The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-28 00:00:00

- .
The BATTLE of BALAKLAVI and of INK ERMANN, added, by
a Third Act, to the successful Spectacle, the BATTLE of the ALMA,
which this week reaches its 116th representation ! The addition
embraces the ever-memorable charge of the British Cavalry, and
also those tremendous hand-in-hand encountels which characterised
the above engagements.

After which, and to conclude with, a select and prolonged Series of
SCENES hi the CIRCLE, invented by Mr. Wm. Cooke.

Boa-office open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W
West. Acting Manger, r. W. 11. Cooke. Equestrian Direct or
Kr. w. Ca ke, jun.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE
TRus DAY --MentißK 0 min.after 0 I Evening 13 rnin.aft, 12
fonnow • Morning 42 min.after 12 Evening 7 min.nh. 1

TTIE WEATHER.—Strx OFFICE, Feb. 28.
TdERHONETICE, IN THE SHADE•
51—highest since noon yesterday.
40—lowest this morning and during the night.
50 —this day, at noon.

BAROMETER, 29'83.
WIND, W.N.W.—Light, with mild, dull weather.

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 1855.

Government mismanagement has nowhere been
more conspicuous than in the transport service.
Notwithstanding the number of vessels belonging
to the Royal Navy lying idle and uselessly rotting
away—notwithstanding the number of efficient
offieeis on the half-pay list, a large proportion of
whom would willingly have availed themselves of
any opportunity of active service, no matter how
onerous or perilous—it was determined that the
resources of the Crown were not sufficient to meet
the emergency, and that it was essential to charter
private vessels to supply the palpable deficiency.
The great steam-packet companies were therefore
largely resorted to, as well as private shipowners.
These companies had entered into contracts for
conveyance of mails to various colonies and settle-
ments, and the vessels which they were compelled
to place at the disposal of the Government were
necessarily withdrawn from the stations for which
they had been intended, to the great derange-
ment and detriment of the ocean postal system.
The owners were of course largely remunerated.
It could not have been otherwise. The estimates
for the transport for the last and the current
year enable us to form some notion of the enor-
mous outlay—which amounted last year to no
lass than
3,582,4741., and which it is calcu-
lated Will amount to fully 5,081,4651., or
8,663,9391. for the two years—far more than
the aggregate value of all the transports employed
during any portion of the period.
We shall not now offer any commentary on the
gross improvidence, the wanton extravagance of
such a system. That it should be at all required,
against
established a prima facie case of negligence
If, however, the exigencies
" My Lords." of the
public service, the efficient and energetic manage_
ment of the War, and the forwarding the Blip_
plies necessary to our gallant army in the Crimea
required so large an expenditure, the people
would not have complained, but, on the contrary,
would gladly have liquidated a much heavier bill.
Unfortunately, however, the service so liberally
paid for was very indifferently performed. Many
of thevessels were kept perfectly idle,!while even
those engaged were not permitted to land their
cargoes. Impediments and difficulties were on
every occasion, and on the most trivial pretexts,

thrown in the way. It was, in fact, as if the
permanent employees thought that their most im-

portant duty was to snub the " casuals," and to