The Sun.
London, England, 1863-03-14 00:00:00

Pinsk, The insurgents replied to the Russian attack
by a 17,.,;:m volley of musketry ; but they quickly
fled in disorder, leaving 24 prisoners, 18 waggons,
49 horses, and a quantity of arms. The remainder
of the hand were met in their flight by another
column of Russian troops. The peasants lay hold
of the insurgents and deliver them up to the autho,
rities. General Ncstitz admits only a loss of two
men severely wounded. A letter from 'Warsaw of
the 4th inst. states that General Berg Las refused
to accept the command of the army in Poland,
which is now given to the Grand Duke Constantine.
The resignation of General Ramsay has not yet
been published.

The Prussian Government in vain endeavours, by
the ambiguous language of its organs, to envelova
the Convention with Russia in a cloud of uncer•-
tainty, and to obfuscate and confuse the public mind
with re:ipcct to it, in the hope that people at last
may come to doubt, from sheer weariness and per-
plexity, whether such a thing ever existed. One
day we are told tha, there was no Convention—that
it was a politica: bubble blown by the
the
mtt
ctiousuOgnpapnot-
sition, or a sea serpcut invented by h
dtmocratic press; that there was nothing ever
drawn up or concluded, but merely negotiations—
pourpalers—at St. Petersburg. Then we are in-
formed that the convention is in full force, an far as
it ever went, and that nothing beyond what is now
being carried out was ever contemplated, except as
a possible ulterior result of further agreement be-
tween the two Governments. But the conductors
of the official press are not so cautious as they
might be, and they occasionally let slip incon-
venient admissions to which the Opposition jour-
nals, of course, carefully call attention. Without
tracing the controversy, it suffices to say that the
main facts of the case are established to the satis-
faction of everybody here, that nobody doubts that
the convention was to the full extent reported, and
that it has been privately modified—the Russian
auvernmeni, thn matter—and
brought within the limits rendered necessary by
exigencies which more prudent stateemen than those
of Prussia would have foreseen. With respect to
the present situation of the affair, as regards foreign
diplomatic action, it is here generally believed that
England, satisfied with the retrocession of Prussia
in the matter of the convention, is much less dis-
posed to offer further remonstrances in Berlin
than to obtain from Russia such an observance of
treaties lately neglected as might have a permanent
good effect in warding off future insurrection in
Poland.

A Silesian paper gives some particulars of the
Polish leaderLangiewicz, and vouches for their cor-
rectness : _ . _

"Marian Langiewicz, a native of the Grand Duchy of
Posen, is the son of a physician, and was entered at the
University of Breslau, whence he went to that of Prague,
in order to devote himself, under the guidance of Professor
Czelakowsky, to the study of the Selavonian languages.
After a few months, however, he returned to Breslau, to
study mathematics, and subsequently accepted a very ad-
vantageous situation as tutor in the family of M. von S.,
a Polish landed proprietor. Two years later he returned to
Breslau to complete his studies, and then went to Berlin,
where he served his year in the artillery. After that ho
went to Paris and to Italy, made the campaign of Sicily and
Naples under Garibaldi, and, at its conclusion, was ap-
pointed one of the instructors at the Polish Military School
at Cuneo. He is of small stature, and about 34 years of
age. His elder brother practises as a physician at Witkowo,
in the Grand Duchy of Posen."

THE AFFAIRS OF POLAND.

DEPUTATI3N TO LORD PALMERSTON.

Yesterday a deputation from the recent public
meeting held at the British Institution, Cowper-
street, City-road, to express sympathy with the Poles
in their present struggle, had an interview with
the First Lord of the Treasury, by appointment, at
the House of Commons, for the purpose of present-
ing to the noble viscount a memorial adopted at
that meeting, praying her Majesty to make repre-
sentations to tne Russian Government for a "cessa-
tion of the barbarities and withdrawal of the con-
scription ;" and further, " with the other Powers of
Europe, to insist upon the re-establishment of
Poland as ftnatiou."

Mr. Win. Cox, M.P., introduced the deputation
to the noble Premier, and the Secretary read the
following memorial:—

" To THE QUEEN'S MOST EXCELLENT MAJESTY.

"May it please your Majesty,—We, your Majesty's duti-
ful subjects of the borough of Finsbury, in public meeting
assembled, this 4th day of March, 1863, at the British in-
stitution, Cowper-street, approach your Majesty in much
sorrow and anxiety, for that your memorialists have learned
that atrocities of the most inhuman character have been and
are now being inflicted upon the inhabitants of that portion
of Poland under Russian sway ; that a most cruel conscrip-
tion (before unheard of) has been enforced upon the male
inhabitants of that unfortunate country ; that the infamous
method of carrying out the mandate of conscription has
caused the down-trodden people to resist, and hence have
villages and towns been razed, and their dwellers cruelly
massacred. Your memorialists, under these circumstances,
have recourse to your Majesty's known generous feelings,
to cause such representations to,be made to the Emperor of
the Russias as shall imluce him to order the cessation of the
barbarities, and the withdrawal of the conscription ; and
further, with the other Powers of Europe, to insist upon
the re-establishment of Poland as a nation.

"And your memorialists will ever return their humble
thanks."

Mr. Cox, M.P., said that he had attended the
meeting of the borough which he represented
(held on the 4th inst.), and there the proceedings
were most unanimously carried out, the general
feeling being one of the most perfect sympathy with
the cause of unfortunate Poland.

The SECRETARY said that the meeting at which
the memorial was adopted was a representation of
the feelings of the working classes of the country.
There was not the slightest doubt that the country
was fully alive to the importance of the subject.
The working classes wished to strengthen the
hands of the Government, and they felt that
in making any representations to the Russian
Court the people speaking out would enable
the Ministers to act. On this matter the
people were determined to speak out. Although war
was to be always deplored, it was felt that a ''brush"
for a nation like Poland would be looked upon
as heroism ; in fact, he believed that a penny tax
would not be objected to if it resulted in the free-
dom of that unhappy people. England fought for
an individual in the Crimea, but this was for a na-
tion to which Russia was bound by the treaty of
Vienna to re establish her institutions. The work-
ing classes felt that Russia had falsified her every
promise towards Poland, and that our honour de
mantled action on the part of the Government, and
in it the Government would receive the support of
the people. _ _

Lord PALMERSTON—Do you wish that we should
have another war with Russia P

Mr. WALL—Yes, for the sake of Poland.
Mr. Medley, Mr. Kent, and Mr. Stedman then
briefly addressed his lordship in support of the
memorial, and it was urged that this country had
been engaged in the Algerian and other struggles
for humanity's sake, and therefore argued that a
struggle for the freedom of Poland would not be
inconsistent with precedent.

Lord PALMERSTON, in the course of a conversa-
tional discussion, said that there was no doubt
cause for sympathy with Poland.
Mr. WALL said that he was aware there was
some little informality with regard to the presenta-
tion of the memorial.
Lprd PALMERSTON replied that, although there
might be some informality, as any memorial to her
N"iesty should b© presented throagh the Home
.Secretary, yet he would accept tee memorial, and
hand it over to Sir G. Grey for presentation to her
Majesty.
Mr. MEDLEY strongly urged upon the noble Pre-
' mier that he should express some opinion. which
would give a ray of hope. to the unhappy :Poles.
Lord PALMERSTON SM.4 that p wsa never the
province of a Minister to make at'TrOmise for the
future, but he would hand the memorial to the
Home Secretary.

The deputation then thanked the noble Premier
for his courteous reception, and withdrew.

Mr, Elliot Gaffer and Miss Fanny Reeves appear
next Saturday (21st) at the Crystal Palace Concert. M.
Lutz's pretty operetta of "Blonde or Brunette" is very
judiciously selected for the debut of these clever and pleas-
ing vocalists.---Era.