The Sun.
London, England, 1855-08-03 00:00:00

LONDON, FRIDAY, AUGUST 3, 1855

There are many persons who, while claiming
credit for strict impartiality, and professing to
take very enlarged views respecting the Eastein
difficulty, are accustomed to magnify the resources
of Russia, and to put forward sinister forebodings
as to the results of the War. These men may be
easily distinguished from the Peace party. They
are not really friendly to Russia, or desirous of
impairing the honour or security of their country.
They are simply " croakers "—men who habi-
tually regard every passing event through a dis-
torted medium, and rejoice in being prophets of
evil—who can, in the event of any unforeseen
disasters, utter the odious " I told you so ;" and
take credit for extraordinary wisdom in having
anticipated the calamities which have come to
pass.

These "croakers " do not mean mischief—but
they do it. The incessant grumbling at every-
thing, and every person with whom they may be
brought in contact, has become an irresistible
passion. They cannot abstain from inflicting on
others their own gloomy impressions, and seem
to feel intense satisfaction in making their friends
miserable, in the thought that the glory and pros-
perity of England have for ever vanished. If com-
pelled to decide the question, they would vote for
carrying on the war, but couple it with sundry
" Jeremiads " as to the misfortunes we were
thereby entailing on ourselves and our children.
They may possibly think so, more probably they
Flo not. They may be sound patriots, although,
as we have stated, the objectionable habit which
;(ley have snff-red to grow upon them occasions I
m
bydamping the enthusiasm of feeble-
mindedeat s
persons,ehie and inducing them to go further
r
than their friendly preceptors.", it is a duty I

which every true-hearted Englishman owes to his
country to contest the arguments of persons be-
longing to this class, and to show on what slender
foundations their gloomy vaticinations really rest.
One of the points on which they expatiate is
the siege of Sebastopol, and they invariably pro-
phecy that it can never be taken, that the Russian
flag will continue to float on its walls, notwith-
standing all the efforts and unflinching bravery of
the Allied Forces. They speak of all that has
already been achieved as so much time, labour,
and men wasted, and hint that, if we could even
gain the south of Sebastopol, the north would still
resist all our attacks, and that the Russian Power
would not be materially, if at all, diminished.
This is a very grave error, and it is right that
every misapprehension on the subject should be
completely removed, and a correct and accurate
understanding arrived at on the subject.
As a morning contemporaryhas justly remarked,
the Malakhoff Tower may, to all intents and pur-
poses, b© regarded as Sebastopol. It is
,the key
to the whole position, and when that has passed
into the possession of the Allies, the town itself,
and the vessels in the harbour, must speedily
follow. The Russians are fully aware of its
value ; they know that whenever it falls, further
resistance will be fruitless, that they may forthwith
capitulate as to the remainder of their possessions.
Hitherto they have fought well, but they have re-
ceived ample supplies, and constant reinforcements
from the north, which has not up to this time
been invested. The besieged have hitherto avoided
" famine," the most dreaded assailant of a be-
leaguered garrison. They have been well and
fully fed, and could therefore devote all their
energies to the construction of new defences, and
repelling the attacks of the enemy. While they
held the Malakhoff they were not commanded
from any point, and with the extraordinary
energy displayed from the commencement of the
contest they placed many preliminary difficulties
in the way of their great defence.
These difficulties have been conquered—these
impediments swept away. The great success was
that of the 22d and 23d of May, wherewith Gene-
ral PELISSIER inaugurated his command. It was
the good beginning which has justly been con-
sidered " half the battle." It was the introduc-
tion of the sharp end of the wedge which left no
possible doubt of the ultimate result. The next
step was soon taken. The " Mamelon rert" was
attacked and captured ! Another important stage
• I was thus passed, and the Malakhoff itself was
then directly threatened.
Every one knows of the attempt made, and
the temporary failure, on the 18th June. But
although for the moment the Allies made no fur-
ther progress, they still lost no ground—not a
single position they had once achieved was won
back. They have since advanced gradually but
steadily. The " Braneion redoubt," as the Ma-
melon has been denominated since its capture,
threatens the 'Malakhoff, and frowns over
the valley of the Tchernaya. From that
powerful position the French workmen are
pressing forward their zig-zags, and doubtless
• before long we shall hear of the result of their
daring labours, in the capture of " the key of
Sebastopol," which commands the Redau, the
harbour, and the south side. After which the
north can easily be dealt with, and the defenders
of the detached forts, if they should ever bo
capable of resisting the combined attack by land
and water, must speedily succumb under the pri-
vations that will be keenly felt when the sources
of supply are all cut off. We thus see the pros-
pects of success that attend the Allied Arms, and
may refute all the dreary prophecies of the
croakers who strive to frighten feeble-minded men
and timid women with tales of Russian prowess
and invincibility.

The Limited Liabilities Bill last night received
its third reading, and, so far as the House of
Commons is concerned, is virtually carried. Its
trial now is before the Peers. We cannot, how-
ever, suppose that there is any real danger, or
that their Lordships would desire to impede a
measure which the great body of the people most
urgently demand. It is, after all, but a mere
instalment of justice. The " Partnership" Bill
has been surrendered for this session, as a sop
to the malcontents who resist "free trade "
in money, and still desire to retain onerous
restrictions on the trade and commerce of the
country. The resolution of their lordships' re-
specting bills not ready for a second reading last
week was very judicious as a general rule, but
there are exceptions to all such rules, and the
Limited Liability Bill is, most assuredly, one of the
greatest exigency that can, by any possibility, be
brought under their Lordships' notice. It is one
that will supply- a stimulus to legitimate enter-
prise ; and, by developing the national resources
enable the people to bear more easily the extra
burdens occasioned by the War.
It is difficult to understand the arguments that
have been put forward by interested parties
against this great commercial boon, or how it can
be supposed that any protection is required to the
general public against the fraudulent schemes of
designing persons. It is a portion of the trick to
speak largely of fraud, as if persons who gave credit
to the new class of dealers must necessarilybe plun-
dered of their property unless they can prevent the
party from obtaining money on reasonable terms,
and compel him to pay usurious interest for the
monetary accommodation he may require, and
raise up additional claimants on the dividend
that may be payable in the event of bankruptcy.

What is the nature or extent of the " fraud"
that will be thereby occasioned 7 A person who
has money to spare may, if he think proper,
advance it, on terms varying according to thb
benefits obtained by the party, in place of
lending it, at a fixed and exorbitant rate of
interest. Ho sees an industrious man, of un-
blemished reputation, who thoroughly under-
stands his business. He sees that the
party, if he can overcome the difficulties
occasioned by the want of capital, must realise
handsome profits. He has what the other re-
quires, and will render his success almost certain.
In such a case he is willing to risk a certain sum,
tens, hundreds, or thousands of pounds, and to
render his repayment contingent on the realisation
of bond fide profits. Who does he or can he in-
jure by such. a course ? Not the borrower. lle
obtains the anxiously looked for monetary facilities
on easy conditions. If he make large pro-
fits he can afford to give a portion to
the man who has enabled him to earn
thew, and if he fails he has no heavy interest to
meet, nor can his person or goods be attached for
that which has practically proved unproductive.
Not the creditor, who supplied goods without re-
ceiving prompt payment, he will be the person
most benefitted by the change. For in place of
his goods being abstracted to satisfy the exorbitant
demands of some concealed money-lender, who
has already been more than repaid his
original advance, with heavy interest, he
will only find creditors in the same cate-
gory as himself, who will receive all the
assets for their own use. If he has no hold upon
any concealed party to make him unfairly liable,
he will not lose any portion of that to which he
is justly entitled by the claims of persons also be-
hind the screen. The individual,or firm, giving credit
will before doing so, naturally make all necessary
inquiries. He will take into his consideration all the
facts, and see how far he is warranted in going.
The greater the monetary resources of the debtor
the greater his chances of repayment, and the
better his position in the event of a stoppage.
The man who has privately advanced money
must not only forego all profit in the shape of
interest or dividend thereon, but he must also
lose his entire principal before he can be called
on to abate a portion of his just demands. He
i, therefore, in the best 1-10',.i3)1,?. position, and may
bless, rather than complain of, the judicious en-
actments that proved so beneficial.
The lender himself, then, alone remains, and the

capitalist wishes to protect him by rendering him
liable iu purse and person, not only to his last
shilling and last acre, but even with his liberty,
for the success of the man he has trusted. This
is, indeed, strange protection. Well may he ex-
claim, Save me from such friends," and leave
me to deal for myself, to "do as I will with my
own without let or hindrance."

Mr. Commissioner PANE, who has done much
to instruct the public on this interesting and
important subject, has just published a
very timely brochure, in which the subject
is treated with that clearness and lucidity for
which the learned Commissioner is so remarkable,
and in which every fair.objection is fully consi-
dered and completely removed. Wo earnestly
commend this little production to public notice.
It will amp]y repay perusal.

The remarks of Lord REIDESDALE, in the House
of Lords last evening, in relation to the Public
Offices, seem to us well worthy of attention.
That great inconvenience and detriment to the
public service is occasioned by the dispersion of
the public offices will not admit of question. In
the very nature of things it could not be other-
wise. One branch of the public service cannot be
conducted without communication with others,
and the less perfect such communication is the
more difficult it must Le to secure that co-opera-
tion and that subordination to a governing head
essential to good administration. The evil, then,
being admitted and deprecated on all hands, the
question naturally arises—What is the best mode
of remedying it ?

This, of course, must be the adoption of a plan
Which combines most perfectly the two elements
of efficiency and cheapness ; in other words, which
ensures a thorough cure at no more titan the ne-
cessary cost; and all experience goes to prove
that doing things piecemeal does not answer this
description, but involves illimitable expenditure
without the ultimate attainment of the object
sought for. This was not less forcibly than cor-
rectly put by the Marquis of LANSDOWNE in his.
reference to private houses. The Noble Lord,
however, need not have gone beyond the public
offices for an illustration. The piecemeal mode
has hitherto been adopted in dealing with them,
and with what result it is not necessary for us to
repeat.

It is to be hoped, therefore, that Government,
when about it, will originate a carefully-considered
scheme which will render future alterations,
unless of a minor description, unnecessary. To
the formation of such a scheme the purchase of
the fee-simple of the plot of ground between Down-
ing-street and George-street will by many be deemed
necessary. It will ensure ample space for what
is required, and an uninterrupted frontage from
the Treasury to the Houses of Parliament, and
it does not involve the necessity of an immediate
large expenditure in building operations, while it
must not be forgotten that the ground will ulti-
mately be required, and that it may be purchased
now at a vastly lower rate than it will command
in future. On the other hand, the purchase of
the ground, and the erection of the required
buildings by private parties, to be rented by Go-
vernment, and ultimately to fall into the posses-
sion of the Crown, is a plan sufficiently feasible
to deserve attention. Whatever scheme, however,
may hereafter be recommended, the public have a
right to expect that nothing short of the necessity
of the case, nor involving useless or extravagant
expenditure, shall be adopted.