The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-11 00:00:00

AUSTRIA.

A letter from Vienna of the 6th, in the Post-
Ampt Gazette of Frankfort, says :—" It is rumoured
that the reply of the Western Powers arrived here
yesterday, and that it bolds out no hope that the
conferences will be resumed. The battalion of
grenadiers, for some time back in garrison here,
are tet leave to-morrow for Gallicia and the Hesse
Cassel hussars are to follow the day after."

ARMY. BEFORE SREASTOPOL COM-
MITTEE-(THIS DAY.)

The committee reassembled at the usual hour.

Lord Hard Inge was the first witness called and exa-
mined by the chairman. He stated that having served
the office of 24aster-General of the Ordnance, he was
enabled to stat e his duties. They consisted in his
having charge of 'tile artillery and engineering depart-
ments. He originated all military questions at the
board, and the other members the financial questions.
No works ought to be commenced or executed without
the consent of the Master General, who' has complete
power to concur in ,or reverse any decision of the board on
any subject. Whilst at the board no difference of
opinion in the mem bars of the board could produce any
injury to the public service, from his having full
authority to decide on any difference between
them. The Lieutenant-General, however, has not
the power of the, Master-General as to his supe-
riority over the board. His lordship stated, in an-
swer to a question from General Peel, with reference to
a statement made b y Mr. Monsell, that at the time of
the breaking out of hostilities there was au insufficiency
of stores, that in M awls, 1852, when he came into office,
his first act was to inquire into the state of the artillery,
when he found the number very small. He proposed to
Lord Derby in a lengthened memorandum his reasons
for considering it dangerous that the couutry should be
left in such a state, and recommended that the num-
ber should be increased to two hundred guns
with two ammunition waggons to each gun, to which
the Government assented, and it was carried out by the
succeeding Government. The artillery were now in
such an efficient state as to be the admiration of
the French. That would not have been the case had
not his reconamentiation been carried out. No difficulty
was experienced in supplying what was necessary for
the fitting out the fleets and the army. The army in
the Crima v. as provided with the Minie rifle, which
consisted of tw o sorts, one of the invention and manufac-
ture of 1851 an d the other of 1853, the latter being the
best of the two. In 1854 a large purchase was made of
Minie rifles. It, was true the last regiments left without
the Minie rifle, 'taut on their arriving at Balaklava they
would exchange. their firelocke for the Minie, and it was
owing to their Ise ing in what might be termed a transi-
tion state with ri3gard to the rifles and guile that difficul-
ties had arisen iii procuring the supplies. Under all the
circumstances, h e thought tbey were better supplied with
stores at the col nmencement of the war than they had
been for the Fos1; 30 years as regarded the army, and
much better wi ti i the navy. The Duke of Newcastle
was most anxiou s that the men should be supplied with
the Minie rifle., and a large number of those of
1853 was purishased. Improvements were still be-
ing made in them ; the best he had yet seen was
Mr. Prince's. The Ordnance Department was a very
difficult depar ti nent to manage, from being one not only
of admieistrat ion butexecution, because a work might last
over ten year sto complete it. It was a department of
excessive lahou r and great responsibility. The men ap
pointed to the elffice ought to be men of first-rate ability ;
but in times of war they were obliged, as in the case of
Lord Raglan,. 'to take them away, and consequently the
department c maid not go on as well with its business as
when he was present. In 1828 when the late Duke of
Wellington sc.ait at the head of this department, and he
(Lord Hardirego) was clerk, it was considered in a high
state of perfecteon. In 1852 when he returned to it he
found the deeir e to reduce expenditure had been carried
so far that thas clerks and others were overworked, and
an amalgama tic of the work of the department made
to such an extent as to throw too much of the
work properly belonging to the heads of depart-
ments on the clerks' hands ; and instead of
its having ,produced unity and simplicity, it bad
caused confill atm. An increase of the duties of the de-
partment had 'taken place owing to the introduction of
steam into thee navy, and improvements in their military
arrangements. The functions of the Conimander-in-
Chief in she fie!' i was to see to the di•cipline of the army
and to the camp being kept in proper order at all times,
and to select the persons for regimental and staff appoint-
ments. He (Lord Hardinge) appointed the medical offi-
cers under the z ecommendation of the medical board.
The staff appi)in tments vacant in the Crimea were left
to Lord Rageen, because it was considered lie ought to
have every means given him for strengthening
his power, aknd of rewarding those whom he be-
lieved the roost meritorious. The Commander-in-
Chief in the fiseld was subject to the orders of the Sec-
retary of State for War, and corresponded with him
(Lord Hardinge) on matters of military detail. The in-
structions given to him were the same as those given to
the Duke of Wellington and the Duke of York. The
responsibilities. of the Commander-gin-Chief at home
became connected with the civil department in case
of disturbanee, or apprehended disturbance inthe
country. His appointments in the army on home service
were subject to the approval of the Home Secretary of
State, and for the Colonies to the Secretaryu forl unlimited
tiTitedColonies. The Secretary of State for War has
power oter the Horse Guards, and if he weren
ap-
point a person for the Crimea the Secretary of State's i
sent would be necessary ; and with regard to hint diesdtorsi-'
distri-
bution of military rewards and pensions, it cer
the review of the Government if they thought fit to douli seer.
[LEFT SITTING.]

A letter from Copenhagen, in the _Hamburg Corre-
spondence, says :7" Letter-, patent have just heen pub-
lathed by the King, ordering the primary elections for
Lanstbing to take pLe) ()a juni, 4.