The Sun.
London, England, 1853-12-30 00:00:00

(BY ELECTRIC TELEGRAPH.)

-
LIVERPOOL, FRIDAY, 10.30 A.M.
Wind N.W., strong breeze, and squally.
Arrived—Panama, from New Yerk ; Quebec and Jane,
Danzig • Gannet, Ocean steamer, Lisbon,
Off the Port—The Duke, from Calcutta; and ship Mar-
mion.

A telegraph has just been received here, stating that a
steam tug was putting into Beamuaris Bay, at 10 a.m.,
with a large three-masted steamer in tow.
The Gannet reports that the Matilda Wattenback, which
sailed from Liverpool on the 4th with mails for Australia,
put into Lisbon on the 19th, with fore and mainmast gone
close to the rigging, The ship Elizabeth was also at
anchor inside Lisbon bar, with maiumost gone.
A schooner capsized on West Hoyle Bank at 8.30 this
morning, and there is reason to suppose all hands are
drowned.

HOLYHEAD, FRIDAY, 10 A.M.
Wind, N. N. W., a strong gale.
DUBLIN, DEC. 29.
The Eva, screw steamer, from Greenock to Australia,
foundered yesterday 15 miles E.N.E. off Lambay. Seven
of the crew saved by the fishing smack Emerald. The
captain, his wife, and her sister, second mate, and five
men drowned, and another of crew died on board the
smack. This is the vessel reported by the Prince steamer
yesterday. The screw steamer Times, which sailed for
Liverpool on the 27th, broke down near Holyhead and had
to put back to Dublin under canvass.

(BY SUBMARINE AND EUROPEAN TELEGRAPH.)
GRAVESEND, FRIDAY, 10.20 A.M.
CUSTOMS RETURN.
Wind W. ; thaw, with rain ; half flood.
Arrived—Annie Kairnes Minde, from Saidobing ; Eagle,
(s.) Boulogne.
DEAL, FRIDAY, 9 A.M.
Wind W.N.W., fresh, and cloudy.
Anchored—Alegra, from London for Oporto ; West
Kakella, London, IPort Philip ; Eclipse, London, Ma-
deira ; James Holmes, London, Bardadeos ; Watchword,
London, Barbadoes ; Scindian, London, Calcutta ; Hamil-
ton, London, Cardiff ; Carphine, London, Madras ; Mar-
garet Pollock, Bathurst, London ; Rattler, Callao, Lon-
don ; Prince Edward, from westward.

PROCLAMATION OF OUTLAWRY.—At the Sheriffs'
Court, Red Lion-square, yesterday, the following per-
sons were called upon to surrender to the custody of
the Sheriffs of Middlesex, according to the exigencies of
the several processes against them, under penalty of
outlawry Charles Earl, Edward Case, Chas.
Mathias Gunnell, John Robins, G. P. Papa,nicolas, Sir
Augustus William Hillary, Bart., John Gifford, James
Moon, Sir Sandford Graham, Edward William Coleman,
George Swaby. and Sir Wyndham Carmichael Anstru-
ther,Bart. The next proclamation will take place on
the 26th of January.
THE LONDON DOCKS.—The new building at the en-
trance of the London Docks, which is being erected by
the directions of the Government for the accommodation
of the Customs department, is nearly finished, and Will
shortly be ready for occupation. It is intended to de-
vote it entirely to the wine and spirit delivery depart-
ment of the Customs. When completed, greater 131,8 es
will be afforded for the working of the several depart-
ments, and important facilities afforded to parties trans-
acting business.

INDICATIONS OF A SEVERE WINTER.—If the"
truth in what old
people say respecting large flocks of
birds being an indication of a e
winter, we have
never seen stronger be any
symptomsesveorf one than in the
present season. Fieldiares, redwings, starlings, larks,
&c., were never known to be more numerous or in larger
flocks ; and, within the last few days, we have known
an extraordinary number of the latter kind of bird
killed at a single shot. The season appears to promise
plentiful sport for minor sportsmen.—Brighton, Gazette.
Witor.EsALE EXECUTION.---At Este, in the Lombardo-
Venetian province, on the 19th, fifteen men were shot,
in execution of a sentence of court-martial, for murders
and acts of brigandage. They were all executed at the
same time. They formed part of a band of 39 men,
and the remaining 24 were condemned to periods of im-
prisonment, with hard labour, varying from four to 18

years.
Tres CHOLERA IN SCOTLAND.—SO far RS the reports
of the parochial authorities of Edinburgh go, the city is
at present free from cholera. In Glasgow, however, it
has greatly increased. In the city parish there were on
Friday seven cases and three deaths ; on Saturday,
twenty cases and seven deaths ; on Sunday, seventeen
cases and six deaths ; and on Monday, thirty-seven cases
and ten deaths ; while in the barony parish, on Satur-
day, Sunday, and Monday, sixteen cases and four deaths
were reported. The virulence of the disease is lessening
in Dundee, where on Friday there were sixteen cases and
two deaths ; on Saturday, one case and no deaths ; and
on Sunday two cases and two deaths—making since the
commencement of the outbreak, 539 cases and 311
deaths,—Scotsman.

" Les Forces Militaires de la Russia sous les Rapports
Ristoriques, Statistiques, EthnograPhiquess et Politiques."
Bvo. Paris.

t " 139;n7; and " Arrie re Ban," convocation of vassals
under the Crown, who were obliged to march and have in
their suite, according to their quality, so many men-at-
arms and archers.

; •
'
, . -7

-----4 • 1 tof4l. ial
like them, they became a forykidable.obOac 6 I ' --'
reforms contemplated by the state .and evecittilt4o)l
the army. i . . :-5-., )7..'
Peter I. soon had to sufftkl(oni tharnndenocsi,
the Strelitz. He got rid of theauxbitionalsaiiio
bloody, but efficacious manner, in Ike mi
us siad* 0 g
the most dangerous wars which R bfor A
time sustained.

Kf
long

From the feeble nucleus of the compaigne d' agrement
which in his early years he had organised, Peter I. had
commenced the formation of an army after the European
fashion, destined to supersede the Asiatic troops which
existed in Russia. The regiments Proobajeuski and
Seemenowski, which now a days form the Imperial
Guard, were the first regiments of the new army.*
They were created by voluntary enrolment, chiefly from
among the lesser nobility ; but; in consequence of the
unwarlike character of the Russians, this system of en-
rolment did not keep pace with the wants of the new
army, and Peter I. introduced the recruiting system as
it exists at present. The obligation of the nobility to
serve in the feudal army was extended to the permanent
army, and the only choice allowed to a gentleman was
the particular troop or regiment into which he was to
enter as a common soldier. This system was maintained
until the reign of Catherine 11., who abolished the direct
obligation, and substituted for it the indirect obligation
which is in force at the present day.
Peter reaped the first fruits of his military reforms,
even before the suppression of the Strelitz, in the con-
quest of Azoff and in a victory gained over the Turks
and Tartars by the Black Sea. Ile then attempted to
give weight to Russian power in the political balance of
Europe ; but he was made to feel the superiority of
European tactics at the battle of Narva, where 15,000
Swedes compelled 80,000 Russians to lay down their
arms.

This defeat, and the symptoms of internal de-organisa-
tion which it revealed, did not discourage Peter I. The
very greatness of that disaster turned to his profit, for
Charles XII.' despising his adversary, let slip the occa-
sion for completely humbling Russia: Peter assembled
a fresh army, enrolled officers, and learnt from the
Swedes the art of conquering at the cost of great defeats
and some feeble successes. Niue years later Charles
XII. learnt at Pultowa the mistake he bad committed
at ti area.

After the death of Peter 1., the Russian army found
in Ilentschikoff, Munich, and Keith, men able to carry
on the work of the great reformer. The successes of
Russian army were for a long time confined to victories
over the Turks and the Poles, troops which at that time
were not held in high consideration in Europe ; but be-
fore the battle of Zorndoff, Keith wrote to Frederic,
" Pour vaincre les Itusses, it faut lee battue en breche et
les demolir comrue une forteresse."

The Russians had stood firmly at Zorndoff and at
Kunersdorf ; and Europe learnt that an obstinate de-
fence was well suited to their national character. This
opinion has obtained credit by the great defensive bat-
tles of the Russians against Napoleon. Suwarrow also
proved that the Russian armies, like all good troops,
only require exercise and an able commander to distin-
guish themselves in attack as well as in defence. The
march of this general through Switzerland shows what
can be done by Russian troops.
In 1700 the Russian army was the laughing-stock of
Europe at the battle at Narva. ' The same army quitted
the field of war in 1799 greatly to the regret of its
allies. This army (we are still translating from Hax-
thaussen), like all other European armies, was unable to
withstand the superiority of French troops commanded
by Napoleon ; but even in succumbing it had the glory
of giving more trouble to the great captain of his time
than any other.

Since this period the Russian army has made some
great and glorious expeditions in Asia and in Europe. A
sovereign who is every inch a soldier, says our Baron,
tout militaire—as energetic as he is intelligent, has, dur-
ing 25 years, spared neither trouble nor expense to
strengthen and to perfect his army and to get rid of
numberless abuses. In short, the Russian army, both
as to numbers, organisation, and instruction, is very
different from what it was in Germany and even in
Poland.