The Sun.
London, England, 1855-06-27 00:00:00

(From the Times of this day.)

Y esterday we bad occasion to remark upon the gathering
of last Sunday in Hyde Park, and last nightthe same subject
was twice brought under the House of Commons by Mr. Ot-
way and Mr. H. Berkeley. The former asked the Secretary
of State for the Home Department whether it was the inten-
tion of the Governinent to support or oppose the further pro;
gress of the Sunday Trading Bill-the' latter obtaine.l a com-
mittee on the operation of the Beer Bill passed last session.
.As to the Government, nothing was- to be elicited from Sir G.
Grey and his friends, 'save that they., are determined to be
guided by circumstances, and are prepardd to maintain or re-
linquish the vieWs they have expressed according to the ch.:
cumstances of the case, and the contingencies of failure or
success ; but even Lord Robert Grosvenor appeared anxious
to disown his measure. " The responsibility for the bill,"
said he, " did not rest with him, but with the house." If
the bill be not the bill of Lord Robert Grosvenor, but of the
house, why should he take such especial pains in the matter,
in opposition to the evident feeling of that assembly? No doubt
the second reading was carried. But how carried ? It is
more than questionable if the great bulk of the members were
at all aware of the importance of the discussion ; it is,. we
hope, tolerably certain that when the various provisions of
the bill are brotight formally before their notice, they will get
rid of it altogether. ,
As to the principles upon which the measure is founded, and
the machinery by which it is proposed to carry those measures
into effect, what can we add 1, the varieu's considerations
I,vhiell Qve yeSteZday submitted to tholudgmeot of our readers?
There can be rte doubt that early in the morning of every
returning Sunday the humbler artisans and workpeople
of ' this metropolis do make their i little purchases of
meat, vegetables, milk, &c., and so far no doubt there
is desecration of the Sabbath. On the other hand, in their
favour it is to be said, that in numerous cases they do not
receive their week's wages until late ou the Saturday night.;
do that they could not, if they would, lay in their little stores
for the Sunday's provision. Again,, even if the money were
paid into their hands in time for dealing upon the Saturday
night, it is a lainentable fact that they frequently occupy
such narrow and unwholesome lodgings that during the
warmer season the provisions—not too fresh in the first in-
stance—which they had purchased overnight would be tainted
in the morning. The argument on the other side naturally
is, that such traffic is to be avoided by fresh arrangements
between employers and employed, and that, although it may
be perfectly true that the larders of the poor aro not in a very
perfect condition, the measure of inconvenience inflicted upon
them, if the present bill should pass into a law, is as nothing
compared with the amount of desecration of the Sabbath to
which it will put an end. It is at this point that the legisla-
tors of Hyde-park step in with their burly opposition. " Talk
of desecration of the Sabbath by the lower classes," say they;
" there is not one house in a hundred inhabited by the middle
classes—there is not house in a thousand inhabited by those
still higher placed in the social scale, in which desecration of
the Sabbath is not patent, constant, notorious. What is the
meaning of your Sunday dinner parties and pleasure excur-
sions, although six other days in the week are open to you
for diversion and amusement ? We have but one day, and
on that day you would starve us and redifne us to inaction as
a sacrifice to your own spiritual pride. • If we are to have a
Sunday Bill, be it as you will, but let us have the bishops
perambulating the streets on foot, shut up your clubs and
hotels,..stop all traffic, and let London be reduced to a cata-
leptic condition during the Sabbatical period of 24 hours.
Your present bill is a miserable piece of hypocrisy and
deceit." What can Lords Ebrington and Robert Grosvenor
answer to this just objurgation? There are certain members
of a tribe in South Africa who earn their living in a singular
way. They are supported 'by-the voluntary contributions of
their fellows in ease and affluence. They are not called upon
to handle tho assegai in the chase, nor the rude hoe in the
parched Africo.n field. All they have to do is to be penitent
whenever any merober of the tribe wanders into sin and
transgression.. The sinner instantly despatches a message to
the professional penitent, who, no matter what his own feel-
ings may bo at th,s time—whether he be feasting or fasting—
must instantly roll himself about on the hot sand, and howl
with intense remoree. Now, it appears to us that this vica-
rious sanctity is all that we shall attain by this Sabbath bill.
The great and the opttlent will continue to revel as before,
while the poor will be called upon to repent not only for their
own sins, but for ours, and not only for our past sins, but for
those we are actually committing, , and for all we are deter-
mined to commit in the future.

(From the Morning Herald of this day. )

The House of Lords last night listened to another of those
lucid and coMprellensive-reviews of our war policy to which
Lord Lyndhurst has familiarised their lordships—efforts of an
extraordinary mind, over whose fine powers extreme age
seems to cast neither blight nor shadow. The morelmme-
diate object of the noble and learned lord on this occasion was
to examine the policy of Austria, and bow far the results of
that policy have justified the course we have pursued with
reference to that power.
It can hardly be denied now by those who were accustomed
to congratulate the Western Powers and mankind in 'general
upon the consummation of the Austrian alliance, that the
most recent events have shown., that from the first the Cabi-
-net•ef -Vienna has played a li'dbaw-tukd a' selfish game—that
tney have 1-Inguiled the Western Voisiawitlibnpliettin-umises
of contingent assistance, and delusive proposals for the settle-
ment of the Eastern complication. We do not say that her
mediation was necessarily insincere, because it had led to no
practical result—with such a power as Russia the best offices
might have been unavailing. We are even willing to acknow-
leCe with Lord Ellenborough the value of the tranquil posi- '
tion of Austria within her own territory—her well-armed
frontier opposing a barrier to Russia, and creating a necessity
for a Russian corps of observation that might otherwise have
been moved to the Crimea. It may be too, although we do
not very clearly see it, that Austria has exerted a most bene-
ficial influence upon the German Diet and people, preventing
on the ono hand a Russian pressure, and on the other the
development of a Russian policy. Against this speculative
good, however, we can set off something like positive evil.
The occupation of the Principalities, in pursuance of that
unfortunate convention of June, 1854, set free the army of
Bessarabia, and supplied some f the troops that fought at
the Alma and at Inkerman. Our two years' " deference" to
Austria has been the curse of our policy. It has not only
paralysed our operations in the field, but the prolonged and
profitless negotiations in which Austria played the part of
mediator have prevented, by the shadow of irresolution they
cast on our policy, a declaration on the part of the Baltic
powers; and very possibly of Germany also. These negotia-
tions have terminated, as every one knew they would, in the
rejection by Russia of easier terms than she had any right to
expect,' and after the ministers of the allies had exhausted
their instructions, and actually returned to their respective
governments, Austria comes forward with a proposition she
knew could not be accepted, affords Russia an opportunity
for a display of moderation in the face of Europe, and, which
is the most significant proceeding of all, commences the re-
duction of the army on her eastern frontier. What has been
the consequence ? Why, the same that followed her occupa-
tion of the Principalities. The army of Bessarabia was then
liberated for the Crimea; the Russian troops, hitherto
stationed on the frontiers of Gallicia, are now, if the reports
may be relied upon, on their march for the same destination.
Such seem to be the obligations we owe to Austrian alliance
and Austrian mediation. The reduction of her military force
argues, it was remarked by Lord Ellenborough, an entire
change in her intention. Austria thus places herself on a
level with Prussia, and we know what that level signifies.
The debate last night elicited from the Foreign Ministerthe
important announcement that the allied powers consider
themselves absolutely unfettered by the " four points," or any
of them, and that they are henceforth free to make such terms,
as the success of our military operations may sanction. If we
may believe (we do not believe it) this statement the next
proposal will be a serious advance upon those hitherto offered.
We fear, however, under the guidance of those at present
conducting the war, we are not likely soon to be in a condi-
tion to increase our demands. The Austrian alliance, with

its happy results, was one of the triumphs of the Minister
who is still entrusted with the foreign seals. Lord Clarendon
hardly attempts to conceal the fact that our foreign policy for
the past two years has been a ruinous mistake. Shall he bo
permitted to involve the country in the consequences of an-
other similar period ?

. (From the Times of this day.)

The lucid despatches of Sir Edmund Lyons, combined with
the circumstantial narratives furnished by our own corre-
spondents in the East, have now enabled us to present our
readers with a connected and intelligible view of those suc-
cessful operations by which the war has been extended, to
the infinite damage of the enemy, over seas and along shores
hitherto secure and unassailed. A slight inspection of any
ordinary map will show that the Crimean peninsula, jut-
ting out into the Black Sea from the mainland, encloses
a portion of those vast inland waters towards the north-
east in such a manner as to form a second or inner, sea,
which bears, in fact, about the same geographical rela-
tion to the Euxine that the Euxine itself does to the Me-
diterranean. This inner sea—calle 1 " the Sea of Azoff"
—is approached by a BosphoruS of its own, usually
designated the Straits of Kertch. Though its.extent, com-
pared with that of the Euxine, is but small, its shores, being
wholly Russian, comprise the chief portions of the southern
seaboard of that empire, and, as all the eastern coast of the
Crimea is included in its circuit, it became of great conse-
quence to assert for the Allies in these waters the same su-
periority which had been established in the Black Sea. The
attention of the allied commanders had been directed to these
quarters some time ago, but it was not until last month that
an expedition was actually undertaken for the purposes in
view. Oar ships traversed the Euxine in all directions, but
did not penetrate the Straits of Kertch.
On the 24th of May, however, a squadron comprising eight
English, four French steamers, and six screw gun-boat', and
carrying a land force of 16,305 troops, assembled at a ren-
dezvous about ten miles south of the Straits, and proceeded
to enter them without delay. The very demonstration itself
proved equivalent to victory. It was found that though the
Straits, like all other assailable points of the Russian terri-
tory, were tolerably well fortified, and some pains had re-
cently been expended in strengthening the defences, the va-
tmhiedway up the Straits
enemy as untenable
ra igoaui
ns
spt o stheiti oandsv weane
cr
in agl
fcoorne se d e redb obuyt
the troops were disembarked at a place called Ambalaki, on
the western shore, which is formed by the eastern promontory
of the Crimea. By their advance from this point all the Rus-
sian positions along tho coast, including the important stations
of Kertch and Yenikale, the latter of which commands the en-
trance to the Sea of Azoff, would have been taken in the rear
and cut off from all communication with the interior. This
consideration, combined apparently with an exaggerated esti-
mate of the allied force, seems to have deterred the enemy
from any attempt at resistance, and post after post was aban-
doned before the advancing expedition. First, the batteries
at Ambalaki, and then the towns of Kertch and Yenikale,
were evacuated, so that the allies had nothing to do, after
bivouacking at Ambalaki for the first night, but continue
their march, and take possession of all the important stations
successively, up to Yenikale. itself. In what strength the
Russian garrisons actually mustered it is not easy to ascer-
tain, but, if there were•no more than 2,500 troops at Kertch,
it is clearly not probable that any effectual resistance could
have been offered.
After passing through Kertch the allied troops proceeded
to Yeuikale, and there took up their quarters for a time,
small detachment being left'at the former town to complete
the destruction of the Government establishments No sooner
was the passage 'of the Straits secured than a flying squadron