The Sun.
London, England, 1864-10-08 00:00:00

peaceful ordnance sergeant, seized and made prisoners of
war the very garrison sent to protect your people against
negroes and Indians long before any overt act was com-
mitted by the " to you" hateful Lincoln Government, tried
to force Kentucky and Missouri into the rebellion spite of
themselves, falsified the vote of Louisiana, turned loose your
privateers to plunder unarmed ships, expelled Union fami-
lies by the thousand, burned their houses, and declared by
act of your Congress the confiscation of all debts due to
Northern men for goods had and received. Talk thus to the
marines, but not to me, who have seen these things, and
who will this day make as much sacrifice for the peace and
honour of the South as the best born Southerner among
you. if we must be enemies let us be men, and fight it out
as we propose to- day,and not deal with such hypocritical ap-
peals to God and humanity. God will judge us in due time
and He will pronounce whether it be more humane to fight
with a town full of women and the families of a " brave
people" at our back, or to remove them in time to places of
safety among their own friends and people.—l am, very re-
spectfully, your obedient servant,

" W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General Commanding.
Official copy,— L. M. DAYTON, Aide-de-Camp.
The Richmond Sentinel of the 7th ult. says :

"Official information has been received that the army of
Tennessee is in splendid condition and spirits. In a de-
spatch to General Bragg, dated September 15, 1864, General
Hood says he is very much gratified at the feeling now ex-
isting among the officers and men of his army, ar d that they
are in better condition for battle than at any time before
they crossed Chattahoochee. Official information has also
been received that the extra duty list (consisting of detailed
men) is being materially decreased,"
The following is from the .Richmond Examiner
of the 21st :

" The Macon Confederate says it is currently rumoured
on the streets that General Beauregard is to take command
of the army of Tennessee. The Macon Telegraph remarks,
'lf the reader will consult the map he will come to a realis-
ing sense of the ease with which Sherman can repeat from
Atlanta the combined movement by which he backed John-
ston down from Dalton to the heights of Albona. It shows
how Sheridan can move by different roads, flank Barnes-
ville, and thence southwest, they would flank Macon with
the same ease. Hence there is an overwhelming necessity
for such reinforcements as shall pre vent a repetition of the
Sherman strategy from Dalton to the Etowah.' The
Savannah Republican says :—' If Sherman is to be allowed
to hold peaceable possession of Atlanta until he has time to
fortify the place, and make it impregnable, then the citizens
of Georgia may look out for large and formidable raiding
parties from that place making extensive excursions through
the State.' "

Metropolitan Board of Works,

An ordinary weekly meeting of this Board took place yes

terday, Mr J. Thwaites in the chair. The cash statement
of tha Finance Committee showed the following balance :
—Current accounts, £383,581 16s 2d ; deposit accounts,
£174,800; and Government Securities, New Three per Cent)
Annuities, £107,244 18s 2d.
THE GRANITE FOR THE THAMES EMBANKMENT.

The CHAIRMAN drew attention to a corresponlence he
had received from Mr Thomas Scott, of 35, Old Jewry, and
he wished the Clerk to read it to the Board.
The Clerk then read the correspondence to which the
chairman referred. It contained an allegation that the offl_
cers of the Board had ordered the contractors for the Thames
Embankment to use granite from a certain quarry, for the
facing of the embankment, to the exclusion of that from
other quarries which was of a better quality. It also com-
plained that six samples of granite had been sent in to the
Board for examination and approval, and that only three of
them had been tested.

Mr BAZALGETTE, the engineer, in explanation, said he
had adopted the same course in choosing the stone for the
embankment that he had on other occasions. He had de-
clined; to have any, correspondence whatever with 1 he owners
of quarries, and had told them that he could only receive
specimens of stone from the contractors and decide upon
them without knowing who were the owners of them. He
had not had any interviews or treated with anybody on the
subject. He then read a correspondence from Mr Ritson, in
which he stated that gentleman cmpletely contradicted
Mr Scott with regard to the stone, for it showed that he

(Mr Ritson) had submitted other portions of granite, and
that he had entered into no contract for the supply of tha
article. He had examined specimens of stone from Ireland
and had submitted them and others to be tested by Professor
Tennent, and ho had reported that the granite from Kirk-
connel and Dalbeattie were the most uniform in their com-
ponent parts, and therefore likely to be more durable than
the others. He had been accused of having received six
specimens of granite, and tested only one of them. The fact
was that he had received only four from the contractors,
and those he had tried. His office was inundated with gra-
nite samples, and it was unreasonable to expect that he
should test them all.

➢lr ROCHE asked whether the engineer had not ordered
Mr Ritson and Mr Furness to take a particular stone.
Mr BAZXLGETTE said the contractor had sent to him
granite from the Downshire, Dalbeattie, and Kirkconnell
quarries, and, as he considered the two latter of superior
quality, he wrote to say that he might go on using the Dal-
beattie and Kirkconnell granite.

Mr ROCHE said the question was of great importance,
and he wished to know whether the contractors were not
ordered to supply that granite.
The CHAIRMAN said they were not. They had submitted
different qualities of granite, and the engineer had simply
approved one of them.

Mr Rodin thought they ought not to be bound by the
opinion of Professor Tennent or any other person. In build-
ing the House of Co:rumens they had made a great mistake
in selecting the stone, and if the Board were not very care-
ful they would fall into a similar error with regard to the
Embankment.

The CHAIRMAN reminded Mr Roche that the engineer,
after he approved the samples of granite sent to him, took
the precaution of not relying on his opinion, but obtained
that of Professor 'rennet, which supported his own judg-
ment. The engineer had not ordered the atone to be used,
but had only given his consent.
An animated discussion then ensued, at the conclusion of
which a motion was made that the whole question should
be submitted to the Thames Embankment Committee for
consideration and report. However, it was not pressed, and
the subject dropped.