The Sun.
London, England, 1864-02-08 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

Sir,—ln a leading article in your paper of the 3d it is said
that it was the French Emperor who, during the Crimean
war, determined to cover a frigate with armour plating, and
so combine the invulnerability of the floating battery then
used at Kinburn with all the requisites of the ocean cruiser.
Permit me to send you a pamphlet I published in 1862.
You will see by my correspondence therein contained with
the Count do Persigny and Sir Charles Wood, the First
Lord of the Admiralty, that I suggested to both in 1855 the
easy practicability of combining in the same vessel the in% ul-
nerability and gun power of the floating battery, the speed
of the rapid steamer, and the strength and fitting form for
sinking by the blow or concussion as a steam ram. I
warned both Sir Charles and the French Minister that the
same idea might readily suggest itself to the Russians, who
then would have ample time during the winter cessation of
hostilities in the Baltic to extemporise three or four of such
vessels at Cronstadt secretly, and then on the reappearance
of the combined fleets in the spring they would rush out
end effect incalculable mischief by means of their incendiary
projectiles and the blow of their beaks, All of which was
exactly realised by the history of the Merrimac from her
construction to her fight with the Federal squadron. Tho
name of the Steam Ram was given by myself, and through
the powerful aid of the Times it has become now the general
name to distinguish that class of vessels. Ido not mention
those facts from any motives of idle vanity, but because the
truth of them is very valuable to give weight and strength
to the professional views and opinions I hold and am
urging.

From 1855 to the present moment I have been pressing
for the appointment of a commission to be composed of the
most distinguished men of our country as engineers, civil
and military, artillery officers, ship contractors in wood and
iron, sailors well versed in naval warfare, and one or two
yachtsmen, these to go minutely into the question of
" The Navy for the Future," The commission to be required
to examine witnesses and procure evidence from every
quarter whence useful information can be obtained, and
then report the result. The subject of armament to be in-
cluded with that of form, material, and construction of the
ships.
If it is true that two and a half millions have been ex-
pended on the trial of one kind of gun, and more than
double that sum upon the models of ships for actual war-
fare without decidedly satisfactory results in either case, the
path hitherto followed by the Legislature cannot be the
right one, and demands a chango.—l am, Sir, your obedi-
ent servant,

G. H. SARTORIUS, Admiral,
United Service Club, Feb. 4, 1853.

A select Italian ball took place on the sth, at
Salter's Hotel, for the benefit of the United Italian Band.
The ball was attended by the elite of the Italians in Lon-
don, and was in every way a success. _ _ _

The Prince and Princess Alexandre Schatoffskoy
took their departure from the Brarswick Hotel, Jermyn-
street, on Saturday, for Paris. _ _

The Earl and Countess de Grey received a select
party at dinner on Saturday, at their residence, in Carlton
Gardens.

The Countess (Dowager) of Jersey is, we are
informed, better. During the last few days the venerable
countess has gradually improved, and there is now every
prospect of her ultimate recovery.

The Right Hon. the Speaker of the House of
Commons commences his full-dress Parliamentary dinners
on Saturday next, at the New Palace, Westminster.

Sir Ralph and Lady Howard, having lammed
from a tour in Italy, aro residing for some months in the
south of France.

Lady Molesworth entertained at dinner on Satur-
day evening at her residence, in Eaton-place, the Marquis
of Bristol, Viscount Falkland, the Duchess of St. Albans.
Lady Diana Beauclerk, Sir Anthony Rothschild, Mr. and
Lady Dorothy Nevill, the Right Hon. C. P. Villiers, M.P.,
the Lord Chief Justice, the Right Hon. W. Milner Gibson,
M.P„ Mr. Swinton, Mr. Higgins, Mr. George Russell, &c.
ADELAIDE ANNE PROCTER.—AIas ! for the
Poet's daughter ! the " golden-tressed Adelaide" of
his own beautiful English song. Though sho was
"cradled into Poetry," not " through wrong," but amid
every benign and fanciful influence calculated to quicken
genius, Adelaide Anne Procter was not one of those
singers who begin to be heard precociously,—to end in pre-
tence. Though (as all who were intimate with her can bear
witness) she was early remarkable for elegance of tasty and
nn originality of Ln.i.ia which turned itself in the direction of
what is arch and humorous, not until she neared woman-
hood did it begin to be known, beyond tho circle of her own
family, that a'spirit of song of her own was within the
Poet's daughter,—inherited, indeed, but not imitated ; and
wondrously clear of the conceits of the time. As was said,
when her lyrics were first collected (and first publicly
welcomed, it is now a pleasure to think, in these columns),
Adelaide Procter owned little or nothing to the style of
foregoing or contemporary poet or poetess,—nothing to a
Baillie, a Hemans, a Browning,—nothing to Tennyson and
his scholars. Subsequent to a translation or two, executed
(unless we forget) for Mrs. Jameson's works, her verses
stole out anonymously in " Household Words," and were
there lingered over by many who little guessed from what
source they proceeded. Devoted as they were to simple
themes of pure and deep affection, or to such fancies as move
in the brightest, if not the highest other, or to the expres-
sion of an enthusiastic, yet, withal, never arrogant, devo-
tional spirit (tinctured deeply with the convictions of a con-
vert to Roman Catholicism), it was excellent to see how un-
affected yet choice was their language,—how, for the most
part, finished was their versification,—how, to repeat, they
displayed a completeness in expressing their author's con-
ceptions, very rare among beginners, and—let the theme be
ever so gentle, let the field of observation bo ever so minute,
—betokening power, and I hat dignity of self-respect which
is respect for the art attempted. They are calm in their
total absence of exaggeration and trick of language, but in
no line of them cold. Owing to those rare and excellent
qualities, the effect of the collection of these gentle and
womanly poems, when they were laid together before the
public, was instantaneous—ono to surprise all who fail to
remember that it is not scalp of plan, not " sound and
fury" which ensure the Poet his audience; but truth to
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immediate mine of wealth to musicians (even as those of
her father did before them) must not bo forgotten. On the
private life of ono so reserved as sho was in every point of
display (let the success be over so flattorins') it would be
wrong to dwell. Suffice it to say, that the illness which
conducted her to the grave had been long and wasting, sub-
missively and cheerfully borne. Its approach (her health
had been delicate from childhood) was, perhaps, accelerated
by her earnest Participation in what she conceived to be
works of mercy, beneficence, and duty.—sithenseuin.