MAIL NEWS OUR PARIS LETTER.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXXI, Issue 5660, 3 November 1875, Page 3

MAIL NEWS OUR PARIS LETTER.

Keptuiibi l I THE SOCT10TK M: Till, <)K I'MIK the pniKip.il v,i,it ill •uhuh i. ill ili> Otlicoia' C lult in the line do Bui lech i] no, has issued a- onuilai in whuh it aunouiuii its intention of toinnng in the Kieiuh capital a complete establishment foi lille piactiee, similar to those of Swit/eilaud and Belgium. The object is to spread in Fiance a taste tor the haltit of firing at targets, and at the same time increase the general faimluu ity with weapons of war. Th.it body state that the speedy organisation of the teintorial army will make it needful that eachciti/en should be an adept at In mil; at long ranges. Aud to obtain all these results, the niembeis invite adhesions

THE TRIAL OF A MURDERKR The principal topic of conversation lnl'.ui 1is the trial of Augustc Rogluc, \\ ho niiu <U 1 1 d his mother three months ago, with the \ it\v of stealing 200 francs. The accused, who has revealed the crime to his mistress, is the son of a well-kuowu officer, and his f.unily is most respectable. Large ciowtK aie i\it ncssing the proceedings every day. Parisians havo at all times been fond of such sensational and exciting scenes. The l.n\ courts have not offered such a terrible drama to public curiosity since the trial of the notonous Troppmann, whose crimes are still fiesh in the minds of all Parisians.

THE PHYLLOXERA IN THE GIRONDE. This is the title of a paper presented to the Academy of Sciences by M. Azam. It is accompanied by two maps of the department, w ith the invasion of the insects marked in \.uious colours; black marking the state of things in ISl'A, red the invasion of 1874, and blue that of the cut rent year as far as it goes On the left bank of the G.irinnnc, yellow, white, and violet cover a sihcious soil, which has lcudeied the ■wines of Bordeaux so celcbiatcd ; for it is liPie Medoc, Grave, and Sautcrne chiefly leign. The light brown tint of the ba.nki of riM'i-. denotes inferior growths, and blue and lose colouied hues pet tain to aigilo calcareous soils, the wines of which aie of moderate quality ; and it is these latter that have ehielly suffered from the phylloxera, while the siheious ones have been pietty neail^ exempt. M. A/am, without \entui ing to discuss the question, thinks this immunity is owing moieto the geographical situation than to the constitution ot the soil, because western Winds prevail at Bordeaux, and the m\ asion commenced on the right, or opposite bank. From an attentive examination of the countiy, rather than from maps, our author concludes that in the centre of the attack, at Flonac and Brannes, there have been considerable lavages, .although wine is .still collected theie. The phylloxera his hitheito only been lemarked clsewhcie m spots of small extent, and very far asunder. Hence M. A/am concludes that matters in the Gnonde aie neither so good nor so bad .is people say. Wine merchants and bonoweis 01 lenders on mortgage, duny the existence of any reason for alaim ; it is their interest to do so, and this is the dominant opinion. On the other haud la douneie aie much frightened, and consider tlifii \ineyaids as lost beyond hope. The tiuth lies between the two. The Girondc h.vs a superficies of 974,000 hectares ('2\ acres each); of the&e UJI.CJO hectares are planted with viuei, l>o>,, as the light bank o\\ us 10.~,0i.0 of th in, lL follows Ui it its be.n^ attacked by the plijllovei.v is a more serums calamity than it the other side were invaded, since .1^1 the common wines come from the light bank.

THE STATE OK THE FKENUII AKMY. The/)* baN publishes the following observations on the seveie article published in " Blackvood's Maga/ine," concerning the Fiench .army: — "The English periodical ' Blackwood, ' some days ago, gave to the wot Id, under the title of • The condition of the French aimy,' an article, "Vhich appeals to have produced a deep impression among our neighbouis. The writer, after having studied with minute care, all the details ol our nnhtaiy org uiisation, arrives .it this dis-spuitiiig conclusion : That no serious measures have been taken since the war to raise our army from the inferiority to which it had fallen, and which was the cause, nl.is ! of such great disasters The maga/ine in question attacks in tuin tin. nnhtaiy admin istratioii, the m uiagonu'iit of the troops, and the iimfmil ot the aimy ; it only sees on all hand-, the practice of I fonner loutine. bunt on remaining faithful ! to the system w Inch lui done so much harm, illusory ictoiins, an increase of the foicos on pa[)er only, whilst our battalions still lcinaiu weak ; in a word, an abortive organisation which k-avos us as powerless as we viuie on the eve of our misfortunes. France, it says, in tci initiating, has learned nothing, toi gotten nothing ! We do not complain oi the se\eie comments of the leview in question, they arc inspired by a sentiment of sympathy, somewhat lough handed, but tine towards us, and the sensation w Inch they have pioduced in England, is a fiesh pi out of the fnendly mteiest which 0111 atlaus awake m our neighbours The Turn'-*, moieoser, has given us sa is faction in what was exaggerated in the act. of accusations of "Black wood's, "and its treatment of the question leaves no unjust criticism or un Wai ranted judgment. No, it is not true to say that Frmce lias learned nothing and forgotten nothing. She has forgotten the absolute confidence which she had in lieiself. She has learned to pay heed to the •ulvice which is given her, even should it be impressed with an evident exagLjtution. The T'uih>\ is (I coived when it states that the aiticle lek-ned to has been leceivcd amongst us by universal silence ; many journals have spoken ot it, not to refute it, but to recommend it to the attention of the military udimmstiation, and all those who occupy themselves with the interest ot the ai my. It is tine that no one has cnteied into polemics with the review in question ; but the Tinus gives the true leason for this when it leraarks that we have assumed the habit ol keeping silence. " The pnde of Fiance," it says, "does not permit that .she should confess her nnhtaiy defects The decline of her influence — the loss of hci position in Euiope; but she is pcifectly conscious of it, and at the present moment the idea of a speedy revenge appeals to hei a dangerous clumeia, the thought of which can only be atti ibuted to hei by her enemies " We lecoinmend to the CJernian journals, which do not let a week pass without pointing out the danger to the peace of Europe which oui nnhtaiy organisation entails, the ludieious and moderate article of the Turns. Thei e is no question that France seeks to reestablish the military power which was shatteicd by such great disasters, but she labouis to that end without any thought of an immediate war ; and if she is now nearly in a position to defend herself, it will yet be a long time before being in an equally tavomable one to attack. Hor iuteutions aie so pacific, that she is suspected of effeminacy, indifference, and inattention. " Blackwood's," notwithstanding the excess of its ci lticisms, is not altogether wrong when it accuses us of contenting ourselves with theotetical fictions, ideal reforms, and with eUectives on paper, as real ones, and already ti aiued for war. Under this head, its aiticle claims to be seriously consideied by oui gieat military administrations.

THE ft RAND DUCHESS MARIA OF RUSSIA. The ft rand Duchess Maria of Russia is expected at Fi iudrichshafen, on the Lake (if Constance. It is the summer residence of Queen Olga, of Wurtenberg, and is situated to the east of Arcneberg. The (Jrand Duchess will pas. 9 some time there with her sistor, and will certainly pay several viaits to the cni]Ji ess

THK IfERZUOOVINA DIFFICULTY. The Gazette publishes a leading article upon the Herzegovina insurrection, which concludes in the following manner :— "The tiipaititc alliance of Russia, Germany, and Austria aims at the preservation

(I l,uin|N in |k li . , .unl iLs « i ill V "'I 1 li iL I ill t. ll'llHlst, I ollll llillll' l«» ill** |i\( ilu itimi (li tin |n iions wliiili h i\ i' tuiiiiil \ i ul in Hit' I 1 ' i il, .miiI ll niusl alLrw.uds IHSI-.1 uii tin- miiuv.il oi tlio cvuscs \S lll( ll C\< itc llic (lib) (illluilt «»t 111' 1 1'olto's < 'Imsli.ui sul)|ecl^. In s))itu ol ;vll the t.ilk 01 tli(j ii'5«'iu l.ilion *t)f Tiu key, ovm the I n^jli-.li fi lends of the L'orto havo given it 1 1 1 » I Iin one Wosnes peace iincl strongly de(iiec.iles tilt. 1 eM&tonoe of a yunuanont danger luiin pciiodieal ocuiirienee of iiiMiuections in Tiukej. En«laml too, is jointly uith othei States interested in the matter. '