The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-30 00:00:00

THE SECOND E2.IIPIRZ

(nom A CORRESPONDENT.)

IT is iiCli'nearly twenty years since tho Lek
tines of Prance were committed jo7llNa.roimoN
lII.' The one concern of his reign' seems to kayo
been to make her invulnerable. During half a
' generation the Empire has contributed a larger
. quota of its means for defensive purposes than
Royalty ever did under the BOURBONS, and peace
has cost more under the Second Empire than
the sixteen years of war which terminated
at Waterloo cost under the First Emperor.
If ever the existence and honour of France were
safe it ought to be now ; and yet M. MAGNE tells
the EMPEROR, in a pleasant, jaunty way, that this is
not the case, and that 187,000,000 f. are imme-
diately necessary to protect them. Everyone will
admit that the security of the country must be
placed beyond question ; it is the first necessity of
the nation. Even at the present sad time, when
severe distress reigns in every department ' • when
money spent upon public works, upon the un-
finished network of railroads, upon the telegraphs,
upon the ch,cmins tic:matt; upon education, and
even in feeding and clothing the poor and the
wretched, would be better spent than in casting
cannon and in rebuilding ships of war—yet even at
such a time, if France is in danger, she must be pro-
tected, Who intends to invade France ? Can it
be that Sir JOHN PAKINGTON is anxious to see
whether Chassepots or Sniders can do the greatest
wonders ? Is VICTOR EMMANUEL in a position to
avenge Mentana ? Does Prussia mean to justify
her German leadership by recovering Alsace, or
by a rectification west of the Rhine ? Or is
ALEXANDER 11. preparing to repeat the exploit of
his namesake by bringing his Cossacks again to
Paris ? If none of these things is likely
to happen, why did NI. MAGNE ask for
187,000,000 francs, the equivalent of seven
millions and a half sterling, for the defence of the
country and the national honour ? Nominally, this
modest request is made to the EMPEROR. The
Finance Minister merely repeats what the Minis-
ters of the Army and the Navy have repeated.
Practically, however, M. MAGNE speaks to the
French nation : it is the people who pay, and even
under:personal and irresponsible government it is
necessary to give some semblance of value received.
The "defence of the country" was mere rheto-
rical padding. Neither the French Emperor nor
his Ministers nor his subjects believe that France
is in danger or that her defences are insufficient.
The simplest bourgeois in the cafes would
ridicule the idea of France being threatened.
But the national honour is• quite another thing.
That is a name to conjure with. Of all the passions
that sway humanity—and especially French hu-
manity—it is a talisman of the most powerful.
It enabled the First NAPOLEON to strew the battle-
fields of three-quarters of the globe with fifteen
hundred thousand corpses of the manhood of
France, and yet remain an idol of the people. In
an Empire which is peace, who' would grudge a '1
few extra millions in support of it ? It is the old, •
old fallacy : a people debauched, ignorant, and
Pauperised—that was no disgrace ; not to be able to
dictate and dominate, but to depend for influence
in the world upon moral power, was national .
degradation. In a word, the addition to the
National Debt which the French Government now
propose is not to make France invulnerable, but to
make her a terror, and her ruler the arbiter of the
Continent. We doubt whether the French people
rave this conception of national honour.
Alter all, we in England have no room for
taking broad our phvin.cteries in this matter. We
inherit and shall transmit a burden greater by
250 millions sterling than that of France, for the
sake, mainly, of national honour. We are even
yet in the race to destruction, only ,heavily
handicapped. If, as some of our counsellors advise,
we should go to war with America rather than
suffer the " national honour " to be tarnished by an
appeal to arbitration, we may easily aggravate our
burden by a few hundred millions more. It neverthe-
less remains true that at the present moment, in the
language of the turf, France " makes the running."
It is purely a question for Frenchmen how far they
will consent to go at the present exhaustive speed.
If they choose to swell their debt at the rate of
seventeen millions per annum to keep up an armed
peace in Europe, it is their business. But it is not
solely their loss. The whole of Europe is injured
by it, commerce is paralysed, confidence is de-
stroyed, and the immense development of material
wealth fails to enrich the people as it ought, to do.
France, no longer meeting her expenses out of
her revenue, is preparing increased taxation
for future years, and the prospect is that this pro-
cess will go on in an increasing rate. The present
loan, it would appear, has nothing to do with the
increased recruitment of the army, and unless the
revenue shews a marvellous elasticity the deficit of
next year will be greater than the deficit of the
present. It is no proof that because the money is
readily subscribed, as the present loan will doubt-
less be, that the operation is not injurious. Na-
tions are as much crippled by indebtedness as
private individuals who live beyond their incomes,
as railway companies who overload their capital
account ; the dividend of glory must be paid. for
in ill-remunerated labour and depreciated property.
But France is bounded by populous countries. She
cannot maintain 1,280,000 men under arms without
keeping those countries in a state of alarm. A
river only, or an artificial boundary, separates her
from Belgium ; she is within a day's march from
Holland ; she could throw her legions into Rhenish
Prussia, or Bavaria, or Switzerland, or Italy in
four-and-twenty hours ; and the army of France is
a greater burden to the people of those countries
than even to France itself. It is not merely, there-
fore, that the French Government propose a loan
for over 17 millions sterling ; but this loan, ren-
dered necessary by military preparations, is a
Menace to her neighbours.
We see no remedy for these evils but the hepress
of constitutional government and public
at
odreebdt a e
es
u
enlighten-
ment. The United States
dehspaseraatse
efi
large.ots
r
France, but she has made
it. With resources admitting
of
aedmittim
Empire, of te3iiifeo, wildguri eaterdevelopment than t
sub-
jects man for m
coursean m o r
oe f wae a
cliteheaaad
ea, nscill
edoublingis
hi n
number in the t
with an army one-thirtiethdtshfoedriFrle. Prussiameaseions of that
which the EMPEROR d
early learnt that econony. is strength, acid
ailildsheenl4as,
risen to a position which excites
uThr(, isa
loan
while her subjects pay per head onlyA halfst theh
taxation France.
ient. hn
commenced at careerhe peopleof of
retren
Hungarywhich
herself and the world. needs now only the
example of Russia to exhibit France as the chief
alarmist and the most spendthrift nation in Europe.
lVe do not pause to weigh the value of such con-
siderations as the rise of Prussia or the prominence
of the Eastern question may suggest. Whatever
questions may arise from these, the presence of
millions of men under arms will only make their
settlement more difficult in the councils of Europe.

The late Mr. Charles Kean is said to have left
property amounting to upwards of £50;000.

FATAL GUN ACCIDENT.—Major Jodrell, of
Bayfield Hall, Norfolk, has succumbed this week to in-
juries received a few days since while out shooting. The
gallant officer had one of his arms terribly shattered, but
it was hoped at first that no fatal results would have
ensued. The melancholy occurrence appears to have been
purely accidental.

GREAT REDUCTION OF WAGES IN THE NAIL
TRADE. —A notice was put forth on Monday by Mrs.
Tinsley, to the effect that in consequence of the depres-
sion in the nail trade she will be compelled, after Saturday
next, to make a reduction of 20 per cent. in the prices paid
for every description of nails. Mrs. Tinsley is regarded
as the largest nail factor in the Sedgley district, having
several warehouses, and is said to give employment to
upwards of 2,000 nailers. During the week a number of
nailmaking firms at Dudley have given their workmen
notice that a reduction of 10 per cent. would take place
upon the commoner sorts of work.

THE GOVERNMENT GRANT TO VOLUNTEERS.—An
important War-office circular has been issued to officers
commanding volunteer corps relative to the future distri-
bution of the Government grant. Under the present
system a commandant of a corps cannot get repayment
from his adjutant of the most trivial sum without fur-
nishing duplicate vouchers and without endorsing every
such voucher as being approved for payment, with the
amount written in words and the date. The great incon-
venience attached to this method, and the immense
amount of unnecessary labour thrown on a commanding
officer, are all now to be remedial by the following simple
and most satisfactory method :—Each corps is to have
a finance committee of three, besides the commanding
officer, to whom, on the Ist of April in each year, or as
near thereto as possible, the whole of the Government
grant earned by the corps to the let of December pre-
vious will be issued in one sum, and no account of the
expenditure of such grant will be required by the War
Office. Travelling allowance to outlying corps will be
still made, and commanding officers will be allowed to
distribute it at discretion. Camp equipment may also be
paid for out of the capitation grant, subject to Articlesllo
and 111 of Volunteer Regulations, which merely require
that the sanction of the lord-lieutenant should be obtained
for the formation of a camp. These new regulations will
be hailed with general satisfaction by the whole force, but
the circular just issued provides that if any comp)audin,*
officers shall wish to keep on with the oU system they
may do go,

frt,
Curt:
- ear

HER MAJESTY.

OSBORNE, Jan. 29.
The Queen drove out yesterday afternoon, ac-
companied by Princess Christian and Princess
Beatrice, and by Prince Arthur on horseback.
The Dowager Duchess of Atholo has succeeded
the Duchess of Roxburghe as Lady in Waiting to
her Majesty.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

Yesterday afternoon a detachment of the Ist bat-
talion Grenadier Guards, consisting of about 100
non-commissioned officers and men, under the com-
mand of Capt. Thyme and Lieut. Allix, left the
Wellington Barracks, en route for Windsor. These
troops, who had been despatched to London to re-
inforce the metropolitan garrison during the absence
of a portion of the Fusiliers at Osborne for the pro-
tection of her Majesty's marine residence, left the
Victoria station, Pimlico, by special train to
Southall, and thence by the Great Western Rail-
way ordinary train to Windsor, where they arrived
at 3.20 p.m. The detachment marched to the
Sheet-street Barracks, where the Ist battalion
Grenadier Guards is at present quartered. The
usual half-yearly change will be made on the Ist of
March.

Arrangements arc being carried out at the head-
quarters of the Royal Engineer establishment,
Chatham, for the instruction of the whole of the
corps composing the British army in the new plan
of day and night military signalling on the com-
bined systems of Capt. F. J. Bolton, 12th Regi-
ment, and Capt. P. H. Colon* Royal Navy, both
of whom have been engaged at Chatham for several
months past in arranging a complete and entirely
new plan of signalling, by means of the lime light,
for both naval and military purposes. A certain
number of officers, non-commissioned officers, and
men from each regiment will undergo a periodical
course of instruction in the system, under the super-
intendence of Captain Bolton, who will be the
principal officer attached to the military signalling
staff.

Ensign J. Williams, Ist West India Regiment,
has received orders to proceed from Chatham on the
24th proximo to join the service companies of his
regiment on the West Coast of Africa.

The detachments of Royal Field Artillery, con-
sisting of 60 non-commissioned officers and gunners,
10 soldiers' wives, and 10 childroa of the 16th Bri-
gade Royal Artillery, and. 53 non-commissioned
officers arid gunners and two soldiers' wives of the
25th Brigade, from the head -qu irters of tha Ist and
2d Depot Brigades Royal Artillery, will embark at
Liverpool this morning on board the chartered
screw steamer Australasia, 2,948 tons, 350-horse
power, belonging to the West India and Pacific
Steam Navigation Company, for Calcutta, to join
the head-quarters of their respective brigades at
Barrackpore and Allahabad.

A Royal Marine office circular was yesterday re-
ceived at Woolwich by Col. Suther, C. 8., command-
ing the division of Light Infantry, accompanied by
a number of medals and gratuities for long service
and good character to be distributed to the non-
commissioned officers and privates of the division,
as undernatned in his command :-64th Company,
Cornelius Goldsby, colour-sergeant, £l5; 96th
Company, John Cornish, private, £5 ; and 4th
Company, Henry Nurse, colour.-sergeant ; 44th,
Henry John Somersby ; and 68th, James Pardoe,
sergeant, medals without gratuities. The three last-
named recipients have received their discharge, their
term of service having expired. Theefollowing pro-
motions and appointments in the Royal Marine Light
Infantry, dated January 21, were announced yes-
terday : —Lieut. Robert James Pascoe, at the
Chatham division, to be Second Captain at Ports-
mouth, vice H. I'. M. Cooper, seconded on his ap-
pointment as Colonial Secretary to Lieut.-General
Kennedy, Commander-in-Chief and Governor in
the West African Settlement; Lieut. Arthur Erner-
EMI Chapman, to increased pay of Gs. Gd. a day ;
and Capt. Magin is ordered to proceed from Wool-
wich on the Ist proximo to relieve Capt. Broughton
on recruiting service at Wakefield.

A strong detachment, composed of draughts from
the depots of the 11th and other regiments attached
to the depot battalions at Parkhurst, Isle of Wight,
arrived at Gosport yesterday, and joined other
draughts from the depot battalion stationed in the
advanced forts near Gosport. The whole left Gos-
port by night train for Birkenhead, where they will
embark to join the service companies of their several
regiments in India.

His Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief bas
granted leave of absence to Captain Scovell, 96th
Regiment, until he is required to embark for India
with the draught of his corps. The Commander
in-Chief has approved Staff Assist.-Surg. Fernandes
proceeding from Woolwich to Norwich for tempo-
rary duty during Surg.-Major Watts' leave of ab-
sence. Ensign Guyon, 49th Regiment, has been
detached to Waltham Abbey for duty. Under in-
structions received from the Horse Guards, Lieut.
Wray, 84th Regiment, has been added to a draught
under orders to proceed to Jamaica, to join the ser-
vice companies. Staff Assist.-Surg. Quinlan is
under orders to embark on the 17th proximo for
Jamaica, for duty in that colony. Capt. Quayle,
41st Regiment, has been appointed Instructor of
Musketry to the 4th depot battalion, vice Brevet-
Major Patteson, 35th Regiment, removed to Ports-
mouth with the depot of his corps.

DESTRUCTION OF FARM PRODUCE IN MORAY-
SHIRE.—AII over the plains of Moray the fields are clad
with scattered oats and straw from the stackyards.
Some extensive farmers, by one o'clock in the afternoon
of Friday, the day of the great storm, had not a standing
stack in their yards ; and it is no exaggeration to say that
there is scarcely a farm in the county at which all the
stacks are whole. The hurricane has been equally destruc-
tive in plantations.

MANCHESTER CHAMBER OF COMMERCE.—Mr. W.
Campbell, a gentleman connected with railways in
India, and recently returned from that country, waited
on the board, and stated, at some length, his experiences
of the traffic and merchandise of India. He said when
the line from Moscow to Nijni-Novgorod is completed
goods for Affghanistan may be sent direct from Paris to
Tach Kend, at the door of Central Asia, in twenty
days. The following will be the route :—From Paris to
the banks of the Volga, six days ; thence by steamer to
Astrakhan, four days; thence to the eastern coast of the
Caspian Sea, two days ; from the Caspian to the sea of
Arol, by rail, two days ; thence by steamer to Tach Kend,
five days; total, only 19 days. &clods from Tach Kend
can be forwarded by caravan routes to Kandahar, Cashmere,
Bokhara, Thibet, Cabu], and Affghanistan. There are
caravan roads to the interior of Persia, and all the eastern
parts of Central Asia. About 20,000 camels are employed
in the trade between Central Asia and Central India. A
large number of armed retainers accompany the caravans,
in addition to about 8,000 servants. The imports into
Central Asia consisted of almost every article comprising
British manufactures. At present there were (besides the
valley of the Indus) three routes by which these imports
were received, viz. :—firstly, by the Persian Gulf, through
Persia; secondly, by the caravans from Smyrna and the
ports of the Levant ; and thirdly (and by far the largest
proportion), through Russia. The opening of the railway
system in British India would cause a revolution in the
trade of central Asia, particularly in the Punjab. The
merchants of central Asia made their purchases of Asiatic
and other products at Delhi, Agra, Allahabad, Lahore,
Umritsur, Cawrpore, Mirzapore, and even in Calcutta, and
then returned with their goods, forcing their way up the
passes. The thanks of the Chamber were accorded to Mr.
Campbell fur his information.—Manchester newspaper.
THE RIOTS AT DUKINFIELD.—At the Dakinfield
petty sessions, on Tuesday and yesterday, 19 young
men were charged with riot and destruction of property
at the lamphouse of the Dunkirk Colliery Company, Duk-
infield, on the night of the 23d inst. Five of the deice,-
dants were bound over to keep the peace for six months;
and seven others, named Thos. Bloor, John Fri b, Thos.
Frith, Robert Redford, Edward Statham, Isaac Tipping,
and John Burton were committed fur trial. The rest were
discharged.

THE SHROPSHIRE IRON TRADE.—Owing to the
depressed state of the iron trade the masters in Shropshire
have nearly all given their mon notice of a reduction ill
wages, which will take effect in 28 days. The drop not
only refers to the tonnage men, but to the labourers also.
It is not exactly known what course the men intend taking,
but the general belief is that they will accept the reduction,
a policy which, at the present moment, would be an un-
mistakeably wise one.

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