The Sun.
London, England, 1864-03-15 00:00:00

OUR CONDUCT TOWARDS DENMARK.

Mr. BUTLER-JOH N STONE asked, with reference to
the detention of the Danish ironclad in the Clyde, whether,
following the course adopted at the commencement of the
Italian war and at the outbreak of the American rebellion,
it was the intention of her Majesty's Government to advise
the issue of a Royal proclamation in regard to the Danish
war ?

The ATTORNEY•GENERAL said that the respect
which her Majesty's Government felt for the lion, member
induced them to make an answer to his question, to the
effect that it had never been the custom to issue proclama-
tions of neutrality in any case in which her Majesty's Go-
vernment felt that they had a deep interest in the matters
which were involved in pending negotiations, and which
might call for any action on the part of her Majesty's Go-
vernment. In the present case, her Majesty's Government
was a party by treaty, and might be involved in the nego-
tiations which were pending. They were watching with
deep solicitude the course of events, and using their utmost
exertions to promote an issue which was for the general in-
terest of Europe, of Denmark, and of this country. Under
these circumstances, it was absolutely necessary that her
Majesty's Government should reserve to themselves power
to take any course which the honour and interests of Europe
and Great Britain might require. To issue a proclamation
of neutrality—which would be to declare that we should
necessarily keep neutral during the war, whatever the even-
tualities of that war might be—woul i be to take a most
undignified and inconsistent position.
TIIE NAVY ESTIMATES.

The house then w nt into committee of supply.
➢lr. STANSFELD, in moving the vote for wages of
artificers and workmen in the dockyards, entered into a
lengthened explanation of the present state of those estab-
lishments, and the changes and improvements introduced in
the mode of keeping the accounts, checking the work done,
and supervising the labour department. The increase in
the vote was for the 3,700 additional men required to re-
pair rhipi on their way home, to make up arrears in the
steam navy, and to construct some of the newest and most
powerful vessels ever yet designed. He also stated that
sutlioient iron had been purchased to complete all the armour
plated ships that would be built or laid down during the
next twelve months; and that measures had been adopted
for taking stock in all her Majesty's yards on the list of
next month, and the system would be continued thereafter.
Mr. LINDSAY argued that the Government were not
justified in asking the house to agree to this increase, un-
less they were able to show that the Admiralty could build
ships in the Royal dockyards as economical:y and efficiently
as in private yards, lie moved as an amendment to reduce
the vote by the amount of wages for the additional number
of men.

Sir F. SMITH was willing to accept the assurance of
the Government that the increase was necessary, and should
give them his support.
A lengthened discussion followed, in the course of which
Sir J. ELPHINSTONE, Mr. LAIRD; and other members
urged that the Government ought to supply fuller informa-
tion with regard to the sort of ships they proposed to build
before asking the House to vote so large a sum of money.
It was also contended that a class of ships of the character
of the Alabama was indispensably necessary in the present
circumstances of the. navy.
Explanations were given by Lord C. PAGET and Mr.
STANSFELD ; and upon a division the amendment of Mr.
Lindsay was negatived by 100 to 29.
The vote of £1,275,000 for the wages of artificers in the
dockyards at home was then agreed to, as was also the vote
of £62,205 for the wages of artificers in her Majesty's naval
establishments abroad.

The Mutiny Bill was read a third time and passed.
The Consolidated Fund (£4,500,000) Bill and the Con-
solidated Fund (£584,650) Bill were read a second time.

•
The other business was also disposed of, and the house
adjourned at five minutes past twelve.

The Board of Trade Inquiry at Liverpool,

Yesterday the court delivered the following decision in
the case of the John Linn, abandoned at sea by her captain
and crew on the Ist of January last:—
"This inquiry was very properly ordered by the Board of
Trade in consequence of the representation made by the
Association for the Protection of Underwriters, founded
upon a letter written by Captain Beaglehole, of the ship
Deogaum, in which he stated that he had fallen in with the
ship John Lynn with only at 6 in of water in her hold,
that he lay by her and sailed her for two days and a night,
and that she would reach as far as the Deogaum under her
two lower topsails and jib. The natural conclusion from
such a report was that the John Linn had been prematurely
abandoned. The court after a thorough inquiry into the
allegations after mentioned, and after hearing the evidence
of the first officer and other persons of the crew of the John
Linn, is satisfied that the serious charge made by Captain
Beaglehole is not sustained. There has been no proof
Beaglehole is to be to satisfy the court that the single sounding alleged to
have been taken by Captain
re-
lied upon in the least; in fact, it appears clear that
the bottom of the ship was not reached by many feet
by the capstan bar, the instrument used in sounding.
In the absence of such proof the whole charge falls to the
ground. It is also clear that no effort was made by Captain
Beaglehole to sail the ship, and the Court can place as little
reliance upon his assertions, for they are nothing more, that
he could have saved the ship, as it can upon the state of
facts which he has endeavoured to substantiate by evi-
dence. On the other hand, the Court is satisfied that Capt.
Browning and his crew used every exertion to get his ship
home or into any port of safety, and only ,abandoned her in
extremity, and when he considered it necessary to save life,
and after 24 days of unremitting exertion. The Court has,
therefore, great pleasure in restoring Captain Browning his
certificate. Tho Court desires to express its opinion that
the mate of the Deogauro had no business to set fire to the
ship, as ho did, on his own responsibility ; and it seems
strange that the master of the Deogaum failed to report the
circumstances in the original letters to his owners in which
he makes the charge upon whioh the investigation is
founded. The Court does not mein to say that under no
circumstances would it be justifiable to put a derelict out
of the way of passing vessels in certain parts of the ocean,
but, lookinc, at the position in which this ship was aban.
doned, andbbearing in mind its valuable cargo, it strongly
deprecates the proceeding."

Persons in debt may obtain instant protection against
imprisonment or seizure of their goods, and an entire release
from all debts and liabilities without publicity, by application
to Messrs. Marshall, solio.tors of the Court of Bankruptcy,
Charges under £5 payable by easy instalments. Offices_
(established 1830), 12, Hatton-garden. City branch-6, Moor-
gate-street, Bank.—ADVT.

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