The Sun.
London, England, 1863-12-15 00:00:00

SCN. LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 15, 1863.

dies and wines in Richmond, Augusta, and many
other cities as at this moment. The blockade-running
seems about to be intermitted, not so much by reason
of the increased energy &I the blockading squadrons
as of the fact that the Southern market is glutted
by the goods already introduced.
The principal alteration since I left the army of
Gen. Bragg is the capture by the Federals of Racoon
Mountain, and the erection by the Confederates of
batteries on the summit of Lookout Mountain.
Three weeks ago when I was there, the Confederate
batteries were not more than half-way up the
mountain, and were principally directed against
the Federal batteries on Moccasin Bond. But
the necessity of sweeping the valley between the
two mountains, and of commanding the stream
called Lookout Creek, which divides Lookout
and Racoon Mountains, and across which
the extreme Confederate left now faces the
extreme Federal right, rendered it necessary for the
Confederates to haul artillery to the summit of Look-
out—a laborious feat, which was successfully accom-
plished by Colonel Alexander, Acting Chief of
Artillery to General Longetreet, an active and
valuable officer, But I cannot conceal my own in],
pression that very little energy has been shown by
the Confederate Government in their operations
against Knoxville and Eastern Tennessee, Suc-
cesses have been gained at London by the Confede-
rates, and it would seem that nothing more was re-
quired to drive Burnside out of Knoxville than a
hearty and harmonious co-operation between Gene-
ral Stephenson, who is at London, and General Sam
Jones, who is in Western Virginia. But no energy,
no enterprise, has in this quarter been exhibited,
although I am assured by officers attached to Jones's
command that, in their opinion 10,000 Confederates
could sweep East Tennessee clear of Federals. I fear
that the harmony of action between the armies of
Generals Lee and Bragg, which has been repre-
sented in England as existing, is as imaginary as
the transfer to and fro from Virginia to Tennessee,
and back from Tennessee to Virginia, of General
Longstreet and his corps. They who have witnessed
the slowness and difficulty which accompany the
movement of army corps, who are cognisant of the
weeks which such an upheaval exacts, will under-
stand the impossibility of any such strategy as the
Confederates have been credited with. Great as has
been the acumen exhibited by the English press
throughout this war in sifting Northern versions of
the news,—an acumen which has often been com-
mended in my hearing since I came to the South,—
you have yet to learn that in regard to the number
of the Confederate troops engaged, and to the Con-
federate generals in command, there is often in
Northern accounts of battles not one grain or ves-
tige of truth.

General Lee is lying in his intrenched camp to
the south of the Rapidan, threatened alarmingly by
the thunders of the Northern press, and feebly by
the movements of Gen. Meade. We are promised
a battle from day to day by the editors of either
section. I have myself the greatest doubts whether
an action is imminent. Nevertheless, there is no
manner of question that Meade is urged forward
from Washington in very much the same fashion
as was Burnside 12 months ago. Possibly Meade's
resent success against two Confederate brigades
(Hoke's and Hay's), which were left in an exposed
position to the north of the Rappahannock River,
may tempt him on to a battle. If he attacks Gen.
Lee a repetition of the battle of Fredericksburg
assuredly awaits him. But there are indications
that Meade would rather be displaced than forced
to initiate battle against his better judgment. His
sudden pounce upon Hoke's and Hay's brigades on
the 7th inst. was admirably conceived and executed,
and resulted in placing in Gen. Meade's hands a
larger number of " butternut " prisoners (about
1,700) than have ever hitherto been captured by
Federal Generals in Virginia, Assuming that Gen.
Langstreet's operations against Gen. Sherman are
successful, I incline to the belief that rain and snow
will put an extinguisher upon active operations
East or West, without any such battles as Frede-
ricksburg or Murfreesborougb, which signalised the
last December ; and that a long winter of discontent
is about to settle down upon both sections, of which
the coming drift and complicated history lie hidden
more deeply and inscrutably from human ken than
ever yet was the future shroudec from the eys of
men.

The French in the Mediterranean.

-~ -

A letter from Nice, dated Dec. 10, says :

What has become of English enterprise ? our
countrymen are asking. It is not only M. Ferdi-
nand Lesseps who seems bent on realising the
grande idee of converting the Mediterranean into a
French lake ; every month sees the formation of
some new steam packet service, conducted with
Frerch capital and with an unusual amount of
French energy. The Messageries Imperiales, pos-
sessing a fleet of excellent boats, have long had a
kind of monopoly of the Mediterranean traffic; and
at last, now when competition is created, strange to
say, it owes its origin to the French and not to the
English. Posted up on every wall may be seen
programmes of the new companies of Valery and
Frassinet, who undertake to traverse the whole
Mediterranean. There is not a port of any im-
portance on the Spanish and Italian eoast which
is not daily visited by one or other of these
great rival companies. The people begin to asso-
ciate the tricolour with anew commercial era. All
the passengers are English—all the boats are
French. It is to. France that the tourist tribe are
indebted for the means of gratifying their classical
tastes, and for converting every sheltered olive and
orange-clad nook on the shores of the Mediterra-
nean into an English colony.
It is truly to be regretted that this ample field
for English enterprise has been, strange to say, ne-
glected. We might fairly have imagined that these
energetic Englishmen in wide-awakes and wide
pockets, who elbow their way through the Conti-
nent, would have carried some of their love of mari-
time speculation with them. Wherever they can
plant their foot their money is scattered broadcast
around them, but they seem to mistrust the treach-
erous blue waters. On the mountain side, on the
glittering, glistening coast of the littoral, every rood
of ground, worth anything for profit or residence,
maintains its Englishman. Monster hotels are
found in secluded dells, Protestant churches and
even chapels of ease invite the eloquence of our
itinerant and consumptive countrymen along the
southern shores af France. From Marseilles to the
new_ geographical boundary of France, beyond
blentone, the English language in all its various
dial ecta and patois is alone spoken. On the rail-
IN'S the engineers are English; the guards, the
porters,•
yeller
dialoge,
boys,
those En
mterpret in English the wishes of the t
the ContiBnlel
l'ilivileil.he is looking out in his guide for the
-
cab
dzitela shall express his wants; donkey
Anglais pour
vaudeville, the
at the h re,
anitet omnibus conductors, indulge in
hotel
ene:diPtrhreeastasiulAnsngwhich are associated on
rire
jeer familiar conversation. The
mii:izdatill the style of the French
lais the welcome guest
English alone are the
,san.e. The English and the
vellouseccentricities ar:f:)r_ilieged class ; their mar-
or enthusiseti:ltveelle ; where low-hatted
Frenchtusht
off by a sergeant-de-villa, mean, would be taken
e!Rcial exclaims,
" Bob ciest un Anglais, and
pass
ei
But once on the sea, the Enaiite
m, ,
element, it is very different. Where he eh
natural
ould be
most at home, he feels himself a stranger; all hie
swagger about the "flag that braved a. thous
and
years," Sze., must be forgotten ; he is Prot
•
by the tricolour, and walks on French planks; h
protected
must forget his English hours, his English habits
al.o e
and for the time suppress his intense nationality'
It is hard to find ourselves driven away from the
high road of the East and to know that, from
Gibraltar to the Bosphorus, the French are fast
being considered the dominant maritime race.
The annexation of Savoy and Nice has been at-
tended with inure important consequences than
we anticipated. Nice and the smaller towns on the
coast afford to foreigners proofs of the wonderful
results of French skill and French progress; the
public gardens spring into new life, touched by the
hand of French taste; the Var, whose banks have
so often witnessed the spectacle of rival armies,
which saw the gallant gathering of the gentlemen
of Provence, when, under the Marshal Belleisle.
They
drove the Austrians across the turbid pr.d

swollen river, must be surprised to find its torrent
confined by immense dykes which oppose a barrier
to the floods which in winter devastate the plains,
All this is the work of the French, and the Italians
are beginning to appreciate the advantages of their
civilization. It is true that it costs them dearly.
One cannot belong to a country full of les grandes
tdees without paying a high price for it. The
poor myriads, having pilfered all their lives, find
theirgend gendarmery
aeernyr eo
ft a
Fk ern from a
nereo
in
at
kh
ee mTh
t. h e
ei re
gtroops and
those
hose
happy days when they were the governing race,
before the Frenchwerespcoaillsle.d in to take the lion's
share of the English

Lord Clarence Paget on the Naval Reserve.

A large and fashionable company assembled yesterday
afternoon on board the Thames Marine Officers' training
ship Worcester, off Erith, to witness the presentation of the
prizes to the young cadets of the school by Rear-Admiral
Lord Clarence Paget, C. 8., M.P.
The ceremony took place on the main deck, which was
appropriately decorated with flags and evergreens. Sir Jas.
Duke, M.P., was called upon to preside—and in addition to
Lord Clarence Paget there were present, Mr. Henry Green
(the Chairman of the Committee), Admiral Hall, nr. W.
Phillipps, Capt. Lean, R.N., Mr. W. Bullivant (the Hon.
Secretary)—.and a number of the officers of the Royal Naval
Reserve attended in uniform. The young cadets (about 50)
were ranged in the middle of the deck.

The CHAIRMAN briefly opened the proceedings.
Mr. BULLIVANT, the Hon. Secretary, read the report of
Mr. Muggeridge, of Greewich, as to the examination and
proficiency of the lads.
Captain DOMETT, of the London Local Marine Board of
the Port of London, the other examiner of the boys, also
gave the result of his examination of the boys, which was
highly satisfactory.
Lord CLARENCE PAGET, who on rising was received with
considerable applause, said he had been engaged during a
somewhat long life upon various public objects, and could
safely say that he had never undertaken a duty with greater
and more sincere pleasure than the duty which he was about
that day to undertake. Having adverted to the success of a
similar institution at Liverpool, which had led him to aid,
in concert with the late Mr. Richard Green, in estab ishing
one also in the Thames, he said it was almost unnecessary
for him to dilate upon the great importance of such institu-
tions as this in their great naval ports. There could be no
doubt that hitherto they had been somewhat behindhand in
the matter; for when they considered the vast amount of
their commerce, the enormous size and the vast number of
their merchant ships, every lover of his country would agree
with him that it was high time that such institutions as
this were established at all the principal ports, and it was
with feelings of great gratification that he now witnessed
there that day what had long been witnessed in Liverpool,
and what he trusted he should witness in other great ports
of the country. After a few words of exhortation to the
youths before him on the nature of their future career, and
warning them against the dangers and temptations to which
they would be exposed, he proceeded to impress upon them
the importance of attending to their studies, more espe-
cially as regarded mathematics and mechanics. In continu-
ation, he charged them all to attend particularly to the use
of the steam-engine, and to lose no opportunity of making
themselves acquainted with its details. There were also
many other branches of mechanics eminently useful, and
he trusted that, inasmuch as they had no such advantages
of education in his (Lord C. Paget's) younger days, they
would so benefit by them as to arrive at the highest possi-
ble position which they could attain in the particular branch
of service to which their attention would necessarily be de-
voted, lie might add a good deal more with respect to other
branches of science equally important; but he must remind
them that there was one thing of greater importance than
all science, and his last words to them should be the expres-
sion of a hope that they would remember the Giver of All
Good, for no man he believed could be happy then, and he
was certain that no man could be happy hereafter, who did
not love his God. (Hear.) Therefore he recommended his
young friends strongly, while they were pursuing their
worldly studies, not to forget that other and far more impor •
taut study, the study of the Word of God. He had the
greatest confidence in the success of an institution conducted
and supported as this was, not only by the individual sub-
scribers to the institution, but by public opinion as to the
necessity of such institutions in this country. Of its
ultimate success he had no doubt whatever, and he ear-
nestly requested the committee, for reasons which he should
advert to in addressing the Naval Reserve, that they would
not omit to teach and show the science to those young men
which was becoming most useful, namely, the science of
gunnery, This was the first public occasion on which he
had, so to speak, had an opportunity of making personal
acquaintance with the officers of the Naval Reserve, and he
could assure them that it gave him the most sincere pleasure
to be enabled on the present occasion to meet them all face
to face. (Cheers.) They were aware that they had in the
creation of this magnificent force many difficulties to en-
counter, and he was sure that they would give him the
credit for being an earnest and a zealous supporter of this
great and important movement. They could not, of course,
expect to arrive at perfection all at once. They (the Go •
vernment) had had various difficulties to get through, and
many prejudices to get over. He was sure that when he
stated in a few words some of those difficulties, so far from
having any cause for dissatisfaction, they had every cause
to be perfectly satisfied with the progress which the move-
ment had made. Assuming, however, that there were
some who were a little dissatisfied with the terms on which
they entered the service, or the severity of its drill, yet he
Was persuaded that they would, all patriotic and public
spirited 88 they were, waive any little feeling of dissatis-
faction, and make common cause with the Government,
doing everything that lay in their power to forward the
movement ; while, on the other hand, he could assure them
that the Government were most anxious to meet their
wishes on every point consistently with their duty to the
public interests. For instance, he knew they were put to
inconvenience by repeated drills, He was quite aware,
and the Government were perfectly aware, that an intelli-
gent body of educated men, who were quite equal in all
respects to the officers of the Royal navy, when they set
to work with a will and were determined to master the
subject, it needed not that they should treat them in
the matter of examination in the same manner in which
they would treat those who were beneath them or who
did not move in their position in life. They were all
aware that when they had once made themselves masters
of the subject, it would be quite sufficient that, in order
to receive their annual certificate of competency,
an examination of a much less irksome nature would
be sufficient. Of these things they (the Government) were
perfectly aware, and her Majesty's Government had at that
moment a code of regulations whereby they were endeavour-
ing to get over such difficulties of detail as he was describ-
ing. (Cheers.) There were other matters, on which perhaps
he had better not enlarge upon the present occasion, viz.,
the question of the flag they should carry. He would state
generally what the Government desired. They desired to
see a British ship carry a flag by which, whatever port she
might enter, whether she be a ship belonging to the Royal
navy or to the mercantile marine, it should be known that
she was manned by the first officers and the finest seamen in
the service; and they knew what would be the result of that.
The desire of the Government was that their grand merchant
ships should enter ports all over the world, the officers being
everywhere recognised as belonging to the Naval Reserve.
(Cheers) There were other matters, matters connected
with promotion, and so on. They were perfectly aware that
in whatever position of life they were placed, every man
must look forward to some promotion—it was inherent in
the nature of man that he should do so. All that he wanted
them to know was that these things were not negleeted.
The Government asked them to look ahead, and to believe
that if their services were performed faithfully and honestly
to the Crown promotion would be granted to them.
(Cheers.) Those were matters upon which he entered with
them frankly as a friend, because he would tell them that
from the very first he had looked on the reserve as the main-
stay of the country. He did not want to be mistaken. He
trusted that they would not think for a moment he wished
any one to suppose that he thought the Naval Reserve
should supplant the navy. It must be an auxiliary to the
navy. That was the position of the Naval Reserve. He
would tell them what he looked forward to see. and that
was the broad sea covered with British merchant ships car-
rying rich cargoes hoisting the invincible reserve flag, and
which would not any longer want convoys, but should
convoy one another. He looked forward to the day when
every captain of a large ship and his officers should possess
a thorough knowledge of gunnery, so that no hostile vessel
should dare to meddle with them, and if at any time an
enemy had the temerity to come near, they (the Govern-
ment) should find in their hands and arms the very safety
of the country. He believed that they must go on, and they
were going on. True it was they did not shaw such a mag-
nificent force as the volunteers who were performing drills
in public every day, and therefore were constantly before it
and got remarked upon ; but he assured them that the very
highest personage in the realm took the deepest possible in-
terest in the Naval Reserve. (Cheers.) No one took a
doidrea,iev,st.:
deeper interest in its success than did her Majesty the
Queen, and her inquiries were constant as to its progress.
(Cheers.) He was sure that of itself was quite sufficient to
induce them to come forward ; and when they heard of pre-
judice in regard to matters to which he had adverted, do not
let that prevent. them coming forward in the present condi-
tionand he thou
of this noble institution. (Cheers.) The noble and
gallant lord then presented the prizes to the successful can-
Alfredr"
their difficishft,4
ntiiTartil TRIVET begged,nebinoble
l 0 r
da skarn
theoffi officer
exertions
otnhse
hehadNaval R
madee -
ttee, the
in establishin e reserve and assisting them in overcoming
Theyh now wanted nothing more than a
head,
officers and men of ht would gladden the hearts of all the
yal Naval Reserve if his Royal
(Ccmitted them to enrol his august
naLeteart
stohmeier head. a
from
Highness Prince
Admiral Hall and Mr. 11. Green,
usual vote of thanks to
the chairman of theiectletatht:
Ship
she
anbylnd of Mr. Green'
the chairman closed the proceedings.
ng cadets manned
workmen played the
yiut liaenotaihpe

COURT OF SESSION.

PTN.--F. R. SIM (SINE'S FACTOR.)
This petition was presented last week by a judicial factor
appointed under the Pupils' Protection Act, for the pur-
pose of hating his bond of caution cancelled, and a new
bond by the National Guarantee and Suretyship Associa-
tion taken in its stead. The case was reported by Lord
Barcaple, on account of the importance of the question
whether bonds by a company of limited liability could be
accepted by the Court.

Counsel was beard in support of the application. It was
maintained that, as this company was registered in terms
of the " Companies Act, 1862," it came under the provi-
sion of the 27th section of the Pupils' Pretection Act,
which provides that the Court shall authorise, if they deem
it expedient, " bonds or policies of the British Guarantee
Association, or other public company incorporated by act of
Parliament or Royal Charter, carrying on business within
Scotland, to be accepted and taken instead of bonds of cau-
tion by private individuals." Under the 18th section of the
Companies Act, this company must be held to be " incor-
porated by act of Parliament." This view has been taken
by the Parliamentary committees, who now deal
with banks registered under this act as in the
same position as " banks established by act of Parlia-
ment or Royal Chartei." One obj€ct of the act
was to save companies the expense of obtaining a
private Act of Parliament for themselves ; and it is expressly
provided by sec. 18 that upon registration of the memoran-
dum of association the subscribers shall thereupon be "a
body corporate." Accordingly, Mr. Thomson argued, the
Court has power to take the bond of this company, the only
question remaining is—ls it expedient to do so ? Now, that
must be ascertained in the usual way, which is by remitting
to the accountant of court, and getting his report. In the
present case that has been done, and the report of the ac-
countant is in every way favourable to the application. He
is satisfied of the respectability and responsibility of the
company, and both he and the Lord Ordinary concur in
thinking that their bond may be safely taken. In the pre-
sent instance there seems to be only one element of difficulty
This is a company of limited liability. This is not thought
by the accountant to present any practical difficulty, and in
that view the Lord Ordinary concurs. In the case of a pri-
vate cautioner, the accountant can only satisfy himself from
the ostensible character or supposed circumstances of the
person at the time, and these must frequently prove
deceptive. Even where the sufficiency of the party is
at first undoubted, unfortunate circumstances too often
occur to alter his position. Again, where the circum-
stances of the party are positively known to be suffi-
cient for the obligation undertaken, and likely to
continue so, it remains unknown how many other
cautionary obligations he may have undertaken. None of
these objections apply to a public company, and accordingly,
so far as the question is one of general expediency, there
seems no doubt of the desirableness of substituting bonds by
a public company for those by private persons, The re-
sponsibility and sufficiency of a company may be judged of
and ascertained in the same way as that of a private person.
In the present case, the factory funds are not large, and
there seems no doubt that the association is amply sufficient
for the amount. Mr. Thomson also read to the Court sta-
tistics of the present financial condition of the company.
The Lord President said he had great difficulty about the
case, It was a novel one, and the whole system of com-
panies with limited liability was as yet untried. There was
here a cautioner already, and he thought that at present
the safe course was to refuse the application.

Lord Dees doubted whether a company merely incorpo-
rated under the Companies Act could be held to be " in-
corporated by Act of Parliament" in the sense of the Pupils'
Protection Act. There appears to be no doubt of the per-
fect respectability of this company, but the last-mentioned
Act seems to contemplate a company with a private Act of
its own, as to whose condition the Government has satis-
fied itself. Mr. Thompson has very properly admitted that
the British Guarantee Association had a private Act, con-
taining very express provisions, and its shareholders were
liable to the full extent of their fortunes. I do it with re-
luctance, but it seems to me that, looking to the whole cir-
cumstances of the case, we must refuse this application.
Lord Curriehill concurred, and observed that he was glad
that in this case they were able to decide on principle, with-
out suggesting any doubt as to the perfect respectability of
the company. He was unable to hold teat where the liability
of the shareholders of a company was limited to the amount
of the shares, its bonds =ld be accepted by the Court.
Counsel for the petitioners, Mr. Comrie Thomson; agents,
Messrs. Duncan and Dewar, W.S.

and without the least temptation, as to the time the act was
committed he was in the receipt of wages to the amount of
two guineas per week. He then sentenced him to be im-
prisoned and kept to hard labour for 12 months.
John Double, 53, was charged with bigamy.
Mr. Laly prosecuted; and the prisoner was defended by
Mr. Collins.

This was a very remarkable case. It appeared that the
prisoner was married to his first wife at Ipswich in 1842, and
that they lived together for 16 years, when they separated.
The prisoner was married a second time in March, 1859,
and it appeared that the brother of the first wife was pre
sent at both the marriages, and gave both the brides away,
and he said that he explained to the second wife that the
prisoner had been married before, and that his wife was
living, but notwithstandiag this she persisted in having
the ceremony performed.
The second wife said she had no complaint to make
against the prisoner, and that he had been a good husband
to her; and it appeared that she and the prisoner had co-
habited together for 12 months previous to the second mar-
riage.

The jury found the prisoner Guilty.
The prisoner was sentenced to a month's imprisonment.

THE MURDER IN THE WATERLOO-ROAD.

At the close of the business, the Grand Jury brought in,
amongst others, a true bill against Samuel Wright, for
wilful murder. This is the melancholy case which took
place on Sunday morning last, the prisoner having been
examined and committed at once upon that charge.
The Recorder informed the Grand Jury that as there was
no more business for them, he would release them from
further attendance, which he had great pleasure in doing at
so early a period.
One of the gentlemen of the Grand Jury thanked his
lordship, and asked permission to mention a matter which
might perhaps be deemed rather absurd, but nevertheless
he could not help mentioning it. He, with his brother
jurymen, were glad at being released so soi,n, and they
thought with him, that when they came to serve their coun-
try, it was rather hard that they should be charged such
enormous prices for refreshments. They had been called
upon to pay the sum of ls. for a sandwich, for which, any
where else, they ought only to have paid 21d. It was a
paltry sum in itself, and it was not the money that they
looked at; but it appeared to them to be a principle which
ought not to pass without observation.
The Recorder said it certainly was a large amount for a
sandwich, and it was very desirable that the subject should
have been mentioned, as the witnesses were, no doubt, liable
to the same overcharge.