The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-27 00:00:00

tttou

SUN OFFICE, Seven o'Clock,

IAWE [UAL PARL IA ENT.

110 USE OF LORDS.—(THIS EVENING.)
T 4 Loine CHANCRLLOR took his seat on the wool-
( at five o'clock.
rd HATHERTON presented a petition from Rugby
1_
I,o'ero for the better observance of the Lord's.day. The
le rord then said, seeing his noble friend opposite, he
ged to ask whether the two resolutions in connection
I:the speedy trial of offenders—which he saw by the
I.eB had been postponed sine die—would be proceeded
tt-tiri"' and, if so, at what time ! His (Lord Hatherton's)
V,enee Was in one of the most populous towns in
and, and he was fully acquainted with the evils
kiag'
ing from the existing state of the criminal law. He
th": most desirous to see some measure introduced for
•144-113:: speedy trial of criminals charged with petty
111,1131'd BROUGHkM said that in consequence of the
Est interest felt in the war in which we were
kiv't unfortunately engaged, he found it difficult to obtain
ip!etiou either in Parliament or out of door', to a subject
italeli he deemed of the greatest importance. Notwith-
It 4'41, however, the difficulty which stood in the
:3', he intended to persevere in pressing forward the
eatiare on the subject, and of either moving for the
141°iatment of a commission, or of a committee, to
tire into the whole subject and to report thereon.

TREATY WITH SARDINIA.
V,e Marquis of BREADALBANE brought up the
'Y to the address voted by that house, in answer to
Ittlajesty's Message, relating to the convention en-
lt74 into with the King of Sardinia. The reply of her
den ci). was as follows :—" I thank you for your lo
yo yal
t;ntiful address, and for your assurance that u
keen r in such measures as may be necessary to enable
theb, ti° fulfil the engagement I have, in conjunction with
tr.,frarTiiPeinraor of the French, entered into with the King

THE PERSEVERANCE.
iEarl TALBOT inquired whether it was true, as was
rtecl, that the screw steam ship Persoverance,fwhich
4 blzet with the accident at the moment she was about
1e launched, had been sold, and at what sacrifice ?
11 Was also a rumour to the same effect with respect
I,_'?o other steam-ships that had been purchased.
16.'44 GRANVILLE said that the Perseverance screw
111;t4, -ship had been purchased of the Messrs. Mare, of
Nopegyvall, in May, and that the Urgent and another
ile,l bad also been purchased. The first of these had
L/ been launched, and neither of the three ships had
14 hold or offered for sale.
lam4,,.the motion of Lord BROUGHAM, the Ecolesias-
‘,ourts Bill was postponed till Friday.
MILITIA (IRELAND) BILL.
1F44 p2l NmuRE moved the second reading of this

14;111 e Earl of WICKLOW hoped that as soon as the
hoTassed into a law the noble lord would have the
lkiil, to issue a circular, setting forth in detail what
der and responsibilities of the militia would be
i',eor the existing law.
lie rcl PANMURE said that as soon as the bill passed
titetw'uld notify to the Lord-Lieutenants the state of
i t4,i`r, whose duty it would be to take measures for
i Th!O generally known.
) 1 111 was then read a second time.
1 tube Despatch of Business Court of Chancery Bill was
• b_lfcl with amendments.
heir lordships then adjourned.
110ti,,,_
"'-t; OF COMMONS.—(THIS EVENING.)
4.4 e SPEAKER took the chair shortly before four o'clock.
PETITIONS.
41, r•tfIGGINS presented a petition from the Grand
kil of Mayo against the Irish Poor Relief Bill.
fy,i,PiiiLAyARD presented a petition from Merthyr
,kr against the opening of public-houses on Sunday.
I,V SPOONER presented two petitions from places
11,4
the
praying the house not to sane-
kello opening of any public place of amusement on
kti,;l/41'8, and the other praying for the repeal of Church
kkh:
No' COBDEN presented a petition from a place in
West Riding, praying for the repeal of taxes on
A
uge.
!t114• STERLING presented petitions from Perth, and
Ilak APlaces in Scotland, in favour of his Scotch Educe,-
1.11
•
Ns • A. PELLATT presented a petition from the
O
Itti,e Mien frequenting Denmark-street Chapel, pray-
gi`rley,ple abolition of Church rates.
thyi 4.4. PERRY presented a petition from Stonehouse,
tee lA$ that no terms may be agreed to which do not
lt4r4ise the claims of Foland.
ik INT REA.DLAM presented a petition from a place
btk, °jthumberland against border marriages, which
tile h 4 a cause of great misery and immorality, praying
th,.° 11se to pass a bill to prohibit them.
Itixte, EROTHERTON and other hen, members pre-
Ititolp`l.Petitions praying for the repeal of the newspaper

IL,. THE _SEBASTOPOL COMMITTEE.
N 'lr. COBDEN seeing his hon. and learned friend the
'eleber for Sheffield in his
Place, he wished to ask him
Question, viz., when it was the intention of the corn-
ittee sitting on the state of the army before Sebastopol,
l% lay the evidence which they had taken before the
? He wished also to ask, whether the committee
aot consider it proper to print and deliver the
::(I!nce daily, seeing that it appeared from day to
k
11 n the newspapers, and occasionally in an incomplete iln 7
i4kr. ROEBUCK said the committee had determined
I,titeport the evidence up to the last day of the sitting
!1)o to Easter. On the second point, he did not think
th'llenefit which would be derived from daily printing
*e evidence would be worth the trouble and expense it
kg necessarily occasion.
me FRENCH wished to know from the hon. and
kad gentleman when the committee were likely to
Ike their final report ? (A. laugh )
r• ROEBUCK said that was rather a difficult
tlio::/t,i:1 to answer, but he entertained a confident hope
410-,,,"L,e committee would be able to close its labouis
-Y after Easter, (Hear, hear.)

kr CIVIL SERVICE ESTIMATES.
kittii; WILSON brought up the Civil Service Esti-
', which were ordered to be laid upon the table.

THE NAVY.
Ck
te.sthtr‘mo SCOBELL gave notice that early after
teitteet he should move the appointment of a select com-
ae to inquire into the management of the navy, with
ot reporting such reforms as they might deem
"'unary.

4ir EDUCATION.
kek PAKINGTON gave notice that on Friday
Stme should ask whether it was the intention of the
tkivc,tnsaent to bring in any measure this session to alter
"(Institution of the Privy Council Board of Education?

41, POSTAGE STAMPS.
ht: DUNLOP asked the Secretary of the Treasury
"Sr arrangements would be made by which parties
4140Liand and Ireland desirous of having letter paper
Ped with the postage sta,mp, would be enabled to
btii:„that-done at the Starup-offices in Edinburgh and
loch" respectively, or whether they would be required
lliOrt to London in order to participate in that privi-
'o
ht• WILSON replied that such stamps would only
elied at the head-office in London.

ARSENAL AT YARMOUTH.
E• LACON asked the Clerk of the Ordnance
kh,er any report had been received from the corn-
%:"lt officer of engineers at Harwich, or from any
Bent down for the purpose, relative to the arsenal
fat kktinollth ; if so, whether that report recommended
nilding to be converted into barracks ; and if it
kottllteaded to have an artillery force stationed at Yar-
-0 ; further, if it was the intention of the Board of
,4,
girbo-klee to erect new batteries at the entrance to the
ur, or upon any commanding situation in the im-
ee neighbourhood ?
1.• MONSELL, in reply to the first question, said
'pertl.ll, bad been received condemning the arsenal. To
tt,teond question, he stated that it was intended to
Gl 1,.°11 Borne militia artillery at Yarmouth ; and in re-
to; :0 the third question, he said orders had been given
l''4l:4le erection of batteries at the mouth of the river

kr INTRENCHMENT TOOLS.
• MONSELL took the opportunity of replying to a
n put to him the other day by the hon. and learned
Ikeuer for Sheffield. The hon. and learned member
• k,asked him whether a commission which sat at the
ke'P at Chobham did not report against the intrench-
Mtools which had been sent out to the Crimea.
t‘fad made inquiries into the matter, and he found
Itit-,,13„° such commission sat at Chobharn, and conse-
V""Y there could have been no such report made
-41st the tools.
THE MILITIA.
4enunt CHELSEA asked the First Lord of the
%till-3r whether, a distinct pledge having been given
cue "le 14th day of May, 1854, by the Duke of New.
then Minister of War, and an understanding an
tilj' at that milit;amen enrolled under the provisions of
14,aq of 1852 should not be called upon against their
Itl44Sut to serve for more than 56 days in the year dur-
Wt period for which they enlisted, the noble lord was
tioth hill"ared to give an assurance that it was not the inten.
2f the Government to take advantage of the power
pop fh> in the opinion of the law officers of the Crown, was
ever rred by the 15 and 16 Vic. c. 50, to subject men, when-
' 114t`rirolled, to the full obligations imposed by those acts,
kii.t.hat some method would be devised to enable such
laalen as express themselves unwilling to serve for
titi:leater number of days in each year than they were
7nallY made liable to by the terms of their enlistment,
etarn to their homes
!be le;r4 PAL)iIERSTON said the law was framed by
'llll-7w Officers of the Crown, and the Government had
.15 tills'ght to require from militiamen comp
lete obedience
kl4,,at law, but it was quite true that tln-re was a sort of
tlim'etation held out by
bow gation would
the late Minister at War thaf.,
Obli not be strictly enforced, and the
t s lord now Secretary at War was about to issue a
Rive,tl46lr to the militia, the object of which would be to
th(i- r,‘ aa men who enlisted before the act of last year
the Ltion of either re-attesting or returning home after
days' service.
RESTORATION OF FOTAND.
Prot, • 1, HINN rose to move that an humble address he
tiotiented to her Majesty, praying that she will be gra-
ihti'dY pleased to command that, in the. event of nego-
°,llB being commenced with a view to peace, her Ma-
cohY envoys should use their best exertions for the re-
lit'lttution of the kingdom of Poland within its ancient
N.d:' as a measure just and necessary in itself, in ac-
"nee With the ancient policy of this conitry, and as

i absolutely essential to the due maintenance of the bae
lance of power Europe. He said he owed some apology
to the house for introducing so important a subject
to its notice, but that apology was to be found in the
fact that the claims of Poland were recognised both in
and out of doors, by men of station and eminence,
while the noble lord at the head of the Government had
declared it to be his opinion that the present situation of
Poland was a position of menace towards Germany.
New were we net at this moment attempting to
subdue Sebastopol as a position of menace against
Turkey, and also know that the time might
come when we should have to resist the designs
of Russia upon Germany carried out dirough the instru-
mentality of Poland. It was too much the custom of
the house to slight foreign affairs and to leave such sub-
jects to be discussed in the press, but the press very
often misled the public mind, whereas if foreign
affairs were vigilantly watched over by the house—
(hear, hear)—there would be no fear of the people
being diverted into a dangerous direction, while many
disastrous events—such as the war in which we were
engaged—would be averted. Had the house in recent
times been less neglectful of foreign afTairs the partition
of Poland might have been avoided, and probably
the designs of Russia upon Turkey defeated without
a recourse to arms. (Hear.) But war hail come
upon us, and we were now engaged with an enemy of
no common order, for the power and ambition of Russia
could nut be too much overrated. Since the days of
Peter the Great the policy of Russia, indeed the
will of the founder of Russian greatness, dis-
tinctly urged the Czars always to keep in view the
one single object of extending the territ iry of Russia to '
the east and the north. This was to be accomplished ,
by keeping up large standing armies, awl seizing upon
every opportunity which might offer for invading Tur-
key, Germany, or the States of the Baltic ; and how
faithfully the successors of Peter the Great observed the
terms of his will, that the territory of Russia was more
than twice as extensive now than it was in the time
of Peter. Russian authority was extending down the
Baltic ; Poland hail been lawlessly partitioned by the
force of her army, and although she had not yet ob-
tained the great object of Muscovite ambition, namely,
the possession of Turkey, the fears of the Empress
Marie Therese were all but realised as far as Austria
was concerned ; for Austria was now virtually
at the mercy of Russia, and this dangerous position
was attributable in a great measure to the neglect of
that wise and good Princess's advice, never to allow
the independence of Poland to become a sacrifice to
Russian ambition. The treaty of Vienna recognised
that independence, but subsequently it became manifest
that the treaty was a sham which Russia was determined
to set aside on the first opportunity. Before the Congress
of Vienna, the great statesmen of England, such as
Burke, Fox, and Castlereagh, urged their eloquence,
and, with the aid of their pens, the vital importance of
protecting Poland against the restless and reckless am-
bition of Russia ; but it was thought the treaty of
Vienna would afford the necessary protection, an impres-
sion which the progress of time had demonstrated to be er-
roneous. When the proper time came the blow was struck
at Poland ; after the first fall of Napoleon an understand-
in.- was come to between Austria and Russia whereby
Poland was to he handed over to the latter, but the
escape of Napoleon from Elba completely changed
the aspect of European affairs, and Polish nationality
was guaranteed upon the condition that its throne
should be attached to the Romanoff family. At
the second fall of Napoleon at Waterloo the na-
tionality of Poland was again recognised by the treaty of
Vienna, and from that time up to its second partition
the policy of France and England was directed towards
securing Polish independence. In an evil moment,
however, Poland was left to the mercy of Russia and
Austria, and she fell a prey to Russian ambition, a
fall which both England and France had since seen good
reason to deplore. Both English and French statesmen
admitted the importance of again obtaining the inde-
pendence of Poland as a guarantee for the peace and
tranquillity of Europe. But, they asked, what would you
have us do? What would he have them do, indeed? Why,
he would have them stipulate for the restoration of Polish
nationality before peace was signed with Russia, and
then there would be on record an illustration of what
Russia might expect should she ever again attempt to
violate the dictates of public law. He might be told
that the independence of Poland did not come within the
four points, but he would make it a fifth point,
and then there would be some security upon which
we could safely rest, that Russia would not have it in
her power to ride rough-shod over the liberties of Eu-
rope.
Mr. SCHOLEFIELD seconded the motion.
Mr. M. MILNES said it was his lot to address the
house on this subject when it was brought forward by
the late noble-minded Lord Dudley Stuart, and he
was anxious to say a few words upon this motion.
This was not exclusively a German question, because
the independence of Poland was as much essential for
the tranquillity of France and England as it was for the
security of Prussia and Austria. Russian Poland was
one mass of fortifications, and was equally as menacing
towards Austria as Sebastopol was towards Turkey.
But it was vanity for us to talk of suppres-
sing either the one or the other unless we did
something to change the conduct of the war. The army
must be more vigorously seconded and protected against
the casualties of the field. The character of the com-
mand roust be changed ; and when that change should
have taken place, and more spirit and vigourintroduced
into the War Department, be should have no fears for the
success of our arms. That success having been obtained,then
would be the time to insist upon Polish nationality, and,
the kingdom of Poland being restored on a solid foun-
dation, there need be no apprehension of the future de-
signs of Russia upon the tranquillity of Europe.
Lord R. CECIL denied that the partition of Poland
was a violation of public law, and declared that the
territory of England had increased just as much during
the last century as that of Russia. He referred to our
conquests in India, our achievement's in the lonian
Islands and Canada in proof of this assertion, and in-
sisted that nobody had ever stigmatised England as being
guilty of a public wrong, because they took possession
of such territories.

Lord PALMERSTON could not admit the force of
the noble lord's contrast. Our conquests were ever
from open enemies, who were opposed alike to our rule
and the cause of liberty, whereas the partition of Poland
was a gross violation of the rights of a friendly state.
With regard to the motion itself, he perfectly agreed with
the opening remarks of the hon. and learned gentleman
who introduced it, in thinking that it was for
the public advantage that foreign affairs should
be freely discussed and ventilated in the Commons
House of Parliament. The Government felt as keenly
as the hon. and learned gentleman the injustice which
was done by Russia in partitioning Poland. That
was an act at variance with public law and
moral right, and he as well as the Government
quite concurred with the honourable and learned
gentleman that neither Prussia nor Austria received a
sufficient remuneration for concurring in that gross act
of wrong. As for the motion, however, it was impos-
sible for this house to assent to it, becau4e it attempted
to dictate the terms upon which peace should be re-
stored. The house could not possibly be in possession
of such information as could justify it laying down terms;
but if the house had authority to dictate terms, the mo-
tion did not go far enough. It should go on to declare
that Poland ought to be redorel in its original
limits, which could not be easily accomplished. It
was quite time that the restoration of Poland
was not embraced in the four points, but it should be
remembered that the present position of Poland was not
a new danger, and as it did not arise out of the
present war, it could not well be made an absolute
condition of peace without the country had first deter-
mined that it had power to enforce it. He should be
sorry if anything he bad said could be construed
into a declaration against the claims of Po-
land, but still he could not assent to the
motion, and he hoped now that the hon. and learned
member having had an opportunity of easing his mind
upon the subject; he would see the expediency of with-
drawing it.
Mr. PHINN assented to this appeal, and the motion
was withdrawn accordingly.
[LEFT SITTING.]

ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL COM-.

1111TTEE.-(TIIIS DAY.)

(Continued front our first editiwt. )

Mr. Flower, in continuation, said—To the sick it was
generally given out, but not always. When the wet
weather set in the illness increased amongst the men.
The knapsacks were not given out to the men who were
lying wet and sick in the tents. It was a regulation of
the service against which strong remonstrances were
made. Tha men suffered very severely from the want
of change of clothing, winch might have been prevented
by giving them their knapsacks. The officers did not
suffer a like inconvenience, because they took up their
clothing with them. Up to the time he landed in the
Crimea, in Sept., till he left in the middle of Dec., nearly
three months, the men had not changed their clothing.
After the battle of Inkeiruan thera were between 200
and 300 men of his regiment fit for duty out of the 1,020
who were taken out from Ireland, and an additional 100
the regiment received out there. The men were greatly
overworked, and exposed to the weather. He had fre-
quently heard men say that they had to work in the
trenches two days and nights out of three. About twice
a week the men had tea, at other times coffee.

Mr. Layard—How was the coffee served out!
Mr. Flower—Always green.

Mr. Layard—Howdidthe men roast it
Mr. Flower—They roasted or charred it on the top of
the camp kettle, and pounded it with a large stone or
cannon ball.
Mr. Layard—Do you think that was proper for the
men ?

....... .
Mr. Flower —Oh, no. It was nothing like coffee. It
ta,ted more like charcoal and water.
Examination continued—He was taken ill, and sent
on requisition for removal. That requisition had to go
throm4h five different departments for " permission."
He remained a week in that state, but the permission
never came back, and he was at last removed by order
of the medical board. All requisitions for removal of
the sick had to go through the same process. While he
was in the Crimea his tent was blown down, and ho
and his men had to lie op the ground 24 hours. The
result was that he was frostbitten, and five of his men
died. The sick on being conveyed from the Crimea to
Scutari were lying about on the decks without any bed-
ding. There were 25 orderlies in the ship he was sent
over in, but they were all sick, weakly men. The pa-
tients were in a filthy state, and covered with vermin.
Between 20 and 30 died between the Crimea and Scu-
tari. Some of the patients were landed by means of a
steam tug immediately ; others remained three or four