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

.RUSSIAN REWARD OF MERIT.

While we are ready to appreciate the courage exhibited
in the advance of this week, under the actual circum-
stances, and while we cannot but think it promises much
more, yet we remember, with a feeling akin to humilia-
tion, that in this, the eighth month of a siege conducted
without stint of life or treasure, we are only just taking
up the position we ought to have arrived at by the 17th
of last October, if not still earlier. Just at this moment,
when we are slowly making up for lost time, and actu-
ally learning siege operations from a foe we had been
taught to despise, an opportunity occurs for comparing
the spirit that directs the operations of the besiegers
and the besieged. A letter from Sir John F. Bur-
goyne gives us once more the familiar picture of
the veteran military savant, who views a siege
principally as a school for teaching the science of
fortification. The gallant old general is still of
opinion that everything was done right, though it led
of necessity to a disastrous conclusion, and that in theory
we have achieved a splendid performance, tough in fact
we have suffered disaster. Thus far Sir John is ready
to exclaim with the stoical republican, " Victric causa
Deis placuit, sed victor Catoni." The road he still holds
ought not to have been attempted under the circum-
stances, it being, in his opinion, impossible for an army
of seventy or eighty thousand men to make about six
' miles and a-half of road, involving, at the utmost, the
collection and laying down of about 40,000 cubic yard;
of the loose shingle and stones lying on the whole sur-
face of the country. Had the Russians gone on the
same principle, we might by this time have been in S--
bastopol, and might even have been masters of the whole
of the Crimea. But they did not. We believe we can
inform our readers whom it was that Sir John bad to
contend with. The name of the head engineer at Sebas-
topol is Todleben. He is 32 years of age. His parents
are poor shopkeepers in Riga. When the siege com-
menced, Prince Menschikoff, it is said, asked the then
head engineer how long it would take to put the place
into a state of defence. He answered, " Two months."
A young captain, named Todleben, stepped forward and
-aid be would undertake to do it, if he had as many men
as he required, in two weeks. He did it in 12 days, and
was made colonel. Since that time he has had the direc-
tion of everything in the way of building batteries, de-
fences, &c. The other day the Grand Dukes called
upon his wife, who is residing in St. Petersburg, to
congratulate her upon her husband's promotion ; for he
is now general and aide-de-camp to the Emperor. Is
anything more wanted to explain the painful discrepancy
between what has been done by the Russians and by the
allies ? The former will be bound by no ties of seniority
or class ; they take the man that will do his work the
best, and they get it the best done.—• Times.

ACCIDENT TO THE ENGLISH, FRENOB,
AND BELGIAN MAIL PACKET DOTER.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SDI.

SIR,—We regret to inform you that we have received
a telegraph despatch from Ostend, to the effect that the
steam packet Dover, which left Dover on Thursday
night, at 11.30 p.m., with the mails for Belgium, Prus-
sia, &c., struck on the bar at Ostend and was stranded.
The mails and passengers were landed without difficulty
and in perfect safety ; but it is feared that, owing to the
heavy gales from the north-east, the packet will be too
much damaged to be got off.—We are, sir, your obedient
servants,

CHURCHWARD & CO.
56, Lombard-street, May 4, 1855.

VISIT OF HER MAJESTY AND PRINCE
ALBERT TO THE CRYSTAL PALACE.

Her Majesty the Queen and his Royal Highness
Prince Albert, accompanied by the Princess Royal
and the Princess Alice, the Princess of Hohenlobe.
Langenbutv, the Princesses Adelaide and Feodore, and
the Prince Victor of Hohenlohe-Langenburg, paid a visit
to the Crystal Palace yesterday morning.
On the arrival of the Royal party they were received
by Mr. Grove, the secretary, Mr. Belshaw, and the
traffic manager, Mr. Bourner.

The party visited every part of the building, and
walked for a short time in the terrace-garden.
The Hon. Beatrice Byng, Major-General Buckley, and
Captain Du Plat were in attendance on her Majesty.

A Cabinet Council was held at the Foreign-office,
Downing-street, yesterday. The Ministers present were
—Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, the Mar-
quis of Lansdowne, the Duke of Argyll, Sir George
Grey, the Earl of Clarendon, Lord John Russell, Lord
Pariwure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles
Wood, the Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith, Sir William
Molesworth, Viscount Canning, and the Earl of Har-
rowby. The Council sat three hours.
_

The Countess de Neuilly visited her Royal Highness
the Duchess of Kent, yesterday, at Clarence House, and
also paid a visit to the Duchess of Gloucester, at Glou-
cester Howe.

The Earl Fitzwilliam and the Ladies Charlotte and
Dorothy Fitzwilliam, have arrived at Mortimer House
from Milton Park.

The Viscountess Palmerston will have an assembly
this evening.

The Earl and Countess of Kintore have left the Claren-
don for Bath.

The Count Von der Straten has left the Clarendon for
Brussels.

THE MAILS.—SOUTHAMPTON, May 4.—The Penin-
sular and Oriental Company's steam-ship Indus, Cap-
tain Sov, left this afternoon with the India, China,
and Mediterranean mails and about ninety passengers,
among whom are—Lieutenant-Colonels Cockburn
and Durnford, Colonel Braybrook, Captains C.
Gribble, Sedley, and Cook, Lieutenants Seagrave,
Dumares, and Crowe, Dr. Garden, 300,000/. in specie
for India and China, 18,0201. ditto for Alexandria,
and a full general cargo. The Indus also takes out to
Malta 60,000/. on Government account, and 59 packages,
containing ink and stationery of various descriptions, for
13ilaklava. There is also a detachment of Royal Horse
Artillery, consisting of 20 men and a serjeant, for convey-
ance to Gibraltar. The Madrid, Captain Cook, with the
homeward portion of the Peninsular mails, is hourly ex-
pected. The Tagus, Capt. Joy, with the India and China
mails„ may be looked for about the Bth or 9th inst. The
Iberia, Captain Christian, will probably convey the
mails for Vigo, Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibraltar
on the 7th inst. The Sultan, Captain Burney, is
appointed to take the India and Mediterranean mails
of the 20th inst. ; and the Madrid will leave on
tho 17th inst. with the Peninsular mails. The
Royal Mail Company's steam-ship Solent, Captain
Jellicho, will leave on the 9th inst., with the usual
monthly mails for Buenos Ayres, Monte Video, Rio
de Janeiro, Bahia, Pernambuco, St. Vincent's, Tene-
rife, Madeira, and Lisbon. The Atrato, Captain
Woolley, is appointed to convey the West India and
Pacific mails on the 17th inst., and the Tay, with the
homeward- portion of the West India mails, and the
Avon, with the return mails from the Brazils and
River Plato, are due on the 16th inst. The United
States' mail steam-ship Washington, Captain Cavendy,
is expected to-morrow with the usual Frena, English,
and Bremen mails from New York. The Union, Capt,
Adams, will leave on Wednesday next, with the English
and French mails for New York,