The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-06-26 00:00:00

THE LIVERPOOL STANDARD

REPORT VF THE SEBASTOPO.L COMMITTEE.

Tpris decument (which occupies upwards of seven columns
of the daily journals (commenced by stating, that the nature
of the inquiry, rendered expedient by national exigencies,
together with the number of subjects it embraced, had rendered
the task imposed upon the committee no easy matter. These
difficulties had also been much increased by many witnesses
whose testimony they could not procure. There had been other
parties left under imputation which the committee regretted
they could not find it proper to remove; while, on the other
hand, there were reasons of state policy against their proceeding
with the inquiry as they could have wished, so that it had been
left by them unsatisfactomand incomplete. The inquiry of
the committee was limited to two heads—the conduct of the
army, and the conduct of the home government with respect
to the management of it. In the first place, as to the conduct
of the army. The army was employed on an expedition in a
distant country, 3000 miles distant from this, in besieging a
fortress which they had been unable to invest,' and the fatigue
and hardships they had endured had been immense. These were
increased by insufficient clothing and want of hospital accomo-
dation. In arriving at that conclusion, the commute had made
allowance for the storm of the 14th of Nov., and all the diffi-
culties attendant upon a new campaign, after so long a period
of peace. From the landing in the Crimea, up to the end of
Oct., while there might have been many difficulties to contend
with, those were not of such consequence as to warrant any
remark. But as the campaign went on, the difficulties and
hardships seemed to have increased. Throughout the month
of Nov.. the army was totally insufficient for the work it had
to perform, while it was otherwise suSfering great distress,
though not unprovided with food. It was in the want of
clothing and all the comforts which could render it efficient.
As the season advanced, the army became reduced to a condi-
tion melancholy to contemplate. The number of men became
still more disproportioned to the amount of work they had to
do. They were exposed, under single canvas, to rain and the
inclemency of the weather, while they were without sufficient
supplies for in any way contributing to their own comfort or
health, or which could have enabled them to carry on the work
thby were called upon to perform,—under all these smTer-
ings, unparalleled in the annals of war, the committee con-
sidered the conduct of the army unparalleled for endur-
ance and noble bearing, as were the sufferings to which
they were now subjected. Then, as to the conduct of
the home government the committee considered that the
expedition to the Crimea rested with the government at
home. So early as the 10th of April, 1854, the Duke
of Newcastle wrote a despatch to Lord Raglan to endeavour
to ascertain the force of the Russian army in the Crimea, while
in another dispatch:of the 29th of June, be repeated his opinion
on that point, and referred to the capture of Sebastopol as the
only means of bringing Russia to terms. The cabinet then,
in fact, appeared confident of the success of the expedition, and
of its results. Lord Aberdeen seemed to entertain the opinion
that Sebastopol would fall almost immediately on its being
attacked, and that their army could either then winter in the
Crimea, or return to the shores of the Bosphorus. Sir James
Graham said that the expedition had been undertaken at the
right time, and executed in a proper manner. On 'hearing
that, the committee were led to inquire what was the informa-
tion government possessed which induced them to undertake
the expedition; and all that they could make out on that
point was, that the amount of the force of the enemy ascer-
tained was 70,000 men, 8,000 of which was cavalry; 40,000 of
that force being in Sebastopol, and 30,000 in the Crimea.
The expedition was, therefore, undertaken by Lord Raglan out
of courtesy to the Home Government, and its responsibility
did not, therefore, rest on him. The committee also considered
the cabinet much to blame in leaving town at the end of the
session of 1854, without making any proper arrangements for
the vigorous prosecution of the war. The report went on to
state that, with respect to clothing, hospital accommodation,
the ordnance department, the surveyor-general's department,
the sea transport service and land trrnsport service, the com-
missariat department and depots, there was gross mismanage.
ment and signal failure. The report closed as follows :
" Your committee, in conclusion, cannot but remark, that
the first real improvements in the lamentable condition of the
hospitals at Scutari, are to be attributed to private suggestions,
private exertions, and private benevolence. A fund, raised
by public subscription, was administered by the proprietors of
the Times newspaper, through Mr. Macdonald, an intelligent
and zealous agent. At the suggestion of the secretary of war,
Miss Nightingale, with admirable devotion, organised a band
of nurses, and undertook the care of the sick and wounded.
The Hon. Jocelyn Percy, the Hon. and Rev. Sydney Godolphin
Osborne, and Mr. Augustus Stafford, after a personal inspec-
tion of the hospitals, furnished valuable reports and sqgges-
tons to the Government. By these means much suffering
was alleviated, the spirits of the men were raised, and many
live swere saved.

"Your committee have now adverted to the chief points
contained in the replies to above 21,000 questions; and in no-
ticing these various subjects they have divided them under
distinct heads, in order fairly to apportion the responsibility.
" Your committee report that the suffering of the army re-
sulted mainly from the circumstances under which the expi-
dition to the Crimea was undertaken and executed. The
administration which ordered that/expedition•had no adequate
information as to the amount of the forces 'in the Crimea.
They were not acquainted with the strength of the fortresses
to be attacked, or with the resources of the country to be in-
vaded.
They hoped and expected the expedition to be imme-
dfately successful, and as they did not foresee the probability
of a protracted struggle, they made no provision for a waVer
campaign. •
"The patience and fortitude of this army demand the admi-
ration and gratitude of the nation on whose behalf they have
fought, bled, and suffered. Their heroic valour, and equally
heroic patience under sufferings and privations, have given
them claims upon their country. which will doubtless be grate-
fully acknowledged.
alvr;:callynmewayelinc.efrifthuorier reportdisl y withtile avalhooupre.
i‘teVh:vtliheri7Bobr7ltlersaliP;my has displayed, and that none may here-
after be be exposed to such sufferings as are recorded in these
pages."

TRANSMISSION OF NEWSPAPERS AND PERIODICALS BY
POST.—Two notices have been issued from the Post-office,
relative to the transmission of newspapers and periodicals
through the Post-office. One of these notices refers to
stamped newspapers sent to British colonies and foreign
countries. It contains a table of the rates chargeable for
their transmission to various places abroad, and states that
from and after the 30th instant, the period allowed for posting
newspapers intended to go beyond the limits of the United
Kingdom will be extended from seven to fifteen days after the
date of publication. All newspapers must be registered at the
Post-office by the proprietor or printer. The other notice
contains the regulations under which periodical publications,
including newspapers, bearing a stamp or stamps denoting. the stamp duty, may be transmitted and retransmitted through
the post within the United Kingdom free from postage. For
two sheets of the superficial extent of 2295 inches the amount
of stamp to be impressed on the publication is th be ld • for
three sheets, of 3,443 inches, lid. For four sheets, of 4.'1591
filches, 2d. The stamp must be distinctly visible. The pub-
lication must be posted within 15 days of its date. Many of
1;0
the present regulations are to continue in force. An irregu- IRE.LA 37 - 9 • en ae
larity merely consisting in the non exposure of the stamp will -- aft° es•l'• r
only be liable to an additional postage of ld. Stamped or as- e•---- --**- ae pahlivasi steel:ale A115.41°#:1
in:stamped publications, after 15 days' date, may be trans- THE LATE ALB. urtTINNESS, the ,illi. rP"el • at
Property considerably exceeding half 3, „.,..'" le °:.,Kstiet
milted under the regulations of the book post.
MAJOR NASMYTH, the gallant collet 'the- i5-atoett.,,
EXTENSIVE RAILWAY ROBBERIES.—In consequence of defence of Silistria, has been appointed ' eita (t'seolla,o
serious losses cf goods during the past three years, while in ant Adjutant-General of the KkennY 13' tae eat
of 'oio
transit on the South Staffordshire Railway, the lessees lately sufficiently restored to health oileii 1)1e, sea, geo,ioi obtained the services of Detective-sergeant Manton, of Bir- THE Irish Claim General Pelissier as etic°l a° se‘
mingham, by whose skill and activity a well-organised and man. It is said that his father ivas a-" lola- aks/
seeas;Te;:llo.eswill..atsnso,
widely-spread system of plunder has been traced to- its Mr. Palisser, who was obliged to fly fr°sl rther,, 9
originators. Eight men are in custody, including the troubles of 1798.
~ sale °f at
receiver, the landlord of the George and Dragon, at WalSall. THE Sheriff of Derry has advertisedineitele ,i. es, roa
All the other prisoners were employed on the line as stokers, chattels of the Londonderr end C°'°' sele,:si/5, i'
tdiroinvsersh,egvuearcodms,eoropuoti.ntsTmheen.staltehme
enmtosstmaimdepobrytaonnteroefvetlhae-
prisoners, who has been admitted as an approver, showed aasa. ' - ,' 1
goods t° 'e "TT.-- at ° o'VO
daigirchtse,l6oooidse.
fofti,ify,
that dishonesty had prevailed amongst the servants of the ~2 are „nc-ucled in the list of go
oitain 00,,es s
~
fw;.ifig.gfoa.os,.hTolrb4esloacoo
RY FELINE ATTA attac seoasP it
company, principally those connected with goods trains and th.ESXIRAORDINA an ,ao _ Tans 0
goods stations to a frightful extent. Near forty individaals E tors,n has a cat which has formedsc, _ s tilaecci, taec
ilso It ,
are said to be more or less implicated. It was almost a ex,rao.eemary description. Fuss a'.' ;4.
,carried " (_:',. taerlete,„l"
nightly oecurence for trains to stop in some cutting, while ling, Jae product of
.a hatchingeoce,
sad liete,e,,aer_optv ,
those in charge of them took from a truck a cask of tobacco, a :onndpoleo.,o,fiouetAsl-louoses inteawhitaylt;ite
g7egoev'e`r evo” , ea!,
chest of tea, or a package of some kind of merchandise, and s' i. nu; t nurse it, h
the cap W'3521 tOltifSe;4
buried it in the embankment until arrangements could be a 'lngu'arcircumstance that le a
I,ije fin e ct c
had kittens.—Banter of Ogler' W. ~ ill jise ~,;t
:node for its Bak removal. Casks of Burton ale reae con.any afarss•—• oe . yip,
DISCOVERY OF HUMAN RE- ~ aSe „Ira' erfeerei,.‘
tinnally being appropriated, the contents emptied into' -
jars, or vations for the purpose of constructing lab°. aP a lax
other vessels, which the men in charge of the train had with opposite Nolan's Hotel, Galway, the eerel°olit ovefe,
them, and the empty casks broken up and thrust into the . save
human skeletons,of whihl. f 10' she° frpil
fin o' + , some a.,s o
_a I. se , f
A she engine. On one occasion no fewer than three of preservation. These' ghastly remla.- war'' pi' 010
trains
. were at a stand-still in one cutting, all being robbed in posed to be relics of the gC
old rein ~
rellio es the th !la"
one way or other.—Daily News.A 'lege' '"
here 'CC' ''
underwent a severe and protractea :ow w la se)
TEE Post OnexcE.—The first report of the Postmaster- the bones were discovered is not far ir ci c tte
jor A co
General states that a mail for carrying Government despatches stood.—Galway Vindicator. Tv tbe pe .s
ST.-- Of t t ni
was established as far back as 1481. James I. established a THE CORPORATION OF BELPst coe that pc tia)
1. • the • en," De t a,
post for conveying foreign letters, and his son established an delivered judgment on Tuesday in s decal' e t tP, ia,',,
inland post. In 1644 a weekly conveyance of letters to an General a. the Corporation of Belfast,aosesto°oo,oeassa,:i.
parts of the kingdom was established. In 1683 a penny post, ration had neglected the restrictive,
_rartdse losi isatli,:o tl ',
and in 1708 a halfpenny post was established in London. In. under which they were permitted t!,,i50el asere eet, ti,cr,al•lt
1836 the stamp on newspapers was reduced from 30: to ld., had exceeded the sum allowed to be rats w' tbe iia tilg
which caused a great increase to the number which passed managed the funds so raised, that 1:' rd:l4l),)ibef6l,'lo i'•
through the Pest-nffice. From the earliest period to the pre- responsible as trustees for them. it reelieocala sailite apf::,
sent day, every time the postage was reduced and greater members of the corporation might "t it " till a'' Al),salis
facilities given to the public, the postal revenue increased. tare from their responsibility, and thaaese!_ees4-:tora wee
The accounts of the Post-office revenue are perfect from 1685 the funds, or a large portion of them, joaatmoo
,j'rt, o",
to the present time. These documents reveal some curious ILL-TREATMENT OF A WAHD Il:. pablitTat c°, APO sates
particulars of the-abuse of the franking system. Among the cation was made in the Rolls Courlvssd of .
coo e tec_ii, el
items franked by the Holland mail packets in 1695 were some the case cf. Miss Paulina Roche,, a oas' arost bter °!a5311,,5,0,
"parcels of cloth for the clothing colonels in Lords Grey and was alleged, had been treated in t1,1.,` ..e &sig. IL `.',l, la"e;o1.;
North's regiments." Also a pack of hounds. Only just before manner by her guardian. She iv!! the ye::3, tlip,:
the franking privilege was abolished, it was well known that of Dr. John R. O'Bryan, and oiried lts °' of talon, a pair of buckskin hunting breeches was franked by a govern- , Queenstown, Cork. Her father diedale_ oar, s sla
_lto
went officiel to go by post, and WaS enclosed in a cover and ! which period the minor was only eon ses'r. ?.'nolatioi. atncte,ofor:..,
sent in the mail bag. Lord Canning is troubled with -great left by the mother in the care Il' a a a a 1 it
s allow" "'till n' -of hioto discoverers and long-range inventors for the improvement of BriStol, and a maintenance was eto tisve,,ortai)e-ne, 01'4
the Post-office. " Crude, ill-considered schemes," says his ' which was to increase from time t° i
to 3060. )java,
00,
lordship, " conceived in ignorance of the simplest details of £139. per annum. She was entitledaad beep redelicateaa stijoti;;;
the business of tile Post-office, or pilfered from inventions al- the greater portion of which
''''3s4. care Pig,(l er,
ready well known, reach me in plenty, generally followed by was a young lady whose constitution grea.
~ 4.00 d, _
ettee,
pressing claims for remuneration." fore, it was contended, she requiredyd with ha°, '', aad Piolltoret
instead of which she was
provided staeo ,ass ta
1, / TERRIFIC HURRICANE IN TEE UNITED STATES.—The
such necessaries as
Iziooli
ti
_il
oi,
New York Weekly Times gives the following account of a and was deprived s
'Of duof horse exercis.ie;ed taat,e Pteilste,
hurricane which took place in the town of Jefferson Cook was likewisee depfitl. ,
she aso COMPTI . that,Pacil ; Dell'ith
1 county. On the afternoon of the 22nd, a revolving funnel- castlebe to_ h 'h
h A-
, cedian beet her severe ",,,or chit his aisale re,
shaped cloud passed swiftly along near the ground about as, er goa.to the Ycnlicreas 0710 aftDro
housekeeper and governess
deren - ' itte
vela 07
sixteen miles north of here, carrying up large sticks of 'wood,
led her to believe that she was
not net° kite(' t
stones, &c. It described a semicircle towards the south-east, tl t set: down - to the taleo at
la
d at' to f
• •
twisting off large trees, and whisking them out of sight and and, farthe ,
him his wife, but was sent do:an
eudues
.1,110,
_.4
~,
instanter. The whirlwind then broke in two and disappeared,
children and the servants. fiavilasdian's,V Queeellsto;e
but almost immediately formed again and passed directly back
foralperiod, she fled from her ga,,,e.,0,
r.., 0 0
itil
long
north and west with redoubled violence. It struck a heavy3lr Robert o Pi-Joo a u_oli '?`l, 1
refuge with her uncle, • las Chan, algal' ict i
frame house, one mile from the Illinois and Wisconsin Rail-
A petition was then presentee , oae„do
a.l .5 co
road, tearing the roof instantly off, and almost immediately
of the Rolls, on Saturday, delivered ,eg, hi.
1.
t
afterwards taking the house up the spout with all its contents.
~aainst Mr. O'Bryan, and condemnl"
~ liiiatt
Nine persons in the house were drawn up and hurled down in aa
strongest' terms.
......................ann...._--e- natatas'''l'. t
it '
different places. Four of them were instantly killed, and ,
--------------
ton •-0 ce ..11,
„our , . ,„•11., ea b 4'
others mutilated beyond any prospect of recovery. The whirl-
AT the Marlborough-street Pace ed with " ll'' 'OPP PI
wind then passed over a post and rail fence, leaving not the
Cox Coape, of it eharg entleinaTh vet
been slightest vestige of it. It next broke up a ben, and threw it :
with another to obtain £4CO from a F,,,,,,ed to has sar
_lts
upon the horses and cattle it contained, crushing them at ' ,
granting an annuity on estates aat...p. . 1.72W_(!, -.0 V
01,
once. The timbers of the house and barn were hurled down .
ouuYsly disposed of, was again brou,,gist "
0 n recognrEa cs "
in
it.
00
to the ground with such violence as to bury them almost O. ;
' £5OO each were accepted,
and l'is‘'
visgit'ia' :--- ttc'
of sight. The house belonged to Mr. Page, whose wife, eO7,
u ' into for £l,OOO. He was then liberated.wise, of t st,:or
cow
and two grandchildren were then killed. Additional intet_ ;
VIRGINIAN ELOQUENCE•---Nr'e..sl.,, the
_,,e hes tiC 4,
Renee received from the above locality more than confirms h
speech, is reported to have said,
rup!ing. thr,;:i.,, all;.0# 61,,,
above. Accounts are given of persons being carried up one
has an iron chain of mountains Ilia tee cl aipeetis,os.
hundred feet in the air, and then hurled down with Brea has
T Roches--; yorA 0(1.-0 d.
h which God has placed there to
heman‘ ea ,a, ,
to t
violence. A number of eye-witnesses have testified
The source of her silver rivers."
ed from the Neh. corg' eftl° raes of the tempest, and describe it as most terrific.
afte marks :—" the figure is borrowed from do the _OOl P
same afternoon a severe hailstorm occurred in this city,
the clouds as much as
~_
ee lieat
ce to th who milk
1 ost palateish:t A''"
which the sky presented a very singular appearance
ire from the former tie m
E C rtf: ward, and the weather changed from the cost oppress
d fluid.'
the aompour,
heat to the mad chilly atmosphere,