The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-15 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sra,—l see that Colonel Colt has returned to this
country from America, I trust to hear, ere long, that,
in one sense, he is in the Crimea. Even at the eleventh
hour his weapon may be found invaluable by our army.
We have hitherto thrown away a great advantage cf
which we might have availed ourselves. One of the last
official acts of the Duke of Newcastle was, I understand.
t 3 order some 5,0130 of these weapons for the army. I
am told that these have not been sent to it It is very
desirable that the navy should have them, quite as much
as that the army should be supplied ; but is it not at
this moment of vital consequence to ,our troops before
Sebastopol ? It is impossible to say what our soldiers
at Inkerman or Balak lava lost, by the wanton obstinacy,
stupidity, or wilfulness of the late Government in not
supplying the troops with such arms. For cavalry and
artillery they are, indeed, a boon, and there are periods,
as we have seen, where they would have been invaluable
to the line. This was proved by the individual deeds of
effacers and sergeants, who paid about three times as
much for them retail as the Government need have done
wholesale. Sir, when I look at this thing, I lose
patience. I know the value of the weapon. Thousands
knew it in England more than a year ago. I have urged
its adoption since 1851. Positively, although we have
had for the last two or three years, through the energy
of an American, a manufactory in London for these
weapons, the Russians will be supplied first by the mar-
kets of the world. Depend upon it Russia has had agents
in America to buy them up, and we lately read of 10,000
being landed at Riga. We are about, I presume, to assist,
as the French may justly say, considering our numbers
and theirs, in the storming of Sebastopol. There is yet,
in all probability, "pretty tall fighting before us." Do,
pray, urge in your valuable paper that this tremendous
advantage be no longer neglected. Can you tell me if
anything is being done at home in revolver drill and
practice ? The cool and dexterous use of a Colt's re-
volver requires some little experience. No body of
cavalry in the world, unprovided with this arm, could
stand a charge from half or a third of its numbers so
equipped. lam certain that fifty fearless and tolerably
well-mounted men, clad merely in shooting jackets, but
armed each with two or three revolvers and swords, might
exterminate a hundred and fifty of our noble Household
troops or Scots Greys, encumbered with the clumsy and
useless carbine. What avail would this latter be against
the fearful multiplication of a fire that might command
fatally at a distance of some 400 yards ? Long before a
sword could he used half the saddles of those magnificent
troopers would be empty. The conical balls would pierce
through breast-plate and back-piece as if they were made
of pasteboard.
I trust, Sir, that you will give your powerful aid to the
British soldier in this matter. No wonder that the in-
dividuals by whom Odessa was spared, an English army
sacrificed, and green coffee berries supplied to harassed
soldiers on active service in such a country as the Cri-
mea, were blind to the deadly properties of the Ameri-
can Revolver.

I am, Sir, your obedient serrant,
AN AMATEUR

TERMS FOR PEACE WILEZ EUROPE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SIR,—As an advocate for justice I would suggest that
all towns in the British dominions demand of their re-
presentatives to urge on Ministers not to conclude a
peace unless sued for by Russia, and then only on the
following terms, •iz., to relinquish all claim to what we
have taken from her—to have no ships of war of any
size for either the Blat-Ac Sea or Sea of Azoff, as she
has no power there now ; also to leave Asia, 100 miles
at least, north of the Caspian Sea, restore the Crimea,
and, finally, to pay the whole of the expenses of the war,
which is the sincere wish of a

WELSHMAN,

Cardiff, June 13, 1855.

THE SEA OF AZOFF.

A. well-executed map of this sea, with the surround-
ing coasts, now the theatre of important operations
by the allied forces, has just been issued, on a Scale of
t :II miles to the inch, by Mr. James Wyld, geographer
to the Queen. The soundings, which are numerous and
general, are given in feet. A plan of Taganrog, with
its harbour and fortifications, on a small scale, and a
map of the Crimea, including a portion of the Sea of
Azoff and the Black Sea, contribute to the utility of this
♦aluable production.

PARIS, Wednesday.—Yesterday, after a consultation
held at the Tuileries between Dr. Locock and Drs.
Dubois and Connean, it was formally announcea that
the Empress was enceinte.
APPROACHING MARRIAGE IN HIGH LIPE.—A matri-
monial alliance is about to take place between the Lady
Henrietta Somerset, eldest unmarried daughter of Emily,
Duchess of Beaufort, and John Morant, Esq., of the
New Forest, Hants. The marriage will be solemnised
on Tuesday, the 26th inst., on the evening of which day
the Duchess of Beaufort will give a grand ball, at the
family mansion in Grosvenor-square, in celebration of
the happy event.
RUSSIAN INTRIGUES.—We learn, on very good autho-
rity, that proofs have been furnished to the French Go-
vernment of the relations existing between the Carlist
conspirators and the Russian Government, and that
among other projects of creating a diversion against the
allies was that of causing a general insurrection to break
out in Spain.
The splendid mansion and sixteen acres of beaut.ful
grounds, one of the most recherche abodes within the
metropolis, situated in the Regent's-park, the late resi-
dence of the Marquis of Hertford, was brought to the
hammer and sold by Mr. Phillips, of Bond-street, at
Garraway's, yesterday. The buildings, erected by the
Marquis, under the direction of Mr. Deoiraus Burton,
the celebrated architect, cost the Marquis upwards of
50,0001. Mr. E. T. Smith, the lessee of Drury-lane
Theatre, became the purchaser.
Mr. George Frederick Parrett had the honour of ex-
hibiting before her Majesty, in Buckingham Palace Gar-
dens, this morning (Friday), a portable cape-tent, re-
cently invented by him. By this invention, which
consists in looping together five or eight waterproof
capes, each weighing only 4 lbs., and which capes will
also serve as blankets and sacks, the soldier is always
provided with a cape, tent, sack, or blacket, by carrying
one article. Her Majesty expressed herself much pleased
with the feasibility of the plan, and honoured Mr.
Parrett with most minute inquiries as to its details.