The Press.
London, England, 1855-06-30 00:00:00

from the commander-in-chief In the Baltic, :L-

He had great pleasure in stating, that the Admiralty had
received that very morning despatches from Admiral
Dundas, announcing the steps which he had taken ; and
also giving the must welcome intelligence that many of
the persons whom we supposed to have been killed, from
the account given by the only survivor who was rescued,
were, although wounded, not killed, and that some of them
were not even wounded. Admiral Dundas sent a letter to
the Governor of Helsingfors, stating what had taken place,
and remonstrating most properly upon the subject, pointing
out what an atrocious act it was to fire upon the boat's
crew under the circumstances detailed in those despatches
which he ( Sir Charles Wood) read the other night, and
Admiral Duudas received an answer from the Governor of
Helsingfors, excusing and justifying, to a certain extent,
what had taken place, and declaring that the officer and the
soldiers said that they saw no flag of truce, and that they
had been tricked by our vessels, upon some occasions
hoisting the Russian flag, and, as reported in the news•
papers, under colour of a flag of truce, taking soundings
elsewhere. The house would remember that the question
was asked of him (Sir Charles Wood), a little while ago,
whether he had any reason to believe that such a thing had
taken place ; and the answer which he then gave was, that
so far as any report which had reached the Admiralty was
concerned, no such transaction had taken place. That
morning he had the satisfaction of seeing the officer who
commanded the gun-boat, in which the flag of truce was
hoisted in the bay of Kertch, when that transaction was
reported by the newspapers to have taken place ; and that
officer assured him, most distinctly and most unequivocally,
that nothing of the kind was ever done—(cheers)—that
the carriage, which was restored to the Russian officer,
was taken ashore by a Russian boat, under charge of a
Russian officer, accompanied by one of the Driver's baste,
under the eye of the Russian officer, and that nothing of
the kind had taken place—that it was utterly unnecessary
that it should have been done, for there was not the
slightest difficulty in their taking soundings at the spot in
question by night or by day; and that the place where the
carriage was to be landed was pointed out by the Russian
officer, and the carriage taken on shore by him ; therefore,
there could not be the slightest doubt that the story, such
as it was, was totally and utterly destitute of foundation.
(Cheers.)

ACCOMMODATION FOR SOLDIERS AND
INCREASE OF PAY IN THE CRIMEAN
ARMY.
The Duke of RICHMOND, on Thursday, asked if in
the barracks about to he erected due care would be
taken to have separate accommodation for married
soldiers, their wives, and children. Admitting that
much had been done for the improvement of barracks
by establishing schools and reading-rooms, much yet
remained to be done, and he did not see why the
soldier should be worse treated than the pauper,
and be compelled to cook and eat in the same room.
He wished to know if the recruiting was prospering
satisfactorily, and hoped that not boys of eighteen,
but young men with well-formed constitutions, able
to endure the hardship of a campaign, might be
found for the service.
Lord PANMURE acknowledged that much remained
to be done for the comfort of the soldier. A com-
mittee was now sitting on the subject, which had not
yet made any report. Day rooms were necessary to
the wholesomeness of barracks, and if there were
married men there should be accommodation for
them. But he thought that for the first twelve
years in the cavalry and ten in the infantry the men
ought not to marry, which would end in marriages
being confined to non-commissioned officers, for
whom accommodation could easily be provided. As
for the recruiting, it was progressing most satisfac•
torily, although, owing to the extent of our losses,
we were not yet up to the standard voted by Parlia-
ment. The Government now proposed to adopt a
plan by which all men engaged in action, beginning
with the Crimea, would be allowed double pay, that
is, a shilling a day extra, such sum not to be paid to
the soldier at once—as what he now received was
adequate for his expenses—but invested in the
savings-bank, and given to himself if he returned,
when he was discharged or pensioned, or, if he was
killed, to his family. This proposition would be
made public by proclamation in a few days, and was,
he thought, a much better plan than increase of the
bounty, which had at one time been contemplated
by the Government.