The Sun.
London, England, 1864-04-09 00:00:00

rim SUE, LOADON, SATURDA Y BYti,NING, APRIL 9, 1864

I believe there never was an instance where so many impor-
tant pap -rs have been subjected to such e clipping process
as in this Deno-German con espeudence. (Hear, hear.) All
the ilepot taut ddeumente—eed they Lutist have caused my
hon. friend much trouLle—have been what is vulgarly
called " through the mill" until they assume the shape of
elegant extracts. (Laughter.) These papers strongly re-
mind one of the character of the month which has just
passed. The correspondence in Parts 1,2, 3, and 4 was
conducted by the Foreign-office with leonine vigour ; No.
5, sir, has concluded with most lamb-like ba-aing. (Much
laughter.) In studying what I may call the early style of
the Foreign-office I was impressed with fear lest the Go-
vernment, in their hysteric fusiness and irritating industry
in reading lectures to Germany and the Great Powers gene-
rally, might anticipate the suggestions of my hon. friend
the member for Swansea, and immediately send a fleet to
the Baltic. Luckily, No. 5 has been produced, and I am
relieved at least of that anxiety—(laughter)—for in those
papers their new style is perceptible, and I must say that a
more striking contrast to the first four volumes, or a more
remarkable avidity for feeding on humble pie—(cheers and
laughter)—haa never been displayed by any Government or
any Ministry which has swayed the foreign destinies of
this country. (Hear, hear.) Let not the house be led away
by the exciting statement of my hon. friend—(a laugh)—
but let the house certainly consider what have been the
results, I will not say of our policy, because it would be an
affront to the word, but of our bungling diplomacy. We are
told we are to have a conference, and the extraordinary thing
is that directly this conference is announced the war, which
had hitherto languished, has become most sanguinary—so
much so that in the same telegram announcing that M.
Quaade and another Danish Minister are about to start to
attend the Conference the intelligence is continued that
Sonderborg has very nearly been laid in ashes. The im-
mediate effect of the approaching Congress upon the north
of Europe, which we seek by its means to pacify, has been
to lead the Prussians to redouble their attacks, adding im-
mensely to the slaughter. (Cheers.) Let us go a little
further and see what this Conference is. We are told that
the attendance of all the signataries to that remarkable
Treaty of 1852 has been promised ; and, what is more, that
a Plenipotentiary of the German Diet will attend—a Power,
by-the-by, which has been treated by the Government of
the noble lord heretofore very much in the light of a poor
relation—(laughter)—that is to say, not taken into account
at all. Suddenly—and let the house mark that it was at
the suggestion of the French Government, which declined,
if there be any truth in the papers contained in No. 6, to
be present without a plenipotentiary from the Danish Go-
vernment attended—we have a statement that a plenipoten-
tiary from the German Diet was also invited. Whether
that plenipotentiary will attend or not we do not know
exactly, but from the nature of the German Diet I think
that we can foresee that, whatever day the noble lord has
named for his Conference, the German Diet, by reason of
their sluggish mode of proceeding, will not be in a position
to scud an answer to the noble lord's invitation for some
weeks, if not for some months later. They will have to
refer the matter to the 37 States which they represent—
(laughter)—these will refer it back again, and the subject
will then be entertained by a select committee—(laughter)
—so that at the end of the session, probably, the noble
lord will have an answer from the German Diet. The
French Minister, with more foresight than our own, sug-
gests that the protocol might be left open for the German
plenipotentiary; and that, perhaps, might be the best
course to pursue. But, suppose the Conference meets,
I want the house calmly to consider what it is to do. It
appears to me that is nothing more nor less than a means
of escape for her Majesty's Ministers from their bungling
proceedings and uncalled-for meddling in the North of
Europe. (Cheers.) It is, in fact, a political pic-nic given
by the noble lord, to which every country will be allowed
to bring its basket of suggestions—(laughter)—with no
piece de resistance provided in the shape of a basis, but with
perfect freedom—and indeed argument—on the part of
each one present to differ upon every point from everybody
else. (Hear, hear, and renewed laughter.) All this time
when the noble lord is sending out his general invitations
—" At home" on a certain day—l want to know what the
t
mhHea
re
Hey ae
oar
the
l consideration
hsyoeenasttr transmutationiyh.
d)l
the Treaty
rToa rtfWie otahnet
eyohifoenhfa
Foreign-officere
Nlr a 8 greatos.2 h,Majesty'saa : ve;
laidaa nlb lusathb ebo duy upon
somea tl
the this
oi
Government.
Foreign.office are about to do with this Treaty of May 8
get: raxBeebsttarhl2etaoyFoor rif
fdnrti
ohnt(
So thoroughly is this the case, that having put upon the
paper a motion for the 19th inst. relating to the Treaty of
1852, I now am seriously at a loss to know whether that
treaty any longer applies to the treatment of this Dante.
German question. It is a curious study to trace what is
the main thought running through the mind of her Ma •
jesty's Government in their handling of this subject. In
their place in Parliament I find them speaking what my
hon. friend called grave big words of menace to Germany,
and clinging with desperate tenacity to what I call that
ill. omened, unfortunate, and unjust treaty of 1852—(hear,
hear)—a treaty which I shall prove was made at the insti-
gation of Russia—(hear, hear)—which compromised the
interests of Denmark, and which I think compromised the
honour of this country, in ignoring the liberties and rights
of a free people. (Hear, hear.) I will not inflict upon
the house a passage from the Blue-book, but if they
tvill turn to page 732 of Part No. 5 they will per-
ceive that in despatch 1,040, of February 23,
the Foreign Minister, running away from his pre-
vious promises, wrote to Lord Bloomfield at Vienna,
proposing a conference without a basis. I leave it
to any sensible man to say, in the present state of
feeling between the Powers, whether there is any likelihood
of their:coming to an agreement at such a Conference, even
though the anxiety of the noble lord to get thorn all into
ono room, like the Kilkenny cats, may be gratified. The
despatch to which I have referred was dated Feb. 23, and
tin Feb. 26 a proposal in accordance with its terms was first
made to the Danish Ministers by Sir A. Paget; and what
was the state of things in the Danish Cabinet when that
proposal was made ? Why, so great was the consternation
created among those unfortunate Danes, whom we have
been leading astray all through with false hopes—(cheers)
—and then deserting them in their extremity—(renewed
cheering)—so great, I say, was the consternation among
them, that they said to Sir A. Paget, "For God's sake don't
call on us for any immediate answer; if we agree at once
to a Conference without a basis, not merely will our places
be at stake, but probably the dynasty
which you have taken
so much trouble to set up," That is the feeling created at
Copenhagen among the Danish Ministry by this proposal
of a Conference without a basis. On the 9th of March a
fresh pressure was put on Denmark. It appears to have
been felt that affairs had come to such a point in this house
that her Majesty's Government could no longer resist tak-
ing action and putting a fresh pressure on Denmark. On
March 15 Austria declares to our ambassador that though
she had formerly agreed to the basis of the Treaty of 1852,
she will now no longer be satisfied with the fulfilment by
the Danes of the engagements of 1851-52; and that if she
meets in Conference she will demand further engagements.
On March 16 Denmark still asserts that she will only meet
in Conference on the basis of the engagements of 1851.52 ;
but she takes very little by this, for on March 17 Sir A.
Buchanan, at Berlin, announces to M. Bismark that her Ma-
jesty's Government had altogether given up engagements of
1851-52 as the basis for the meeting of the Conference.
(Hear, hear.) But what happens after that ? It is a most
extraordinary thing, and it must strike every hon. member
with astonishment, that whenever we want any real
infor-
mation on foreign affairs we are not furnished with it by
our own Government, who, whilo they do not pretend to
legislate for home affairs, yet appeal to us for our support
on account of the vigour and foresight of their foreign
policy. Well, when anything remarkable i
s to be learnt
respecting foreign policy, we do
not find it in this blue-
book. No. We must go to the foreign papers, and in the
second edition of the limes published yesterday there ap-
pears a despatch from the French Minister for
Foreign
Affairs to the French Ambassador in London, which is not
March 20. The contents of that despatch are of so to be found in the b:ue-book, though the despatch is dated
extra-
ordinary a nature that I think that some detailed statement
is due from the noble lord,
the Prime Minister, as to
whether the Government are agreed to take the suggestion
contained in that despatch as the basis of the Conference
The proposition of the French Minister involves such a
serious principle that I think the house should take it into
consideration if the Government does not. M. Dronyn de
Lhuys says he wishes to acquaint the Cabinet of London
with the course intended to be taken by the French Go-
vernment in reference to the Confeiettca; and he goes on
to say that, if the French Plenipotentiary attend, he thinks
it is his duty to inform her Majesty s Government that ho
will propose as a basis for the consideration of the
Relaters $s to who should be their
Con-
ference the propriety of consulting the wish of the popu-
lation of Schleswig and HOlatCiSovereign. I take it that this is really a bona fide de-
spatch, and that is the purport of it. I want to know, then,
why it is not given in the blue-book, and whether the Go-
at basis laid down by
l!e ufie°lrther we 144 into this
vernment will lay a copy of it on the table of the house.
I wish, too, that the noble lord will tell the house whether
he, or the representative of the British Government at the
Conferencethe French
Minister.
i sprepared
to God t
e
question of the Conference, it appears impossible to hope
that any good will result from it. None of the representa-
tives about to enter the Conference, with the exception of
the representatives of Austria an. d Prussia, appear to have
a 45,4),.
any settled ideas of any sort or laud, SO they seem to have
given up all previous pledges to abide by the treaty
The Conference, therefore, so far from settling the peace of
the North of Europe, is more likely to embitter matters, and
instead of localising the war, is likely to extend it over a
larger area. I would Wifih to draw the attention of the
house to the answer given by the nehle 1144 the Foreign
Secretary of this country to the invitation to attend the
Conference, which was proposed by the Emperor of the
French to be held at Paris. The very reasons given for
rthefeusasingsemtbolayttoefntdha ctha:4Congress
which is shortly to meet. I
will only read two passages from the despatch of the noble
apply with equal force to
lord, but they are of so much importance that I am sure the
house will excuse the time I shall occupy in doing so. At
the same time I must say I shall always lament that the in-
vitation to attend the Congress was not accepted ; and I
think also that it might have been responder' to with some-
what more courtesy, without the answer being first published
in the 2imes newspaper. Lord Russell stated last November
to Lord Cowley that the Britiett Gtoveramegt would tool more

apprehension than confidence from the meeting of a Con-
gress of Sovereigns and Minis ers without fixed objects,
ranging over the map of Europe and exciting hopes and
aspirations which they might feel themselves uuable either
to gratify or tO quiet. But the noble lord goes turther. Let
the house remember that the present Conference is to be
held during a state of war and without an armistice or basis
and then consider how applicable to it are these words, used
in reference to the Congress proposed by the French Empe-
ror. The noble lord the Foreign Secretary wrote in Novem-
ber last to Lord Cowley :--
"Indeed it is to be apprehended that questions arising
from day to day, coloured by the varying events of the hour,
would give occasion rather for useless debate than for prac-
tical and useful deliberation in a Congress of 20 or 30 repre-
sentatives, not acknowledging any supreme authority, and
not guided by any fixed rules of proceeding."
That langusge held by the noble lord in refusing to join the
Congress for the pacification of Europe, and for lessening
our armaments, is more applicable on this occasion than
when it was addressed to the Emperor of the French.
(Hear, hear.) I am very much inclined to believe that this
whole Conference will only turn out a Parliamentary hoax,
and it would have been much better, instead of meeting on
the 12th April, if the noble lord postponed it till the Ist of
April next, (Laughter.) But I really wish to know when
this Conference will assemble. At present it stands for the
12th April, but I see by the foreign newspapers that it has
no chance of meeting then. I want only to know what pros-
pect there is, if it does meet at all, of any report of its pro-
ceedings being made before the house is dismissed for the long
vacation. I can well understand that if this case is brought
before the house in any shape the plea will be urged that
it would be prejudicial to the public service to discuss the
question while the Conference is sitting; but in my opinion,
and in the opinion, I believe, of a great many members of
this house who take the trouble to read the papers on the
subject, we should be strengthening the hands of the Go-
vernment by having a proper discussion on these questions.
I want to know, and I hope the noble lord at the head of
the Government will give some proper account to the house
as to what has become of this treaty of 1852. (Hear, hear.)
Does her Majesty's Government intend to abide by that
treaty, or are we to have another state of affairs by which
there will be a temporary patching up of this system on the
Continent, condemning these poor unfortunate Schleswig-
Holateiners to what the noble lord calls the sway of their
lawful Sovereign, but whom they acknowledge as their
lawful Sovereign. It certainly is surprising that any man
who pretends to lead a liberal party should endeavour to
force a Sovereign on a people who have never be consulted
as to their choice. (Hear, hear.) I hope the noble lord wili
give an explanation, and not evade any of these points ; but
of this lam sure, that, whatever may be the present
opinion of the country, in ignorance of the transactions
which have taken place, it will hereafter regret that Ger•
many has been irritated, Denmark cajoled, and England
humiliated. (Cheers.)

Mr. NEW DECT'ATE rose, but being greeted with cries
of " Spoken," resumed his seat.

Lord PALMERSTON said,—lt is difficult to satisfy my
hon. friend, for he finds fault with the past, with the pre-
sent, and with the future, (Hear, hear, and a laugh.) I
shall not, therefore, attempt to alter his opinions, but shall
simply answer the questions which have been put to me.
My hon. friend accuses her Majesty's Government of having
misled Denmark, and of having exited expectations which
have not been fulfilled. I utterly deny these allegations.
(Hear, hear.) There is not a syllable in the blue-books
with which my hon. friend pretends to be familiar, but
which I cannot believe he has read, which bears out the
assertion he has made. Our policy has been plain and
simple from the beginning, and, as I think, honourable to
us. Our object has been first of all to prevent war, and,
hostilities having commenced, to restore peace. My hon.
friend says we hal) thrown over the Treaty of 1852. No
such things (Hear, hear.) Again, I say my hon. friend
has not read a word of the blue-books, for there is nothing
in them to justify such a statement. On the contrary, not
only do we maintain the Treaty of 1852, but every one of
the Powers who concluded that treaty equally maintain it.
Therefore my bon. friend must have been in a dream on
this matter—(hear, hear, and a laugh)—and comes down
here to expound his illusions, instead of telling us what he
wont;d have discovered if he had perused those documents
which seem to weigh so much on his mind. My hon. friend
has fallen into some of those contradictions which men of
hi. genius and imaginative powers are occasionally apt to
stumble into. He has criticised the Conference and very natu-
rally, being of an inquisitive turn of mind, he wants to know
what the Conference will do when it assembles. I am not
able to gratify his curiosity. If he wishes to know the past
I furnish him with the blue-books. Rho wishes to know the
future he must apply somewhere else. (A. laugh.) My hon.
fr;end ridicules the Conference, which, by the way, he has
invested with a function which I was not aware naturally
belonged to it. He says the Conference cannot meet with-
out a basis. When two Governments begin to treat for
peace it is, no doubt, essential that the plenipotentiaries
should settle the terms on which they are to negotiate, and
agree whether it is to be on the principle of uti possidetis or
the status quo ante bellum. It is not, however, the peculiar
function of a Conference to have a basis. The pleniptenti-
aries have different powers, and meet for the purpose of
ascertaining what is the state of things, and how they can
be set right, That is a Conference, (Hear, hear.) My hon.
friend objects to the Conference, which is to meet for the
u-pose of endeavouring to put an end to the hostilities
that are raging, but which he says will only create more
mischief. He pledges his political sagacity—and I beg you
to bear that in mind—(a laugh)—that the Conference can
lead to no good result. I can only say I trust that this day
next year he will not be able to remind us of what he has
now predicted as having been fulfilled. (Hear, hear.) My
hon. friend says we are wrong to agree to the Conference,
but that we wore equally wrong not to have agreed to the
Congress. He thinks the reason we gave for not going
to the Congress was absurd. I said there was no object.
Well, there was no object for the Congress, because there
was no war which it was to bring tc a close, and there was
no particular subject to which the Congress was tc direct
attention. Here, however, there is a distinct object—to en-
deavour to reconcile parties who are differing, and to pug, an
end to hostilities now raging. The cases are utrorly dif-
ferent, and my hon. friend would, I think, have shown
more discrimination of mind if he had not drawn this dis-
tinction, which was exactly the wrong way. (A laugh.)
I repeat that all the parties who concluded the treaty of
1852 agree in holding that they are bound by it to acknow-
ledge King Christian as the Sovereign of Denmark, and to
maintain the integrity of that kingdom You may say
that is not a basis ; at least it is an agreement. (Hear,
hear.) The Poweis have all agreed that that is the coedie
tion on which they enter into the conference with a view
to reconcile the differences which have arisen between
Denmark and Germany. My hon. friend confounds
two things which ate in themselves entirely separate
—the agreements of 1851-2 and the treaty of 1852
There are differences between Germany and Den
mark as to the agreements of 1852, the main facts of
which were that, whereas on the one hand the German
Powers agreed not to require the administrative and politica
union of Holstein and Schleswig, on the ether hand the
Danish Government agreed not to do anything which could
tend to incorporate Holstein with Denmark. But these
agreements are totally different from the Treaty of 1852, and
it is quite essential to our understanding of the matter, that
the distinction should be but ne in mind. The agreements
of 1851-2 may be settled either way, without infringing
the Treaty of 1852, and the Treaty of 1852 may be adhered
to by those who entertain different opinions as to the en-
gagements which preceded it. We have the assent of all the
Powers who concluded—l do not say of those who acceded
to--the treaty—France, Austria, Prussia, Russia, Sweden,
and Denmark. The German Confederation was not a party
to that treaty. (Mr B. Osborne—The Confederation was not
asked.) No; and some of the Powers of Germany objected
to proposing to the German Diet to become a party to the
treaty. (Hear.) At one time Prussia was against it, although
she afterwards changed her mind and wished the treaty to
be communicated to the Diet. The other Powers, however,
would not consent to that. We have asked the Diet to rend
a plenipotentiary to the Conference. Whether they will be
as long in giving an answer as my hon. friend imagines I
cannot say; but in deference to the desires of Austria and
Prussia, who are anxious to give them a little more time to
consider their answer, the meeting of the Conference will
be postponed from the 12th to the 20th of April. France,
it is true, wishes the Diet to send a representative to the
Conference, but does not make that a sine qua non. Even
if the Diet does not appear in the Conference, it will still
be possible to proceed with it. My honorable friend
alluded to a despatch from the French Govern-
vernment to the French ambassador here, containing the
suggestion of an appeal to the populatians of Holstein and
Schleswig. That is not, however, put forward as a basis,
but is thrown out merely as a suggestion. There are obvi-
ous objections which may be raised to any such proceeding,
and it is not likely that the other Powers will fell into the
suggestion; nor, indeed, does France require it. The French
Government state distinctly that they stand on the Treaty
of 1852, and hold themselves bound by its engagements.
Well, sir, that is the state of the case. My hon. friend has
his opinions; but I do not think they are partaken by the
coientry at large. (Hear) Although my hen, friend is very
abundant in his ieritiaielas, S. ate really quite at a loss to
understand what he would have done if he had the manage-
ment of affairs, (Mr. H. Osborne—Let it alone,) My lion,
friend, therefore, would have been a party to a treaty (Mr.
B. Osborne—l would not have made it) by which this
country was -bonne to acanowieuge a certain' Sovereign us
King of the countries under the sway of the Danish Crown,
and to respect the integrity of the Danish monarchy; and
in spite of the general opinion that this country was bound
in honour and in interest to endeavour to maintain atet
treaty, ue would nave done nothing but sit with his hands
in his pockets, as he is doing now. (A. laugh and " hear,
hear,") I do not think that such a course would have been
to the credit of the Government or to the satisfaction of the
country at large. (Hear, hear,) We may be wrong and he
may be right, but ouch, at least; is oar epini32 on the
matter. (Hear, heat.) We endeavoured to persuade other
countries to fall into our views, and we trust we have
accomplished, or are about to accomplish, a considerable
step in assembling a Conference with the object of restorino
peace. (Elear,) My hon. friend wise ort.^-
tion to-night referred to a trsa--84c
at Sonderborg which
--cu the gnu-
I am afraid there is no
re tion
tnkon to doubt really took place.
We have no ofZciAi or s tb9Dtic Infortuation, but we Lave

reasons to believe, without knowing the extent to which
lives were sacrificed, that a bombardment of Soaderborg did
take place, and that some of the citizens were killed. The
iuvasion of muii.h territory was, in our opinion, unjust end
unjustifiable, anr.= I am sorry to say that circumstances have
occurred in connection with the conduct of the German
troops during the invasion which are not in keeping with
the practice of civilised nations in modern times. (Cheers.)
We have made an inquiry at Berlin, but we have not yet
got an answer—an inquiry, first, as to whether the thing
did take place ; and next, by what authority and under
what orders the bombardment was carried out. Ido not
think the British Government can presume to dictate to
the Prussian army the manner in which they should con-
duct their operations, but there are opinions which men
may express as to conduct pursued in violation of ordinary
rule and humaniiy, though I hope we shall be allowed to
determine what we shall say when we get an answer from
the Government of Berlin, (Hear, bear.)
Mr. EINGLAKE noticed the conflict of views among
the Powers that were to meet in conference on the subject
of a basis. He looked npon the Conference, he said, as
mainly useful (if useful at all) as a means of enabling her
Majesty's Government to retreat from their position.
General PEEL remarked that this was not a question to
be discussed incidentally upon an inquiry, but on going into
a committee of supply.
Sir 11. Verney, Mr. Peacocks, and Mr. S. Beaumont
continued the discussion, at the conclusion of which the
house went into a committee of supply pro forntz.
The Warehousing of British Spirits Bill was recom-
mitted.

The Life Annuities and Life Assurances Bill was read a
second time, after a short explanation of its object, by the
CILANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER.

The remaining orders having been disposed of, the house
adjourned at half-past 12 o'clock.

Naval and Military Intelligence,

THE NAVY.

The Aurora, 35, 400 horse-power, Captain Sir F.
Leopold M'Clintock, which arrived in the Medway
a few days since, from the westward, for the pur-
pose of taking on board stores, provisions, coals,
previously to proceeding on a cruise to the North
Sea, has been detained in the river waiting the re-
sult of a court of inquiry which, in accordance with
orders received at Chatham, has assembled by direc-
tion of the Admiralty to ascertain the alleged de-
fects of some portion of her machinery, as well as
the cause for the excessive priming of the boilers,
The court consists of Mr. W. Rumble, chief inspec-
tor of machinery attached to the Chatham Steam
Reserve in the Medway; Mr. W. A. Dinnen, in-
spector of machinery at Devonport, where the
Aurora was fitted out; and Mr. W. Blaxtand, chief
engineer of the steam factory ; Mr. Warren also
attended the court as the representative of Messrs.
Maudslay and Co., the makers of the engineo. It
is probable that the Aurora may be detained for
some days.

The Cornwallis, 60, 200 horse-power, late coast.
guard ship at Hull, has been removed from the
Medway into the steam basin for the purpose of
being dismantled and placed in the third division
of the Chatham Steam Reserve. The officers and
crew belonging to the Cornwallis have been turned
over to the Dauntless, 31,580-horse power, which
will be stationed in the Humber. The Cornwallis
will require some very extensive repairs before she
can again be placed in commission.
Tue Dauntless, 31, screw steamer, has been re-
moved into No. 1 dock at Sheerness, where she is
making good defects prior to proceeding to succeed
the Cornwallis as guardship at Hull. Since she has
been placed in dock she has undergone a thorough
survey at the hands of the officials, in order to
ascertain if any defects exist, in order that they
may be made good. Her bottom, up to nearly her
load water-line, has been found in an exceedingly
foul state and covered with mussels, barnacles, &c.,
while her discharge pipes are almost choked up.
This circumstance will now account for the low rate
of speed attained by the Dauntless on her passage
round from Southampton to the Medway, and
which, from the high power of the engines, was a
puzzle to all on board. A considerable leak has also
been discovered in the upper body of the frigate,
behind the forward sternpost,and close to the screw
well, the repair of which will detain her in dock
longer than was at first anticipated. It is now
between three and four years since the Dauntless
was in dock, and it is probable that a close inspec-
tion will lead to the discovery of other defects re-
quiring to be made good. Should it be found neces-
sary to disturb the sternposts and screw ehatt to
get at the leak, the Dauntless will be detained in
dock much longer than is at present anticipated.
Her Majesty's gunboat China, Lieut.-Commander
Noel Osborn, recently in the service of the Chinese
Government, arrived at Woolwich yesterday, 61
days from the Cape of Good Hope. After discharg-
ing her powder and guns at the Royal Arsenal,
the men were paid five months' wages due, and
were granted leave of absence, pending arrange-
ments for their future provision. Her armament
consisted of one 68-poander pivot gun aft, one 32-
pounder Whitworth rifled un amidships, six 32-
pounder broadsides, and two 12 pounder brass guns.
She also carried two small mountain guns. She
afterwards proceeded to the dockyard to return
stores, the whole of which, it is stated, will be re-
purchased by the War Department and the Admi-
ralty.

Her Majesty's War Department vessel Lord Pan-
mure, H. T. Moore commander, has been launched
from Messrs. Simpson and Co.'s works, Isle of Dogs,
having been thoroughly overhauled on their new
patent slip, Christ Church Works. Her engines
and boilers have been repaired and a new gun
metal stern tube has btu fitted to her screw shaft.
Her hull has been caulked, rivetted, and painted,
and the whole of the work performed in the short
space of ten days. The ship has again sailed from
Woolwich and Purfleet, laden with a cargo of
3,430 barrels of powder, 35 tons of 68 pounder shot,
and 45 tons of other stores, for Portsmouth.

Her Majesty's steam storeship Dee yesterday
arrived at Woolwich, bringing up the screw gun-
vessel Roebuck, the engines of which vessel are
ordered to be removed to the corvette Niger, under
thorough repair in dock at Woolwich.

The Nile,screw line-of-battle ship, Car t. Barnard,
with Vice-Admiral Sir Alexander Milne, K.C.8.,
late Commander-in-Chiet of her Majesty's Naval
Forces in North America and the West Indies, and
family on board, arrived at Spithead from Bermuda
late on Thursday. Yesterday, at eight a.m., she
exchanged the customary salutes with the Vic-
tory, flagship of Vice-Admiral Sir M. Seymour,
K.C.8., Commander-in-Chief at Portsmouth, and
shortly afterwards Sir A. Milne, accompanied by
his staff and Lady Milne and family, disembarked
from the Nile and landed at the dockyard from the
Fire Queen steam tender, where he visited Sir
Michael Seymour at the Admiralty House. The
Nile coaled yesterday at Spithead, and will sail
this afternoon for Devonport, where she will be dis-
mantled and paid out of oornmission. She sailed,
from Bermuda an March 17, at which time her
Majesty's ships on the station were the Duncan'
flagship of the Commander-in •Chief, Sir J. Hope,
K.C.8., Shannon, Phaeton, Liverpool, Medea, Buz•
zard, Pylades, Greyhound, Nimble, Cygnet, Spit.
fire, Onyx, Netley, and Terror.
Thp Plover loft Bermuda on the 10th ult. for Cuba.
The Royalist was at Port Royal, and the Rosario
at Norfolk, Virginia.

Thirteen naval and marine invalids arrived in the
Nile, with 52 supernumeraries from the fleet ; the
former were sent yesterday to the Naval Hospital
at Haslar, and the latter to her Majesty's sip Vic-
tory, harbour guardship. The following officers also
came hcmo ia the Nile—Lieut. Feilowes, Royal
Rogineers ; and Lieuts. Trotter, Millett, and Gatty,
39th Regiment, Mr. Harris (son of Capt. R. Harris,
lately commanding her Majesty's ship Britannia),
invalided, and Medley, gunner, her Majest3's
ship Greyhound, on promotion ; Mr. Trevor, late
lieutenant of her Majesty's ship Plover (dismissed
the service); and four military pric.oners also came
home in the c,b;ip,, The Nile has been kr:own among
the ships' crews serving on the North America and
West India station as a" happy ship," and as such
her crew have been envied by those of atber vessels
serving in the same latituda.
Thu Scout, 'Ai, screw corvette, Capt. J. 'Corb.tt,
sailed from Spithead yesterdav
_Liernoon to strip
and pay out of commis.'
The twin— ' on.
o two 41 inch armour plates, one of

—aglish, and one of French manufacture, resulted
in the hitter proving the better. It is but just to
observe, however, before referring further to the
trial, that the plate was below the average standara
of quality which has been maintained by its makers,

Messrs. Beale and Co., for some considerable time
pest ; while the French plate, manufactured by
Messrs, Petit). and Co., was much above the average
stateeleted of the France plates tested in England.
Eight inches from the plate's lower edge end in its
centre it was struck by the fourth and fifth shots
fired full on a bolt. The second shot drove ~he bolt
clear out of the plate into the ship's side, and left the
indent in the plate from this double shot 4in. sad
7-10ths, a crack being opened up through the
in-
dent. Eeight inches to the right of these two shots
(measuring in each instance from the centre of each
blow), and at the same distance from the lower edge
of the plate two other shots took effect. They
drove that piece on which they immediateli
struck 14in. into the ship's side (from the
outer surface of the plate), and detached a piece
of the plate from the main body 2ft. 6in.
in length by Bin. in depth. The fracture
ran through the centre of the indents. The plate
had undoubtedly been much shaken by two other
shots, which struck immediately above the fracture'
although they did not impinge upon the other shot
marks. The side of the ship was driven in three
inches from its plane at the back of the plate, end
the plate itself at its right end was started three
inches out from the ship's side. It was a proof of
the excellent quality of the metal, however, that $
subsequent shot fired at this end of the plate bad
merely the effect of bending it back into its former
position without increasing the damage to the
plate's lower centre. The French plate was bolted
on the target ship's side by 2-inch ordinary iron
bolts which started under the blows of the shots, se
they usually do. The English plate was attached
with Acadian iron bolts, which started in no
stance. Messrs. Petin, Gaudet, and Co, are acknotre
ledged the best makers of rolled armour plates is
France, bat the trial of yesterday will furnish no
comparative degree of merit between them and our
best English makers. Let our acknowledged best
makers of rol ed iron plates, Messrs. John Brows
and Co., of the Atlas Works, Sheffie'd, be allowed
to enter the lists against Messrs, Petin, Gaudet, and
Co., both being under precisely equal conditions of
manufacture, and results of a competitive trial would
tnen be obtained which would really be of national
interest. Meanwhile the history of the introduction
(so far as is known to the public) of French plate°
into this country and their subsequent career le
somewhat interesting. The first two were supplied
by Messrs. Petin, Gaudet, and Co. as" sample," and
passed their test in the most success ul manner,
really deserving all the praise they got. The success
of these two plates obtained for Petin, Gaudet, and
Co., an order from our Admiralty for plates to the
value of about £9,500 sterling, half being of 41 and
the remainder 5-1-in. When delivered at Portsmouth
yard they were seen to be of a very inferior menu-
facture to the "sample" plates, the successful test
of which had procured the order. A certain num'
ber were, therefore, selected for testing, but not one
passed the test laid down by the Admiralty in theit
contracts, and the whole were reshipped to France
with the exception of some three or four which had
pieces of their metal cut out as samples for the Iron'
plate Committee, and for which, therefore, the,
makers must be paid at their contract price—X4l'
and £5O per ton. The two plates tested yesterday
and two others on the 23d ult., all of which were/
from the same plates, have again raised the stair
dard of French manufactured armour-plates for s
time until some further failure of theirs or marked
superiority of some English maker again bring°
them down.

The following appointments were made yestev
day at the Admiralty :—Dr. Thomas Stratton, stag
surgeon, to the Canopus ; John E. C. Sullivaof
assistant-paymaster, to be secretary to Admiral
Superintendent Austin ; Thomas Hadley, Richard
H. Solly, and John H. Galloway, nominated t°
naval cadetships.

THE ARMY.
The funeral of Major C. Wollaston Clerke, late
her Majesty's 26th (Cameronians) Regiment, toet4
place yesterday at Portsmouth, with lull militant
honours. A large number of military and natal
officers followed the remains of the deceased officer
to the grave, among the former being Major-Gell'
Lord W. Panlet, C. 8., and staff.
By a garrison order issued on Thursday at Wol'
wich, Gen. Sir Richard Dacres announced his ill'
tention of assembling the whole of the garrisoo
troops at Woolwich-common yesterday, for the pa'
pose of holding a brigade field day. In consequence
however, of the death of Col. Charles
Deputy-Adjt.-Gen. of the Royal Artillery, 61/.4
Richard cancelled the order for the field day, Prj..
the Royal ensign was hoisted at half mast fr°`"
sunrise to sunset. This will be repeated each dar
until the funeral. The body will be conveyed Pr;,
vately from Brighton to h's late residence at Woo
wich, and will be interred thence, according to Pre'
sent orders, on Tuesday next.
Deputy-Inspector-General J. Fraser, M.D., C.
has been appointed principal med'eal officer at
Chatham garrison, succeeding Deputy-Inspector'
General W. Dick, M.D.