The Sun.
London, England, 1855-09-08 00:00:00

behalf of Russia—any attempt to mitigate the
punishment she has so richly merited, or, to per-
mit her still to retain the mischievous powers
which she has so flagrantly and wantonly abused.

In another part of our impression will be found
an extract from a letter written by one of the
crew of the screw steam floating battery Glatton,
which is well deserving of perusal, inasmuch as it

exhibits the mismanagement and incapacity of
our naval authorities at home in the strongest
light. It is unnecessary to repeat what we have
so repeatedly urged respecting the vast import-
ance of having a class of vessels requiring a low
draught of water, and thus suitable for the work
that may be required in the Euxine or the Baltic.
"My Lords" at Whitehall apparently yielded to

the pressure from without, and prided themselves

considerably on the promptitude, extraordinary

for them, with which they responded to the

national demand by ordering mortar vessels,

gun-vessels, and floating batteries. The proceed-

ings at Sweaborg proved beyond the possibility of
doubt what mid,ht have beeu effected if there had
been a sufficient force of that description, and the
pernicious results of " the penny-wise-and-pound-
foolish" policy, so indefatigably pursued by the
Board of Admiralty. Another melancholy illus-

tration has been afforded of the imbecility and
incompetency exhibited at head-quarters, such as
would be sufficient to destroy the credit and ruin
any private establishment, however wealthy, that
was subjected to such gross and palpable mis-
management. _ _

One of these floating batteries, the Glatton,
which ought to have been ready in April, was,
it appears, despatched on the 22d of August (!),
destination unknown, but probably, from the
direction steered, the Black Sea. As but
little progress could be made by the un-
assisted efforts of the battery, a fine screw
steam-frigate, the Horatio, was directed to tow
her. But, even with that aid, the new batteries
were not qualified for work. It was found that,
although towed at the rate of 51- knots per hour,
they would not steer (!) The patent rudder was
utterly useless, and the battery was, according to
the graphic account of the writer, " yawing five
or six points each way." It was evident, even
in a trifling sea, that they would be soon "left
on their hook," although " they had two 13-inch
hawsers and a 20-inch cable." The sinister fore-
bodings were but too completely verified, for at
2 a.m. on the 29th ultimo the cables had all
parted, and the useless hulk was left tossing about
in " the trough of the sea," going whichever
way she liked. At daylight they were
again taken in tow, and fortunately were carried
safely into Vigo.
Now, at Brest, the master shipwright was
at once enabled to state the cause of the failure.
Two rudders were required iu the case of the
Tonnant, and would be so in every similar vessel.
But the obvious precaution was disregarded at
home, and the officers and crew were to invent
temporary substitutes by which the imminent dan-
ger might be averted. With seaman-like inge-
nuity they succeeded, after immense toil, officers
and men, being nearly worn out. But what would
hey not do in such an emergency, for, as the
.riter truly declares, "it iw terrible to be lei%
:drift, and not to be able to steer !" Nor was
`:his all. A - leak was discovered after leav-
ing Brest, through which the water rah in at
the rate of a bucket a minute, but, as the
writer remarks with considerable naiveté, " that
is nothing to those who sail in batteries t" Now
this is really too bad. We should press the subject
on the attention of the First Lord were it likely
to lead to any beneficial result. But Sir CHARLES
WOOD, we fear, is utterly irreclaimable. We
must then be contented with exposing the griev-
ance, in the hope that the people will take the
matter into their own hands, and that the voice
of public opinion may proclaim in distinct and
unequivocal terms the necessity of having, so far
as the navy is concerned, " the right man in
the right place," and not sacrificing the
interests of the nation, and endangering
the lives of our gallant seamen in order to
gratify " red-tapist" propensities, and to mitigate
the rancour of Earl GREY and his clique, by pro-
viding a lucrative and influential situation for
his incompetent brother-in-law.

A very pleasant atmosphere is that of truth
and honesty. We have so often to deal with the
outpourings and schemes of political gamesters,
to unravel the web of their sophistries, point out
the dangerous tendencies of their schemes, and
hold up to reprobation their self-seeking and
manifold. tergiversations, that to meet with a
speech of so sterling a patriot and so honest a
representative as Mr. ROEBUCK is positively re-
Freshing: Be the topic what it may, whether on
perusal you agree or disagree with him in whole
or in part in the opinions he expresses, you are
assured at the outset that it is a sincere deliver-
ance, and the result of high-toned thought and
candid inquiry, unbiassed by any motive that
does not do him honour. Of few men indeed cab
this be said with equal truth ; and the pleasure
which his speeches evoke is proportionally en-
hanced by the fact.
The report, therefore, of the remarks of the
liououra,ble—the word has a legitimate signifi-
cance in his case—Member for Sheffield, at the
Cutlers' Feast in that town on Thurbday last, met
with the accustomed welcome on our part, and
has been perused by us with even more,
than usual satisfaction. After a course of
GRAHAM, GLADSTONE, and Co., the hard-
est stomach might well long for whole-
some food, and the sturdiest brain for more
healthy employment ; and the gratification of this
longing, the circumstances under which the How.
Gentleman addressed his constituents, were well I'
calculated to insure. Every one knows the noble
aar
part taken by Mr. ROEBUCK at the coin-mance-
menb of the session, in connection with the -mis,
our, ayt,
management ofthtehWataer;er Tlehfet
most
shores h oheroicres
hd army.
—shall we say ?_
the very outset of the mighty conflict in which we
are engaged, got entangled in the meshes of do-
mestic treason and incompetency, and thousands
Of gallant fellows who never turned their backs
on the foe; and had come scatheless out of re-
peated conflicts, had, thus entangled, fallen an
easy prey to want, exposure, and pestilence. The
people murmured, the people contributed, nearly
everybody wondered, and Parliament, whose
usefulness the Coburgiana openly questioned,
met. It was at this crisis that Mr. ROEBUCK
stepped forward and resolutely demanded the
means to ascertain " the reason why." He got
a committee, and, imperfect as it was, we all
know the result. If justice was not done on all.
the delinquents and the War subsequently carried
on as became the English people, the ABI:RDEEN
Ministry were sent to the right about, and the
grosser and more obvious evils under which the
army had suffered were, in a great measure, re-
moved. Treason- found itself in the shade,
the army was secured against starvation, and the
GoVernment had the conviction driven home- to
their minds, that "the iiiitiontnnuSt'iTcot'itienst be
flagrantly betrayed or trificd with for the future.
Toe Nuipg rzcaocled tt itF close and,