, but that " the editors of the French
papers have no idea of the exact position held by Baden
with respect to the Confederation, nor of the intentions of
the statesmen who direct the policy of Prussia and of the
Grand Duchy." The Prussian paper adds that the annex-
ation tendencies are not welcomed by the Government of
Berlin. This may be taken as a fair assurance that Baden
will not, for the present at least, openly form part of the
North German Confederation. That she may secretly do
so is very probable. It is reasonable to conclude that in
case of war Baden would fall in with Prussia, and as her
War Minister is a Prussian, her army organised on the
model of that of her powerful friend, and finally, as the
most open friendship for Prussia is professed in Baden,
notably at the recent jubilee of the Constitution, very
little is required to complete the union.
From an inspection of the Agror Valley, the scene of
the disturbances which have broken out on the north-west
frontier of India, the Commissioner of Peshawur and
another officer came to the conclusion that the rising
amongst the independent tribes was likely to spread to the
British si4.le of the border. This conclusion was justified
by a general outbreak throughout the valley, and the
levies of natives from Agror and Swat began to desert
from the enemy. Unless the Snider cut matters short,
the limes Calcutta correspondent thinks it likely that the
Indian Government has embarked on a war which pro-
mises to be more serious than the Sitana campaign, in
which 5,000 men were engaged on the same spot
five years ago. The writer thinks this is not
to be wondered at. The Sitana, campaign was
bungled, and in the eyes of the natives it
seemed at the last to be little more than a drawn battle.
Afterwards smaller disturbances were trifled with. The
Bezotees killed an English officer, and got off very
cheaply. A serious rising in Kohat was only postponed,
not put down. Worse than all, the Wahabee fanatics
who were the cause of the Sitana war were allowed to
settle down in the place they formerly occupied, and it is
given out that they did so of their own power. "Then,
whatever we may think of Russia, her advance has
affected all the tribes." We must now have a general
setting in order in this quarter.
The Dublin Evening Nail announces the death of Mr.
Thomas Mostyn, Crown and Treasury Solicitor. He was
appointed to that valuable office in 1859 by Lord Eglin-
ton. He was Grand Treasurer of the Masonic Order in
Ireland. A valuable appointment is placed in the hands
of the Government by his death.

General Peel writes another letter to the Times, to
answer the speech of Mr. Childers at Pontefract. He
thinks the Liberal leaders are very unwise to compare the
military expenditure of the present Government with
their own, and proceeds to explain why. The present
Government have been developing the changes inherited
from the Whigs, and supplying their deficiencies. He
alludes to the enormous expenditure •up to the
year 1863-4, when the first decrease commenced.
The reason of this reduction was given by Sir G.
C. Lewis in moving the estimates, when he took
no votes for ordnance. The right hon. baronet
then said : " The whole amount of guns for the army for
the present year falls short of £5,000. Ido not think any
inconvenience will be caused by reducing our stores to the
extent of £1,000,000 during the present year." General
Peel remarks upon this: " Here, then, is th e boasted decrease
In the estimates accounted for, not in othersonrces of expen-
diture, but merely from the discovery that the guns you had
been spending so much money upon were useless, and you
had no better pattern gun to replace them with ; and this
continued." In six years the Liberals spent £12,579,795
in, guns and warlike material, and had nothing to show
for it. The General is severe upon Lord Hartington, and says
that everything was handed over to the Tories in an utter
state of inefficiency. As to the remarks of the Times that
extra expenditure should be accompanied by a corresponding
saving, which was the policy of Lord Palmerston's Govern-
ment, the right hon. gentleman says : " The new arms
were not introduced, and new ideas were not developed,
and the reduction in the expenditure was entirely owing
to the suspension in providing for them, as I have shewn
by the table of the audited accounts." He thinks that
the vote for army administration might be reduced.
"The Liberal Government were certainly not very
economical or fortunate in dealing with that. I left it at
£185,000 in 1859, and found it at £210,000 in 1866, and in
addition to that increase several of the best clerks in the
War Office had been invited and encouraged to retire
upon pensions long before they were entitled to do so."
Mr. W. H. Gladstone writes to the Rev. W. Keane to
call upon him to explain his statement that "the Church
of England disestablished from the State would become a
bigoted and intolerant priestcraft, little differing from
Popery save in doctrine, and not even differing in
that respect if Mr. Gladstone's doctrines as well as
politics were to be adopted." Mr. Gladstone, jun., asks
for his grounds of belief in the latter clause. The clergy.
man replies wifiAout hesitation : "When I observe a man
for thirty-five, Years shew sympathy both in public and
private life tvith High Church doctrines, which, in my
opinion, ;differ little from Popery, and which have already
led many of their adherents to Rome—when I find among
his stre.ngest supporters those who openly advocate union
with T:come, such as Dr. Pusey, who has written a book to
shew -that Popery and Protestantism are identical--whenl
fin such an one uniting with the illegally self-styled
Archbishop of Westminster and the Irish Romish clergy
in a crusade against the Royal supremacy and Protestant
Establishment in Ireland, I think I am fully borne out in
what I have said. In politics Mr. Gladstone has pre.
rented qa many changes as the phases of the moon, but I
will do him the justice to say that in religious opinions I
have never regarded him other than an advocate of Romish
-•-posed to Protestant views." Z his description of hie
f religious CO;VVIC4OP MlUt be
.C47.1.te ;10'000 thC
3 ‘....Y0g smislWatet

THE EA.RTEQUAKE IN SOUTH AMERICA.

Terrible descriptions are given in private letters of the
first shocks of the earthquake nt Callao, where, it will be
remembered, the effects of the disaster were very small.
One dated Aug. 13, says:--This evening, at about 5 o'clock,
the three most terrible and alarming shocks of an earthquake
which has visited Callao in seven years were made manifest.
For full five minutes the heavy, rolling, rumbling shock con-
tinued, rocking the furniture, and even the houses themselves,
with such violence that persons could hardly keep their
feet, and an instantaneous rush was made for the street.
Here the sight beggared description. All the affrighted
people kneeling and praying in the open street, crossing
themselves, and falling in deep swoons full length on the
pavement ; old women kneeling with both arms upraised,
screaming and crying, the great bell of Santa Rosa Church
tolling and tolling, while the terrified people fled in
crowds within the sacred enclosure, and the great steeple
swayed and cracked as if every moment it would fall
unon and crush the affrighted masses. As far as the eye
could see down the long, narrow street, the very street
itself rose and fell in long billowy undulations, while
out in the bay, the ships tossed up and down under
the violence of the tremendous internal jar. While I
write thousands of the poor ignorant natives, Cholos, &c.,
are on foot and walking with all speed up to Lima, and
the cars are so packed with human beings that a special
train has been put on to accommodate those fleeing to
Lima." Another, dated the 14th, says :—" Last night was
the most fearful night of horrors that Peru has ever
known. Tho sea was rising until midnight, and ac-
tually came in fifty feet over the mole, and submerged
all the lower floors of the stores and buildings on
the streets nearest the water. Ships lying at anchor
broke their moorings and drifted into each other. There
seemed to be a regular under-current of whirlpool, so that
ships went whirling round and round ! Thousands of people
walked the streets all night, and this morning the stores are
closed, and Callao seems deserted."

THE WEATHER TABLE.-THIS DAY.