The Sun.
London, England, 1868-03-12 00:00:00

FRANCE.

PARIS, March 12.

The ILtoniteur of to-day says :—" The special
councils of revision appointed for the formation of
the regimental lists of the National Garde Mobile
commenced their operations on the 9th instant
throughout France. Most satisfactory reports have
been received respecting this first application of the
law of the lst February, 1868. The operations have
been everywhere conducted with calm and regularity.
In all quarters the young men have come eagerly for-
ward, animated by an excellent spirit. Only a very
small number have pleaded causes for exemption.
The country confides in the solicitude of the Em-
peror to provide for and watch over its interests.
It frankly admits the benefits of the law in like
manner, as it resolutely accepts it obligations.
One single deplorable exception has taken place at
Toulouse, where some tumultuous demonstrations
occurred on the evening of the 10th inst., but
were soon terminated by the energetic attitude
assumed by the authorities."
The presence in these gatherings of well-known
agitators and strangers to the operation of revision
sufficiently attests that the operations were simply
made a pretext for disturbance. The necessary
measures have been taken to prevent, and, if neces-
sary, suppress, any further attempts at agitation.
BOURSE, March 11—Three o'clock.—The market
closed as follows :

41 per Cent.
End of month... ---- Italian Loan
3 per Cent
End of month 69 40 Mexican Loan ... 16 50
Credit Mobilier
End of month... 238 75 Spanish Threes
Credit Foncier ...14.17 50 Home Debt
End of m0nth...1383 75 Deferred — -
RAILWAYS.

Account.
Orleans
Northern 1175
Lyons and Mediterranean
Southern.... 5521
Western
Eastern • .
Sardinian
Austrian 5471
Lombard 370
North of Spain 771
Saragossa
Roman 4sf

COVENTRY ELECTION PETITION.

THIS DAY.

The committee of the House of Commons, chosen
to try the merits of a petition presented against the
return of Mr. Jackson at the last election for
Coventry (city), sat to-day for the first time in the
committee-room No. 8.

Mr. Egerton was chosen chairman, the other
members being Mr. Corrance, Mr. Greenall, Mr.
R. Hodgson, and Mr. P. Urquhart.
Mr. Cooke, Q.C., appeared for the petitioner, and
Mr. E. James for the sitting member.
The counsel for the petitioner proceeded to state
the circumstances that had led to the present In-
quiry. At the last election for Coventry there were
three candidates for the seat, viz., Mr. Jackson,
Mr. Ferrand, and Mr. Mason Jones. Mr. Jones
having retired early, tho contest Wil3 carried
on with the utmost vigour between the
other two gentlemen, when, at the close of
the poll, Mr. Jackson was fuund to have
received the largest number of votes, and therefore
he was declared by the returning-officer duly
elected. But certain proceedings afterwards came
to the knowledge of Mr. Ferrand, and
the present petition was the result. The
learned gentleman said he did not apprehen d
their labours would be of long duration, as he was
prepared with such strong evidence that he felt sure
they would unseat the sitting member. The first
fact upon which he relied was, that early in the
proceedings a deputation came to London to see
Mr. Jackson, and having made a communication
to him he consented to stand for the seat, and after-
wards paid the expenses of that deputation—viz.,
£7 2s. 6d., an account which he thought invalidated
his election. The deputation was composed of
voters, and therefore Mr. Jackson could have paid the
money for no other purpose than recompensing them
for their votes, which were afterwards recorded in
his favour. The payment of the money could have
been for nothing else than procuring the return of Mr.
Jackson, and that being the case, then he came
within the provisions of the Act of Parliament,
and was incompetent to hold a seat in the
House of Commons. The amount of the money
payment was altogether immaterial ; the great ques-
tion was, Was the money paid at all ; and, if so,
what was the motive for the payment of the
money ? Another circumstance, which he felt
could only be construed into an act of
bribery, was that, on the morning of
the election, a number of freemen, residing in Bir-
mingham, were regaled at the Shakspere Inn, in
that borough, their passage afterwards paid to
Coventry, a fee given to them for loss time,
and then the whole lot voted for Mr.
Jackson, who being a lawyer, no doubt
looked upon his election as the first step to the
woolsack. Then again, another system pursued
was the dividing the city into wards by the friends
of Mr. Jackson, and by this means a great many
persons were managers, clerks, messengers, &c.,
who, being voters, recorded their votes in favour
of Mr. Jackson. He did not know what answer
could be made to these charges, which he was pre-
pared to prove ; but he felt that the decision of the
committee could only be that Mr. Jackson was un-
duly elected.
A voter named Weston was then called, who
stated that he went from Birmingham in company
with a number of other voters to Coventry, and
there recorded his vote for Mr. Jackson, and after-
wards received 10s. as a recompense for the loss of
two days' work. The other voters who went with
him received a like sum.

The committee adjourned when it was announced
the Speaker was at prayers.

THE REVENUE DEPARTMENTS.—Yesterday morn-
ing accounts were published showing the appropriation of
the sums granted by Parliament for the salaries and other
effective services, and for the superannuations and other
non-effective services of the several revenue departments,
for the year ended on the 31st March last. From this re-
turn it appears that there are savings to be surrendered, in
the customs' department, amounting to £14,043 16s. 11d. ;
in the Post-office, £85,197 ls. 3d. ; and from the superan-
nuation lists of £10,121 155. sd. On the other hand, there
aro deficiencies to be voted for the inland revenue depart-
ment amounting to £3,381 ls. hi. ; and for the packet ser-
vice, £1,089 130. Bd. It is satisfactory to find that where-
as the total deficiency to bo voted is only £9,470 14s. 9d ,
the gross amount of savings to be surrendered is no less
than £109,665 13s. 71d.
TILE RATEPAYING CLAUSES.—A. conference, under
the auspices of the Reform Union, was held in Manchester
on Tuesday, for the purpose of discussing the ratepaying
clauses of the Reform Act. A considerable amount of in-
formation from various parts of the country, showing the
hardships attending the operation of the clauses, was sub-
mitted to the meeting. A petition to Parliament in favour
of the repeal of the objectionable clauses was adopted.
All receive with satisfaction the announcement, that in
consequence of the Reduction in Duty Ilorniman's Pure
Teas are sold Bd. per pound Cheaper. 2,600 Authorised
Agents—Confectioners. in London and Chemists in the
ProYium—supply Horniman's lea only izt Pages,