NEWS OF THE WEEK.
TAORD GRANVILLE'S mediation holds out far more promise of peace than there has yet been since the war began. It seems all but officially admitted that an armistice has been signed at Versailles to which both the Paris and the Tours Governments have given their formal assent, providing for an armistice of twenty-five days, for the holding of the French elections,—Paris (and we conclude also the smaller besieged fortresses) to be victualled day by day through the Prussian lines during the armistice. No preliminary agreement as to the terms of peace has been demanded, and the elec- tions are fixed for the 15th November (Tuesday week). In all pro- bability, the elections will be held, as was ordered on the last occasion when they were expected, on the basis of the law of March; 1849, and we should expect the Assembly to meet not at Paris, but at Tours. Lord Granville's despatch urging this armis- tice on the Prussian Government we have criticized elsewhere, but it is impossible to speak of it in too high praise. It is strictly impartial, sincere, and friendly, and in style simple, and even stately. Count Bismarck's reply is exceedingly courteous to Great Britain, but very rough, contemptuous, and even rude in tone to Republican France, intimating that she could never have better terms than were offered her at Ferrieres ; but the concession of the armistice in its existing form seems to show that, in this case at least, Bismarck's bark may be worse than his bite !
