The Sun.
London, England, 1868-07-29 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, JULY 29, 1868.

vantage that the present House of Commons should
have put its protest on record against the
corruptions at elections, and thus redeemed
in some degree the abuses that have been
so justly censured and so severely commented

on by the critics of the day.
The Registration Ireland Bid was real a third
time and passed, but Lord S'rRATIINAIRN appealed
to the Government to do something to increase
the number of polling places in Ireland. This,
he declared, was a fulfilment of his profes-
sional duty as Commander-in-Chief in Ireland,

because if this were done there would be less rea-
son for the services of the military being put in re-

quisition, and the elections would in general be far
more peaceably conducted. Lord MALIIESBURY,
in replying in the negative to the appeal, expressed
in strong terms the indignation experienced by the
conduct of the Opposition in the House of Com-
mons respecting these clauses. The noble Lord
was perfectly justified in all he said in condemna-
tion, for the course pursued on this occasion by the
opponents of the plan was quite out of character.
It is however now too late to attempt any change in
this respect, and whatever evils arise must be laid to
the charge of those who factiously opposed the
measure. To render the matter worse, those who
compelled the withdrawal of the scheme for increas-
ing the number of polling places are those who,
ten years ago, were very much in favour of them,
and advocated the necessity of their adoption, a
necessity rendered all the more urgent from the
increase of the number of voters that has now
taken place. In some places there are 30 and 35 miles
between the polling places, and that must be a great
inconvenience, besides being likely to produce
serious evils among an excitable community. At
any rate we would remind those who may be
favoured with indignant comments on the tyranny
and oppression of a Government which sends out
the military to coerce the people, that those who
profess to guard the interests of the people have
contrived so to act as to render the presence of the
military inevitable. Lord DENMAN made some re-
marks on the subject of Irish disaffection, which
he said was brought about by the tenure of land,
and not caused by the Irish Church.
In the House of Commons several minor mat-
ters were attended to. Among the questions
answered was one by Sir J. PAKINGTON on the
subject of the reports as to the silence that had
prevailed on the march at Aldershot. It appears
that fortunately the news was much exaggerated,
and that only three men were sent to the hospital,
and that no cases of sunstroke had occurred. This
is very desirable information, but it may be sug-
gested that it would be well if the military authori-
ties could arrange matters so that reviews and
marches should not take place in those
days when the heat is so intense, as
it must produce great discomfort, besides
being likely to create evils of a serious nature. The
Lords' amendments to the Public Schools Bill were
considered, and one alteration was made. A ma-
jority of them decided against the addition of Sir
11. PALMER and Canon BLAKESLEY to the commis-
sion. Sir S. NoRTIICOTE said that it was not at all
desirable to increase the number on tho commis-
sion, otherwise these names would have been de-
serving of notice. The Poor Relief Bill was read a
third time and passed, Mr. NEATE very truly ob-
observing that there was a " competition of
cruelty" often observed on the part of
different unions. They were constantly inquiring
what was the maximum of labour and the minimum
of accommodation for the casual poor, and there-
fore the manner in which that class of paupers was
treated was not at all satisfactory and creditable.
It was determined not to insist o❑ the Commons
Amendment to the Sale of Poisons Bill, to which
the Lards h L I disagreed, and the West India Bill
was considered ; only one of the amendments of the
Lords was struck out, and altogether matters were
proceeded with very considerately by the short

sittiug.

Twelve hundred children attending the Lambeth
Ragged Schools will, by the kind permission of his Grace
the Lord Archbishop of Canterbury, spend a day in the
grounds: but for this privilege they would be de-
prived of their holiday, the numbers attending precluding
. .

, ..
tho possibility of taking them either by rail, boat, or vans.
As it is, the expenses of the day, it is calculated, will

amount to £4O, towards which contributions aro earnestly

solicited, and will be most gratefully received by W. IL
Miller, superintendent, 225, Westminster- bridgo-road,

Lambeth, S.E.

The Figaro, in announcing that the Queen of
England, accompanied by Sir Thomas and Lady
Biddulph, is about to have an interview with the
Empress of the French in Paris on her way to
Switzerland, adds that the twenty-four cooks

usually in the retinue of her Majesty when on her
travels will, on this occasion, be dispensed with.

The Queen's head cook, according to the Pigaro,

receives a salary of £720 a year, and her three
travelling ',mitres dhotel £360 each. The head
cook also enjoys the privilege of educating four
apprentices, each of whom pays him £l2O a year
for culinary tuition. In wages alone the Royal
kitchen of England costs about £4,000 a year.
So, at least, says the Figaro.
An article by M. Ferdinand de Lacombe, in the
last two numbers of the Spectateur Militaire, on
"The Campaign of 1867 in the Pontifical States,"
thus describes the condition of the Papal army at
that time :—The gendarmerie, a corps d'elite, ani-
mated by an excellent spirit, sustained by its old
traditions, of fidelity to the Pops ; its auxiliaries
the squadriglieri, a corps of " agile, vigorous, wily
children of the mountain," maintained for the pur-
suit of brigands; a battalion of carbineers com-
posed of Swiss, Bavarians, and natives of Baden ;
the artillery, constituted of Italians and Swiss,
under the command of French and Italian officers,
and consisting of two batteries of horse and three
of foot artillery, of six guns each, organized on
the French system. Next come the dragoons, and
the Antibes Legion, which, " though mounting the
Pope's cockade, has preserved the esprit of its
native land ;" and, finally, the Pontifical Zouaves,
formed of volunteers from the " great houses of
the Catholic aristocracy of the West." General
Kanzler's report of the paper strength of the
Roman forces at the commencement of the Gari-
baldiau assaults was 12,981 of all ranks, and 929
horses ; but non-effectives of every kind being de-
ducted, the true combatant -value was found to be
at the utmost only 8,000 men. The Pontifical
garrison of Monte Rotondo, which held out against
the Garibaldians for twenty-seven hours on the
23rd and 24th of October, numbered 323 officers
and men. On the 29th the Trench forces landed
at Civita 'Vecchia ; on the 31st they entered Rome.
On Sunday, the 3rd of November, 2,900 Roman
and 2,200 French troops marched to the attack of
Monte Rotondo, and Montana, "when; the 9,000
or 10,000 men directed by Garibaldi were strongly
intrenched." After the battle of the 3rd, Gari-
baldi recrossed the Italian frontier during the
night, and on the 4th, his forces, after some brief
encounters, either fled or surrendered, and the
" campaign " was at an end. The loss of the
French is given at 41 in killed, wounded, and
missing, ; that of the Roman troops at 133, while
the Garibaldian casualties are stated to have been
nearly 1,000 killed and wounded, besides 1,400
prisoners. Not much is said about the Chasse-
pot, but the fire of the French soldiers who were
armed with it at Montana is described as " fou-
droyant."
The enormous sum of £540,000 was remitted by
the Irish in America to their relatives in Ireland
during the past year. Of this sum £202,000 was
transmitted as prepaid passage orders. Since 1848
the Irish in America transmitted £14,500,000
sterling to that country.

LATEST INTELL CGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

RUSSIA.

ST. PETERSBURG, July 28.

Prince Gortschakoff has sent a circular to the
Russian representatives abroad, dated the 17th
inst., in which he says :—" Russia having assented
to the proposal of the Berlin Cabinet that Commis-
sioners and experts from the different Governments
should meet at St. Petersburg to draw up a proto-
col excluding the use of explosive missiles in future
warfare, these Commissioners will be able to
assemble there on the 13th October next."
An official message from Orenburg, dated July
13, confirms the news of the termination of all
hostilities with Bokhara, and states that peace has
been concluded with the Emir.

001tRESFORDENCE FROM PARIS.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.:
PARIS, TUESDAY, July 28.
The Corps L6gislatif has risen at last, after an eventful
and not unprofitable session. It is not possible for the
shackled deputies to present such an array of work as your
Parliament sometimes accomplishes in a year ; revolutions
are not effected here by means of legislation ; lint it may
safely be affirmed that the debates and the legislation of 1868
will permanently benefit the cause of liberty. The latter
part of the Budget debate was not very productive-.
The last day or two of the sitting was, however, signalised
by one salutary reform. Article 1781 of the Civil Code of
Napoleon provides that in all cases of dispute between
master and servant on the subject of wages, the simple
word of the former shall be considered final, without
further evidence. This odious enactment was in force
until yesterday, when the Chamber, without any discus-
sion, unanimously voted its repeal. This change is, I
believe, the last necessary to establish that perfect
equality of all citizens before the law which was sc
strangely ignored by the Civil Code.
During the same sitting M. Rouher gave a final denial
to the report of the intention of the Government to alter
the system of conducting the elections. There is no alter-
native but to take the word of the Minister on this point,
but this does nut check the belief that the question was
seriously discussed in the Cabinet. The report long ago
assumed a definite shape, and was, I believe, published
several times before it appeared in the Presse. There
is not a little reason to conclude that the
rumour was floated by the Government itself.
This mode of sounding the state of public opinion is by
no means uncommon under the Second Empire. The dis-
content which the new Army Bill, the state of the
finances, and other grievances have produced in the
country, are the cause of serious apprehension. With a
simple majority the Government could easily carry the
elections, and preserve its preponderance in the Corps
Legislatif. But with the large majority required by the
existing law, it is very likely that the Opposi-
tion will gain many votes. The Government has
been anxious to ascertain the effect of a change ;
the rumour has been put forward, and its recep-
tion has at once settled the matter. This is the general
theory, and the most probable one. If no change be made
we shall look next March for a material increase in the
number of the Left.

The Government is credited with a similar attempt in
the case of the projected Customs' Union between France,
Holland, and Belgium. The independent papers here
seem to think that the Emperor was anxious to sound
English opinion on this subject. The report, however, I
see, has met with very little attention in England. It
would be advisable to first get the consent of two of the
principal parties—Holland and Belgium. Neither of these
prosperous States would, I imagine, consent to an alliance
which would imperil their existence.
The little republic of Andorre, to its great advantage,
seldom makes its appearance in political history. It is
situated high up in the Pyrenees, between the south-east
of France and Spain, contains about 200 square miles, with
a population of 17,000. It has retained its independence
from time immemorial, and is under the protection of
both its powerful neighbours, but has always, with
discrimination, given its "moral support" to France.
The keepers of the Homburg and Baden gaming-houses
have, however, once more brought the little State into
public notice. The hells of these two fashionable resorts
are to be abolished, and the lroprietors are on the look-
out for other rural shades to which they could attract the
scum and profligacy of Europe. Andorre offered induce-
ment to the speculators, for it is independent, and its
inhabitants, like other mortals, are not indifferent to profit.
The President and the Vice-President of the Republic
were soon gained over, and the arrangements were nearly
completed. The affair, however, came to the ears of the
Parliament, who very soon disposed of it. The two erring
functionaries were dismissed for trafficing, with the honour
of the State, and the hell-keepers were ordered to find
another rest for the sole of their feet.
The news from Bulgaria is becoming somewhat serious ;
not that the " insurrection " is formidable, but it points
to a possible reopening of the Eastern question. The
precautions of the Bulgarian Government are believed t 4
be little else than pretence.

The Hungarian monarchy has endured for nearly a
thousand years. During that time its name has never
disappeared from the political geography of Europe,
though its independence has been compromised, and, it
was thought, irretrievably lost. But as the one-thousandth
anniversary of the foundation of the kingdom draws near,
the prospects of the Hungarians as a nation are better than
at any former period. They form the most powerful
portion of a great empire, and yet have an independent
government of their own. Their connection with Austria
gives them r.-,re.lter weOit in European politics than
they could hope to obtain by a purely separate existence ;
but in all matters relat:ng, to their own country they are
perfectly free. How the one-thousandth anniversary shall
be celebrated is at present an unsettled question. Some
recommend the erection of a colossal obelisk in one of the
vast corn-producing plains. Others are in favour of a
national pantheon, to be built on the mountain which
overlooks the capital. The question is to be discussed in
all the jurisdictions of the kingdom ; and then the pro-
gramme will be finally fixed by means of a council of dele-
gates from the districts and towns.
The people of Frankfort cannot reconcile themselves to
Prussian authority. They embrace every opportunity of
bewailing their lot, some little disturbance is continually
arising, and the police can generally find employment.
It will, perhaps, be remembered that a burgomaster of the
name of Feiner hanged himself in despair at the annexa-
tion of his country. On the anniversary of his death,
which has just come round, the populace got up a demon-
stration. The police interfered, and, as usual, took
possession of the "key of the position." This time it wa'.
the cemetery.
- -

The French journals, as might be expected, attach great
importance to the fierce warfare now going on between
the journals of Russia and Prussia. The discussion is cer-
tainly very angry, and daily becomes more envenomed.
The Golos, of St. Petersburg, for instance, says " the
friendship of Russia is for Prussia a condition of existence."
The same paper talks about the relations between the two
countries being the same now as when Count von Boranden-
burg was obliged to go to Warsaw to hear a lesson from
the Emperor Nicholas. The Prussian papers reply
so fiercely that the only more advanced manifes-
tion now possible will be a series of duels between
the combative editors. The acrimony of the dispute is
extraordinary ; but nobody, not even the Paris journals,
can divine the cause of it. .

The Liberty has received information that General Prim
has paid a visit to Lisbon, and is now on his way back to
London. As the Spanish refugee has been made to per-
form this not very short journey several times during the
last few days, this repetition must be received with
caution. It is, however, on " good authority." The
Liberty adds that several of General Prim's intimate
friends are at the head of the Portuguese Government,
and that the General himself has had an interview with
the Duke and Duchess of Montpensier. This much is
certain : if a revolution should break out in Spain, it will
receive countenance, if not aid, from Portugal.
The process of stamping out in Poland goes on un-
checked by European indignation, or by any other influ-
ence. Recently an order was sent to the Polish clergy
forbidding the use of prayer-books printed in the national
language. This order has been so strictly enforced that
soldiers systematically enter the places of worship and take
the prayer-books from the congregation. The same principle
has now been carried further. The clergy of all denomina-
tions throughout Poland have been forbidden, from the
Ist of January next, to employ any language except
Russian in their relations with the lay and ecclesiastical
authorities. The use, in an official capacity, of any other
tongue will be punished by fine, and even by deprivation
of living.
Mr. Watkin sends to the Times the concluding letter in
his correspondence with Lord Redesdale. It is, on the
whole, written in a more temperate spirit than his former
epistles. Lord Redesdale having denied that he charged
Mr. Watkin personally with jobbing, the last-named
gentleman writes : "If you had stated this at the begin-
ning it might have saved the necessity for further corre-
spondence, because when a gentleman denies that he has
intended to throw out imputations, his denial must be
accepted even against the evidence. I will not criticise
the distinction between charges thrown out broadcast
against unnamed individuals and the personal and
specific charge '—which latter can be dealt with
as such charges when false ought to be." Mr.
Watkin, however, again refers the noble lord to his
speech to spew that it really did convey the impression
that he was making a personal attack, and adds : " I
have since consulted a gentleman who was present at the
bar during the diseu,sion, and he distinctly assures me
that you charged the promoters to the bill under discus-
sion with promoting it for jobbing objects. I have only
to say that such a charge, either against the promoters of
the bill or against the shareholders of the South Eastern
Railway, is entirely without foundation, and entirely un-
justiliab!e."
THE PROROGATION.—The London correspondent
of the Freemen says :—" It is understood that on Monday
an intimation was conveyed by the Premier to the
Speaker that the Government business is now in so
prosperous a state that the prorogation will take
place on Friday next. The probatility is that both
Houses will meet on Wednesday for a short tine to
sweep up the scraps, and that an adjournment will then
be agreed to until Friday, when th : ceremony of proroga-
tion•-
0,34 place!" , • • -•- •