The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-23 00:00:00

PEACE OR WAR.

(From tire Constitutionnel.)
According to the Journal de.Francfort, " in fif-
teen days, three weeks at the most, the question
,of peace or war will be decided." Thus of the two
journals which we quote (the Augsburg Gazette the
other), one declares the engagement taken by Aus-
tria (by note obligatoire in case of no peace), the
other states with an air of something like authority
that the date and the terms of that engagement aro
falling due. Both of those advices are completely
in accord with our own announcements. We were
therefore well informed when we said that Austria
was committed to the Western Powers to declare war
against Russia, if she should not have accepted
the conditions of peace by the Bth of April. In
case the conferences shall come to be broken off by
the non-consent of the Russian plenipotentiaries,
the latter shall be authorised to wait for fresh
instructions flour St. Petersburg ; but if, on the
Bth of April, they shall not have communicated a
definitive acceptance, the state of war will exist
between Austria and Russia. Two points result
from the semi-official correspondence which has
been noted. The first is, that in the eyes of Aus-
trian statesmen an understanding with Prussia. is
impossible, and even that a tardy conversion of
the Court of Berlin would be now without
utility and practical effect. The second point is
that at Vienna the war was considered to be immi-
nent, since the Austrian plenipotentiary to the
Diet was already furnished with instructions in
case of the rupture of the conferences, for Austria
has announced in a high tone her intention of re-
quiring the aid of Germany in this offensive war.
Austria is therefore convinced that "all human pi:o-
bability is for war—and that the eleventh hour !aas
struck." To think otherwise would be to deceive
ourselves with illusions. The full powers of :Prig ice
Gortschakoff and M. do Theft' have been renew ed
only so far as they had been given by the Ernpei:or
Nicholas ; and at Vienna it is known that the in-
structions despatched to his envoys by the late C:
were not of a seriously pacific character. It i 3 ma re-
over known at Tienna that the assurance given by
the Court of Berlin to that of St. Petersburg tl rat
in no case would Prussia draw the sword against
Russia has not contributed to incline for peace 3 a
Government already littlo disposed that way. Is
if ,-,r.pristine.. as the Journal de Frankfort ob-
serves, that Austria no longer expects any effect
from the declarations which Prussia may mal ze ?
According to the intelligence from Vienna, the
discussions in the Conference have not
.yet
extended beyond the first of the four guarante es ;
but so far as can be judged from the primitive in-
structions of Prince Gortschakoff, and from 'the
language held by the Russian plenipotentiaries ; in
the preparatory conversations which preceded the
official opening of the negotiations, it mar be
opined that the serious difficulties will commence
with the question of the second guarantee, Ra ssia
interpreting the free navigation of the Danube :in a
restricted and singularly prejudicial sense for Ger-
man interests."

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

The following orders have been issued by the Board
of Admiralty to [the commanding officers of the fleet at
Spithead :
" 1. In order to avoid any inconvenience to the seamen,
&c., serving on board the ships about to proceed to the
Baltic, from want of cash to pay them their savings of pro-
visions, monthly allowance moneys, &c., the paymasters
of the respective ships are to be authorised to draw on the
Accountant-General of the Navy for double the usual
amount of specie for the purpose of meeting contingencies,
and the payments of casual savings,
"2. The payment of advance wages to ships' companies
by the clerks of the Paymaster-General having caused much
inconvenience, it is directed that in future this duty, as
well as the payment of wages on account, be performed by
the paymasters serving en board her Majesty's ships, and
that on no account will the clerks to the Pay-office be re-
quested to make such payments. The respective paymas-
ters afloat aro therefore to provide themselves with the
moneys necessary for making such payments before the
time appointed, by application to the proper authorities,
in accordance with the regulations prescribed in such
cases.

" 3. Each ship belonging to the Baltic fleet, having a
- gun-boat attached as a tender, is to bear on her books 33
supernumeraries for service in such tender, which is to
have the following complement :-
1 lieutenant or mate.
1 gunner, boatswain, or carpenter.
3 assistant engineers.
1 leading stokr.
12 seamen (A.B.'s or ordinary).
• 2 boys, of first and second class respectively.
4 privates of the Royal Marines.
"4. All ships belonging to the Baltic fleet are to take on
board as much provisions as they can stow under hatches,
and to complete to the same extent every week, or to the
latest period prior to sailing.
" 5. No foreigner in future is to be entered for continu-
ous service on board any of her Majesty's ships."
The fleet at Spitbead was augmented yesterday by the
joining of the Edinburgh 58, Captain Hewlett, and the
Driver, 6, Captain Rice. The Caesar, 91, Captain Robb,
was also reported standing in from Plymouth, but the
fog was too thick to enable the report to be confirmed.
There were no movements in the fleet worthy of note.
The Basilisk, 6, Commander Jenner, which went to
Spithead on Monday, returned into Portsmouth harbour
yesterday to be docked, having, it is reported, sprung a
leak. The James Watt, 91, Captain Elliot, and the
Hastings, 60, Captain Caffin, had their steam up yester-
day
in the factory basin for the trial of their engines ;
after which the latter steamed into the harbors +0 ship
her armament, sea stores, and swing for the adjustment
of her compasses. The James Watt will leave the basin
on Saturday. The Pembroke, 60, Captain G. H. Sey-
mour, will also be ready to leave the basin by to-mor-
row. The Centaur, 6, paddle-frigate, Captain Clifford,
is expected to join the fleet this day. The Retribution,
28, paddle-frigate, Captain Fisher, fitting for the flag of
Rear-Admiral Baynes, is ready to leave the dock for the
steam, basin, where her new boilers are ready to be put
on board her. The Britannia, 120, lately put out of
commission, is under the shears, being dismasted, pre-
paratory, it is variously reported, to being placed in
ordinary or to going into dock to be fitted up as a float-
ing hospital for the Bosphorus. A vast number of arti-
ficers have been put upon the great screw three-decker
Marlborough, 131, building in Portsmouth dockyard,
which is to be launched early next month. The Shannon,
60, has also had a large number of hands put upon her
to expedite her for launching. It is supposed the new
great steam-ships Marlborough, 131, Conqueror, 100,
Renown, 91, Edgar, 91, Here, 91, &c., will be launched
in the course of another month, and form a reserve
fleet, manned by the crews of the Neptune, St. George,
Trafalgar, Bellerophon, Calcutta, Vengeance, &c.,
now at and near house. An enormous dock, planned
to be the largest in the Royal yards at home or
abroad (upwards of GOO feet), is also to be constructed
forthwith at Portsmouth, which will connect the
steam-factory basin with the harbour without the
present voyage round the exterior of the dockyard at the
north corner. The labourers of the contractor have
already commenced putting down the piles for the
foundation supports. It will be a stupendous work.
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Com-
pany's new packet Sultan, which went to Portsmouth
some time since to receive her boilers, having shipped
them, left the steam-basin yesterday afternoon.
Lady and Major-General Sir Frederick Smith visited
Portsea General Hospital and its adjuncts on Monday
and yesterday, and distributed a large assortment of
comforts in clothing and nourishing confections to the
sick and wounded invalids. New clean shirts are
among the articles thus so liberally dispensed, for which
the patients are most grateful.
Her Majesty having accompanied the advanced squad-
ron for the Baltic—comprising the Imperieuse, Eurya-
lus, Arrogant, Archer, Conflict, Esk, and Tartar, under
the orders of Captain R. Watson, as far as the light
vessel off St. Catherine's Point, on parting company
with them caused the following signal to be hoisted on
board the Royal yacht Fairy : —" Farewell—Success."
Yesterday the Transit troop-ship of 2,000 tons bur-
den, launched from Messrs. Mare's yard, at Blackwell,
was taken to Seaward's, to be fitted with tho 450-horse
power engines seized at Napier's yard, Glasgow, naanu-
lecturing for the Emperor of Itussla.
the Urgent, is nearly ready for launching. Great exer-
tions are being made to complete the floating batteries
building at Blackwell and Northfleet.
The Government have chartered a considerable num-
ber of collier vessels belonging to the Tyne, to
convey steam coal to Elsinore, Wingo Sound, Copen-
hagen, and Kiel, for the supply of the Baltic fleet, and
to Constantinople and Balaklava for the Black Sea fleet.
Between 50 and 60 laden collier vessels have already
left the Tyne for the Baltic. The French Government
are chartering vessels to load in Wales with coals for
their steam-vessels to be employed in the Baltic during
the summer.
The Dane, Captain Cook, a now screw steam-ship be-
longing to the Union Screw Collier Company at South-
ampton, of 530 tons burden and 60 horse-power, left
that port last evening for Havre, where she will take on
board stores and other goods for conveyance to the
Crimea for the use of the French army. The Saxon,
also belonging to the same company, and now discharg-
ing a cargo of fruit in the Louden Docks, has been char-
tered by the French Government for similar purposes.
The Briton, another of this company's vessels, has been
taken up by the British Government for the ()conveyance
of stores, &c., to the Black See. She is receiving her
cargo at Deptford, and will leave in a few days. The
Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Parana, just returned
with the West India mails, and now lying at Southamp-
ton, will probably be taken up by the English Govern-
ment for the conveyance of troops, it being the intention
of the company to despatch the Tay with the outward
West India and Mexican mails instead of the Parana.
This vessel, which has lately been enlarged and im-
proved, is now a fine ship of 3,071 tons burden and 800-
horse power, and her very capacious decks, together with
other facilities which she possesses, render her an ad-
mirable ship for the purposes of the transport service.
The Government has completely swept all the English
and some of the continental ports of large class steam-
ships for the transport service. The cost of these ships
is enormous, and it is certain they do not perform ade-
quate services, owing to the frightful mismanagement
which prevails. Upwards of 200 steam-ships are now
employed by the English Government, comprising the
largest ships in the world. These steamers, it is esti-
mated, would carry at one time an army of 200,000 to
250,000 men, and a singular fact is noticed that whenever
troops are required to be conveyed the Admiral tycharter
monster steamers at fabulous prices, they are despatched
to the Black Sea, and are never afterwards heard of,
excepting that, after discharging their freight they aro
kept idle in the Black Sea, or are engaged in performing
the most trivial duties, instead of being economised for '
more important operations. If 10 or 15 of the largest
steamers were kept constantly running between the
Crimea and Southampton, so as to have a departure from
both ends every week, more practical benefit would be
produced than by the existing ill-managed and wasteful
system. A constant stream of reinforcements might by
this mode be regularly thrown into the Crimea, together
with all necessary supplies, a regular postal service
might be maintained4and invalids rapidly brought home
by the return steamers. The mismanagement, sr rather
the entire absence of all management, displayed in the
conduct of the transport service, and the frightful sums
of money squandered by the existing system, are a dis-
grace to this commercial age.
The detachments of the cavalry regiments under
orders for the Crimea to join the service troops of their
respective regiments will embark at the following places
early in the ensuing month, viz. :-4th Dragoon Guards
and sth Princess Charlotte of Wales's Dragoons, at
Cork ; let Royal Dragoons, at Portsmouth ; 2d North
British Dragoons (Scots Greys), at Plymouth ; 4th
Light Dragoons, at Southamptom ; Bth Royal Irish
Ronrra, at Queenstown ; 10th (Prince of Wales's)
al Hussars, at Southamptom ; 11th (Prince Albert's
) nu,
Portsmouth4l:
3'
at Plymouth; 13th Light Dragoons, at
s quadrone
(480 men
17th Lancers, at Southampton. Three
Bars, quartered
men and horses) of the 15th Royal Hus-
teEfxoeter, will embark at Plymouth
about the same
2,(r )cat seat of war. There are at
present upwards ef
depots
Dorchester,for the
service at the cavalr
Norwich, Manchester, Cabgr(ellareniclal,7ork, Maidstone,
Canterbury, and .Newlnidge
) ;antdhese are
argef
orfththe new
in-
tended for the remounts in the Grirnea_,,
they will proceed in
cavalry levies
rious detachments to the seat of sear. " va.
A large quantity of Mr. Hale's war rockets are now
being manufactured by order of the Government, for
i
the use of the British army n the Crimea. These inis-
miles can be projected a distanceofthree miles, with the
certainty of aim of the Minie bullet..
h 1.
The Rev. H. Egan, an officiating cbefore Se-
bastopol, has been appointed a commissioned chaplain
to the forces.
A detachment of tho Gth Foot is ordered for the Cape
of Good Hope.
101 men of the 67th depot have volunteered for ser-
vice with the regiments in the Crimea.