The Press. — London, England, 1855-05-12 00:00:00

MAY 12, 1855. Tided with even one-half of the land transport necessary in such a case for the proper provisioning of 10,000 men, and until the deficiency is made up we are chained to the ground we stand on. During to-day the fire has been unusually slack ou all sides. The allies have certainly not fired twenty round-shot; in fact, except from our mot.- tars, we do little just at present. The Russian and French works were almost entirely silent. Our allies are very nearly out of both powder and shot, and for the next few days I expect the English ordnance will have to supply them. Our tramway is taxed to its utmost, and each day large stores of ammunition are forwarded. I believe, before the bombardment will again commence, 2,000 tons of powder and shot &re required at the Eng lish works alone, in addition to the daily supply of 150 tons of shot and shell. All the vessels in Balaklava having cargoes of shot are required to discharge them imme diately, and all vessels now using ordnance shot as ballast are also ordered to land them. The Times publishes the following, under date of the 27th : It seems that there is nothing fer it but patience. Every day the difficulties of Russiain feeding her Crimean army and in supplying the munitions of war to Sebastopol will increase. The transport of the Crimea has beta " used up " some time ago, and at ;resent carts and cattle from Poland have been brought down, and are Cu. gaged in conveying provisions and materiel to the place. Although Russian iron is excellent, it cannot last for ever —guns must wear out, and shot and shell do not grow. With the sea &tour command we find it difficult to keep up the supply of shot and shell for our batteries, and even when we do land them, although we possess a railway half way to the trenches, our difficulties seem only to begin. What means Russia would adopt to keep her batteries efficient in winter, is, I trust, matter of very profitless spe culation, because there is no reason to think that the place will be able to hold out so long against sap and mine, bombardment and cannonade, particularly when General Canrobert " enlarges his circle " of operations. Every day we diminish our distance from the enemy, who does, it must be said, his best to meet us ' • but, although his outerworks are advanced, the line of his batteries on the left has been perforce considerably retired. As our ad vances are made, the parallels behind are strengthened and put into a tit state for mounting guns in them, which will be close to the enemy's works, and produce a corre- sponding effect, though with increased loss and damage to ourselves from the Russian guns. The process thus goes on, in proportion to our strength and the enemy's weak ness, day after day, and bit by bit the ground is won from them ; and, though the town itself may be defended by infinitesimal batteries to the water's edge, so long as we can keep our works clear of the enemy, and can maintain our fire against them, there can be no doubt of ultimate success, if the external army is unable to three the allies to Lase the siege. Our batteries are nearly silent ; a few guns and mortars reply to an occasional shot from the ltedantilli _Round Tower at long intervals, and there seems to be a ship behind the Round Tower, which harasses our right attack by an odd shell now and then. There are mysterious whispers that we shall " open fire again in a few days" with an allowance of one hundred rounds a gun per diem. A supply of some useful 56 and a few 68 pounder guns has been brought up from Balaklava to the batteries, and considerable additions have been made to our armament since I last wrote. A mode rate supply of 13-inch bomb fuses has been raked together and, if promises are to be trusted, we really shall effect rarest things on this the third " commencement " ,of the siege. THE FRENCH CAMP. The following letter from a soldier in the Crimea contains some curious facts, showing the ingenious promptitude with which the French soldier knows how to make a home for himself, even in positions apparently most unfavorable : Nothing can be seen at head-quarters but small houses surrounded with gardens, and little seats constructed by the soldiers for their officers. There are regular lines of stables erected, and also a number of wooden huts. The tents which still exist have alt planks for flooring, and in many of them pretty mantelpieces made of wood. In a corner is the camp-bed, and the arms are tastefully arranged round the post in the centre. Such is the appearance of an officer's tent. We have at headlitarters three telegraphs for different directions, a printing•cf}ice, two good roads made by the soldiers, and the railway from Balaklava, which every day approaches nearer to us. Whet has given pleasure to every one is a chapel which has lately been built; it is very pretty and surmounted by a steeple—without a bell. It appears to us very fine, for it reminds us of our village, of France, and of many other things. Two masses are performed on Sundays in this chapel, at seven and ten in the morning. Every- one can enter, and so many do so that the place is twenty times too small. Everything is conducted in the greatest order—not the slightest noise interrupts the divine service. You may thus see the difference produced by circumstances ; in France, the soldier who attends divine service is frequently pointed at, but here this re ligious act is regarded as quite natural, and no mockery takes place. THE CAMP RAILWAY. In a report on the progress of theßalaklava Railway, Mr. Beattie states : The line commences from both sides of the harbour, and proceeds direct up the valley to Kadikoi. where it turns sharp to the west, round the foot of the hill on which is placed the Sailors' or 4-gun Battery, and through the French camp, thence along the side of the hills to the flagstaff at the top of the plateau, and about half a mile from head-quarters. The line then diverges to the north, and proceeds direct to the Woronzoff road ; this is about gun% miles from Salaklsvp. her is Moo a laralicil about THE PRESS. one mile long, to accommodate the third and fourth divi sions and left siege-train. The railway daily takes up about 112 tons supply of provisions, consisting of biscuit, salt meat, groceries, corn, hay, and fuel, to the front. To the 23rd ult. it had taken up as nearly as can be 1,000 tons of shell and shot, 300 tons of small arms, 3,000 tons of commissariat stores (fuel and forage), besides upwards of one thousand tons of miscellaneous, viz., guns, platforms, huts, Quartermaster-tieneral's stores, The railway was commenced on the Bth of February by the navvies ; it conveyed commissariat stores to Katlikoi on the 2.3 rd, and on the 2Uth of March it conveyed shot and shell to the summit at head-quarters, four and a half miles from Bala klava; which, with the Diamond•wharf branch and the double line from halaklava to lisdikoi, makes upwards of seven miles of rail laid down iu less than seven weeks. SEBASTOPOL INQUIRY COMMITTEE. THE evidence collected by the committee during the current week has related principally to the conduct of the Ordnance Department, Sir 'Thomas Hastings, Mr. Monsell, and Mr. Sidney Herbert, being the chief witnesses. The first-mentioned gentleman said, in the course of his examination : He could give the committee many instances in which the authority of the Board of Ordnance had been used by a single member of the board. Last year witness, during ter months, was the only member of the board transacting business at the Ordnance, and this was during the heavy pressure of business in that department. Sir H. Ross was also there, but he was almost entirely occupied with the military department. Some of the papers of the board during this time bad only one signature when they related to ordinary matters of detail, but not when they involved a principle. Having given two instances to prove his assertion, Sir T. Hastings continued:— Had there been a Master• General to superintend the business of the Ordnance, these things would not have happened, as under the old system, and before the change, every question of this kind was referred to him fur ap proval. . . . The CHAIRMAN.—You said there were other instances ? Sir T. Hsstiugs.—Yes, there was a case iu which a severe reprimand was ordered in the case of insubordina tion on the part of a particular officer, but where the reprimand was not carried out. The CHAIRMAN.—Was that done by Mr. Monsell ? Sir T. Hastings.—Yes. The CHAutmAri.—You had better state the case. Sir T. Hastings here hesitated and said.—The committee would feel for the unpleasantness of his position. The case was this. A gentleman of considerable ability was appointed to an °dice in the Ordnance, but became of an insubordinate turn of mind, and Sir Hew Hose wrote a severe reprimand to this officer, and witness put his initials to it. Mr. Mon sell subsequently wrote a letter to the Board of Ordnance, calling ou them to rescind the reprimand, sad telling the board that if they did not he should place the papers in the hands of the Secretary-at• War. Sir Hew Ross sent for witness ou the occasion, and they considered that the board had done quite right, and witness said that nothing should induce him to rescind his decision un the subject, and the decision was not rescinded. Mr. ELLICE.—Then the result of your evidence is that it would be as difficult to carry on the administration of the Board of Ordnance successtully without a Master-General and a complete board as it would be to carry on the ad ministration of the navy without a First Lord of the Admi ralty _ . _ Sir T. Hastings.—l think so. Mr. MONSELL, on being afterwards called, read and put in the official correspondence which had taken place in the case mentioned by Sir Thomas Hastings, and which served strongly to indicate the conflicting action and the antagonism of the mem bers of the Board of Ordnance in reference to it. He afterwards stated in reply to questions : Since the consolidation of the NVar Department the position of the Board of Ordnance was a most anomalous one. The Secretary of State for War was now charged with the responsibility of the civil duties of the Ordnance ; and if the Master• General of the Ordnance were now in England, he would have to obey the instructions of the Secretary for War. With regard to the Ordnance Depart ment, they had been endeavouring to work out a new idea with an old organisation before that organisation was changed. The Ordnance was not in a state to meet urgent demands when the war broke out, as regarded stores, fuses, ite. Money was not asked for from Parliament, and therefore Parliament were not to blame ; but whether Government were for the deficient state of the Ordnance was another matter. The Board of Ordnance worked very well until the disagreement between himself and Sir T. Hastings. Pending the proposed alterations in the Ord. nance, that department was in a sort of moribund condi tion. And this state of things, he thought, interfered with the public service. Witness had tendered his resignation to the Duke of Newcastle on one occasion ; but the duke thought it was desirable he should remain. There were only three officers at the Ordnance Board in November, and the office was reduced at one time to only one person—himself; and he came up three or four times in the week. By Mr. ELLICE.—He concurred mostfully in the opinion expressed by the Dnke of Newcastle, as to the unsatisfac tory state of the Ordnance • and thought it was wrong to leave the post of Master-eneral of the Ordnance vacant just at the time when the war broke out, as it threw the whole department into a state of disorganisation. Although in April, a most important period, there was only one officer at the board—himself—he did not think the public service suffered ; that is to say, said Mr. Memel! " we did do 41 OS wail required." The Cl/annuli—Not " we," you mean, but " I.' (Laughter.) Mr. Monsell—l refer to the administration of the civil department, not the military, which was carried out most creditably. He did not think that the public service suffered by the disagreements that took place at the board, or tram the absence of its officers, but it imposed a large additional amount of work on those that were in the department. The Ordnance Department set to work to provide stores, ii c. ' before the war broke out, and in anticipation of it. To General PxxL—The Ordnance stores for the Baltic fleet were completed with wonderful rapidity, and that was chiefly owing to the admirable way in winch the Royal Carriage Department at Woolwich executed their share of the equipment. Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT, on being examined, gave a multitude of explanations regarding the hospitals and medical service, stores, ttc. in the course of his evidence be : His department in reference to the Horse Guards was purely limuicial. lie was in the habit of consulting Lord Hardinge. A consultation took place with him ou the ex pedition to the East, and he drew the schemes for the organisation of the army on which the Duke of Newcastle acted. The system was not so bad as the want of expe rienced men. At the commencement of the operations, after a long peace, persons were frightened at the amount of responsibility cast upon them; and Dr. Andrew Smith, in his evidence, had stated that it took him live months before he could make himself believe that he had the power to spend money. The system was better in time of peace, but it was not expensive enough for a time of war. He thought the system was nut so bad as the inexperience of persona to work it. By General PEEL.—He had altered the mode of supplying the clothing to the troops. if the clothing was sell sup plied by the colonels, it arose from the fact that the con tracts were entered into for the infantry for a year ahead ; if for the cavalry, the contract was for two years, or even two years and a half ahead ; and till these contracts were run out the old system would prevail. lie did not believe that the colonels of regiments made au undue profit at the expense of the men. There would be a great saving from the use of sewing-machines in making up the clothes. Had estimates of the prices at which the clothing could be made, and was satisfied that at the price now paid the troops could be supplied with a much better article than had hitherto been supplied to them. THE BALTIC. The blockade of the Gulf of Finland, from Hangoe Head to Dagerort, commenced on the 28th ult.; notice of which has been given to the Danish govern. ment. The Aland Islands are denuded of Russian troops. Several English ships have already arrived before Raidbarnin, near Ledsund. The White Sea squadron, consisting of the Mean der, 44, Captain Baillie; Ariel, 9, screw; and Phounix, 9, screw, left the Downs on Thursday fur the Baltic. ADMINISTRATIVE REFORM. THE inaugural meeting of the new association formed for the purpose of obtaining a reform in the administrative departments of Government was held, according to previous announcement, on Saturday last., at the London Tavern. Much excitement pre vailed, and a dense crowd assembled long before the hour appointed for beginning business. The room, which was calculated to hold fifteen hundred persons, became thronged, while numbers more were seeking admission. The overflow was accordingly directed towards the Guildhall, where a kind of supplemental meeting was held under the presidency of Mr. Oliveira, M.P. At the principal meeting Mr. Samuel Morley presided; and among many City and political personages who took part in the proceedings were:— Mr. Lindsay, M.P., Major Reed, M.P., Mr. F. French, M.P., Mr. Swift, M.P., Mr. Brady, ALP., Mr. Duffy, M.P., Mr. Maguire, M.P., Captain Scobell, M.P., Mr. Humphrey Brown, M.l'., Mr. Bennoch, Mr. Laird, Mr. Torrens M'Cullagh, Mr. Travers, Mr. Wilkinson, Mr. Amory, Mr. Tite, Mr. Nicoll, and Mr. Samuel Brown, the secretary of the new association. The speeches that were delivered at both gather• ings referred chiefly to the abundant tokens of mis management that had lately been furnisted in the conduct of every branch of administration ; and the resolutions passed unanimously expressed the opinion of the assembly that matters could never be set right until better men were put into high places, and efficiency alone become the test of desert for office. Among the many addresses delivered, that of Mr. Lindsay presented the completest and most graphic array of facts, testifying to the negligence and in competence of our present Administration. Before the proceedings closed a committee was nominated to meet periodically, collect funds, to organise sub-committees throughout the country, and generally to advance the objects of the movement in favour of Administrative Reform. By way of begin ning to the practical work of the association, the chairman announced that already twenty-five gentle. men had put down their names as subscribers of 1001. each towards the fund relutred fur cartrug tt AN'Orard,,