The Sun.
London, England, 1855-03-22 00:00:00

LONDON, THURSDAY, MARCH 22, 1855.

wards the Guardians of the National Purse, or
that lie had not deliberately violated the under-
standing on which the vote of one and three-

quarters millions of pounds sterling was sanctioned
by Parliament. If circumstances occurred to in-
duce him to change his determination—if ho
found himself obliged to alter the character of the

transaction—and to make that which in its in-

ception was, properly speaking, " a Supply Exelle-

quer Bill," " a debt permanent in itself, but the

obligation of which is renewable from year to
year," he should have distinctly stated that reso-
lution, and obtained the assent of Parliament to
the departure from the honourable compact !
Ho did not, however, do so—the best proof
whereof is, that gentlemen on both sides of the
House were entirely misled on the subject—a
delusion increased by the Royal Speech at the
close of the session, to which it may be presumed

The. Chancellor of the Exchequer has exercised
a sound discretion in abandoning the Newspaper
Stamp Bill introduced by his predecessor in office.
No amount of alteration could have rendered that
ill-advised and impolitic measure acceptable either
to journalists or to the community at large. There
can be no doubt that which be has brought for-
ward is a very decided improvement. Our praise
must, however, be of a negative character. We
speak of the proposition now brought forward
rather in reference to that for which it is a sul.-
stitute than on its own intrinsic merits. The
chief point is that the Financial Minister, at a time
when he must find it exceedingly difficult to make
both ends meeV—when it will be a task of no
ordinary labour to provide for the indispensable
demands on "the national - exchequer—thinks
proper to surrender what he himself admits will
amount to at least 200,0001. per annum, but
which is returned by competent authority at fully
250,0001. If any great object were to be at-1
tained—if the respectability, or efficiency, or
liberty of the Fourth Estate were to be in any
way improved by the alteration it would be
cheaply purchased even at that price ; but when
it appears, to those best qualified to form a cor-
rect judgment on the question at issue, that its
tendency will be altogether the other way—when
the great mass of the people are perfectly satisfied
with the existing state of affairs—we must say
that the Right Honourable Baronet would have
been more than justified in postponing the in-
teresting and important question to a future day,
so that it might in the interim be strictly investi-
gated and maturely considered in all its varied
details. The present sacrifice of revenue appears
to be gratuitous and uncalled for.

With all submission to Sir G. C. Lzwis we must
protest against his assumption that "it is not a
question whether 200,0001. shall or shall not be
retained, but that it is rather whether a crusade
shall be entered into against a large proportion of
the csi.stiqg newspaper press, for the sake of en-
forcing a law which cannot be enforced, by means
of the verdicts of juries, which are somewhat
doubtful in their results !" There is not, we con-
tend, the slightest necessity for persecuting class
periodicals. The prosecution of the "Household
Narrative," which never should bave commenced,
failed, not from any unwillingness on the part of
a jury to.convict, if a fair cdte had been made
out for a verdict against the defendant. A majo-
rity of the Judges before whom the question was
argued concurred in that verdict, and held that
there had been no violation of the law. If the
cases are properly selected, we venture to assert
that there will be no difficulty on the part
of the juries. But they will not, and we
honour them for the resolution—suffer themselves
t° be made tools of—to strain tho law beyond its
fair interpretation, or convert it into traps for
the unwary.

The second
ruing of the Bill is fixed for
Monday next, iv
trust that the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, who has
already se far yielded to
the voice of public opini
will make a further
concession, and agree to the withdrawal of the
provisions
Bill until a time when its
maturely considered, and the p,cu. eml be more
pecuniary sacrifices
can be better spared.

The financial phenomenon and his quondam
"fidus achates"—" that able, faithful, and care-
ful public servant," Mr. JAMES WILSON, have had
the desired opportunitrof replying to the charges
originally brought forward in the Upper House
by Lord MONTEAGLE, and last repeated by the
Honourable Baronet the member for Evesham
in
the Commons. Notwithstanding the well-known
ingenuity of these gentlemen, and their profici-
ency in the art denominated " rigmarole," they
were utterly unable to explain, satisfactorily, the
addition of 1,750,000/. to the permanent floating
debt, which had been granted on the express
understanding that it was to be defrayed
out of the accruing revenue of the coun-
try. With all the casuistry and special
Pleading of the ex-Chancellor of the Exchequer
he was unable to show that lie had acted in a
candid, explicit, and straightforward manner to-

dried up.

Savoy.

THE SUN, LONDON', THURSDAY EVP,,NINCI, MARCH 22, 1855,

L cl 51 777.71, 7
.11- 11 V' V

We have received the following teleg,raphio des-

pltelle3 from Bpriin

BERLIN, BIARon' 21,

Advices from St. Petersburg of this day's date
state that the following despatch had been received
from General Osten-Saeken

In the night between the 10th and 11th we
erected a new redoubt about 300 yards in front of

lie Korn iloff Bastion.

Our works were carried on with success.

The Preussische Correspondent contradicts the

statement in the Paris Moniteur• that the language
held by M. von Bismaik Sehonhausen had either

been disavowed or censured.

The Prussian Government, adds the semi-official

journal, maintains, as regards Cabinets not Ger-
man, the principle that the attitude assumed by
the envoys of the, German Powers inside the

'Germanic Diet is a matter of internal concern.

Concequently, it world consider it improper to
accept any criticism on the matter, and still more

to enter into any controversy with respect to it.
On the other hand, the Prussian ,Logations at
the German Courts havo received the necessary
instructions for combating the erroneous assertion,

though circulated by official publicationS, that M.
do Bismark had stated or oven hinted at the pro-

positions indicated in an article in the lioniteur
Francais. In fact, these propositions were never
in any way the intentions of the Government."

We have received the following telegraphic do-

snatches from Vienna :

VIENNA, MARCH 21.

The Oeiterreichische Cerrespondenz publishes ad
vices from Constantinople of the 12th of March.
Shocks of earthquake continued.

The sulphurous springs at Broussa had be(n.

Mount Olympus vomits smoke like a volcano.

VIENNA, WEDNESDAY EVENING.

Advices from Odessa of the 14th inst. bring
a report that Prince Menschikoff has died of

typhus fever. The report requires confirmatior

CONSTANTINOPLE, MARCH 8.
The death cf the Emperor Nicholas was known

here yesterday.

On the 31 of March the effective strength of

o.:ner Paella's army amounted. to 35,000 meu,

with 1,000 horse and four complete batteries. The

troops of all arms still exT)ected were rapidly

arriving. Supplies were very abundant.
On the 6th an English battery, which com-
mands the bottom of the Sebastopol harbour,

compelled a Russian steamer to quit its position

in great haste.

The Russians have doubled the number of guns
ia. their batteries. The, siege works of the Allies

were almost complete. It was thought that the
south side of Sebastopol could not hold out more
than five days. The samitary state of the Eng-

lish army had improved.,

.NYBORG, TUESDAY.

The Great Belt is open at the north, south,

and east : also from Kandsliovet to Slipshaver

Corsoer is still icebound. The Sound ice. is
broken up on the Swedish side. Elsinore is open
and ships have arrivedi. Ice still remains be-
tween liven and the Danish coast. Kiel harbour
is partially open ; 11311133,k quite. A storm from

the north-west is rapidly dissipating the ice.

We Dave received dm following private tele-
graphic despatches. II; will be observed that
there is a very great discrepancy between the ac-
counts given of the fire

TRIESTE, MARCH 20.

The packet has just arrived with news from
Constantinople to the 12th. The French hospital
of Grand-Champ is said too have been destroyed by
fire ; about 100 of the flick are said to have been
burnt.

Preparations were being made at the Palace of
Beylerbey for the reception of the Emperor Na-
poleon, whose arrival Iwo expected. The mission
which Ali Pacha is to ftufil at the Conferences of
Vienna has not been yet decided on.

The instructions given, to Arif Pacha, the Turk-
ish 41bassador at Vienna, enjoin him to demand
from tho members of the Conference to proclaim

the complete sovereignty of the Sultan, to exact
from Russia a guarantee that the mouths of the
Danube shall be cleared of all the obstacles which

impede the navigation ; not to admit that the
Christian subjects of the Sultan shall be placed
under the protection of the powers ; and lastly,
to demand the participation of Prussia at the
Conferences.

TRIESTE, MARCH 21.
Accounts have been received from Constanti•

nople to the 12th. One of the orderly officers of
the Emperor Na,po!eon has arrived.
M. de Tecco yesterday delivered to the Sultan
his letters accrediting him as Minister Plenipo-
tentiary of Sardinia to the Sublime Porte. M,
de Tecco expressed to- the Sultan the readiness
with which Piedmont lent her co-operation, and
said that the Sardinian contingent would proceed
direct to the Crimea without stopping at Constan-
tinople.

The Sultan expressed his gratitude towards
King Victor Emmanuel, and his regret at the
late painful losses sustained by the House of

Threo Pachas, accused of peculation, have been

arrested at Kars.

Some wooden barracks near Lho French hospital
have been destroyed by fire.

SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL.
(From a Second EditOn of the .3lorning ilerald.)
CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, MARCH 6.
So few occurrences of any moment have taken
place since you last received a communication from
the Crimea that it is a difficult task to attempt a
letter that would be read with any interest. The
night continues to be the favourite time for the
enemy to open fire, and it scenes that, like most
savage animals, they sleep during the day, and are
most wakeful in the night time. On the evening of
Vie 31 there was a very heavy cannonade on the
French left, but it was attended with very little
loss, and on the followinc, night it was resumed -w
greater vigour, and was kept up without intermis-
sion till daylightl on the sth. This firing was kept
up from two points, viz., the French left, and also
from Inkerrnan, but caused very little damage.
How this immense expenditure of ammunition ow
be supported.ip a marvel to all our °facers, and the