The Sun.
London, England, 1863-06-09 00:00:00

THE INSURRECTION IN POLAND,.

(From the Special Correspondent of the Times.?
CRACOW, May 31..
You have heard that on May 15 Padlewski
shot at Plock. A few days before his execution he
was taken before Gen. Semeka, and is said to have

received the most splendid offers of advancement in.
the Russian army if he would return to the insur—
gents and prevail upon them to lay down their arms.
Padlewski replied that his previous life did not
justify the Russians in making such a proposal to
him, and moreover that the General made a great
mistake if be thought any one chief possessed the
power of staying the insurrection, which existed
in all parts of Poland, and would go ou increasing
until the country was liberated. He auded that if
he were set free he should feel it his duty to rejoin
his detachment at once, and asked Gen. Seweka,
whether, if Moscow were in arms against the Ter-
tars he should not behave as he (Padlewski) had
i behaved in Poland. The General's reply, of course,

is not given. After Padleweki had been condemned
to death his sentence was kept a profound secret,
and a report was even spread that he was not to be
shot, it being feared (as is alleged) that the insur-
gents would attack the town of Plock and endeavour
to liberate bite. However, at 4 o'clock on the morn.-
ing of the 15th he was brought out for execution.
He had taken the Sacrament some days before, and
it had been arranged at his particulpr request that
he should not have his eyes bandaged. He stood
facing the soldiers on the edge of his grave, and,
until the last moment, smoked a cigar. He said as
he took up his
twenty-seven, but that his death would not be in
position that it was sad to die at
vain. The order to fire was given, and Padlewski
received 12 bullets in the legs and lower part of the
body. A soldier was sent forward to despatch him,
and almost before his convulsions were at an end he
was thrown into the grave and the earth shovelled
over him.

Padlewski, like Langiewicz, Bentkowski, and so
many of the chiefs who have distinguished them-
selves in the Polish insurrection, belonged to one of
the scientific branches of his profession, and besides
his commission in the Russian army, held a Pro-
fessorship at the Military Academy of St. Peters
burg. He was at Warsaw the night of the forced
recruiting, followed the fugitives to the woods, and
took the command of the first regular band of in-
surgents that was formed.
A Russian officer, writing to the Buski
Invalid
(popularly known as the Invalide .Russe—RS if it
were likely that the organ of the Russian army
would be published in the French language) gives
an account, which does him infinite credit, of Nar-
butt's last battle, and dwells with admiration on
the heroism shown by the Lithuanian insurgents
throughout the action. Narbutt was killed, and the
Russians, to prove they were not insensible to the
high qualities he had displayed, and as a mark of
sympathy for his followers, gave up his body; and
it is said were even represented at his funeral.
What would the Russians have done with Narbut
if he had lived ? To give up a dead body is, after

all. not much, and to know what the sympathy of
the Russians is worth one would like to see them
show some mercy to the living. Another Lithuanian
chief as brave and as devoted as Narbutt has fallen,
wounded, but alive, into the hands of the Russians,
and as it is feared the injuries he has received may
not be mortal, his numerous friends are must anxi-
ous about his fate. An ordinary leader wounded as
Sierakowski was would have allowed himself to be
taken to the rear, but he insisted on being carried
forward, and ultimately, his detachment being com-
pletely overpowered, was taken prisoner. He is
now lying in a hospital, and when he gets better
will doubtless be brought befora a court martial and
accused as a deserrer from the Russian army.
To enter the Russian army deliberately, and
afterwards desert and fight against Russian troops
would no doubt be a most serious offence, but
Sierakowski has done nothing of the kind. He was
taken when a boy from his native Lithuania and
sentenced for some act of hostility to the Russian
Government to serve as a common soldier in a re-
giment stationed at Orenburgh. For eight years he
carried a musket. He was then made an officer,
and, thanks to his superior abilities, soon obtained
promotion, and became captain on the Staff and Pro-
fessor at one of the military collegesof St. Petersburg

When the thousand-and-one commissions for re-
forming everything in the Russian Empire were
established, Captain Sierakowski was appointed to
the Commission for Military Affairs, and was sent
to England, France, Prussia, and Austria, to report
on the organization of the army and the institu-
tions connected with it in those countries. He
spent a long time in England, had frequent inter-
views with the late Lord (then Mr. Sidney) Her-
bert, and was a constant attendant at the House of
Commons whenever the subject of army reform
was brought forward. He also visited our
military academies, hospitals, reading-rooms, &c.,
and passed a week at the Staff College. At a cer-
tain international social scientific meeting, held in
London, Captain Sierakowski proposed as a subject
for discussion, " The moral effect on the soldier of
corporal punishment ;" when some surprise was
expressed at such a topic being brought forward
by an officer in the Russian army. Nevertheless,
this officer in the Russian army made the most
earnest endeavours to get corporal punishment
abolished in the service to which he belonged,
and which he had been forced to enter; and it was
owing in a great measure to his recommendation
that the right of beating in an arbitrary manlier,
and without the decision of a court-martial, was
abolished. I have heard some Poles, very natural
haters of the Russians, say in reference to the limi-
tation of stick law in the Russian army, " I am sorry
for it; I only wish it had been extended to the
officers ;" but Sierakowski sought to do good to
those who had injured him, or rather did not con-
sider himself injured by the Russian army, and
least of all by those with whom he had been com-
pelled to serve eight years in the ranks. I believe
ihat when the insurrection in Lithuania broke out,
Captain Sierakowski was in Warsaw, and that he
was sent to Wilna on some mission by the Grand
Duke, The temptation was too great for him. Ile
was in his own country, saw his own people fight-
ing, and with the consent, if not by the express order
of the National Government, hastened to place him-
selfb at the head of an insurgent band, whichhad
The
rest been formed on the borders of Livonia.
rest is known. After gaining several brilliant vic-
tories he was at at last surrounded by an over-
whelming force, was himself badly wounded, and
fell, still fighting, into the power of the enemy, in
whose hands he now remains.
•

DESTRUCTIVE FlRES.—Sbortly before 12 o'clock
last night a fire broke out in the premises of Mr.
Barnett, a glass manufacturer and picture-frame dealer, m"
Houndsditch. The discovery was made simultaneously by
Sergeant Nurse and Police-constable No, 634, of the City
,apnedw erfui
steamers.
before
force. An alarm was raised, and in the course of a few
minutes the parish engines, with several of the London
Brigade under the direction of Captainb Shaw and Foreman
firemen,Bri d Bridges,
as attendedwel
well
a withs two al
the New River Company
engines were at once set to work, andgood engineerssup v l
ya and
Company's water having been procured, the
flames were entirely'h
Thel' 4,1 r .
origin B a rtnh Barnett t s
theuf
ffr oe extinguished,
1 o' c l obcukt this
the
morning
premisesdestroyed. ef
theground floor were
from
fireer s ies at present unknown.
It is understood that reinmtbsure
pere.mist trout
halflast 3 a destructive fire took placewe
be-
longing to Mr. Wybone, beershop keeper, termed the Seven
Stars, situatnd in Duke-street, Lower Chapman-street, St.
George's-in-the-East. The flames were not extinguished
until the premises were burnt out and the whole of the
contents, consisting of wearing apparel, stock• in-trade and
fixtures. were destroyed, and the adjoining premises severely
damaged by fire, &c. The loss will fall upon the Union
Fire-office.
PLAIN TRUTH.—Our pickets and the enemy's on
Morris island (Charleston harbour) converse freely
across the narrow creek which separates them, and minia-
ture vessels freighted with tobacco have been often sent to
our aide with requests for reciprocal cargoes of coffee, the
total want of which the rebels say is a source of great dise
comfort to them. ~Say, Yankee," was shouted across the
river the other day, "baint yeti tired cf this war ?" "No,
Sir-ee," responded our picket. " It's a-- lie," insisted
the ebsel a; e you'i e just as sick of it as we are, and you,
know it."-New
York Irtbune.
T
BEAT EASTERN.—The Great Eastern ar-
rived off New York on the morning of the 27th ult.. and
„,„, safely anchored there on the afternoon of that day.
Tne Great Eastern sailed from Liverpool ou the 16th of
May.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT

HOUSE OF LORDS.--Last Evening.
The Lord Chancellor took his seat at the usual hoar.
BOYAL ASSENT.

The Royal assent was given by commission to the follow-
ing public and private bills :
Customs and Inland Revenue
Hares (Ireland)
Elections during Recess
Illegitimate Children

Drainage of Land (Ireland)
Marriage, &c. (Ireland)
New Zealand Boundaries
Corrupt Practices at Elections
Savings Banks Monies
Vice Admiralty Courts
Stock Certificates to Bearer
Accrington Gas and Water
Caledonian Railway (Granton Branches)
Desf.ird Road
Newtown and Mackynlleth Railway (Capital)
- ottingham Gas
Cockermouth and Workington Railway
Landport and Southsea Tramway
MardesT on Water
Dungarvun Harbour and Water
Queen Road Extension
Cowes and Newport Railway
Greenock and Wemyss Bay Railway
Marshland, Smeoth. and Fen Drainage
Wear Navigation and Sunderland Dock
Cheltenham Road

Sowerby Bridge Local Board
Loughborough and Ashby-de-la-Zouch and Rempstone
Road

Mersey Docks and Harbour Board
Mercantile Marine Service Association
Cork and Kinsale Junction Railway
Inverness and Perth Junction Railway
Bristol and Exeter Railway
Abergavenny Roads
Blackfriars Bridge
Rixton and Warburton Bride
Whitehaven, Cleator, and. Egmont Railway
Gravesend and Milton cias
Inverness and Perth, Junction and Perth and Dunkeld
Railway Companies
Fochabers and 7t armouth Railway
Londonderry Itailway (Seaham to Sunderland).
PRIVATE BUSINESS.
Meux's -Estate—Farness Railway Company, and Barrow
Harbour Commissioners—Farness and Midland Railway—
and Mid Wales Railway (Branches) bills were read a third
time and passed.
COURTS OF RECONCILIATION.
Lord BROUGHAM brought in a bill to establish courts
of reconciliation. The bill was read a first time.