The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-09 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, MAY 9 1855.

office for persons not included in the families, ;
whether a reasonable chance of winning distinc-
tion shall be afforded to those who justly deserve
it, although placed beyond the liMits of the family
circle ! The mere catalogue of the Uabiteet, 4
at present constituted, supplies an irresistible
argument in favour of Administrative Reform,
and a complete change in the obnoxious system.
We do not by any means assert that because a
man holds a hereditary title he should, ex necessi-
tate, be considered incompetent to fill an onerous
and important situation. But it is, indeed, a
very singular circumstance that thirteen out of
the fourteen Members of the Cabinet should have
what our maritime brethren are accustomed to
designate as "handles to their names," and that the
fourteenth should be the husband of the niece of a
Marquis, who possesses great influence among the
family ; that he should, in right of his wife, be
the representative of an extinct earldom, and
that his son should have married the daughter of
another earl. That all these—the chief prizes in
the political lottery—should have been distributed
within such narrow limits, leads to a suspicion of
not very fair play towards their competitors.
We see that genius, experience, and industry
cannot insure promotion, while others are.pitch-
forked into places fdr which they are wholly in-
competent, and when, on closer examination, w•e find
that the former are merely " men of the people,"
without any recommendation.beyond their own
acknowledged merits, and that the latter belong
to the favoured caste, that the administrative
" ichor" circulates in their veins, or those of their
wives, we must believe that the latter cause
has alone led to their selection.

NI.ONE'I MA RKET

r '66 ri**r7Cl 161;771Wri
1J a 1 11 11 7,ll`ti

AND

( 0 MERCIAL TELtIGEA. CE.

PARIS, WEDNESDAY MORNING.

CITY, Two o'CLocx.

The Moniteur of this morning publishes des-

The Cotton Market at Liverpool y....sterda3
closed with much excitement, and priccs of Ameri-

patches from General Canrobert of the 28th ult.

can are id. to id., and Surat id. per lb. dearer.
The sales 'were estimated at 20,000 bales (2,500
of -Which were taken for export, and 13,000 on

n writing to the Emperor he says :--

" I announce with happiness to your Majesty
;hat the English army, always so reliable (se

speculation), comprising 600 Pernam and Maran-
ham at 5:111. to 61d., 300 Egyptian at 6d. to Bid.,
2,000 Surat at 3d. to 6id., and 70 Sea Islands at
9d. to ls. 10d. per lb. The Railway Share Market
was extremely inactive, at about the prices of Mon-
day last.

solide), has now become as fine, as numerous, and
as healthy as when it arrived in the East ; and

;hat it is daily receiving reinforcements of in-

antry, cavalry, and the means, of transport. I

The, pubic sales of indigo commenced yesterday
afternoon, and the quantity is stated by Messrs.
Layton, Hulbert, and .Co., to be 10,859 chests that
has to be offered. There is a moderate attendance
as Messrs. Jewesbury and Co. inform us (if both
home and foreign buyers.

continue to live on the most cordial terms with

Lord Raglan ; and the two armies are closely

united."

BERLIN, TUESDAY, MAY 8.

The early lots of the catalogues comprised broken
parcels of old Bengal, and a few small marks of
Madras and Kurpab, which were chiefly bought in
and withdrawn for want of competition. Later in
the day more important marks of Bengal, Benarei.
and Oudes, of the old and new crop, engaged the
attention of the room, and sold with fair spirit.

A despatch from St. Petersburg, dated the
7th inst., bas been received here. It says :

"On the night between the let and 2d the

enemy, having concentrated 10,000 men, took
possession of the lodgments in front of Bastion

Bengal, Oude, &c., at ls. 3d. to 7s. ; ]Madras, at
Is. id. to 4s. sd. ; Kurpah, at 2s. 3d..t0 ss. 6d. ;
and Bimlipatam, at 3s. sd. to 3s. 10d. per lb.
There were 483 chests sold yesterday, 455 bought
in, and 280 withdrawn.
The statistics of the tea trade show the total
stocks in the United Kingdom to be much large'
than at this time last year, viz., 76,000,0001b5.
In referring to the condition' of the dried fruit
trade, Messrs. Witherby and Hanson state that
the consumption of curlants in this country Illy
this year been 50 per cent.' above that of '1854.
Present stocks are expected to be exhausted befell.
the new crop comes to hand.
The bill for legalising and preserving the restore,'
standards of weights and measures has bees brought
into Parliament, and is intended to carry out th(
recommendations of the scientific commission whicl.
investigated this subject. Tho portion of the Ac.
of George the Fourth, providing that the standard
yard should be restored by reference to the lengtl
of a pendulum, and the troy pound by the weigh
of a cubic inch of water, is to be repealed, a,
there are doubts if those methods give suffi-
cient accuracy ; and the taw pound i,
no longer to be the standard, but th
pound avoirdupois, all other weights being derived
and computed therefrom. A grain is to b(
1-7,000 th part of, such pound, and 5,760 such
grains are to be deemed a pound troy. No inter,
ference is intended with the existing laws, whirl
render valid the pound troy as a weight, althougl
it wig no longer be. the standard. All copies of thi
old standards will continue to be legal where the:
have been compared and verified.
. .

No. 5, and captured nine small cohorn mortars.
"Oh the 2d the enemy opened a heavy can-

nonade on Bastions Nos. 4 and 5, and on the
adjoining lines. -The damage which they did was

repairod during the night.

" We fired with success five mines against the

enemy's approaches."

VIENNA, MAY 8.
The departure of Generals Hess, Craufurd, and

Look, for instance, to Sir CHARLES WOOD. He
has already presided over three of the most im-
portant departments of the State. As Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer: he had the control and
management of the national finances. We need
not now refer to his universally admitted incapa-
city in that position. At a time of profound
peace and universal tranquillity he produced a
monetary convulsion that brought the Exchequer
to the eve of bankruptcy, and eventually he
brought about the overthrow of the RDSSELL Ad-
ministration. But he was one of "the QUEEN'S
bad bargains," who, from his family connexion,
could not be shelved, and therefore, when far
better men were excluded from office, we find
him, on the formation of the Joint-Stock Cabinet,
placed at the head cf the India Board, the salary
and position whereof were, by an ingenious piece
of legerdemain, materially enhanced to meet, not
his deserts, but the wishes of his brother-in-law.
In like manner he was trauslqted to the Board of
Admiralty at the time when efficiency was most
required in "the First Lord." In each and every
position he has afforded the strongest illustration
of the defects of the vicious system that could
tolerate such a man in such a place.
Sir G. CORNEWALL LEWIS may be regarded as
another striking instance of the rule of nepotism.
We have seen in his Budget conclusive proofs of
his incapacity, and yet he is allowed to waste hun-
dreds of thousands—aye, millions—while better
men are scrupulously held aloof.

Letang is still uncertain.

From Constantinople of the 3d inst. we learn

;,hat Lord Stratford de Itedcliffe's absence had
facilitated the overthrow of Reschid Pacha's
ministry. The cholera at Maslak is increasing.

THE BALTIC.
BERLIN, TUESDAY, MAY 8.

Our Minister at Copenhagen has given notice
to the Danish Government that from the 28th of
April the entrance to the Gulf of Finland is block-
aded from Hango Udde to Dagerort.

THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Morning Herald.)
ENGLISH CAMP, HEIGHTS OF SEBASTOPOL,
April 25.
Last night the French had a very smart affair
on the left, in an attack on an extensive rifle
trench. This work enfiladed one of the Russian

.The accounts from New York represent the stock
market as being buoyant and active, owing to the
news received from Europe, and which was con-
sidered more favourable. The banks were curtail-
ing their operations, however, and the last weekly
return showed a diminution in every department.
Money was ( xpected to be easy.
The price of bar silver has risen to ss. lid. per
ounce. The amount of bills drawn during the last
fortnight by the Hon. East India Company is
21,203/.
The Stoec Market has been in rather a listless
condition, but with a little more firmness in the
quotations. The testimony borne by General
Canrobert to the restoration of the British army
in the East to a state of efficiency equal to that

advanced batteries, on the extreme left, near the

Mud. Fort, and annoyed our allies considerably.
But the serious nature of its mischief was not

fully appreciated until the French began, like our-
'elves, to push forward approaches for a still
more advanced battery. The working parties en-

gaged in this were incessantly harassed, and at
length, as they approached the trench, lost so
considerably, that its capture at all risks became
absolutely necessary to the continuation of the
parallel. A strong party of Chasseurs and
volunteers were last night told off for this
purpose. They proceeded to the spot ; but, instead
of charging the trench and closing instantly, began
their operations by trying to dislodge the riflemen
with a skirmishing fire. This continued for nearly
half an hour, and in such a contest I need hardly
say all the advantage was on the side of the enemy,
who were almost completely screened, while the
assailants were totally exposed. The French suf-
fered rather severely, but at last succeeded in getting
on the flanks of the trench, where they maintained
such a fire that the Russians were compelled to
abandon its useless shelter, and, as they retired to
their batteries, nearly all were either killed or
wounded on the open ground.
The French took possession of the trench, and, in
spite of a heavy cannonade which the enemy
directed on the spot, kept their ground, and pre-
pared to fill it in. They had half succeeded in
their object, when a strong force of RUS6IIIIB made
their appearance, for the purpose of retaking the
post. After a short but severe contest, in which
the enemy twice charged with the bayonet, they
were totally repulsed, and driven back to the town
in complete disorder. The French then continued
their work of filling up the pit, in which they were
no further molested by the batteries, probably be-
cause the Russians were aware that many of their
wounded remained upon the spot. The trench was
completely filled in, and its parapet levelled in the
course of an hour, when both French and Russian
wounded were removed without hindrance.

We might adduce other cases, but why multiply
examples ? The nation must indeed be apathetic
that can submit to such cases. With our con-
temporary the Herald, who has rendered import-
ant services to the good cause, by directing atten-
tion to this untoward, this scandalous state of
affairs, we declare that "our first duty must be to
get rid of this family alliance ;" that to do so is
" the cause alike of the Throne, the nobility, and
the people." " The insolent pretensions of a
family coterie" must be completely disposed of,
and all must join in the just demand—" The
right men for the right places."

existing before the severe losses at Inkerma❑ ancl
by the trials of the winter campaign, is calculated
to excite increased confidence in our ultimate
success before Sebastopol, should no inglorious
peace arrest the siege. The price of Consols
was 88i and is now 88g. . Bank Stock has been
quoted 210 k, and India Stock 230, being about the
previous rates. Exchequer Bills are ss. to Bs.

•premium.
Foreign Securities are a shade higher, although
there is not much doing. Turkish Bonds have
risen to 7% and 74. Sardinian are 854. Russian
5 per Cents. have been quoted 981, and Dutch 4
per Cents. 911 to 921. The Spanish Certificates
have been dealt in at 31 to 4, and Portuguese 4
per Cents. at 421.
The following are the nominal prices of foreign
stocks :--Grenada Deferred Bonds, 6to 6i; Mexi-
can, 201 to 21 ; Peruvian, 67 to 69; ditto Three
per Cents., 47 to 49 ; Portuguese Four per Cents.,
11 to 43 ; Russian Five per Cents., 98 to 100 ;
ditto Four-and-a-Half per Cents., 87 to 89 ;
Spanish New Deferred, 18i to 18-a ; ditto Three
per Cents., 36i to 361; ditto Certificates, 3, to 41;
ditto Passive, 31 to 4.
Very few transactions have been recorded in the
English Railway Shares, and the quotations are
supported in most cases, and in some instances are
slightly higher. The Canadian Shares have been
about 10s. higher. The Scinde have advanced 1,
and the East Indian Extension area better. The
French lines look firmer.
The Foreign Mines are heavy, the Banks in re-
quest, and Crystal Palace dull.

THE DUKE OF SAKE-COBU.RG GOTHA.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Saxe Clburg arrived
at Buckingham Palace, from the continent, at twenty
minutes past ten o'nlock last night. The Duke was met
at the London-bridge terminus of the South-Eastern
Railway by Captain Du Plat, Equerry to Prince Albert,
who attended his Royal Highness to the Palace, where
the Queen and Prince Albert received their illustrious
relative.

BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY.—CLOSING PRICES,
(From the Otqcial List. )
Be 'meg.; done
sink Stock ..........„ -210 A 11
3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities
3 per Cout. Consols Annuities
New 3 per Cent. Annuities
~,,u, Annuities, Expire sth Jan., lstql
Ditto 30 Years, Expire sth April, 1885 10 15-16
India Stock
I 011 a Bonds' 1101;0
Ditto, under 1;1000 l5 17
Consols ;er Account, 10th May BB,i I
Omnium
qiiich.quer Bills, 24d.
Srnali 5 8
.txchequer Bonds 1858, 32 per Cent. 99, I
PRICE OF FOREIGN FUNDS THIS DAY.
Brazilian Bonds, 5 per Ccut 9B
Ditto Nov 1843 lOl
'
Danish Bonds, 1825, 3 per Cent Bl
Grenada Bonds, 1?, per Cent. ......... 17
Portuguese Bonds, 5 per Cent., Con. 1811 .
Ditto 4 per Cent.
-Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent. £St 9Bi
Russian Bonds, 4. per Cent BB
• ardiniau Bonds, 5 per Cent. • 854 6
Spanish Committee Cert. of Coup. not fun 34 4 31 p c
tarkish Bonds, 6 per cent —
Ditto for the Account....
Venezuela Bonds, 3,i per Cont ....•—•••••••••
Ditto Deferred, 1 per Cent
patch Exic'''hadnegneds, 2 'neura(b;evnet.pallaGblueil4:l.lfd6o3n.A. 4
Ditto 4 per Cent. Certificates ....,
THREE O'CLOCK.
Consols ...... 88A 4
Ditto, May Account ... BB-a i

Our allies in this affair lost upwards of 100 men
and officers killed and wounded. One officer and
47 men, it is said, are among the former. The Rus-
sian loss we can only conjecture, but it can be little
short of double that of the French. They left about
30 dead. and 10 or 15 wounded upon the ground.
Tlie rest they succeeded in carrying off.
It is rumoured that another trench, which has
not yet been used by the enemy, still exists near
the same spot, and in a much more difficult position
to attack—so that, in the course of a few days, as
the French parallel approaches it, theyjmay look
out for another contest like that of last night.
Last night the Montebello, 120, French screw
liner, was near falling a prey to the enemy in a most
inglorious manner. During the dark nights, as I
have already informed your readers, some one or
other of our vessels were ordered to steam in
towards Sebastopol, and fire a couple of broadsides
at the sea forts, and, perhaps (as it sometimes would
occur), into the town. Last night the weather
being rather thick, the Montebello was told off for
this duty. She was to go in as near as possible, fire
two or three broadsides and then steam out with
all speed—a rathez inglorious method of fighting
for the allied fleets, but one which, in harassing
the enemy, answers its purpose uncommonly well.
The Montebello accordingly went in to within half
a mile of the sea forts, and, in the course of a
minute, gave one tremendous broadside of her 60
heavy guns; but, unfortunately, as she did so her
boiler burst, at least blew out the steam-pipes,
sand left her helpless in the water. The wind was
dead on shore, and the instant the propeller ceased
to act she began drifting steadily broadside in to-
wards the sea forts. Sail was set and every effort
used to back her off, but, as the weather was thick
and she was already in shoal water, there is little
doubt how the affair would have terminated had
not one of our steam-frigates and a gun-boat, which
were cruising near, observed her imminent peril
and hastened to her assistance. By these her head
was towed round, and in a few minutes she was
pulled out of all danger, having had on the whole
as narrow an escape of being captured as any ves-
sel which has been out here.
Had the Russian forts been fully manned, -there
is little doubt but that she would have been almost
cut to pieces, perhaps even sunk outright.
APRIL 26.
Early this morning Lord Stratford de Redcliffe,
accompanied by Lady Stratford and her three
daughters, the Hon. Misses Canning, Lady George
Paget, Miss Macdonald, General Vivian, and seve-
ral other distinguished passengers, arrived at Ba •
laklava in the Caradoc.
One hundred and fifty tons of shot and shell,and•
one hundred and twenty tons of powder, were for-
warded to camp to-day, with 12 more guns, taken
from the Leander.
I mentioned in my journal of yesterday that the
French had taken one rifle pit, but that another,
still stronger, was more than suspected to exist a
little further on. The existence of this one is now
placed beyond a doubt, the Russians having occu-
pied it this morning, and commenced a smart fire.
But this is not all.
The enemy have repaired all the chief portions of
the works which were damaged by our lab!) cannon-
ade. Their works facing those of the French, near
Inkerman, are incomparably stronger than any of
our allies have to oppose to them. Throughout the
whole of our last attack these batteries maintained
a decided superiority over the French, but this was
a nr,tter of less moment, as the allies only wish to
engage, not to destroy the Russian works as this
portion of their defences. The Mamelon has been
almost entirely renewed, and mounts as many guns
as ever. The same may be said of the batteries
round the Malakoff Tower, which still look as solid
and well proportioned as ever. The Redan ap-
parently is entirely restored. The Flagstaff
seems the only outwork which has really suffered
irreparably.