NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 782, 28 February 1871, Page 2

NEWS BY THE MAIL.

Recent experiments prove that Aus. tralian coal is suitable for mail steam, ers, and is to be adopted. At two meetings of the Colonial Institute, discussions on colonisation took place. Sir W. Denison's paper expressed the opinion that general emigration should be systematic, En». land and the colonies co-operating. The emigration from Liverpool for November shows a falling-off. The solar eclipse on the 22nd was favorably seen in London and the country. The English Eclipse Expedi'tion was wrecked by the Psyche striking a rock near Catania. No lives were" lost. The scientific instru. ments were saved. Two large cotton-mills at Bolton and Preston have been burned down, causing a damage of £55,000, and throwing 3000 operatives out of work Destructive fires also have occurred at Leeds, Bristol, and Leicester. A fatal explosion took place at a Birmingham cartridge manufactory. Madame Celeste has retired from the stage. The Empress Eugenie is busy raising a fund for the relief of the wives and families of the Erench prisoners in Prussia. The English farmers propose to contribute seed-corn for the distressed peasantry in North-eastern Erance. , Early in the month several of the English journals criticised the report of the commission on Australian federation. The proposal for neutralisation in case of war was unanimously condemned as unjust to England, as certain to be disallowed by foreign powers, as unworkable, and as precipitating a severance. All agreed that England wonld protect the colonies to the utmost of her power. Some samples of Argentine meat, preserved with the solution of bisulphate of lime, have been tested in London, and were found excellent. The marriage of the Princess Louise will take place early in March. One of the first duties of Parliament will be a searching investigation into the military and naval service! Alarming reports are circulated regarding the deficiency of warlike stores. An American rumor is current that Mr Bright is to visit Washington as envoy to settle the Alabama difficulty. Mr W. H. Smith succeeds Charles Dickens in the office of President of the Newsvendors' Benevolent Institution. Mr Leonard Edmunds' action against the Premier has been withdrawn. The Oxford boating challenge is accepted by Cambridge. The Christmas engraving in the " Graphic " is Dickens's study and his empty chair, as left by him at his death. New offices for the Home and Colonial departments have been commenced. French sympathy demonstrations have been held in Trafalgar-square. The Lord Mayor refused to lend G-uildhall for a similar meeting of Bepublicans, thereby incurring the wrath of the party, but he is supported by public opinion. Snider rifles are being rapidly supplied to the soldiers and volunteers. An immense gun, a 700-pounder, has been finished at Woolwich. Large numbers of torpedoes have been ordered. A Suffolk firm is busy manflfacturing gun cotton for the "Government. Accidents have occurred on seven different lines of railway. The coroners recommend separate rails for goods and for passengers. THE "WAR. A great sortie took place from Paris early in December, mainly towards the south-east and south, it the direction of the PontainebleW road and Champigny. Most sanguinary battles wert fought, the Erench behaving gallantly. Generals Trochu and Ducrot were rf command. The result was a gain o' space to the eastward. The losses

W ere French and 7000 Germans. Three weeks elapsed before any further operations, winch were then undertaken in concert with the provincial armies of the North and the Loire. The struggle resulted in (lie French retreating into Paris on learning the defeat of the armies in the field. The Germans postponed the bombardment, expecting to reduce the city by starvation; but with the slaughter of 500 horses daily, it was calculated that Paris could hold, out till March, bread and wine being in plenty. The mortality increased to ') 72S in the week ending 17th December. On the 27th, the bombardment opened from Mont Aveyron, an advanced post east of the forts since taken. General Trochu seems preparing for the capitulation of the city through starvation, by forming an entrenched camp under Mont Talerien into which to retire with his best troops, and still to defy the Prussians, or make peace on advantageous terms. Gambetta is making and unmaking Generals in the field. He quarrelled with D'Awelles de Palladines after his defeat at Orleans. The army of the Loire has been split into two. Bourbaki is retiring on Bourges unmolested, aud Cbauncey, to the southwest of Le Mans, has been fighting bravely. The Germans have taken Blois, Vendome, and Tours. The northvest is completely overrun with Germans. General Friedsherbc-s army is rerported to number 00,000. On the 2Gth December the Germans seized six English vessels at Duclair, on the Seine, and scuttled and sank them to impede the navigation of the river. The crews were fired upon, robbed, and turned adrift. A ship with a submarine cable for the French Government has been seized in the Thames, on the complaint of the Prussian Ambassador. A conspiracy amongst the French prisoners in Prussia to mutiny on Christmas eve, and fight their way back to France, was discovered in time. The French officers have been removed to fortresses on the Prussian frontier. Extensive desertions of French officers from Germany continue to take place. The drain on the German armies is so severe that 150,000 men of the Landwehr between the ages of 30 and 10, married men, have been called ■out. Riots in Berlin are reported. The Prussians have prohibited the champagne merchants from exporting any wine. The ex-Emperor's published pamphlet is declared to be fictitious, and another has,appeared, eulogising his peaceful policy, aud blaming t he nation for tho war. The people of Lyons, on hearing the late defeats, demanded revolutionary measures, and brutally assassinated the Commandant, who had refused. The Austrian War Minister informed the delegates that the army with its reserves numbers SG-1,000 men, besides 180,000 militia. All the reserves have been two 3'ears in training, and are armed with converted rifles. Generals Bourbaki and Garibaldi are reported to be marching on Nancy and Belfort, and to be threatening General Werder at Vesoul. On the 9th, Bourbaki's head-quarters were at Dijon, and he was pushing towards Montbellard. The line of canal from the Rhine to the Rhone is being fortified by the Germans. General Chauncey's army is powerful in artillery. On the Ist, the Germans reported the capture of ammunition and 24 guns at Mount Aveyron. On the 22nd forts Nogent and Noisy were silenced. Next day it was reported from Paris that the Government had rejected all idea of capitulation. The bombardment of the southern forts commenced on the fith. Forts Vauvres and Issy were silenced on the bth. The French redoubt at Clamart was occupied on the 9th, and its guus were turned against Paris. The barracks and forts of Montrouge and Vauvres were burnt down. The French unmasked additional batteries on the south of Paris. General Chnuncpy was reinforced with 50,000 men, and was retiring by Laval. Tiie Germans were dislodged from the back of Montarges by General Lecompte. THE TREATY of LUXEMBOURG. Bismarck's repudiation of the Luxembourg treaty of 1867 produced a sensation equal to that occasioned by Prince Gortschakoff's arrogance: A collision with England seemed threatened on her vindicating the treaty obligations, breaches of neutrality, and practical sympathy with the French, were urged against the Luxembourg authorities, but were by them energetically denied. Earl Granville allowed that, if the charges were true, reprisals were justifiable but denied the Prussians' right to attack the independence of Luxembourg, tts-marck has since allowed the dispute to be submitted to the President of the ti Dlt ii States - A P rob able solution of T e dffi culty is reported to be that should enter the Confederation under Prince Henry, brother of the &ng of Holland.