The Sun.
London, England, 1863-01-16 00:00:00

THE ARMY.

A general order from the Horse Guards has been
promulgated at Chatham garrison, announcing
that with a view to reward distinguished and meri-
torious service, and of promoting good conduct in
the army, a Royal warrant has been issued in
which her Majesty directs that a certain fixed sum
may be granted in annuities to sergeants. They
shall bo entitled to receive and wear a silver medal,
bearing on one side the Royal effigy, and on the
other the words "For meritorious service," the name
and rank of the sergeant being inscribed therecn.
The Royal warrant further announces that a silver
medal, bearing on it the words "For distinguished
conduct in the field," shall in certain cases where
specially recommended be issued to sergeants, with
annuity, in lieu of the before-mentioned medal,
" for meritorious service," subject, however, to the
conditions and limitations now in force as to the
granting of annuities. It also states that a medal
shall be granted, without annuity or gratuity, to
sergeants, corporals, and privates of the army,
where specially recommended by the General Com-
manding-in-Chief, and approved by the Secretary
of State for War, for individual acts of distinguished
conduct in the field in any part of the world. In
promulgating the general order containing the
Royal warrant, the Field Marshal Commanding-
in-Chief desires it to be distinctly understood that
no retrospective action will be given to the warrant
so far as distinguished conduct medals, without
annuity or gratuity, are concerned.

Second French Despatch on the Affairs

of Greece.

The following is the second of two despatches by
M. Drouyn de Lhuys upon the affairs of Greece,
the first of which was published in our columns

some weeks since :

IFIE MINISTER OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS TO THE DIPLOMATIC

AGENTS OF THE EMPEROR.

Paris, Dec. 21, 1862.

Sir,--The despatch 'addressed to you on the 4th
of this month upon the affairs of Greece made you
acquainted with the incidents which were followed
by the three Powers agreeing to maintain the stipu-
lations of the protocol signed by them in 1830, and
which excluded the members of their reigning
families from the throne of Greece. In consequence
of this understanding, the envoys at Athens of
France, England, and Russia, informed the Provi
sional Government of Greece that neither Prince
Alfred of England nor the Duke de Leuchtenberg
could accept the crown of Greece if offered to them
by the Hellenic nation.
The only really serious cause of complication
being thug removed, the Powers naturally had to
occupy themselves in designating a Prince, not be-
longing to reigning families, who could be recom-
mended to the suffrages of Greece. As far as we are
concerned we enter into the investigation intent
only upon the interests of Greece herself, and we
are ready to welcome the candidature of any prince
affording the necessary guarantees by his age and
personal capacity.
In my interview with the English Ambassador
and the Russian Charge d'Affaires, I have examined
from this point of view various proposals which,
after leading to overtures without result, have been
successively abandoned.
The last suggestion of the British Government
was King Ferdinand of Portugal, father of the
reigning sovereign. That Prince is in the prime of
life, and he has had experience of government; he
combined thus all the qualities essential for occupy-
ing the throne of Greece, and we hastened to make
known in London and St. Petersburg that this
selection met with our approbation. Nevertheless,
the representations made to King Ferdinand did not
have the effect of deciding him to give hi's consent
to the offers addressed to him, and our latest news
from Lisbon is of a kind to make us consider his re-
fusal definitive. lam not yet able to let you know
the result of the fresh negotiations this occurrence
has led to.
As you will have already learnt from general re-
port (le bruit public), her Britannic Majesty has
resolved to renounce her protectorate of the lonian
Isles in favour of Greeee. Two conditions will be
attached to this cession by England ; first, the con-
sent of the Powers concerned in the diplomatic ar-
rangements which regulated the affairs of the Islands
in 1815 ; secondly, the preservation in Greece of
monarchical institutions, and the respect of terri-
torial boundaries in conformity with the assurances
voluntarily given by the Provisional Government.
We do not hesitate, as far as we are concerned, to
support a resolution which, whatever may be the
considerations that dictated it, has the incontestible
advantage of satisfying the interests of Greece and
of responding to the wishes so frequently expressed
by the lonian people.