The Sun.
London, England, 1864-06-22 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

SlR,—Will you allow me a small space in your columns
to correct an error into which " Common Sense" has fallen,
in a letter which appeared in The 81,02 yesterday, on the
subject of recruits for the army. " Common Sense" argues
that the scourge and the brand alone deter men from enter-
ing- the army. Now as flogging and branding are only re-
sorted to when all other punishments fail, or,
other
words, when a man is incorrigible, " Common Sens°"
would argue that all those who enlist, or rather who are
at present prevented from enlisting through fear of these
punishments, are incorrigible ; but no well-conducted man
ever runs the slightest risk of being either flogged or
branded. The British soldier is taken tar better care of
now than he was 50 years ago. E very indulgence is given
to the deserving veteran every encouragement to the
aspiring recruit. There must ba a scale of punishment,
and that scale of punishment is not severe. It is only when
a man has proved himself undeserving of indulgence, and
unworthy of milder treatment, that he is flogged as a
scoundrel or branded as a deserter, It is not for the Gs,
vernment but for the soldiers themselves, by good and
steady behaviour, to exterminate the scourge and the
brand from the British army.

UNCOMMON SENSE,

Tuesday, June 21.

WIIO'S GRIFFITH !

(From the Owl.)
The walls and other public places in the neigh'
bourhood of the Metropolis, that are habitually
Covered with posters conveying much interesting
tufcrmation in a type which those who run may
read, have for the last 18 months been placarded
with the pregnant question—

" WHO'S GRIFFITH" ?
The question thus immediately addressed to the
British Public has naturally given rise to much
peculation, and hitherto has defied solution. We
believe we are in a position to supply the "svcer•
It is to be found in the annals of Parliament. Should,
however, any doubt upon the subject still perple
the minds of our readers, we would more partiTi:
larly call attention to the following notices, %olio
appeared on the Parliamentary Notice PelPer ca
Thursday :

NOTICES OF MOTION,
Mr D. Griffith—To ask whether there would be any ob•
jection to the whole of the order book being sent to Win-
bars weekly.
Mr D. Griffith—To call attention to the circular issued
by the Horse Guards tor the recruiting of the arroY.
Mr D. Griffith—To move that a select committee be 91)"
pointed to inquire into the practice of limiting the tapP°lnt
ment of Postmaster. General to a Peer or Privy Councillor._
Mr D, Griffith—To call the attention of the First Lord of
the Treasury to the dissatisfaction that might arise If 1.;
should appear that, by means of a want of decision at
energy. his Government should have failed in bringing tso
Danish question to a satisfactory settlement.
Mr D. Griffith—On Civil Service Estimates, Revenue
Department. Vote 3—To call attention to the neglect o
the Post-effice authorities in not taking adv.ivtage °I ,t)2°d
postal facilities afforded by railways between
and Devizos.
Add to the above the astounding fact that 1\11.D15.
Griffith on the same evening spoke no less t.h411
times in Committee of Supply ; that this relliarkit
able statesman, in addition to his herculean Ear
mentary labours, is to be doily seen practising a!
Wimbledon with an amount of perseverance ona
skill which will insure his being returned as one of
gong er! o r
he Commons' shooting E.even; and it will, Wet
think, readily be admitted that Griffith of the walla
can be none other than the hon. memi.Ner for Devizes.

SERIOUS ILLNESS of MR. B. SPOONEE', M.P.
—lt is with deep regret we learn that our much•
respreted townsmen, the senior member for North Ware
wieliehire, is seriously ill. The state of Mr Spooner's health
is such as to eause the utmost anxiety to his large circle er
friends. We are glad, however, to be able to say, from
in-
vines made yesterday, that the hon. member was. a little
better, although exceedingly weak.—Birminghani Gazette.
tgheins gentlemen THE SINKING OF THE ALABAMA.—SoIJTHAbir'
TON, rues-nay.
Capt. Semmes, who was vioited by
several
earlysemfteernnoinonthefora pcoaurtnottrytheredsaidye,nleclet
H ote l
few days' repose and quiet, being in a somewhat 'exhausted
state from the wound in his hand and exposure in the water.
Mr Mason, the Confederate agent, returned to London hi
the 11 30 a.m, train to-day. Great ceriosity is felt as to the
whereabouts and condition of the Keareege, res.pectieg
which no definite intelligence can be obtained.
TRIALS OF NEW .LIFEBOATS.—Yesterday Sone
u
satisfactory harbour trials were made with two fine
lifeboats in the Regent's Canal Dock, Lienehouse,under
the superintendence of the officers of the National Lifeboat
Institution. One of the lifeboats is 30 feet long, ate s
to
be stationed at Holyhead, and will, when practicable, be
used in conjunction with a steam tug. The second boat is
32 feet in length, and is to be placed at Dover. Both boats,
when tested, showed that they possessed the important
qualities of self-righting and self-ejecting; -She water shipped
in the operation in an eminent' degree. The Holyhead
boat, which is named The Princess of Wales, is the
liberal gift of Joseph Leather, Esq., f Liverpool,
who had previously given the Institution the cost of
a
lifeboat, end the cost of the Dover boat hod been assiduoti,sl9
collected in Wiltshire by Captain A. J. Reed, R,N• ha
latter boat is called the Royal Wiltshire. There were pl'o:
sent at the trials yesterday a large number of persons,
Ile
eluding Captain Kremen, of the Swedish Royal Navy
'
had been deputed by his Government to visit England!. with
'ha view of examining some of the Institution's Liteboa
Stations. He had already seen several of them, and has
,
expressed himself highly pleased with their efficiency and
completeness.