NEWS BY THE SUEZ MAIL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2656, 22 August 1871, Page 3

NEWS BY THE SUEZ MAIL.

A correspondent-, writing on May 2(5, says ; “Death stalks everywhere, and it is impossible almost to make a step without coming upon traces of popular revenge. It appears that it was discussed by the members of the Commune whether it were prcfciablc to burn or blow up Paris. Mercifully, the former plan was chosen, but mines have been discovered leading from the Hotel do A r ille to the Louvre, which seem to point to an idea of finally concluding their reign with an explosion as soon as their great stronghold should become untenable. Plans, too, have been discovered among their papers of laying wires in the great sewers which should, by a complicated arrangement of n.dvanic bat-, teries, communicate with depots of picratc of potass, and blow up the whole of the great city at the same instant. People have long said that there was a presentiment of danger in the air, but it remained for the members of the Commune to show us how vast and diabolical a scheme of destruction they were capable of inventing, but, fortunately, nijt of putting iutq execution.” A striking and very creditable circumstance in connection with the sad even;s in Paris has been made public. It appears that M. Thiers, fearing that the conflagration in Paris might spread to au extent beyond the efforts of the force at Ids command to subdue, applied to our Government for assist-

ance. Lord Granville immediately put himself in communication with the Board of Works, who in turn communicated with Capta'n fShaw, of the Fire Brigade, and in a very few hours several engines and one hundred men were ready to take their departure for France. Happily, however, at the eleventh hour, a telegram was received from M. Thiers stating that their services were not needed. Captain Shaw, however, repaired alone to the scene of the disaster, and worked with much effect as a simple fireman. He received quite au ovation from his French coii/rtrea. A testimonial of L 40,000 is to be presented to Mr Butt, QC., for the interest he has taken in popular Irish politics. The influence of the Catholic clergy over the people is said to be waning. The Very Bev. Dr O’Brien was literally mobbed when addressing a meeting the other day in Dublin, A motion was to have been brought before the House of Commons, on May 23, on the subject of a Royal re: idence in Ireland, but it was withdrawn, on the ground that, while a committee was sitting on the Westmeath Outrages Bill, the moment was inop; ortune for its discussion. Labour is scarce in the agricultural districts, owing to tiie tide of emigration which has recently set in in the direction of Canada and the U. States. Agrarian crime is still of daily occurrence. The mutilated body of a young girl was discovered the other day under circumstances of a very distressing nature. This is what the European Mail says of the Heligoland affair : Tin re has been a storm in a tea-pot about the little island which crops up in the German Ocean known as the Island of Heligoland. Somehow or the other some of the newspapers took it into their heads that Bismarck, in his rage for annexation, was in treaty with onr Government for its purchase or exchange, and such was the effect of this announcement that Sir J. Hay actually inquired of the Under-Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs if there was any truth in the rumour. Of course be was answered that there wai not. The matter is hardly worth a second thought for ihe rock —being of red s'an 'stone —is yielding so rapidly to the action of the waves that it will probably ultimately disappear altogether. And yet there arc to be found some politicians Avho would pursue this theme into the mazes of a <,■«««« he.Ui.

It does not require much thought to understand the meaning of this sentence The case of Mumford v. Mumford, of some interest to colonials, was fixed for hearing about a month ago, but was adjourned by request until the November Term.

Count Von Moltke declines to accept the present of a million of thalers voted him by the Reichstag. He has declared himself quite satisfied with the title of Count. Lord Melguud, eldest son of the Karl of Minto, and an officer in the Scotch Fusileer Guards, having been in Paris during the re cent tragedies, was seized upon by the Yersaillists, and compelled to labor in extinguishing the fires. His Lordship was kept a,t this work fo* nine hours.

The journals announce that, in view of the certainty of the abrogat'd! of the proscription law, Government have determined that the Emperor Napoleon, should he reenter France, shad he brought before a court-martial- to report, as general-iu-chicf, upon the surrender of Sedan. When a convoy of prisoners arrived at Versailles, one ot them addressed the officer in command, and c-aimed the tight to be placed in a separate coll, stating that he was M. Dereure, a member of the Commune. The truth of his assertion having been con-, filmed, he was immediately shot. The Due d’Aumale, who is now in a good many nr n’s thoughts, is reported to have an income of LIOO.OOO a year, inherited from the Due de Bourbon, father of the famous Due d’ Fnghieu.

It will be remembered that the Commune compelled the different railways which enter Paris to p.y dues amounting to two. millions. The Government refuses to recognise this payment, and the dues will have to be paid over again. The great organ for Melbourne is thus described ; —'t is 4G feet ip height, 5.2 feet 6 inches in breadth, and 24 feet in depth. It has 4 composition pedals to Croat. 3 ditto to Swell, 2 ditto to Choir, and 4 combination stops, (by hand) to Solo Groan, with Solo tremulant. It has in all 4,373 pipes, and 7!) stops. The compass of each manual is C C to C with 61 notes.

What communism really means. —ln principle it is a war against capital, invested interests, and property generally. It is a war against Sovereigns, aristocracy, landholders, all classes designated by the French demagogues as les riches. It is a war against religion, priests, and the Christian sj'stern of education which States have always encouraged in order to teach the youth of the country to respect such law's, divine as well as earthly;* as can alone hold society together. Every European State has an interest in at* tacking this political pest, The destroying disease has shown itself in England, in Belgium, in Spain, in Italy, and even in Germany, and had the Commune triumphed iu Pari?, many other cities won d have responded, The Belgian Chambers are the first to bring the subject in all its hid ous nakedness before the world A conversation has taken place in the Chambers of Belgium, in which the dangers which have arisen from the Paris Communists and French IlepubJican Communism have elicited from tlie Government and assurance that no ‘ political refugees ’ of that class shall find protection in Belgium.