The Sun.
London, England, 1854-12-02 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OP THE SUN.

Sin,—Observing in your report of the loss of the
Prince that I ass mentioned among the number of those
who were on board at the time, I trust you will do me
the favour of giving publicity to this statement of its
incorrectness.

I left that ship at Constantinople, before she pro•
cseded to the Black Sea.

As the reported loss of this fine ♦essel has created a
great sensation, my opinion as to its probable truth may
not be unacceptable. lam not disposed to believe that
she has foundered until the receipt of more positive in-
telligence to the contrary, as, during her voyage to
Constantinople, although decidedly too deeply laden,
she proved herself, in'the worst of weather and under
trying circumstances, an excellent sea-boat ; and, from
from the high qualities and skill of her commander,
Captain Goodall, I cannot think that a ship so perfectly
tight as she was could have foundered as so stated.—l
am, sir, your obedient servant,
P.. 1. DICKINSON.
General Screw Steam Shipping Company,
17, Cannon-street, London, Deo. 1.

THE COLLISION ON TIIR MIDLAND RAILWAY.—The un-
fortunate lady who met her death by the late collision
upon this line was the widow of the Rev. John Robert-
son, a clergyman of the Established Church of Sootlaud.
She was also sister to the wife of Dr. Farquharson, an
eminent physician at Edinburgh.
THE ROYAL SE/Int—The anniversary meeting of
this society was held on Thursday last, the Earl of
Rosse in the chair. His lordship delivered his annual
address, after which the Copley medal was presented to
Professor Muller, of Berlin ; the two royal medals to
Drs. Hooker and Hofmann ; and the Rumford medal to
Dr. Arnott, for his new smoke-consuming firegr ate.
ensuing
The election of officers and council for thyear then took place, and the following noblemen acid
gentlemen were elected :---President, Lord Wrottesle ,
M.A. ; treasurer, Colonel Edward Sabine, R.A. ; secre-
taries, William Sharpey, M.D., George Gabriel Stokes,
M.A. ; foreign secretary, Rear-Admiral W. H. Smyth.
Other members of the council—Neil Arnott. M.D.,
Rear- Admiral W. Beechey, Mr. Thomas Bell, Sir
Benjamin Brodie, Mr. Charles Darwin, M.A., Mr. W.
Delarue, the Earl of Harrowbv, Mr. A. W. Hofmann,
Ph. D., Mr. Thomas Henry Huxley, Mr. John Micro,
Mr. James Paget, Rev. Baden Powell, M.A., the Earl
of Rosse, K.P., M.A., Mr. Robert Stephenson, Mr.
William Tite, and Mr. Chance Wheatstone.
THE BOARD OF TRADE.—WeII-founded complaints
prevail in the City regarding the present course of the
Board of Trade with respect to applications for charters
to carry out important public enterprises. The Go-
vernmenttthwo
country, systems,
H as andfar
refuse
to
act,
cs
te,e
som tih) eartp
tlehxee
business
e between
as it is connected with this question, is brought to a
stand. The opponents of the prohibition against limited
partnerships, by which the commercial classes of England
are deprived of an advantage possessed by every other
people, have constantly pointed to the granting of
charters as a proof of the evil of that prohibition, since it
centred in a Government Board the power of bestowing
privileges which, under proper arrangements, should be
equally open to all. The necessity of it, however, until
au alteration of the law should be effected, was Lways
would otherwise
m have
means of
auidimtigitatteidn,ginaasirneusctrhicatsioint aNhich affordedld
nearly. altogether prevented the d
the joint•stock system. It was thereforee
othp:,mtioannyin
favour nianifestoaftiaon of the never elePreeet
expected
broaderprinciplegrow th
wouldo
of public
to a diminished use of this palliative provision ; but
that, on the contrary, every effort would be made, by
giving it the widest application, to render the introduc-
tion of the inpending change
anticipation has been disappointed,easy as
and since
nsicelthe This
of the House of Commons towards the end of last ses-
sion, condemning by a large majority the existing laws
as too narrow, the Government have made them nar-
rower by refusing, on the ground of the unsettled
state of the question, to employ the means by which
they were previously rendered endurable. It was a
bad state of things when, in order to obtain a charter
for any great undertaking, its practical promoters
were compelled to forego their own isusineres'ike
opinions to conciliate the peculiar views that might
happen to prevail for the time at a west-and board,
but this was far preferable to being obliged to abandon
their objects altogether. At the present remnant the
fatal 'results of the passive obstruction pro ctised are
incalculable, since the anxieties of the war las.ve already
created among their worst consequences an iudisposition
to attend to the introduction of new plans or inventions,
:although it is under such circumstances th at they are
most needed, not only for national service, b ut also to
give buoyancy to the revenue.

-
IMW POLITICAL WORK THE AUTHOR OF "THE RIGHT 1
HON. BENJAMIN DIR a AE-LI, 31. P., A LITERARY AND
POLITICAL BIOGRAF k..Y."
On Tuaday, the I.2tb.inal , will he published, in 1 vol. BvO.,
VIRTY YEAR 3 of FOREIGN POLICY :
A. History of th 'eeretaryships of the Earl of AbtAleen
and Tiscount Palm ersto
London: Longs -',,,'Brown, Green, and Longmans.

THREE AN:', SIXPENCE EACH, fcp. cloth.;
POPULAR T4I,I_,ES. By MARIA EDGEWORTH.
With 3 Engrar' gs from Designs by Harvey.
THE PARENT'S SSISTANT. By MARIA EDGEWORTH. New
/
Edition, in 1 voltin . New Frontispiece and Vignette.
EVENINGS A HOME ; or, the Juvenile Budget Opened. BY
Dr. Alarm and AL.a. BARBAULD. Engravings from Harvey I and
Gilbert. i
THE SWIS ,1 FAMILY ROBINSON. in 1 volume, unabridged
Notes and En. tavings. (Simpkin and Co.)
London: St Apktu. Marshall, and Co.; Whittaker and Co. ; E.
Hodgson:, WNhbourne and Co.; H. G. Bohn ; Smith, Elder, and.
Cu. ; Orr antrCo.; Houlston and Stoneman;
Tegg and Calkrn
; Routledge and Co. ; C. Templeam ; and G. Willis
and G. aniikq. Robinson, Liverpool. J. Bain ;H. Renshaw
__----

TTIE ATRE— It OYA L, DRURY-LANE,
e • M. JULLIEN'S CONCERTS.
LAST NIGHT BUT SIN.
'PAIS EVENING, Saturday, Dec. 2, the BEETHOVEN NIGHT
Mk'. be repeated; on which occasion the following selection from the
wt,rkv of Beethoven will be performed :—Overture, Leonora ; the
Atli/retro from the Symphony in F ; the Larghetto from the Synr-
th,°SllllD ; Concerto in E flat, for the pianoforte, performed by M.
IL'lt ; and the Symphony in C minor (the complete work). The
t+ec- tad Part will be Miscellaneous, and include the new Songs, "Say
)24\ 11K3sy" (third time), and "Minnie," sung by Madame Anna
21 x;laa Solos, cornet, Herr KceniT ;
; the American Quadrille;
L,4'-rsazia Valse ; the Atlantic Galop ; and the new DESCUIPTIVE
ADRILLE, THE ALLIED ARMIES, assisted by the Bands of
Majesty's Grenadier Guards, 2d Life Guards, and Coldstream
.gards.
t'arozs OF ADNLISSION.—Promenade, boxes, and galleries, Is. ;
drs6l circle, 2s. Cycl. ; private boxes 1/. Is. and 11. 11s. Gcl.
The atendelssohn Festival will take place on Thursday next, Dec.
7, m which occasion the whole of the First Part of the Concert
w.tt be selected from the works of Mendelssohn ; the Se ad Part
b•dng Miscellaneous, including the d'y'ed Armies Quadille:
K. JULLIEN'S GRAND BAL MASQUE will take place en
)ND.A.y, Dec. 11, and terminate the season.

THEITRE ROYAL HAYMARKET.
Under the management of Mr. Rackstone.
THIS EVENING, Dic. 2,

Will be performed the Comedy of PRESENTED AT COURT
Principal characters by Messrs. Buckstone,,W. Farrell, tad Howe ;
lasses Reynolds, E. Chaplin, Grantham, and Lavine.
To which will be added THE BALANCE OF COMPORT.
To be followed by MORE BLUNDERS THAN ONE.
To canclude with POPPING THE QUESTION.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S TIIEATRE, OXFORD-STREET.
Under the ..fa,nagernent of Mr. CULLUM! KZA.N.
THIS EVENING, DEC. 2,

WM be performed the highly copular comedietta, entitled LIVING
no. FAST. •
To be followed by FROM VILLAGE TO COURT. Principa
characters by Messrs. Harley, Fisher, sad Cathcart; Misses Mur-
ray and Heath.
After which will be presented a new Melo-dramatic Spectacle, in
three acts, entitled SCIIAMYL, the Warrior Prophet.

LYCEUM THEATRE.
TIIIS EVENING, DEC. 2,

Will be performed THE GINE OF SPECULA.TION. Charac-
ters by Messrs. C. Mathews, R. itokby, F. Matthews, and Baker ;
Mrs. flaghes, Misses Oliver and Wadham, and Mrs. Foote.
To be ,ollowed by a new Comic Drama, entitled A COMICAL
COUNTESS,

To conclude with the Kim entitled MY FELLOW,' CLERK.

THEATRE ROYAL ADELPHI.
Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Dtrectress, Madame Celesta.
THIS EVENING, DEC. 2.

Will be performed MASKS AND FACES. Characters by Messrs,
B. Webster, L. Murray, P. Bedfor.i, &C.; Mesdames Celeste, Wool-
gar, Sec.

After which, a new Farce called THE SLOW MAN'.
Followed by MONA. FIDE TRAVEL,LF.ItS.
To which will be aided anew Farce, ent.tied THE RAILWAY
11ELLE.

ROYAL OLYMPIC THE \ TRE.
Lessee and Manager. Mr. A. Wigan. •

THIS EVENING, DEC. 2,
Will be presented THE BEULAH SPA. Principal characters
by Messrs. A. Wigan, Emery, F. Robson, and H. Cooper: Miss
Marston, Mrs. A. Wigan, Mrs. Fitzallaa, and Miss Julia St. George.

To be followed by THE FIRST NIGHT. Characters by Metier.
Alfred Wigan, Leslie, Harwood Cooper, and Gladstone; Miss Jaya
St. George, and Miss Emily Ormonde.

To conclude with the Farce, called A BLIGHTED BEING, in
which Mc. Robson will appear.

ASTLEY'S ROYAL AMPIIITHRATItr..
Lessee and Manager, Mr. William Cooke.
Miraculous attraction, and success without parallel !
THIS EVENING,

The Magnificent and heart-stirring MILITARY SPECTACLE, in
2 acts, by-+Tocquzza.sa, Esq., called THE BATTLE OF TIIE
ALMA. I graphically realising that terrible conflict, and occupying
both the 'Stage and the Ring, with 400 Auxiliaries ;

After which. the Celebrated SCENES in the ARENA, invented
and conducted by Mr. William Cooke.
To conclude with a Brand EntrEe called THE WILD INDIANS
ON THEIR FLEET HORSES I

N.B.—An early attendance is respectfully suggested, in consequeac o
Of the numbers who nightly throng the doors of the Theatre.
Box-o,Bce open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W.
West. Acting Manager, Mr. W. 11. Cooke. Equestrian Director,
Mr. Wm. Cooke, Jun.

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE.
TIM DAY --Morning 4 rotn.aftei 12 I Evening 26 min.aft. 12
To .4oagow -Moruini. 48 mtn.aftez 12 I Evonlug 11 min.aft. 1

TIPC WEATHER.—Scus OTritlAt, Dee. 2.
TIINUMONETZR, IN THE SMADX.
47—highest since noon yesterday.
:is owest this morning and during the night.
4d —this day, at noon.
111ROMMTER, 29.97—5ti1l rising.
Wrap, W.N.W.—Fresh breeze and fine cold sunshiny
weather.

(*IVY I • •
t.<

‘llll,

LONDON, SATURDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1854.

It is said that a Treaty of Alliance has
been signed between Austria and the Western
Powers--that FRANCIS JOSEPH has at length
made up his mind to abandon the neutrality so
humiliating to a nation arrogating to itself the
title of a " Great Power," and to act for the
future with energy and decision ; not covertly
helping the guilty party, to whose unconscientious
aggression the entire war may be justly ascribed.
If this be so, indeed, we may attribute it to the de-
termination of the Western Powers to send troops
to the line of the Danube, and to assume offensive
operations in Bessarabia, and other parts of
Southern Russia, as well as in the Crimea. The
knowledge that France and England could no
longer be trifled with, that they would treat those
who were not with them as against them, and that
the time had arrived when Austria should choose
her side--when she should give an unequivocal
auswer to the interrogation,
" Under which King I BEZONLUt, speak or die,"
may have induced the act. But even if it be so,
and that the vacillation, procrastination, and, we
will add, habitual deception, have, indeed, been
brought to a conclusion, and that a treaty has
actually been signed, we can express no opinion
as to how far it will be acted on, or how Austria
clay feel disposed to assist the Allied Powers un-
til we have it before us verbatim. et literatim, and
are enabled to scan every clause, and maturely
weigh every sentence, to see whether any and
what quibbles can be raised, or point made by any
party desirous of evading its just responsibilities—
" paltering " with its c.:-contractors, and while
"keeping the word of promise to the ear, break-
ing it to the hope."
We have heard of Acts of Parliament being
enacted to explain previous statutes of new
treaties
to interpret former ones, and show in
what sense they were to be received. DANIEL
0' Con atzu. was accustomed to declare that he
could drive a coach-and-sin through any law, and
diplomatic casuists
lities for getting apparently possess equal facili-
rid of obligations imposed
by treaty, at least such of them as it may be in-
convenient to submit to. The announcement
that a treaty has been signed is really nothing
ou Which even the advocates for an Austrian. alli-
ance (mid we were never among the uumbei)
could greatly pride Themselves.

V/e do not at this morncut even know whatpart are
f
thee terms which those acting on the
iiirauce and England slypose that Austria
has
agreed to. They may be very stringent, or they
may. be quite the reverse. And as we have al-
ready witnessed some extraordinary bungling on
the part of those concerned in framing a former
Treaty of Vienna, which might have led to very
calamitous results, but for the acuteness of the
Turkish Government in detecting what was alto-
tether overlooked or disregarded by the French

and English diplomatists, we cannot place very
great reliance on anything emanating from the
same parties. This is—even supposing that any
treaty has been signed—a matter as yet by no
means certain, and that it even apparently binds
Austria to any decided course—a point at present
involved in equal obscurity.
The wisdom of the Trojan seer, when he uttered
the celebrated warning,
" Timeo Daneas, et (lama ferentes,"

has been recognised by all succeeding generations.
It has passed into a proverb, trite and hackneyed,
it is true, but the very universality of its appli-
cation, the readiness with which the veriest
schoolboy uses it against those whom he is begin-
ning to detect as treacherous and deceitful
friends (.1) proves its sound practical philosophy.
We distrust the Austrians, even when making the
fairest promises and most specious professions. The
recollections of byegone years, the memories of the
past, when the Joint-S tock Empire—the nation com-
posed of shreds and patches, ever proved "fair and
false "—when the modern Agamemnon, the grand-
father, be it remembered, of FRANCIS JosErtr, could
sacrifice a daughter on the altar of expediency, all
combine to inculcate a wholesome distrust to those
whose avowed rules of action are altogether
selfish, and whose political morality is by no means
of an "uneasy character." We do not say that
the destiny to which the daughter of FRANCIS the
First was offered was not a glorious one, that the
proudest monarch the world ever saw might not
have rejoiced in a son-in-law such as NAPOLEON.
But the destruction of that son-in-law was decided
on at the very time when the daughter was
offered to his arms, and a stronger illustration of
perfidy and treachery could not be afforded. We
must, therefore, watch Austria vigilantly and
ceaselessly ; and it is an additional cause for
rejoicing at the rapidly approaching meeting
of Parliament, which will enable us to
obtain explanations on the subject, which we
could scarcely hope for from the free will of Lord
ABERDILELN.
An additional reason for extra precaution is to
be found in the fact that Austria and Prussia
have also signed a new treaty, or rather an addi-
tional article to the treaty of the 20th of April
last. Now, there can be no doubt as to the
nature and character of the good " Clicquot's"
wishes. He would—if he dared—assist his
brother-in-law with all his resources. That he
has not hitherto done so may be ascribed to his
apprehensions, rather than his feelings, or his
moral sense of right and wrong. And in the
Royal Speech just delivered, at the opening of
the Prussian Chambers, we find FREDERICK-
WILLIA3I declaring that, " closely united with
Austria, and the rest of Germany, he shall con-
tinue to look upon it as his task to plead for peace,
the recognition of the independence of foreign states,
and moderation." He hints as to tke possibility
of being compelled to "add force to this attitude;"
but against whom or in whose favour it is impos-
sible to say. The "Angel of Peace" might puzzle
CEDIPus if again restored to the world. His de-
clarations, his attitude, are, however, by no
means satisfactory ; and as he is so closely united
with Austria there are irresistible reasons for in-
sisting on full and explicit information so soon as
the meeting of Parliament shall subject Ministers
to the constitutional examination of independent
members.

Whoever wishes to understand Russia in the
East has but to look at Mr. WYLD'S excellent
map of " The Ottoman Empire, with the frontiers
of Russia and of Persia." There he will see at a
glance what she was, what she is, and what she
means to be. By a yellow tint (it should have
been a red one) the geographer has indicated her
successive acquisitions, with the date of the rob-
i bery broadly stamped on each. Once she touched
neither the Black Sea, the Sea of Azolf, nor jie
Caspian. But, within about the last seventy
years, she has obtained the almost uncontrolled
command of the whole of them. Her barbarian
hordes, aided by bribery, by cunning, and by
diplomatic perjury, have wrested province after
province from Turks, Cossack; Circassians, Geor-
gians, and Persians, till she domineers without
an equal from the Danube round to the
borders of Persia. The Crimea itself is
hardly a conquest of seventy years' standing, and
Bessarabia on the Danube, and Georgia on the
side of Persia, are spoliations of the present
century, and that within the recollection of many
of us. The whole south of Russia, like, indeed,
in this respect to nearly all her boundaries, is
a territory to which she has no better title than
most of those who have expiated their crimes on
the scaffold at Newgate had to the fruits of their
murders. There are but two differences. The
rank of the robber and the scale of the robbery.

The grand robber fortress from which Russia
holds in awe all these stolen, and therefore uneasy
territories, is without doubt Sebastopol. This
ancient city of the Tartars, whose native designa-
tion, Ak-Tiar, she has almost effaced from

memory, is now a modern and purely
military city. It is the arsenal, depot,
and stronghold of Russia in the Black Sea. There
is no trade to it whatever, except what is origi-
nated by its warlike objects. How it is fortified
and provided with the munitions of war our
readers know but too well. The moral of it all is
this, that the object of Russia in the South and
East is conquest, not trade. The latter she en-
courages, indeed, so far as she can force it, by
stopping up rivers and by prohibiting tariffs, into
Russian hands, and so far as it may prove a source
of military funds, but aggression has been her
course, and aggression is still her untiring pursuit.
Every few years repeats the tale of some province
stolen from a neighbour, or some crafty over-
reaching in diplomacy or treaties. A powerful
fleet in the Black Sea, with an impregnable
fortress for its harbour, is the natural
device to sustain such a course. Sebas-
topol makes her formidable to Turkey in
Europe and in Asia alike, to the States oa the
Eastern coast of the sea, and even to Persia
itself. In no spot whatever can her endeavours
at Eastern domination be so effectually repressed.
It chnnot therefore, even in the review, be
regretted that wa have determined to finish our
work in the East while we are about it. Sebas-
topol must be annihilated, or it would have been
of little avail to get the Russians away from the
Danube, and with that city the Crimea must also
pass away for ever from the hands which have so
abused their conquest. There can be no serious
difficulty in accomplishing this, if we attempt it
in earnest. Our readers will find in MONTAGUE
GonE, Esq.'s, " Description of the Harbours
And. Towns of the Crimea," * a clear account
of the nature of the work to be done.
Mere are but three places by means of which
Russia can send reinforcements to her army now
there ; and these three places are, or ought to be,
it our mercy. Our new gun-boats could abso-
lutely prevent any succour arriving by way of
Kertch or Arabat, along the sea of Azoff ; and if
we occupied those places ourselves we might even
turn the tables on Russia, and draw supplies from
the adjoining Tartar tribes, But Perekop, to
which from the beginning we directed attention,
and on which KOSSUTH properly laid such stress at

St. Martin's Hall, is the place through which all
the Russian reinforcements have arrived hitherto,
and by which the greater and more important
part must always arrive. Here, too, gun-boats
only can approach very 'near the Isthmus ;
but the Isthmus is so narrow that an army of
small size could hold it against all the world.
This has been, indeed, proved. It would seem,
therefore, to be the first duty of the Allies to
secure this indispensable post. It would cut com-
pletely the line of communication between the
Russians in the Crimea and the rest of the Em-
pire, and leave them, shut out as they are from
the sea, without a base of operations. MENSCIII-
KOFF and all his army would be completely caught
in their own trap.

We contend that such a result is worth all we
could expend on it between this and the spring.
To overpower the Russian army in the Crimea,
now that so many of its best troops are concen-
trated there, would be to make the Crimea a
Moscow for the enemy. The military prestige of
Russia would entirely vanish with the evi-
dence of the vast superiority of our indivi-
dual soldiers, and the superiority, also, of our
means of placing them wherever we wish. Com-
plete success in the Crimea will be anything but
resultless. It will seal the first great effort of
the Allies, the liberation of Turkey. It will leave
them free to complete the liberation of Europe.
There are some other Black-Sea places, indeed,
to finish off. They ought to have been dealt
with long before now. Nicolaieff, the southern
dockyard of Russia, whose river, the Bug, NI-
CHOLAS has dredged for his 100-gun men-of-war,
while he has allowed the mightier Danube to
become too shallow for merchantmen ; Odessa,
to which he has endeavoured to divert the na-
tural Danubian trade ; Kherson, and one or
two Circassian ports. It is a pity these were left
for next spring. For ourselves, we cannot for
the life of us comprehend why we ourselves or
our enterprising ally France have not dredged
the Sulina mouth of the Danube long ago. Not-
' withstanding the War, it is understood that the
provinces have produced a large supply of corn.
Witk present prices we suppose our governors
will not deny we want it ; and a f©w steam
dredgers would have opened the river quickly
and at the same time to our merchantmen and
I to our smaller men-of-war.

* Published by Ridgway.

"Many a true word spoken in jest." Some
facetious remarks uttered at a symporiton at the
Crystal Palace have led to important results.
The post-prandial hiat, that it might be worth

Government's while to contract with Messrs. Fox
and HENDERSON for the taking of Sebastopol,
has produced one of the most important and
beneficial steps adopted since the declaration
of hostilities ; beneficial in many respects, for it
is the sacrifice of one of the most cherished
crotchets of "red-tapism, " that nothing could
be done except through official sources—a princi-
ple that, as we have already explained, probably
prevented the rescue of Sir JOHN FRANKLIN and
his brave companions from the dreadful fate
to which they were subjected. It now appears as
if Ministers were determined to adopt the best
means, although net in accordance with official
regulations, and to select the best men, although
not holding commissions in any branch of her
MAJESTY'S service. This is, indeed, a wise and
judicious departure from official trammels—one
which we have but little doubt will lead to
im-
portant alterations in every branch of the civil as
well as the military service.
It appears that Government applied to the Hot.
Gentleman, the member for Norwich, to point
out a suitable person to undertake the charge of
a body of " navvies," and all classes necessary for
carrying out engineering operations. Mr. PETo
at once recommended a gentleman, who, with his
staff, had recently returned from Canada, and
whose qualifications were of a very high charac-
The result is embodied in the following
paragraph :

ter.