The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-04 00:00:00

LONDON, SATURDAY EVENING, AUGUST 4, 1855.

TJPER PHOSPHATE COMPOST
COMPANY.

THE DIRECTORS HEREBY GIWE NOTICE, That a Dividend
en the paid-up capital of the Company, at the rate of 10 per cent.
per annum, for the half-year ending the 30th Jane last, will be pay-
able at the Company's offices, 427; Strand, on and alter Monday, the
13th day of August instant.
' By order of the Board of Directors,
W. W, WATSON", Secretary.
Dated Ist August, 1855:

ARUSSIAN INFERNAL MACHINE,
picked up off Cronsta it, by 11. Ni.S. Wellingb n, is on view
and its use ex pia+ ned daily, at the ROYAL P ARO PT [CON, T.ticester-
square. Doors open, morning, 12 to 5 ; evening, 7to 10. Admission,

OYAL POLYTECHNIC, 309, Regent-street,
Patron, H. R. H. Prince Albert. —the leading, Institution for
all scientific novelties.' The Effect of Russian Infernal' Machines,
demonstrated daily at 3.45 and R. 45. The Relics of the Franklin
F.xpedition, and the Arctic Collection or john_Barrow, Esq., on
view. Lecture by J. H. Pepper, Esq .on the Transmission of Vocal
and Instrumental Music through Solid Cohductors illustrated by
the Orpheus Glee Union. Mon lay, at 3, and Wednesday and Friday.
t 3 and 8. Dissolving Views of the 1114 Battles, Diorama of Sam
Slick, &c. This Evening, the th inst , Lectgres.on Coal •and-Coal
Gas, by Lewis Thompsofl, Esq.

QIEGE- OF SEBASTOPOL.=ROYAL
REY ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.—Great attractions every
Evening this week, SATURDAY included. Danson's collossal
modelled picture of Sebastopol. Dioramic views ofCronstade, Revel,
llelsingfers, Odessa, Eurmtoria, Balaklava, and Cathcart's-hill,
painted by P. Phillips. Troupe of Spanish Minstrels in national
costume. Various novel amusements, concluding with the magnifi-
cent spectacle of the Siege of Sebastopol. Feeding the Aaimals at
half-pivt five. Repulse of the Russian sortie at a quarter past six.
Vocal and Instrumental Concert at half-past six. Bombardment
and brilliant pyrotechnic display at a quarter to ten. Admission, Is.

CREMORNE. -- Admission, One Shilling.—
The full stinimer beauties of these deligh ful Gardens can
now he enjoyed, with all the 'advantages resulting from the labours
of the sculptor, the modeller, and the pointer, which, combined with
the efforts of leading musicians, talented comic and sentimental
vocalists, extraordinary acrobats, dashing equestrians, elegant dan-
cers, and effective choreograppens, render every hour from a till 12
I marked period for amusements as varied as they are interesting.
The very eft', ctive Ballet, Red, White, and Blue, at half-past seven.
The Cirque at balf=pastnine. Grand Ascent at eleven.' Admission,
Sunday, refreshment card, 6d. Table de Mite at 6, 25.,6d. Haunch
of Venison also at 6. Tickets from 111 the Piers, one shilling, includ-
ing admission to the Gardens. Preparations for Mr. T. B. Simpsou's
Benefit, on the 9th of August, are being made upon a scale of unusual
splendour.

THE LONDON GAZETTE OF LAST NIGHT.

WAR-OFFICE, AUG. 3.
4th Regiment of Light Dragoons—To be Comets, by
purchase—The Honourable Frederick George Ellis, vice
Weatherley, promoted ; James Roxburgh, Gent., vice
Winstanley, promoted.
12th Light Dragoons—Captain A. U. Wombwell, from
the 62d Foot, to be Captain, vice Williams, who exchanges.
13th Light Dragoons—Stanley D'Astel Calvert Clarke,
Gent., to be Cornet, without purchase, vice Maclean,
promoted.
Grenadier Guards—Lieutenant and Captain Robert
Anstruther to be Adjutant, vice Cust, who resigns the
Adjutancy only.
let Regiment of Foot—The promotion of Ensign G. G.
Stewart, as stated in the Gazette of the 26th June,
1855, is towards completion of establishment, and not vice
Creagh, as previously stated.
3d Foot—Charles George John Torriano, , Gent., to be
Ensign, without purchase, vice Astley, appointed to the
6th Dragoons.
4th Foot—Lieutenant and Quartermaster James Ander-
son, from the' 48th Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Bond,
promoted without purchase, to an Unattached Company ;
Ensign W. Fagan to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice An.
derson, who retires.
7th Foot—Lieutenant J. F. Hickie to be Captain, by
purchase, vice Pearson, appointed to the Grenadier
Guards ; Ensign R. W. Sparks to be Lieutenant, .by pur-
chase, vice Hickie; Francis John Foster, Gent., to be
En-
sign,
by purchase, vice Sparks.
• Bth Foot—Ensign W. H. Mounsteven, from the 44th
Foot to be Ensign, without purchase, vice M‘Namee, pro-
moted in the 72d Foot.

9th Foot—Henry Kitchener, Gent., to be Ensign, with-
out purchase;
13th Foot—Ensign H. A. C. Wroughton, from the 52d
Foot, to bo Lieutenant, without purchase. To be Ensigns
without purchase—Lieutenant William Stroker Cunning-
hame, from the Royal Perth Militia ; Alexander Baring
Bingham, Gent. The surname of the Ensign app ;inted
from the Louth Militia to the 13th Foot, on the 20th of
July, is Henzell, and not Hewgell, as previously stated.
17th Foot—Augustus L'Estrange, Gent.,,to be Ensign,
without purchase; Lieutenant Roger Swire to be Adju-
tant, vice M`Pherson, who resigns the Adjutancy only.
18th Foot—Lieutenant W. N. Franklyn, from the 81st
Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Faircloth; who exchanges.
19th Foot—Ensign George Forbes to be Lieutenant,
without purchase, vice Scott, deceased ; Conynghame
fours Backas, Gent., to be Ensign, without purchase, vice
Forbes.
21st Foot—Brevet-Major J. T.- Dalyell to be Major,
without purchase, vice Erevet-Lieutenant-Colonel Hon.
Jaynes Lyon Browne, whose Brevet Rank has been con-
verted into Substantive Rank, under the Royal Warrant
of 6th October, 1854 ; Lieutenant Roger Killeen to be
Captain, without purchase, vice Dalyell. To be Lieu-
tenants, without purchase—Ensign John Bennett, vice
; Ensign E. P. Chichester. To be Ensigns, with-
.out' purchase Lieutenant Henry de Montfort, from the
Longford Rifle Regiment of Militia, vice Bennett ; James
Patrickson, Gent., vice Chichester ; Assistant-Surgeon
James Castor Smith, from the Staff, to be Assistant-
Surgeon, vice Patrickson, who resigns.
23d Foot.—The first Christian name of Ensign Fitzßoy,

.ppointed to the 23d Foot, on 20th July, 1855, is
\Vriothesley, and not Wriottesley as previously stated.
25th Foot.—Ensign C. G. Harison to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Breedon, who retires.
2 th Foot.—George William Henry Wardell, Gent., to
be Ensign, without purchase, vice King, promoted in the
56th Foot.
29th Foot.— Serjeant-Major John James Bailey to be
Ensign, without purcbasa, vice Smith, promoted.
32d Foot—To be Lieutenants without purchase—Ensign
0. M. Foster, vice Kirkwood, deceased ; Ensign W. M.
Crowdy, vice Foster, whose promotion on May 29 has been
,ancelled. To be Lieutenant by purchase—Ensign R. T.
Knox, vice O'Callaghan, promoted.
34th Foot—For Ensig i James L. Stack, in the Gazette of
July 27, read Thomas L. Stack.
35th Foot —Ensign M. M. Pohle to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Tennant, who retires.
37th Foot—George GoOdridge Fraser, Gent., to be En-
sign, without purchase, vice Gubbins, promoted in the
56th Foot.
!?:39th Foot—Lieut. F. W. Foster to be Captain, without
purchase, vice E. B. Maunsell, killed. To be Lieutenants,
without purchase—Ensign H. L. Nicholls, vice Foster;
Ensign T. R. Gosselin, vice Nicholls, whose promotion on
'27th July, 1855, has been cancelled. To be Ensign, with-
out purchase—Sergeant John Shaiples, vice Gosselin, pro-
moted.
40th Foot—Ensign F. W. Osborne to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Gardyne, who retires.
41st Foot—Lieutenant H. V. Pennefather, from the
22d Foot, to be Captain, by purchase, vice Bourne, who
retires ; Ensign T. F. Boddington to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Hamilton, whose promotion, by purchase,
on the 24th November, 1854, has been cancelled.
44th Foot—Ensign R. M. Rolgers to be Lieutenant,
without purchase. To be Ensigns, without purchase
Ensign E. W. Bennett, from the 59th Foot; John Rice
New bolt, Gent., vice Rogers, promoted.
47th Foot—Serjeaut Thomas Quinn, to be Ensign, with-
out purchase.
4sth Foot—Quartermaster-Serjeant John Maitland to
be Quartermaster, vice Anderson, appointed to the 4th
Foot.

50th Foot—Lieutenant E. C. Antrohus to bo Captain
by purchase, vice Thackwoll, who retires ; Ensign E. H
A. Masey to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vico Antrobus
the surname of the officer gazetted as Ensign on the 27th
July, 1855, is Burnand, and not Barnard.
52d Foot—Richard Davies Burroughs, Gent., to be En-
sign, without purchace, vice Wroughton, promoted in the
13th Foot.
55th Foot—Ensign G. F. Parke to be Lieutenant, by
purchase, vice Roxby, promoted. '
56th Foot—Lieutenant A. W. Joyce, from the 2d West
India Regiment, to be Captain, without purchase; Ensign
L. S. King, from the 26th Foot, to be Lieutenant, without
purchase ; Augustus Spiller, Gent., to be Ensign, without
purchase.
59th Foot—Archibald Shaw, Gent., to be Ensign, with-
out purchase, vice E. W. Bennett, appointed to the 44th
Foot.
60th Foot—The surname of the officer gazetted as En-
sign on the 27th July is Northev and not Northy.
62d Foot—Captain A. W. Williams, from the 12th Light
Dragoons, tobe Captain, vice Wombwell, who exchanges.
63d Foot—James Anderson Carnegy, Gent., to be En-
sign, without purchase , the Christian names of Ensign
Crowther, appointed on the 27th lint., are Richard Wil-
liam Barnardiston.
69th Foot—Lieutenant H. B. Brady to be Captain, by
purchase, vice Harvey, who retires; Ensign H. S. Turner
to be Lieutenant, by purchase, vice Brady.
72d root—Ensign J. 1114Namee, from the Bth Foot, to
be Lieutenant, without purchase. To be Ensigns, without
purchase—Serjeant-Major George M'Kay, and Francis
Charles Macpherson Glasgow, Gent.
77th Foot—Richard Butler Clarke, Gent., to be Ensign,
without purchase, vice Willoughby, appointed to the 60th
Foot.
78th Foot—Hugh Sim so Gent., to be Ensign, without
purchase. vice Walker, promoted.
79th Foot—Lieutenant J. H. Wyatt, from the 37th
Foot, to be Captain, by purchase, vice Scott, who retires ;
Randal Percy Otway Plunkett, Lord Louth, to be Ensign,
by purchase, in succession to Lieutenant G. A. Harrisson,
promoted.
81st Foot—Lieutenant H. J. Faircloth, from the 18th
Foot, to be Lieutenant, vice Franklyn, who exchanges.
84th Foot—Lieutenant Eugene Currie to be Captain, by
purchase, vice Davison, who retires.
Kennett Wilson, Gent., to
be BEstelis Fg
no o t
without—Step h epnu
reb a Henry e
93d Foot—George John Malcolm Taylor, Gent., to be
Ensign, without purchase.
Rifle Brigade—Ensign C. W. Cragg to be Lieutenant,
without purchase ; William Steward Travers, Gent., to
be Ensign, without purchase, vice Cragg. Errata in the
Gazette of the 27th July, 1855. For Ensign F. F. Thomas
to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Woodford, de-
ceased, read Ensign W. Stott to be Lieutenant, without
te purchase,beL
e t7i ce
tenant,Wo
promotion 6th July, has been cancelled.
Ist West India Regiment—Ensign Sidney Cave to be
Woodford, deceased Ensign F. F. Thomasa;se, vice Stott, whose
Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Wylie, killed ; Ensign
H. C. Gould to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice
Cave, whose promotion, without purchase, has been can-
celled; Ensign P. Malone to be Lieutenant, without pur-
chase, vice Gould, whose promotion, without purchase,
has been cancelled; Ensign J. R. O'Meara Lawlor to be
Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Malone, whose promo-
tion, without purchase, has been cancelled.
2d West India Regiment—Ensign W. C. O'Shaughnessy
to be Lieutenant, without purchase, vice Joyce, promoted
ui the 56th Foot.

Provisional Depot Battalion,-Quartermaster William
Watson, from the 89th Foot, to b• Quartermaster.

BREVET.

The undermentioned officers to have local rank of Cap-
tain while employed-with the Turkish Contingent, and not.
that of Major as previously stated :
Lieutenant George' ohn Power, late Royal Artillery.
Lieutenant James Casmajor arquharson, 2d Bombay
Cavalry.

_
Ensign Edward Willoughby, of the 10th Regiment
Bombay Native Infantry, to have the local rank of Lieu-
tenant, while employed with the Turkish Contingent.
Charles M. Jones, Gent., to have the local rank of
Acting Assistant-Surgeon , while employed with the Medical
Staff of the Turkish Contingent, vice Sibbald.
ROYAL HOSPITAL, CHELSEA.—Brovet Colonel and Ad-
jutant Sir John Morillyon Wilson to be Major, vice Le
Blanc, deceased.
MEMORANDA.—The promotion of Dr. George Anderson
to be Staff-Surgeon of the First Class to be antedated to
the Bth December, .1855 The first Christian name of
Acting-Assistant-Surgeon Fraser, appointed to local rahk
in Turkey on the 21st April, 1855, is Colin and not John,
as previously stated.
COMMISSION SIGNED BY THE QUEEN.

West Kent Light Infantry Regiment of Militia.—Henry
Pratt, Gent., late Serjeant-Major of the 17th Regiment of
Foot, to be Quartermaster.

COAiMISSIONS SIGNED BY LORD LIEUTENANTS.

2d Cornwall Itifles.--LEdward John St. Aubyn, Gent.,
to be Ensign.

Stirling;hire, &c., or 90th Regiment of Militia.—Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Sir Alexander Charles Gibson Maitland,
Bart., to be Lieut.-Col,-Commandant ; John Finlay, Esq.,
to be additional Major.
-Forfar and Kincardine R,.gim ent of Militia Artillery—'
ery—
Alexander Dickson, M.D., to be Surgeon, vice Hoyle, re-
tired ; Neil William Snodgrass Kennedy to be First Lieu-
tenant.:

4th or Duke of Lancaster's Own (Light Infantry) Royal
Lancashire Militia—John Wall Tibeaude, Gent., to be En-
sign.
7th Regiment of Royal Lancashire Militia—Thomas
Heywood, Gent., late Lieutenant 4th, or Duke of Lancas-
ter's Own (Light Infantry).-ttoyal •Laocashire Militia to be.
Lieutenant; William Dunbar Quinlan, Gent., to be En
sign.

[The following is hubstitnted for the advertisement
which appeared in the Gazette of the 31st Ju1v,.1855] :
Duke of Lancaster's Own Regiment of Yeomanry Ca-
valry—The Right Honourable Francis Egerton, Earl of
Ellesmere, K.G., to be Lieutenant-Colonel-Commandant;
Sir Robert Tolver Gerard, Bart., to be Lieutenant-Colonel,
vice the Earl of Ellesmere, promoted; John Langshaw,
Esq., to be Major, vice Gerard, promoted ; Le Gendre
Nicholas Starkie, Esq., to be Lieutenant, vice Fletcher,
promoted; Thomas Ridgway Bridson the younger, Gent.,
to be Cornet, vice Starkie, promoted; George Loch, Esq.,
to be Captain.
Worcestershire Regiment of Militia—William Coventry,
Gent., to be Captain, vice Bernard, resigned.
Queen's Own Light Infantry Regiment of Tower Ham-
lets Militia —Lieutenant Frederick Brash to be Captain,
vice Money, who retires; Lieutenant William Dixon to
be Captain, vice Bruce, who retires ; Lieutenant Ardwick
Burgess to be Captain, vice Jauncey, who retires ; Ensign
Herbert Augustus Voules to be Lieutenant, vice Brash ;
Ensign William George Neilson, to be Lieutenant, vice
Dixon. _ .

Royal Cardigan Militia—John Allen Lloyd Philipps,
late Captain 82d Regiment, to be Captain, vice Davies,
resigned.
2d Regiment of King's Own Staffordshire Militia—
George Walton, Gent., to be Ensign ; Frederick Alfred
Augustus White, Gent., to be Ensign.; David Watts,
Gent., to be Ensign.
Rifle Regiment of King's Own Staffordshire Militia—
Francis Edward Edwards Wilson, Gent., to be Ensign.
Royal Aberdeenshire Regiment of Militia—Ensign
Robert Frazer Humphrey to be Lieutenant, vice Hutchin-
son, resigned.
Kirkcudbright Quota of the Galloway Rifle Regiment
of Militia—Ensign George Augustus Westphal Barry to
be Lieutenant, vice Arthur Nugent Dunbar, resigned.
Ist Royal Lanarkshire Militia—Lieutenant James Coutts
Crawford to be Captain, vice Findlay, resigned ; Andrew
Pagan, Gent., to be Ensign, vice Vaughan, resigned.

- BANKRUPTCY ANNULLED.
Henry Spencer, linen draper, Ross, Herefordshire.
BANKRUPTS.
Samuel Gawan, victualler, Kent-street, Southwark. to
surrender, Aug. 11, at half-past twelve, and Sept. 12, at
one, at the Court of Bankruptcy. Graham, official as-
signee; Crafter, Blackfriars-road.
Joseph Hayward, woollen warehouseman, Church-court,
Old Jewry, Aug. 15 and Sept. 19, at twelve, at the Court
of Bankruptcy. Stansfeld, official assignee ; Linklater
and Hackwood, Sise-lane.
James Mitchell, manufacturer, Lano Ends, Keighley,
Aug. 17 and Sept. 28, at eleven, at the Leeds District
Court. Young, official assignee, Leeds ; Bond and Bar-
wick, Leeds.
James Wilson, innkeeper, Bowling, Yorkshire,, Aug. 14
and Sept. 4, at eleven, at the Leeds District Court. Hope,
official assignee, Leeds ; Butler, Bradford ; dond and Bar-
wick, Leeds.
Joseph Proffitt, grocer, Oldbury, Worcestershire, Aug.
17 and Sept. 7, at eleven, at the Birmingham District°
Court. Whitmore, official assignee, Birmingham ; Reece
Birmingham.
John Scott, grocer, Nottingham, Aug. 14 and Sept. 4,
Ist ten, at the Birmingham District Court. Harris, official
assignee, Nottingham ; Wells, Nottingham.
Herbert George James and John James, engineers,
Leadenhall-street, Aug. 8, at one, and Sept. 28, at eleven,
at the Court of Bankruptcy. Nicholson, official assignee,
Basingball-street ; Hewitt, Nicholas-lane.
William Scudds, livery stable keeper, Ble,ekhonth, Aug.
11, at half-past twelve, and Sept 14, at eleven, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Cannan, official assignee, Alder-
manburi ; Atkinson, Quality-court, Chancery-lane.
George Pell, scrivener, Welford, Northampton, Aug.
15. and Sept. 14, at one, at the Court of Bankruptcy.
Whitmore, official assignee, Basinghall-street ; J. and J.
H. Linklater and Hackwood, Sise-lane. . .

William Thorne, railway contractor, Queen-street-place,
City, Ang. 15, at one, and Sept. 14, at eleven, at the
Court of Bankruptcy. Cannan, official assignee, Alder-
manbuty ; J. and J. H. Linklater and Hackwood, Sise-
lane. . .

William Gregory, toy manufacturer, Sheffield, August
11, and Sept. 22, at twelve, at the Leeds District Court.
Brewin, official assignee, Sheffield ; Unwin, Sheffield.--
Joseph Meeke, draper. Sheffield, August 11, and Sept.
22, at twelve, at the Leeds District Court. Brewin, official
assignee, Sheffield ; Unwin, Sheffield.
Vohs Salmon (known as Salmon and Co.), boot and shoe
manufacturer, Brick-lane, Spitalfields, Aug. 10, at
eleven, and Sept. 12, at half-past two, at the Court of
Bankruptcy. Graham, official assignee ; Frost, Watling-
street.
William Trego, builder, Gunter's-grove, West Bromp-
ton, and Moor-park-terrace, King's-road, Fulham, Aug.
16, at two, and Sept. 18, at one, at the Court of
Bankruptcy. Edwards, official assignee, Sambrook°.
court, Basinghall-street ; Walters and Son, Basinghall-
street.
James Hall, broker, Nottingham, Aug. 14 and Sept. 4,
at ten, at the Birmingham District Court. Harris, official
assignee, Nottingham; Smith, Nottingham; Rushworth,
Birmingham.
Walter James Palmer, cattle dealer, Hotwell's, Bristol,
Aug. 13 and Sept. 11, at eleven, at the Bristol District
Court. Acraman, official assignee, Bristol ; Birch and
Davies, Newport, Monmouthshire; Bevan and Girling,
Bristol.
Richard Hardey, merchant, Kingston-upon-null, Aug.
15, and Sept. 12, at twelve, at the Leeds District Court.
Carrick, official assignee, Kingston-upon-Hull ; Holden
and Sons, Hull.
George Armitage, John Frankish, Wm. Frankish, and
Thomas Barker, railway carriage manufacturers, Sheffield,
Aug. 11, and Sept. 22, at twelve, at the Leeds District
Court. Brewin, official assignee, Sheffield ; Unwin,
Sheffield.
Bryan Kiernan, clothier, Manchester, Aug. 15, and Sept.
12, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court.' Fraser,
official assignee, Manchester ; Sale, Worthington, and
Shipman, Manchester.
Joseph Travis, wollen manufacturer and printer, Green
Bridge, near Newchurch, Lancashire, Aug. 17, and Sept.
21, at twelve, at the Manchester District Court. Herna-
man, official assignee, Manchester; Standring, junr:,
Rochdale; Hampson, Manchester.

BANK OF ENGLAND.
An Account pursuant to the Act 7th and Sth Victoria, cap. 32, for
the Week ending on Saturday the 28th day of July, 1855.

SPIRIT O THE PUBLIC.JOURIULS.

(Prom the Times of this day.)
It is difficult to imagine for what serious purpose Mr.
Laing hair-thought fit to' revive the discussion on the
Vienna Conferences. To that discussion he has brought
no novelty, except the general and highly gratuitous
assertion that the Western PoWers have forfeited the
good opihieri of Europe by insisting on their proposal of
counterpoise. The public opinion of England happens
to be easily ascertained, because the Legislature is mainly
representative and the press is free. The HouSe of Com-
mons shares with the organ of the largest circulation in
this country the opprobrium of indicating public opinion
too strongly, too immediately, so that, at all events, we
have a ,perfectly unprejudiced testimony to the exist-
ence of a public opinion, to its definite and influential,
charactely and to its particular judgments on public
affa7rs. There exists no such . testimony, no such
means of recognising and intrepreting the public
opinion of Europe, especially when we subtract
from it, as Mr. Laing does, France and the British
'lsles.' Had this gentleman supported .his assertion
by a reference to any European organ of -public opinion
having a large. circulation, or to any representative Le-
gislataree.or to any distinguished statesman or writer of
undoubted integrity, then, at least, his statement would
not have been gratnitoils, 'wed consequently worthless.
But he has done nothing of the kind, and all that is left
to us is to conjecture how he has been deceived, or
rather what apology he can have for a, statement calcu-
lated to damage the honour and interests of his country.
No doubt, many merchants, both here and abroad, have
suffered much by the war, and are threatened'•with ab-
solute ruin if it lasts long enough. It is quite possible
that some of them, after having originally condemned
Russia as the cause of the war, are ready, without: digs
crimination, to stigmatise all the Governments concerned
in it. No doubt, too, any German authority who would
dutifully assist the policy of his Government could not
do it better than by first inclining to the cause of the
allies, and then throwing all his weight on the other.
side. Whether any of the authorities by which Mr. Laing
has been guided are of this hollow character Cannot be
known till he explains whether he has any reason
at all for his statement beyond its convenience for the
purposes of debate. There are people who, in the ab-
sence of exact information, are ready to allege a general
belef for opinions which they wish us to imbibe ; but
they me commonly persons of confused intellect and
vapid conceptions. In fact, they tell us everybody
thinks so and so, because they have no other proof or
reason to 'offer. - That evidently is Mr. Laing's case
when he pretends that the continental men of business
had up to a certain point been on the side of the West=
ern Powers, but had parted company with them on the
rejection of the Austrian proposition.
Nor is this the sole assumption, resting only on the
convenience of the moment, that Mr. Laing has thought
it possible to impose on the house. He would have us
believe him as good an authority on the secret inten-
tions of Austria and Russia as on the public opinion of
Europe. Had we acquiesced in the plan of counter-
poise, Mr. Laing has no doubt that Russia would
have accepted the proposal ; he is equally certain that
the operation of the proposal would have destroyed
the Russian preponderance in the Black Sea ; and
he; enjoys the game absolute conviction that, even if
Russia had rejected the proposal, we should thereupon
have carried Austria with us in the war. If Mr. Laing
is really certain on these points he is probably the only
man in Europe who is, for even the politicians who, a
month ago, were trying to persuade us that the allies had
put themselies in the wrong were careful against corm
mitting themselves to a decided opinion that, even if the
allies had accepted the Austrian proposal, they
would
have gained more than the con,ciousuess of a pacific
temper and a 'just cause. Mr. Laing's conviction as to
the alliance of Austria, which he informs us we should
have scoured by_accepting ler proposal, is all the more r
singular, inasmuch as Austria, when questioned on that t
point, distinctly declined to put herself under any new a'
obligation. In fact, it was no proposal at all, unless it th
be a proposal to 'advise with the 'distinct understanding sei
that the ailvice is to cost the adviser nothing. How lam
Russia would, have received' the . suggestion of the of
counterpoise it is' equally impoSsible and needles to
say ; but Mr.' Laing, judiciously or inadvertently, omits
to inquire whether it consisted with the independence .1
of Turkey or our own dignity to propose tltat we Sal
might be at liberty to keep any number of ships we vet
pleased in the Black Sea, so long as we did not exceed in
the number of the Russian fleet, and that we should bind the
ourselves always to accept from Russia the limit of our am
fleet. In tact, the plan of a "counterpoise" meant PP
nothing more nor lese than the limitation of the Turkish ~13.!
rights in the Bosphorus and of the Western influence in 1.)1
the Black Sea. This, however, is a question of right: Pr'
There is an' ther'question of a more matter-of-fact kind,
on which it might be supposed Mr. Laing would be some gel
authority. He is of opinion that.the perpetual presence Wi
of a large fleet from the west of Europe, 3,000 miles of
from its ports and arsenals, standing guard in face of a oid
Russian fleet in its own harbours, would work well as a til:
security for the peace of Europe, the independence of ani
Turkey, and the proportion of Russian ambition. For n"
our part, we confess that we are too much struck by the
mete absurdity of the i lea to enter into a serious en,
examination of its working. The naval police of the ant
world, as discharged by the great naval Powers, is ths
already costly, troublesome, and irritating enough, AI:
even when it is confined to small squadrons at the
Mediterranean stations, or solitary frigates wander- me
in about the Pacific ; buC the idea of the allies ho'
maintaining a huge fleet al ways up to the size of the
fleet it is intended to check, in the very • face of Russia, g
is so much beyond anything that even England or France
has ever done, that it could not possibly have been con-
ceived by any friend of those nations.
Mr. Gk. dstune bas,taken the opportunity of renewing
his attempt to fasten on Ministers the responsibility of
the war, and Its expenditure of 'a
hundred millions a-
year. For this purpose he ingeniously dates the whole
discussion from the time, when the allies presented them-
Selves at the Vienna Conferences with their proposi-
tions, including one for the limitation of the Rug-
Bien power in the Black Sea. Indeed, his whole
speech rests on the idea of a perfectly spontaneous
and arbitrary interference of. the Western 'States,
coming forward for some unexplained reason or other,
and demanding that Russia shall submit to certain
restrictions. He wholly puts out of the question
that at the time when these propositions were
made we were resisting an act of " brigandage," which,
if tolerated, would have been fatal not only to the
independence of Turkey but the liberty of Europe. He
wholly puts out of the question that for the purpose of
effectually resisting this act of brigandage himself and
his colleagues bad undertaken this. war, carried it into
the enemy's country, and commenced the enormous ex-
penditure he complains of. He wholly omits that him-
self and his colleagues drew up and offered these propo-
sitions, and that they did so, not as 6esh provocations
of war, but as tense of peace which they would accept
from Russia as the pledge of her desisting from her ar-
bitrary and insolent aggressions. Mr. Gladstone, in-
deed, attempts to distinguish between the- course. taken
:by his Government and the present, by alleging that
Lord Aberdeen proposed the "limitation" simply as a
matter to be talked and thought about, whereas Lord
Palmerston, he says, has insisted on its acceptance, and
refused to desist from the war till it is agreed to: Of
Mr. Glaydetone's own actions, and of the particular mood
or intention in which he makes a proposal, he is the best
judge,—at least, few will undertake to explain for him
what possibly he cannot explain to himself ; but he is
very far from truth in alleging 'that the present Govern-
ment has insisted on the limitation as a sine qua non.
On the contrary, it has been ready to entertain any sug-
gestion from Russia which shall answer the same pur-
pose. The present Government has not converted a
pacific into an aggressive suggestion. We are still in
precisely the same condition as last year at this time,
when Mr. Gladstone and his friends were in power.
We are simply in arms repelling an act of " brigandage."
True, propositions for peace have been rejected on both
sides. Of course, we are under no obligation to make a
single proposal for peace. To do so was itself an act of
grace. We were justified, and are now justified, in car-
rying on the war to such extremities a 3 we may think
necessary for the common good of Europe. At all
events, if we, in our desire to avoid those extremities,
and to spare our foe as well as ourselves, tender certain
conditions of peace,,that tendei is not to be misrepre-
sentedas a gratuitous provocation, or as the whole
question at issue in the war.