The Sun. — London, England, 1855-04-28 00:00:00

LATEST NEWS* TRE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL. BERLIN, APRIL 27. , Tile follovving despatch has been received here 14.041 St. Petersbur dated April 26 : tc p_.nce _ . g, 22, !I Gortscbakoff Writes under date of the 'ot April as follows : c, „ Ill ° fire of the enemy on the 22d was slacker. bl tic ,", ll tirig the last two days our loss has been much less than on the preceding days." .. There VI ENNA, FR IDAY E VENING. w ki . DO Conference to-day. xf el2th:Pg very fi a t, i:teuirouyn del'Etuys has left for Paris. d the 2hil ;.924Pi1i0 despatch from Varna, date Ittiel.rt) announces that Lord Stratford de, the 2 6 1.4 left that for the Crimea on th. - ......_____ TIIE BALTIC FLEET. Th e b TIAMBITRG, SATURDAY . th ai r4O ll 48 ar rived at Cop en h agen, wi th 144 ?:1/Illidas, f rom Kiel. i Lieutenant Stewart . ti; aticivoY Bucha nan have visited the War Minis kite plate, 4 recep t ion by th e Ri ng was about to o —8 fla g 1,• KIEL, TiIIIRSDAY. e 11,414 flag Duke of Wellington, Captain d arrived to day in eight days from Eng' The k l ti: '561111(1°g has returned from visiting the PortB. -mliAltroi OF THE SARDINIAN ~31 1 14 0 MINISTRY. "41tyi— 41.°111 * and all his colleagues in the mi lls..4ve resigned. 4Oe tie li psi ng has accepted their resignation!. 14 ti0 7 I)ura ndo has been charged with the 44 . 4 new cabinet. DAY 7.30 A•M* t l l 9 t T il io /1 11 4 :i it A g r ° ,, li a t tutrhev ill : uo t p R ii : s A hine: N s I C ATR . Imperial decree, an of the Universal Exhi- T' Postponed to theblsth of May- A ), 4 - .tk o w , PARIS, FRIDAY EVENING. eUr °e PARIS, the following : ti "T he k 4 lie b 4 taPeror has III" - . 0 a " VIENNA, APRIL 25. given the order to General Baro n on 4cl of appear at his lead-quarters. He sets out . '1 t his .4 3', foll ow of% day informed ed by all his staff. The general il l ° ord e .._ ()ruled Generals De Letang and Crawford tto e e ,,:a of the Emperor, both of whom are prepar -At the Pall Austrian generalissimo." th 4 Te, "STOCKHOLM APRIL 1& 1 2 244 *ln of stockholm, which last year was open by altl he lles qr t i! h . is still shut up by the ice, though there r ititio4 Will y a wing owing to the change in the weathe , p , 00 6 Aor o • llcommence at the beginning of M a y. t 0 th e , ntteur also contains a decree raising / t h e diglaitit7fi,,,French Ambassador in London, It ti also an n 0 Senator. klt iee rs, vo l , leu nces that General Biz ot, ad o b f et t e h re e tepo '"° was lately severely woun de d 6441 ° f 'Di been appointed to the rank of ivision. s kil _____ . Ott, 1)11`1TAN EXPEDITION. -„, 4 - 4, k r , . 1 tt e oft he first 22, --The order for the embar,kast -40414 ikue,iurst part of the expedition has at la st thlkikketioeizealli.,(l 6 a.m. to-morrow is fixed f e o f r t i h ts e Ao"-er then I L, hut there is little chanc e before Lelkk y 18 division being ready to sa il • the rh t (livi:ior Wednesday. The ships composing tat t i ll e, o i l are the Crcesus, Cleopatra, Europa, and tkii,tll4ll, B'teuaar.itY) Tamar, N k e tran s Ill ers ; the Edendale an dJura, sad erg eari ports ; and. the S ar dinia l n ioi G:r ) o ( v i e r r ig n a m te e s n ) t , tft e AittLio,,° Albert o and Nubia, P P b e i d a estrian, ila er ,s, ~ L-41,,i These ‘t. i li ' E , 4 . 11 (.1 b ill erl, 148 1 3 ' ''l ll ' veR2l ''kaides, each steamer will and 146 wag will tow a, es i s. l e o G l: u se v s e take 422 s ort of Cit l i r ". Q. -e, chartered for the ttati,,woilfltileetexri,apletitiatilvfona:inora, the Commander-in 141etran 4l t ak e 'tli pass a ge in the Governolo, and _ together with his personal 4 11 s oo n as e 0 1. 4 (P , a *4 a T i ( T i\l ,, ~,, of h t e b has seen the first division ready Nid , ,, wiaicil has been lhaarvgeestbeoefnthleasdeetnranwsipthortpsr,otvhie ritaellitice' th e - o' l b ecome absolutely necessary to t e NI 4 ba the 4,e'l44liah Commissary -General in th bi ti at4 4l4ll trroo ilita,„j, e S a ms of th,, . ,ar e a h . . Coia%ec oi) f r 'yen ion supplying the 0 1 4 insel t f . una b b y letOfulfil the 611" ' el the e B ri tish It11111(()I o"r'g2,ohiai'llleneg been'3l'ThatailtiiteishnuCmonibemr issefanm'aetn. Illir ed isi n -I'. figureß,:ellslderabl y increased fro m t he tr,,' " 11 ' have - "e ra]. more vessels will be , liiti _ a i mp s, th ey tt been already applied for. As. to I th e ol he jsth, and been ready for embarkat i on .a onc e e tl l !ay fr otl : 4 1 are so quartered en echelon whent la rea r " e head of t h e ell to Alexandria, that 44 ,Will 4 01„. 11 , 44 place upaaeoflaustnz begins to embark_ t a h r e . (I% l'si • the stowing on bo and N9Uctur a. 6 . a POlit ail r , Alla ~,"Itiadraw ‘ionsul at Genoa has had his exe ment. 444ialt , i o : lls t are ti • b Y the Sardinian Govern ii iay 8 doubtfw. said to be entirely personal ; but, I\ leah te gard it, - d e w the Neapolitan Government '4"-t• Vortunato the Secretary of the el to ."egeastit7 t T rin , will proceed e. 1.4)1 a 11 ) imm the represent the true state of ja kt y 47% ,tzs A pril RUSSIA. • papers of April 4 4 , ,I!taio pri,, T h e .....Russmn f4ile':Tted per.4ero Ater ht i ofr 2 s l a st order he of t th d e s which 1544 e im i d t° the navPal ancl r na c illtar ' y in forces which i. had r. till g to-4" his command in the Crimea. Re,l:in %114iti cluktiiteldotifi Is3f frok.N'atien tollowtthe Ern eror, who haq him phis shattered health, relieved e 4 D e e words from the Imperial rescript : post, the Prince quotes th o tOr l Y as we all bewail the decease of our bene- With whit UR find our consolation in that Russian brav eryere_ Illeeilred 1 1 1 th e tro y hav unr your command 1, bkte 4e111 3 , and resisted his attacks. Th ank in ~. u tiii,.• e all th of Sebastopol for I..'' -04 fe e rape defenders 4 3' a ti , at 4 with which they have adorned our nili" 44tbwovePZatZti l'ilbil:oleletpeerilati leader rel his blessing fro m Th:l4,their fortitudiel a Y nd unexampled intrepid' bestowsthe O rthodox ar my, ,.m k tl4l 1; .tlinee thanks all his formercomrad h e i y s m . fo o r f ''illgattPii!ess they had so often procured s Niseh„Z Jerald of the Emperor's ' h and Nivi,,,i'lllaelf for his parting with g t r h e Plat% I°ll that the will continue to earn joy aid them with 111_0. %IliloLl?! their IVlonYarch, and to cause him " tiairiejlis_ r , ~Y their successes. Emperor addressed tlaefoller,Zato of March 15, the ,eti4I`OO"'ILIAR, letter to Prince Menschik . o 4:1 t -ttexander S zei h Marine, —4l ika.l. Your 1 e A r- ' istration of t d the itek 4o ii Lb on? admi n istration earned ttil Wleci p ,„„ 4 3'nur indefatigabl e exertions e ewitch,—During e the whole Pero, .4.4eilt and the grat itu de Jelly h Ilevr restin g in God, and mphance co tech vo: 'irtined you - Whilst I now, i n your !Mat of our Lord and 'Ped h eal -i . 0,,,, -• a n d on an duties, I know . how betefth, relielvvish' triliirci•you often my never-to coulntweoltl h aw th ank" ! ell fae e at to ? .rom your arduous 1 1l h e v/. rejoiced at t he s ight of his fleet, and well-doing. we hii.t.T.to Yon, as his s coadj utor . in its be-forgot :ft her ,sezPress to you my sincere ac knowledgments . God, and to -' f our L `lirettitting exertions to alleviate a th e e , %tlhe h ie °1.0 an Ernpe-or now resting in from my hear t 4 ., orders t o be ' duly executed, I . hope. indispensable to labours p hl l '4 th e repose which is now indi-pe w ne i a ll, rinttay restore your health, and that t7leluafford that houreteat t(lwiedge and your experience, still 4 c1i , ...!,° the country that it with right a 0en t143,6:443' who ha s for more than a quarter of w ithe 4 t°o at th of the most imp ortant kieh e , the has of on e . for himself the expects from e onh de °I administration , and gained , ssed me bier,,, Il e,e of the Emperor Nicholas, of hie "..."--1- retnain, your well affected, Li " ALEXANDE R . " additionttaiati to the above the Grand Duke Com y, pril,.° haeaddressed the following to the Prince :--a .41142),,,,-01ee Alexander Sergejewitch ! His Majesty the li g „,, I. ' in fulfilment of the intention of . our L 114 and 11,:gPerer N'icolai Pawlowitcb, now resting in God, akPlfal that our most august father always expressed f fain es'action with g anagement of maritime a - 44,aigi4:8b,tehgraciouYsoluyrpli:ased to confer on your Serene ~' t tom the tee - simple of the house of 'the chef of the -411 mr ,() r of the marine, situate inSt.Petersburg, together . 1.114 ht ° f to buildings and their fittings (1,1 tet estamentary disposition. I have . instruc the °Parttnent of Minister of Marine to transf . er up, tdwtithhe a dd r: enle ilts in t h inquen to your son, Prince Wladimir, Th 'ate your well affected." Li a 6 w hole of the extensive territory of Bessara oll aalld Placedvinces of Kiew, Podolia, and Cher ritY Priunder the supreme military autho- . roaticl `'reneral Luders, hitherto provisionally com Lod et-ill-chief of the army of the south. General el.B i 8 at this moment at Kitcheneff. Lett t . Vaile,,de- irutn R iga'contirm the arrival of the ad- Pre vail guard of the Asiatic hordes, who cannot be Dre e4 °Pon to sleep in the houses or barracks tof T ar ed for their reception, under the impression ot..vaa,ntlierrsfooruel,d an earthquake take place. They i ll Z 4 rc'und thee c b h t u a r ie ch ed es p , and bivouac themselves as permission to picket their the; e ?Pen air , rnakino. use of their horse's neck r4e4r an . 'w They are described as a most thieving o k ,:' liothing being secure from their depredations, li , k h, eially a n articles of brass, tin, or copper, the `4lltd surface of Which excites their cupidity. LITERATURE. ,n; and Comprehensive Dictionary of the Englisi , Language, as Spoken and Written. By Hyde Clarke, D.C.L., &c. John Weale. The public is greatly indebted to Mr. Weale, and still more to the author, for this important acquisi tion to its philological stores. The Dictionary is preceded by an excellent English Grammar, in which the author has " thought it right to look ra ther to the spoken than the written tongue, and to seek his standard among that body of southern English among whom our greatest writers and speakers have arisen." A noticeable feature of the Grammar is the author's careful abstinence from La tinisms, in order that he may be the more readily understood by children and working men. Of the Dictionary itself we feel no hesitation in speaking in the most laudatory terms. To self-teachers it will be especially valuable, while we are ignorant of any class which will not find it a serviceable hand-book. Unlike abridgments which only give words which everybody knows, and standard dictionaries which omit spoken words which everybody wants to know, it is a dictionary of the English language, as spoken and written, and, by an ingenious ar rangement, contains, in remarkably small space, at least sixty thousand more words than any other dictionary yet published. The meanings, of which there are 10,000 additional for old words, are given by words of English or Anglo-Saxon root, in order to their being more readily understood. The World (yid its Beautiful Lights and Sympa thies. By James Waymouth, author of the " Crucifixion," and other poems. James Black- wood. The purchasers -of Mr. Waymouth's preceding poems will doubtless recognise fresh claims to their admiration in the present volume. It is charac terised by an elevated moral purpose and feeling, and considerable facility of expression. Exigent critics may object to some of the author's numerous compound epithets, and take exception to the quality and arrangement of some of his metaphors ; while others will discern passages which do him credit, and which will be perused with pleasure. The New Quarterly Review. Hookham and Sons. The April number of this useful review and 'di gest of current literature is hardly inferior to its predecessors in variety and interest. In its resume of French literature we are informed that "in Paris there are, on a moderate computation, one hundred autobiographies in course of publication ! " If this be so our Parisian friends are to be pitied. Among several meritorious papers one on the " Clubs of London" is, perhaps, the most notice able. The Screw Propeller. A Letter to Captain G. T. Scobell, R.N., M.P. By Captain E. J. Car penter, R.N. Seeley. Many of our readers are aware that a sum of twenty thousand pounds' remunerative compensa tion was voted by the House of Commons to the inventor or inventors of the screw. To set forth the author's claim to the title, and to show how the money has been misapplied, are the objects of this pamphlet. To all appearance Capt. Carpenter is an ill-used man. Professor Johnston's Instructions for the Analysis of Soils, &c. Blackwood. A third edition of this valuable little work, in which limestones, clays, ironstones, manures, and natural waters have been included among the sub stances to be analysed. A copious index also has been added, and the result is a help to practical and economical analysis, of which tyros in chemis try will find it to their profit to avail themselves. Few instructors are so lucid and generally intel ligible as Professor Johnston. My Wanderings. Being Travels in the Fast in 1846-7, 1850-1, 1852-53. By John Gadsby, formerly of Manchester. With map and numer ous engravings on wood. John Gadsby. One of those works which possess the elements of success, being noticeable for observation, good sense, and a great varie'zy of useful information, conveyed in a popular style. Reference is fre quently made to Scripture, and the author seems to have taken pleasure in throwing light on such of its dark passages as owe their obscurity to our ignorance of Eastern customs. The Journal of Psychological Medicine and Mental Pathology. Edited by Forbes Winslow, M.D., D.C.L. John Churchill. The April number of this ably-conducted journal contains papers of general, as well as professional, interest. Among these are an article on the " Pathology of Intemperance," " Critical Remarks on the 'Plea of Insanity," and a paper on "The Responsibility of the Insane." A Digest of County Court Cases decided in the Superior Courts on Motion or on Appeal. By Sir George Stephen, of Gray's-inn, barrister-at law. John Crockford. A useful compilation, in a somewhat novel form, of cases, involving (mainly) the' practice of the County Courts on points of law peculiar to their jurisdiction. The Crown Lands of Australia. Being an Expo sition of the Land Regulations, and of the Claims and Grievances of the Crownenant, ctc By William Campbell. John Smith and s Son,. Glas gow. In addition to a clear and temperate expression of the grievances of the squatters or Crown Tenants of Australia, in connection with the land regula tions, backed by documentary evidence, the reader will find a few practical hints upon emigration and the gold fields. The author, lately a member of the Legislative Council of Victoria, appears to be " well up" to his task. Parisian Etiquette. (guide to the Manners of French Society in Pm is. John J. Shaw. A little handbook, translated from the French, and likely to be of service to such of our readers as intend to visit Paris d u ring the approaching Exhibition. Russia and her .Czars. Illustrated by Engravings of the Kremlin and the Church of Saint Basil, Moscow, from Original Views. By E. J. Bra bazon, a uthor of " Outlines of the History of Ireland," Sic. Robert Theobald. An acceptable contribution to the general stock of historical - literature. The history of " Russia and ber CzaA" is brought down from the earliest period to the preSent time, and but little of its ro mantic interest is lost in the narration. The work contains a large amount of information, and is well adapted both for young readers and old. The Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland has commuted the sentence of death passed at the last Tipperary assizes on Michael Hogan and Timothy Ryan, for the murder of Denis Molony, into transportation for life. STAMP ON BANKERS' CHEQUES.—Objections continue to be urged against the proposed penny stamp on cheques, from the effect it would have in causing coin to be used in place of cheques in all small transactions. It seems generally admitted, however, that a suggestion made by Mr. 3. A. Franklin, and alluded to on Thursday, that cheques should be allowed to be drawn without a stamp, but that a stamp should be required to be affixed to them before they could be paid, would obviate this dif ficulty entitely, since, as the tax would then fall on the receiver, the payer would have no inducement to incur the risk and inconvenience of using coin. CIVIL SERVICE APPOINTMENTS.—The Master-General of the Ordnance has been pleased to nominate W. B. Le Geyt, Esq., son of Lieut.-Colonel Le Geyt , " Ro y al Jersey Militia, o Fonthill, St. Heliers, Isle of Jersey, to a clerkship in the Ordnance storekeeper's department, Gun-wharf, Portsmouth. Acting Assistant -Surgeon R. Webb has been appointed assistant-surgeon, vice Fasson, promoted, in the Ordnance medical department. Mr. Edwin J. Jelley, clerk in the Royal Engineer Office at Woolwich, has been removed to the Royal Engineers' Office at Manchester, vice Mr. J. J. Holmes, deceased. There is a vacancy in the Comptroller's Account Legal Quays, London, caused by the death of Mr. George St. Quintin.—Civil Service Gazette. , THE WIDOWS AND ORPHANS OF THE POLICE WHO VOLUNTEERED TO GO TO THE CRIMEA.—It will be re collected that the distressing case of Mrs. Pocock, the widow of Sergeant, Pocock, of the P division of police, who was one of several members of the Metropolitan Police force who had volunteered to go out to the Crimea as deputy store-keepers, has more than once been brought under the notice of the Hon. G. C. Nor ton, and that he had not only expressed a strong opinion of toe manner in which her claims for assistance from the Patriotic Fund had been met, but kindly afforded temporary relief for herse and her five helpless chil dren. Mrs. Pocock is now receiving assistance from the fund, and will continue to do so in common with all other widows of the service. Goss BRUTALITY TO A WIFE IN HER CONFINEMENT; —Charles Canton, a dentist, residing at 41, Myddleton street, Clerkenwell, was charged before Mr. Tyrwhitt with ill-treating his wife. Elizabeth Canton, a care worn looking Woman, who carried an infant in her arras, said, the defendant is my husband to my sorrow. Nine days since I was confined of this - baby, and daily since that he has been knocking me about in the bed until I could bear it no longer. On Thursday, the eighth day, i hie conduct was so b ru t a l t o m e that I was obliged to get out of bed, and take th e baby with me, and ra plainaectro slapped nont snt her urae td e fdtahcwee witness,ti tit, said that since he r con finement the defenda nt with t hebed,gentleman. a h n d s t c h o r n e d w u I t e h t r i .w n T g a yssgo out of the house. A poor wom a n who nursed .the co Call s u c h a man a ge n tl eman ? S ome p e rsons have dailyit r h ld a e t e l d r: strang e ideas of the word ge n tl eman —indeed I should r at w s t l e t badr— call him quite the reverse. The .worthy magi s trate sent him to 6,months' bard labour. Prussian merchants, and as a proof of that he might state that they were known to . pay 20 per cent. for dis count. But capital was not all, that wa§• required. A personal acquaintance with the agents was necessary, and without such acquaintance capital would be of very little avail. Now, how was it p oss ibl e th a t such a class of men could suddenly spring up in Russia ? And in the meantime, in what condition would she be ? Her exports would be destroyed ; her rouble would be of the value of a French assignat ; her financed would be in the most inextricable confusion in the course of two years ; and the soldier landlord—on whose fidelity the sovereign must depend on the day of battle—would be rendered desponding, despairing, and disaffected. , A- prohibi tion to trade would have taught him not merely that war was restrictive of the serfs, and burdensome In the shape of taxes, but would have brought him to beg gary and ruin. Now, he would ask, could the war be carried on for a year under such circumstances I He himself saw something of the t em per of the nobles in 1824, when the insurrection of the following year was as freely talked of as the clubs of London now talked 'of the efficiency of her Majesty's Government. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) An indefinite sort of notion pre vailed that this country would be ruined by the stoppage of the Russian trade. But was there any foundation for that supposition ? None whatever. The Russian ex ports were not of that rare kind that no other country could produce. He would take for instance the article of hemp. Now, Russian hemp was not the best hemp that came into the market, Manilla hemp was better by 16 per cent. Hemp was obtained from Belgium, the North of France, and Lombardy. In India there was a superabundance of all the materials obtained from Russia. That country absolutely swarmed with them, and the while vegeta b le creat i on see med to resolve itself into hemp and flax, and if not into animal tallow, at lea s t i nto a su b st i tu t e f or that article. Bekides all these sources of supply, he might mention the Himalayas and the Philippine islands. The nett'e was a most valuable article, and produced linen equal to. Irish, and the ropes made from it were as good as the best Russian. A fibre of a Russian rope broke with 160 lbs., whilst a similar nettle fibre sustained 400 lbs. without breaking. Besides all these substitutes for Rus sian produce, iron cables and wire were fast coming into use amongst the great shipping companies, and even in the royal dockyards. It b a d b een state d by Mr. Noble, one of the great hemp brokers, that if her Majesty's Ministers would declare it unlawful to trade with Russia for e s s u e c t h ext a i n le fabricsimpetu t s ha w t o th u is ldcobuentgryivewnould be to the growers able to compete with Ru ss i a; even with act open trade, in oney o e f a t r h , price, quality, and quantity. (Hear, hear.) Then with respect to Russian flax—that article was completely beaten out of the field by Belgium, the flax of which country was better by 12 per cent. In India there was an inexhaustible supply of that material. The country best adapted for the growth of flax was Ireland it was no new crop there, because, in some of the north ern provinces, it was already cultivated extensively. Sir John 11/Weil, the celebrated engineer, upon the faith that the blockade was to be strict, laid 600 acres under flax ; but, now that the market was flooded, he could not get a price for it. With regard to tallow, before the war was declared, Russ;an animal tallo'w was losing its price in the market, as it was being superseded by vegetable oil, while taking the duty off soap produced .a great effect in extending the number of substitutes for animal tallow. In Price's patent candle manufactory there was not one cask of animal tallow used ; it was palm oil and other vegetable oils they used. Palm'oil was chiefly cultivated along the coast of Africa where slavery abounds,,and since the slave trade diminished as the produce of palm oil increased, they had an additional reason for rescinding the Order in Council of 1854. He believed France almost entirely abstained from the use of animal tallow, substituting for it what was commonly called the African ground nut, which they obtained from Algeria. These facts showed the facility with which substitutes could be found for tallow, but to show how necessity produced substitutes for anything, he might mention the experience of the Irish Peat Com pany. They were in the habit of extracting oil—naphtha oil—from peat, which they oli.Tinally valued at is a gal lon; but it turned out that this oil had high lubricating powers, and in a few months the price rose from is. to ss. a gallon, the augmentation being caused by the substitu tion of this oil for tallow. The present was a peculiarly favourable time for striking F. a blow at Russian produce ; its value bad considerably fallen in our market of late, and if advantage were taken of the present moment the trade of Russia would be destroyed withont, comparatively speaking, inflicting any injury upon ourselves. Stop the funds by wnich the trade of Russia was carried on, and you destroyed it at once. He did not attach much importance to the machinery by which that end was to be attained, but the plan pro- posed by the petitioners was to compel an importer to certify before a consul or an agent appointed for the purpose, either at the Customs or elsewhere, that the produce he wished to import was not the production of Russia. There might be occasional cases of fraud, but as the onus of proof would rest with the proprietor, he thmight Government would have no difficulty in esta blishing such machinery as should at once determine whether the produce was Russian or not. War must always be attended with evils and difficulties to trade, but iu the case of Russia she had the least power of al most any nation to inflict injury upon our commerce, because, during the time of peace, she did all she could in the way of hostile tariffs to cripple British trade. Why, he found that, in the last years to which the ex isting returns were made up, the whole of the British exports to Russia amounted to 1,228,4041., while we received from Rqssia imports valued at 9,20,041/., so that the balance of stopping the Russian trade would be greatly against Russia. But be disclaimed the idea of treating this matter in a niggardly, huckstering spirit ; they had no right to set off the paltry produce of Russia in hides and tallow against the blood and sinews of Englishmen ; but still it would only cost 1-80th of our exports to reduce the imports of gold and silver into Russia by something like 7,792,4371. He thought the bargain would be a good one. Well, now, that would be precisely the effect of the step he was urging Upon Government ; and although it might be opposed to the strict principles of political economy, yet it was peculiarly alapted to a state of war, while it was best calculated to hasten peace. He hoped it would be adopted without delay. (Hear.) Lord STANLEY (of Alderley) said with regard to the papers there would be no objection whatever to pro duce them. The noble earl complained that the blockade last year was not strictly kept, but in reply to that complaint he must remind their lordships of the circumstances undenwhich the blockade was instituted. Wewers engaged in a war with Russia in.concert with an ally who entertained a different opinion to ourselves with regard to mercantile matters. They recognised the right of neutrals to carry property of the enemy without being subject to the right of search, and that was one reason which rendered it necessary to deal tem porarily with the b olkade: But there was yet an other circumstance which rendered that necessary. Ad vances of money had been made by English houses upon the Russian produce of the year, and in point of fact a good deal of the Russian produce lying in the ports of the Baltic and White Sea was the property of English merchants. If, therefore, the blockade had been imme diately and strictly carried into effect, we should not have been injuring Russia, but our own merchants. For these reasons it was deemed expedient that the period for commencing the blockade should be extended, and accordingly an Order in Council was published for that purpose, but that order had only reference to British merchants. It in no way altered the law, but was issued simply to meet the case he had mentioned. The blockade, however, was strictly en forced in the Baltic ; but from causes which bad already been explained in the other House of Parliament it was not so stringently kept in the Black Sea. The effect of this blockade bad been greatly to cripple the Russian trade ; indeed, by the returns which he held in his hand, it would seem that the importation of Russian flax, hemp, and tallow was reduced last year, as compared with for mer years, by at least one-half ; while it was only reason able to suppose that the trade of Russia with other countries had been reduced in a corresponding degree. With regard to the proposal of the noble earl there would be great difficulty in carrying it out, because the certificate process which he wished to establish could ,be easily evaded. How were the authorities to decide what was and what was not Russian produce when under the existing Customs law any produce which had been subjected to the slightest manufacturing operation became a manufactured article, and was treated, not as the produce of the country where it was originally produced, but as the produce of' the country where the manufacturing operation had taken place Here, then, would be a fruitful source of evasion, whereas on the other hand, if an attempt were made to enforce the regulations the noble earl wished' to establish, we should be running theyisk of creating hostilities on the part of countries that were now favourable to us. As for the future, the blockade would be strictly enforced in the East as well as the North, and when they considered that already half the trade of Russia had been destroyed, and the whole of her mercantile marine swept from every sea in the world, and when they recollected that the Russian manufacturers depended entirely upon her im poi ts of cotton, he thought their 'lordships would agree with him that the Diable earl was hardly justified in ray ing that the blockade of last year had proved inoperative and inefficient. , Lord BERNERS said it was of great importance to the mercantile interest of this country that they should know what were the real intentions of Government with regard to blockading Russian ports, and now that it had been announced that the blockade would be strictly en forced both in the White Sea and the Baltic, he trusted that determination would be steadily adhered to. The Earl of ALBEMARLE spoke a few words in reply, and announced that on a future occasion he should submit his views on this subject in the form of a resolu tion, upon which ho should take the sense of the house. The returns were then ordered, and their lordships adjourned shortly before nine o'clock. HOUSE OF COMMONS—YESTERDAY. The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock. The Inverury and Old .Meldruni Railway Bill was ordered to he considered. On the motion that the England and Ireland Ithproved Communication Bill be read a second time, Mr. CAIRNS moved as an amendment that the bill be read a second time that day month. Mr. FRENCH opposed the amendment, and, after a short discussion, in which Mr. Kirk, Mr. Vance, Mr. Lindsay, Lord Naas, Mr. H. Herbert, and other hon. members took part, Mr. BOUVERIE expressed an opinion that putting off the bill for a month would be putting it off for the ses sion, and he should give his vote for taking the second reading at once. Mr. CAIRNS said he should not trouble the house to divide ; and The bill was read a second time. PETITIONS. non from Petitions were present e d b y Si r W . Ye! THE SITN, LONDON. SATURDA_Y EVENING, APRIL 28. 1855 Armagh against the Maynooth grant ; by Mr. Horsfal], from Liverpool, with a similar prayer ; by Mr. 0. Gore, from a place in Shropshire, prayin , ..7 that, the public- Louses might be closed the whole of Sunday ; by Mr. Dundas, from a place in Scotland, against the proposed Scotch spirit duty.- NOTICES OF MOTION. • Mr. LAYARD gave notice that on an early day he should move a series of resolutions to the effect that the house viewed with deep and increasing concern the actual state of the nation. Whilst atall times the administration of public affairs should be entrusted to those beat qualified it was the. more necessary that there should be so at a moment of great national emergency. That the manner in which the interests of party favouring influence had been consulted in preference to merit in appointments to the highest offices of State diplomacy, the army, and other branches of the public service, was opposed to the best interests of the State, and had already given rise to many great misfortunes, and were calculatect to bring discredit on the national character, and involve the country in much distress. That the house would give its support to any Ministry which in the present emergency should propose to place the different departments on a proper and efficient basis in those respects. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. .OUSE OF LO RDS—(YESTERDA Y.) The LORD CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack at five o'clock. The Earl of ALBEMARLE presented a petition from Wandsworth in favour of the total abolition of Church rates. The Earl of SHAFTESBURY rose to call the atten tion of the Commander-in-Chief to the two cases that had recently appeared in the newspapers of what was called " practical joking," and having read the state ment that hail appeared with respect to the conduct of tae officers of the 30th Regiment, asked the noble lord whether he intended to put a stop to such mischievous and discreditable conduct in the army ? It was his belief that the parties principally at fault were the commanding officers of the regiment. He wished to know whether the noble lord had instituted any inquiry into the transaction ; and if so, whether he would make known to the public what was the determination of the matter ? Lord HARDINGE expressed his regret at being Obliged to admit that the facts reported of the case re ferred to were not exaggerated. He had admonished the iffending parties in the strongest language, and he had 'mly to say that if these remonstrances proved ineffec tual he would feel it his duty to advise her Ma jesty to exercise her prerogative by adopting a summary mode of putting a stop to such practices. The Earl of HARD WICSE said that if he was Com mander•in-Chief he would certainly deem it his duty to hold the colonel - of each regiment responsible for those offences, aid he would deal with him in the most sum mary manner: Lord VIVIAN said it so happened that the colonel if one of the regiments alluded to was at present in the Crimea. _ . The subject then dropped. On the motion of Lord REDESDALE Haffe's Estate Bill was read a second time. THIRD READINGS. The Folkestone Harbour, the Brighton Improvement Bill, and Prices Patent Candle Company Bill were read a third time. CHURCH RATES. The Bishop of EXETER, in prese.iting two petitions from Exeter and anot l, -r p'ace in Devonshire, on the sub ject of church rates, took the opportunity of calling the attention of the boast) to the actual state of the law on the subject. A fear evenings ago, when this question was brought under their notice, • the Lord Chancellor gave his authority to the motion that the law respecting church rates was absolutely effete, and that there was no power to set it in action—that it was, in fact, a bye law, which it would be vain to revive. He (the Bishop of Exeter) wished to revive nothing on this subject, but he would state what was the fact as regarded the law upon the subject 'up to within a few years ago. The right reverend prelate then proceeded at great length to cite the different statutes of the law with respect to church rates. The reverend prelate contended that the spiritual courts are still empowered to compel payment of church rates, under penalty of im prisonment of the person or sequestration of the estate, of the parties in default. In fact the law as regarded church rates was more stringent than that applicable to the co: - .yment of tithes, for it gave a remedy in the former case which did not exist with respect to the latter. The rev. prelate then quoted the opinion of Dr. Lushington, who considettd church rates a poll tax, and expressed his astonishment at such an opinion. He hoped that any attempt to obtain the abolition of church rates would be firmly resisted. The right rev. prelate con cluded by moving that the petition which he had pre sented should lie on their lordships' table. The LORD CHANCELLOR said it would not be right for him to say what the Government had contem plated in this matter, but at present a hill had been in troduced into the other house of Parliambnt which pur ported to effect the object to which he had referred, and, under these circumstances, the Government had thought it would be wise for them not to interfere, but to see how far that measure might be adopted or improved, or might serve as the foundation of some other to be intro duced in this or a subsequent session of Parliament. After a few words in reply from several other noble lords, The subject dropped. THE RUSSIAN TRADE. The Earl of ALBEMARLE rose to present a petition from the Bristol Chamber of Commerce, praying for a . - vigorous prosecution of the war with Russia ; also, to move for a return of the quantity of hemp, flax, and tallow received into this country from Russia and Prussia between the let of January and the 27th of April in the years 1853, 1854, and 1855 respectively ; and also, to inquire whether her Majesty's Government intend, with a view to bring the war with Russia to a speedy conclu sion, further to restrict the trade of that country by pro hibitory duties, or by any other means. Humanly speaking, he considered her Majesty's Ministers respon sible for either peace or war. He believed it to be in their power, by a proper, and energetic, and vigorous po licy, to bring the war to a speedy termination, or to make the siege of Sebastopol another siege of Troy. A right hon. gentleman, the immediate predecessor of the pre sent President of the Board of Trade, stated some time ago that it was the policy of her Majesty's Government to inflict the maximum of injury on Russia and the minimum of injury on ourselves. (Hear.) Now, with regard to inflicting the maximum of injury on the enemy, he wished to ask if there was any reasonable prospect of our doing so ? In March, 1854, as the law stood, it was an act of felony, if not of treason, for any subject of these realms to trade with the enemy. Unfortunately fer this country that wholesome law had been departed from. In his opinion, if it had been adhered to, instead of this country appearing as a suppliant suing for peace, and submitting itself to the humiliation of a refusal, our adversary would have been at our feet begging for peace upon any terms, to save him from the fury of a nobility whom our measures would have driven to beggary and despair. The Government . declared their intention to establish a strict and rigoroui blockade. In the Baltic thelblockade was pretty well carried out. In the Black Sea it was carried out partially, but in favour of the enemy, for while we blockaded the mouths of the Danube, and shut out 2,000,000 of quarters of the .corn of our friends, all the ports of the enemy were left open, and millions of quarters of linseed were allowed to be ex ported. But that was not all. The British merchants, looking upon the Black Sea as tabooed, as a part of the world with which it was treason to enter into commerce, went to Africa and India and brought in large supplies of linseed. The enemy had, however, anticipated them, and sold their produce, and our merchants were obliged to sell at a depreciation of 15 per cent. In that case, therefore, the maximum of injury was inflicted on the British me:cbant, and the maximum of profit was given to the enemy. (Hear, hear.) It appeared from the t b r e a stau o t f htehnetiecnaetmedy awcacsouthntes,mtohsatt criinptphleed,yelaor,owolo7onoothl.eds, in gold and silver, went to Russia from this country in return for goods which had been received. He trusted that the blunders of last year would not be renewed, but that a most strict blockade would be established both in the Baltic and in the Black Sea ; at least, so far as ships could carry that object into effect. But he considered ships utterly ineffective for a blockade, seeing that there was land transport from Russia through the Prussian dominions. Certain goods found their way through the provinces of Smolensk and Novogorod to the frontier town of Tauruggen, and were shipped a few miles from thence. Now, he considered that the Government ought to enforce the blockade, not Themerely r b t y i e s n a w v h a o l s a e r m p e a t m i t o n n t sh, he had d b y j u s s e t n p d r i e n s g e n o t u e t o d prayed that the Government would take such steps as would compel the Prussian Government to discontinue the overland trade with Russia. He did not propose to deal with that question, but to leave the responsibility with Government. (Hear, hear.) His' object was to ventilate the subject. The question of prohibition ought to be de termined by the GovernMent. It had been urged upon them by persons in all classes of life, who were the most competent to form a correct opinion. He had always been an enemy to class interests, and now advocated the views of the merchant., because he thOught their interests and those of the public were inseparably connected together, and it was the interest of both that the war should be brought to a speedy conclusion. It had been said that „tile prohibition would not succeed—that it would inflict no injury upon Russia, and great injury on ourselves. Now, he was ready to take the converse of that propo sition, and to prove that the entire stoppage of the Rus sian trade would inflict incaluable injury upon Russia and a minimum of injury on ourselves, and he contended that this must he so from the peculiar nature of the trade. The export trade of Russia consisted of a -few product., raised by serflabour, the property of the nobles. Now, a serf landlord was a soldier, and with a sword at his side he must in a military despotism make himself felt: The exports formed the rent of the nobility, and anysreduc tion of that rent must be an injury to that body. The policy of this country during the past year and the pre sent year had I een the reverse of that which had been spoken of as likely to inflict the maximum of injury on Russia and the minimum on this country. The manner in which the blockade had been carried on had made the war popular in Russia, and bad half reconciled Prus sia to the disgrace which she had incurred, self•interest ,Peing the counter-balance to her honour. So long as the war continued popular with the soldier, landlords' peace would be impossible, and it would not be thought of by these exponents of public opinion until they could be made to feel severely the pressure of war. But, so far from that having been' the case, the land transit of last year bad proved most beneficial to them. They netted a little less profit on their exports, but their horses and carts, which were used for the purposes of land car riage, were an immense source of profit, and so pro fitable was the trade that they actually brought their horses and carts from Siberia. Now, a good policy on the part of this country would not have brought about such a state of things. Our object ought to have been to make the war unpalatable, to render these articles ur saleable, and to make the labour of their serfs unprofitable. (Hear.) The merchants had repeatedly de clared that if the Government would repeal the orders in council, and allow the statute law to come into force, they would utterly discontinue the trade, and it was obvious that men of high character were not disposed to risk dishonour and banishment in order to 'evade the law. He wished their lordships to bear in mind the in evitable consequence that would arise from carrying into effect the statute law, which made it treason to deal with the enemy. That, independent of any measure to •erevent the ingress of the Russian products, would des troy at once two-thirds of her exports and tbree.fourths of the,capital by which it was carried on, for three-fourths ,of her money transactions were conducted in London. But it was said another class of merchants might come in. Nov, he did not think that very likely. Persons carrying on the trade must, from the very nature of the trade, be persons of capital and credit. The Russian trade was one of advance.. It was unlike any other trade. Merchants did not exist in Russia or Prussia. He understood that nothing could be lower in purse and credit than the SIR JAMES BROOKE. Mr. SCOTT asked her Majesty's Government whe ther the reports of the commissioners appointed to in quire into the position and proceedings of Sir James Brooke would be laid before Parliament prior to the Whitsuntide recess FLOATING BATTERIES. Mr. HUTCHINS asked the First Lord of the Ad miralty whether the screw propellers made for the new floating batteries had not been found insufficient, and whether the batteries had not been again placed in dock to have another screw to each added ? , Sir C. WOOD replied that he had not heard of any thing being the matter with them ; at all events it was quite certain they had not been placed in dock. (Hear.) OFFICERS' WIDOWS. General WYNDHAM asked the Under Secretary for War whether any and what arrangements had been made for granting pensions to the widows of the general and other officers who had been killed in the Crimea ? Mr. F. PEEL said he was not aware of any new ar rangement having been made with this view, but pen sions were usually granted to the widows of officers who fell in action, or in the service of the country. (Hear.) NATIONAL EDUCATION. Mr. MILES asked the right lion. member for Droit wich wh.th.r it was his intention to make an alteration in Committee in his Bill for the better Encouragement of Education in England and Wales, in the words by which he proposed to raise money for educational pur poses, by substituting parochial for union charges. Sir J. PAKINGTON said it was his intention to pro pose the alteration indicated by the hon. member when the bill was in committee. ARMY MEDICAL OFFICERS. Col. DUNNE asked the Under Secretary for War whether it was the intention of the Government to asso ciate a civil practitioner with the military medical offi cers who direct that department of the army ; to state who had been selected, and what amount of payhe was to receive ; also, whether he was to become subject to the articles of war ? Mr. F. PEEL replied that it was the intention of the Government to send out a civil practitioner with the military medical officers alluded to ; but he was not pre pared at that moment to furnish the further particulars sought by the hon. and gallant member. JUVENILE OFFENDERS. Mr. ADDERLEY asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether it was his intention to in troduce a short bill to supply the defect in the Youthful Offenders Act - of efficient provisions for recovering, in fit cases, from parents, a portion of the cost of their children's maintenance at Reformatories ? Sir G. GREY said there had been found to be some practical objections to the matter referred to by the hon. member, but as a bill would be shortly introduced by an hoc. member on the subject it could be further con sidered. MORTAR AMMUNITION AND SHELLS. Colonel WYNN asked the Clerk of the Ordnance whether there was any truth in the report that many of the fusees fitted to the shells fired from the mortars in the batteries before Sebastopol were made so long ago as 1798, 1801, 1804, and 1812 ; whether it was true that the powder employed to fill many of the shells was da maged powder restoved, instead of being fresh and good powder ; and whether the new pattern fusees made in 1852 and subsequently had not frequently been found to be inefficient ? Mr. MONSELL said that all the 12-inch fusees sent from Woolwich were made in the years 1853 and 1854. The 13-inch fusees sent from Malta might have been of older date. With regard to the second part of the question, he might say that re-stoved powder was gene rally used for such purposes. As to the last part, the fusees bad not been found inefficient, i they were on an improved principle. (Hear, bear.) OFFICERS' HORSES IN THE CRIMEA. Colonel WYNN asked the Under Secretary for War whether it was the intention of her Majesty's Govern ment to give any compensation to those officers whose horses (provided at their 'own expense) had been de stroyed by the labour they had been subjectedto in bringing up from Balaklava to the camp clothing, medi cal comforts, and provisions for the soldiers : whether any compensation would be given to those officers whose horses were left behind at Varna when the army em barked from thence to the Crimea? Mr. F. PEEL said that compensation was always made to officers who lost their horses in the country's service, but he could not say whether the regulation would apply to the instance pointed out by the gallant member, as it would depend upon the circumstances of the case. No application had, however, been made to him at present. THE CASE OF LUIGI BURANELLI. Mr. BRIGHT moved, that the house at its rising do adjourn until Monday, in order to have an opportunity of calling the attention of the Home Secretary to the case of this unfortunate man now under sentence of death. He understood that many medical gentlemen were of opinion that the man was insane when he committed the crime with which he was accused, and he had heard that Mr. Shaw, a medical practitioner, and a person most competent to judge as to the prisoner's state of mind, had been subpoenaed by the Crown, but had not been called and examined, it having been ascertained that his evidence would be favour. able to the prisoner. Sir G. GREY said he had made inquiries into this subject, and bad consulted the learned judge who bad tried the case (Mr. Justice Erle), and was fully satisfied of the prisoner's criminality. With regard to what took place at the trial he was not aware of the fact alluded to by the hon. member, and was not therefore in a position to pass an opinion upon it. PROMOTIONS IN THE ARMY—STATEMENTS OF MR. LAYARD. Mr. EWAT said the hon. member for Aylesbury had some days ago, at Liverpool, publicly stated that of the officers promoted to appointments on Lard Raglan's staff in the Crimea, only one, a relative of his (Mr. Ewart's) had gained a first-class certificate at Sandhurst. The hon. mem ber added that he did not know whether the officer to whom he referred owed his appointment to any Parlia mentary influence, but he hoped not. With respect to the first portion of that statement, that his (Mr. Ewart's) rela tive was the only officer on the staff in the Crimea who had received such a distinction at Sandhurst, he thought it only due from him—nay, a' most imperative duty—to state at once that that was an inaccurate representation— (hear) -and he was convinced that nothing could be more painful to the feelings of his relative than that he should stand in this unjust and, he might add, this painful position. (Hear, hear.) There were many mer it or i ous o ffi cers serving on the staff in the Crimea who had obtained the same distinction as himself. (Hear, hear.) The honourable gentleman, therefore, had committed an error unintention ally, having, in fact, adverted to one return, and omitted to notice the previous one. He knew the hon. gentleman the Under Secretary for War would do justice to those offi cers, but the immediate question he felt bound to put was one affecting himself as well as his relative, whether any such influence had been used in his favour as was distinctly pointed at in the statement of the hon. member for Ayles bury, directly, indirectly, or in any d egree whatever; and whether his relative owed the position he had obtained to any other cause than his zealous and ardent endeavours to discharge his duty to the State? _ _ Mr. H. BARING said he found in a newspaper of the day previous the following statement of the services of officers recently promoted in the Coldstream Guards, made under the sanction of the name of the hon, member for Aylesbury : C. J. Burdett, 19 years' service, without purchase ; no ac tive service. J. W. Newdigate, 15 years' service, without purchase ; no active service. Lord Dunkellin, 9 years' service, by purchase • Alma. W. G. Dawkins, 11 years' service, with ou t purchase; Alma. C. W. Strong, 16 years' service, without p urc h ase ; Alma, Inkerman. C. F. Wilson, 16 years' service, by purchase; West Indies, Alma, Inkerman. Lord Burghersh (son of Lord Westmoreland), 12 years' ser vice, without purchase ; staff. H o n. A. Harding() (son of Lord Hardinge), 11. years' ser vice, without purchase ' • staff. Now, it did BO happen that the last two officers were men who had seen more service than any of the officers whose names stood before them. With respect to Lieut.-Colonel Lord Burghersh,he had served through the whole campaign of the Punjaub in 1816', and had also been present at Alma, the despatches announcing which victory he was thought worthy to convey home. With regard to Lieut.-Col. the Hon. Arthur Hardinge,he had been through the campaign of the Sutlej, where he was present in three general engage ments, and he understood had a horse killed under him ; he was present at the battle of Alma, and was in the charge at Balaklava, where he accompanied the Scots Greys in their successful charge, headed by Gen. Scarlett—(cheers)—and last, though not least, he was at the battle of Inkerman. (Renewed cheers.) He would be glad to know why, in the hon. member's opinion, the ominous and unpalatable word "staff" was the only one which could be applied to desig nate the services of those two distinguished officers? (Rear.) t He asked whether the hon. member was aware thatie services of those two distinguished officers had itomit tedm et frommember btheerfor high-minded ge Aylesbury—(loud l u ei usual record, duerdy —aldoourdcheers ewhetherers generousf from feeling iiieelyi both 1,1 their of sides might attrib ute rd e te e hs n e o of tohn e. i services, house)—that he had omitted all menti n e of of an ambassador because the one happened to be th the attention of the house t member at Liverreol, which the to , . e delivered by the hon. Dumfries had already a dverted itat ß w ut h en hon. member for wo uld agree with him ld . n t the and the the other son to the gen o eral thought the house ,d,,, against an officer . ho i he had tion was made der-in-Chief, that an accuse of Connu an • f nee to romo ""dalous conduct in re ere . P General PEEL regretted extremely tinffuished p b been guilty of scan (hear, hear)—still more especially when tions in the army co when an oppor ; l 'o n s li d a g e i :g o b - f t l int; he h o f C speech ll Commanding-in-Chief a nother °6:3 no P I a s in that o m i dneomhsbiose—r place ec retracting house of repeating the l and stating the grounds on which be al feeling against the hon. member ; and no had no person ht thirstis o pportunity°twY statement, b es made henouaai ilffddo it.brh afford e afforded a accusation, (Loud drt eehfdeushheid cries of " h e a r , h e a r . " ) He body could regret mbre than he did, that the hon. member had not availed himself of the opportunity afforded him to correct his error, by the very temperate sand excellent letter of the h.:D.. and gallant officer the member for Wigan (Colonel Liud.ay). No one could approve more highly than he did the conduct of those who came forward to bring accusations against persons in high station, if they believed the truth of the charges, and were satisfied of the evidence on which they made them • but on the other h an d h e could not express strongly enough, in language consistent with Parliamentary usage, his opinion of the conduct of those who, merely to extract a passing cheer, merely to gain a little fleeting notoriety, reiterated an accusation, the truth of which he had strong reason to doubt. (Cheers.) The. portion of the speech to which ha referred was as follows :—" I will give you an instance of a friend of mine, a gentleman who served_throughout all those battles, and distinguished himself most signally ; he came over to this country sick and almost dead. There were two men above him, officers in one of the Guards' regiments, who had never left England ; they were mem bers of high families, and were promoted without purchase —but my friend was a poor man, and they ma d e hi m pay 3,0001. for his commissi on ; and why? Lord Hardinge's son was next to him, and got his commission without purchase. (Cries of `Shame, shame.') I say these things are scandalous " &c. And so did he say. There could not be the slightest doubt to what this accusation amounted—that an officer was compelled to pur chase his commission in order to enable Lord Hardinge's son to obtain his without purchase. After that state ment was made appeared the letter of the hon. and gallant member for Wigan, on which the hon. member for Ayles. bury changed his ground; and it would be necessary for him, though he was sorry to trouble the house, to go through 'the circumstances of the promotions specified in the letter which the hon. gentleman had written. When his hon. and gallant friend pointed out that the two officers immediately preceding Col. Wilson were both of them en gaged in the Crimea, the hon. gontleman then said that these were not the cases he meant, and that he alluded to the promotions of Col. Burdett and Col. Newdigate with out purchase. Now, the first promotion, that of Capt. Bur dett to be lieutenant-colonel, took place on Aug. 22, 1854, long before the army went to the Crimea. He did not hesi tate to say that, however gallantly Col. Wilson might have distinguished himself there, and everybody had done so, Col. Burdett's services were quite equal to his. (Cheers.) Bat, supposing the system of selection by merit to be esta blished, he should like to know who should have been se lected when the promotions took place but Capt.Hardinge? (Cheers). He was the only officer who, on the 25th August, 1854, in his rank in the Coldstream Guards, had seen any service whatever. (Hear.) Colonel Newdigate's promotion took place on the 14th September, 1854, and also before the army went to the Crimea, and, therefore, came strictly under the existing regulations—providing for promotion by rotation, consequent on deaths or accidents. The two next vacancies were to be filled by purchase. The two senior officers, knowing thatthere was astrong probability of their obtaining promotion without purchase, withdrew, their names, and Lord Dunkellin was promoted on the 3d Nov., 1854. The next two steps was got by Dawkins and Strong, both of whom were promoted on vacancies caused by death. Then came the vacancy which arose on the death of Col. Mackinnon, which was filled by Col. Wilson. The hon. member seemed to think that there was some power at the Horse Guards to decide on the occurrence of a vacancy whether it %hould be filled by purchase or not. But this was not the case ; nor was it true either that Colonel Wilson was compelled to purchase. He might have waited until the occurrence of a vacancy by death. What took place in the case of Col. Mackinnon was founded on this clear principle, that if an officer purchased promotion, but died before the notification of his promotion reached the head-quarters where he was serving, his promotion was cancelled, and the purchase money was returned to his re latives. That was done in the present case, and, of course, the vacancy that then occurred b e i ng one to be filled by purchase—for it was the one which had just been pur chased by Col. Mackinnon—Col. Wilson was required by the rules of the service to purchase the step. (Cheers.) He would now read the correspondence which had passed between the hon. gentleman and Lord Hardinge on the subject, to show that the former had had full opportunity to retract his charges. " 15, Great Stanhope-street, April 25,1855. " Sir,—l have read a speech of yours made at Liverpool in which you charge me with conduct so corrupt in the exercise of military duties, in the case of the promotion of my son, to the injury of Lieutenant-Col,pnel Wilson,' of, the same regi ment, that you .ado thought proper to characterise the transaction as a most scandalous one. I most distinctly de - dare your statement to be utterly untrue. My son's corre spondence with Lieut.-Col. Wilson having closed, and the letters being in your friends possession, I have now to re quire that you will immediately retract the unfounded charge made in your speech, or be prepared to show upon what au thority you have preferred it.—l remain, dtc., " A. H. Layard, Esq., M.P." HARDINGE. The reply to this was as follows : " 9, Little Ryder-street, April 26. "My Lord—ln reply to your letter I beg to refer you to Hart'g Army List as my authority for alluding to the pro motions in the regiment of Coldstream Guards in a speech at Liverpool. It may be impossible to trace the motives which may have led to such promotions, but, as a public man, I believe I am expressing the convictions of a very , large portion of the • public when 1 characterise as scanda lous' the promotion by purchase of a regimental officer who has seen long and arduous service, and the promotion imme diately afterwards, without purchase, of the two officers next to him, one of whom is your own son, and both of whom have been serving on the Staff. Similar instances are, unfor tunately, too numerous to lead to any other conclusions than those to which I have come. It is asserted that Col. Wilson's promotion took plh,oe in accordance with an invariable rule of the service. In other cases, I have reason to believe such rules•have been distinctly violated. Such being my convic tion, I have nothing to retract from the statement I made at Liverpool—a statement, I may add, for which Colonel Wilson is in no way responsible.—l have the honour, dm , " A. LAYARD. " The Lord Hardinge." To this his lordship replied : " 45, Great Stanhope-street, April 26. " Sir,—l have this evening received your letter of this date. "I must remind you that I do not complain of, your opinion that promotion in •the army by purchase is scan dalous. " You accused me in your speech at Liverpool of having promoted my son without purchase, to the injury of Lieu tenant-Colonel Wilson, who had been made by me to pur chase his promotion, and that ,my conduct in doing so was most scandalous. " This charge you decline to retract, although your friend Lieutenant-Colonel Wilson admits that he attaches no bla me _ _ to the Horse Guards authorities. " Your assertion that the rule applied by me in Lieutenant- Colonelpfackinnon's case has been 'violated in others, is con- trary to the truth. "It is a waste of time to hold any further correspondence with one who makes such unfounded accusations, and who obstinately persists therein.—Your obedient servant, "A. Layard, Esq., M.P." " HARDINGE. (Loud cheers.) He would now proceed to put the house in possession of the precedents upon which the course taken in Colonel Mackinnon's case was founded. "In 1847, a majority by purchase having become vacant in the 73d Foot, stationed at the Cape of Good Hope, Cap tain Baker, the senior captain of that regiment for purchase, was promoted to the vacancy on the 12th of November, but was killed in action on the 13th of that month ; his promotion was accordingly cancelled in the Gazette of the 11th of February, 1848, on the ground that it could n o t b e known at the Cape at the time of Captain Baker's death, and Captain Brown, the next senior captain for purchase, was promoted to the majority thus vacant by purchase. Lord Fitzroy Somerset's letter of the 23d of September, 1848, to the Lieutenant-General commanding at the Cape at the time was as follows The vacancy was filled by purchase in strict accordance with the regulations of the service, the de ceased officer not having known of his promotion, and conse quently not having been in a position to exercise the functions of the superior commission.' " There were even still later precedents : " In August, 1854, the retirement of Captain Saunderson (who was brought in to sell) from the 4th Foot, having created a vacant company by purchase, Lieutenant Skinner, the senior of his rank for purchase hi that regiment, was pro moted to the vacancy. .This officer, however, died on the 14th of August, 1854, and the 4th Regiment being then sta tioned at Gallipoli, at that date no intimation of his pro motion had been in any manner received there ; on which ground the appointment was cancelled in the Gazette of the 15th of September, 1854, Land Lieute nan t C oc k s, the next senior lieutenant for purchase, was gazetted to the vacant company by purchase on the 11th September, '1854. In evidence of this promotion being in strict accordance with the rules of the service, the military secretary drew up the following minute, dated the Bth September, 1854 • a copy of which was transmitted to the officer commanding 4th Foot :—• On searching for precedents as to such a case, that of Cantain Baker, who had been promoted to a m jority in the 73d Foot on the 12th of November, 1847, was discovered. That officer having been promoted on that day, was killed on the 13th of November (the following day) by a party of linfirs. His promotion was in consequence cancelled, on the ground that, never having heard of his promotion, 1:e, had consequently never been in a position to exercise the functions of the superior commission. [See the letter from the Military Secretary of the 23d of September, 1848.] The same course -is, therefore, to bo taken in the case of the promotion of Captain Skinner, which it is accordingly to be submitted to the Queen shall be cancelled, and the next senior lieutenant ' for purchase recommended for the succession.'—C. Yea Ks. Sept. 8, 1848." " EnSign and Lieutenant Disbrow° was promoted by pur chase on the 3d of November, 1854, in succession to Captain and Lieutenant-Colonel Cumming, who retired. It having, however, been reported that Mr. Disbrowe was killed on the sth November, before he could have known of his promo tion, an officer was brought into the regiment from the Rifle Brigade, by purchase, and the money was returned to Mr. Disbrowe's family." • He would now proceed to state what occurred in the case of the promotion of Lord Burghersh. " Horse-Guards, 25th of April, 1855. " Colonel Crombie, of the Coldstream Guards, returned to England in October, 1854, on the recommendation of a medi cal board, having been seized with a serious illness in the camp near Varna in the month of August. " On the 18th of December he 'forwarded to Lord Strafford a certificate from Dr. Ferguson to the effect that he was still labouring under the consequences of his former illness, and expressing au opinion that a return to the ar duo u s duff the East might be considered as certain death to him. Under these circumstances he applied to be placed upon . half -p. a time, stating that he had served thirty yearscifoulxlpre "Lord Strafford, in forwarding this applic at i on e _ or brinting seu in a hope that some arrangement might bo won f d sell out, and a lieutenant-colonel from half-pay that the vacancy might thus be fillewdbheboy:pnreo,mmoti,oinnitnhtehfierrsot giment. This, however, could n ot t d place, there was at that t b im o e u n h o t j o e l u i f2l l 7ity wi to " i e •e l al o i n se h the pay who had applied to be r value of his commission; and, :the next, there was a similar case of the lieutenant -colonel of the 51st Regiment, who was anxious to be placed oµ half-pay, and the officers of that re giment, from the length of their services, had apriorieculateimnatno w hat is considered an advantage, t colonel v i z., the ste p of 1 go i n g by purchase through regiment, inste a d of a lieutenant-colonel being brought from the half-pay and no pro motion taking place. The applications, however, in both cases stood over for a time, that if any lieutena n t - colonel on half-pay to should o ff er to sell, advantage might be taken of the o pportun it y p r omotion in both regiments.give " On the 29th January, however, Colonel Crombie renewed his application, and applied for some leave of absen ce, i ncase any further delay was likely t o take p lace. 4 ‘ Lieutenant-Colonel Blackburn, on half -pay, had by that time applied to sell, but it was not thought fair towards the old officers of the 51st R e giment to allow the promotion to go in the Guards, and p ut in an officer as lieutenant-colonel of the 51st to remain in it, and Lord Harding° would have been especially indis posed of.htios daoens,o,tahseriet for the apparent benefi t have been no knowledge o fb w ein ul g d at the time ,what might be the intention of Colonel Upton as to remang till he was a general officer, or going previous to obtaining the rank on half-pay, as many other Guards similarly circunotanced have repeatedly done. Lieutenant-Colonel Blackburn was therefore placed on full. pay in the 51st Regiment on the 13th of February, and ininiedlifelf sold out, the promotion going through the regiment. " Lieutenant-Colonel Lord Burghersh, ou the staff pay unattached, was brought into the Coldstream Guards, vice Crombie, on the 9th of February, and remains in the regi ment. "It may be added that the date of the submission to the Queen of Lord Burghersh's removal from the staff pay to the Coldstream Guards, vice Crombie, was the 7th of February, 1855. "At that time the only death of a general officer which hadbeen reported at the Horse Guards was that of General the Hon. T. E. Capel,.who died on the 3d of February. "Two more were requir ed for the promotion.. of Colonel the Hon. A. Upton to be a major -gene ra l ; these occurred, one on the 7th and the other on the 9th o f F e b ruary, viz. Sir Patrick Stuart and Lieutenant-General Sir Willia m Eusiace, but there was no idea at the time of the probability of the death of either of these officers, itroersb,aungdht in so as s apzen was ed , th L a i t e , ut b . y . Lord Burghersh laving been Colonel the 'Hon. A. Hardinge lost a step," That brought him to the case of Lieutenant -Colonel Har dinge. By a rule of the service, when three general officers died the senior colonel was promoted. Now, it 80 hap pened that after all these promotions to which be had just referred, three generals died in one week. The senior Colonel then on the list was Colonel Upton, of the Cold stream Guards, who was promoted to the major-general ship, and then, in strict course, Lieutenant-Colonel Har. dinge obtained his p romo ti on . He would not add a single word to this statement. It was for the house to decide to whom the charge of "scandalous conduct" applied. Mr. F. PEEL said that, after the statement of his gal lant relative, the house could not hesitate to come to the conclusion that there had hardly ever been a stronger in stance in which a disposition to damage and discredit a Government had led an hon. member of that house to dis tort the view which he had taken of a case, and to blind himself to th e just and true merits of a question. With regard to the first question that had been put to him by his hon. f r i end the member for Dumfries (Mr. Ewart), the house would recollect that the h on . mem b er f or Ayl es bury stateda,tLiverpo o l th at only one officer who had obtained certificate of merit at Sandhurst was now serving on the p,d le t a o vi t n h g e i s t ta to ff iti e e staff in the Crimea, and then he said, " I hope he was n ot . inferred that o t f Parliamentary . t ii e li bflaypupetnohiceent'influence of his hon friend behinT as hi a m p , P° w in h?se views on public questions .generally harmonised with twhaoyseinofwthiheahprheasent (Mr. Governm e n t. pee In most cases, the only 1 ) could have met such a change would have been by a simple denial, by the assertion that the appointment in question ta t the that the officer in cidaegataiionnedhwadasgdanineadto, and by his peculiar fitness for the discharg e of its duties. But he was able in this instance to go fniiher its so happened that Major Ewart could not ha; e because e 1 ap pointed by the influence , of any one in thathouse, because he he was not placed on the staff by any authority country. - (Cheers.) When the first army of 10,000 men went out to the Bast, Lord Hardinge., in conjunction with Lord Raglan, selected the officers to be placed on the staff, but the subsequent appointments were l e ft in the hands of the Commander-in-Chief, and Captain Ewart, then a cap tain in the 93d Regiment, was appointed deputy quarter. master-general by Lord Raglan on the 26th September, 1854. On the 29th December he was promoted to the rank of regimental major, and on the 12th February he was ordered to rejoin his regiment, and he, accordingly did so, and then ceased to be on the staff. Therefore, the Government at home had nothing to do with the appoint ment of Capt. Ewart. (Cheers.) Besides, the fact was, that the hon. gentleman had fallen into an error in stating that only one officer who had obtained's certificate of merit at Sandhurst was now serving on the staff. The facts were these. On a return (moved for by another gen tleman) stating the numbe of officers who bad obtained certificates at Sandhurst, and had subsequently filled staff appointments, being placed upon the table, the hon. mem ber for Dumfries (Mr. Ewart) called his (Mr. Peers) atten tion to the omission of his relative's name. That being so, he caused a supplemental return to be prepared, in which, of course, only the name of Capt. E war t a pp eare d. • The;previons ret urn' showed that at least ten or eleven officers who had obtained certificates of merit at Sand hurst were now serving in the Crimea. (Loud cheers.) He now came to the question adverted to by his gallant relative. In his speech at Liverpool the hon. member for Aylesbury stated that the officers who had most distin guished themselves in the Crimea were regimental officers ; and then, asking what was the nature of their reception here, ho said that the Government treated them with in difference, and that the only reward they got was the sym pathy of the people of this country ; thus contrasting the indifference of the Government with the sympathy of the people. He then proceeded to refer to the case of Colonel . Wilson as an illustration. Now, every one at first supposed that the two officers above Colonel Wilson to whom he referred as having been promoted while in this country were Dawkins and Strong. The hon. member, however, had since said that he said " officers above Colonel Wilson," and not "next above;" and it turned out that two officers named Burdett and Newdegato were meant. They were, it was true, promoted to supply the vacancies created by the deaths of two captains killed out in the Crimea. They were, it was true, in this country, but not by their own fault. Some officers—who no doubt felt their separation from their comrades as a great hardship—must remain here ; but if it were laid down as a rule that all vacancies that occurred at the seat of war must be filled up by officers on the spot, so as to exclude those who remained at home ' he certainly thought that the latter class of offi cers would be treated with great injustice. (Cheers.) He now came to the case of Colonel Wilson. Now Col. Wilson was not compelled to purchase. On the contrary, he was not desirous to purchase till he heard that Dawkins and Strong had withdrawn their names for purchase ; and he then wrote home to his friend to purchase, being desirous of getting promoted over the heads of Dawkins and Strong. The battle of Inkerman soon after occurred, and they obtained promotion. And he understood that Col. Wilson now said that he thought he had a right to be promoted without purchase, in the same manner as they were. But could any one, after the precedents laid before the house by his gallant relative, doubt that the usual course had been followed on this oc casion, and that it had always been the rule that when an officer who had purchased a step was killed before the notification of his promotion reached the head-quarters where he was serving, the price paid for his step was re paid to his relatives, and of course that that step which he had never enjoyed was resold_ (Loud cheers.) As he had already said, Col. "Wilson was not obliged to purchase. Had he not done so, Col. Hardinge would have been glad to do it. But ono thing was quite clear—that whether Col. Wilson had obtained his step gratuitously or not could not possibly have affected Col. Hardinge. Now, whatever might be the merits of Colonel Wilson, could any one say they surpassed those of Lieut.-Col. Hardinge ? He had gone through the campaign of the Sutlej, and had been present at the battles of Sobraon, Ferozeshah, and Mood kee. He was not obliged to go to the Crimea, but had volunteered to go, and while there had been present at the Alma, Balaklava, and Inkerman, and had there obtained his step according to the rules of the service on the promo tion of Colonel Upton. (Cheers.) The' hon. gentleman had said " Honesty is the best policy." (Vehement cheer ing.) He (Mr. Peel) believed that the Government of this country had long been carried on upon the principles of perfect honour and honesty. He gave the hon. member credit for being an honest man. (Loud cries of` " oh.") He thought it would be the part of an honest man, and one he expectedi the hon. gentleman to perform, that now it had been proved that the statements he made at Liver pool was not in accordance with the facts of the case, he should come manfully forward and admit that he had made a statement injurious to the public men of this country, who were as honest and as honourable as he was, and who were quite as ready as any honourable gentleman there to lay open their conduct without reservation to public scrutiny. (Loud cheers.) Mr. LAYARD—I will address myself first:to the ques tion placed on the paper by the hon. member for Dumfries. I had no intention to make any reflection upon his relation, nor do I think any person present believed that I had any such intention. On the contrary, what I stated was rather a matter. of praise to him. (Oh, oh.) I meant no reflection on him. (oh, oh.) Indeed, at the time I did not know that he was a relation of the honourable member, (Oh, oh, and laughter.) What the honourable Under-Secretary has stated is true. I did fall into an error with regard to that return. But I think the Government are a good deal to blame for the error into which I fell. (Oh, oh.) If their returns are so ill drawn up that names are omitted from ' them, and then, on account of their gross omissions, ques ' ions andreturns are then prepared, Isay Government is to blame. (Renewed cries of " oh, oh.") I did net see the first return. The second return alcne fell into my hands ; and although it is a supplemental return, it is not so headed on the sheet. Mr. PEEL—It is headed " Supplemental return." (Cheers.) Mr. LAYARD (as we understood)—lt was not on the face of the return. Mr, PEEL (showing the return)—Yes ; it was on the face of the return. (Cheers.) Mr. LAYARD—That was my mistake. I did not see the first return. (Oh, oh.) If the house had heard what I have heard within the last few days, they would know how re turns are ccoked and made up to suit the purposes of the Government. (Oh, oh.) Gentlemen may say "ob, oh," but the time may come when they will have to consider that subject. (Oh, oh.) Now, with regard to the second statement. These matters are, no doubt, of a very pain ful and delicate nature. There are few men in this house o who dare get up to speak the truth on this subject.(l , a when such laughter.) There are very few officers who questions omen had seen respect to them. (Laughter.) If hon. g en e l v l noturing the as these are mooted, dare speak the troth with the letters on this subject that I ha e ve c ) to name the wri " name")---nor shall I name—(oh, offingself the respon last few days—(cries of "read'')--o oh , rs and you know would be ruin to those "read")—f},)—to --(cries of ters here, I shrink not from it. army . (Ironical cheers.) I the various rules that apply I had no knowledge of it. sib iiiltystea of d w h h e a r t e hpareepeacrceedrtroedt.ake upon the not going to promotions in t hi ng but facts, forming my o b le ara * pinion upon stated no I may get indirect evi ence and information on them. my own judgment which I way guide have give n ' here to betray those who . me that information, and who perhaps would b e ruined if it were known whence my information came. ( Oh, oh!) Now, in the first l , w ith respect to the use of the word " staff," in the letter 13 place, m i ne which has been referred t o , I did not of m ake any reflection. (Lou dcontinued and mean by it to of "oh, oh," and ironi ca l cheering.) laughter, cries by a military man, and th at I have p r i nte d . lhada list given me I certainly wish I had added a s t a t ement who have been re f erred to. of the services o f th e o ffi cers Colonel Hardinge Wit h regard to Li eu t enan t- I hav e him. had th e h onour of a personal acquaintance with ' I believ e th at a more ga l lant an d meritorious o ff i cer do (21not live i n h er M a j esty ' s serv i ce .. I know that h e has dis tingui s h e d hi mse lf on more th an one bloody fi e ld , and the re is no one whose promotion I would more heartily welcome. (Ironical cheers.) This is not a question of person s. Ido not grudge Colonel Hardinge his promotion. But that promotion whichw as extended to Colonel Hardinge might h ave .h ave been extended to others who also di s tinguished themselves. The gallant general has read three letters which passed between myself and Lord Hardinge. I will read the fourth, which closed the correspondence. The hon. gentleman then , read the fol lowing letter : " 9, Little Ryder-street, April 27, 1855. "My Lord,-4 cannot permit your letter to remain unan. swered. I did not state, although you have thought proper so to assert, that ' the rule applied by you in Lieutenant- Colonel M`Kinuon's case, had been violated in others.' What I did state was, that ' such rules, that is rules of a similar character, had been distinctly violated.' I referred more 'particularly to the cases o f Ca p tain Honea ge sand Captain thatLor d E. similarCecil,e a 8 es of are ee mostsame nrumegiemroeunst., although I am assured i, After the tone of your letter and my convictions, I per fectly agree with you that it is a waste of time to hold any especially with one whO at such a to which I have alluded, further easr thiscorrespondence , ea n ius tify . the cases and which have created so deep a feeling of indignatioi in the public mind. ~ Your lordship is quite at liberty to publish this cone. i r et's /