THE REPORTED CESSION OF PONDICHERRY.

Westport Times, Volume V, Issue 799, 8 April 1871, Page 2

THE REPORTED CESSION OF PONDICHERRY.

The " Madras Mail" informs M " Argus " that the telegrams announcing that Count Bismarck had asked for the cession of Pond:cher*y created great coflj sternation in that town. A messenger wai sent to the Governor at Le Grand Etmg, where His Excellency was fori holiday. His Excellency immediately went into town, and summoned a council of the authorities at which it was decided to call a public meeting of the inhabitants to sign a protest against being hauded over to Prussia, wbicb protest goes forward by to-day's mail' Our contemporary add :—" How Bi* marck will sneer at this kick of a crusW fly. The Government of Poudio'icrr] has possibly in some small degree

brought this calamity on their own heads, iHfid *bey remained perfectly quiet id .Lug h\' a war » their existence might have been ignored as heretofore; but having set about buying up all the coal in ludin, and making a fuss over their insignificant fortifications, they attracted the attention of the voracious Chancellor, who has determined to gobble up the settlement. Having asked for twenty ships, the coals ready to supply on Indian fleet on the beach at l'ondicherry followed as a necessary sequence. It is true that Monsieur Bontemps acted under instructions from Admiral Penau.lt de Genouilly, but it would have been easy to find some pretext for delaying the purchase, the more so that the coals had to be bought on credit. If Count von Bismarck sueeeeds in getting the French ships and Pondicherry, our empire in India will be hard to hold. With our seaports bombarded by a German fleet, and the hordes of .Russia pouring over the North-West frontier we may only be too glad to give up the country and escape with our bare lives. In the hour of his anguish, the ' desolated ' Frenchman may hug to his bosom the delicious thought that perjlde Albion has earned the wages of her neutrality. America will magnanimously waive the Alabama claims in view of the humiliation of her hated rival, and the curtain will fall over Bismarck and the Russian Czar dividing the spoils of Greater Britain, while the star of England sets for ever. So continentals think. But there is a large reserve of good stuff in old England, and we do not despair nor despond regarding her."