The Sun.
London, England, 1868-01-31 00:00:00

The debate on the Press Law has excited immense in-
terest. The Chamber was surrounded by distinguished
writers and members of the Academy. M. Pelletan was
the first speaker—of course he spoke in the interest of
freedom. The next of consequence was Jules Simon,
" the partisan of absolute liberty," as he avowed himself.
" The longer I live," he said, in conclusion, " the more I
fear lest the liberty of science should disappear with the
liberty of the press. My consolation is, that your obstacles
will fall to pieces. And well it is so; for had it been other-
wise, had your efforts succeeded better, we should have
been to-day in the thirteenth century. You must leave
thought alone. Do not offend your country and humanity
by restraining thought and hampering genius." M.
Latour-Dumoulin took the opposite view, and assured Simon
and Pelletan that if they became Ministers they would see
the necessity of security (cttutionnement).
There has ,been a meeting of the editors of the ten
prosecuted journals at the office of the Siecle. Girardin
was also present. To-morrow or Saturday they will seek
an interview, at the house of M. Marie, with the members
of the Opposition in the Chambers, with a view to intro-
ducing more liberal provisions into the new law.
A statement was made in the Senate during the Army
Dill discussion which Englishmen ought to know and
ponder. Admiral Count Bonet Villarmez stated that
France maintained her 400,000 men and 85,000 horses
during the Crimean war for £15,046,000 ; England, for
only 145,000 men and 14,000 horses, had to pay £13,440,000.
The difference, however, is not all, though I suspect it is
in great part, due to superior economy. Something must
be allowed for voluntary recruiting. Your soldiers would
not take 4d. a day.
A few days ago the Emperor and Empress visited the
taboratory of M. Deville for the purpose of witnessing
some experiments instituted at the Emperor's request to
test the Leat-givin,g power of some of the new oils exhi.
bited in the Exhibition. M. Deville had succeeded in
making an apparatus to spew the calorific properties of
these mineral oils. Their Majesties shewed a considerable
interest in the experiments of M. Lamy on the metal
thallium. They expressed their anxiety to give every en-
couragement to science within their power.

It is observed in diplomatic circles that Prince Metter-
nich is now always first at the Imperial balls, and that his
intimacy with the Emperor is of the closest.
Duelling has not ceased in Paris. There are rumours
that the old quarrel between the Marquis de Galifet and
Prince Achille Murat has led to another meeting, and
that the prince was seriously wounded. Another report
is that Prince Murat is off for Naples.

The Government candidate at Lille has declined the re-
eponsibility of the ridiculous calumny that M. G6ry
Legrand was being assisted by the money of English
manufacturers—as if they had not better ways of spending
it. M. des Ilotours says, however, "it was only natural to
suppose English manufacturers would support your claims
rather than mine, because your economic principles agree
better with their interests." Meanwhile, beer is flowing
fieely,into the cabarets of Lille. Elle coule a pleins bords.
A correspondent of the LiberM says such distressing
(ajligeantes) scenes were never before witnessed in the
town. Oh! suffrage unireral que ne commet—on pas en ton
nom ! says Girardin. Whose money paid for the beer ?
The ardent appeal made by the Archbishop of Algier
on behalf of the widows and orphans who have been left
destitute by the famine, has produced its effect. Up to
the present.thne 100,000 francs have been received. The
Archbishop is, it is said, assured of an annual interest of
15,000 francs (representing a capital of 300,000 francs)
which will be placed to the account of the orphans.

The assurance of some-newspaper correspondents in pre.
dicting war is curious. The Herald's correspondents are
especially gifted in this kind of prevision. One of them,
writing from Rome, says, as coolly as if he were talking of
a State ceremony—" War is not expected to break out
before July, as Italy has not received her arms from
America yet." It is very good of war to wait till Italy
gets her arms from America.

Professor Anninius Vambdry, of Pesth, writes to the
Times with reference to the alleged mustering of Chinese
fcrces to attack the Russians in Central Asia. The Pro-
fessor states if the Chinese are gathering troops, it is to
attack the Mussulmans of Central Asia, who revolted three
years ago from Chinese rule. Yakub Pasha solicited the.
aid of the Viceroy of India, promising in excciange free
trade across the Karakorum Pass, but he was refused. It
is not unlikely he may have made the same offer to the
Russians, who will certainly not refuse it. In this way
only is there a question of strife between Russia And
China.
The peculations of Russian officials are notorious. 'lair
matter has just been under investigation, and it has re-
sulted in a report implicating ninety-eight persons in
wholesale robberies of the State. An official named
Werderoffskoj is convicted of having formed a regular dei
partment of the administration, every one of the
subordinates being sworn to assist the conspirators. The
system of frauds has been going on for nine years. Th
robberies of salt alone are estimated at 782,000 silve
roubles. The most remarkable part of the business is, that
the merchants of Nijni-Novgorod have addressed a peti
tion to the Minister of Finance, begging him to stop the
proceedings against Werderoffskof, and offering to replace
out of their own pockets the money of which the public
treasury has been defrauded.
The Ninisterial crisis in Turkey ended in the reinstate•
ment of Fuad Pasha. The Sultan declared that he had
been misled by intrigues ; he made a frank declaration of
confidence in the Minister, and Fuad will retain his palace
and his place. The way in which this crisis was brought
about spews that there is a new spirit breaking through
old forms in Turkey. In former times a Minister would
not have dared to insist on reparation, nor a Sultan have
condescended to acknowledge he had been in error. Pro-
gress is slow because the people are recovering from four
centuries of servitude. The transformation is difficult, not
because of resistance, but of vis inertice. The upper classes
are improving, but neither Mussulman nor Christian
respond from below. One step in the general advance has,
however, been made. It is no longer a matter of course.
that a governor should fill his pockets in the shortest Pofg•
sible time ; that office should be another name for robbery,
the pay an insignificant accessory, and the " pickings" th'
thing really worth having.

A geological survey has recently been made by Captain
Hutton, P.O .5., of the Lower Waikato district of New
Zealand. Re reports that there is no probability of a
paying goldfield to any extent being found, but there are
other deposits of greatvalue. Among these is a coal bed,
estimated to contain 140,000,000 tons of serviceable coal,
which could be worked at a very slight cost. There is also.
a considerable quantity of limestone. Permanent peace,
with the natives is all that is needed to ensure the del
velopment of these resources.
The latest news from St. Domingo give a sad picture of
the state of that republic. President Cabral was shut up.
in the town of St. Domingo, and the revolutionists were
masters of the whole of the remaining territory. •
The Bishop of London, in acknowledging the receipt of
Dr. Eden's circular, writes to. his " dear Primus in ik
strain which will scarcely be acceptable to the Archbishoi
of Canterbury. That most rev. prelate is subjectect
to a process which in the ordinary walks of lift
is termed " a gentle letting down." Knowing well th,
ecclesiastical condition of Scotland, Dr. Tait says he i
very anxious that no steps should be taken likely to creati
divisions in that Church, or to represent it as in any way
-separating itself from the Established Church of England,
or putting itself in opposition to English law. As to the
Archbishop's seeing no objection to the consecration, his
Grace, in the view of the Bishop of London, " no doubt
naturally looks not so much to the interests of the Scottish
Episcopal Church, with which he must necessarily be 1)4
imperfectly acquainted, as to his individual view of Bishop
Colenso's deposition." Such a private expression a
opinion was very different from a formal and public request
that the Scottish Primus would facilitate the proposed
consecration. Without such formal approval it would-be,
"unfair to his Grace to take so serious a step, and in any
way to make it rest on his Grace's single private autho
rity, unsupported by any public document express.
ing his official decision, or the decision of any meeting
of his suffragans, in CoLvocation or elsewhere."
The lsritish Medical Journal, in its weekly report on the
preventible diseases of the working classes, calls attention
once more to the loss of life occasioned by inhalation of
foul air in certain trades. For instance, amongst men
employed in grinding metals the " lung-rot" is common ;
and might be avoided if proper mechanical means were
taken to purify the air. Engineers, too, cutters, grinders,
and stonemasons die early. Youths in these employments
do not live out their apprenticeship on account of preven-
tible lung disease. In the millstone making. trade espe-
cially consumption is rife. Skilled foremen are hardly to
be :pima amongst them ; for, by, the time they reach this.
grade, their health is so seriously compromised that they
rarely live long to enjoy it. -