SPECULATIONS ON TIIE PROBABLE ISSUE OE THE WAR.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume V, Issue 215, 12 September 1870, Page 2

SPECULATIONS ON TIIE PROBABLE ISSUE OE THE WAR.

The encounter between the two nations will be a tremendous one, and the issues are fraught with incalculable results to the general peace. A war once begun between France and Prussia can hardly be kept within those limits. Whichever wins, the event cannot but deeply effect the state of Europe. Nor is such a war likely to end in a few days' campaign like the last. The first advantage, it is tolerably certain, will be on the

side of France, whose army is the better prepared of the two for immediate hostilities. It will take a fortnight at least for Prussia to summon her landwehr into line, and before that time the Rhine will be won, and Mainz- and Coblenz beleaguered. But this will only be the first round in ihe fight. The spectacle of the Phine in possession of the French will serve Prussia in the end, for it must rouse all Germany to her assistance. Then the struggle will be a battle of Titans. The adversaries are very

closely matched ; but it is believed that if the war lasts Prussia will " stay " longer, and so be able at least to hold her own. THE PRINCE OF HOHENZOLLERN. Prince Leopold, who was selected by Prim as King of Spain, is wedded to a sister of the King of Portugal, is the elder brother cf Prince Charles of Roumania, and has a sister married to the Count of Flaaders, brother to the King of Belgium. He is 35 years of age, and in every respect is described ss beieg as well fitted as possible for the throne to which it was proposed to elevate him. He is a Roman Catholic ; of mild and moderate character ; is rich ; and has a family. It is true that he is of the Royal Family of Prussia, but the connection is more in name than in fact. This branch of the Hohenzollerns has been separate from the_ parent stem for nearly 600 years, and acquired its title of Royal Bighness only in consideration of the surrender by the father of Prince Leopold of his principality to Prussia. On the other baud, Prim had some excuse for thinking that his selection would not have been unfavorably regarded by France. The Hohenzollerns are closely related by blood to the French Emperor. One grandmother of Prince Leopold was a Murat— the other was a Beauharnais, sister to Hortense; so that, in fact, the new King of Spain would have , been first cousin, once removed, to the Emperor ' Napoleon. THE " MITRAILLEUR," The mitrailleur (grape shot shooter) is an assemblage of barrels contained in a wrought iron tube mounted much on the same principle as an ordinary field gun which it resembles somewhat in form. When the weapon is set at full-cock ready for firing, a second of time is sufficient to give a complete revolution of the firing handle and to discharge the whole of the 37 barrels of which the weapon consists. This weapon has been fired 12 times in a minute, throwing thereby 444 rifle shots in that time. The waggon and limber boxes at present carry 3,034 rounds of cartridge, but could readily carry more. In the experiments at Woolwich with the Montigny mitrailleur, 36 shots out of 37 (one was a missfire) were placed in a target 18ft. by 15ft. at 800 yards distance, and the practice at 1000 yards was nearly equally good. Taking all circumstances into consideration, we {Madras Mail) are disposed to place the Value of a single mitrailleur rather above that of 120 infantry. Supposing this calculation to be correct, a French battery of eight mitrailleurs would equal in value an ordinary infantry rf giment, whilst there would be this advantage, that only 24 men -would be exposed to the eneny's fire instead of 960. The murderous effects of this deadly weapon are thus described by a correspondent of the Australasian. i He says: — "I was present the other day at a trial made of one of these destructive engines, 1 the invention of which is ascribed to Napoleon himself. In a large space of ground set apart for reviews near Versailles had been assembled some 500 horses, broken down, and worn out by age, in a word, just ready for the knackers ; two of these mitrailleurs, and only two, were brought up; the signal was given, and within 45 seconds the mangled bodies of 300 horses lay strewn upon the ground, horrible to see ! What then will it be when the mark shot at will be the breasts of men — young and strong and full of life; and that on ' both sides, for the Prussians have also their mitralleurs ! The dead will be numbered by hundreds of thousands — a million of families will mourn their lost ones, and only the vultures will be satisfied."

TnE Times says that "on tbe telegaphic news reaching Port Chalmers on Friday that Mr. Macandrew's resolution making Port Chalmers the terminus of the San Francisco service, bad been carried by a large majority in the House of Repsentatives, the port was jubilant. Bunting was hoisted " galore," and the majority of the vessels in Port dressed ship. In the evening the Naval Volunteers fired a salute in celebration of the result, and blue lights and rockets were simultaneously displayed all over the town. Some of the vessels in harbor also sent off rockets in compliment to the townspeople." A Writee in the Advertiser of "Sketches in the New Zealand Parliament" thus speaks of the members for Motueka and Waimea ; — "Two old members here rose together to speak ; neither seemed to like to speak first, so, after smiling at each other, they both sat down again ; then they walked to the fire, one blew his nose, the other did the same, together they walked out of the House, and together came in again ; then a division taking place, they walked ponderously into the lobby, and stolidly voted together. I hear those fraternal old members are known as the Bonasi of Nelson, and that one of thorn is in great alarm, as a malevolent young Tiger who has been sent up lately as a member for the Goldfields has managed to get the fences of of the Waimea paddocks shifted, so as to take in a large slice of the Westland - - jungles ; the result will be that the Tigers will attack the Bonasi, and seize r ~ their pleasant places for themselves." When it rains hardest people catch - most soft water.