The Sun.
London, England, 1855-12-07 00:00:00

WHY SPARE ODESSA ?

The following letter has been addressed to a
morning contemporary :

Sir,—ls it totally beyond the—as I once thought
—almost unlimited power of the press to force
upon the present bubble of a Government, while it
dances on the surface of a fluctuating tide, that
lifts and depresses it at pleasure, the necessity of
cutting of the supplies of the Russian army by the
utter destruction of Odessa ?
Ever since the hint which Admiral Dundas gave
to this city to increase its fortifications and to pro-
tect its stores, it has continued to be the sinew of
the Russian war in the Crimea. In vain have I
repeatedly called attention to that fact ; in vain
has every soldier's letter to his friends in this coun-
try pointed to the same conclusion. For some
occult reason or predilection, only known to them-
selves, the commission, with Lord Palmerston as
its ostensible head, for carrying on the affairs of
this country for the present Administration
amounts to no more—will not strike a blow in the
right place ; and hence the fact that the army of
the Czar is not now in the remotest degree strait-
ened for supplies of every description.
I only trust that at the meeting of Parliament
some of the representatives of the injured consti-
tuencies of this country will demand from the Go-
vernment the explicit why and wherefore of this
culpable, and, strange to say, murderous forbear-
ance. I firmly and religiously believe, as I have
repeatedly urged that it was, that Odessa is the key
to the Crimea, and that had it been stormed and
taken, for every one of the Allies killed in the at-
tempt thousands would have been eventually
saved. Alas ! we have seen enough of the miseries•
attendant on a government based on sufferance
and formed on incongruous principles ; let it be a
warning to the country at the next election, com-
ing this spring as it most assuredly will, to return
men to Parliament whose resolution will be to sup-
port a Minister whose power and will are alike as-
suredly known in regard to carrying on the war,
and who is unconnected with those Lords and Com-
mons who, since its commencement, have dared to
hope for a treacherous, a transient, and a dis-
honourable peace.—Your most obedient,
GRAITTLEIC F. BERKELEY.
Beacon Lodge, Dec. 5, 1855.

ACCIDENT TO THE ROYAL MAIL SHIP.
MARCO POLO.

LIVERPOOL, Thursday, Five p.m.—The Black Ball
Royal Mail ship Marco Polo, Captain Clarke, attempted
to take her departure with the mails for Melbourne this
morning, and was towed down the river by two of the
Steam Tug Company's most powerful boats. Owing to the
gale which prevailed it was found impossible to take her
to sea, and it was determined to anchor her in the river
opposite the magazines, in order to be ready to sail when
the gale would moderate. While still in tow of the
steamers she ran foul of the barque Glasgow, from Mes-
sina, and seriously injured the starboard bow of the
latter. Immediately afterwards the Marco Polo, owing
to the heavy swell in the river and the strong breeze
which prevailed, took the ground opposite the Sandon
basin, where she remained at the date of this despatch.
LIVERPOOL, Thursday Night.—The Marco Polo has
floated off to-night, at the flood tide, and is now an-
chored in the river, having sustained, apparently, very
little damage.