The Sun. — London, England, 1854-12-13 00:00:00

member for Droitwich (Sir J. Pakington) made an observa tion about tents, and the Secretary of War dilated immensely On the question of tents-(a laugh)-which was pretty well disposed of by the member for Aylesbury (Mr. Layard). But the question is not of tents. (Hear, hear, hear.) It meads the policy of the Ministry, in a war commenced under unprecedented circumstances-(hear, hear, hear)- * war with the greatest military power, perhaps, in the world —with the greatest means-under the most favourable cir wamortances. (Hear , hear.) I will not argue the question on suc h miserable details as those about tents. (Hear, hear.) I revert to the charge. Why, when you undertook so vast au enterprise as the invasion of Russia with 25,000 mea late in the autumn-why had you made no preparation to increase, support, or sustain that force? (Loud cries of " hear, hoar.") What is the answer of the Secretary at War? Why, he re plies, " We have done it," and he reads us a catalogue of re inforcements that had arrived-after the event. (Hear, hear.) The very evidence he brings forward proves the charge against him-(hear, hear)-if, indeed, it were necessary to prove the charge -if sad and stern events, which have touched us all, had not already proved it to the satisfaction of the nation. If you are sending reinforcements now, why did you not send them before ? Why, in November and December, are you doing that which you might have done a year ago ? Tho Se cretary at War says, " It is easy to talk of sending men ; but where are you to get them ?" Why, sir, if we are in the po sition of commencing a great war with a colossal military power, and because the Secretary at War can count at his fingers ends that 50,000 men have been sent out from first to last, and that then we are to be told t hat the power of Eng land is exhausted, I say " Go on your kneel to the Czar as soon as you can." (Great cheering.), Acknowledge that you have undertaken an enterprise to which you are not equal. (Renewed cheering.) Tell him at once that you have not inquired into the circumstances of the case; tell him at once that you have not given consideration to the position you are in ; tell him that the Ministry of England, for thesg two years past, have been living from hand to mouth, and have not ascertained, contemplated, or calculated what may be the consequence of their conduct in this great affair. (Great cheering.) Sir, that a Secretary at War shoul t have answered the charge of my right hon. friend (Sir J. Paking ton), a charge deserving of notice, not merely because it comes from his lips, but because it really is the echo of the voice of the whole country-(hear, hear)-that he should tell him that we are at this moment sending out reinforcements which could not be sent out before because we could net get the men. Why, sir, I want to know if you are equal to the position you occupy-if you really comprehended the circum stances into which you had got-if you knew the stake at bane, and that you had to deal with the solution of one of the most important political problems of modern ages (cheers)-why did you not long ago recommend the measures , for which you now ask our confidence ? Why, long ago, did you not have recou rse t o th em on a larger scale ? (Hear.) The militia is embodied-you have offered a sufficient bounty ; but why was the militia not embodied 12 months ago ? Why did you not offer a bounty when you declared war ? (Hear.) Why did you not tell the people of England that a death struggle was impending, in which the glory, the truth, and the prosperity of the count, y were at stake ? (Cheers.) Nut a word ! All you wanted was to put off the Reform Bill without compromising your character-(a laugh)-and that when peace was proclaimed, you would introduce a Reform Bill a little smaller, or a little larger, as circumstances might require. But, sir, at a time when the common strife of par ties is not commenced, and when all this is at stake, when we have not merely a Parliament political but, a nation poll tical-(hear) -when we have the people of this country thoroughly understanding the question at issue, such con duct ought not to be tolerated. (Cheers.) That the Min ister should call Parliament together suddenly-suddenly to the house, and suddenly to themselves - (hear, hear) -and say, " You shall meet, but you shall discuss nothing "-(hear and laughter)-" and if you persist in discussing matters, we will stop the debates, as we arc so adroit iu the management of the house that none of us will speak"-(laughter)-I s ty that such tactics are unworthy of their position. (Cheers.)l ask the Government in what position they have placed us by this mismanagement of the war ? 1 have shown you, not what you have, but what you have not done in the Baltic. Idor of thiak there is a gentle man on the Treasury bench who could hide a blush when he contrasts the emuniel cement of operations in the Baltic with the miserable results which have OCCLUT d. (Hear, hear.) It is very well, sir, for the Secretary at War to come forward and make exaggerated allusion to an obscure p o rt , and refer to Bom,arsumr-(hear, hear) -but if you look to the Baltic you see disappointment acknowledged by the Gee - arm:lid:it to be so grievous that you dare not propose a vote of thanks to the fleet in that sea. (Cheers.) Look, then, to the Danube (Hear, bear.) I have challenged, I have dared any gentleman sitting on the bench before one, to show that at auy time a sufficient collection of animals could have been got together to have moved your army to any quarter. (Hear, hear.) And now what is your position before this most important place in the Crimea ? It might have been a question whether it was expedient or wise to invade the Crimea and attack. Sebastopol ; but I think every man who sits in this house will acme in this-that if the Crimea was to be invaded and Sebastopol attacked, a winter campaign was the very last time you should have chosen for your operations. (Hear, hear.) But you have chosen your winter campaign, and what have been your preparations? In November you gave orders to build huts. You have notyet soot out that winter clothing which is adapted to the climate. My right hon. friend (Sir J. Pakington) fell into a slight error (which I am sure he will permit me to correct) in his allusion to the loss of the Prince. He said that the warm clothing had been des patched by the Prince, and that the Government were exonerated because that clothing was lost. The right hon. gentleman (Mr. S. Herbert) speaks the truth, and frankly. He seems to think there is nothing like a clean breast for a Minister in a serape, aed he takes great credit for this specific clothing for the Criegean climate; but the fact is, that the cargo of the Prince did not conta.n any special winter clothing. It was only the common warm clothing for the troops, and not a cargo in any way occasioned by the winter campaign, which your policy has rendered necessary. (Hear.) You have invaded the Crimea; you have attacked Sebasto pol ; but you have chosen to do so at the very worst period. You have commenced a winter campaign in a country which almost of all others should be avoided. You have commenced a campaign (the greatest of blinders) without providing for it (the next great blunder). The hats will arrive in January, and the skins probably will meet the sun of May. (Cheers ) These are your preparations ! (Renewed cheers). But you say that time is of the greatest consequence-that if you delay the frosts will have to be encountered. Surely, how ever, when a Ministry has so managed the affairs of the country as to bring it to such a condition that at last they ha re to go to war with one of the greatest military powers ie the world, you will agree that the decision should be arrived at not only after deep thought, but with the possession of the most ample knowledge. Surely you would have thought that statesmen who arrogate to themselves all the ability and all the experience of this house would so have played their cards that in trying this great issue they would have essays 1 it under the most favourable circumstances, and not have incurred risk with the most fearful odds. (Cheers.) It is now two years since you were dallying with Russia with your diplomatic overtures. (Hear, hear.) You may pos sibly have% supposed that your negotiations would termi nate in peace. I believe the majority of you did; because I know that when a body of men of different opinions coun selling together have at issue the assumption of a most difficult cause and task-I knew that whatever may be their individual opinions -however they may differ on the main subject they always take refuge in the consolatory conviction that they will not be called on to act, (Cheers.) I believe, then, that this Cabinet of Coalitionists from the first flattered themselves that the tremendous circumstances they had to encounter, and which engage their most anxious thoughts by day and night, would never be a part of their lives. The First Minister of the Crown had never dreamt that, at the termination of his career, he would be acting against thet Russia of which he was the cherished and almost the spoiled child. And another Minister who has indulged in day-dreams of what is called Liberalism, did not think that the latter days of his eminent career would be spent -on a subject so widely apart from his earlier predilections. We know the truth of this from the Chancellor of the Exchequer at Man chester, and from his bud ge t i n th e H ouse of Commons. We know that by your candid confession that not two of you are of the same opinion ; that three of you canno t agree upon a common result-(hear, hear)-but although there may have been. au arrive pens de that between the Holy Alliance on the one hand and Red Republicanism on the other, there would not be a war, it was your duty, as respon sible men, to have formed a policy two years ago. You appear to me not to have enihraced any definite object or pursued any definite system. If you had, you would not have told us now that you are obliged to enter upon a winter campaign in the Crimea, because the time is precious and that another month's delay would have rendered it impregnable. This I earnestly maintain-that the mi nistry which has involved this country in a war with Russia, ought not to have taken such a course unless they were prepared for al, those consequences which men of their experience, ability, and knowledge must have known, unless they shut their eyes wilfully to those consequences, must have ensued. I said just now that they had called Parliament together nnexpectadly ; but what I object to in the Government is that they have done every thing unexpectedly iu this great affair (hear, and a laugh), they have done everything too late, and in all they have recommended they have given signs of vacillation of opinion and: uncertainty of purpose ; and, necessarily, feeblenesis of execution. These are little things - they may be nothing-but the doctors came after the men were wounded, and the nurses appeared always after the wounded had expired. These things were never thought of until the indignant sorrow of the nation called upon you to exercise the dictates of ministerial humanity. (Hear, hear.) But the same fate seems to await you in all your course. Now it is your surgeons that are too late ; after the battle your reinforcements arrive ; and at last the storm and hurricane, that everybody h a d been ex pecting, comes at last and overwhelms,, your navies. Well, this does not appear to me an overcharged picture, for it is founded upon fact. Does the house think it is judicious that, under such ciitu ras t a ncee, Parliament should meet sub silentio I But even the resolution tyl call Parliament together was token too late. (Hear, and a laugh.) You pro rogued the Parliament to the 14th December, and then so uncertain was your purpose - so vacillating your -so undefined your object, that, having assembled and counselled the Sovereign to prorogue Parliament to the 14th. The same circumstances existed then as a few days after when a different opinion was arrived. at. This is no ordinary occasion, and I want to know wky Ministers have changed their opinions. If is necessary now to provide for an immediate increase of our forces, it was necessary when they advised her Majesty to prorogue to the 14th. In this deplorable state of things we are only sustained by the embrance of the unsurpassed heroism of our troops. A if mini sters had campaign would have been unnece ssa ry teems, however, had had more forethought and sagacity. I t ever, from a passage at the end of the speech that it i t troops that not toare our magnificent fleets, or our heroic but a s p ecific is to be we to look fora termination of the war, found in an alliance which her Ma jesty which she antici pate. with the Emperor of Austria, from important advantages for the common cause. I hope the noble to addreds the house, and o i rd (J - . Russell) will condescend house expects that on this sub je c t impress on him that the degree of frankness. iHear.) 3 , ; 9 t e he shonici speak with some jesty to prosecute the war with vi al.: asked to assist her de cideMa- what means are necessary, haveunigessi'lwr-eI say we can't asa i s t atic o we are to have from our allies, some Th idea of the honest, sincere one-precious , generous , cordial, alliance is an (Hear.) It, i s generous when we recollect the vi tup erative and sincere. in which the Emperor of the French was spoken f tive tune time ago. (Hear.) Nothing is that the to the a little ror and the French nation than that they h ave „ erg E p forgotten that co-orerateo with us in this war. I remember a Secretary of State was expelled_ by the noble lord the President of the - Council, because he expressed confidence in the character of the Emperor Napoleon. (Hear, hear.) The First L ord of the Admiralty engrafted on his neitnifestoagainet Lord Der by's Government a diatribe against the Emperor hNapol.eon. (Hear, heal. •) I remember anoth er member of Cabinet, ht hone g i rurab' • not so illustrious, determine d to outdo the e , Empror, but maligned gen tl e man, and not only abused the the people of Franco. (Hear , hear.) I recollect the preseut • to the head of the Government raised an objection Ind shown an Govern ment of which I was a member that eve . Napoleon. (Hear.) indecent haste in recognising the Emperor ; it But the alliance of France is based on higher groundsh,itiele. A ale alliance of the people which required no secret spirit - year ago, when the massacre of Sinope had laid low the rn ment, 'of the nation, darkened by the incapaci t y of the Pove the First Lord of the Admiralty rose and admitted the mis fortune, and said we all learn from experience. The mas sacre of Sinope took place in order that we might obtain the allianee of the German Powers. Have the German Powers become your allies ? Ido not yet see that there is a secret article in favour of Prussia, but Austria has entered into a treaty from which we aro to anticipate important advantages to the common cause. With regard to that treaty, the noble lord may perhaps tells us that it is not yet ratified, but that when ratified it will be laid on the table. I can hardly be lieve, however, that a man of the great abilities and lofty spirit of ahe noble lord will make such a wretched excuse. It is not an unusual thing, when a Minister is demanding from the House of Commons great sacrifices for his Sovereign, that he should say what is the simultaneous assistance we are to derive from those allies. (Hear, hear.) If this assistance is to be clogged with some cumbrous machinery, the interven tion, perhaps, of what are called the " Four points," then, I say, it will be the greatest hallucination ever heard of to imagine that Austria is going to supply any of its means. The present coalition Government was formed on four points (a laugh)-Ist, the preservation of peace ; 2d, the extension of free trade ; .3d, Parliamentary reform ; and 4th, national education • but if these Austrian poi n ts a re not easier of ac complishment than those which the noble lord promised us, and for which some gentlemen sacrificed their principles and some only their party (laughter), but for which the noble lord sacrificed both, I for one shall certainly feel that we are not in a position to receive much encouragement from these promises of the Austrian Government. (Hear, hear.) If the Government will not be frank on this subject to the house, it will, I venture to say, be wise in them to be frank to the people of this country. The spirit at least of that Austrian alliance ought to be communicated to the House of Commons. The country ought to know if Aus tria is to act, or merely to watch the game and profit by it in the end ? Is it an offensive and defensive alliance ? Will she send troops? Is she to be an ally that will ratify her all ante in blood, like the French ? (Hear, hear.) If we do not hear that to-night, then this meeting of Parliament, and this communication from her Majesty, will not have the effect which I earnestly desire. I say, for me no Austrian assist ance— no four points, no secret article ; but let France and England together solve'this great question, and establish and secure the civilisation of Europe. (Cheers.) Lord J. RUSSELL said, the right hon. gentleman the member for Droitwich, in a speech of remarkable ability and of great fairness, asked an explanation from the servants of the Crown with respect to several circumstances on which he felt some doubt, and with respect to several objections which he entertained to the policy of the Government ; and he ended by saying that, though he entertained those objec tions, they did not appear to amount to such a charge against her Majesty's Ministers as to induce him to take part in any effort to cause a change of Ministry. But the right hon. gen tleman (Mr._Disraeli) had spoken in totally different spirit, and had attempted by every means, while, like his right hon. friend, he did not propose to displace the Ministry, to weaken the confidence of the country in their efforts, and to weaken the alliance between this country and France—(hear, hear) — while he had thrown out every objection his fertile mind could create to an alliance into which we had recently enteeed, and, in short, had done everything to dash the hopes which the country entertained of a glorious termination to the war. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. gentlemen began with a most curious prologue of a very peculiar and unnecessary kind - namely, a protest in favour of liberty of speech in that house, and of his determination to resist any attempt made by the Ministry to suppress freedom of speech. (A laugh.) He (Lord J. Russell) had been accused in a print of the clay of never speaking without an encomium on Magna Charta—(a laugh)—but an encomium on Magna Charts at that late hour would hardly be more out of place than a vindication of free dom of speech in that house. (Laughter.) The right lion. gentleman said the Government had never conceived the true magnitude of this enterprise; but he found, on referring to the debates of last session, that he had most distinctly re coenised the great importance and magnitude of this contest. (Hear.) After the able speech of his right hon. friend (Mr. Herbert) he woad not enter upon details, but there were one or two points to which he would briefly advert. The army sent to the East by request of Omer Pasha took up a position in Varna and neighbourhood, by which it was supposed an effort might be made to raise the siege of Silistria. The means of transport were collected, and, if the siege of Silistria had not been raised, those means would have been found sufficient, although at that period of the year the undertaking was by no means an easy one. It was most un reasonable to expect to find in an enemy's country all the means of transport that were required. Was Lord Raglan to send word to Eupatoria the night before he landed that the means of transport were to be provided for him ? In con sidering the question of the expedition to the Crimea the Government had to consider the alternatives. England and France had stint ac army into Turkey. If that army had been taken back to Constantinople for the winter it would have been a great disappointment to the people of this country as well as to the army itself. If the Allied army had been ordered to advance across the Danube, and to attack the Russians, they would have had to encounter the immense armies of the Czar, and, as there were no great fortresses in their way, a victory in the field would not have brought the Allies nearer to the place for which the war was undei taken. There, then, only remained the expedition to the Crimea, in the success of which ho, in common with many high military authorities, both English and French, had felt the utmost confidence. He believed that there was great risk to he run, but that there was also a great object to he obtained, and that if Sebastopol, that stronghold of Russian power, were destroyed, its fall would go far to give to Turkey that security which was the object of any peace. He denied that he had given notice to Russia that such an expedition was to be undertaken, or that be had given an intimation that an attempt would be made to conquer the Crimea. He still thought that Sebastopol ought not to be left in the same position of menace. The admirals commanding both in the Black Sea and the Baltic had been very unfairly at tacked, but if unskilful assault had been made on Cron stadt, and three or four line-of-battle ships had been lost, a .most injurious panic would have been created in this coun try. The question was, whether an expedition should be sent to Sebastopol this year, before any additional fortifica tions could be constructed for its defence, or whether it should be sent in some future yevhen our own army might be stronger, but when not on bastopel, but the in trenchments of every landing-place in the Crimea, would have been strengthened. The position of Austria with regaid to this country had been adverted to. He had never been satiakd that Austria had pnrsned that course which her duty to Eur ee ought to have induced her to take. But a cautions Power like Austria was not likely to forget that her danger from a war with Russia was greater than that of England or France, neither of which powers had any reason to Apprehend an invasion of its own territory. The Em peror of Russia had kept up an immense army upon a peace establishment, and after one or two victories upon the frontier the road to Vienna would be open to him. It was not until Austria had increased her military force and made other necessary military preparations that she took the first step in concert with the Allies. Austria had now advanced a step further than she had gone before, but she had not even yet gone the length of saying that if before the end of the year peace were not made with Russia she would be a belligerent. She had only gone this length—that if she should be at war with Russia, a treaty offensive and defensive should, ipso facto, exist between Austria, England, and France. She had likewise agreed that before the end of the year she would take into further consideration what steps she would be prepared to take with respect to terms of peace with Russia. Now, he understood the meaning of that article—certainly not containing anything very precise in itself—(a laugh)—to be, that if England and France pro pose conditions of peace, which should be in conformity with the four bases, and which seem to Austria to come fairly within the terms of these bases, and that Russia should refuse to assent to them in a treaty of peace, then Austria would no longer hesitate, but be part of the alliance defensive and offensive. He did not wish to overstate the engagement in any way, and he quite agreed that Austria might still, at the last moment, say, " that those terms of yours, those four bases explained in a way I did not expect, would reduce Russia too much, and diminish too greatly her weight in Europe, and she can never be ex pected to agree to them." Such might be the language of Austria, Athout any breach of faith, and she would then be released from the alliance, hut his belief and expectation were that she did concur in those bases which were neces sary for the security of Turkey ; and if Russia did not con seet to a treaty of peace founded on those bases, then in the next campaign the forces of Austria would be joined with those of England and of France. It might be said we ought to have gone further and got better terms from Austria, bind ing her to join with us at once. It was easy to say that these were not the terms that ought to have been accepted ; but the question was, whether it was not worth our while to form such a treaty with Austria rather than leave Austria unconnected and bound by no tics. The belief of the Go vy3mFeyrice:nutmcnsh:t,ilai n t n ' gd was, a . tt s hh w t ea h t e o a l fseituht:aweiitenwaselrai. into therebygn guarantee t r a h e n s t e e ee promoted.no g f a t g h 0 a - tt l thh ace it s r s utphc Powers wasee we s G eswr o soi vernment of the Emperor of the Principalities, and accepting from the Sultan a general declaration in favour of the Christians, the natural influence of Russia would be greatly diminished; and without some such terms as these, no peace could be advantageously concluded. He had regretted to hear the hon. member for Aylesbury call the battle of Inkerman a fatal battle. His belief was, that though our losses were heavy, that victory would not be thrown away ; nay, such victories were as likely as anything to bring about a conclusion of the war. Deeds such as these, though not followed by the rout of an enemy or the capture of territory, were fruitful of consequences. They maintained the character of our soldiers who had achieved them, and they taught other nations to dread our enmity and to cultivate our alliance. It was with these feelings that on Friday next he should move a vote of thanks to our gallant army, and he should also on the same occasion move a vote of thanks to the brave French army, who at Alma and at Inkerman had fought so nobly by the side of our soldiers. (Hear.) In alliance with that great na tion we could not fail to bring this war to a successful termi nation, and to such a termination he had every hope and be lief that it would ultimately be brought. (Hear, hear) The Address was then agreed to, and the horse adjourned at 20 minutes past 2 o'clock. • MARKET .NEWS—(THIS DAY.) ..--- CORN EXCHANGE. The supplies of wheat to-day were limited. For all kinds the demand was steady, at full quotations. Othir descrip tions of grain were also unaltered in value. ARSITALS THIS WELL Wheat. i Barley. Malt. Oats. j Flour. t 2,710 7,640 3,760 1,150 l2O 830 1,360 .... —. 2,910 I 0400sYs. 300 brim. English .. Irish •• • • Foreign .. BOROUGH HOP. We have a steady sale for fine hops, at very full pries'. Inferior qualities are dull. WHITECHAPEL. Beef, 33 4d to 4s 64;mattcai, 3s 6d to 43 84 ; y ea ], 4s Od to 5 s Od ; p ork, 3s 2d to 4s 8d p er 8 1 bs. b y th e carcase. ,4e received from Adelaide, S out h u - advices have been . THE NAVIGATION OF THE RIVER MIIRRAT.— Furth In A the a r a t r p a p l ieaa,nn :l e y: k g L a ao t d i i go A o of g t the trai.ver towing Murray. the t w l o t had reached Wellington barges Eureka and Wa o r s regardin g that the t s h t e e a with valuable cargoes of woolfroonm another rs trip. In I her n iv t e h r e , and bad again started upwards upper Murray district, there during last year, owing to the us u al . not water havingthan i'ourne, had entered the river ~trom was riln eh floods e" the sea, and after wardsvet come down. Captain Cadell, in his steamer Met tle took in goods and went in a second time in safety. crossed the bar outwards for Port Elliott,. where It is added that the legislative body had placed a suf ficient sum on t h e est i mates f or surve yi ng , beaconing, and erec ti ng leading !minks at the sea mouth. THE MAIL B AGS L OST .—O n Th urs d a y night week the down mail failed again to take the letter bags off the standard fixed at the Cudworth Station. They were found en the following day 50 yards from the standard, where they had been hurled by the flying train. The consequenc e of this mishap (which is rot the first by a great number) is that the Barnsley letters posted on Thursday for Leeds and the north did not reach their destination until Saturday umning.—Leeds Intelligencer. THE WEATHER.—Sur Onus, Dee. 13. THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE. 46 highest since noon yesterday. 43 owest this morning and during the night. 48 —this day, at noon. BAROMETER, 30.25. WIND, S.W. Light, with dull, hazy weather. - • . It : Wi t §HUn • } C", . LONDON, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 13, 1854. The tone and character of the Royal Speech was such as to disarm opposition. Although we might, with the Hon. Gentleman who seconded the Address, regret to find that the Speech from the Throne did not even touch on a single topic unconnected with the War, yet, under "the peculiar circumstances of the times, and consider ing how the mind of the whole country is en grossed by that one subject," we shall not com plain of its exclusive character, more especially as a hope has been expressed that " other matters of great interest and importance Jo the general wel fare will not be neglected"—an anticipation suffi ciently wide to cover every question of more than local interest that has been brought under the consideration of Parliament. The War, its past and future management, are, however, unquestionably the points to which the Legislative attention will chiefly be directed in the first instance ; and if the prospects for the future'be auspicious, we shall be prepared to view the past with great leniency, although we cannot altogether forget the mistakes that have been committed, or expect her MAJESTY'S Opposition to refrain from occasionally indulging in a slight sarcasm on neglected opportunities, and the sin gular gullibility of Ministers in expecting that the AUTOCRAT would prove himself to be the very "lamb" which his " friend of forty years' stand ing" anticipated he would show himself to be. The speech of the Duke of NEWCASTLE on this part of the case was what the country had a 'right to expect, and will highly approve. It exhibited a degree of candour highly creditable to the Noble Duke—gracefully confessing that there had been mistakes in the former management, owing to the want of experience, but earnestly promising im provement. The ground, too, which his Grace adopted was one that would be responded to by every right-hearted Englishman : " Better," said he, " that we should suffer in the estimation of every b man in the country and in the world than that the Emperor of RUSSIA should lee under the slightest delusion as to the sentiments of the people of England, in consequence of the existence of any complaint against Ministers personally." Nor did he endeavour to justify the "short comings" that were matters of universal notoriety. As a fault honestly acknowledged is more than p l pa l a s a n t t spirits thathad tom theom i t g hsh at half atoned for, we should suppress the many r tebreaeot Secretary k t a forward esxprhleaisybpeietdcetdibn by e s t i l m m e the Secretary for War. Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT, however, defended everything that had taken place. According to the Right Hon. Gentleman, there had not been any sins either of omission or commission—all was perfection. If matters were to do over again, he could wish for no improve ment. Now, we confess that this " optimism" does not impress us very favourably as to his competence for the future conduct of the War. He must be singularly blind if he cannot discern some vestiges of the errors that are so painfull y perceptible to all others, aye, even to the most superficial observers. But little was suffered to ooze out on the subject to which the public attention is mainly directed at the present crisis, viz., the Treaty with Austria. Lord ABERDEEN removed one of the just grounds for public apprehension. He declared that it contained "no stipulations binding us to Austria in her Italian, Polish, and "Bavarian" (query, Hungarian) possessions. He gave no further information, merely saying that the Government did not ask the House to express any satisfaction at the Treaty, but merely to say that the House had learned with satisfaction that ' her MAJESTY had effected a treaty, from which she expected good results." This was rather an un worthy quibble, but as it was contained in the last speech of the evening it escaped comment, while the public hive become rather indifferent to the servile twaddle of the septuagenarian Earl. Lord JOHN RUSSELL was more explicit. He stated that Austria had " not even now gone the length of saying that if peace was not made with Russia she would be a belligerent. She had merely gone the length of saying that she would, en certain events, enter into a treaty offensive and defensive. She had likewise agreed that, before the end of the year she would determine (! ! !) the steps she would take with respect to Russia. He understood the article to be that, if Englan d and France proposed a treaty of peace on the four bases, Austria would no longer hesitate, but would form an offensive and defensive alliance." This is even worse than we had anticipated; and more than justifies the most gloomy apprehensions indulged in. The exact terms must, therefore, be obtained at the earliest possible moment, that Parliament may, before their separation for the Christmas holidays, express its views on the sub ject. This is an imperative duty, which cannot be neglected or postponed. LATEST NEWS. THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL. OFFICIAL DESPATCH FROM THE CRIMEA. The AI onibeur contains the :following from General Canrobert : "CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, DEC. 3. " Rain is falling in torrents. Our roads are cut up, our trenches filled with water, and our siege operations, as: well as all our works, remain in a state of suspense. " The enemy remains immovable, for the same reason as ourselves. " In spite of these trials, the spirit of all is excellent, and we remain firm and ready to resume our operations as soon as ever the weather and the state of the roads will allow us to stir. " General de Montebello arrived on the sth at Con- stantinople, and left the next day for the Crimea. The health of Prince Napoleon was improving. THE NEW DANISH MINISTRY. COPENHAGEN, DEC. 12. The new ministry was formed this afternoon.. Bang is Premier, and takes the department of the interior; Scheel is Minister for Holstein ; Count Scheel-Plessen (at present ambassador in Stockholm) has the depart ment of Foreign Affairs ; Colonel Lutlichian has the War Department ; Colonel Andrae, Finance ; Professor Hall, Religion (cultes) ; Simony, Justice ; Michelsen, Marine ; the Minister for Schleswig is not yet ap• pointed. Ministers held a Cabinet Council to-day, the King presiding. A programme of the address to the Diet was discussed. THE AFRICAN MAILS. - PLYMOUTH, WEDNESDAY MORNING. The mail steamer Ethiop, Commander Barnvrall, which sailed from Plymouth on the 24th September, arrived at Sierra Leone on the , 12th October, and Fer nando Po on the 13th. She: left, homeward bound, November let, Cape Coast 9th, Sierra Leone 18th, Gores 23d, Teneriffe 29th, and Madeira (during a heavy ode of wind) December 2d, and Arrived here this morn ing, being short of fuel. The Ethiop put into Feria on the 7th, and Corunna on the Bth. Her cargo consists of 413 casks of palm oil, 40 pieces of ivory, 1,940 ounces of gold-dust, wax, gum, and other A rican produce. The Atrican coast was healthy. Peace continued at Lagos. The riot at Christenang had. ceased. Precious to the Btlli of November the town had been blown down by English steamers of war. The following ships were at Old Calabar on the 27th Oclz.ober :---The Tapley, Sarah, Golden Age, Abeona, Jamaica, and Lady Head. THE SUN, LONDON,.,WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 13, 1854. THEATRE ROYAL 111.,YMARKET. Under the management of Mr. 14tickstone. THIS EVENING, Dan. 13, Will be performed the Come) , of PRESENTED AT COURT. Pr.nci i yal chara ters by 3lessrs. Buckstone, W. Farreu, and Howe ; :disses Reynolds, E. Chaplin, Grantham, and Lavine. After which, the Ba'let of THE STA.II OF ANDALUSIA, in. 0/filch Senora Perea Nena will appear. To which will be aided THE BALANCE OF COMFORT. Followel by THE IRISH. LION. To conclude with THE STAR OF CURRA, by the Spanish Dancers. ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, Car ORD-STREET, Under the Managetleat of Mr. Clienss JUAN. TIIIS EVENING. DEC. Ig, Will be performed (Print the th time this season) HE CORSI CAN BROTHERS. ipalBcDaracter by Mr. C. Ke T an. To be followed by A ROLAND FOR AN OLIVER. To conclude with AWAY WITH MELANCHOLY. Principal characters by Messrs Meadows, D.. Fisher, and Baker; Misses Mur ray and Daly. LYCEI7:I THEATRE. THIS EVE.VINH, DEC. 13, Will be performed AGGRAVATING SAO{. Principal characters by Messrs. C. Mathews, lioxby, Becer, Swan, Williams, and Tem pleton; Mrs. Macnamara, and Misses Oliver and IL Gordon. To be followed by a new Comic Drama, entitled A COMICAL COUNTESS. To conclude with the Farce entitled MY FELLOW CLERK. THEATRE ROYAL ADELPHI. Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directres, Madame Celeste. TILTS EVENING, DEC. 13. Will be performed an entire new Rustic Drama called PIER 9 E THE FOUNDLINdI. Supported by Messrs. B. Webster and Kee ley, and Mrs. Keeley and 3liss Wtolgar. Followed by BONA EWE TRAVELLERS. After which, THE CAMP AT CHOEHAM. To which will be added a new Farce, entitled THE RAILWAY ffELLE. ROYAL OLYMPIC THE t TUE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Wigan. THIS EVENING, Dzc. 13 Will be presented THE BEULA.FI SPA. Principal characters by Messrs. A. Wigan, Emery, F. Robson, and H. Cooper; Miss Marston, Mrs. A. Wigan, Mrs. Fitzallan, and Miss Julia St. George. To be followed by THE FIRST NIGHT. Characters by Me. rs, Alfred Wigan, Leslie, Harwood Cooper, and Gladstone; Miss Julia St. George, and 14iiss Emily Ormonde. To conclude with the Farce, called A BLIGHTED BEING, in which Mr. Robson will appear. STRAND THEATRE. Sole Lessee Mr. F. W. Aileron. THIS EVENING, Duo. 13, Will be presented TETE CUIRISTMAS CAROL. To oe followed by THE SP ANIS:I DANCES. To which will be added IV:IERE'S C , LUVE.L.LI ? To conclude with THE NEW WAGS OF •WINDSOR. AsTLErS ROYAL AIMPITITIIEATisi ,, LoaAce and Manager, Mr. William Cooke. SEVENTT a WEEK of the BATTLE of VIE ALMA ! which, with a matchless P.internime, will also be acted at Christmas. Tars EVgtilSG, A Grand Military Spectacle, in Two Icts, by J. H. STOCQUELLER, Es , called VI& o TUE AlO.l 1, giving a vitdd repre sentation of that tremendous centlict, upon a vest space, combining the Stage and the Itiun, and occup.od by Four I.lundre.l Auxiliaries, 31 ad , tition to the numerous Company. After which, LES' EL , TEA DU CERCT.R will appear in the varied SCENES in the t IR2LE of Equestrian Talent. The whole to conclude with a RISIBLE FARCE. rox-otnce open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W A - eit. Acting Manage:, Mr. W. U. Cooke. Equestrian Director ,r. Wm. Cooke, jun. HIGH WATER AT LONDON Trns DAT —Morning 2A rnin.aftnr 7 Evening 0 noin.aft. R To- 011.80 W Mei - nit:4. 4ui;,.tfter 8 1 iCvening 10 u+l7 , ..&it, 9 MONEY MARKET Ali D COMMERCIAL INT ELL FGENCE. CITY, TV9O O'CLOCK. The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were esti mated at 5,000 bales, including 500 America' taken for export. The sales comprise 4,250 American, 10 Per nam and Maranham at 100 Egyptian at 61d. to 6id., 500 Surat at 31d. to 38d., and 100 Sea Island at ls. 31d. to 2s. Bd. per lb. Railway shares were steady. The money market is easy just now, and the demand for accommodation has rather fallen off. Every expec tation is iudulged, however, that this will continue if politics do not take an unfavourable turn. The English Stock Market has been depressed, as is so frequently the case when Parliament first opens, there being a decline of 4to per cent. Consols have been 911 to A, and are now 911 to I. Exchequer Bills have been steady at 3s. to 65., and Indian Bonds at 9s. to 12s, premium. Bank Stock is dull at 209. The New 3 per Cents. have realised 91 to 1, and the Reduced 901 to 91. Foreign securities have been rather better in several instances. The New Deferred Spanish Bonds have realised 18 to '4, and the Committee's Certificitte has been at 51. The Turkish Scrip is firmer, at 81 to 81 discount. Mexican Bonds have been steady at 211 to Peruvian 43 per Cents. have realised 63 to 70, being again a slight advance. Dutch 2A per Cents. are 61t to 62. Most railway shares have been slightly reduced in price, owing to the lower rates accepted for Consols. The Colonial and Foreign Mines are heavy, the Joint- Stock Banks quiet, and the Miscellaneous Companies without any particular change. BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY.-CLOSING PRICES (From the OtAcial List.) Business done Bank Stock 209 3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities 9 04 4 1 3 per Cent. Cor.sols Annuities New 3 per Cent. Annuities New 3i per Cent. Annuities New 2i per Cent. Annuities Shut. .... 5-16 5 per Cent. Annui ties 4 Sh L o ng Annuities, Expire s th Jan., 1860 Ditto 30 Years, Expire sth Jan., 1860 Shut. India Stock ....................... ........... , Shut. I n dia Bonds, £lOOO .......... Ditto, under 21000 l2 pm. Consols for Account, 10th January . E xc h equ er Bills, !Lid. 91 iiiAii 1.1.000 ..................... 2500 ........................................ 3 6 p S ma ll 3 6 p Exchequer Bonds 1858, 3i per Cent. Ditto 1859, ~ PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY. Chiliau Bonds, 6 per Cent............. ...... 98 Ditto 6 per Cent. ' , lexicon 3 per Cent. Peruvian Bonds, 4i per Cent. 9 Spanish Bonds, 3 p er Cent Ditto Now Deferred, 3 per cent. Sp an i s h Committee Cert. of Coup. not fun, 51 p Turkish Scrip 6 per cent. Ditto for the Acc ount Bk 8 7 d 8 1 6A 7 d Dividends on the above payable in L on ,„ n Dutch Exchange, 21 per Cent. 12 Guil 611 2 Ditto 4 uer UOUt. uertifieates. ..... T HREE O'CLOCK. ConsolA ....... Di t t o, January Accm3nt O lI X I C S H 4 AmsterdCaml:T.l.L.! •F ---• °•••• F Ditto, three months 11 17%, Rotterdam • • • • •• • **** 11 17 % , A ntwer p •• „. • • • • 25 35 B russe ls •• • • 25 35 li am bargh .• ••• • .• • 13 5% Altona .. • • • • Paris.. •• „. _• • 25 12% Ditto, three months .. 25 37 Alarseilles ...•• • • ...... 25 0 Bourdeatta • ...• F i ankfort.on-Nlaine .• .. 118 Berlin •• •• •• 12 22 Vienna •••••• • • „ 12 24 Trieste.. ~.• • Petersburg ...• •••• •• • • 351-i Madrid ••••• •• •• •• .... 0% Cadiz „. .• ..... 50% Barcelona •• „ • • Seville .• .• •• *- ti-6.— YESTERDAY. Gibra tar ...... Leghorn 30 5 5 Genoa ........ ........ 25 55 Milan Naples 44 IA Palermo .. • ...... .. 131 14 Messina te • • • 131 Lisbon .... . ..... 53% Oporto 53% Rio Janeiro, • Buenos Ayres. — ... .• • • New York, 60 days' sight Philadelphia ... ?Riots OP NULL lON, pEN, Oz. Foreign Gold in Bars £3 17 9 Portugal Gold Coin OO 0 Mexican Dollars 0 0 9 New Dollars 0 0 0 Silver in ba rs , 0 5 1% ROYAL ARTILLER T. pleased to approve of the GENERAL ORDER, DATED Nov . 30. the Royal fol il lo e w r inßeg iment of Ar tillery, gMapjreosratyotbioanssbe in viz.:-- First Lieutenant William Dalgarins Guille, to be Second Captain, vice Childers, killed in action. Second Lieutenant Noel Hamlyn Rains, to be First Lieutenant, vice Guille. Dated Oct. 24. First Lieutenant Charles Edward Oldershaw,a.to be Second Captain, vice Guille, deceased. Second Lieutenant Oswald Carr, to be First Lieut., vice Oldershaw. Dated Oct. 29. Lieutenant• Colonel William Bates Ingilby, t o b e Colonel, vice Brigadier-General Fox Strangways, killed in action. Captain and Brevet Major Edward Walter Crofton, to be Lieutenant• Colonel vice Ingilby. Second Captain Joseph Clarke Childs, to be Captain, vice Crofton. First ut. Lieutenant HenryN o S. Turner, to be S econ d Captain, vice Chil ds. Second Briscoe to be First Lieute nant, vice Turner. Second Captain George Vanderhayden Johnson to be Captain, vies Townsend, killed in action. First Lieut. Augustus Young Earle to be Second Captain, vice Young. Second Lieut. NVin. Gore Martin to be First Lieute nant, vice Earle. Nov. 8. Second Captain Adolphus Frederick Connell to be Captain, vice Dennis W. Pack Beresford, retired by re signation of his commission. First Lieut. lion. Leonard Addington to be Second Captain, vice Connell, Second Lieut. Philip Henry Sandilands to be First Lieutenant, vice Addington. Nov. 24. • Lieut.-Colonel F. Dunlop is removed to the 12th bat talion, on lieutenant-colonel's pay, vice Ingilby, andpro moted;on m Li ajo e ut r f payolon,evl ice Crott u on nlop. isposted to the 2d battalion, We have authority to state that Major-General Ben tuck aid Lieut.-Colonel Lord George Paget will return to the Crimea, the former to command the Fourth Divi sion of the Army, instead of the South-Western Dis trict ; the latter to resume the command 'of the 4th Light Dragoons instead of retiring from the service by the sale of his commission. Her Majesty's transport No. 124, ship, BaravaY D'Hilliers, Captain R. J. Downes, has arrived at Con stantinople in three weeks from England, with naval and military stores for the Black Sea. 171 t1t°riti 3 . . 4 , 0 t SUN OFFICE, Six o'Clock. THE 'SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL. PARIS, WEDNESDAY• Tho Moniteur publishes despatches from Bu charest, dated December 11. Omer Pacha bad loft the day before for Varna to embark troops for the Crimea. Only 19 bat talions remained behind. On the 7th instant, four Freneh regiments, and numerous reinforcements, had arrived at the Allied camp. A great movement from the South to the Northern side was remarked. almost completely invested. The place was IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT. HOUSE OF COMMONS-(THIS DAY.) The SPEAKER, took the chair at twelve o'clock. THE WAR. A. great many petitions were presented from various parts of the country, praying that the war might be prosecuted with vigour, in order to bring it to an early termination. Mr. "MEAGHER presented a petition from the Roman Catholics of the city of Waterford, and a similar petition from Ardmore and Grange, in the county of Waterford, for suitable religious provision for the Roman Catholic soldiers and sailors in her Majesty's forces engaged in the war ; Mr. G. SANDARS presented a petition from the Mayor and Corporation of Wakefield, praying that the Government will prosecute the war with the utmost vigour, that it may be brQught to a speedy, successfull, and honourable termination. BOARD OF HEALTH ACTS Sir B. HALL said that after the Christmas recess he should propose to repeal the Health of Towns' Act of IE4B, and the Nuisances Removal Act, and to introduce two entirely new bills upon the same subjects. He gave that early intimation of his intentions because he was aware that notices had ap peared of several local bills. He would venture to suggest to the local authorities that it would be advisable to incur as little expense as possible in the first instance, as it was possible that the provis:ons of hills which he hoped to introduce might supersede the necessity of prosecuting the applications of which notices Lad appeared. THE ADDEESS. Mr. H. HERBERT brought up the report upon the address in reply to the Queen's Speech. On the question that it be agreed to, Admiral WALCOTT took the opportunity of addressing the house on the subject of the war, which he hoped would be ' carried on with vigour and 'effect, while, in order to the ac complishment of that end, he thought the resolutions of the country must be neither weak nor feeble. No petty jealousies must be allowed to interfere with the operations of our naval mid military commanders. IVe must, on the contrary, re pose confidence in them ; and though mistakes may have been committed in the past, he was yet satisfied that if that gene rous confidence were entrusted to them, the reputation of both branches of the service would come out of the struggle untarnished. (Cheers.) It was a subject of considerable satisfaction to himself that our soldiers and sailors had fought side by side with the French. That circumstance would go further to cement the two nations than all the diplomacy of the last century, and ho was convinced that triumphant success would ultimately attend the arms of the Allies. Mr. A. PELLATT expressed his delight that the Metro politan boroughs had displayed so much unanimity on the subject of the war, and referring to our alliance with France, he expresse 1 a hope that the Chawellor of t'!e Exchequer would evince h s gratitude towards France for her support in this struggle, by reducing the duty upon her wines. Cheap literature had assisted much to raise the character of the army, and he trusted the newspaper stamp and other taxes on knowledge would be repealed, and the deficiency made up by resorting to a direct war tax. (Hear, hear.) Sir H. WILLOUGHBY demanded some further informa tion with reference to the treaty with Austria. It was too much the practice to keep questions of foreign policy in the background, so far as the house was concerned, but recent events had shown the impolicy of that course, and he wished to know whether the treaty with Austria would be laid upon the table, with the view of taking the opinion of Parliament upon it. (Hear, hear.) The house had a right to know what was the distinct nature of the treaty, because it might so happen that it had been drawn up in such a way as to force England and France to spend their lives and treasure for the sole benefit of the German Powers. (Hear, hear.) Now, neither the country nor Parliament would consent to such a treaty, and in order that all doubts upon the point might be cleared up,' he hoped a copy of it would bo speedily laid before the house. (Hear, hear, hear.) An expedition to the Crimea might have been very wise in July but it was not so in December. He contended that Bala klava was no basis at all in a maritime point of view, but it was useful for the basis of our operations. He himself had been in Sebastopol, and he wanted to know from Govern ment if we got Sebastopol could we hold it, and if we did hold it he would ask what good it would be to us. Our present position was without a parallel, we had never yet embarked an immense body of men in a country where the climate was unfavourable, and the inhabitants unfriendly to our powers. He wished to know the prospects of Government when they obtained Sebastopol, and in what way they thought it would tend to further the ends of peace. He would like to kno* when the treaty would be laid upon the table, that it might be fairly discussed. He, for his own part, distrusted the German Powers, and, as far as he could hear at present, thought that their present intention was to make England and France pay the piper. After paying a most eulogistic complement to the bravery and conduct of the allied powers now in the Crimea, the hon. gentleman concluded by expres sing a wish that this house would' be put in possession of the clearest explanation of the treaty which had been entered into. Mr. ALCOCK found fault with the manner in which the war has been carried ou. .Both Parliament and the country had been most anxious to place ample means at the disposal of the Government, and yet it seemed to him that nothing had been accomplished. The finest fleet that ever left these shores had been dispatched to the Baltic, and now it was about to return, without having achieved a single victory, or attempted anything worthy of such a squadron. It was too late for Ministers to plead the excuse that the admiral had been left without land forces, because it Ives bad judgment in the Minister of War to have sent out the fleet without some definite end was to be obtained. If he had meditated an at tack on St. Petersburg, then the fleet should have been attended by land forces ; while, on the other hand, if only a demonstration of English power was intended, the fleet was unnecessary large. Half the ships would have been sufficient to accomplish that purpose, and the other half ought to have been despatched to the Black Sea. Again, our operations in the Crimea were to his mind highly unsatisfactory, not that they reflected any discredit on our forces, but these forces were far too small for the object to be attained, as the experience of history ought to have satisfied the Minister. The attack upon the Crimea should never have been attempted with such a small army. In the year 1832 it required 64,000 men to besiege the city of Antwerp, and that as well as o th er s i m il ar facts before them ought to have convinced Ministers that our army was not sufficiently numerous to encourage any hope of success. (Hear, hear.) Col. SII3THOR P had no wish to disturb the general unani mitylp icini id. et wi,:hottith,c, than net prevailed efhe we ei.nc.lg: o ; ctiNothlbi he the ey u w, b r j iahg e soh e I t tvge o huv f oi thisetnre more memberAao cir d ye d r tae forsm vote oi but .Dtee;.aot ni h hty e e. wieh, that the Government had evinced gross apathy with o courage and gallantry which our army had displayed in the means of succour for such a noble body of men. (Hear, hear.) He was not very fond of foreigners, and therefore he would not trust to Austria or auy other German power. It was an old saying that it took nine tailors to make a man; but it would take ninety-nine foreigners to make an English soldier—(a laugh)—and he for one would rather not have anything to do with them. (Hear, hear.) Mr. RICE bore testimony to the efficient state of the Baltic fleet, and he could not agree with those who thought it had accomplished nothing, because if it had not been sent to the Baltic the Russian fleet at Cronstadt would have found its way to the Black Sea. It was all very well to say the fleet was too large for its purpose ; suppose it had been.too small, what, thon, would have been said of Ministers ? while with re gard to attacking stone walls with ships, our experience in the Black Sea proved the superiority of the former over the latter. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER deprecated any disclosure of what were to be the future military measures of the Government, and pointed to the manner in which the noble President of the Council had been attacked for what he said last year as his justification for silence. Government was asked what they expected to accomplish from the taking of Sebastopol; but for the reason he bad just stated he must decline to answer the question, while with regard to the faults which had been found of our past operations he must leave them to be answered by the admirable speech of the Secretary at War last night. At the same time, he must ask the bon. member for Surrey if be was doing justice to his countrymen when he said that nothing had been done in the Black Sea—(hear, hear) —or that the expedition to the Baltic had been without its results. (Hear, hear.) It was said that the Baltic fleet was too large for its purpose, but how could that be when it might have had to meet something like 29 Russian sail-of-the-line. Nineteen ships-of-the-line were certainly not too many to meet such a force. While, as regarded the operations in the Black Sea and the Crimea, it was an ill-founded statement to say that they had been rashly undertaken, with an insufficient force, because up to the present moment the united powers bad devoted no less than 150,000 to the invasion of the Crimea. (Hear, hear.) Replying to the question of Sir H. Willoughby, relative to the treaty with Austria, he stated that the Government regretted their inability to lay it on the table before the discussion had taken place ; but the treaty remained yet to be ratified, and it would be departing from the ordinary course in such matters to lay it before Parlia ment until the ratification had taken place. (Hear.) At the same time the house was not now called upon by the address to pronounce any opinion upon the nature of the treaty ; and if it should hereafter prove unsatisfactory, it would still be open to the honourable baronet to move a vote of cen sure upon the Government for having entered into it. (Hear, hear.) The right hon. gentleman concluded by briefly recapitulating what the army and navy had accomplished within the space of twelve months. We had become familiar with the difficult navigation of the Baltic, while we had stopped the trade of Russia. The question of whether Con stantinople was safe had been set at rest; the Danube had been opened, and our army had obtained an almost impreg nable position in the Crimea, which justified the hope that Sebastopol would ultimately fall. Add these great results to the prestige which these operations had given to our military character, and he thought he would be a bold man who would persist in saying that nothing had been accomplished. Mr. WHITESIDE blamed the Government for having gone to war without resources, which had been the cause of all our misfortunes. F. SCOTT thought the army had been exposed to un necessary risks from the want of foresight in the Government, and ho was convinced that no explanation had yet been given which would satisfy the country. Delay and timidity had characterised all their movements, and they were doing now, with regard to the Militia, what they *tight long ego to have recommended for the adoption of Parliament. Sir J. TROLLOPE thought it would have been more advi sable if that passage in the Address relative to the treaty with Austria had b een om itt e d b ecause it was quite clear the antecedent s o f th a t P ower a ff or d e d no hope that she would ever be induced to draw the sword againtt Russia. The Address was then agreed to, and a committee appointed to convey it to her Majesty. BARNSTAPLE BOROUGH ELECTION. On the motion for considering the special certificate of Returning Officer, Sir W. JOLLIFFE moved that the members returned be called to the table and sworn, as the error insthe certificate did not invalidate the election. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL saw no objection to the COllllO. After a few words from Mr. BUN, the motion was agreed Accordingly Mr. GUINNISS and Mr. Leram, the members •eturned, took the oaths and their seats. MILITIA BILL. Lord PALMERSTON then rose to move for leave to bring iu Phill to enable her Majesty is accept offers of service by militia regiments in places out of the United Kingdom. In doing so, the noble lord said the bill which he had the honour to move for leave to bring in would be framed upon the model of the bill passed during the late war, which the Government of that day felt it their duty to bring in to enable them to accept the offers of militia regiments to do duty in garrison abroad. It would be remembered that at the close of the last war an act was also passed to enable regiments, or parts of regiments of militia to join the army under the Duke of Wellington, and three battalions were raised, one commanded by the Duke of Buckingham, the second by Sir Watkins W.Wynn, and the third by Colonel Gray. The object the Government had in view in the bill which he was about to introduce was to enable them to send the militia regiments to do garrison duty in the Mediter ranean, and to enable the troops there to be removed to other places. Gibraltar, Malta, and the lonian Islonds would be the places to which the militia regiments would be invited to proceed, and he might also say that Government might even have occasion to ask them to do duty in the North American provinces, but for the present it was intended to limit the volunteering to the stations he had just mentioned. He was happy to say that, from the reports made by the officers ap pointed to inspect the different regiments, that the progress made in their training was extraordinary, and displayed a degree of proficiency which justified him in saying that the militia was equal to do duty with any regiment of the line. He did not think that th ire was any necessity for him to say anything further, but he trusted that the officers of the difA ferent regiments would di all in their power to encourage their men to volunteer in the different regiments of the line. Mr. .NEWDEGATE wished to know whether this measure was to be one to raise subsidiary supplies to enable . Lord Raglan to reform his regiments from those companies who had sufficiently performed their drill ? Mr. SIDNEY HERBERT said that the Government felt the great necessity of forming such companies, and it was their intention to form different companies, and place them as a reserve for Lord Raglan to lay his hands on whenever he re quired them. The Government therefore intended to place at Malta, which offered but very limited accommodation, all that would bo necesary for that purpose —namely, four com panies of reserve for each regiment. Colonel SIBTHORP expressed his entire approval of the measure. Sir J. WALSH hoped that no obstructions would be thrown in the way of Government carrying out this measure, which he thought ought to have embodied the whole militia. Mr. G. BANKS wished to know why this measure had not been thought of before. Lord LOVAINE admitted the extreme necessity of prose cuting the war with the utmost vigour, and enquired in what way the proposed bill would effect the militia as now estab lished. Lord PALMERSTON said, in answer to a question from Mr. Palk,- relative to th4S winter clothing sent to the army in the Crimea, that between 60' and 8u tons weight of clothing, valued at from 25, 1 100/. to 30,0 , 0/., had been sent out in the Prince, which was wrecked. And in answer to Lord Lovaine, he could state that the new measure would not enable Govern ment to send out any man now in the militia, without his own free and most distinct consent to accept such foreign ser vice as they; the Government, proposed to send him on. This would apply to every man, without distinction of rank or previous articles signed upon his entering the militia, and that in no case should the majority of the regiment bind the minority, but that each member should act upon his own free and distinct will iu the matter of entering upon 'foreign service. Much credit was due to the late Government for the sagacity they displayed in re-establishing the militia, and he was sure the members of that Government could have no hesi tation in supporting a bill which would only extend their own measure. (Hear.) Sir J. PAKINGTON wished to know if the clothing which had been sent out was warm clothing, suitable to the climate of the Crimea, or simply the ordinary winter uniform of the soldier. _ _ Lord PALMERSTON replied that Ministers would answer that question by producing a return of the clothing. Lord NAAS asked if the bill would be extended to Ireland? Lord PALMERSTON replied in the affirmative. Mr. B. DENISON hoped the bill would allow officers and men, from the colonel to the drummer, to volunteer or not'as they thought proper, without any imputation being thrown upon;,them . for the election they made. Col. GILPIN hoped militia officers, on their return home, would be allowed to volunteer into regiments of the line, or permitted to accept half-pay as during the last war. Leave was then given to bring in the bill, which was sub sequently brought in and read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time to-morrow. The other orders were then disposed of, and the house ad journed at a quarter-past three o'clock. SHARE MARKET.-(THIS DAY.) BUSINESS DONE. RAILWAYS.— Ambergate, Nottingham, Boston, and Eastern Junction, 4. E . ; Caledonian, r;l4 ; East Anglian, 15i ; Eastern Counties, 1 a ; Edinburgh and Glasgow, 534 ; Great Northern, 87 64 ; 'ditto B Stock, 123/ ; Great Western, 70 69 . 4 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire, 724 ; Lon den, Brighton, and South Coast, 106 • London and North-Western, 991 9 ; ditto Fifths, 14 ; London and South-Western, 81 21i Manchester, Sheffield, and Lin colnshire, 228 s ; Midland, 684 8 ; North British, 314; North-Eastern, Berwick, 744 34; ditto, York, 51i 2; North Staffordshire, 134 13 ; North-Western, 64 ; Scottish Central, 92 ; Shrewsbury and Hereford, 84 8; South Devon, 124 ; South-Eastern, 584 ; Thames Haven Dock and Railway, 3s; Vale of Neath, 17. MlNES.—Clarendon Cons. Mining Co. of Jamaica, ,• Colonial Gold, i ; Mariquita, I ; New Linares Mining and Smelting Co. ; South Australian, 14 JOINT-STOCK BANKS.—Australasia, 79. j Z 4 ; Chartered Bank of Asia, 41 ; English, Scottish, and Australian Char tered, 123 ; Oriental Bank Corporation, 381 8 ; Provincial of Ireland, 50; Union of Australia, 67? f 8j; Union of London, 231. THE LONDON GAZETTE OF LAST NIGHT, WAR OFFICE, DEC. 12. 50th Regiment of Foot—Lieutenant-General Sir Richard England, K.C.8., to be Colonel, vice Lieutenant-General the Right Hon. Sir George Arthur, Bart., deceased, Sept. 20. Bth Regiment of Foot—Lieutenant-General John Duffy, C. 8., and K.C., from the 28th Foot, to be Colonel, vice General Sir Gordon Drummond, G.C.8., deceased,Oct. 10. 28th Regiment of Foot—Major-General Henry John William Bentinck to be Colonel, vice Lieutenant-General John Duffy, C.B. and K.C., removed to the Bth Foot, Oct. 10. 67th Regiment of Foot.—Major-General Sir Colin Campbell, K.C.8., to be Colonel, vice Lieutenant-General John Frederick Ewart, C. 8., deceased, Oct. 24. 46th Regiment of Foot.—Major-General John Lysaght Pennefather, C. 8., to be Colonel, vice Lieutenant-General Richard Egerton, C. 8., deceased, Nov. 19. UNATTAOHED. — Brevet - Lieutenant Colonel Francis Wil-% ham .Elenry, Lord Burghersh (Major, Unattached), having been promoted, on the 20th September, 1854, to the Brevet Rank (.f Lieutenant-Colonel for distinguished Service in the Field, to have that Brevet Rank converted into substantive Rank, Unattached. To be promoted for distinguished Service in the Field to the Brevet Rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. Captain and Brevet-Major Robert Blane, Unattached Captain and Brevet-Major George V. Mundy, 33d Foot Captain and Brevet-Major the Hon. Adrian Hope, 60th Rifles Captain and Brevet-Major the Hon. Francis Colborne, 15th Foot. Captain and Brevet-Major Hon. Robert Rollo, 42d Foot Captain and Brevet-Major John Stewart Wood, 13th Foot Lieutenant and Captain and Brevet-Major his Serene Highness Prince William Augustus Edward of Saxe Wei mar, of the Ist (or Grenadier) Foot Guards. To be promoted for distinguished service in the field to the Brevet Rank of Majors in the army : Captain John Agmondisham Vesey Kirkland, 21st Foot Kenneth Douglas Mackenzie, 92d Foot James Conolly, Unattached ► Alexander Macdonnell, Rifle Brigade Edward Stopford Claremont, Canadian Rifles Edward Robert Wetherell, Scots Fusilier Guards Frederick Robert Elrington, Rifle Brigade Charles Stuart Glazbrook, 49th Foot Thomas Henry Clifton, 7th Dragoon Guards Charles John Woodford, Rifle Brigade William Pitcairn Campbell, 23d Foot William Friend Hopkins, Royal Marines Edward Herbert Maxwell, 88th Foot Hugh Smith, 3d Foot Jolla Alfred Street, 57th Foot John A. Ewart, 93d Foot Joseph Edwin Thackwell, 22d Foot Henry Edwin Wearo, 50th Foot Julius Richard Glyn, Rifle Brigade Edward W. D. Bell, 23d Foot Edmund Gilling Hallowell, 28th Foot Thomas Davis, 95th Foot Cuthbert George Ellison, Ist or Grenadier Guards William Sankey, 47th Foot Henry Meade Hamilton, 47th Foot Edmund Augustus Whitmore, 30th Foot Honourable Arthur Edward Hardinge, Coldstream Guards William Inglis, 57th Foot Honourable William Frederick Scarlett, Scots Rai her Guards Robert Nigel Fitzhardinge Kingscote, Scots Fusilier Guards Augustus Henry Lane Fox, Grenadier Guards Edward Neville, Scots Fusilier Guards Edward Fellows, 12th Light Dragoons Soame Gambier Jenyns, 13th Light Dragoons James Wells Armstrong, 49th Foot Lawrence Shadwell, 19th Foot William Morris, 17th Light Dragoons John Hackett, 77th Foot Honourable Percy Robert Basil Fielding, Coldstream Guards Cadwaller Adams, 49th Foot A. ii. P. Stuart Wortley, Ist Dragoon Guards Hononrable Silbert Elliot, Rifle Brigade John Wycliffe Thompson, 10th Light Dragoons Charles Carew de Morel, 67th Foot Adolphus William Desartßurton, sth Dragoon Guards James Gubbins, 85th Foot Lutiford Harvey Daniell, 38th Foot Honourable A. Murray Cathcart, 93d Foot Honourable Wm. George Boyle, 21st Foot John Hardman Burke, 88th Foot Alastair M`lan M'Donald, 92d Foot Lumley Graham, 41st Foot Arthur Charles Greville, Scots Fusilier Guards WAR-OFFICE, DEC. 12. Officers holding the rank of Regimental Major, but being Lieutenant-Colonels by Brevet, shall receive the pay allowances of Regimental Lieutenant-Colonels during any period exceeding one month whilst they may be in com mand of their Regiments by the absence of the Lieutenant- Colonel; which period of command the senior Major and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel may count towards the three years required to qualify - a". Lieutenant• Colonel to be pro moted to the rank of Colonel in accordance with the Royal Warrant .f the 6th October, 1854. WAR OFFICE, DEC. 12. The following Officers being Colonels in the Army, and holding in the Army under the Command of Field-Marshal Lord Raglan, G.C.8., the rani of Brigadier-Generals, have conducted themselves to her Majesty's satisfaction and rendered distinguished services in the great and bril liant victories achieved in the Crimea—her Majesty there fore has been graciously pleased, in pursuance of the Royal Warrant of the 6th October, 1851, to order that the un dermentioned officers, now holding the rank of Brigadier- Generals, be promoted to be Major-Generals, and be placed on the permanent list of general officers. Colonel Richard Airoy, Unattached. James Bucknall Bucknall Estcourt, Unattached. Henry William Adams, C. 8., 49th Foot. Hon. James Yorko Scarlett, sth Dragoon Guards. Sir John Campbell; Bart., 33th Foot. Arthur Wellesley Torrens, Unattached. George Buller, C. 8., Rifle Brigade. William Eyre, C. 8., help-pay 73d Foot The following Officers 'bolding the rank of Regimental Majors, but being Lieutenant-Colonels by Brevet, to have their Brevet Rank converted into substantive Rank Un attached, should they prefer it to remaining with their Regiments for distinguished Service in the Field, in ac cordance with the Royal Warrant of the 6th October, 1354. Major and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Richard Sackville Lord West, 21st Foot. Rijn and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Sidney Powell, 57th Foot. Major and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Richard Wilbra ham, 7th Foot. .. _ ...,.. Major and Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Alfred H. Hors ford, Rifle Brig a d e . „ 'H o nourable Major an d B revet-Lieutenant-Colone l th e Percy E. Herbert, 43d Foot. Major and. Brevet-Lieutenant-Colonel H enr y Charles Barnston D au b eny, C. 8., 55th Foot. H arr y Smyth, Major an d B revet-Lieutenant -C o l on e l 68th Foot. To be promoted for distingusihed service in the field to the substantive Rank of Li e utenant-Colonel,paknh Uenatatmac,huedn.. . Major th e H onoura bl e William Lyon Un attached. e To be p romo t e d to the Brevet Rank of Lie utenant- Colonel a n d th e substanti ve R a nk of Major, - Unatt ac h e d , the Field. Captain and Brevet- Maj for distin gu i s h e d S e rvice o r the Honourable Jam es Wil liam Bosville Macdona ld, Unattached. distinguished Service in th e Field to the Brevet R To be promoted an estroPP n. i_ for distinguished Li e utenant-Col one l . McMahon, s th Dragoon G uar d s W. S. RamsayW Major Thomas Norcott, Rifle Brigad e Jocelyn Straton, 77th F oo t Robert Stuart, 21st F oo t JSiroh T n hito f a :SI , St. Vincent Hope Cochrane Tronbridge, 7th Foot George Dixon, 77th Fo o t Richard T. Farren, 47th Foot John George Champion, 95th Foot Henry William Bunbury, 23d Foot Henry Hume, 95th F oot James Brodie Pattullo, 30th Foot John Thornton Grant, 49th Foot Alexander Low, 4th Light Dragoons Francis ['yin Harding, 2 2 1 Foot Captain and Brev et - Lieutenant-Colonel Anthony Con ingharn Sterling, unattached, to have the substantive rank of Alajor unattache,l for distinguished service in the field. Captain and Brevet-Major Charles Nasnayth, unat tached, to have the substantive rank of Major unattached, for distinguished service in the field. , WAR-OFFICE, DEC. 12. MEMORANDUM.—Horse Guards, 9th December—The Queen has, been pleased to. command that, as a mark of her Majesty's recognition of the meritorious ser vices of the non-commissioned officers of the army under the command of Field-Marshal Lord Raglan, in the recent brilliant operations in the Crimea, the lield-Marshal shall submit through the General Commanding-in-Chief, the name of one serjeant of each regiment of cavalry, of the three battalions of the Foot Guards, and of every regi ment of Infantry of the Line, to be promoted to a Cornet c y or Ensigncy, for her Majesty's approval; and with the view to render immediately available the services of these meritorious men.; her Majesty has directed that the Field- Marshal do appoint, provisionally and pending her Ma jesty's pleasure, the serjeauts so recommended, to regi . ments in the army under his command ; and her Majesty has further been graciouslypleased to signify her intenti on that, on the several recommendations receiving l ter Majesty's approval, the commission shall in each case lien date the sth November, 1851. BANKRUPTS. William Joyce, engineer, shipbuilder, and ironfotoi.der, Greenwich, to surrender, Dec. 21, at eleven, and Feb.:l, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy. 8011, official mai; mom, Coleman-street-buildings; Compton Smith, Lincoln'. -inn. fields. llyniel Lefavour, New Oxford-street, merchant, Dee. 21, at two, and Jan. 23, at one, at the Court of Bank ruptcy. Lee, official assignee, Aldermanbury; Ash carats, Mellor, and Morris, Old Jewry. James Norton Weeks, hotel keeper, East Cowes , Cale of Wight, Dec. 19, and Jan. 23, at twelve, at the urt of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assignee; Lay, Linooln's inn-fields. Henry Cremer, wine merchant, Old Broad-street, ± City, Dec. 20, and Jan. 23, at one, at the Court of Bankrn ptcy. Graham, official assignee ; Pullen, Li me - s t ree t , Ci ty _ Robert Board, blacksmith, Churchingford, Devon:a hire, Dec. 19 and Jan. 18, at one, at the Exeter District 0 curt. Hirtzel, official assignee, Exeter; Miller, Bristol. George Donisthorpe, gr ocer , Syston, Leicestershir e, 2d and 16th Jan., at ten, at Nottingham. Harris, ol Ecial assignee, Nottingham; R. and G. Toller, Leicest ar ; or James, Birmingham. Francis Kinch, chemist and druggist, Margate, Dim 22 and Jan. 23, at two, at the Court of Bankrupt cy. Lee, official assignee, Aldermanbury ; Buchanan, Basing hall street. William Littell Tizard, mechanical engineer, AlcA gate High-street, Dec. 21 and Feb. 2, at half-past elevvg , at the Court of Bankruptcy. Canaan, official assigi ice, Aldermanbury ; Silveater, Great Dover-street, Newing Surrey. Thtimas Hollier, woolstapler, Leicester, Jan. lan 1 16, at ten, at the Birmingham District Court.. Harris, of Tidal assignee, Nottingham ; Stone and Paget, Leicester; Jr o nes, Birmingham. Isaac Pothecary, boarding-house keeper, Grove-p Once, Nutshalling, Southampton, Dec. 19, at half-past eleven, and Jan. 23, at two, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Si ans feld, official assignee ; Reed, Ironmonger-lane, City. Robert Russell, builder, Elgin-road, Notting-hill, Dec. 22, at two, and Jan. 31, at eleven, at the Court of B. ►nk rnptcy. Nicholson, official assignee, Basinghall-str tet ; Patten, Austin-friars. John Cartmell, bootmaker, Liverpool, Dec. 27 and ;Jan. 15, at eleven, at the Liverpool District Court. Cazem we, official assignee, Liverpool ; Daly, Liverpool. Edward Tregenza, shoe deale r , Stockton-on-Tees, Dna.- ham, Dec. 22, and :Tan. 16, at twelve, at the Newcastl'o upon-Tyne District Court. Baker, official assignee, Nene"- castle-upon-Tyne ; Sangster, L ee d s; C ar i ss and Cudworth, Leeds; Griffith and Crighton, Newcastle-upon-Tyne. John Marshall, brewer, Bradford, Jan. 8 and 29, At twelve, at the Leeds District Court. Hope, officiAl assignee ; Terry and Watson, Bradford ; Bond and Bt wick, Leeds. G.'Haworth, J. Walsh, and T. Ainsworth, power-loc ma cloth manufacturers, Over Darwen, Lancashire, Dec. and Jan. 12, at twelve, at the Manchester District Con rt. Hernaman, official assignee, Manchester; Rowley, M an che ster. Josiah Overbury, cloth manufacturer, Wotton-nneLer• Edge, Gloucestershire, Dec. 20, at two, and Jan. 31,, at twelve, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Nicholson, official assignee, Basinghall-street ; Lawrance, Plows, and Boyer, Ole Jewry-chambers. John Barrington Joyce, chemist, Burslem, Staffordshire, Dec. 22 and Jan. 19, at twelve, at the Birmingham Dis trict Court. Whitmore, official assignee, Birmingham; Hodgson, Birmingham. Thomas Heywood, lace warehouseman, Cheapside, Dee. 20, at one, and Jan. 31, a t h a lf-p as t t we l ve , a t th e Court of 3ankruptcy. Pennel, official assignee, Guildhall-chambers; Guildhall-chambers. Henry Martyn, woollen warehouseman, Bishopsgate street Without, Dec. 20, at twelve, and Jan. 31, at half past eleven, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Pennel, official assignee, Guildhall-chambers; Ashursts, Waller, and Morris, Old Jewry. Johri Bailey, baker and grocer, Cannock, Staffordshire, Dec. 23 and Jan. 19, at twelve, at the Birmingham Dis trict Court. Bittleston, official assignee, Birmingham ; Duignan and Hemmant, Walsall. James Sanders, ironmonger, Darlaston, Staffordshire, Dec. 23 and Ja n . 19, at twelve, at the Birmingham Dis trict Court. Biddleston, official assignee, Birmingham ; Duignan and Hemmant, Walsall; E. and H. Wright, Birmingham. Abram Hanson, yarn manufacturer, Huddersfield, York shire, Jan. 8, at twelve, and Jan. 29, at eleven, at Leeds District Court. Hope, official assignee, Leeds ; Drans field, Bond, and Barwick, Huddersfield. STATE OF TRADE. ( From the Manchester Guardian of this clay,) MANCHESTER, Dec. 12.—T0-day's market, as com pared with that of this day week, is felt to ba re been a , rather inanimate one. An active business i s follower'( by a disposition to pause on the part of buyers, in some of the more considerable departments. In some degre e, this is owing to the requirement of a small advance ion the part of producers. There continues, however, to be a moderate demand for India goods and yarns. We hare no change to report in this day's prices. HALIFAX, Dec. 9.—There has been rather more doing in our piece hall to-day than for some weeks past, but without any improvement in price. Bright Lincoln shire wools are becoming scarce, and are quoted higher. In other descriptions there is no change. ROCHDALE, Dec. 11.—The wool market has been firm, and for brokes (broken wool) and noils a better price has been obtained. HUDDEEMPIELD, Dec. 12. —There has been scarcely anything of importance to notice in this market to-day. Prices appear to keep well up, and no inducements are offered beyond a few occasional job lots. BIRTHS. 4 OF A SON. On the 9th inst., at Tyglin, Cardiganshire, the wife of Captain P. F. Durham. OF A DAUGHTER On the 11th inst., at Beaufort-house, Cheltenham, the wife of the Rev. G. P. Sandilands. MARRIED. On the 7th inst., at St. Mary's, Ripley, Mr. W. Homan, of Rochester, to Maria, daughter of John Cooke, Esq., Ryde House, Ripley, and Guildford, Surrey. DIED. On the 9th inst., Mr. George Beard, of 287, Regent street, aged 43. On the 9th inst., at 2, Lower Phillimore-place, Ke nn i ng . ton, Commander N. Colthurst, aged 73. LONDON : Printed and Published by MIIRDO YOUNG, of No. 112, Strand, Printer, at The Sun Office, No. 112, Strand, in the Precinct of the Savoy, in the count) , of Middlesex, Wednesday, December 13, 1854..