The Sun. — London, England, 1856-01-09 00:00:00

TSE SU N, TO ARRIVE THE SAME EVENING, supplied to any STATION on the EASTERN COUNTIES RAILWAY, Carriage Free, by CLAYTON and SON, °emeriti Newspaper and Advertising Agents, 265, Strand, London. COMPLETION OF CAPTAIN BURTON'S NARRATIVE OF HIS PILGRIMAGE TO MIUDINAH AND MECCAH. On Tuesday next will be published, in Svo., with Plan and coloured Illustrations, PERSONAL NARRATIVE of a PILGRIMAGE to EL-MEDINAH and MECCAH. Pol. I I I. comprising Miccas. By RICHAID F. BrlTlllq, Captain, Bombay Army. ••• Vols. I. and 11. comprising EL-Miss and EL-Manitml, 295. may still be had. London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans SIIKATRE ROYAL, DRURY-LANE. Lessee. Mr. E. T. Smith. THIS EVENLNG, THE GREAT GUN TRICK. Atter which, SET DIDDLE DIDDLE; or, Harlequin King Nonsense and th Seven Ages of Man. • THEATRE ROYAL, HAY3IARRET. Under the Management of Mr. Bacitstone. THIS EVEITLITG. THE BEAUX STRATAGEM. After which the New Comic Christmas Pantomime. entitled THE BU T VOT; TEFLY'S BALL AND THE GRASSHOPPER'S PI R or, lIATICQUiII and the Genius of the Spring. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE. OXFORD-STREET. Under the Management of Mr. Cniataa /Wu. THIS EVENING, The Tragedy of HAMLET, Hamlet by Mr. C. Kean. After which. HARLEQUIN AND THE MAID AND THE MAGPIE; or, the Fairy Paradisa And hanky Panky, the Enchanter. H ar lequin, Mr. Cormack ; Clown, Mr. Haliae ; Pantaloon, Mr. r a ale; and Columhine. Miss Caroline Adams. ROYAL OLYNIPIC THEATRE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. Alfred Wigan. THIS EVENING. THE JEALOUS WIFE. Characters by Messrs. A. Wigan, G. Vining, Emery, Leslie, Dan vers, Mrs. Stirling, and Miss Marston. After which will be produced a New and doubly-moral, though excessively old, Melodramatic Fairy Extravaganza, enUUed PRF DISCREET PRINCESS; rs , ', the Three Glass Distaffs, In which Messrs. Emery, F. Robson, H. Cooper, Miss Marstoi, and Miss Masitell will appear. THRATR.E ROYAL ADELPIII. Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste. THIS EVENING, DOMESTIC ECONOMY. Atter which, URHENP PRIPITH AFFAIRS. To conclude with JACK AND THE BEAN ST:AIX ; or, Harl.qula and Mother - , . ... . Goose at Home Again. In which Mewl. J. Bland, P. Bedford, Madame Celesta, M 193 Wyndham, and Miss E. Arden Will appear. ROYAL. SURREY THEATRE. Lessees, Messrs. Shepherd and Cresvrick. THIS EVENING PARIS IN 1792. To conclude with A PitiNc7F OF PIC:4,MA ; or. Harlequin and lane Shore. ROYAL STRAND THEATRE. Under the direction of Mr: Payne. THIS EVENING, THE HOLLY TREE INN. After which, 110 W IS IT DONE? To conclude with NARLE,QUIN BLACK-EYED SUE; or, All is the Downs and Davy Jones's Locker. ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE. Lome and Manager, Mr. Wm. Cooke. THIS EVENING, The popular and Interesting Spectacle de Roman, called ROOK WOOD; or. TURPIN'S INDY, t• YORK. Wondrous adventures, narrow escapes, leap of a are-barred gate, death of the mare Black Bess After which the SCENES is the ♦RENA. To conclude with a Grand Equestrian Comic Pantomime, called If ARLKQUIN AND ST. GEORGE AND THE DRAGON, or the Seven Champions of Christendom. Box-office open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W. West. EpteStrian Director. Hr. W. Cooke. Jun. lIIGFE WATER AT LONTDON BRIDGE. TEM DAY—Morn. 41 min. aft. 2—Evening 3 min. aft. 3 Tn-ffoßßGyv—Morn. 26 min. aft. 3—Evening 48 min. aft. 3 THE WEA.THEtt-SuN OFFIQE, JAN. 9. THERMOMETER, IN TIM SHADE. 47 - highest since noon yesterils.y. 40 -lowest this morning and during the night. 39 -this day at noon. BAROMETER, 29.24. N. to N.N.E.—Moderate, with dull weather, sleet and snow. / • k„. 1 11 ' • ..‘31;11, LONDON, WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 1856. Mr. COBDEN appears in a new character 1 He has assumed the mantle of prophecy, and treats the public to a very extensive " peep into futurity." We confess, however, that until ho has done some thing to establish a reputation in the line so recently adopted, we should pin our faith on the established prophets, and give credence to 'LAD- Just, or RAPHAEL, who have made good hits in their time, rather than to one utterly untried in the school of vatioination, and who cannot refer to a single triumph, as an endorsement for his heavy draughts on public credulity. There is certainly one claim to the title, which ho is striv ing to establish, and which, should he persevere much longer in the course which he has pursued for some years past, he may render irresistible. We have been told on the highest authority that "A prophet has no honour in his own country," and the Honourable Gentleman seems determined to forfeit that which he once possessed amongst his Anglo-Saxon brethren, for the purpose of founding on the debris an exalted reputation in Russia, and in the Russianised States of Ger many I He even strives to kick away the ladder on which he elevated himself, and by means whereof he obtained the very substantial reward of between 70,0001. and 80,0001. sterling, and has adduced more powerful arguments against " free trade" than any put forward by the most enthusiastic advocate for a strictly protective policy. We wish the disjecta membra of the once powerful party joy of their new leader, who may be an important acquisition, since Lord DERBY, Mr. Disnama, and other notorieties have decidedly and permanently abandoned the palpable delusion. It may not be that Mr. COBDEN " loves free trade less, but that he loves Russia more." It is probably on that ground alone that he reverts to the " used-up " fallacies of his quondam political opponents, and endeavours to prove that it is im possible to coerce a nation that chooses to render herself independent of the rest of the world. On this point Mr. COBDEN shall be permitted to speak for himself—to declare " the practical infe rence to be drawn from the facts which he has him self set forth. He says—" The argument cannot be evaded, that the creation of a dozen additional sea-ports would have presented so many more vul nerable points of attack to the allied squadrons. It cannot be denied that the blockade of the coast of Russia loses its power of coercion in proportion as she bas pursued a course of economical isola tion- You cannot ruin ports which a false policy has not allowed to exist, or impoverish merchants where none have been permitted to flourish, or by intercepting cargoes of fustians condemn to naked- news a population content with sheepskins, or out ff the saccharine luxuries of a people who prefer their own insipid b ee t- root sugar to the more luscious product of the cane of the tropism, or by closing the navigation of the Neva deny the plea sures of the tea-table to the inhabitants of St. Petersburg, who have voluntarily chosen to bring the whole of their favourite beverage four thousand miles overland from China, or expose them to the rigours of winter by interdicting them from re ceiving at Cronstadt the furs which are conveyed THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING JANUARY 9, 1856. to them after a journey of a twelvemonth from their own territory in Siberia and North America." We cannot concur in his ♦iews respecting the Free-trade side of the picture, inasmuch as it is founded altogether on the discretion and prudence of the AUTOCRAT of the day, and the alarm which he would naturally experience at the conscious ness " that not merely his flourishing sea-ports, but every village in his empire would feel in its daily avocations the evils of a state of hostilities," Such considerations would clearly be inadequate to restrain a semi-insane fanatic from carrying out to the utmost extent the mission which he con sidered himself appointed to discharge. The argu ments on the side of Protection cannot therefore be neutralised by a repetition of the exploded ab surdities and pompous platitudes of the Peace Society, of which painful experience has proved the complete futility. He also points to the extraordinary advantages which Russia possesses for carrying on the War by means of a depreciated (i.e., a paper) currency, and threatens our own naughty boys, if they do not accept his notions to their utmost extent, ' with—fearful calamity—" a relaxation of the currency laws and a large issue of bank notes." He even goes further, for, once more assuming the mt.ntle of prophecy, he says—" I have no doubt that if the War goes on these modern alchemists, who believe that they have discovered the universal menstruum in a few square inches of paper, will be indulged with their panacea of one-pound notes." Awful vision 1 Terrible pre diction! If we do not at once elevate the man o " unadorned eloquence" to the Premiership, vice PantEßsToNsusperseded, England may be reduced to the condition of Scotland and Ireland, by hav ing an issue of 11. notes tolerated, the effect whereof will be " to release our sovereigns from the functions of currency, and convert them into capital to be sent abroad to pay the expenses of the War I" This possibly might convert "Mer cator" and some of his disciples, but that, unfor tunately, his doctrines are founded on the basis that sovereigns are not only capital already, but the only capital which the nation possesses, and that, deprived of her yellow counters, she must be poor indeed ! Warmed with the prospect, however, and affeetedly in jest, but really in earnest, he places himself, " but merely for the sake of argument" (the italics are his own), in the position of the present Government, and assumes the responsibility of their policy and antecedents. He then sets forth the programme of a COBDELN Cabinet, in five articles, which we have inserted in extenso in another part of this day's impression, in order that the public may learn the inestimable benefits which they will forfeit if "plain RICHARD be not forthwith pitchforked into Downing street, aye, and into its warmest corner." Ist. He will forthwith withdraw every British soldier from the Russian territory, for the admir able reason that they now have an opportunity of running away without any very great danger of pursuit or loss in the operation. 2dly. He will require no terms of peace, be cause he should attach no value whatever to the promises of Russia. He is manifestly a convert to the Hudibrastic argument that " 'Tis he who makes the oath that breaks it— Not he who for convenience takes it." Ind would save Russia from any possible charge of treachery by not requiring any pledges what ever. 3dly. He would leave everything to Austria, Prussia, and Germany, because there is not the slightest chance that they " will join us in the present War." A very strange argument of the non sequitur class. 4thly. As to the settlement - of - the balance of power, which should be "the work of peace," he would appeal, " not only to Ger many, but to all the States, small as well as great, of the Continent, for such a union as would prevent the possibility of any act of hostility from the common enemy." But should we fail, what then ? Why, "he should be disposed to reconsider his own views on the subject, and doubt whether he might not have been led away by an exaggerated alarm. sthly, and lastly, "Whilst attaching no value to the limitation of the number of Russian ships," he should endeavour, as far as in his power, to cut down the English Navy, and convert all our vessels of war into a nice commercial marine, laden with cotton and broad cloths. If he had his will, England should no longer trust to the protection of her wooden walls, but would remain exposed to the first attack of any Power that could be so unconscientious as to disregard the dictates of natural justice. We leave Mr. COBDEN to the public opinion for which he once professed unbounded respect, dis missing him with the adjuration— " RICHARD, we loved thee once ; But never more be ofScer of ours." Out in the biting frost, braving the assaults of the piercing north wind; out in the blinding sleet or drizzling rain, plodding along the cold and muddy pavement ; out in the dull, damp atmo sphere of a cloudy winter's day, envying in either case the lot of those who can afford to stay at home, and, protected as well as you can be from head to foot against the cruel vagaries of the weather, a half-clad and not less obviously starving wretch accosts you. To all appearance he has not worn away seven winters ; yet he looks so wintry that the thought of connecting summer with his experience never crosses your mind to stimulate your sympathy. By look and gesture almost as much as by speech ho appeals to your charity and asks of you an alms. So young, so miserable, and so defenceless an object, be you ever so impatient with your own sufferings, can not but move you to compassion, and suggest pri vations and an endurance from which you feel inclined to pray all of your kith and kin may mercifully be spared. No household comforts, no home, food hardly sufficient to preserve life, days of physical endurance which would bow the heads of strong men, and nights that chill the blood to think of—nights spent in the dark and mouldy arckway, or in the cold and ex posed area, where the bleak wind, hurrying onward, whirls round as if in sheer wantonness to search out the marrow of the poor wretches hiding from its power, suggest themselves to your imagination. Is it possible for a Christian man not to put his hand in his pocket and bring out a few odd cop pers to relieve a morsel of humanity in so wretched a condition as this ? W ou ld i t not be crue lt y, and cruelty of the most reprehensible kind, to turn a deaf ear to his petition ? A thousand voices will be ready to give the most emphatic answer possible in the affirmative—an answer how far from the truth. If those who are best acquainted with the his tory of our mendicant population, more especially of great cities, are to be believed, the cruelty really is to give alms to th ese m i sera bl e crea t ures a t al]. Instead of contributing to their relief, the coppers of the benevolent go to prolong, if not to create, their misery. The half-clad and starved little wretches', we are told, are, in effect, foragers for idleness, drunkenness, and crime, and the more they bring in the more surely will they be sent out to bring in more, and brave as best they I can the inclemenoies of the weather. Followed to their haunts they are found to hand over the fruits of their endurance and pitiful supplications to bloated ruffians and unwomanly hags, who de pend on them for the means of purchasing the sensual enjoyments to be had in the gin-shop. Not to bring warmth to the chilled limbs, or food to the hungry stomachs of starving chil dren, is the real destination of your pence, but to inflame ruffianism to crime and sensuality to naadness, to stimulate the virago to provocation and her paramour to murder, and to deprive the object of your mistaken charity of all chance of redemption in the future. What says Sir R. CARDBN, an experienced City Magistrate, on this head I—" There is no practice so injurious as that of street alms-giving ; and the kindness, or rather the criminal infirmity, of the shopkeepers who allow these infant beggars to beg round their houses is a great encouragement to the trad^, which is of all trades the most likely to ruin the minds of the wretched children. They go 011 from begging to thieving, and they ieill continue in that horrible progress till they sink into the grave, to long as the mistaken humanity which my brother Magistrates and I are constantly depre cating is without restraint. lam confident that many of the low gin-shops would be obliged to shut 'p if they were not fed by the money procured by these children for their unnatural parents ; and the system is carried on in such a manner that it cannot .scape detection by any one acquainted with life." Well, under such circumstances, might he add-- "I trust that the public will look to this great evil, for the sake of the poor objects themselves." The lesson doubtless is a hard one, but for charity's sake it should be learned. Probably enough there are individuals to be found glad of any excuse to escape alms-giving, but to persist in giving pence to these street mendi cants, in the face of a warning like this, involves a dereliction of duty too great to be extenuated by any excuse such a fact can furnish. Better be considered selfish and inhumane than actually be oruel. Better forego the momentary gratification arising from the indulgence of an otherwise laud able feeling than purchase that indulgence at a cost, trivial it may be to yourself, but so frightful to the object of your pity. True benevolence may seem cruel to be kind, but can only be cruel in the guise of kindness through ignorance. was signalled from the Castle of Kronsborg, and remained quietly at Elsinore ever Blue, had taken advantage of the decided thaw that has set in, and the absence of British cruisers, to sail to a Russian port ; and there is no reason to doubt that many other Russian vessels . which have found a safe refuge in different Scndinavian ports will now be enabled to return !twine. Why were not a couple of fast steamers. left here during the winter ? FRANCE. PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING. The following telegraphic despatch has just been received here : " BERLIN, Jan. B.—The reply of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg to the propositions of peace commu nicated by Count d'Esterhazy have been sent off to Vienna." General Bosquet dined on Sunday at the Tuile ries. BOURSE, Jan. 8,--The following are the last quo tations : Cash. fr. e. End of Month. 4i per Cents 9l 75 —f. --e. 3 per Cents 62 85 63 5 New Loan 63 85 Bank Shares 3175 Roman Credit Mobilier 1235 Austrian Bolgian Fives. ..... .. Spanish Threes ••• Piedmontese B6 50 Home Debt RAILWAYS-lou CASH. fr. c. C. Orbians Northern Lyons .—... 1105 New Ditto 740 Mediterranean ...... Grand Central 563 75 Lyons Geneva ...... 675 Teste ... 6OO Cette PRUSSIA. A correspondent of the Weser Gazette writes from Berlin as follows :—" In the communication which the King of Prussia has addressed to the Emperor of Austria, it is said that he has expressed his re gret that Prussia was not invited to aid in drawing up the propositions sent by Austria to Russia, and asks for some explanations as to their object and motives. Prussia, he says, though ever ready to co-operate in the restoration of peace, refuses pro visionally to adhere to conditions agreed to with the Western Powers without her participation, and communicated to her with the express under standing that they do not admit of any further modification." AUSTRIA. A letter from Vienna, in the Post 4mpt Gazette of Frankfort, says :—" Count O'Donnell, aide-de camp to the Emperor of Austria, has not left Dres den on private business, but with political pur pose in view ; as, before returning to Vienna, h e will visit some of ? the smaller German courts. Col. Manteuffel is likely to prolong his stay until the middle of next week. Count Coronini, the com mandant of the Principalities, will leave for Bucha rest about the 15th." A letter from Galatz of the 2Gth ult, 2 in the Monitcur, says : "It has been already announced that the reigning Prince had instructed tne administrative council to pre pare a bill for the emancipation of the serfs belonging to private individuals, and to fix the indemnity to be paid to the latter. If this principle of indemnity be gene rally accepted, the total expense caused by the measure will be considerable, however small the sum fixed for each slave may be. According to the calculations of the great Logotbete Nicholas Soutzo there were, in 1849, 4,163 families of serfs, which at E persons to each family will give more than 20,000 slaves. This number has not much changed since, as the freedoms granted have been very few. An expectation, however, appears to be now entertained that the majority of the persons possessing serfs will not accept any indemnity, and this expectation is founded on the fact that several boyards have already given freedom to the whole of their serfs, without waiting for the promulgation of the new law." TVHAT NEXT-AND NEXT ? A pamphlet has just appeared with the above title, written by Mr. Cobden, devoted to the con sideration of the various phases which the war may assume. Mr. Cobden, premising that the allies have lost in killed and wounded nearly as many men as it cost Napoleon, in actual combat, to gain possession of Moscow, and still Sebastopol is not wholly in our power, proceeds to mention a variety of hypothetical positions into which the contest may resolve itself. These supposed positions form the basis of arguments and anticipations as to the mode in which peace may be brought about, or the war continued. Mr. Cobden enters into various statistics respecting the policy, trade, and general condition of Russia, and then describes the feelings of the Russian people, both religious and political. As a discussion of the correctness of Mr. Cob den's views and assumptions would open a wide field for argument, we now content ourselves with extracting the concluding portion of the pamphlet, so as to enable our readers to form their own opi nions of Mr. Cobden's advice as to the best course to be adopted to terminate the great contest in which England has engaged. "One word before concluding. I have been asked, by those who have the right to make such an inquiry, what course I should take if, without reference to the past, I were from this moment responsible for the policy of the country I I have no hesitation in answering this question, and, to be still more practical and unreserved, I will place myself—but merely for the sake of argu ment—in the position of the present Government, and assume, for the moment, the responsibility of their ob jects and antecedents. " 1. I would seek above all things to withdraw every British soldier from Russian territory, the invasion of which was a heedless blunder in both a political and strategical point of view—l mean a blunder in those who still would have carried on the war in other directions. Our army may now be brought away without further loss or discredit. It may not always be so. Russia has been to all former invaders the grave or prison of armies, dynasties, and even of empires. "2. With regard to the terms of peace, I should at tach no value whatev er t o th e p rom i ses o f Russia as a guarantee for the future—the very word guarantee im plying that you obtain other security for the performance of a contract on the part of one whose good faith or com petency you mistrust. We are now at war because Russia would not agree at the Vienna Conference to sign a parchment promise not to maintain more than four line-of-battle ships and a proportionate number of frigates and transports in the Black Sea. "The terms which are now tendered to Russia are of an analogous character, calling on her to promise not to do certain acts in her own waters or on her own terri tory. Yet we are told, at the same time, through the very organ of the Prime Minister which announces these terms, that the Russian Government is `free from the ties of truth and principle, usually binding on nations.' But although we believe those promises, if obtained, would not be worth the parchment on which they are written, yet Russia will refuse them with a pertinacity greater and more enduring than probably any terms we could have demanded. It is considered a point of honour in a great empire not to consent to an invasion of the right of sovereignty in its own territory. Diminutive Greece may submit to a Pacifico outrage, and, by a pathetic appeal to the principles of justice, gain a moral triumph, in the world's opinion, over our dozen line-of-battle ships. But a first-class Power would he dishonoured in submitting to any humiliation of the kind until after its powers of re sistance and endurance were completely exhausted. There could, perhaps, be nothing devised whiCh would lead to a longer struggle than were England and France to attempt to force America to sign a treaty binding her self not to keep more than four-line-of-battle ships in the Gulf of Mexico ; and yet she has only one such vessel in commission, and is not likely to have more. We have, therefore, hit upon terms which involve the maximum of resistance before they will be yielded, and the mini mem of advantage when obtained. I would abandon such a policy as repugnant to reason. What course, then, should I pursue "3. I should recur to the policy which our Govern ment adopted at the outset of the negotiations, when they turned to Germany and Austria as most nearly concerned in the danger, and the only countries which could obstruct the march of Russia westward ; for if they leave the door open, it is vain for us to try to close it. Now, the geography of Europe has not changed since the first negotiations at Vienna. If Germany and Austria occupied an important position then, they are relatively more powerful now, inasmuch as the other Powers are weakened by war, and, if hostilities go on for a year or two, and they remain at peace, their rela tive weight in the European scale will be still more increased. We must discard the idea that Austria, Prussia, or Germany will join us in the present war. It has been a sad reproach to our sagacity that for 18 months,—since the retreat of the Russians from the Danube began,—we have been deluding our selves with the notion that those countries, whose interests are on that river, would follow us in our inva sion of the Crimea. When the Duke of Newcastle wrote his celebrated despatch to Lord Raglan, on the 29th of June, 1854, recommending in these terms the expedition to the Crimea—'the retreat of the Russian army across the Danube and the anticipated evacuation of the Prin cipalities have given a new character to the war, and will render it necessary for you without delay, &c.'—he and the Cabinet must have known that this retreat of the Russians from Silistria and their return across the Pruth were steps taken by the Russian Government to conciliate Austria, and that from that moment (as stated by Lord John Russell in his despatch from Vienna, April 16, 1855), we could no longer count upon her an an active participator in the war. "But Austriaand Germany, although theyare too wise and selfish to follow us to the Crimea, where their inte rests do not, as they think, beckon them, yet with regard to all the future objects of the war they are as completely identified with us as when our Government summoned them to the first conferences. In fact, they occupy for the future the diplomatic ground we wished them to take from the first. Austria has a treaty with Turkey, binding herself to make the invasion of the Principalities a cagus beili against Russia. Prussia and Austria have a treaty, making it also an act of war against them, if Russia pass the Balkan; and Prussia and Germany have engaged to defend Austria if she should be attacked by Russia. Here we have these powers committed to the object we profess to have in view, not exactly in our way, a little more complex, and somewhat slower in execution, but still, subsequently, nearly all we want; but more important still, at the close of the last Vienna Con ferences Austria offered to enter into a tripartite treaty with France and England, binding herself by a positive engagement (which she never proffered to do before), to resist, in future, any attack made by Russia upon Tur key, or any attempt to maintain an exaggerated naval force in the Black Sea ; and it was this offer, I have no doubt, made at the very close of the negotiations, which converted M. Drouyu de Lhuys and Lord John Russell to the cause of peace. Now, here are grounds for believing that, for the future, Germany may be reckoned upon, by Western Europe, as a bulwark against Russian aggression. It is thither that I should direct my dipie. macy, if I were in the position of our Government and shared their fears for the safety of Europe. Let them try to condense these various and complicated engage ments, to which I have alluded, into one simple treaty of the whole of Germany. There may be a difficulty in convincing its Governments, or people, of the reality of the danger which so alarms us. Hitherto I believe the Teutonic family have been in no fear of being absorbed by the Sclavonic race. Their traditions and experience point towards France rather than Russia as a source of danger. Their defensive fortifications are on the Rhine not the Niemen. But let our Government point out to this intelligent people the grounds of their alarm, and, it they be deemed well founded, there is quite as much love of fatherland' to reckon upon for repelling an in vasion in Germany as in any part of Europe. " 4. But we talk of this as a war which affects the in terests of all Europe ; and we hear the phrases ba'ance of power' and international law ' frequently re peated, as though we were enforcieg the edicts of some constituted authority. For a century and a half we have been fighting, with occasional intermissions, for the balance of power, but I do not remember that it has ever made the subject of peaceful diplomacy, with a view to the organisation of the w hole of Europe. Now, if such a pact or federation of the States of Europe, as is implied by the phrases, ' balance of power' or inter national law' should ever be framed , it must be the work ofpeace and not of war. In the present case our Go vernment has entered into war on the assumption that the European balance has been, and still is, endangered by the ambition of Russia. Has the rest of Europe ever been, as a whole, consulted in a time of peace, and in a deliberate manner, upon this danger, and invited to take a part in averting it I If not, what shall we say of our Government, or our governing class, or diplomacy in general I Now, assuming again, that I occupied the position of our Government, and were in earnest in my fears for Europe, and attached a real meaning to those phrases just quoted, I should not only appeal to Germany, but to all the States, small as well a s great, of the continent, for such a union as would prevent the possibility of any act of hostilitaynfdrotron the common enemy. This is the work of peace, this end, with the views and responsibilities of the Go vernment, I should address myself. If I found that I failed to impart my apprehensions to the other nations of Europe, if they declined to form part of a league or confederation against Russian encroachments, I should be disposed to renonsider my own views on the subject, and doubt whether I might not have been led away by an exaggerated alarm. In that case, at least, I would forego the Quixotic mission of fighting for the liberties of Europe, and pursue a policy more just towards the interests, and more consistent with the prosperity, of the people whose welfare I was more especially charged to promote. "Finally.—Not to incur the charge of vagueness ; I would not risk the life of an Englishman, or spend an other shilling, for the chance of the barren triumph of ex torting pacific pledges from the Russian Government ; and having come to this determination, there would no longer be an obstacle to peace. But, while attaching no value to the imitation of the number of Russian ships exclusively, I should not lose sight of the policy of dealing with the amount of naval force as a European question. England and France will find themselves with more powerful navies at the close of the war than were ever before possessed by two allied Powers, from which state of ,kings embarrassments may possibly arise , in more than one direction. This naval armament has ; already roused the susceptibilities of the United States, and led to an augmentation of their navy. Hitherto that country has not entered into a rivalry with the States of Europe in their military and naval establish ments. But, impelled by feelings of ineeouxity or pride, COURT CIRCULAR. WINDSOR, JAN. 8. The dinner party, yesterday, included her Royal High ness the Duchess of Kent, his Royal Highness the Count of Flanders, Baroness de Speth, and Captain Marnelle. The band of the Grenadier Guards played during din ner. Her Majesty's private band afterwards performed in the Castle. His Royal Highness Prince Albert, accompanied by the Count of Flanders, went out shooting this morn ing. The Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred went to Lon don, and attended Mr. Faraday's lecture at the Royal Institution. The Princess Helena and Louisa dreye out in an open carriage. The Countess Persigny received company, last even ing, at the residence of the French embassy, Albert-gate House. The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland are still at Trentham. The Marquis and Marchioness of Stafford have left on a visiting tour. The Duke of Leed - s is expected to arrive in town, on Friday next, from Hornby Castle, Yorkshire. The Earl of Ellesmere arrived at Bridgwater House, yesterday, from Ratchford, near Cobham. Viscount and Viscountess Villiers have joined the pirele visiting the Earl and Countess Craven, at Ashdown Park. Viscount Falkland has taken a mansion in Eaton place. Sir T. Moncrieffe has been dangerously ill during the last three weeks, at Moncrieffe House. We regret to learn that the hon. baronet still continues in a precarious state. His Excellency the Lord•Lientenant dined with the Hibernian Catch Club last evening. Mr. Edgar, son of the Rev. Dr. Edgar, of Belfast, has been appointed sub-inspector of factories for the north of Ireland, in the room of the late Mr. Hudson. Among the candidates for the office of librarian of the Queen's Inns, vacant by the death of Mr. Millar, Q.C., there are some gentlemen of high standing at the Irish bar. Mr. Wallerstein, Consul-General for the Republic of Costa Rica, had an interview with the Earl of Claren don yesterday. Despatches from the Governor of Malta were received yesterday at the Colonial-office. APPROACHING MARRIAGE! IN HIGH LIFE.—A matri monial alliance is about to take place between Captain Sayer, Royal Welsh Fusiliers, ➢eputy Assistant Adju tant-General at head-quarters, and Miss Phipps, eldest daughter of Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps, C. 8., and niece of the Marquis of Normanby. EXECUTION OF ABRAHAM BAKER.—The convict Baker underwent the extreme penalty of the law, yesterday morning, at Winchester. He died penitent. GREENWICH RAILWAY.—The half-yearly meeting of the Greenwich Railway Company, the line of which is leaned by the South-Western, was held yesterday, and a dividend of ss. 3d. per share, free of income tax, declared. A meeting of the Finance Committee of the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851 was held yester day, at the Privy Council Office. There were present Earl Granville (chairman), Sir Wm. Cubitt, Mr. Coulsoe, QC., Mr. T. F. Gibson, and Mr. Edgar Bowring (seers tary). Mr. H. R. Williams, financial officer, was also prtsent. OXFORD UNIVERSITY.-A statement having. gone abroad to the effect that Sir Brook Bridges, Bart., is likely to be brought forward at the next general elec tion, by the University of Oxford, in the room of Mr. Gladstone, we are authorised to give an unqualified con tradiction to such statement, whist), as far as the hon. bart. is concerned, is entirely without foundation.— Kentish Observer. THE SUREET GARDENS' COMPANY, the advertisement of which appears in our columns this day, is well spoken of in all quarters. Concerts, presided over and directed by Mons. Jullien, who has done more to improve the taste of the million than any one of his time, will always attract. The plans of the building proposed to be erected have been carefully arranged by Mr. Jones, whose cha racter as an architect is well established. The musical world will be well satisfied to see such names as Beale and Chappell taking part in the scheme, and by reserv ing to the shareholders the choice of the officers and managers, the evils of jobbery in the direction will be avoided. The calculations estimate a dividend of 10 per cent., and a retur❑ of all the capital in five years, as bonus. BATHS AND WASH-HOUSES.—At the grand wardmote held at Guildhall on Monday- the Right Hon. the Lord Mayor in the chair—the following resolution was handed into court by the foreman of the inquest of St. Dunstan- in-the-West :—" We, your inquest, take this opportunity to state that, being fully sensible of the importance of public baths and wash houses, in a moral, social, and sanitary point of view, and, as likely, if established in the city of London, to induce in an important degree to the comfort and well-being of our fellow citizens, desire to draw the especial attention of your worshipful court to the project now before the corporation of London for the establishment of public baths and wash•houses in the ward of Farringdon Without, in the hope that it may meet with your influential support." The Lord Mayor assured the inquest that the recommendation should receive the immediate and respectful attention of the 'court. TIIE RUGELET PofeoNlNGlCasE.—There is every rea son to suppose that, in addition to the cases in which Palmer appears to have been so successful, be enter tained designs of a similar character with regard to,four or five gentlemen with whom he had money transactions, and who are now residing in London, Manchester, New castle, Cambridge, and Nottingham. His modus ope randi seems to have been to invite his intended victims to pay him a friendly visit, for two or three days , at a time when he knew they would have a considerable sum of money about them ; and, had they accepted the invi tation, there can be very little doubt what the end would have been. A thorough and searching investigation is proceeding, and, though the evidence in each of the above cases may not be strong enough to establish a criminal charge, the discoveries which are being brought to light will be of no small value as a collateral corro boration of those points which can be more clearly and circumstantially proved. THE MISSING ENGINEER OFFICEBS.—A coat of ono of the missing engineer officers has been picked up in the Medway, near a place called Bartlet's-hole, at Lower Rainhana, a short distance from the spot where Ensign Macdonell'n body was found. The persons who found it took it to Brompton barracks, and placed it in the hands o b f oa C t a in p g t. F pa it r z t r y o . y S A omerset, the adjutant, and it has since been id ent i f i ed as having belonged to E ns i gn Ed en , an d powder At de t flask commencement theand a h worn by hi m on the Satur d ay a ft ernoon h e j o i ne d the otb of eltwere found in th e pocketlast week th ere was a rumour spread about that the body of another of th e missing gentlemen had been discovered, employed loo o ny n re. d i n dN cl a u o y i t r w a y n i Notwithstanding nightet ther e w i n a g i s n t that the searching fou n w d a a t t t h e i s re o n n c er forc r eek s ehk as v s eo u ib c e i e thean river, up to the time at which we write only the body of Ensign Macdonell had been discovered. The friends of the Messrs. Battine reside in the neighbourhood of Cheltenham. LATEST NEWS. THE COUNCIL OF WAR IN PARIS. DOVER, WEDNESDAY, 11.10 A.M. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, General Airey, and Admiral Lyons arrived at Dover by the boat train, at 10.40 a.m. this morn ing, and immediately sailed for Calais, en route for Paris, in her Majesty's steamer Vivid. The usual' honours were shown. PARIS, WEDNESDAY, JAN. 9. The Moniteur publishes a despatch from Marshall Pelissier, of the 18th of December, an nouncing that the volunteers of General d'Aute marre attempted a coup de main against the Russians, on the night of the 26th of December. It resulted in 18 Russians killed and 18 made prisoners, and 20 Cossacks and 30 muskets cap tured. VIENNA, TUESDAY EvENING. Advices from Constantinople :of the 31st of December announce that a committee has been formed for investigating the Kars affair. THE CZAR'S ANSWER. VIENNA, TUESDAY EVENING, JAN. 8. Count Stackelberg, who brings a reply to the propositions of the Allies, left St. Petersburg yesterday. Our letters, brought by the Euphrate, dated Sebastopol, Dec. 25, state that the Russians were firing with redoubled activity on the men em ployed in preparing the explosion of the docks at Sebastopol. Other batteries of fae enemy, which could not reach the French heal-quarters, fired more spar- in gly. CONSTA NT INOPLE, DEC. 31. M. Thouvenel has presented to the Sultan the Star in diamonds, together with the other insignia, of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour. On this occasion tLe French Ambassador deli vered a speech, in which he showed the strong evidence, afforded by so striking a manifestation, of the sentiments of the Emperor of the French in favour of the alliance which has placad Tur key under the protection of European law and of civilisation. To this speech tho Sultan replied with much fervour. The Prussian Government has conferred deco rations on two Ottoman Ministers. The Greek Government has signed, with the Porte, a treaty for the suppression of brigandage. THE WAR IN ASIA. ERZEROUM, DEc. 12. The Russian army took up its position at Kars last Monday, the 3d of December. The troops have been quartered in the town, and a small di vision of about 2,000 men, consisting of Cossacks and Irregular Kurds, has been left at Sohanly Dagh, where it occupies the fortifications erected in the month of June last by General Mouravieff. Yeni Keni, a village some fifty-four miles from Erzeronm, on the road to Kars, is likewise occu pied by the Russians, who have collected there large stores of wheat, flour, and barley. It appears that the Russian general is apprehen sive of 6'elim Pacha's coming to attack Kars, for he has concentrated all his forces at that spot, and has left at Alexandropol only a weak garrison, hardly strong enou;h to do the duties of the citadel. The Turkish forces, under the orders of Selim Pacha, are still eicamped in the mountains of Deveh Boynou. There is no fear of the enemy's attempting now a coup de main against Erzeroum : the exhaustion of his troops and the state of the roads forbid it. THE CRIMEA. The following letter from Kamiesh, in the Semaphore of Marseilles, gives some idea of the price of articles of food in the allied camp : " The wines of Frame are abundant ; and the sales made in the course of the present month have been at from 115 f. to 135 f. the piece, according to quality. Our present depot being about 25,000 casks, and various vessels being expected from Marseilles, Cette, and Toulon with more, a new decline i❑ price is to be ex pected. This week, several sales of Cognac in casks and cases have been made ; one was of 400 casks at lf. 55c. the litre, and another of 200 cases at 20f. the case of 12 bottles. The stock of brandy is so abundant that no rise in prices is likely. Rum is sold accord ing to quality, at from lf. 30c. to lf. 50c. the litre. Absinthe and Vermouth are very abundant, and not in demand. Bordeaux wine in cases of 12 bottles is from 15f. to 24f., according to quality ; champagne, from 36f. to 42f.; and curagoa and other liqueurs are abundant. Flour is at from 100 f. to 115 f. the sack of 122 kilos. GruyZire cheese is offered at lf. 75c. the kilo.; sausages at sf. the kilo.; white beans and fine potatoes, 701. the 100 kilos. ; wax candles, lf. 70c. to lf. 80c. the lb.; tallow candles, 20f. the case of 10 kilos.; good coffee, if. 50c. to lf. 75c. the kilo.; and refined sugar, If. 70c. the kilo." KERTCH. Our latest advicesfromKertch s t a t e that, the town is occupied by the First Brigade of the Turkish Con tingent, under Brigadier Holmes, and the Second, commanded by Brigadier-General Evans, is no less comfortably quartered in the outskirts. Theirlhuts, it is said, are admirable—the roof consisting of planks and iron plates, and the walls of stone for the most part. The floor is sunk 3 feet below the level of the ground, and the troops contrive never theless to protect themselves against the damp, which prevails more or less necessarily under such circumstances. Such are the accommodations of the sth, 6th, 7th, Bth, and a portion of the 10th Regiments of the Second Brigade, and when it is considered that it is hardly a month since the re moval of these troops from Yenikalo to Kertch, they deserve great credit for the arrangement of their winter quarters, as well as for their general state of discipline and efficiency. Their labours and activity in the trenches are, moreover, a gene ral subject of applause. Patrols have been estab lished, and pickets posted on every i mpor t an t po i n t —from which sentinels issue, rigorously insisting on the watchword. THE BALTIC. COPENHAGEN, Jan. 2.—Although the blockade of the Russian ports has been virtually raised by the return home of the Allied fleets, and officially by the announcement in the Gazette, it is incompre hensible why the Government did not leave a couple of fast-sailing steamers to watch any suspi cious-looking vessels, and search them for contra band of war. For this piece of—it appears almost wilful—negligence, the Russians may be grateful, as it enables them to obtain a seasonable supply of arms, if not ammunition, from the United States. Long before the return home of the fleets, a large and deeply-laden three-masted (clipper, under the American flag, arrived here from Boston, and an chored in the deep water of the so-called Rinne, out side the Trekroner Battery. The ship is called the `'Volga, and the commander (Captain Holm) is a native of Copenhagen, and well acquainted with the navigation of the Baltic. Whether he has be come naturalised in the United States, and thus obtained a right t o comman d a vessel under the flag of the republic, and whether the ship's papers are in order, and would pass muster with the lieu tenant of the Driver, who last year so keenly over hauled the Sammy Appleton, after landing her re volvers at Baltish Port, is more than I cau say. A few days ago, however, he weighed anchor dur ing the thaw and sailed up the Baltic, and a vessel ar rived here from Bornholm reports having exchanged signals with her off that island. It is generally stated hero as a well-known fact that she has arms and ammunition on board, which being contraband of war would have been liable to confiscation, although the blockade of the Russian ports has been aban doned for the winter. According to a telegraphic despatch received hero by one of the foreign embassies, a Russian vessel, loaded with salt, which was in the act of leaving the harbour of Elsinore last spring when the arrival of the advanced squadron in the Sound RUSSIA. The Abeille du Nord informs us that the Em peror thanks the nobility of Esthonia for the 12,000 roubles they have contributed to improve the food of the troops in that province. In order that you should the better appreciate the importance of the publication and the gift, you must bear in mind that these troops belong in great part to the Im perial Guard, which is the best fed corps in the service. What, then, is the sort of food given to the troops of the line in garrison 300 leagues from the capital Y eye-witness mentioned to me the following fact :—While passing the last sum mer at Riga at a person's house in which 10 sol diers were billeted, who were employed on the works of the fortress, we heard ono day one of these men offering his ration of sweetmeats for sale. The offer was received with laughter at the idea of such delicacies being furnished to the soldiers by the Government. The soldier was desired to show, and unfolding his military cloak he ezhibited to the eyes of all a piece of bread as black as tar, and mixed with ashes and sand, and said, ironically, " Here are my sweetmeats—the s wee tmeats that are given to us." The bystanders gave him some kopecks,which he received, bowing to the earth. The Emperor having received an address of feli citation from the inhabitants of Moscow, replied as follows to the Governor of that city : " Count Arsbne Andrecovitch—lt is with sincere sa tisfaction that I have received your letter of the 17th of December. It is a pleasure to me to thank you, as also the inhabitants of Moscow, for the sentiments of fidelity which you express to me, and which ray dear parents have taught me to believe.—Your sincerely affectionate " ALEXANDER." COPENHAGEN, Tuesday Evening.—A. royal pro clamation just published decrees that the King's mazriago with tho Countess Danner shall eyer re main morganatic, and be so inscribed iu the State calendar. COUNT ESTERHAZI AND THE CZAR. THE PEACE PROPOSALS. The following article in the Emancipation Bilge has caused considerable sensation in Paris, and is treated as authentic by the Patric of Monday evening _ _ The friends of peace learn with more grief than sur prise of the icy character of the reception accorded by the Emperor Alexander to Count Esterhazy. On being introduced, the Count handed the Austrian ultimatum to his Majesty, adding words of entreaty that he would agree to the honourable conditions from which the Em peror Francis Joseph had resolved never to swerve. The Czar replied not a word to this respectful but firm com munication, and confined himself to inquiring of the Count the particulars of his journey and the health of his family. After a second fruitless attempt to bring the Czar to an exchange of explanations, the Count quitted the Palace. The result of this interview has produced a profound sensation at St. Petersburg. The emotion will not be less in Germany when it is known with certainty that Count Esterhazy's mission has miscarried. The Czar's obstinacy is not unanimously approved of at St. Petersburg, but the intelligence which reaches me from all quarters convinces me that the war party will be uppermost. The Austrian propositions are in the full sense of the word, an ultimatum. Austria, with the consent of the Western Powers, presents singly to Russia prepositions implicitly determining the casus belli, i.e., the Em peror Frances Joseph therein declares his approval of the terms transmitted to St. Petersburg, and adds that he considers it his duty to support them by all the means at his disposal, thereby casting upon Rus sia the entire responsibility of an unreasonable rejec tion. Prussia expresses no opinion upon these proposi tions, which, indeed, have not been communicated to her. She contents herself with inviting the Czar to come to an understanding with the belligerent powers. There is no room for doubt concerning the efficient co-operation which Austria will lend to the Allies. The departure of her legation from St. Petersburg (fixed for the 16th inst.) will be the signal for the putting of her army upon a war footing, and for the issue of a procla mation, in which the Emperor will fully set forth the considerations which compel him to take an active part in the war. The majority of the German powers will adopt the same course. The remainder, swayed by Prussia, will hesitate. Supposing that the rupture takes place, France will place at the disposal of Austria and h er German confe derates an army of a hundred thousand men, who will assemble upon the Upper Rhine, and pass over that river as soon as circumstances require it. Belgium will remain neutral. If she had to defend the integrity of her territory on the side of the Rhenish provinces she only would be judge of the kind of succour which she should accept. Her brave army would doubtless suffice to preserve her from all affront ; and it is to be pro suraed that her eastern frontier would not be violated more than her southern. Under this arrangement our country would be, even for France, a bulwark which that power would be interested in leaving intact. Hol land would find herself in an analogous situation. My previsions reach perhaps somewhat, far into the future, and I confess that they will appear premature to those who, step by s t e p, f o llow the political progression. But I hold myself bound to communicate to you my views, 'and the substance of conversations of the most serious character, leaving to you the task of properly appreciating them. Loss OF THE ENGLISH TRANSPORT THEMIS BY FIRE.—The Patric publishes a letter from Eupatoria, of the 24th uit., stating that the night before, the English transport Themis, chartered by the French Intendance, had taken fire in the roads. There being no possibility of saving her, she was removed to some distance from the other shipping, where she continued to burn until 3 o'clock a.m., when she sank. The Themis had on board 50,000 projectiles, 3,000,000 of ball cartridges, and a number of barrels of gunpowder. THE COUNTY MAGISTRACY AND TURNIP STEALING. — On Friday last three women were sentenced by the county magistrates of Stratford-on-Avon to seven days' imprisonment each for stealing six turnips THE RUGELEY POISONING CASE.—In the " London and Provincial Medical Directory," the name of W. Palmer, Rugeley, appears in the list of these who are preotising without P qualification. the public sentiment appears to be undergoing a, change as regards the navy. Should this spirit acquire strength in the mind of the nation, and reconcile it to the ex pense, there is no country in the world that in the course of a few years would be their equal at sea. Little more than 20 years hence their population will reach 50,000,000, and their wealth is increasing in a far more rapid ratio. Is it wisoon the part of the nations of the OM World, placed at such a disadvantage by their colossal debts, and the necessities they are under for keeping large standing armies, to fasten on themselves a hostile naval rivalry with this Transatlantic people S To abate such an impolitic provocation, as well as its tit interest of European peace and propriety, I would en- - deavour to promote a general reduction of naval estab lishments at the close of the war. Russia has been sometimes cited, heretofore, as an obstacle to such a policy ; but after the abortive, nay ridiculous, exhibi- :I tion which her huge navies have afforded to the world during the present war, the utter want of confidence .; and enterprise displayed by them, from the moment that a hostile force appeared on her coasts, and which r y has more than justified the prediction that in six !1 months she would, in the case of a war with England, t or any other maritime nation, be crumpled up' as a naval power ; after such proofs of the folly of attempting r, to become a first-class power at sea, without the posses- •-f sion of a mercantile marine, the Government of Russia —4 would, I should expect, be the first to embrace an ho nourable pretence for voluntarily limiting her naval ar mament within the most moderate and economical - 1 dimensions. " I should endeavour, then, on the advent of peace, to promote, as far as possible, an approximation on tho part of the European Powers to the naval standard of the United States—the country possessing the greatest amount of mercantile tonnage. Should the close of the war be signalised by such a general reduction of warlike armaments in Europe as would be involved in this arrangement, it would in all human probability confer a lasting benefit on posterity, and amid the crimes and errors of the last two years' diplomacy might fairly claim for such a peaceful triumph the respect and grati tude of mankind." SIR CHARLES NA PIER AND THE " TIMES." TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES. MR. EDITOR,—In your leading article of the 2d of January you attack statesmen, admirals, and generals. You say you will set before them what the country ex pects at their hands. I will leave the statesmen and generals to speak for themselves, but I will not remain silent and pee the whole navy condemned as cowards and imbeciles. I know the risk I run in making observations oncyour articles ; but I will run that risk, and tell you plainly, Mr. Editor, that you know nothing of the subject on which you write. I will venture to affirm that there is as much talent, courage, and dash in the British navy now as there was in the days of Nelson. You say, Mr. Editor, in the last war the ships of England went everywhere and did everything with in credible daring and success, with only the uncertain winds and treacherous waves to rely on ; they entered every harbour and scrutinised every creek ; and, pro vided they could get in, never troubled themselves with the superfluous consideration of how they were to get out again. Now, Mr. Editor, I served 15 years last war, and it never was the custom for the ships to approach batteries , at all. No admiral even ventured to take his feet into an enemy's port except Lord Nelson : he went into Co penhagen, gained a victory, and was well pleased to get out, and he never tried it again ; ho did not take his lumbering fleet, as you call them, to Carlscrona, or to the Swedish waters ; he never went higher up the Gulf of Finland than Nargen. Sir James Saumarez, who was a most enterprising officer (little short of Nelson), and lost a line-of-battle ship in attacking Algesiras, never even went up to Cronstadt, nor did he attack either Riga, Revel, or Port Baltic. Lord Nelson remained several years off Toulon, and never thought of attacking it : he never thought of running his fleet into Cadiz, nor did Lord St. Vincent or Lord Collingwood, though it was by no means strong. Lord Hotham never tried Toulon, neither did Lord St. Vincent, Sir Chas. Cotton, nor Lord Exmouth ; nor did Sir Chas. Cotton try the Tagus. Lora Howe, Lord Bridport, Lord Gardne r , Si r Chas. •c: Cotton, Lord St. Vincent, Lord Gambier, and Admiral Cornwallis treated Brest, Rochefort, and L'Orient with the greatest respect. Tne dashing Cochrane burnt and drove on shore the French ships in Basque roads' and many brilliant things were d o n e by f r i gates , and daring enterprises effected by boats, but by ships never, except at Algiers and Acre, and those forts were defended by inexperienced Algerines and Egyptians. • Admiral Young and Sir Sidney Smith, when they were captains, got their ships cut up severely by two round towers, one in Corsica and the other on the coast of Naples, mounting one or two guns. Lord Nelson did not dare to attack with his ships the batteries at Bou logne, but tried his boats and was defeated ; he did not dare to attack Teneriffe with his ships, but did by boats, was defeated, and lost his arm. After this statement you must not mislead the country again, and throw odium on her officers. - If enough has not been done on the Baltic by the navy to satisfy you, Mr. Editor, why don't you put the saddle on the r;ght horse— "the Admiralty 7" In 1854 a fleet was sent to the Baltic very badly manned, hastily got together, and inexperienced ; without pilots (fur those we bad knew nothing), and with very indifferent charts. Yet we managed to get that fleet in, amongst rocks and shoals, up to Cronstad , , and found there was n , ,t water to float them ; and had there been water, we were igno• rant of the passage up, and the batteries were much too strong for our ships. At Sweaborg we knew nothing of the passage, and then again the batteries were tre mendously strong. What would you have done, Mr. Editcr ? What we did do, was to point out to the Admiralty the proper way of attack. This was in June, 1854. The fleet then threaded their way through the labyrinth of rocks up to Bomarsund, landed the troops in an incre dibly short time, and took it. Sweaborg was again well reconnoitred, and the plan of attack repeated. You, Mr. Editor, seem to have known better than the English and French admirals or the marshal, and thought it could be attacked; and the Lords of tha Admiralty agreed with you. You had both heard of the fall of Sebastopol, and lost your heads, and then had not the honesty to apologise to the admiral you had insulted when you heard the fall of Sebastopol was a hoax. There was some excuse for the Admiralty not furnishing the proper materials for attack the first campaign, but none the second. They were warned of what was wanted ; and though they knew that Sebastopol had held out for eleven months against an unparalleled bombardment, and in the last 24 hours received 70,000 shot and 16,000 shells, they sent 20 mortar vessels and 15 or 16 gun vessels to attack a place as strong as Sebastopol. They did not even support the mortar-vessels with the ,fleet ; they were dispersed over the Baltic, the Gulfs of Finland and Bothnia ; and when the few mortar vessels had set the place in flames, there was no fleet to take ad vantage of the confusion that must have attended the conflagration and the explosion. Now, as the admi rals have hauled d o wn their flags, and been compli mented by the Admiralty for their conduct, it is clear that the plan of the campaign must have been settled at the board, and on it must rest the failure—fir,t, for not sending gun and mortar vessels sufficient ; and, secondly, for not having the fleet at hand to take ad vantage of the conflagration and explosion. I was told in 1854 a few mortar vessels or even Lancaster guns more or less could not make the difference between the possibility or the impossibility of attacking Swea borg ; and in 1855 the Admiralty appear to have thought a few line-of-battle ships more or less could not make the difference either between the possible and the im possible. Now, Mr. Editor, the long and short of it is this : in 1854 the Admiralty sent a fleet to the Baltic, without gun and mortar vessels to assist them and clear the way ; and in 1855 they sent a few gun anl mortar vessels to the Baltic, and had not the fleet at hand to support them. In fact, they were so ignorant of the art of war that they did not expect the 13-inch mortars would do so much damage. - All they hoped to do was to file away their shells and not be laughed at for bringing them back, and when they found that the mortars bad almost all burst, they sent a fresh supply at the very time Admiral Dundas was very wisely sending his vessels home ; and so deplorably ignorant w ere they, that they did not know the mortar vessels would go through the Kiel Canal, but positively sent them round the Scaw. Now, sir, I ask, were the Government serious in their wishes to cripple Russia in 1854, and were they serious in 1855 ? for certainly no one, judging by their actions, can think so. You tell us, Mr. Editor, a mortar vessel has been built and armed in three weeks ; surely, then, 100 could have been built in a year ; and in 1855 the same force that is preparing for 1856 might have been ready, and Sweaborg totally destroyed. Now, I don't blame Sir Charles Wood or Lord Pal merston, for they were not in their present offices when the Baltic fleet was fitted out. They appear, however, now in downright earnest, if I may judge by the power ful flotilla they are now preparing; and we must hope that we are not too late. As you, Mr, Editor, have passed a pretty severe eon. sure on the navy, the best thing the Government ca►n do is to fallow the example of the French at the beginning of the Revolution, and send a commissioner to see the admirals do their duty. You, Mr. Editor, have your own correspo n d ents, and I see no reason why you should not have your own commissioners, and as I have reason to think m y f ormer friend is the writer of these articles abusing the admirals, he would be the fittest person to fill the office of com missioner ; and I will venture to say whoever commands the fleet will strictly obey his orders, and take care at the same time that he bball occupy as warm a berth as his heart can wish. It the fleet was not lost the first campaign it was the fault neither of the Admiralty nor of my frien d . Th e y did their best to lose it. The second campaign the Admiralty took good care Admiral Dundas should not destroy Sweaborg. The third campaign had better be under my friend, and we shall see if he is as powerful with his sword as he was with his pen.—l remain, 3 our obedient servant, CHARLES NAPIER. 18, Albemarle street, Jan. 8, 1856. BEACON FIRE ON THE MALVERN HILLS.—It has been decided that the lighting the beacon fire on the Malvern Bills shall take place to-morrow evening (11th inst.) at 7 o'clock precisely, weather permitting. Blue and red fires will precede the lighting of the beacon, the actual moment of which will be announced by the firing of 50 rockets. Should the night proposed be wet, misty, or windy, the lighting will take place on the first suitable night after the Mks eeive 21,0 posel year, fund adop T 1 port anot buds to T to ti