The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-07 00:00:00

GOOD FRIDAY.-EXCURSION TRAINS I DESPATCH F.
AND THE STEA,2II-BOATS.

Yesterday,,,(Good Friday) morning, i tao.wri Jim) r,
the various metr9Pulltal railway stationS Yrett49nged
i It r9speptablx-drened persons of, both who
availt;d theniselveS *of the extreme firienei of the wen,
ther fora trip out of London. trains ran at
the usual intervals froM the SOtith=Western Rail Way
'terminus, Waterloo-road,' at -Acltibed fares, to Ports-
mouth, Salisbury, Winchester, and Sontbampton,' re-
turning, in the- evening to town well freighted with pas-
sengerg-.*:-Thrairis al3olarbceedecl to Rieinnond, Winapr,
Hounslow, Chertsen-Gnildford, Godalming, Andover,
Gosport, and other favourite places of summer resprt.
Cheap trains likewiao left.the.Puldington station efthe
Great-Western Railway for Bath, Bristol, Cifton,
On the Brighton line the traffic was very considerable
during the day, and the trains were well filled with
gaily tressed persons who had availed themselves of the
reduction, in the charge of conveyance to the various
:partkof the line. The Eastern Counties Railway bad a
,full share of patronage, but the principal portion of the
passengers alighted at the Nbgh*Woolwich station to
Vie* the shipping in the lOwer-tartr:of the pool• and the
surrounding public buildings on fife Essex and Kentish
shores. The Blackwall and Tilbury Fort line, from
Fenohureh-street, City, was thronged from eight o'clock
in the inorning until late lasi evening by crowds of per-.
Sans, who were chiefly destinkfliii an inspection of the
leVieliian steam-Alp now erecting in the extensive dire-
mixes of Messrs: Scott" Russell' and Co., Blackwall.
This e'xtiaordinriry is.the largest in the
world, is approaching• towards completion, and was
greatly admired for, its gigantic and noble_ appearance.
14ie floating batteries in the shipbUilding-yard of Messrs.
Careen and Sons, 'Pbplar, also attracted .thou'-
'Salids of spectators during th4' day. The various steani-
'beats'. running- between Lortden,bridge, Greenwich;
Woolwich, Charlton, Greenhithei and._: Gravesend Were'
-thronged ; and the smaller craft. plying above bridge -to
:Battersoa, Chelsea, Wandswor4, Patney, 'Kew, and
Richmond,
_came in for:a tall share patronage bri the
occasion. ' •

:TRIAL OF FRENCH' trONSPIRATORS.

' 'The Tribunal of Correctional Policeof Angers, in
March, 1.854, tried,-21/-persons..otif the charge of
%having been concerned in a-secret political society;
.tuid, about the same epoch other persons were pro-
seauted before the tribunals of Paris and Tours, for
.baving,got up. secret societies.in connection with it.
For some tune after the Vial at Augers, it was
noticedin that city that the principal men)bers Of
the society,all of *hem Were'hOted Socialists„ Were
tolerablY quiet. But when the war bieke ont,the
police learned that' they had commenced a new
conspiracy, and were lookingont for recruits. After
a while' they began to hold-frequent meetings for
the admission of new.members:and other, matters.
On the 31st Jan. of the present year the conspirators
held a meeting in the. railway ;tunnel near Nantes,'
and on the 21st Feb. they, ;held another meeting
near the, cemetery. .The pgliee intended to arrest
them on the latter occasion; lint- they arrived too
late. • They afterwards learnedlhat a meeting` *as
`to' be held on the 4th 'MAkclit'in a public-house
kept by a man named Baudrier, for the admission
off-a new member, one Habit*, an Englishman.
They went to the house: and arrested -19 persons.
After. an investigation, 10 of - these men, all work-
,men, were ordered for trial., ,The trial has juste taken
place before the Tribunal of Correctional Police of
Angers. , It was proied that the
_object of the
.society .was 'to overtiiroiv the Government;
arid to establish a democratic- and social re-
public ; that they openly preached-the pillage of
the rich,.and that they had taken oaths to employ
all means in their power, 'and even assassination,
to obtain their ends. It was*so proved that they
had constantly denounced the army, as a band of
slaves and.Decembrists, and had expressed wishes
for the success of the RUssians in the war. The tri-
,than al acquitted .one of the accused named Rousseau,
a mere lad, and condemnedithother, named Feu6re,
by default, to two years' imprisonment and.soofr.
fine. Of the remaining eight the tribunal sen-
tenced one named Fredin,, to-eighteen montbS' in-
prisonment and IClofr. fine ; another named'Beau-
jOn, to fifteen mouths' inniriaonnient and 100 E.
fine ; •tWo,, Cerisier' and Bcittier, to six months'
imprisonment; two, Gcidorea and Granger, to three
,nionths' ; and the other two, Morin and Baudrier,
to one month's imprisonment. -

A BOLD EXPLOIT.

The Journal de'Bauge (Maine-et-Loire) states
the following act of courage performed by one of
the sharp-shooters of the, Crimea, and related by
himself in a letter to his mother.:" I must explain
to you that at about 100 or 120 yards from our
trenchestheßussianshadpinced a stake at which they
levelled their guns, in order that the shot by falling
there should ricochet on our works. By this means
two of our guns had been dismounted, and ten or a
dozen of our artillerymenlilled. It was necessary
at all hazards to remove this mark, andfor that Fir:-
pose a man was to be found who would resolve to sa•
crifice his life, for hnwonldhaveto pass under a well.
supported fire from twenty pieces of cannon. There
was, however, some little chance in the man' 8 favonr,
as there were some large tecks of stone lying
here and there which might shelter him from the.
fire of the artillery ; but on the Other hand he
might fall into an ambuscade of a Russian advanced
post and be made prisoner; or inight be killed by
an advanced sentinel. My lieutenant had been for
twentyltit.utes talking with a chef d'escadon, who
had asked whether among his riflemen he did not
know aman whowould undertake the mission which
I have just mentioned toyou., The Lieutenant told
him he would undertake to find him a man, for I
must tell you that for
,the 'last four months I
have made one of the jrancs tireuri who have been
so much talked of in Franco. The lieutenant then
came, and proposed the enterprise to me ; and 5.
minutes sufficed for me to reflect on what I had to
do. I thought of you my excellent mother, and of
my little, sister Mariette, for I did not feel at all sure
of ever seeing you -again. I then jumped over the
trench; and went towards the town ; and my heart, I
can assure you, was beating strongly. lat last
reached the spot ; laid hold of the stake, and shook
it ; and with much' diffionity pulled it out of the.
ground. . The Moment the, point of. it disappeared
froth the' horizon a . tremendous detonation was
heard, and a regular shower of balls and grape-
shot fell around me. I ran off with the rapidity of a
ha'ie with My' trophy on my shoulder, and I fell
_into the arms of my lieutenant, who received
me with the greatest,. enthusiasm.- A report
was immediately mace,' 'to the General-it-
Chief, and I was mentioned in the order of the day
of my battalion and of all the army for my' sang
froid and my courage. ' I cannot describe to you
what I felt when I found myself proclaimed for the
decoration.. I was wild with joy, and if'God is kind
enough to preserve me in the terrible assault, I
hope to show you.. my decoration, as I once more
sit by your warm fireside. Tout a . vous et pour
toujowrs, your son,. -

.

".VICTOR PICAILT."

4.32,ER1C4N MUSKETS FOR FOREIGN USE.

There is great activity at present among some of-
our American gun manufacturers, induced in part
by the war in Europe. The Windsor (Vt.) Jour-
nal says that the ltobbins and Lawrence Company,
of Windsor, have jnst'dontracted for the manufac-
ture of Muskets 'to the amount of some four or five
hundred thousand dollarS. The contract is made
for a company in London, and the arm to be manu-
factured is the Minie rifle, with some modifications.
The fulfilment of the contract 'will require an addi-
tional force of two or three hundred men.
The'Boston Ohnihiee has the following :—Aside
from the n
extensive contract from the English Go-
vernment for gun machinery, now earlycompleted,
at , the Massachusetts Aim' Company's works at
Chicopee Falls, we learn that another of our enter-
prising gun manufactories has lately received a con-
-1 ..tract from the same source; for about 20,000 rifled
muikets. The muilieta are to be rifled with three
•groOves,- and to .carry. a hollow conical
makes them, in fact, ,a modification of the French
Minie gun. A similar musket, or, perhaps the,
old pattern. altered, • Will 'be introduced into otir
service. Let the war affect other interests as it
may, our New England gum:Rakers will reap con-
siderable advantage from if, asthe English Govern-
inent-has not the facilities at their command for
the manufacture of the new arms as fast as they are
Wanted, and therefore the seek our assistance. Our
Government have recently purchased the Maynard
primer, and have determined' to put it upon the mils-
kets in use in the'army. The primer has been made
waterproof, .so that it can be exposed to all weathers,,
and yet preserve its exPlosive qualities.. A mug-
ket, with. the primer attached, is as much superior,
to the percussion: gun s 'that is to the old fire-
. lock. The Maynard looks are now being manu-
factured by the Massachusetts Arms Company,
and applied to 'the first quality of English
• fowling-pieces, thus rendering these , guns as
complete instruments Las the sportsman could
desire. • In a few • years, . probably, we shall
• see all• the fire arms in the country, both for
military and for sporting uses, made with the new
lock. It usurps'the place of the percussioned lock
as naturally and effectually as that did the place of
the flint and steel.

• ••THE SYDNEY DRAPERY TRADE.—Theelass of drapery
goods now required for our consumption is of a much
better description than has been imported of late years.
The pecuniary position of the labouring classes has been
so much bettered within the last tWo years that their
domestic habits have undergone a very material change,
and articles that would have been eagerly sought for or
endured from necessity are now rPjeeted. This fact is
most observable; in every' article connected with t4e
drapery trade, more particularly in those for female coa-
-1 sumption.—Sydney Mercantile Journal. •

THE BATTLE OF MARCH 23,
( From the Moniteur of yesterday.)
Tho Marshal, hiinisterof War-'has -received thisr
day, fronthe General Commanding-in-Chief. in. the
Crimea, the following despatch, dated March ,23 :
.
monsieur:le' Slarechal,---We have' had, this night, an
action-vertelistinately disputed, and moat glorious-for our
troops, on our ' right -attack, in 'front of the /llalak
ahoff -
Tower.- About..eleven at night. the, enemy attempted
general sortie, which he does not appear to have supported
with less them fifteen :battalions which, according .to the
Russian prisoners, were
,of the fulli number 0.1,000 Inca
each. Thesd troops, divided into. two columns, advanced.
en masse arid'irith. Savage yells to the attack of the work;
commanding life WAY which we had' fornied in front of ott.r.
parallel, to teach the ambuscades previously odenpied by,
the-enemy; and-which it is our intention toronnectstrongiY
together,:so-as to form them into a place d'armes.- Thrice
repulsed; and -thrice led- back by the• encouragements of
their officers, the Russians were at last compelled to aban-
don the design., of occupying this point, which was defended
by`companiesof the 3d Zouaves, under the orders of Major
Banon. The struggle wee obstinate, and cost us dear,dmt
-.caused tbe.euetia,xaveia,severer lows, and in pro,portion,tef
the =sirs they presented. Colonel Janin, of the • Ist.
Zonaves, directed the efforts on thls'Point, and relight per-.
-sonally TNVith faro ever, ir. ' Ho 'Was' covered with blood
'frena tvroivethitli in the 7head,..but which ism fortunately
not'severe: • i? - . '- , - ; ..' -. . - ,
The efforts, of the enemy,: who'-only succeeded in
overthrowing-.:the empty,,gabiari-vrorks which ;we had
on this -Pointaproving fruitless here, 'were nest directed
upon the-left .of ,Ow parallel, towarda .the -.Karabeltiaia
Ravine„ whom he was warmly reeeivOd• with uutakefry
fire,- andoyae- unable tor penetrate.- He • then suddenly
threw .hitßiat'An the: 'right ,of. the English:. parallel,
succeeded in :Crossing the werks; 'and forniedliiiiiself in, the
rear of oar. left,: chick for an instant' 'was subjected teat
murderous rear fire: General- Atiternario;!. commanding
the trenches, 'Maxie' the necessary arrangements with his
-accustomed vigOur-and Coolness. , - The 4th battSlion ...Of-
, ditieseara -d•piact;.;coming up- to the support, were thrown
_into :the ravine, .and bravely rushed upon the enemy, who
being thuS expesetbin turn; sustained considerable leas,
and were driOn.:44clf, not to return again.: • -
- Farther to ttsateft, the English, who had as yet only
been able to 4get .up a force very inferior to. that Of , the
assailants, ,asaailed the. enemy , with their accustomed
bravery,-and after a very mart conflict; forced him-to re-
treat. 'Still -fgrther to the left, the EngliSh had been at-
tacked hra 'sortie, which seemed to 7be 'a 'diversion, and
which they repelled in very shin-blithe.
On the whole, • this operatioiruf the hesieged ' cliffired:
completely from allihose which he had hitherto attempted
.against our works.. In order te .effect it,. and in spite of
the already...largo amount -ofthe garrison, ,ho hid 'roUght
from ,withont- two
_regiments _(eight battalions of fresh
reposees troops), the reginiepts, of Pniepera.nd ,Ougleteh.
It was,,in fact, a:sort of general assault against out ways,'
and "the eOnibmationappeared conceived in the best man-
ner for 'otainliigl nonsiderab/e result. Accordingly the,ina,,
portanco' or this failure on-the part of the besieged must be
measured by the greatness of the object he had in, view.
The priSonerswe have taken , say that theit hisses liaie
been enernaoris,-- and indeed weestimate that -this' irregular
action, like all night notions, where. the fire has been Min:
tained for several hours; must, have cost the enemy, lOOkl
ins at thonia4.seahe employed, at least 1,000 to 1,200 'Men
killed and wounded. The ground in front of our parallels'
is strewn with dead, and -General Oiten-Sacken _has .just
requested a suspension of hostilities,
_which has been
granted; and, fixed for to:morrow, to permit of the last
d uties being pit& theni. - -_ , - ,
has;
only .oweineses;'respecting which General 13osqethas.
.only'beeliliblit as yet to'send me appreiximitive'retitrns,
'ere very,evere,' ancicannot amount to less than 300 cii92o,
killed-aed 'wounded.. - We have particitlarlr tO regret Vt!l'i
,death of,/ifajor Damns, of the Engineers-, a -imperial officer
of great merit' and promise, and who fell glorionaly. ' (He'
was slain: 12y. bayonet wounds, having been previously
woundettja front of the works of attack.;- ,You icnw; and
esteemed hinvAla le Marechal ; your sorrow eqtial.
ours. The,,aame "also 'of Major Banon, of the 3d Zoaavea.
who is raiising; and is supposed to have- been ,Billed.:.. I
will fer(iard yeti the detailed, statement, of our lostea at a
' ',siibieliOnt period. , ~ .
I have nothiirg to. add to what' I informed you of in my,
previoiWeleipltches respecting the sanatory condition of
the trooper -It is Sxeellent". '' ' ' - ' - - -.`; 4
' lam informed that-many families, under the infldenee'
of anxieties, otherwise toOlegitimate;are 'astonished -Iliat
no exchange of 'prisoners has,yet been made in the Crimea,
-and hare,,aildteseed to, you ooniplaints 'and 7presAng -.de
,re-n,nds 'At:least -;I gather so -much from a groat number
, of private lettcra which havo..been received here,. Outhis
bead I can only reply, that in concord with Lord Raglan
I' wrote On this subject to the COMmander-in-Chief ofthe
Rassitin ariny' So "far back as' January last. Brince aens-.
cilikoffrepliod'shortly after that he was about to'referthe
matter to-his ' Government, and that its- -decision would
subsequently- be . made known to us. There, the Matter
rests, and I. do not consider it-would 'become 118'0 break
a silence which appears to be intentionally preserved:
Accept, .31.,,1a. Marechal, the tribute of my reSpedful
devotion., ~ , . . CANROBERT,
General Commanding-in-Chief. -
P.S.---übjoined you will find two orders of the day -re'
lative to our preceding actions. . . .. ' . .
. - -

GENERAL ORDER. • • ,
The troops of the second corps, and of the division
Brunet; charged, wider the direction of the Gederal of
Division'BoSquet, the new attacks on the light, and vigor-
ously Opened-the trench before the Italakhoff tower.
During. the 'night' of the' 14thof March, the troops under '
the tonsinand of General -BeSson,' in the trenches; behaved
very. valiantly. Two companies of the elite of the 100th
regiment-of the line,. carriecl, with much resolutioniihe
amb,uscadekof the enemy.. Captain Champanet's'ompany
of Grenadiers displayed the greatest energy in defending,
a.gainit a numereus body of assailants, the post which they
occupied. Xenaced in its position, at the, dawn of day, by
Considerable Masses of infantry, it was Sustained' by three
nonipattieAOf the retinfent of Algerine Tirailleure, who, at
the' command bf the Chef cleTattailron, Gib* dulled Upon
the enensy in the most brilliant style, and routed theiii. '
. Thellassian'cominander was grievously wounded; and
the officer who was second in Command-was killed.

On the 15th .antll6th of March; the troaps,,directed-by•
General. Trai commanding: in the trenches, operated
with not less vigour, before the parallels, to carry and de-
stroy the Ruisian positions.,, '.he 2d hattalion.of they 3d;
regiment of Zouaves, under the immediate direction. of
C/Olonel Brandon, of the 50th Regiment of the Line, threw
themselves upon the enemy with their habitual spirit, and
we witnessed, in this very ieterestirg military epiSOde;
a;ltions highly honourable to theindividuals who perforthexl

, This-series of works, executed under fire of the enomY,-
and.in the midst of combats in which,. according to: the
reports which come from the enemy himself, the besieged
have always suffered considerable losses, ,reflects the high-
est honour upon theenergy of the,treops,,who are but be-
ginnerSAnthe laboriOus and difficult. operations of a. siege.
The coips,of Engineers directed on the right by COlonel
FroFisaid;-was distinguiShed by its usual steadiness, and the
incessant activity of the Staff Brigadier BessoiC who was
charged with the' laborious duty of superintendence of the
trenches. • • ••• .• • „
On the extreme left of our attack, -the besieged, (taring
the night-of tlv3.lsth of March, made "a vigorous sortie-on
the point defended by a company of Voltiguers of the-2d -
1-Reginient of .the , Foreign Legion„ Captain Bertrand, and
by the 7th_eempany. of the 10th.Battalion.efthe. Chasscurs
a pied; commanded by Sub-Lieutenant Bodes.. -Warned
by theieVidettes, these two companies awaited, 41V la), the
greateSt Caithness; the approach Of the enemy, till he ar-
riVed Only Within a few Metres Of the parapet of the
trench; and then fired at hiin point blank; andefterviards.
'attacked hiin with the bayonet, -without committing the '
error of pursuing him too far. In spite of the promptittide
and eare with -which the- wounded were carried off, -the-
eneniy. left 2! in our hands, and an equal number on the
ground which .he had crossed in his precipitate- retreat.•
.He lost in,this operation at least a
,third of the effective
"force engaged.''
This brief and brilliant action reflects honour upon the.
troop'i who accomplished it. They displayed a calmness.
„
which belOng,s to veterans in the siege;` and I'lnive to con-
gratnlate the Chef do BASillen L'Heriller, Of the 2d tegi--
ment of the Foreign Legion, whose 'firro. and skilftir'ar-
rangementi were -completely successful. -• • • "
{llerefollows a nominal list of the-officers reward ed'ivith
the erass'of the Legion el Honour for -their services in the
= field On this occasion.)- , „ „
• . ;-.. , GENERAL .ORDER..
The -workS executed by the Ist corps to complete the ad-
vanced parallel of our left attack, under, difficult and..peri,
louS circumstances, called for the calmness and 'steadiness,
of thetroopeemployed in them. " . -
'• Tlie-eorps• of engineers " have given fresh proefi of the
vigour and perseVerance which have distinguished` them
since the toMmencement of the-siege, and which haVe pro-
cured for them the praise and esteem of- the entire' army:
Captain -21.onhati under the immediate direction of
Colonel Jonrjon, was particularly conspicuous; and-I-have
rewarded his lengthened services by conferring upon him;
in thename of the Emparor, the Cross of an officer of the
Legion of Honour.

CANROBERT,
General 'Commariding-in-Chie:
Headquarters before Sebastopol,
.I.larch 20, 1855.

TAE BALTIC FLEET.

~~._

' APRIL 5.--The Baltic fleet, the most powerful and im-
posing that ever left the shores of even naval England,
sailed from Spithead yesterday in profound silence, con-
trasting strongly with the sailing of the fleet last spring,
when all was gay and promising, and anxious thousands
crowdedjbe IvAters At the_ Solent from ad :parts of the,
kingdom to w„ve their last adieux and breathe their good
Wishes torsuccess. Yesterday' was lowering and gloomy ;
only'tieo gay yachts (one of which, unfortunately, came to
grief) bi'aved the undomfortable weather, and fog shut out
froM the shores the magnificent spectacle of 13 line-of-,bat-
tle ships leaving their anchorage under canvass. , There
was no good Queen there tb wish "success," nor Were the
waters spotted over with boat-loads of well-wishers, but '
everyman in the fleet left 'With a glowing hope of returning
in the autumn deserving.of being welcomed with, joy end
acclamation, arid forming another contrast to !last year.
geo gO,under way at, two o'clock, and ,proooedid,
wilhout any partiCular order, about six miles to sea,,when
it fell a dead cairn, and signal was made to getup, swan).
By' fcair o'clock the fog had 'cleared away, and the etP 011°E!,.
witlicifinjclond in the blue sky to Borten his brightness.
The' shitys shortened all sail and proceeded.te tbeeastward
in two low, lines. The starboard division wastwined by
the Luke of Wellington (bearing the flag of Admiral Dun.
das, Commander-in-Chief) leading, and followed in rote=
tion by the Royal George, the. Caesar, the Colossus, the
Blenheim, and the Edinburgh.
The port division was led by the Exmouth with the flag
of Admiral Seymour (second in command), and followed by
the Nilo, the James Watt, the Majestic, the ligue, and
the Ajax: Thnsix paddle steamers, the Dragon, the Bull:
dog, the Vulture, the Basilisk, the Mag,iciennei and, the
Gorgon" kePt station on either side of the lines. 'ln this
order the fleet proceeded up Channel with the mobn (nearly
the frill) shining brightly and a gentle breeze,•juit eamigh•
to call: 'a ripple ,on the water, When about opposite
Brighton, at 10 o'clock, a large merchant ship, running
under all sail with the wind a little on her starboard
quarter, ran foul of the Duke of Wellington, doing some
aeriousdawage, carrying away her foreyard, port swingitig
boom, the whole of the port and part of the main chains,
quartergiliery, and hamrnock-nettings, breaking,the stock
of the best bower anchor, and driving the. Shed-anchor
from its berth into the gangway. The shock vto the Met-.
chantman must have been fearful, as she went ndarlr steal
on. = Her foremast went by tbo board like a stick, and she,
drifted astern a total •wreck, carrying her gear with her.
believed she was a very large ship. A ktenronr was
sent to_asiist her 'almost immediately, but returned after
some hours, unable to find her, and great fears are enter.

; • ,1:,

15...