The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-06 00:00:00

THE MILITIA.

The West Suffolk Militia has completed its month's
training, and has been inspected under the command of
Earl Jermyn and Lieutenant-Colonel Deare. The in-
specting officer (Lieutenant• Colonel Jervis) put the men
through the manual and platoon exercises, and through
various movements, which they executed in a highly
creditable manner.
It is in contemplation to make Yarmouth the head-
quarters for all the militia regiments in Norfolk.

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in the national mind, the next thing will be to reduce
our navy to our old peace force, which will be quite
enough to keep the Russian fleet quiet in the Baltic till
the ice drives Napier out, and freezes the Russians in,
and to blockade the Sevastopol fleet till the bad weather
comes on. Napier could destroy the Baltic three-
deckers with one-fourth his present force, jest as well as
he can with the whole of it—if they would come out.;
and as to Dundas—seeing that Mr. Butt, who seems to
read the blue books, described him as the first English
Admiral who congratulated himself, in a despatch, upon
having got to a spot one day after a battle, and returned
one day before a storm—we are not quite sure that he
wants any fleet at all. While this is being done, we can
employ ourselves in punishing those advisers of the
Crown who squandered so many millions in fitting out
an armament confessedly so useless.
Afterwards, we can build a few fortresses on the
Balkan, put some English and French troops in them,
and go quietly to sleep, satisfied that we have done all
that ships and armies can do against the unassailable
empire of the Russ.
If anybody should object that some better result than
this ought to be obtained after sending fourth four times
the naval force that was present at Trafalgar, and more
British troops than were sent to Waterloo, that man is
an impatient and unreasonable caviller ; incapable of
appreciating the excuses of official men, or of compre-
hending the impossibilities of official minds.
True, the capture of the Crimea would set the Black
Sea free, the destruction of Cronstadt would open Peters-
burg, and probably terminate the war. The impatient
public, however, will not understand, that wkhout gun-
boats nothing can be done in the Baltic, an ithout a
land force Sebastopol cannot be taken.
But it was quite impossible for England to be pro-
vided with gun-boats, as Nicholas is ; and France and
England never yet had a land force to send to the
Crimea.

What is simply impossible now, will be extravagantly
impossible irlen there is a frozen post-road between
Petersburg and Cronstadt, and when the storms of the
Euxine shall have sent every prudent mariner into
harbour.
Observe the excellence of our argument for inaction.
The longer our excuse is kept, the stronger it becomes.
It is like good wine, good pictures, and good boo.cs. It
mellows, tones, and becomes standard as it ages.
The proper policy is to prevent Russia from taking
Constantinople, yet to do as little harm to Russia as
possible. We should treat Nicholas as they treat mad
people—use the minimum of restraint that will prevent
positive mischief.
At present every thing is very satisfactory. The Turks
have been a little more energetic, perhaps than was
quite to be desired ; but so far as naval matters are con-
cerned. Nicholas cannot reproach our minister. The
only flag of a ship of war that has changed hands, is the
flag of the Tiger, which Nicholas has just hung up as a
Russian trophy.—New Quarterly Review for July,

SHORTENING THE MORNING SERVICE.