The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-16 00:00:00

DESORIPTIOIV OF BALAKLAVA.

BALAKLAVA, DEC. 27.—And now for a description, if
possible, though I fear I shall fail in the attempt. Until
you almost touch the rocks you can barely perceive an
opening ; and when you at last reach the mouth of the 11
harbour of Balaklava, it is not above 60 yards wide, a
short quarter of a mile ; and after passing several men-
of-war,
transports, &c., all with the ends of their bow-
sprits nearly touching you, you get into rank and add
1 another to the number. And now the scene changes.
About 40 yards from our stern is the landing-place.
The town—did you say town ?- -no, I mean a scattered
number of wretched hovels, say 150. In the rear
and in the front high precipitous rocks ; on the face
of the latter several tents with Marines, and a body
,of Highlanders. In fact, suppose a basin, one quar-
ter full of water, placed on the table, and drop a
wafer into it, and then you have a good idea of the
position of a ship in the harbour of Balaklava. Yester-
day being a beautiful day, I thought it a good opportu-
nity to pay a visit to the camp, and, as I had under-
stood that the Light Division of the army occupied, to-
gether with the French, the nearest point to Sebastopol,
to that place I determined to set out. An officer of the
10th belonging to the division, who had come on board,
amongst ie host of others, "foraging," purchasing geese
and turkeys a guinea a piece, and fowls 12s. 6d. a
couple, kindly offered to put me on the right read, and
invited me to dine with him in his tent. Now for't. I
landed, the first step up to the very knees in mud—
French, Turks, English, and camp-sutlers in glorious
confusion. Such swearing, shouting, and row you never
heard in your life ; artillery waggons?, six and 12 horses
attached to each, others with half-starved camels ; cav-
alry horses, whose riders, and hard-worked steeds hare
probably not seen a comb or a brush for a month ; to-
gether with Turks every here and there bearing the dead
upon stretchers, all wading through a sea of mud, com-
plete this picture, until you emerge from the town. The
crowd appears then to deploy over an interminable space.
In the distance, on the right, are the mountains of the
Crimea, covered with snow; at the foot, several Russian
encampments ; nearer to us, the Balaklava battle-
ground. On one of the slopes, yon see the remains of
our Light Cavalry, and their horse. hospital—not 100
effective animals left ! the Scots, Greys nearly as bad.
How can it be otherwise Tlso poor creatures are
worked all day with the artillery, in dragging heavy
loads to the trenches and camps, fastened up to posts
driven into the ground, and scarcely a morning breaks
ere the troopers drag 14 or 15 out of the " slush" as they
term it. On the left you see Lord. Raglan's quarters,
and having proceeded over destroyed vineyards, every
here and there dotted with dead ho rses, emitting a most
delightful perfume, you at last get upon higher ground,
and approach the French camp, extending miles on the
left, having the Turks between. them and the British.
Skirting the latter, I thought I -would have a look at
the French ; so, having paid s, visit to several of the
huts, and been very hospitably i ui'ited to partake of
their contents, I passed on towards the Light Division.
' A little on the left of the French is the Picquet House,
about a mile and a half from Sebastopol, into which a
shell often drops, to the danger Wall who aro in it ; and,
being a good look-out place, is seldom unoccupied by
the curious, endeavouring to gent a glimpse of what is
going on in the far-famed f( 'stress in the distance.
tieing determined on exploring 1; still proceeded, and
presently I heard firing right below me. The French
were pitching their shot into the town, and the Rus-
sians returning them three to one. Within 300 yards is
the 40-gun battery, and directly opposite is the Russian,
mounting much heavier rectal. Ter om this spot I first
saw what they call the " trenches," I mean the actual
working trenches. Now, suppose a soldier, six feet
high, in the trench—in some planes, if he stands upright,
he gets shot at—his head appearing over the parapet,
and then he is obliged to kneel dowa with the mud and
water to his middle to avoid the danger. This state of
the trenches and the laborious work that the poor sol-
diers undergo, being sometimes 30 hours thus employed,
badly fed, badly clothed, and, I fear, much dispirited,
tends to engender disease. We are losing on an average
150 men a day, not including fame) that fall from the
enemy's guns. I now had an opportunity of a good
view into Sebastopol. its appoarance is both pictures-
que and beautiful, and though 11 was within half a mile
of it, and had a capital seven-guinea glass, I could not
perceive any damage that had Lae yet occurred. Front
what I had saws is the Times and other papers I had
supposed the place a heap of ruins, or nearly so ; but,
on the contrary, I could.see no marks of the cannonade
that has now been going on for upwards of two months,
though I believe that the portion directly opposite the
French batteries is much cut up. After satisfying my
curiosity I returned to the Light Division camp ; and
now for a description of Mr. Gorham'" tent (13th
Regiment); The tent inside is eight feet in diameter.
Round the circumference were a medley of boots, caps,
kettles, empty bottles, and many other things consti-
tuting the general daily utility. Next was a soldier's
bayonet struck into the ground for the purpose of a can- ,
dlestick ; next two beds, or rather hard-stuffed straw
mattresses, with a scanty env...Aid each, on the bare
ground. Dinner at length was brought in—two tin panti•
kills with soup meagre that would frighten S— fol-
lowed by two pieces of hard salt beef of about half a
pound each, a little rice (this was good), and a very, very
hard bigouit. HnwAver, exercise sharpens appetite, so
I set to, and having, as a finale, taken a glass of bad
rum with my entertainers, I bid good-bye to the officers
of the Light Division, and taking a building in the dis-
tance as my landmark, I started for Balaklava. The
sun had melted the hitherto execrable roads, and, to-
gether with the traffic, I shall never, to the longest day
of my life, forget the walk back ; suffice it to say that,
having passed several fellows who were endeavouring to
urge their worn-out horses to get up out of the mud,
where they had dropped down for the last time, I reached
the Charity. Now, my impressions on the whole are
these :—ln the first place, the commissariat is badly,
nay, wretchedly, supplied with the means for carrying
stores and provisions from Balaklava to the various
camps, all the horses, with the exception of the few sup-
plied lei, the artillery, being dead ! The storehouses and
many ships are full of creature comforts, and the half-
starving men cannot get them. lof course cannot sup-
pose but that, in the end, the allied forces will be vic-
torious ; but take my word fir it, Sebastopol is not yet
taken, and if I am right in my prognostications will not
be for some to come. And now I must say farewell
for the present, for the Medway is just getting under
weigh. When I shall get home God only knows.
How long we may remain in this infernal hole is equally
as uncertain. We heard a great deal of firing last night,
but I hear it is of usual occurrence, and that nightly.
The French, who are nearest to the enemy on the left,
have a shindy of an hour or two's duration. No one
knows what is to come next—the many rumours afloat
show that all are wrong. If anything of importance
should happen I will write by the next packet.—Yours,
&c., W. AGNEW M.D.

THE SUEZ CANAL COMPANY.

the parties cannot come to an amicable understanding as
to the sum.

_
Art. 9. The statutes and bye-laws of the company
must Le laid before us by the directors of the company,
and receive our sanction before being promulgated and
becoming binding. Any modifications or alterations of
the same at any later period also require our sanction.
The before-mentioned statutes must contain the names
of the founders of the undertaking, and we reserves to
ourselves the right of giving them our sanction. They
will contain a nominal return of those persons who
mainly contributed to the execution of the important en-
terprise by their capital, counsel, or personal assistance.
Art. 10. Lastly, we promise for ourselves and for all
our Egyptian officials, our honest and hearty co-opera-
tion in the execution of this useful and great undertaking.
Given at Cairo, Nov. SO, 1854.

MIDDLESEX SESSIONS.

The sittings of the court for the January General
Quarter Sessions were resumed yesterday morning at
the Guildhall, Westmiester, by adjournment from
Clerkeiawell, before Mr. Serjeant Adams (Assistant
Judge), Mr. Witham, and a bench of magistrates.
There were 115 prisoners for trial, of whom 109 were
committed for felony, and six for misdemeanors.
Charles Samson, clerk, was indicted for having stolen
a 101. note, the property of Samuel Scott and another,
his employers. He pleaded guilty.
Mr. Ballantine said he was instructed on behalf of the
prisoner, and the matter was one to which be wished to
call the attention of the court, though ho should not say
a great deal in reference to it. There was a deep
anxiety about the case. The prisoner came from a most
respectable family, and ono of the consequences of his
present position was that his father, if not actually in a
lunatic asylum, was in a state of the utmost wretched-
ness and misery of mind at his son's misconduct, and his
mother, too, was in a state bordering upon distraction.
The father obtained for him a situation in the eminent
banking-house of Scott and Co., in Cavendish-square,
and up to this unhappy transaction ho had conducted
himself well. He had an opportunity of taking a 101.
note, and he did so, but he did not spend it in profligacy,
but in the purchase of a gold watch, which he deposited
with a young lady to whom he was engaged to be married.
When the matter was discovered that young lady at
once gave up the watch and rendered all the infor-
mation she could relating to the matter, and those who
had conducted the prosecution had forborne with great
delicacy and consideration for that young lady's feelings
to mention even her name in connexion with the un-
happy affair. It was a single transaction on the part of
the prisoner, and there was not the least imputation on
any one else. He was 20 or 21 years of age, and now
the avenues of success were barred to him, in this coun-
try at least. He had already suffered a crushing punish-
ment in his degradation and the loss of his situation,
which was 901. a year, and would have been regularly
increase& He had not got rid of the money in profli-
gacy, but to gratify an idle ambition ; and although he
(Mr. Ballantine) fully agreed with the principle that rich
and poor should be punished alike when they committed
offences, yet he must say that, under the circumstances
of this case, the prisoner had already suffered an amount
of punishment of no ordinary kind, and he hoped, there-
fore, to be dealt with the more leniently. There were
gentlemen in attendance to give him a good character.
Mr. Poland, for the prosecution, said the prisoner had
been in the employ of Messrs. Scott since February last
year, and had conducted himself with perfect propriety
up to this transaction. He confessed that he was the
guilty party before the note was directly traced to him,
and threw himself on the mercy of his masters, and ex-
pressed the deepest contrition for what he had done.
He (Mr. Poland) thought he might take upon himself
to recommend the prisoner to the merciful consideration
of the court ; the prosecutors felt that they had no alter-
native but to place the matter before a court of justice,
and having done so, they left the case entirely in his
lordship's hands.
The Assistant-Judge said the court felt quite disposed
to deal mercifully with the prisoner after what had been
said, but there was a rule in administering justice from
P which they could not depart. They would give the
prisoner the lowest scale of punishment for a robbery by
a servant ; feelings of commiseration must not be given
way to. The sentence was, that the prisoner be kept to
hard labour for 6 calendar months.
Louis Corat, 24, described as a sailor, was indicted
for having stolen a gold snuff-box, a quantity of table
plate and clothing, value 701., the property of Henry
Penney, his master. He pleaded guilty.
Mr. Jenkins appeared for the prosecution.
The prosecutor resided at No. 4, York-place, Baker-
street, and the prisoner was in his service as footman,
having as such the charge of the plate. On the 3d inst.
it was given out to be cleaned, and next morning the
prisoner was missing, and the plate too. On the 4th he
went to the shop of Messrs. Dicker, pawnbrokers, of
Commercial-terrace, Limehouse, and offered a quantity
of plate in pledge, but as he could give no satisfactory
account of himself, or the manner in which he came in
possession of the property, the shopnian sent for a con-
stable, and gave him into custody on suspicion. In-
quiries were made by the police, and the result was
that the property was identified. The prisoner as he
stood in the dock was wearing some of his master's
Clothes.
The Assistant-Judge, after eulogising the conduct of
the pawnbrokers' assistant, sentenced tho prisoner to ono
year, hard labour.
Thomas Bushy, 26, cab-driver, was indicted for having
stolen a watch, chain, and key, the property of John
Cooper, from his person.
Mr. Payne was counsel for the prosecution.
It appeared that on the morning of Sunday, the 17th
ult., between 12 and 1 o'clock, the prosecutor, a gar-
dener, living at 2, Aberdeen-mews, Maida-hill, got into
a cab of which the prisoner was the driver, in Wood-
stock-street, and ordered him to drive to Maida-hill.
avinir hesn drinking a. littla, a.nd Loins vory- tired, after
a hard day's work, he fell asleep, though quite sober, and
he was woke up by the prisoner shutting the cab door.
He asked him where he was, and he said in Salisbury.
street, Church-st., whereupon prosecutor wished to know
how he mine there, when he was told to drive to Maida-
hill, and the prisoner said he had given a woman "a lift."
The prosecutor suspected that something was wrong,
and having missed his watch, he asked the prisoner
where it was. He replied that the woman must have
had it. "She hailed me (he said) after you had gone a
little way, and asked me to put her down at the Night-
ingale. I did so ; she got out, and said you would pay
the fare." The prosecutor was positive that no woman
had been in the cab, and kept the prisoner in conversa-
tion until a constable came up. He then gave him in
charge. The watch was found among the straw under
the driving seat.
The jury found him guilty, and he was sentenced to
ono year's hard labour.
Richard Evans and James Golding, two carmen, were
indicted for stealing two bushels of oats, the property of
Charles Bagley.
The prosecutor was a market gardener at Fulham,
and the prisoners were in his service. It was clear that
they took the oats clandestinely, and without the least
right to do so ; but the excuse they made was, that they
took the corn to give to their horses.
Mr. Ribton, for the defence, raised the question
whether it was a felony for a servant to take oats to
give to his master's horse

I
- The Assistant Judge said it had been held that it was,
but he never could coincide in it. It happened that once
two men were committed for trial at Maidstone for this
offence, and they were tried in different courts before
different judges—Lord Tenterden sad Chief Justice
Tyndal, he believed. One judge held that it was a
felony, the other that it was not ; and so one was con-
victed and the other acquitted. In consequence of this
the question came before the fifteen judges, and it was
held that the taking of the oats without authority was
a larceny, and that it did not matter what was done
with them subsequently. He never could reconcile that
to his own conscience (though he was bound to act on
it), and in this case he should tell the jury that they
ought to acquit the prisoners, if the fact of their having
intended the corn for the horses created any doubt on
their mind as to their intention of stealing it.
The jury, having received this direction, immediately
found the prisoners not guilty.
Mr. Ribton said a clause was inserted in a bill, intro-
duced in the House of Commons by Mr. Phillimore last
session, expressly declaring that such conduct should
not be deemed felony.
(Before Mr. Witham.)
Robert Burk, 25, and John Joice, 24, tailors, were
indicted for stealing eleven coats and other articles,
value 301,, the property of James Challen, in his dwell-
ing-house. They pleaded guilty.
On the morning of the 3.1 inst., police-constable 145
F was on duty in Holborn at an early hour, and on try-
ing the door of 240, to see if it were fastened, it opened
a little ; he pushed it open a little further, and finding
that some one was pushing against him on the other
side, he opened it sufficiently wide to admit his body.
He found the prisoners standing by a pile of cloth and
coats in the passage, ready for removal. They said,
"all right, master," but he rang the house bell, and
called the watermadfrom the cab rank to his assistance.
Having ascertained from the inmates that the prisoners
were strangers, and that the cloth, &c., was the pro-
secutor's property, the constable took them to Bow-
street, On Burk he found a chisel, with which a cash
box and desk in the prosecutor's shop had been broken
open. When in the dock before the magistrate, Burk
said to Joicc, "It's a case with us, but it's no use being
down-hearted."

Mr. Witham sentenced them each to six year's penal
servitude.

PO LICE INTELLIGENCE.-.-.T tit. 15.

MANSION-HOUSE.—The Lord Mayor has received
several letters confirmatory of the statements made re-
lative to the attempts of a gang of swindlers in America,
to impose upon humane persons in this country by
means of supplicatory appeals directed to persons dead,
and likely to fall into the hands of their executors or re-
latives, and to excite sympathy.
The following note, inclosing an exact copy of the
transatlantic communication from a "Penitent Sinner,"
addressed from the Gaol Hospital, New York, which
communication requested the charity money to be
directed to a medical man, no doubt one of the gang,
was amongst those to which his lordship's attention was
called :

"Elgin Chambers, Ironmonger-lano,
London, Jan., 1855.
"My Lord,—To corroborate the truth of the letter
which appeared in the papers of the 4th inst., under the
head of Mansion-house, I enclesJ ono of the second long
letters from Annrica ho refers to, and which you will find,
word for word, the same as ho received.
"The letter is addressed to my late partner, whose'
death appeared in the Times last October, and although I
was not aware of his knowing any one in America, still as
I had only returned from abroad a few months, I thought
it very probable he might have, and believed the letter t
be genuine, and the writer of it some repentant acquaint
mice of his whom his generosity was re,lainaing.
" I am sorry to add that I sent a Si. Bank of England
note to the address mentioned, informing the writer of the
death of his benefactor, and also gave him some very good
advice, for which I expect to get heartily laughed at by
the wretch who can employ such means of fleecing the en-
suspocting.—l remain your faithful humble servant,
" W. A. A.
"To his lordship the Lord Mayor of London,
Mansion-house."

GUILDHALL. —John Betty was charged with ut-
tering forged Bank of England notes.
Mr. John Skinner said—l am a tobacconist, carrying
on business at 93, Holborn-hill. On the Gth instant the
prisoner purchased at my shop some cigars and tobacco,
and offered me a ;4, not© in payment. Not liking its

THE SUN, LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, JANUARY 16, 1855,

appearance, I went into a neighbour's shop as if to ob-
tai❑ change, but in reality to ascertain if it was genuine.
I became satisfied that it was a forgery, and then re-
turned to my own shop with a constable, and in the
presence of the prisoner I told him that the note was a
bad one. Upon hearing which the prisoner immediately
ran out of the shop.
Edward Hancock, 229, City police, said —I followed
the prisoner into Bartlett's•buildings, where a person
tried to stop him. Defendant had a life preserver in
his hand, and aimed a blow at the person's head, with
the intention of knocking him down ; but he did not
succeed, and I then took him into custody.
It may be as well to mention here, to show the de-
termined character of the prisoner, that on arriving at
the police station he was shown into a cell by an officer,
when he very adroitly drew back, and thrusting the
officer in the cell, closed the door, turned the key in the
lock, and having made his escape out of the police sta-
tion, hurried across Smithfield. His motions had, how-
ever, been observed by the female searcher, who gave
chase and eventually collared him. A desperate struggle
ensued, but the female searcher held on, until at length,
finding her strength failing her, she seized his hat and
let him go, knowing that a man running without a
covering to his head, and a hue and cry behind him,
would soon be stopped. And such proved to be the
case, and the prisoner was eventually consigned to the
same cell in which he had imprisoned the officer.

Mr. Wm. Webb said—l am a cheesemonger, at 440,
Oxford-street. On Saturday, the 6th, the prisoner made
a purchase of cheese to the amount of ss. Ile took 4s.
out of his pocket, and then he said he had not enough
silver to pay for the cheese, and wished roe to change
a 51. note for him. I gave him V. 15s. in change, and
put the note in the till, but on taking it out later in the
evening I discovered it was not genuine, and told my
father, who communicated the fact to the police. I soon
afterwards went to the police station, and identified the
prisoner from among several others. The note I now
hold in my hand is the same I received from the pri-
-oner. I did net
.put the note in the till before I en-
dorsed it.

Mr. W. Skinner said—l am a tobacconist of 243,
Strand. On Saturday, the 30th December last, the pri-
soner came into my shop and bought one pound of
cigars, amounting to 12s. Me gave ine a 5/. note in
payment, but I thought the note was rather a suspicious
one, and therefore called my son, and was telling him
to take the note and get it changed, not that I wanted
change, bat that I wished to submit it to some other
person's inspection—l told my son so—the prisoner
drew near to overhear what I was saying, so I hurried
my son away to get change, and he obtained it at Mr.
Walker's. In the meantime the prisoner told me he had
been recommended to me, and his name was "H.
Mason," and he lived at the Butchers' Arms, in Blooms.
bury, where everybody knew hire. I wrote down his
name and address, and when he was gone,'l sent my boy
to Mr. Walker, requesting him to put the name and
address on the note. I afterwards got the note back
from Mr. Walker, by paying him back five sove-
reigns. I thought the prisoner was a first-rate business
little man.

This last remark was greeted with a shout of laughter,
in which the prisoner joined.
Russell Skinner and Mr. Walker corroborated the
evidence of the last witness.

Mr. Wm. Wyburn, one of the inspectors of Bank of
England notes said—All these notes are forgeries in
every respect. They are all from the same plate, and
printed upon the same paper.
Alderman Cubitt asked if there were any other cases
Hancock said there were several other cases of a
similar character, but none of them were complete.
Alderman Cabitt said it was not material, as the three
cases in evidence were quite sufficient to commit the pri-
soner upon.

The Prisoner said he should reserve his defence, and
he was accordingly committed for trial.

SPORTING INTELLIGENCE.

TATTERS S —Mo NDAY.
St. Hubert Lad clearly the lion's share of support to-
day ; at 8 to 1 he was backed for some hundreds for the
Derby, and 601. were given for the call of 1,400 to 200
about him on the day after the Two Thousand, for which
event he was also backed for some money at 3 to 1.
Grmculus Esuriens receded to 13 to 1 ' offered, not-
withstanding an outlay of 120/. at 12 to 1. 20 to 1
might have been easily obtained about Oulston. The
other Derby bets quoted below were only to small sums.

CUESTER CUP.

59 to 1 was still betted on the field, and 3,000 even
was laid. on Wilsford (late Queen's Own, agst Ca(smug.
The prices at the close of business, which was re-
markably slow and dull throughout the afternoon, were
as follows :

CHESTER CUP,
50 to 1 each agst Calamus, the Reiver, Lurley, and
Llanforda (taken).

TWO THOUSAND GUINEAS.
Ito 1 agst St. Hubert (taken)
$5 to 1 agst Bonnie Morn (taken)
DERBY.
Sto 1 agst St. Hubert (taken freely)
13 to 1 agst Grmenlue Esnriens
25 to 1 agst Wild Dayrell (taken)
25 to 1 agst Bonnie Morn (taken)
:35 to 1 agst Saraband (taken)

UNIFERS'ITY INTELLIGENCE.

OXFORD, JAN. i 5.
In a Congregation holden this morning, being the
first day of Lent Term, the following degrees were con-
ferred, viz. :—.

MASTER OP ARTS.
Rev. Francis John Eld, St. John's College.

BACHELOR OF ARTS. -
Hely Hutchinson Almond, Balliol College.
John Parr, Exeter College.
Allan Cornwall Blackstone, New College.
Stephen Dowell, Corpus Christi College.
Edwin Arthur Salmon, Wadham College.
William Scott, Worcester College.

MEETING OF THE COLLEGES.
The !Inn:Ethers of /the various colleges and halls who
intend ke,3ping this term will meet as follows :—Friday,
Jan. 19, :Balliol College and St. Edmund Hall ; Satur-
day, Jan. 20, Brasenose, University, Wadham, Queen's,
New College, Merton, St. John's (senior scholars),
Corpus Christi, Christchurch, Lincoln, Exeter, and
Trinity; Yriday, Jan. 26, Magdalen Hall ; Saturday,
Jan. 27, Worcester, Oriel, St. John's (commoners),
Jesus, and St. Mary Hall; Friday, Feb. 2, Magdalen
College.

RAILWAY SHARE MARKETS.

LIVERPOOL, JAL 15.

STOCK EXOTTANOE.—The market this morning was firm,
with no great amount of business doing. Birkenhead,
Lancashire, and Cheshire, 124 d. ; ditto, Chester and Bir-
kenhoad, 163 ; Caledonian, 31; East Lancashire, 188 ;
Edinburgh and Glasgow, 283 ; Lancashire and Yorkshire,
758 ; L'pool, Crosby, and Southport, 11 • London and N, -
Western, 102 c. ; ditto, shares, 13-16 d.; Man., Shef.,
and Lincoln, 258; Midland, 70.} ; S. -Eastern, 18.