The Sun.
London, England, 1865-03-21 00:00:00

THE WHITWORTH RIFLE.

Sir F. SMITH asked the Under-Secretary of State for
War if he would lay upon the table of the house the reports
of the officers of the Rifle Brigade in reference to the Whit-
worth rifles, with which the men of the brigade are armed.
The Marquis of HARTINGTON said there would be no
objection to lay the substance of the reports referred to be-
fore Parliament as soon as they had been received. Up to
the present time only five out of the eight colonels of bri-
gades poposed to be so armed had sent in reports.

MAIL CONTRACTS.
Mr. CAVE asked the Secretary to the Treasury when
the two new contracts with the West India and Pacific
Steamship Company, for carrying mails to Jamaica, &c.,
would be laid upon the table.

Mr. PEEL said there was no necessity for laying the
contracts on tho table, as they were terminable by a six
months' notice.

THE CASE OF MR. EDMUNDS.

Mr. HODGKINSON asked the Secretary to the Treasury
whether he would lay upon the table of the house the offi-
cial report made to the Treasury in January last by Mr.
Eindmarsh, Q.C., and Mr. Greenwood, the commissioners
appointed to institute inquiries in reference to the Patent
Office accounts ; and in the event of his declining to do so,
then, on an early day, to call attention to the case, and to
move that the above-mentioned report, and the evidence on
which it was founded, be laid upon the table of the house.
Sir G. GREY said there was no objection to the produc-
tion of the papers. There were other documents connected
with the matter that the hon. gentleman might have if he
wished for their production.
BRITISH PROPERTY IN THE SOUTHERN
STATES.

Mr. GREGORY asked the Under Secretary of State for
Foreign Affairs whether any, and what, steps were being
taken to protect the property of British subjects, purchased.
and paid for in the Southern States of North America be-
fore the commencement of the war, where proof had been
afforded of the bond fide nature of the transactions ? '
Mr. LAYARD said he supposed the question referred
rather to Property than persons, and that property was
cotton. With respect to foreigners having cotton in those
States, if it was destroyed for a bond fide purpose, they had
no right to Complain, as they were aware of the risk they
ran. With respect to the second question, which he sup-
posed referred to the seizure of cotton at Savannah, no full
and reliable report had yet been received by the Govern-
ment.

WATERWORKS BILL.
Mr. FERRAND asked the Board ioliljtirade when the
clauses for the protection of life and
serted in Waterworks Bills, would bepr, laid upon,
to be in-
the table
of the house ?
Mr. BARING said he hoped to lay the clauses referred
to on the table before Easter.
THE RIVER THAMES.
Mr. D. DAMER asked the Secretary of State for the
Rome Department whether he was aware that, at a short
• distance below Hampton Court Palace, there was last sum-
mer hardly four feet of water in the River Thames, and
that when the waterworks near Kingston were pumping
the river ceased to flow over the weir at Teddington during
the period of such pumping?
Sir G. GREY said ho had no information in the matter.
The hon. gentleman had better put his question to the Pre-
sident of the Board of Trade. There he was in his place.
GREENWICH HOSPITAL, _ .

Sir M. PET 0 asked the Secretary of the Admiralty what

were the intentions of the Government with regard to
Greenwich Hospital.
Mr. CHILDERS said last session a commission :was
appointed, and amongst those gentlemen one u :c rtunately
had been unwell, but a report had been agre .41 to and for-
warded to the Admiralty and Treasury, ail he hoped to
be able to lay the documents on the ta,bl,,, nd also bring
in a bill to carry out its recommendation 3.
ROADS IN SCOTLAND.

Mr. LESLIE asked the hon. member for Hathlington-
shire whether he indended to introduce during the present
session of Parliament a general road bill for Scotland; and
if so, when ?

Lord ELCHO said it was his intention to move for leave
to introduce such a measure.
SUPPLY—COAST DEFENCES.

On the motion that the house go into committee of
supply,

Kr: BERKELEY rose to call attention to the possibility
of a war with America, and to the absence of guns capable
of protecting our coasts from the aggression of a naval power.
He said we had alienated both parties in America, and it
would be no matter of surprise to him eventually to
see them both unite in hostilities against us. The hon.
gentleman then proceeded to argue that this country
did not possess means sufficient to repel such a
state of affairs should it unfortunately arise. He
said that tho miserable bickerings between gun inventors
had been allowed to consume too much valuable time, and
the result was the country was left without the possession
of a gun worth the name of a serviceable and effective
weapon of warfare.
Mr. PEACOCK controverted the statement which had
been made that Canada would not be defended, which he
urged was not the best way to disincline the Americans
from aggression. He mentionedinstances which had already
occurred in which the conduct of subordinate and high
officials of the Western States might have involved this
country in an American war.

Sir H. WILLOUGHBY deprecated the policy of discuss-
ing such a question at the present moment.

Mr. H. BAILLIE said the great want of the service was
a gun capable of firing a steel projectile ; but great as the
country was in other matters, it was still behind other
countries in this. Even the Danes had guns for firing steel
projectiles, and as it took a considerable time to perfect one
of these much-vaunted weapons, he supposed that if the
country was unfortunately to be involved in war, it would
take twelve months before we could have a supply of effi-
cient guns for the army.

Mr. MONSELL thought it highly necessary that the
experiments at Shoeburyness should be pressed forward
with greater activity, because it was of the highest im-
portance that the superiority of one gun or the other
should be known as soon as possible.
The Marquis of HARTINGT ON said he did not think
there was any possibility of this country being involved in
a war with America. (Hear, hear.) It had been said that
the coast defences of the country were not sufficient
to meet the attack of a hostile enemy ; but he did not
agree with that assertion. (Hear, hear.) True,
it was that the new fortifications were not fully armed yet
as far as they were completed. They were armed with the
utmost despatch ; but he contended that the old batteries,
with their usual armaments, were quite sufficient to
cope with wooden ships. With respect to the inquiry
whether we had yet got a good gun with a steel barrel,
he might say for our land defences we had, but it had
been thought necessary to pause before a great supply
of the guns were made for the navy. With respect to
delay in the experiments, he must admit that there had
been very great delay between Sir William Armstrong and
Mr. Whitworth, but he believed he was correct
in saying that the delay was occasioned by
Mr. Whitworth, who had not produced his gun at
the specified time. He hoped in a short time that
the report of the commission would be received,
and then the most active steps would be taken
to put its recommendations into effect. With respect
to the assertion that it would take 12 months to make a
600-pounder gun, he doubted whether such was
exactly the fact. As far as Captain Palliser's
gun had yet been tried, he might say at once it had given
the greatest satisfaction, as it had stood some very severe
trials with perfect success.
Mr. W. E. FORSTER regarded it as contrary to the
dignity of the house to invite them to throw themselves
into a war with a great and friendly country simply because
of the language used by one or two Ministers. If England
were to go to war every time that her Ministers had used
irritating language towards foreign nations, by this time
she would be at war with the whole human race.
Sir F. SMITH believed that we should have no war with
America ; but that was no reason why we should not put
our colonies into a state of defence. The command of Lake
Ontario was a part of the projected scheme for the defence
of Canada, but he understood that up to this moment not a
single gunboat had been prepared for that purpose.
Mr. G. P. BENTINCK was of opinion that it would be
a work of time and money to attempt to defend Canada by
land. As to the feeling that prevailed in the United States,
there could be no doubt that it was one of decided hostility
towards this country.
Captain JERVIS characterised the debate as the revival
of the Old Bogie cry which used to be periodically heard
when certain parties found it to be for their interest to affect
an apprehension of a French invasion,
The subject then dropped.

Colonel SYKES directed attention to the alleged inabi-
lity of the British Government to enforce orders in Council
and ordinances by superintendents of trade relating to Bri •
tish subjects in China.
The ATTORNEY-GENERAL replied that there might
be cases in which Englishmen still remained in the service
of the local mandarins contrary to the orders in Council ;
but the consular courts could not issue a roving commission
to search out such instances in the vast empire of China,
and could only deal with them when they came within the
consular jurisdiction.

A question put by Mr. H. SEYMOUR elicited an explana-
tion from Sir C. WOOD relating to the proceedings of the
Indian authorities with regard to the Back Bay shares at
Bombay, and the house went into committee of supply on
the army estimates.
The consideration of the items included in the- vote of
£5,434,567 for staff and regimental pay and allowances was
resumed, and a suggestion offered by Colonel North that
the present allowance of ls. a day increase of pay to lieu-
tenants of seven years' standing should be extended to all
subalterns of seven years' service, and by Mr. Percy Wynd-
ham for giving small civil service appointments to soldiers
of 18 years' standing and good character who might qualify
for the same.

The vote was ultimately agreed to, as were also the votes
of £1,205,800 for the commissariat, £574,256 for clothing,
£609,900 for barracks, £44,335 for Divine service, £26,300
for martial law, £246544 for the medical establishment,
£786,400 for disembodied militia, £91,000 for yeomanry,
£334,900 for the volunteers, and £46,000 for enrolled pen-
sioners and army reserve.

On the vote of £972,900 for manufacturing departments,
Sir M. PETO called attention to the statement made by
the Under Secretary for War on a former evening, that the
cost of armament of the new forts would not exceed
£3,000,000, and inquired upon what calculation that state-
ment was made.

The Marquis of HARTINGTON explained that, al-
though the total number of guns required to arm the coast
fortifications was 1,944, still only 1,200 of the new and
more expensive description would be used. The remainder,
being for land defences, could be taken from the stock in
hand. Under these circumstances the whole cost of the
guns, including 200 rounds of steel shot, ammunition, car-
riages, and platforms, would not exceed about X 2,750,000.

Sir M. PETO observed that when he estimated the cost
of the new guns, ammunition, &c., at £17,000,000 sterling,
he did so upon calculations supplied him by the most emi-
nent manufacturers, who were making guns of smaller
calibre for the Russians.

Mr. WATLIN contended that all inquiry and the dictates
of Common sense went to show that the expense could not
be less than £14,000,000.
The question of small arms also underwent discussion,
and the vote was agreed to, as was also £485,000 for stores.
The Consolidated Fund (X 175,650) Bill was read a third
time and passed.
The Marine Mutiny Bill and the Mutiny Bill was read a
second time.
Other bills wore forwarded a stage, and the house ad-
journed at 10 minutes past 12 o'clock.

"And then he drew a dial frem his poke,
And looking on it with lack lustre ey
Says very wisely, '_lt is ten o'clock '
' Thus we may see,' quoth he, ' how the world wags."
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-J. W. Benson, 'Ludgate-hill, watch and clock wirer to
H.R.H. the Prince of Wales.

BREAKFAST BEVERAGE.—Howo3wathie practitioners,
and the medical profession generally, recmimend cocci
as being the most healthful of all beverages. When the doe
trine of homoeopathy was first introduced into this country
there were to be obt hied no i.rcpar:Ai :ns of cocoa either at.
tractive to the taste or acceptable to the stomach ; the not
wza either supplied 13 the crude state, or so unskilfully
manufactured as to obtain little notice. J. Epps, of London,
Homoeopathic Chemist, was induced in the ye ix 18;J to turn
his attention to this subject, and at len4th succeeded, with
the assistance of elaborate machinery, in being the first
to produce an article pure in its composition, and so refined
by the perfect ti ituratioa it receives in the process it passes
through, as to be most acceptable to the delicate stomach.
For general use Epps's Cocoa is distinguished as an invigo-
rating, gratetul breakfast beverage, possessing a most deli-
cious
raduit:ti° roma. Dr. Hassi'l, in his work, "Food and its
A
says _"Cocoa contaios a great variety of Im-
portant ntritive vrinciples—every ingredient necessary to
the growth
nutritive, cocoaa sustenance of the body." Again: "As a
stands very much higher than ether coffee
or tea." Dirtations—Two teaspoonfuls
breakfast cup, filled u of the powder in a
p with boliing water
ckoertmilk. Secured
in tin-lined i1b.,1b., and 11b.labelled
')
all grocers, confectioners, and chemists - [A ll' and sold by

THE CONFEDERATE HATES.

(From the Times' Special Correspondent.)

WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA, Jan. 31.
I desire to revert to the recent capture by the
Federals of Fort Fisher—an event which possesses
surpassing interest for England, and in regard to
which the minutest details seems not undesirable.
Pausing for a day at Wilmington on my road back
to Richmond, with a view to gaining information, I
have had the good fortune to fall in with one of
Gen. Whiting's staff, who accompanied the General
on the 13th, 14th, and 15th inst., and did not leave
the fort until late in the afternoon of the last named
day, when Gen. Whiting, after receiving a wound,
sent him away upon an errand which, though fruit-
less in itself, was the occasion of my informant's
escaping imprisonment. The narrative of those three
eventful days, which I attempted in my letter from
Charleston of the 23d inst., and which was derived
chiefly from naval officers, needs enlargement and
correction in many particulars. These lam now in
a position to supply, and at the same time it is my
desire to do justice to the great ability displayed by
Admiral Porter and Gen. Terry in their guidance
of an attack conducted by land and sea forces simul-
taneously, which demanded intelligent concert be-
tween both arms, in which the lane forces of the
assailant took part without field artillery, and with
nothing but muskets in their hands, and which was
resisted by an aggregate of Confederates inside and
outside of the fort scarcely inferior to the attacking
colmnns of the Federals.

In my previous letter I stated that late upon the
evening of the 12th tidings reached Gen. Whiting
that a large flotilla of Federal ships was drawing
near to Fort Fisher, and that a second bombard-
ment was imminent. About 8 o'clock on the morn-
ing of the 13th the fire opened. Five ironclad
ships, consisting of the Ironsides, one double tur-
reted, and three single turreted Monitors, ap-
proached within 800 yards of the land face of the
fort, and opened fire, which was steadily sustained
until 5 p.m., at which hour three frigates, supposed
to be the Minnesota, Colorado, and Wabash, joined
in the action, pouring in, together with the Moni-
tors, a terrific storm of fire until 6 p.m. Col. Lamb,
commandant of the fort, anticipating an attempt to
carry the fort by storm after dark, made repeated
applications to Gen. Whiting for reinforcements.
The sailors, 60 in number, attached to Battery
Buchanan, repaired, in compliance with General
Whiting's summons, promptly to Fort Fisher, and
six companies were brought across the Cape Fear
River from Forts Caswell and Campbell to Fort
Fisher, at 8 p.m. In addition 150 men, under
Major Reilly, arrived at 3 in the morning of the
14th. A restless and fatiguing night was passed by
the garrison, as they manned the palisades and
peered anxiously into the night, in momentary ex-
pectation of a general attack. At intervals the
Confederate guns upon both faces poured grape and
shrapnel along the beach leading up to the Fort,
and covered its land approaches, while General
Whiting and some of his staff passed most of the
night on the works and beach, keeping such watch
as they could upon the enemy's movements.
On the morning of the 14th the ironclads again
opened upon the land face, which mounted 16 guns,
of which five had been dismounted by the first day's
fire. It may be remarked that during the 13th the
Monitors, lying at 800 yards' distance, did far more
injury than they and many of their wooden sisters
effected at double that distance, in two days during
the Christmas-day bombardment. The five Monitors
were shortly joined by 15 wooden vessels, which
moved into position behind the Monitors, and,
lying much further off, kept up a terrible fire during
the whole day upon the land face, dismounting
every gun upon it, with the exception of one 8-inch
Columbiad, ploughing great furrows in the traverses,
tearing the palisades into shreds, and filling the
ditch with sand, which slid down from the scarp
and glacis. The Confederate guns replied with
great accuracy, but apparently with little damage
to the Monitors, while the wooden vessels kept out
of range ; but it is generally conceded that the gun-
ners displayed unflinching gallantry during the
whole of this trying day, although exposed to the
moat tremendous fire that ever fell into a fort. It
must be understood that all day long upon the 13th,
and also upon the 14th, while the Federal monitors
maintained an unintermitted fire, Federal transports
were engaged in landing troops upon the beach three
or four miles to the north of Fort Fisher. Much and
angry comment has been audible on the inaction of
Gen. Hake's 6,000 Confederates while the Federal
forces under Gen. Terry were being thrown upon
the beach. Upon the afternoon of the 14th a line
of Federal sharpshooters approached Fort Fisher,
sunk riflepits in the sandy beach, and greatly an-
noyed the Confederate•gunners by picking them off
as they served their guns. The dismounted guns
could not be remounted, nor could the work be re-
paired during the night by reason of the incessant
fire kept up by the fleet. But fiery as was the ordeal
through which Gen. Whiting and his garrison were
passing, the sun upon the evening of the 14th went
down upon confident hearts among the defenders of
Fort Fisher, for a telegram had previously been re-
ceived from Gen. Bragg promising to throw Gen.
Hagood's brigade into the fort as reinforcements.
It seemed not improbable that, in spite of the dis-
mounted guns, the garrison of Fort Fisher, reinforced
by 1,000 or 1,200 veterans, would be strong enough
to repel a land attack, especially as co-operation and
assistance from without, through the agency of Gen.
Hake's division, was confidently relied on.
About 4.30 on the morning of Sunday, the 15th,
the first of General Hagood's regiments, the 21st,
was landed at Battery Buchanan, and was imme-
diately marched up to Fort Fisher. Shortly after-
wards it was followed by the 25th Regiment,
which was moved up behind Lamb's Mound, where
it found temporary shelter from the appalling
fire of the enemy, and did not advance to Fort
Fisher until later in the day. These two regi-
ments, amounting together to rather more than
400 men, were all the reinforcements from Hake's
division that ever reached Gen. Whiting. The vessel
which conveyed the other regiments of Hagood's
brigade down the Cape Fear River unfortunately
got aground, and I believe ended by landing its liv li
-
ing cargo at Fort Caswell instead of Fort Fisher.
The garrison of Fort Fisher, including Hagood's two
regiments, numbered on the morning of the 15th
about 2,200 men, all told. About 8 o'clock in the
morning of the 15th there was rained upon the de-
voted fort undoubtedly the severest fire which fort
or earthwork ever sustained. In combination with the
five ironclads more than 50 wooden vessels joined
in the attack, and it is believed that more than 700
guns played simultaneously upon both faces of the
fort. At intervals some 30 or 40 guns concentrated
their fire upon the same spot, and never desisted
until they had converted the traverse or the glacis
at which they aimed into a shapeless heap of ruins.
During the entire morning the iron tempest knew
neither pause nor abatement. Simultaneously the
attacking columns of the Federals stretched about
noon right across the tongue of land upon which
Fort Fisher stands, having their rear protected from
Gen. Hake by a force of Federals hastily intrenched
within works, for the rapid formation of which the
abounding sand furnished admirable facilities. As
the attacking column drew near to the fort a por-
tion of the fleet moved in single file ahead of the
skirmish line, and poured in a heavy fire, thus en-
filading the entire land face and covering the ad-
tov
throw
ewp y
tfns
gt
murderoush ess ki
gi sinh
aemlr s
8. p
oilTsehi t
orne
into,m aei nv
neveredr
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eeo
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to
oft
the work, until most of the garrison, worn down by
sleeplessness, hunger, and the strain of a bombard-
ment ceaselessly sustained for more than 60 hours,
shrunk within the bombproofs, mastered by a fire
which filled the whole sky with projectiles, and rent
the air with one loud unintermitted roar, in compa-
rison with which the thunder of the field artillery
of Borodino or Leipsic must have sounded faint and
insignificant indeed.
Suddenly a shrill steam whistle is heard, and in
an instant every gun is hushed. Upon the left of
the Federal lines a large body of marines dashes
saenadsadvancing alongldiyat the
bsweatthly ousteo fdotwhen smoke,
Quickly
ka
y drawing
sea e Oft fort rth
oiftsthebombproofs,
outer palisades.
Gen. Whiting throws himself upon the assailants,
is anmd en gains
out