The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-12 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

ElR,—Peace being desirable, not only for the into
rests of our country, but for those of the world at
large, and the negotiations now pending being doubt-
less injuriously influenced by the obstinate resistance
of Sebastopol (which could be otercoms in a day),
and by the impossibility of successfully attacking
Cronstadt by naval means (which Might bees speedily
reduced), I have drawn up a petition to Parliament,
in order that secrecy and silence on my part, and
deficiency of information on that of the public, may no
longer prove injurious to thesuccess of our arms. Hos-
tilities having proceeded so far, assuredly it is most expe-
dient to reduce a restless nation to a third or fourth-rate
power than he ourselves reduced.
Let not my motive be mistaken. I have an wish to
command a fleet of 100 gun ships, or to attack first-rat.
fortresses by encased batteries of steam gun-boats; that
which I desire is, first, secretly, to demonstrate to com-
petent persons the efficiency of my plans, and then to
obtain authority (during eight or ten days of fine wea-
ther) to put them in execution.
The means I contemplate are simple, cheap, and safe
in execution—they would spare thousands of lives, mil-
lions of money, and great havoc and -uncertainty of re-
sults. Theix consequences might, and probably would,,
effect the emancipation of Poland, and give freedom to
the usurped territories of Sweden.
Those win) judge unfavourably of all aged naval com-
manders assuredly do not reflect that the useful employ-
ment of the energies of thousands and tens of thousands
of men can best be developed and directed by a mind
instructed by long observation matured by reflection, an
advantage to which physical power that could clear its
way by a broad sword can bear no comparison.. My
unsupported opinion in regard to a naval enterprise,in
1809 proved to be correct ; every other undertaking in
the British service, and as Commander-in-Chief in 'Chili,
Peru, Brazil, and. Greece was successful, and so would
the protracted and unaccomplished undertakings (so in-
jurious to the result of negotiation) have succeeded had
I possessed sufficient influence to be patiently listened
to.—l am, sir, your obedient servant, _

DUNDONALD.

" TO THE EON. THE COMMONS IN PARLIAMENT 4t•
SEMBLED.

" THE PETITION OF THOMAS EARL OF DUNDONALD,
ADMIRAL OF THE WHITE,

" Humbly showeth—That in the year ISII your peti-
tioner discovered, and, after deliberate consideration,
hal the honour, in the year 1812, to disclose to his
lhiyal Highness the Prince Regent, a simple, yet irre-
si,tible, means whereby ordinary implements in war
might be dispensed with, and speedy and successful re
suits insured.

" That his Royal Highness was pleased to appoint a
commission to investigate the subject, consisting of thr.
i•iost competent persons of that period, whose report was
so favourable that his Royal Highness ordered the at-
tendance of your petitioner, and commanded secrecy,
which had been imposed on Lord Keith, Lord Exmouth,
and on General and Colonel Congreye—his Royal High-
ness the Duke of York being president of the commis-
sion.

" That with this injunction your petitioner faithfully
complied, although he could have put his plans in execu-
tion in foreigi service, to his own great personal advan-
tage. That after your petitioner's return from abroad,
and when an apprehension of war had again arisen at
home, your petitioner presented his plans to his Majesty
King William (who had honoured your petitioner in
early life with favour), and whose professional know-
ledge enabled him to judge of their applicability.
" That his Majesty satisfied therewith, was pleased,
in the most flattering manner, to manifest the high esti-
mation in which he held the loyalty and disinterested
conduct of your petitioner.
" That on a subsequent threat of war, since the acces-
sion of her present Majesty, the question of the merits
of your petitioner's plan was, on a similar occasion, sub-
mitted to the most honourable the Cabinet Council,
wherein ingenuous and expanded minds, impressed with
sentiments similar to those which actuated his late Ma-
jesty, recommended and obtained a gracious manifesta-
tion of royal justice.
" That, in February and in July last year, your peti-
tioner again offered his said plans, and sanctioned their
reference to a secret commission of naval officers, in order
that a professional report might be made as to their
practicability and efficiency, which report, however, was
confined to an opinion as to their 'expediency,' perhaps
originating in an erroneous impression as to the endur-
ance of iron-bound floating batteries, all of which your
petitioner will engage to subdue, even were they added
to the defences of Cronstadt.
" That your petitioner, foreseeing the impracticability
of capturing numerous and powerful fortifications by the
means now in preparation, again most respectfully offers
his plans and his services to accomplish these objects, re-
serving the encased batteries and steam gun-boats entire
and ready for the brief and easy task of destroying the
hostile fleet.
" That your petitioner begs that, should these pre-
mises, and the prayer hereunto annexed, seem to your
honourable house exaggerated or unreasonable, you will
be pleased to take into your consideration that, had
electric communication and photographic delineation
been privately known and publicly announced, these in
c)ntettible realities would have been received as an in-
sult to the understanding. Therefore your petitioner
humbly prays

" That your honourable house will be pleased, by a
searching inquiry, to ascertain whether the aforesaid
secret plans are capable speedily, certainly, and cheaply
to surmount obstacles which our gallant, persevering
and costly armies and fleets have failed to accomplish.
" March 9, 1855." "DUNDONALD.

EXPLOSION AT DARTFORD.—On Saturday mining, at
nine o'clock, the inhabitants of Dartford were startled
by two succes,ive explosions, which shook the town and
neighbourhood. It was soon ascertained that one of
the drying mills id Messrs. Pigon hvi exploded,
destroy-
ing tue building, and causing the death of one work-
man, be§ides v/9111434 several others.