The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-18 00:00:00

urgent or imperative ; it was to say, " If you don't act
it will be a disgraceful backwardness ! It is a letti
which will remain at the Admiralty on record ; and i:
hereafter my life should be writtea, posterity will per-
haps take it as a proof that Sir Charles Napier was a
cowardly commander
This injurious letter was followed up by another from
their lordships, October 17, No. 779, which I will non
dissect, as I have done the first.
1. Their lordships might also have been satisfied witl.
the decision adopted by you, on the joint report of the
flag officers referred to, if the reports of the French and
English military officers had not contained adverse
opinions, and if your own letter of Sept. 25th had not
afterwards expressly informed their lordships that they
were not to suppose for a moment that Sweaborg could
not be attacked.
[lf this is not censure, what is it? It might be thought
the opinions of the naval flag officers were of more worth
than those of the French and English military officers on
naval affairs. It is probably the first time that soldiers
were considered better judges of naval warfare than
sailors ! And those soldiers announced opinions directly
at variance with each other. But how was it to be at-
tacked ? Not by ships alone ! Aud that was well known
to their lordships, though they thought fit to ignore it.]
In their next letter, October 31, No. 706, their Lord-
ships told me plainly they could not express satisfaction
with the decision come to, not to attack Sweaborg after
the fall of Bomarsund. That was not only a censure on
me, but on a Marshal of France, a French Admiral, and
on my own Admirals. The French Chamber, however,
did not agree with their Lordships; they gave thanks to
their officers, and the Emperor promoted them ; but I
have been removed from my command by the English
Admiralty !
Their Lordships speak of informal documents, which
they will not recognise. Are, then, the letters of tie
First Lord of the Admiralty, official and momentous of
meaning, informal ? Were they to be of force for stimu-
lating, goading an Admiral, against his judgment, to
resk the destruction of a noble fleet, amidst fogs, sunken
r cks, stone fortresses, and ice and fire ; and yet to be
of no authenticity or weight in justification of an injured
and insulted man ?
Their Lordships say no inquiry into my conduct is
necessary, and decline submitting a controversy, raised
by an officer under their orders, to the decision of a
camt-martial. But it was not I who raised the contro-
versy. It was their Lordships, by misinterpreting my
letters.
But they further direct you to inform me that, while
they are unwilling to pass censure on any part of my
conduct, they have not failed to observe that, !ram the
moment " I first quitted Wingoe Sound without orders,"
down to the present time, I have repeatedly thought fit
to adopt a tone in my correspondence which is not re-
spectful to their authority.
This passage is to me surprising. For, first, I did
not quit Wingoc Sound without orders. Their Lordships,
by letter of the Bth of March, ordered me to proceed ta
Wingoe Sound. On the 10th of March they sent me
Lord Clarendon's instructions to dispose my fleet so as
to prevent the Russian ships passing out of the Baltic.
Acting on those instructions, I left Wingoe Sound,
proceeding to Kioge Bay as a better station for effect-
ing the object of Lord Clarendon's communication. I
arrived there on the Ist of April, and was immediately
reproved by the Admiralty for obeying Lord Claren-
don's orders, transmitted to me by the Admiralty
On the 2d of April I received orders from the Duke
of Newcastle, also forwarded by the Admiralty, to pro-
ceed to the entrance of the Gulf of Finland, from Kiel,
is soon as possible.
On the 3d of May I received a letter from their lord-
ships, dated Bth April, approving of my proceedings in
leaving Wingoe Sound ! Also came a letter from Sir
.T. Graham, dated 10th of April, from which the follow-
ing is an extract :
" I am entirely satisfied with your proceedings. Nei-
ther Lord Clarendon nor I anticipated your movement
inside the Belt, and believed that you would
:watch in
the Cattegat the entrance to the Sound, and of the
Belt, until you received orders to enter the Baltic. You
judged, however, very wisely, and the time which you
lave gained has been very precious ; and the passage of
,he Belt in fine weather, and in safety, has been a most
successful exploit.
"You R i,l also have been enabled to exercise your
,fficers and men to great advantage, with the certainty
tLat the enemy is in front of you, locked up in ice lot
some time to come ; and that your reinforcements will
.rrive. and that your discipline will be improved before
ie can move, even if helwere so disposed."
On the sth of April Sir J. Graham wrote thus, also :
" lam highly satisfied with your movements, with
the position which you have taken up for the present.
Mr. Buchanan and Mr. Grey can readily communicate
with you where you are now, and most useful informa-
-ien from Stockholm reaches you without loss of time.
" Considering the state of the ice in front of you I
ejoice in the belief that you are on the ground in time,
end that you will be strong and well prepared before
he critical moment arrives."
Now, on the 14th Jan., 1855, I received a letter
from their lordships again accusing me of leaving
Wingoe Sound without orders, and also remarking that
owes to the present time, from that period, I have re-
peatedly thought fit to adopt a tone in my correspon-
dence which is not respectful to their Lordships' authority.
I believe in one instance only, up to the 4th of Octo-
ner, I did write hastily to their Lordships, and I after-
wards expressed my regret to Admiral Berkeley for
having done so. Up to that date, also, I received
nothing but praise from their Lordships. Since then, I
admit the use of strong language, but I was goaded to
it by their Lordships' public letters, and by Sir J. Gra-
ham's private letters, which were almost past endurance.
Their Lordships have directed you to add, that this,
their decision, is to be considered by me as final. It may
be final for their Lordships, but certainly will not be final
for me, until I receive complete satisfaction for the in-
jurious imputations on my character and conduct.
Her Majesty was certainly not displeased with my
conduct in the Baltic, for she invited me to Windsor on
my return. The invitation reached me too late to obey
her Majesty's command ; and as it has not been repeated,
my hope is, that Sir J. Graham's misrepresentations to
myself of my opinions and conduct have not been ex-
tended so as to affect her Majesty's sentiments. But I
have been deprived of my command—an unusual act,
save where an officer has misconducted himself.—l have
,he honour to be, sir, your most obedient servant,
CHAS. NarIER.

The Secretary of the .A.(l!2iraity, &c., &c.
XXXIV.

Admiralty, Jan. 22, 1855.
I have received and laid before my Lords Commis-
sioners of the Admiralty your letter of the 20th instant,
in reply to their Lordships' letter of the 13th instant.—l
am, sir, your most obedient, humble servant,
W. A. B. HAMILTON.
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.B.

THE CASE OE PAUL, STRAHAN, AND BATEFI.--It is not
generally known that the bail in the case of Paul, Stra-
ban, and Bates (which will not be tried, it is understood
during the present sessions of the Central Criminal
Court) amounts to no less a sum than 60,0001. On the
last examination at Bow-street the six sureties for the
defendants increased their recognisances from 3,0001. to
5,0001. each, making 30,0001., and each defendant in-
crea,ed his recognisance from 5,0001. to 10.0001.,
making the three 30,0001., and with the bail 60,0001.
for their appearance to take their trial. Her Majesty's
judges on the rota will take their seats at the Central
Criminal Court on Wednesday, when an application will
b.! made on the part of the defendants to p istpone the
trild to the October sessions, and it is understood there
is every probability of the same being granted. At pre-
se,t the leading counsel for the defence has not been
fixed upon. Mr. E. James has been retailed for the de-
endant Bates.

MEXICANIiONDROLDERS.—The following is from the
Committee of N exican Bondholders :—"The committee
have received ad vices from Mr. Whitehead, dated Mexico,
the 19th ult. The garrison of Mexico had, on the 13th
ult., 4 pronounced for the plan of Ayutla,' which pro
nunciantento all the leaders of the late President's party
signed. To accordance with this plan General Carrera,
late Commander-in-Chief, was elected provisional Presi-
dent. General Carrera is described as a man of great
moderation, who was likely to do all in his power to
maintain order while in power, and to relinquish it with- •
out reluctance when the public interest should require it.
No Ministers had been appointed, and the public busi
!less was for the present carried on by the chief clerks
of the several Ministerial departments. Senor Don P.
F. del Castello was thus at the head of the department
of finance, and had, by a circular order of August 16,
called for information respecting all assignments on the
public revenue, suspending all of them until they should
have been duly examined, with the exception of the as-
signments in favour of the bondholders and of the mili•
itary on actual duty. This is a very satisfactory indica-
ti,m of the intention of the new authorities, and Senor
Del Castello assured Mr. Whitehead that such were also
the sentiments of General Carrera. The Wye, which
arrived at St. Thomas too late for the Atrato, had taken
nothing from Vera Cruz for the dividends, but 41:3,00
frock limpico.7