The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-10 00:00:00

rPRICE SD,

1 to allure the most competent men 'of the middle
Plus into public life.
There can be no more egregious fallacy than that
by which the English public is deluded into acqui-
t ,scence in exclusive aristocratic *rule--4he pretext
t bat it is. served gratuitously. No man gives his
uirices for nothing, unless, those services are so
u. ;terly worthless as to make it worth nobody's
vv, bile to pay for them. If a servant—either public
or private—is not paid directly, he will pay himself
ini Erectly. A man who pays himself indirectly and
clandestinely is pretty sure to overpay himself.
Then) is no balancing accounts with him ; for it is
finpossible to say how much he gets; and then—the
asuznption being that he serves gratuitously—he
gjves himself airs whenever the quality of his work
is called in question. Unpaid services are the dearest
of all. The aristocracy profess to serve their coun-
tr y gratuitously as ministers of State: if all the jobs
th ey are enabled by their official positions to perpe-
tr, ate in behalf of-themselves, their relations, and
dependents were counted up, it would be found
that-they are exorbitantly overpaid. The landed
nobility and gentry profess to serve their country
gratuitously as justices of the peace ; and they pay
themselves by perverting the administration of
justice to subserve the pride and self-will of their
clas3, and to quarter theirhangers-on upon th'e pub-
Vic purse. The purchasers of commissions would
have us believe that as their professional pay rarely
e quals in amount the interest they might obtain by
binding their money, they, too, serve their country
gratuitously. But looking back upon our national
history, and seeing how many colonial governor-
-shins, tailmingcolonelcies,diploreaticalpointments, ,
ac., have been obtained-by tire trafficliers
in :military rank, we are driven to the conclusion
that here also unpaid services are the dearest of all.
Let All end be put to this delusive system. Let all
wha .serve the public in civil or military capacities
be fair. ly paid ; let such men only be employed as
can wol'ic efficiently ; and let no more men be em-
ployed titian are necessary. Such a reform would
give us a better army ; a better -local administra-
tion of jut, Lice ; a better executive Government.
tgmust be made with the central admi-
The beginnii.
nistrative Government, forso long as it is conducted
on the sham gratuitous system, officials will uphold
that system in all other departments, if it were
only to keep themselves in countenance. To look
for this -reform at the hands of those who have
been brought up iu the system, and who profit by
it, is folly. The middle classes—the educated and
politically powerful section of the people—must
take the task in hand if it is over to be acccom-
plished. They can do it if they will ; they have
carried Parliamentary and Municipal eform, the
Abolition of Slavery, and the Abolition of the Corn
Law, and they can also carry Administrative Re-
form. The wretches war mismanagement shows
that they have not a moment to lose in setting to
work. They must shake off their excessive love of
lords ; and they ' can do so. Humorists and fo-
reigners laugh, not without reason, at the peerage-
worship of the English middle classes ; but when
Peers outrage the' feelings; or encroach on the pro-
prietary rights of Englishmen, the insult of en-
croachment is resented with an energy of which
every other European people is incapable. Admi-
nistrative reform means, in the first place, free
access to the high offices of State for competent
men, whatever their birth or connections. It does
not mean exclusion of worthy Peers, but it means
admission of worthy commoners. It is for the
House of Commons to effect the reform ; and it is
for the electors, on the first opportunity, to return
a House of Commons that will set earnestly and
energetically about it.

NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE.

THE BALTIC FLEET.
THE DOWNS, MONDAY.

At 5 a,m. the signal was made to the fleet to get
steam up, and shorten in their cables, which was at once
obeyed, and at ten minutes to six the signal to weigh
was made ; the Nile led the van,• and the other ships in
succession followed in two lines ; the weather was rainy,
and we could not discern the fleet very far, but I now
trust that they have left this year to add more glories to
the annals of English history. The correct and service-
like manner in which every signal has been made since
the departure of Admiral Dundas from Portsmouth
shows Ine
out his orders.

NYBORG, APRIL 3.

Yesterday the Belt was full of ice. A large steam-
frigate; supposed to be her Majesty's steamer Imperie-
use' was seen to the north of Romsoe yesterday ; she
subsequently stood to the North, and has probably
anchored off Refsnaesset.

The French fleet, destined for service in the Baltic,
and consisting of three line-of-battle ships, with the pro-
per complement of frigates, corvettes, and smaller craft,
will leave Cherbourg in two or three days. 'Rear-Admi-
ral Penaud, who commands, was with Admiral Desch&
nes last year.

The screw steam-ship Sanspareil, 71, Captain Wood-
ford'J. Williams, will be placed in the basin dock at
Keyham, Plymouth, to-morrow. Her repairs and altera-
tions will occupy some time. Her crew were to be paid
down yesterday, and granted 14 days' leave, when they
may join either of the gaardships, and be permitted
afterwards to choose their own ships.
The steam block-ship Cornwallis, having taken her
stares and guns on board, was warped on Saturday to
the receiving bulk Vigo; in Hamoaze, Plymouth, pre-
paratory to her crew being turned over to her. It was
intended for her to make a trial trip in the Channel yes-
terday.
The store-ship Tyne, Master-Commander Peter Wel-
..

lington, is ordered to call at Plymouth on her way to
Ascension and Rio Janeiro, to embark Commander Has-
well, appointed to the screw-steamer Plumper, 8, on the
coast of Africa.

The hired transport Wide-awake, Captain Moon, was
towed on Saturday from Plymouth to the jetty at the
Devonport dockyard, where she will embark to-day 10
officers, 56 men, and the same number of horses, be-
longing to the 15th Hussars.

Additional policemen are to be appointed at the Royal
William Victualling-yard, Plymouth. The duty there
has increased so much in consequence of the activity in
the war department, that the Russian prisoners in Mill-
bay are no longer to be supplied with meat from this
yard, but through the medium of private contractors.
The emigrant ship Samarang, which was repaired in
Keyham dock, sailed from Plymouih for Adelaide on
Saturday.
Off Plymouth on Saturday—The. ship Ocean Queen,
Capt. A. Spencer, from New York ; the American ship
George Kaynes, Capt. Bachelder, three days from Cork
for London ; and the ship Barham ; she left the Sand-
heads December 20th, Madras the 31st, and St. Helena
February 24th.

The transport ship Wilson Kennedy, Capt. Simpson,
67 days from Constantinople, arrived at Plymouth yester-
day morning. Spoke, March 19, off Malaga, the Otto-
man, Captain Bailey, from Constantinople for Hull, and
on the 28th, off Cape St. Vincent, the bark Mary Nixon,
of and from Liverpool, for Tarragona.
The transport North Fleet is hourly expected at Ply-
mouth to embark the divisions of the Land Transport
Corps now at that port.
The Fairy Royal yacht, Captain Crispin, went out of
Portsmouth harbour yesterday, to make an experimental
trial of a new screw, patented by Mr. John Fisher, of
Liverpool, called the " Venetian screw." She made
eight runs along the measured mile at Stokes-bay, with
and against tide ; force of wind about 7. The following
were the runs :

Time.
First, with Elle, revolutions of engines 40 —4 min. 38 sec.
Second, against tide ff 391-4 min. 55 sec.
Third, with tide „ 39i-4 min. 32 sec.
Fourth, against tido Of 40 —5 min.

..
Fifth, with tide PP 40 —4 min. 17 sec.
Sixth, against tide PP 40 —5 min. 14 sec.
Seventh, with tide 9) 491-1 min 9 sec.
Eighth, against tide 40 —5 min. 28 sec.
This yielded an average of l'L 643 knots per hour.
Rear-Admiral Martin, Superintendent of Portsmouth
dockyard, changed his flag from blue to white yesterday
morning, on board the St. Vincent.

The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Com-
pany's new ship Alma, Capt. R. W. Evans, arrived at
Portsmouth on Sunday evening from Liverpool, to em-
bark upwards of 1,000 of the brigade of Guards, a large
detachment of Royal Sappers and Miners, and sundry
officers and men for passage to the seat of war in the
Crimea. She is a splendid ship, 2,500 tons' register, 500
horse power, 317 feet over all, 40 feet beam, and 30 feet,
depth in hold ; has cabin accommodation for 60 officer
in the saloons, besides the officers of the ship. She.s
can
s
berth 1,050 troops on the maindeck in hammock and
bunko (900 in the former, and 150 in the latter) ;on the
after orlop, 300 ; and on the fore orlop, 100 ; making a
total of accommodation for 1,450 troops, besides the
ship's company, &c. Her engines are by Fawcett ' • she
made 11 knots with 25 revolutions on the passage from
Liverpool, although her full speed is at 30 revolutions ;
she is very dry, stiff, and weatherly, and fitted with
every modern improvement, draws 19 feet 6 inches now,
will carry 20 horses, for which they have fittings. The
height between decks is 8 feet 6 inches. She is numbered
'l." She conveyed to Portsmouth Captains Ward and
Graves, Lieutenants Pocklingtou and Ring, Ensign Cot-
tee, and 127 non-commissioned officers and men of the
18th (Royal Irish), who landed yesterday and took up
quart-rs in Clarence barracks. She also conveyed a
draught of the 50th Regiment, consisting of Captains
Tillbrook, Baines, and Blackall, Lieutenant Bunbury,
and 130 non-commissioned officers and men, who go out
to 3lalta in this ship.
Government has purchased the Granville, of 800 tons,
for 14,504 The Granville was built in 104 at Moul.
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