The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-08 00:00:00

performers. Whether Whether this will be altogether suffi-
cient to restore the general confidence, the absence
of which led to the recent crisis, is a subject not
as yet decided ; and although we entertain a very
high respect for the new War Minister, we can-
not
as yet venture to pronounce a decided opinion.
It is true that a great source of ness ls re-
tinhoev moved
supposed st elide abeyancesesecession
°off L';Gr de
r Assnta Germanism." aßludt
publicwlie indignationtherthatbesinciteontatonetwurnhtannelo, rraenndt
to
save the chief actors in the drama which was so
decisively and unequivocally condemned, is an-
other question, on which we shall as yet reserve
our judgment.
There is, however, one indisputable amelioration
—the Secretaryship at War has been abolished !
There will no longer be the bandying about of
matters of vital importance to the welfare of our
troops from department to department, from the
office of Secretary for War to that of Secretary at
War, and vice versa ; the grave officials being
apparently engaged in the old schoolboy game of
"You're none of my child," which would really
be exceedingly amusing, if its consequences did
not prove to extremely prejudicial to the
best interests of the country. Many of the
deplorable events to which public attention bas
been so powerfully directed has been owing to the
" conflict of jurisdictions," to the readiness with
whieh subordinate officials were prepared to shake
off all responsibility, and " to wash their hands"
from matters of the most pressing exigency.
That there was no common head to which all
were responsible—that the underlings could in-
volve their different chiefs in a dispute, and thus
evade the performance of their own duties, was a
lamentable fact that could not be controverted or
denied. We have seen the deplorable results
at Balaklava. It is that which has led to
the condemnation of the late Ministry, and
the disgrace of the ex-Premier. It is

7'HE ORDER tOr TEIE GARTER.

ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE.
Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Wigan.
THIS EVENING, Fes. 8,
Will ho presented the new Comedietta, called TIT FOR TAT, in
Watch Messrs• F. Robson, A. Wigan, and Miss Maskell will appear.
After width, a new Fairy Extravaganza, entitled THE YELLOW
DWARF AND THE KING OF THE GOLD MINES. Ch'racters
by Mr. F. Robson, Miss Julia St. George, MIN E. Ormonde, Miss
Marston, Miss Bromley, and Mrs. Fitzallau.
To conclude with A WIFE'S JOURNAL.

WINDSOR, WEDNESDAY.
The Queen held a Chapter of the Xiost Noble Order of
the Garter at 3 o'clock this ..iternoon in the Castle.
The Knights Companions having been robed in their
mantles of purple velvet, and wearing their collars, were,
by command of her Majesty, called over by Garter King
of Arms in the Grand Reception Room, when the fol-
lowing answered :
The Marquis of Lansderine, the Marquis of Xxeter,
the Duke of Buccleuch, Earl de Grey, the Earl of Cla-
rendon, the Marquis of Abercorn, the Marquis of Salis-
bury, the Duke of Bedford, Earl Spencer, and Earl
The officers of the Order -wore their mantles.

ROYAL STRAND THEATRE.
Under the direction of Miss Rebec,:a Isaacs.
THIS EVE NINO
Will be performed the popular Burletta, OUR NELLT. Principal
character, Mies Rebecca Isaacs.
After which, a now Operatic Burlesque, entitled, ALONZO THE
BRAVE.
To conclude Nyith the Farce of the THREE PAIR OF LOVERS.

c Aids,

and badges. In attendance were the Prelate, the Bishop'
of Winchester ; the Chancellor, the Bishop of Oxford ;
the Registrar, the Dean of Windsor ; Garter King of
Arms, Sir Charles George Young ; and the Gentleman
Usher of the Black Rod, Sir Augustus Clifford,
Her Majesty the Queen and his Royalllighness Prince
Albert ware conducted to the Throne or Garter Room,
in which the Chapter was held, by the Lord Steward
and the Vice-Chamberlain ; the latter stool on the right
of the Queen. Her Majesty wore the mantle, kirtle,
and collar of the Garter, and his Royal Highness the
mantle and collar of the Order.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPHITHEATRE.
Lessee and Manager, Mr. Wm. Cooks.
THIS EVENING,
95th Representation of the glorious Spectacle, the BATTLE of the
ALMA, the tremendous success of which has placed it among the
wonderful phenomena of the day.
After which, the unique SCENES in the CIRCLE. Invented by
Mr.
William Cooke.
To conclude with the Equestrian Comic Pantomime of GULLIVER
and the LILLIPUTIANS ; or, Harlequin and Britannia.
ox-oftics open from Eleven till Four. Stage Managner, Mr. W.
B
West. Acting Manger, /or. W. 11. Cooke. Equestria Director,
Mr. w. Cooke. jun.

By command of the Queen, the Knights Companions,
with the officers of the Order, were ushered to the pre-
sence of the Sovereign, in the Chapter-room, and the
'oreaer took their seats according to their seniority in
the Order. The Hon. and Very Rev. Gerald Wellesley,
Dean of Windsor, was sworn in Registrar of the Most
Noble Order of the Garter, the oath being administered
by the Chancellor.
The Chancellor signified to the Chapter her Majesty's
Royal will and pleasure that the vacant stalls in the
Royal Chapel of St. George, at Windsor, be filled ;
and, as none but a knight can be elected, the Right
Hon. George, Earl of Carlisle, was introduced to the
Sovereign by Garter King of Arms and Black Rod, and,
the Sword of State having been handed to the Queen by
the Vice-Chamberlain, her Majesty Weis pleased to
knight his Lordship therewith. The noble Earl kissed
her Majesty's hand, and retired.
The Right Hon. Francis, Earl of Ellesmere, was in-
' troduced to the Queen with the like ceremony, and had
the honour of knighthood conferred upon him by her
Majesty, with the Sword of State, when his Lordship
kissed the Sovereign's hand, and withdrew.
The Knights Companions proceeded to the election,
and the suffrages were collected by the Chancellor, and
by him were presented to the Sovereign, who com-
manded the Chancellor to declare that the Right Hon.
George William Frederick, Earl of Carlisle, had been
duly elected as Knight of the Most Noble Order of the
Garter. _ _ _ _ _ _

WAT iR AT LON 00N a_kfj)CPA;
sari DAY --Morning 36 min.after 5 1 Eveninst 52 min. o', 5
loßgow - Morning 11 ain.After 6 Svenin., 30 ,ntri..f:, 6

WEATHEII.—Sun Oman, Feb. 8.
T iERMOMETER, IN THE SWAIM
40—highest since noon yesterday.
33--lowest this morning and during the night.
31?—this day, at noon.
BAROMETER, 29'8G.
WIND, N.B. to E.N.E.—Fresh breeae, blowing a snow
storm. It commenced freezing s:iarply last evening, and
during the night a storm of snow act in which still con-
tinues.

-...,-,..
0.4-• --;•,*'' e't! iski
irt.tb ,1* ips4A-4,24,4-1 ,Orit*_lllk. :41:014n
t ,L.ky fi,A.-:'•tli-7.1.0"k1p ...-N •
~:,-•!=r4 - -,-;....,,es . • .
_____

LONDON, TXURSDA.Y, FEBRUARY 8, 1855.

Well ! the pack has been shuffled and dealt,
and Lord PANMURE has turned up the trump
card. The country has at length, after an inter-
val of ten days, obtained a Government !—not
as yet a perfect one, for a hiatus valde de-
fendus must occur in the proceedings of Parlia-
ment until the elections of Tiverton and South
Wilts have been brought to a conclusion, and the
new Premier and Home Secretary are once more
entitled to participate in the proceedings of the
representative branch of the Legislature. It is
unnecessary to expatiate on the evils necessarily
arising from this untoward and useless delay.
That the acceptance of office under the Crown
should vacate the seat of the appointee—that he
should, when a placeman, be required again
to appeal to his constituents to ask a renewal
of the confidence which they reposed in
him as an independent member—is, under
ordinary circumstances, very beneficial. It
affords some species of protection against any
possible venality or tergiversation of the 97,01:US
how), and may, in fact, be regarded as a species
of protection against the protracted tenure which
may give a party a seven years' lease of his posi-
tion.

By the Queen's command, the noble Earl was received
at the door of the Chapter-room by Earl S pencer and
Earl Fitzwilliain, the two junior Knights Companions
present, and was conducted between them to her Ma-
jesty, preceded by Garter (bearing the ensigns of the
Order ripen a crimson velvet cushion), and by Black
Rod. The Earl knelt near the Sovereign, and, Garter
King of Arms on his knee presenting the Garter, the
Queen, assisted by hie Royal Highness Prince Albert,
buckled it on his Lordship's left leg, the Chancellor pro-
nouncing the usual admonition. Garter neat presented
the Riband and George, and her Majesty (assisted as
before) put the same over the noble Earl's left shoulder,
the Chancellor prcnonncing the admonition.
His Lordship again kissed her Majesty's hand, and
having received the congratulations of the Knights Com-
panions, retired.
The Chapter proceeded to a second election, when the
Sovereign commanded the Chancellor to declare that the
Right Hon. Francis, Earl of Ellesmere, had been duly
elected a!Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Gar-
ter, whereupon his lordship was introduced, and was in-
vested by the Queen with the Garter, Riband, and
Badge, with the like ceremonies.
The Chapter proceeded to a third election, and, the
suffrages having been presented to the Queen, her Ma-
jesty commanded the Chancellor to declare that the
Right Hon. George, Earl of Aberdeen, had been duly
elected a Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
The noble Earl was introduced between the two junior
Knights Companions, and was invested by the Sovereign
with the ensigns of the Garter, with the like ceremonies,
and having received the congratulations of each of the
Knights Companions, withdrew.
The Earl of Aberdeen, by her Majesty's special com-
mand, retains the Order of the Thistle.
The Chapter being ended, Garter King of Arme, by
her Majesty's command, again called over the Knights
Companions, who, with the officers of the Order, retired
from the presence of the Queen.
The Prince of Wales, the Princess Royal, Prince
Alfred, the Princess Alice, and the Princess Helena wit-
nessed the investiture in the Chapter-room. _

that which has caused so much suffering to our

gallant soldiers, and ni.uch of the mortality that
has occurred, and which is not accounted for by
blunders in generalship. By all means let there
be the different departments. A division of labour
conduces to its efficient application ; but let
them be under one control, that the different
powers may not neutralise each other, or lead
to the total neglect of matters of vital conse-

quences.
On this point we would refer to an excellent
communication from an esteemed correspondent,
who writes under the title of "Anticus," and
whose suggestions will be found well worthy of
aft entive consideration.

But we must now look at the other tide of the
picture. The nation must patiently await the
elections for Tiverton and South Wilts before
it can receive the explanations so urgently re-
quired and anxiously looked for. There can be
but little doubt as to the result of the approach-
ing elections. It is scarcely probable that Tiver-
ton, which unanimously and enthusiastically
elected Lord P.XLMERSTON, the Home Secretary,
will reject him when he has been elevated
to the rank of Premier, or that Mr. SID-
nIY HERBERT, the Secretary of State for the
Home Department, will be less eligible in
the sight of the good men of South Wilts than he
had be n when occupying the station of Secretary
It is known that in each case the elec-

The Mistress of the Robes, the Duchess of Sutherland;
the Lady in Waiting, the Marchioness of Ely ; and the
following noblemen and gentlemen of the Royal house-
hold were in attendance, viz. :—The Lord Steward, Earl
Spencer ; the Master of the Horse, the Duke of Wel-
lington ; the Vice-Chamberlain, Lord Ernest Brace ;
the Captain of the Hon.' Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms,
Lord Foley ; the Captain of the Yeomen of the
Guard, Viscount Sydney ; the Geld Stick in Waiting,
Viscount Comberinere ; the Controller of the Household,
Viscount Drumlanrig ' • Lord Waterpark, Lord in Wait-
ing ; Major-General Berkeley Drummond, Groom in
Waiting ; Major-General Wylde, Groom in Waiting to
the Prince ; the Master of the Household ; Col.Williame,
Silver Stick in Waiting ; Colonel Thornton, Field Officer
___....

in Brigade Waiting ; Sir William Martins, Gentleman
Usher to the Sword of State ; Col. Seymour, Groom
of the Robes ; Lord Alfred Paget (Clerk Marshal)
Equerry in Waiting ; Captain the Hen. D. de Roe,
Equerry in Waiting to the Prince ; Captain F. C. K, p-
pel (Grenadier Guards), Adjutant in Brigade Waiting ;
and Messrs. Phipps and Macpherson, Pages of llonour
in Waiting.
The Yeomen of the Guard lined the approaches to the
Chapter-room, under the command of Sir John Kincaid,
the Leon in Waiting. Sir George P. Lee, the Lieu-
tenant, and Colonel Fitzmaurice, the Adjutant of the
corps, were in attendance. _

a Mere matter of form

('V ~:ff

walk
culty beyond the expenditure of few hundreds
for legitimate expenses, and possibly some trifling
violation of teetotal principles on the part of
some of her MAJESTY'S liege subjects iu these
favoured districts. Bat the consequences of the
delay may possibly prove highly p:ejuclicial to
the best interests of the nation. It may, there-
fore, be a question whether the House should not,
under peculiar circumstances, be enabled to delay
the vacation of the seat for a certain limited time
—say one, two, or even three months. This would
not afford any excuse for the postponement of the
necessary explanations, while it would insure
equal control by the several constituencies, which
would have ample opportunities of avenging, any
breach of faith or dereliction of principle.
4s to the new Government, we must bide our
time before we can say very much. We can
make every allowance for Lord PALMERSTON. Ho
had many difficulties to encounter, and had
scarcely sufficient strength as yet to break through
the red-tapist fetters by which every Minister is
restricted. He has not acted as energetically as
we expected ; but still his complete an i thorough
repudiation of Lord ABERDEEN, his unflinching
determination to rid the Cabinet of that in-
tolerable incubus, affords an auspicious augury
for his future energy and determination. It is
known that the Peelite c/iqas made a stre-
nuous effort to retain the services of the " CZAR'S
friend of forty years' standing "—to break his
fall from the highest point, by pitchforking
him into the soft and comfortable chair allotted to
the President of the Council. For this GLAD-
STONE, and HERBERT, and GRAHAM earnestly
struggled ; but, to their astonishment, the new
Premier was inflexible. He would not have the
" dear and excellent " at any price. Even the
powers of " the financial phenomenon" could not
induce him to swallow the bitter draught ; and,
therefore, have we the greater hope inhis ultimate
success, in consequence of the decided " taste of
his quality" thus given.
At present we must await further information
before we pronounce decidedly. The name of
Lord PALMERSTON is alone a tower of strength.
It is that for which we have been calling since the
display of Germanism in 1851. But the Noble
Lord must be careful lest he abandon the princi-
ples which conferred his popularity. His Govern-
ment at present is too largely leavened with Peel-
ism to suit our taste. We really think that the
best of the lot was the Duke of NEWCASTLE, who
has been so unfairly sacrificed to atone for the
shortcomings of his late colleagues. It is possi-
ble that the rigours of the new whip may con-
trol these unruly subordinates, and curb their
vicious propensities. If any one can do it Lord
PfioAd_e:tElyß,STON is the man. But we must abide the
evient otefianihoo,eA experiment before we can speak con-
and again must follow suit with the sh;cde
more exclai
allhuhflelne theil coanrdces.
" Pati

The Duchess of Sutherland and the Marquis of Lans-
downe returned to London immediately after the cere-
mony. _ .

The Queer gave a dinner this evening in the Waterloo
Chamber. The company included her Royal Highness
the Duchess of Kent, the Dukes of Bedford, Duccleuch,
and Wellington, the Marquises of Salisbury, .A.bercorn,
and Exeter, Lady Fanny Howard, Lady Caroline and
Miss Barrington, Baroness de Speth, Earls Spencer,
Carlisle, Aberdeen, Fitzwilliam, Clarendon and De Grey,
the Earl and Countess of Ellesmere and Lady Blanche
Egerton, Viscounts Sydney and Combermere, Lord
Ernest Bruce, the Bishops of Winchester and Oxford,
Lord Foley, Major-General, the Hon. Charles and Mrs.
Grey ; Colonel the lion. C. 8., Mrs., and Miss Phipps ;
the Right Hon. H. and Lady Mary Labouchere, Colonel
the Right Hon. C. Forester (commanding officer Royal
Horse Guards), Sir George, Lady, and Miss Cooper ;
Sir Augustus Clifford, Sir Charles George Young,
Lieut.-Colonel Dennis (commanding officer 94th Regi-
ment), Lieut.-Colonel and Mrs. Bathurst, Captain
Bathurst (23d Welsh Fusiliers), the Dean of Windsor,
Lord George Lennox, and Major-General Wylde.

The groat Minvi:eteeiroiauls
occupied ten
an equal time before it 753,band
har-
monious operation, has only
nation of three, cldiange which has already
may occupy
y yezglht into
and
the
appointeaeutinfthe resig-
Minister. The Duke of NEWCASTLE, the Earl Slew
ABERDEEN, and Lord JOHN RUSSELL, a:eri of
110
longer connected with tho Government. Lord
PANMITRE has undertaken to supply all their
places by the aid of a little kgerdemain,
distribution of the parts...among the different

TIVE SUN; pg:

LATEST NEWS.

TUE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.

VIENNA, TIIIRSDAY MORNING.
The Grand Duke Michael is lying ill of ague,

at Cherson.
The Grand Duke Nicholas is at Sebastopol.
The Russian army is in want of supplies.
The Chevalier Toggenburg, a statesman of
Count Stadion's school, Las been appointed Chief
of the Department of Trade.

WARSAW, FRB. 5.

The Engll3ll mi.sionarieii to the Jews in Poland
are banished. Their printing and bookbinding
establishments, library, and chapel have been ap-
propriated by the Government, and are offered
for sale.

The Augsburg Gazette now lends its authority
to the announcement that a French army will
traverse Austria, in order to operate against
Russia. We quote its language :—" We learn
that in the best-informed circles at Vienna it is
positively affirmed that the military convention
with the Western Powers, provided for in Article
V. of the Treaty of December, is now ready for
signature. It contains the stipulation that
French troops shall be brought up to the Russo-
Polish frontier to occupy that position which
Prussia has renounced. The French army will
march by way of Milan and Laybach, and be
thence conveyed by the Southern and Northern
railroads. The French corps will have arrived at
the southern extremity of the Austrian railway
system about the beginning of March. General
Grenville, it is believed, carries the convention
with him to Paris."

We learn from Frankfort that it is thought not
unlikely that in the course of a month Austria
will renew at the Diet her proposition for mobilis-
ing the Federal contingents. By that time the
military preparations ordered by the recent reso-
lution will have been completed, and hopes are
entertained that the missions of General Wedell
and Herr von Usedom at Paris and London will
then also have restored the harmony between
Prussia and the west, and so have prepared the
way for common action between the Courts of
Vienna and Berlin.

SARDINIA.
TURIN, Fan. G.

The Chamber continues the discussion of the
Treaties. The Minister, Cavour, in a remarkable
speech, has completely refuted the objections of
his opponents.

SPAIN.

MADRID, FEE. 5.

Government has presented to the Cortes a Pro-
ject of Law, proposing the complete sale of the
estates of the clergy, regular and secular. It was
received with approbation.

spring is the period when these corps will com-
mence their movements.
It seems still to be the opinion of military men
here, that, notwithstanding the various dates fixed
for the resumption of hostilities, or, more properly
the assault of Sebastopol, it ii very doubtful whe-
ther any serious operation can be undertaken unfl
a marked change in the weather takes place, and
this cannot be expected before spring. This opinion
accords generally with letters received in official
quarters.
The Moniteur contains the following report to
the Emperor from the Minister of Marine :
" Sire—Captain Jehenne, of the Henri IV., had been
proposed by Admiral Hamelin, previously to the hurri-
cane of the 14th Nov. for promotion to the rank of
Rear-Admiral. The skill, energy, and devotedness of
that officer were baffled by the fury of the elements ; but
the navy and the army were witnesses of the presence of
mind and vigour which he displayed in endeavouring to
save from wreck the vessels which your Majesty had con-
fided to him. In returning to him his sword, the Court-
martial unanimosuly declared that no one was more
worthy than be of your Majesty's favours. The Em-
peror, in his elevated sense of justice, could not allow
that a rank acquired by brilliant services should be lost
in a struggle with a dreadful tempest, against which Re
human power could contend. I obey your orders in
submitting to your Majesty a decree, conferring on Cap-
tain Jehenne the rank of Rear-Admiral.—l am, &c ,
" THEODORE Ducos."
The report is followed by a decree ordering the
promotion thus recommended.
The following order of the day has been published
by General Canrobert on the occasion of the' sortie
made by the Russians on the 15th ult. :
" In the night of the 15th a Russian column of about
500 men attacked the third parallel, guar?,,ed by the 2d
battalion of the 74th of the line. The efforts of the as-
sailants were sustained by the grenadier company, Capt.
Bouton, and the let company, Capt. Castlena,u. Both
these Officers were killed at the head of their men,
giving to all an example of bravery which was well acted
on. A. section of the third company of volunteers under
the orders of Lieut. Boutet and Sergeant Haguais, hur-
ried to the scene of action, and took a glorious part in
the contest, which adds to the distinguished services
which the volunteers have already performed before Se-
bastopol. It was the same with a company of the 95th
Regiment (late 20th Light Infantry). Chef de Bataillon ,
de Roumejoux, of the 74th, who stood on the parapet,
calling on his men to support the honour of the French
flag, gave proof of remarkable bravery. He was seri-
ously wounded. All the troops engaged showed the
most brilliant energy, and this combat will add still
more to the high reputation which the 74th has acquired
since the commencement of the siege."
The General-ix-Chief, at the conclusion of the order of
the day, states that he has, in the name of the Emperor,
conferred the rank of officer in the Legion of Honour
on M. Agard de Roumejoux, chef de bataillon of the
74th, and of chevaliers on Captain G. T. Laudois, Sub,
Lieutenant J. A. Brachet, and Corporal J. Guillemin,
of the same regiment, and given the military medal to
12 non-commissioned officers and privates in the 74th
and 95th regiments.
The following extract, from a private letter,
written by a French °l:deer, draws a gloomy pic-
ture of the British camp :--
"The English army is no longer an army. It only
bears the name. Of the 56,000 men w hick the British Go-
vernment sent to the East there remains at this moment
not more than from 10,000 to 11,000, and even those
are not all able to carry arms. I must add that
there are, moreover, about 10,000 in the hospitals of
Constantinople. and 1,000 in the ambulances at Bala-
klava ; the remainder are gone to their long home.
A sad result of the two principal vices in the
English army—the officers, with few exceptions,
have forgotten how to conduct a campaign,
and the administration for the supply of provisions
is absolutely null. Several transports had been laden at
Venice and Trieste with planks for constructing wooden
huts for the troops. When they arrived at Balaklava
the English had no horses to carry them to the camp.
The timber lay in the mud until the snow fell, when tie
soldiers burned it to warm themselves. The following
is the result of the neglected state of the English army.
The French have nearly completed their siege works :
Teeir trenches have been carried to within a
a few yards of the walls of the town. The English, on
the contrary, are far behind, and a few days since their
General informed General Canrobert, that his effective
force was not sufficient to continue their works. Some
days previously the French had been compelled to occupy
the batteries erected by the English at their extreme
right, which command the mouth of the Tchernaya and
the high road to Simpheropol, which they were no
longer able to defend. General Canrobert has given
orders to the third division to continue the English
trenches."
Another letter of the 24th ult. says
The Russians make frequent sorties, which are
always repulsed, and cost them a number of men. An
aide-decamp of the Emperor Nicholas was killed during
a sortie made on the 23d. That sortie revealed a curious
fact :—The Russians have become hunters of men.
They ensnare their victims with the lasso. On that
occasion they captured a French officer, whom they
carried off from among his men."

BOURSE, FEu. 7.—CLOSING PRICES.
Cash. fr. c. 'End of Month.
Per Cents 95 90 —f. —c.
3 per Cents O7 70 07 70
Last Loan — Roman
Credit 3lobilier 790 Austrian

Belgian Fives — Spanish Threes 370
Piedraontese B5 75 Home Debt

RAILWAYS-FOR CASH.

fr. c. fr. c.
Or!eans 1,185 Lyons 1037 50
Western.... ....... ~. 680 Rouen x (11032 50
Cette 6ll 25 Strasburg

570 -

Mediterranean 927 50 Havre.
Northern

RUSSIA.

The Journal do St. Pctersbourg, of the 31st Janu-
ary, under the head of news from the Crimea, pub-
lishes the following version of a sortie at Sebasto-
pol :
" Aide-de-Camp General Prince Menechikoff, under
date of the 22d January, renders an account of a new and
successful sortie from Sebastopol on the night between
the 19th and 20th January against the left flank and
centre of the French trenches. On this occasion our troops
were divided into two detachments. The right consisted
of 230 volunteers and of the 3d company of the Grena-
diers of the Minsk regiment, under the command of Major
Roudanovsky ; the left of five companies of the infantry
regiment Tobolsk, commanded by Captain Liapounoff,
and some hundred sailors under the orders of Lieu-
tenant Titoff and Zavalischine, of the navy. The
enemy showed a stout resistance, but could not stop the
impetuous advance of our men, and suffered a considerable
loss. We made two French officers and some soldiers pri-
soners. On our side we had 18 killed (of whom two officers
of the Tobolsk Regiment, Lieutenant Itepanoff and En-
sign Popoff) and 74 wounded (of whom three officers, ju-
nior Captain Count Sucbtelen, Aide-de-camp of the Com-
mander-in-Chief of the Army of the South ' • Lieutenant
Titoff, of the navy; and Lieutenant Gouliaeff, of the
Tobolsk Regiment.
" From the 17th to the 21st January the fire of
the enemy's batteries against Sebastopol has scarcely
doneus any harm. The snow, which had fallen previously,
prevented the continuation of the siege works. The
enemy was in want of fire-wood, and sent daily parties
to cut timber is the woods on the heights of the left
bank of the Tchernaya. They have destroyed the
Quarantine establishment, and, without respect for the
sacred character of the ancient temple of Chersonesum,
they have taken off the roof and devastated the inside."

THE MAILS.—SOUTHAMPTON, Feb. 7.—The Peninsular
and Oriental Company's steam-ship Madrid, Captain
Cook, left this afternoon with the usual mails for Vigo,
Oporto, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Gibraltar; taking out 15 first-
class, seven second-class, and two deck passengers, and on
freight specie aihounting to 72,964/. 2s. 6d., distributed as
follows:—Lisbon, 30,1641.25. 6d. ; Oporto, 1,0001.; Cadiz,
41,8001., and a full general cargo. The Tagus, with the
homeward portion of the India and China mails, is hourly
expected. The Brazilian mails for this month will be
despatched from this port by the Royal Mail Company's
steam-ship Solent, Captain Jellicho, on Sunday, the 11th
inst., instead of the 9th, as usual. This deviation has
been caused by the detention by bad weather of the
Solent on her homeward voyage from the West Indies,
and the consequent impossibility of getting her ready for
sea so early as the 9th inst. There is no doubt, however,
that the superior speed of this vessel, when compared
with the ordinary ships used on the Brazilian line, will
enable her to arrive out at the usual dates, and thereby
give the advantage of two days' later news from Eng-
land without any interference with the ordinary re-
ceipt of letters, &c., at the various Brazilian ports.
The Royal Mail Company's new paddle-wheel steam-
ship Tyne arrived at Southampton this morning from
Blackwall. She is a fine vessel of 2,000 tons burden
and 400-horse power, and was built by Messrs. Miller,
of Newcastle-on-Tyne. Her average speed on the pas-
sage round was about 13 knots. She will go into the
dry-dock to-nsorrovr to ascertain the extent of the damage
sustained by getting ashore on the Girdles. The ill
effects of the accident, however, are believed to be slight.
The Tyne will be despatched with the West India mails
on the 17th inst. The United States' mail steam-ship
St. Louis, Captain J. A. Wotton, is appointed to leave
Havre and Southampton on Wednesday next, the 14th
inst., with the American mails, for New York.
METROPOLITAN IMPROVEMENTS. —From a return pub-
lished yesterday (presented to Parliament pursuant to the
act) it appears that the gross total amount of advances
out of the Consolidated Fnndto the Commissioners of her
Majesty's Works, &c., duringtheyearlBs4 wa5207,328/.
—viz., 3,3971. on the 26th of May, 430/. on the 20th of
June, and 203,5001. on the 20th of September, 1854. The
moneys so advanced were thus applied—viz., 8,0971.
to the payment of the half-yearly interest on the
Equitable Assurance Company's loan of 200,000/. ;
430/. to the Commissioners of Inland Revenue, as " in-
come-tax deducted from interest on loans paid ;" and
203,5001. to the repayment of the Equitable Assurance
Company's loan of 200,0001.; and the interest thereon
(3,5001.) The amount of money paid into the Consoli-
dated Fund in the course of the past year (1854) was
160,181/. The total amount advanced under thejprovi-
sions of the act 16 Victoria, cap. 18, was 1,129,297/. ;
and if there be deducted from this the sure of 288,267/.
(and a fraction), as the total amount paid into the Con-
solidated Fund, it follewa that a balance of 841,1294
was due to the said fund on the 31st of December last, ,