The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-26 00:00:00

- _
; was not quite complete so that the camp could not be
f
po, ttto,,,t communicated with within 24 hour.. (Hear.)
4e :dr. ROEBUCK thereupon asked the noble lord at
ourtb ,
the head of the Government, whether it would be with-
in the scope of his duty to send by its means and in-
quire what really had happened there of late ? (Hear.)
Lord PALMERSTON said it was his intention to
ask his right hon. friend at the head of the War De-
partment, to request the Commander-in-Chief to let
them have some news every day. (Hear, hear.)
RECRUITING OF THE CAVALRY.
Colonel BOLDERO asked the First Lord of the
Treasury whs.t arrangements had been made as regards
the intended encampment at Aldershot, and whether
the force will consist of cavalry, yeomanry, arlliery,
line, and militia regiments ?
Mr. F. PEEL said that, since last year, the cavalry
had been increased to double its force, and further
that reinforcements,
number
of horses,to tlle
we xe
rt een o
now
o wf 55:n0 mt
heeni
r,
wa
an
yd
tdoo ui
thee
Crimea. One steamer had been employed to take them
out, all the others being sailing vessels.
[LEFT SPEAKING.]

SUN OFFICE, Seven, o'Clock.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-(THIS EVENING.)
ROYAL COMMISSION.

The Royal assent was given by commission to the f•.l-
lowing bills, viz. :—Convention with Sardinia ; Pur-
cha§ers' Protection Bill; Lunacy Regulation Act Amend-
ment ; Commons Inclosure ; Dean Forests, &c. ; Wool-
wich Consumers' Protection Gas ; Pudsey Gas ; Cam-
bridge University and Town and Water ; Taunton Gas;
Hoarwithy Bridge Bill.
The Royal commissioners were the Lord Chancellor,
the Duke of Argyle, and Lord Monteagle.
Their lordships adjourned during pleasure.
The Loan CHANCELLOR took his seat on the woolsack
at five o'clock.
TELEGRAPHIC COMMUNICATION WITH THE

CRIMEA.
The Earl of HARDWICKE said that inasmuch as it
was reported that the telegraph had been completed be.
tween Balaklava and London, he wished to know whe-
ther the Government had received any commun:cfrion
as to what had occurred in the Crimea within the last
24 hours ?
W
The Earl of HA.B.ROBY said that he understood a
telegraphic despatch had been received, informing the
Government of the completion of telegraphic communi-
cation between this country and the East. He bad not
heard that any other despatch had been received since
hen.

ARMY BEFORE SEBA.STOPOL COM-
MITTBE-(THIS DAY.)

(Continued from our first edition.)

In reply to a series of further questions from Lord
Seymour,
Deputy-Commissary-General Smith went on to say
that he believed there was always a full supply of rice
and other articles of food at Varna. He had always a
supply at Constantinople, which he sent to Balaklava
whenever it was required. To the best of his
knowledge they never felt a want of rice or such
articles at the latter place. He attributed the
delay that took place in the case of the Harbinger,
which caused the whole of her cargo of vegetables to be
Toiled, to the conduct of Admiral Boxer in detaining
that vessel so long a time at the Golden Horn. Admiral
Boxer was the supreme naval authority at Constanti-
nople, but he had no control over the transport service.
By Mr. Layard—Being in want of additional tran-
sport means he applied to Admiral Boxer, but the reply
he received from that officer was that he had no vessels
at his command.
By Lord Seymour—The coaling system-at . Constanti-
nople was very inefficient, and caused great delay. At
Malta the case was very different:
By Mr. Layard—lt was his own suggestion that de-
pots of various kinds should be established at Constan-
tinople. There never was a want of supplies so far as
the Commissariat was concerned ; the difficulties which
arose were at Balaklava. He thought if proper order aed
regularity had been observed, no difficulty whatever in
the shipping of supplies at the port of Constantinople
need have occurred. He attributed the confusion which,
in the latter part of the year, was occasioned in connec-
tion with the Commissariat to the disorganisation of
the arrangements produced by the gale of the 15th No-
vember. Cattle might have been obtained in abundance
from the country around Constantinople, and 'eight
have been- conveyed to Balaklava had the tran-
sport department been in any , way adequate.
The Commissariat never had any difficulty in procuring
forage corn—the only place where the want of it was
felt was the camp. (Laughter.) By far the cheapest
operation was the supply of fresh meat to the army
whilst at Constantinople, as compared with salt and pre-
served meats. Salt meat, however, it was necessary to
keep =in store in case of failure in obtaining the
usual supply of fresh. He suggested in his report
that a supply of fire-wood might be obtair.el
about Constantinople, and a quantity was -ac-
cordingly laid in, preparatory to the arrival sf the
army. A depot was opened there afterwards for feel,
from which charcoal and other articles were forwarded
to the Crimea. They were, however, not-sent regularly,
as he found it utterly impossible to find vessels to con-
vey them.
The Chairman—Are you aware that at that time ves-
sels were lying unoccupied in Belaklava, har+e ?
Witness—Yes ; I have reason to believe such was the
care.

By General Peel—lt is not usu,i,i for the Commis,a-
ria,t to supply an army with fuel, but he was called upon
to supply it by a requisition from the Ct.nimissary-
General, which he fancied must have been made by
Lord Raglan's orders. He complied with it to the best
of his ability, and was prepared to supply the troops with
wood and charcoal to any amount.
The Chairman—Then, as far as you were concerned,
you were quite prepared to supply fuel if you could have
found means of transport
Witness—Yes.

The witness here, at the request of the committee, I
read some letters he had addressed home to Sir Charles
Trevelyan on the subject of the want of transport ar-
rangements at Constantinople, and descriptive of the
state of confusion which existed in this respect at that
place. He also stated that his official letter-book, which
he had unfortunately not brought with him teemed with
importunate letters to Admiral Boxer, to make arrange-
ments required to meet the pressing wants of the c.)in-
missariat service—importunities which Admiral Boxer,
he said, characterised as a " bore." (Laughter and sen-
sation.) He did not wish in any way to disparage the
character of Admiral Boxer. He was a brave man and
an excellent sailor ; but he had not the administra-
tive talent sufficient to enable him to cope
with success with the multifarious duties that con-
tinually devolved upon him. Admiral Boxer left Gm-
stantinople for a new appointment at Balalc:ava in
January.

Mr. Layard—Do you know any cases in which vessels
loaded with commissariat stores were detained at Con-
stantinople

Witness—Yu.

Mr. Layard---Can you mention any ?
Witness—Yes. The Arabia, laden with deals for
the constructio❑ of magazines and charcoal, was detained
until the fair wind with which she ought to have set sail
had subsided, because proper promptitude was not iied
in towing her out. _ _ _

By M. Layard—He suggested in his report that light
carts capable of being drawn by the animals of the coun-
try should be sent from home. He quite agreed with
the opinion that a country ought. as f►r as practicable, to
furnish its own means of transport, but he did not think
that Turkey could have done so without some external aid.
So far as the Turkish Government was concerned he al Wa.)
found the readiest disposition to do everything in their
power to supply any wants which were felt. He cou•.d
not say whether it was true that the wooden huts sent
to the Crimea could not be erected because there were
no nails. He might say, however, that after the gale he
was called upon to furnish a large quantity of tools for
the use of the troops. The Turkish Custom-house was
wretched in the extreme, but no delay was occa,iioned to
the supplies in consequence, because they had not to
pass through it.

The Committee adjourned shortly before 4 o'clock
until to-morrow.

OFFICIAL DESPATCH FROM FIELD-
MARSHAL LORD RAGLAN.

( From supplement to Tuesday's Gazette.)
WAR-DEPARTMENT, APRIL 26.
Lord Panmure has this day received a despatch and
its enclosures, of which the following a.ra copies, ad-
dressed to hie lordship by Field-Marshal the Lord
Raglan, G.C.B.

Before Sebastopol, April 14, 1855.

My Lord,—Sinoe I wrote to your lordship on the 14th
instant, a steady and heavy fire upon the works of thp
enemy has been maintained from all the batteries of the
Allies.

The fire of the British artillery, chiefly directed against
the Garden Batteries, the Barrack Battery, the Redan, the
Malakhoff Tower, and the Mamelon, has been most effec-
tive, and the enemy's works have suffered very considerably,
although they have, as usual, made a good use of the night
to repair damages, notwithstanding that the vertical tire
has been continued throughout the twenty-four hours.
The practice both of the Naval Brigade and the Artillery
has been excellent.

The casualties have not been very numerous, but the
loss has fallen heavily upon the sailors, as your lordship
will see by the accompanying returns, and the Royal Navy
has to deplore the death of Lieutenant Douglas, who had
served with great ability and zeal from the commencemlnt
of the siege.

Lieutetiants ITrinston and D'Aelh, Royal Navy, and
Steele, Royal Marine Artillery, all valuable officers, havo
bcen wounded.

The Royal Artillery has also to lament the death of
Lieutenant Luce, who was an officer of much promise .
and Lieutenants Sinclair and VEstrange are among the
wounded. The former has sustained several severe in-
juries, but I am happy to add that there is every hope of
his recovery. They are both highly meritorious officers.
Captain Crofton, of the Royal Engineers, who had in
the course of the protracted operations before Sebastopol
tendered most essential service, has also received a wound,
which will, I fear, detain him from dirty for a very con-
siderable time.