The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-14 00:00:00

THE RUMOURED FALL OF KARS,

Nothing further even now is known, positively,
onoway or the other, as to the reported fall of Kars.
It is still—this bruited "Fall of Kars"—when the
very utmost has been said upon the matter, only
—rumoured ! Advices two days later from the
coast of Armenia, communications, that is to say,
dated from Trebizond upon the 21st of Novem-
ber, still breathe not a whisper about the flight of
ISMAIL PACHA before the victorious troops of
General MOURAVIEFF, or about the capitulation of
General WlLLtems and his heroic garrison. Not
an inkling of any such disaster is permitted to
escape the sealed lips of the Cabinet. Vague re•
ports have alone been audible to the effect that
Kars has actually fallen. Until these same re-
ports shall have been confirmed in some credible
manner, by reliable information derived from
some authoritative source, we must still remain
perversely and incorrigibly incredulous. We have
been so, very wilfully, no doubt, even from the
outset—while our daily contemporaries, one and
all, have chorused their credence in the calamity.
To-day, however, there is a somewhat tardy glim-
mering of unbelief even from the Times—the
Times, whose first leader commenced point blank
only yesterday, with " Kars has Fallen." Thi4
morning, on the contrary, there peeps forth,
however, in the Times, the admission through
"Our Vienna Correspondent," speaking from the
Austrian capital as recently as yesterday (Decem-
ber 13th, 11 a.m.), through the sententious
medium of the submarine telegraph, " Nothing is
known here (Vienna), in official circles, of the fall
of Kars." Soh ! as yet nothing is known about
the Fall of Kars, in official circles—at Vienna—
at Paris at London ! Kars is still only
rumoured to have fallen—upon no authority of
any note, upon no authority at all that is deafly
traceable. There is still, consequently, as wo
have maintained from the beginning, a possibility
that Kars has—even now—not fallen. Let us
p
hope so to the very last—remembering that uto
the present moment the " Fall of Kars',
u.
only
vaguely, dimly, mysteriously reported. Not
stated anywhere upon authority—but merely
reported !

There is confusion at the Horse Guards ! The
line, which so long complained against the supe-
rior privileges allowed to certain favoured regi-
ments of Guards, has had its grievances partially
removed, and the Guards are naturally indignant
at the abolition of any of the advantages to which
they may consider themselves entitled by severe
duty at London and Windsor, their highly aristo-
c ratio commanders, and the large amounts of hard
cash paid for their respective commis ions. They
cannot by any
imeans perceive the grounds on
which "mere infantry fellows" could hope to he
same footing with themselves, or
placed on the
why hard service in the field should be weighed t

in the same scale with "playing at soldiers" in -
Hyde-park, to the intense admiration of a large
body of nursery maids and too susceptible females.
A very pretty argument—we shall not call it dis-
pute—has therefore arisen between these respec-
tive branches of the military service, and a move-
ment has recently been made on behalf of the
Guards, which has occasioned considerable excite-
ment, and may lead to very important results.
A memorial has, it appears, been presented to
her MAJESTY within the last few days praying her
to rescind the warrant which she had been pleased
to issue, respecting promotions in the Army, and
under the provisions whereof the Guards affect to
consider themselves injured. It is asserted that
the originators of this movement have maintained
strict secrecy respecting the business in which
they were engaged, and suffered nothing to tran-
spire beyond the limits of the initiated and those
interested in the result. Some very high per-
sonages were concerned, and the signatures to the
petition or memorial were headed by the name of
the Prince Consort, whose " prayer" might be
considered to have almost the weight of a " com-
mand." Prince ALBERT interfered in his capacity
as Colonel of the Grenadier Guards ; but he should
have remembered that he was a pluralist,
and was also Colonel-in-Chief of the Rifle Bri-
gade, so that the influence which he exerted
in favour of those whom he commanded as
Colonel of Grenadier Guards was used ad-
versely to his companions of the Rifle Bri-
gade and the Albert Hussars, whom he so long
commanded. It is said, however, that the
weakest invariably goes to the wall, and H.R.H.
may have valued the 3, 0001. per annum which he
receives as a Grenadier far better than one-third
of the amount payable to the gallant Rifleman.
He therefore yielded to the superior attraction ;
and, notwithstanding the mystery in which the
matter has been so carefully enveloped, we have
seen the result.

It is, to Fay the least of it, unfortunate that
the name of the Prince Consort should have been
so unadvisedly introduced into the discussion.
The appointment of H.R.H. to what has been
justly termed by a contemporary "a highly lucra-
tive military sinecure, expressly reserved for the re-
ward of officers of long and distinguished service in
the field," created considerable excitement at the
time. An excitement renewed and increased by
the statements respecting the interference of the
Prince Consort in matters which, properly speaking,
should have been reserved for the exclusive consi-
deration of the SOVEREIGN, and her responsible ad-
visers and Ministers. All these matters will be
renewed, and there is some danger that the ques-
tion raised may be extended to greater length
than could be desired. We should wish to pre-
serve the name of our most Gracious QUEEN from
any invidious remarks, and therefore would
respectfully, but earnestly urge the pro-
priety of the Prince abstaining from any
demonstrations that may bring the " alter
ego" of her MAJESTY into any degree of
disrepute. " The QUEEN can do no wrong," and
the principle should not be brought in question
in any possible way. If the emolument of those
positions which seem incompatible with that of
Consort be the object—if 30,0001. per annum, in
addition to sundry Constableships and Ranger-
ships, Field-Marshal's pay, &c., &c., now enjoyed
by the Prince, be not sufficient remuneration for
his services, far better that there should be an
additional grant, sufficient to cover all that he
could require, and to permit his exemption from
matters that may occasion controversy, and bring
him into discredit with any class of herMaJEsTY's
subjects.

The newspaper editors and writers are more
generous than Mr. DRUMMOND. They don't
get angry with the Honourable Member for
Surrey, however personal he may be. The worst
they do, and they don't always do that, is to
laugh at his whimsicalities, and lay bare the ab-
surdity of his statements, while they are at all
times prepared to give him credit for the utter-
ance of a good thing. Yesterday, it will be
seen in our present impression, he " came cut
rather strong" in relation to the War in the capa-
oity of Chairman at the Guildford Agricultural
Society's annual dinner. A perusal of his speech
will show that, as usual, among a good deal of
amusing chaff, he threw out a few grains
of wheat, and most of these in the direc-
-1 tion of Austria. In dealing with the
claims of that great European humbug to join
with us in promoting the progress of civilisation,
he gave utterance, it must be admitted, to some
hard if somewhat exaggerated truths. " What!"
he indignantly remarked, " Austria, that has
now, for the first time in the world, given up the
whole of its subjects bound hand and foot and
body and soul unto the POPE. Is that part of
the progress of civilisation 1" To this inquiry we
would emphatically answer—No ! The deliver.
ante of any people over to the absolute dominion
of the spiritual, as opposed to the temporal,
power, is fraught with evils the most prolific
imagination would find it difficult to enumerate.
Without civil liberty, dissociating it if you
can from religious liberty, the case of a people is
bad enough, but when deprived of the latter it is
well nigh hopeless. There can be no progress in
civilisation, in the development of the moral and
intellectual faculties of a people placed under such
a regime. Deprived of these blessings, their
only hope, the only chance for them, is revolu-
tion. So strongly do we feel this, that we can
almost go along with Mr. DRUMMOND, when he
adds, " Why, Turkey, bad as she is--Russia, bad
as she is—are infinitely better than Austria ;"
for really what we know of history leads us to
anticipate less toleration of opinion, of the active
exercise of man's noblest faculties in Austria,
under the Concordat, than even in Russia, little,
HEAVEN knows, as is to be found there. A purely
spiritual dominion may be of a nature sufficiently
deplorable to excite pity, but when we see the
civil power virtually commpteteetdteoatthe
:hiheahnedvseryof
priests, we contemplate a spectacle
feeling of our nature rises in unmitigated revolt.
In connection with the above speech, it will be
well for the reader to peruse that of Mr.
MANGLES, who, it will be seen, puts the policy of
the War in relation to the progress of civilisation
in its true light. The attention of the reader
may further be directed to the speeches of Cap-
tain SCOBELL and Mr. TITE, the members for
Bath, delivered at the annual meeting of the
Bath and West of England Agricultural Asso-
ciation. These gentlemen, it will be seen, are
for such an earnest and active prosecution of the
War as will lead to a solid peace, and not a
merely patched-up truce, to be broken when
Russia has recovered from her exhaustion, which
she may possibly do in a few years.

The claims of JOSEPH HUME to a testimonial
for distinguished services to the cause of liberty
and good government in this country and else-
where are too eminent to need much advocacy.
Abler politicians and more distinguished orators
there unquestionably have been, but one more
honest, consistent, and plain spoken never. Fall
away from th• good cause who might he was
ever to be found at his post—zealous, enlightened,

What

determined, and doing good service.
storms of disapprobation, what bitter persona
ties, what misrepresentation, and what ridicule
he had to encounter in the discharge of
duty, we need not attempt to describe. Suffice
it to repeat, what we said some time back
when his claims were canvassed, that the moral
fortitude displayed throughout his career was
positively heroic. Nothing appalled, nothing de-
terred him. Through evil report and through
good report he was still 'Thum HUME—the
friend of the people—the advocate of judicious
retrenchment, and none other—and the ♦igorous
champion of liberty and progress. That he had
faults, is certain ; but they were faults into which
he was led through judging others by his honest
self. Would to HEAVEN we had more politicians
of his stamp, for England is in sore need of them
at the present moment. Entertaining these
opinions of the man and his career, it need hardly
be said that we cordially sympathised with the
proceedings at Marylebone Court House yester-
day, and feel deeply gratified with the result. A
testimonial to such a man is bat a bare discharge
of an incumbent duty. Let us add to it a hearty
resolution to follow, each after his particular
fashion, in the steps of a patriot so zealous, yet
so discreet and determined.

We have always vindicated the character and
conduct of Sir JAMES BROOKE from the charges
which have been so pertinaciously urged against
him. It is satisfactory to find that the views
which we have entertained have been fully con-
firmed by the Report of the Commissioners ap•
pointed to inquire into matters connected with
the Rajah, and the unequivocal approval by Lord
CLARENDON of what has already taken place. The
chief points relate to the undoubted piratical
habits of the Serebas and Sakarran tribes, which
have been clearly established. The charge of
having wantonly and without cause attacked these
so-called innocents has therefore "fallen completely
to the ground !" Lord CLARENDON also expresses the
satisfaction of the Government at learning that
the Commissioners were of opinion that Sir JAS.
BROOKE had not traded in the produce of the ter-
ritory under his control in any manner incompa-
tible with his duties as Consul-General and Com-

LATEST NEWS,

THE REPORTED FALL OF KARS.

VIENNA, THURSDAY, DEC. 13, 11 A.m.
Nothing is known here in official circles of the
fall of Kars.

Asays a despatch just received
fromt Te
Frankfort,
kifOrtde
,wasit rumoured on the 21st of
November that Omer Pacha had attacked Kutais.

The reinforcements he had received were not
very considerable. The Shah Bender of Trebi•
zonde has placed between 400 and E5OO beasts o:
burden at the disposal of the Porte.

A letter from Redout Kale, in the Post Gazette
of Frankfort, says :—" The Circassians have not
fulfilled the expectations of Omer Pacha by co-
operating with him, and the relations between
him and Schamyl are not friendly ; indeed he
fears that if ho were to march on the capital of
Georgia, Schamyl would attack him in the rear."

THE BRITISH EXPEDITION.
(From the Tinzes Correspondent.)

CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, Nov. 24.
The statements which you copied from a contem-
porary respecting the strength of the British army
next year we all received with satisfaction, not
altogether free from apprehension that the writer
may be mistaken. On ono point he certainly has
miscalculated, and that is the strength of the regi-
ments out here. He has assumed an average
which is considerably too high. For example,
the 30th has received very few draughts, and we
all know how it suffered at the Alma, at Inker-
man, in the trenches, and at the two assaults on the
Redan. Its present effective strength would tell on
an average very materially. There are several
regiments in the same category, while others are
very strong in men, though not perhaps containing
so many old soldiers as could be desired. There are
four months, however, before us, and the drill-
serjeant is busy all day. Every camp resounds to
his voice and to the tramp of the awkward squad.
Recruits have little time to spend in idleness and
drinking, and steps are taken to provide soldiers
with the means of reading, which they will so much
need and enjoy in the long winter nights before us.
But cannot Government be a little more liberal in
the matter of candles ? The issue of light is one
ration to every 12 men—that is, one ration for
each tent or serjeant's guard. Now, good public,
do you know what one ration consists of? It is
just two-thirds of an ounce of sperm candle or
two ounces of tallow candle—that is, of a bit
very like what economic housewives are familiar
with under the name of "save-ails." No one need
ever say "Put out the light" in a British camp,
for the candle is not lit very long before it dies of
its own accord. An officer receives the same ration
as is given to 12 men, lout ho can afford to buy
candles, and if he is a field officer his rations are
increased, on the principle, I suppose, that there
is more necessity for his keeping wide awake than
exists in the case of a subaltern. The libraries are
well filled with books, but there is little time to
use them by day, and it falls dark before 6 o'clock;
but 12 men are not likely to make much way in a
novel, a tract, or au entertaining miscellany by the
aid of two-thirds of an ounce of candle. They club
their little pieces of candle together, and resort to
many ingenious devices for keeping the lights in.
Some of them, like the Russian or Dutch sailors at
Spitzbergen, of whose very uncomfortable residence
vs e all have read,use the extra fat of mutton in lamps,
but in general they are obliged to purchase what
extra candles they like. And all this time there
are the canteens alight till an hour or more after
"retreat." We have had "balls" at Kamiesh lately,
which were, I hear, distinguished by remarkably
good conduct on the part of all present. Of the
progress of the libraries and of the lectures you will
hear from other persons. There are hotels esta-
blished. at Kamiesh, and restaurants, at which
excellent fare is to be had at high but not extrava-
gant prices.
The lines at Kamiesh are nearly completed.
Eight heavy redoubts and a splendid profile of
parapet and trench enclosing the place will remain
as lasting monuments of French military skill, and
will enable them to retain the ports of Kamiesh
and Kazatch when the bulk of the army has
retired.

Colonel Wetherall will, it is understood, succeed
Colonel M'Murdo, till the latter can return to his
command.

FRANCE.

PARIS, THURSDAY EVENING.
The Ottoman Ambassador at Paris has notified
to Prince Napoleon that the Sultan, desirous of
giving a proof of his gratitude to the French army,
offers to his Imperial Highness all the articles sent
by the Ottoman Empire to the Paris Exhibition of
1855, to he sold for the benefit of the widows and
orphans of the army in the East.
The Aroniteur has the following :
It will be remembered that in the letter addres.sed
by the Emperor to Marshal Pelissier, to congratulate
him upon the victory at Traktir, his Majesty announced
his resolution of successively relieving the regiments of
the army of the East by new regiments from France.
" The execution of that measure has already com-
menced. Two new divisions, the one under the orders
of General Chasseloup-Laubat, the other, consisting of
the brigades Jamin and Labodie, which left Marseilles
some weeks since, have already arrived in the Crimea.
On the other band, two divisions of the Crimea, one con-
sisting of the Imperial Guard, the other of the 20th,
39th, 50th, and 97th Regiments of the Line, return to
France, and in a few days will have arrived at Park
" Since the end of April, 1855, the date of its arrival
in the Crimea,up to the fall of Sebastopol, the division
of the Imperial Guard took a glorious part in all the
combats fought under the walls of that place.
"On the 2d of May, in the defence of our trenches,
attacked by a f9riniciable sortie of the garrison ; on the
22d of May, at the capture of the cemetery ; on the 7th
of June, at the Mamelon Vert ; on the 18th of June,
at the attack on the Malakhoff ; finally on the memo-
rable Bth of September, the Imperial Guard, by its
heroism, showed itself worthy of the rank which the
confidence of the Emperor bad beforehand assigned to
it in the army. The amount of its losses proves the
part it took. It lost in killed and wounded 140 officers
and. 2,471 non-commissioned officers and rank and file.
4t As regards the four regiments of the Line which
return with the Guard, they are among the first that
went to the East. They arrived at Gallipoli in April
and May, 1854 ; they fought successively in the Do-
brudscba, at Alma, at Inkerrran, at Kertch, at the
Mamelon Vert, at Traktir-bridge at Malakhoff. They
bore all the fatigues of the war, they shed their blood on
every battle-field ;it was reasonabe that these regiments
should at length have some repose, and cede to others
the place which they bad so long aad so nobly occupied
in the ranks of the army in the East."

BOURSE, Dec. 13.—Th© follcwing aro the las'
quotations :

Cash. fY. s.
41 per Cents 9l 60
3 per Cents 64 65
New Loan 65 40
Bank Shares 3210

/nd of Month
—f.
65 15

noman ...,

Credit Mohilier 1305 Austrian .
83
Belgian Five 5......., 94i Spanish Thlees 39i
Piedmontese B7 Home Debt 34