The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-12 00:00:00

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

MALTA, OCT. 2.
In naval movements there is but little to commuicate,
the Ardent alone having left port for the fleet, a few
hours after the arrival of the Vectis from Marseilles, on
the afternoon of the 29th of September, but, as that
vessel did not even remain till the arrival of the Ripon
from Southampton, the dispatches forwarded to Lord
Redcliffe and to Admiral Dundas must have been of no
small importance.
The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Vectis arrived on the 29th ult., in 51 hours, from Mar-
seilles. On the Ist inst. she proceeded on her first trip
of the newly-established line to Naples, Civita Vecchia,
Genoa, Leghorn, and Marseilles, which place she will
reach on the sth, in time to bring on the portion of the
India Mail sent through France on the Bth from Lon-
don. The Valetta will leave Marseilles on the 30th for
the Tuscan and Italian ports, and will reach Malta on
the 4th, in time to convey the homeward mails from
India, expected here about the 9th inst., so that these
vessels, instead of lying some days unoccupied at Mar-
seilles and Malta, will perform a trip which may prove
ultimately profitable to the direction of the Peninsular
Company.

What arrangements may have been made to prevent
delay in forwarding the India mail, in case of any acci-
dent happening to the contract ships, I cannot say, but
presume that such a possible casualty has not been over-
looked in the interests of the commercial body.
Sir William Reid has for the last few days been con-
fined to his palace by a slight indisposition.
An appointment has been announced in the Govern-
ment Gazette of the 30th of September which has given
very general satisfaction in the place—the nomination of
Captain T. Graves, R.N., a gentleman deservedly dis-
tinguished for his surveys in the Mediterranean, to the
vacant post of Superintendent of Ports, on the transfer
of Signor Emanuel Bonavia to the Custom, vice Mr. R.
J. Bourchier, retired on a pension.

PORTSMOUTH, OCT. 11.

screw two- e , •
Another
two
-daasyocculrnreddivwesittihngthheerCuvef shaerr,
jury
ncatmtehr downotai
her
rigging enr, m
anadinthiPthsai
with a n
deck. Fortunately, her men had time to get out of
with such forceb some
eat means,
it went
the way, otherwise the most serious injury, and pro-
bably death, would have resulted.
The Encounter, 14, screw steam-sloop, Captain O'Cal-
aghan, was paid wages to-day at Spithead. She awaits
sailing orders.
The Fairy, screw-tender to the Royal yacht, went
out of harbour to Cowes to-day, to be in attendance on
he Royal children remaining at Osborne.
The Princess Royal, 91, screw steam-ship, will be
taken out of dock on Thursday, and will try her engines
in the steam-basin on Friday or Saturday.

The Royal George, 120 g
uSnHs Es Ec
rRe
wN
sEt
eS ,
hipT .
The
rigging and fitting of this ship
a're progressing with— 1
all
possible dispatch.
The Netherlands East Indiaman Anjer, P. Esinks
commander, from Amsterdam, bound to Batavia, with a
general cargo of merchandise, was assisted in here at 5
pan. yesterday, by the smacks Atalanta and Prince of
Orange. The Anjer, on the morning of the 10th inst.,
at 4 o'clock (the weather being very thick at times),
ran over a floating wrecked vessel, when off the
Galloper light-vessel, the light bearing W.N.W. by com-
pass, and distant about 8 English miles, by which her
rudder was unshipped, and pintles and braces broken.
She has been swept this morning, and it is supposed that
her after keel is damaged. She does not make any,
water. The master has noted his protest here, and pro-
ceeded to London to telegraph to Amsterdam for in-
structions. The Anjer slipped from one bower anchor
and chain cable after the accident. At the time she
struck the wreck she had over twenty fathoms water by
the lead.

WOOLWICH, OCT. 11.
APPOINTMENTS. .

Surgeon Robert W. Clark (1844), to the Winchester,
50, flagship on the East Indies station.
Assistant Engineers.—Charles Freeburn, to the Ho-
ratio screw steam guardship, at Sheerness ; William
Brown and James Hughes, to the Blenheim screw steam
guardship, at Portsmouth ; Thomas Bertram and Frede
rick Bush, to the Hogue screw steam guardship, at De.
venport.

AITSTRALIAN THEATRICALS. A. branch dramatic
agency is about to be opened in Sydney by a AIL J.
Crosby, for many years connected with
the drama in
this country. He will be accompanied by Mr. Osborne,
co
a gentleman of some standing in the
succeeded in engaging a host f colonies who has
o
amuse-
ment of our brethren at the antipodes. talent for the
them a variety of amuse They take with
m
panorama, musical talent r ents, including a gigantic
e
in-
strumental, a troupe of a high order, vocal and Italian marionettes, and some
French performing d
is to be given to dogs, &c. A complimentary benefit
Mr.
Crosby, at the Strand Theatre, on
Saturday, Oct. 22.
AUTUMN FAS
HioNs.—Mousieur Lecouchie, a celebrated
Parisian artist, has
just completed a work upon Modes
pour Robes et 111
anteaux, for the present season, the merits
of which o
to our professors of this branch of art would do well
imitate. The illustrations consist of twelve subjects,
designed and finished with surpassing taste. It would
seem that M. Lacouchie has fame as a painter of high art,
but finds in the pursuit of this portion of the profession a
greater remunerative encouragement ; the more so, as in
England it would appear derogatory to men with powers
sufficiently gifted to raise an art much in demand to that
elevation at once assumed and maintained by the French
draughtsman. Tho results of M. Lacouchie's pencil are
becoming more and more familiar to us through the busi-
ness energies of Mesars. Jay, of Regent-street, by whom
it is periodically engaged to sketch the Parisian purchases.
The present series especially illustrates the fashions for
cloaks, &c.—John Bull.
A NOVEL COMBINATION OF METALS. Messrs.
Morewood and Rogers have taken out letters patent
for their improvements in plumbic-zinc, a material
of modern introduction, combined, as its title im-
plies, of a layer of lead and zinc. Although to archi-
tects and builders in this country plumbic-zinc is
comparatively unknown, the colonies appear to have
readily appreciated its many qualities. At Victoria
alone, after practically testing its merits, the Govern-
ment, for the improvement of that city, entered into
contracts to an immense extent, and upwards of 200
tons have already been shipped from the Steel Yard,
Thames-street, and, as the local journals state, arrived
safely in Victoria. Its durability, toughness, and eco-
nomy are remarkable, and the purposes to which it is
applied seem innumerable.—Glebe.

.::y
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~;f'
.~,.

•

LONDON, WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 12, 1853.

It is admitted at last by the organs of Lord
ABERDEEN that war is imminent. It is admitted
at last by those same organs that the Vienna
Note has proved an egregious failure. It is ad-
mitted at last by them, moreover, that the Con-
ference held by the Four Powers through their
plenipotentiaries in the Austrian Capital is found
to have blundered from the beginning to the end
of their protracted negotiations.

Therefore, at last, an energetic course is being
pursued (we are told) by the Coalition Govern-
ment. Therefore, at last, the Cabinets of St.
James's and the Tuileries have resolved (we are
told) upon assuming an attitude of determination.
Therefore, at last, sufficient authority has been
intrusted by them (we are told) to their Ambas-
sadors at Constantinople.
Now, from the commencement of these lament-
able delays, of this contemptible timidity, of this
pernicious indecision—we insisted, in the clearest
terms imaginable, that sooner or later a conflict
would prove inevitable—that sooner or later the
Vienna Note would prove abortive—that sooner
or later the boasted Conference of the Four Powers,
through their representatives, would prove to have
been altogether incapable of effecting anything like
an honourable pacification. We maintained in the
plainest language that could have been employed,
that an energetic course ought in the first in-
stance to have been followed out by the Adminis-
tration. We maintained, in words that could not
by any chance whatever admit of misapprehension,
'that a resolute attitude ought by right from the
very outset to have been assumed by France and
England simultaneously. We maintained, not by
hints or innuendoes, but by bold and explicit as-
sertions, that full power should have been accorded
at Once to Lord STRATFORD DE REDCLIFFE, en-
abling him to afford prompt assistance to the
Porte by summoning the British fleet to the
Bosphorus directly the first intelligence was re-
ceived of the Russian troops having crossed the
Pruth and formally taken possession of the
banubian Principalities.
Wherefore, it appears that, after all, we have
not been so very much mistaken in demanding a
boldefi policy than that hitherto adopted by the
Aberdeenitles—in persisting that the lawless ambi-
tion of the CZAR ought in reason to have been re-
pelled by the bayonet-thrust and the explosion of
bomb-shells, rather than by the pitiable little paper
pellets of a bungling diplomacy—in laughing to
scorn the preposterous idea entertained of securing
peace by a series of timorous and protracted nego-
tiations. After all, we were right in asserting that
thei advance of the Cossacks across the Pruth should
be answered by the combined fleets advancing into
'the Sea of Marmora through the channel of the
Dardanelles. After all, we were right in declaring
that no reasonable expectation of a happy result
could be founded upon the proceedings of the
Vienna Conference. After all, we were right in
protesting against what we knew to be useless, and
orse than useless, dangerous and ruinous pro-
crastinations. Results have attested the justice
of our arguments. Events have come at length
to be recognised as their most simple and unan-
'awerable verification. We say this, GOD knows,
in no vain-glorious exultation. We say it not
boastfully as to ourselves—but rather reproach-
fully as to our antagonists. Anything like vanity
in the matter cannot for an instant be taken
into consideration. For the deductions drawn
by Ua all along from passing occurrences were not
exclusively our own ; they were not the evidence
of any peculiar superiority of judgment ; they
were simply the conclusions drawn by common
sense and impartial observation from the obvious
bearings of the Russo-Turkish difficulty. Briefly,
in. fact, they were nothing more than the utter-
ance of those rational convictions which have
from first to last, in regard to this Eastern Ques-
tion, been prevalent among the intelligent masses
of our population. Consequently it is in no
frivolous spirit of braggadocio that we repeat again
and again that we were right, and that our oppo-
nents were wrong, in refererice to these dilatory,
and, as facts have proved, most abortive and con-
temptible, negotiations. It is rather, as we have
before remarked, in a spirit of reproach, than in

any mood of exultation, that we direct attention to
the now clearly-demonstrated accuracy of our
reiterated declarations.

Occurrences, we say, have already revealed
their accuracy. Is it not so ? The Vienna Note
has failed. The Conference is admitted by its
apologists to have blundered. The modifications
required by the Divan are recognised as most
reasonable. The obduracy of the CZAR in re-
jecting those modifications is acknowledged to be
worthy of severe reprehension. Moldo-Wallachia
are still occupied by the Russian troops—the
AUTOCRAT evincing no disposition to order them
to evacuate those invaded principalities. Nego-
tiations of all kinds have failed to bring about the
promised pacification. War is imminent. And
all this is admitted even by the organs of the
ABERDEEN Government. Affairs in reality have
arrived at that position—that the National
Council of Turkey have advised his Majesty the
SULTAN boldly and at once to declare war against
his colossal assailant. In consequence of which
troops are placed in readiness, both in France
and England for the contingent advisability
of immediate embarkation. Additional powers
have been accorded by the Cabinets of St.
James's and the Tuileries to their Ambas-
sadors at Constantinople. The combined fleets
have left their anchorage in Besika Bay, and have
proceeded together to their destination beyond
the Dardanelles. Meanwhile the CZAR has
adroitly won over (at least to neutrality) Austria
at Olmfitz and Prussia at Warsaw—the former
by his courtesies to FRANCIS JOSEPH, the latter
by his friendly bearing towards FREDERICK
WILLIAM. Simultaneously with the knowledge
of all which we learn, from the Voss Gazette of Ber-
lin, that, according to a general belief in that
capital (whither, remember, the CZAR has recently
accompanied the King of PRUSSIA), " Lord WEST-
MORELAND, on his return from Olmiitz, announced
that the Emperor NICHOLAS would make no fur-
ther concessions on the subject of the Turkish
question." Whether that statement be authentic
or purely supposititious, it is indisputable that up to
this jimeture the AUTOCRAT-Of all the RUSSIAS has
evinced by his acts no disposition whatever to
concede or to conciliate. Arrogant, obstinate,
and haughty though. the CZAR has been through-
out these occurrences, the SULTAN has been all
the while, though dignified and resolute in the
maintenance of the inalienable rights of his sove-
reignty, calm, patient, and temperate in the manner
of their vindication. His patience, however, has
at length been exhausted. He has consented, it
is true, to tarry yet another brief interval before
letting slip the dogs of war—in compliance with
the earnest solicitations of the French and Eng-
lish Ambassadors at Constantinople during
which interval, of course, the infatuated Aber-
deenites are still maundering about the failure
of the Vienna Conference, are still haggling
about the possibility of inducing Russia
to diminish her demands on Turkey by a
tremulous renewal of our absolutely pitiable en-
deavours at negotiation.
It is precisely thus that matters are situated at
Vienna, at Berlin, at Paris, at London, at St.
Petersburg, at Constantinople. Meantime, along
the northern and southern banks of the Danube
the belligerent forces are grimly confronting each
other. The Turkish army burning for the struggle !
OMER PACHA, their Commander-in-Chief, implor-
ing his Imperial master the SULTAN to give the
long-delayed signal for the encounter ! The Rus-
sian soldiers weakened by a scarcity of provisions,
decimated by cholera, and broken down in energy
by the progress of insubordination ! Imperial
France mustering her troops for the chance of their
required embarkation. England preparing for any
emergency. The combined fleets approaching the
Bosphorus. The CZAR hastening back from Berlin
to his own dominions. Austria and Prussia en-
trapped by his wily intrigues into the promise of
neutrality. The Vienna Note torn up and thrown
aside as waste paper. The members of the Con_
ference disgraced by their notorious blunderings
as diplomatists. Every one listening anxiously
for " news of battle" from Constantinople. Such
is the situation. A situation for which we are
indebted to the timidity, the incapacity, the imbeci-
lity o f the "dear and excellent" statesman unhappily
installed, at this crisis, in the responsible office of
First Lord of the Treasury. A situation, neverthe_
less, from which advantage may be derived at once
by a display of energy on the part of England: but
that energy, we believe, in our heart and in
our conscience to be incapable of infusion into the
Cabinet until the Earl of ABERDEEN has been
induced to tender his resignation as Leader of
her Britannic MAJESTY'S Government.

It is only by keeping public attention con-
stantly directed towards the habitual brutality
exercised by a set of cowardly miscreants towards
helpless and inoffensive women who may have the
misfortune to be brought in contact with them,
that we can hope to abate the monster nuisance,
and to show that the Recorder of the City of
London, and all the officers of his Court, have
arrived at an erroneous conclusion, in thinking
that it would not be necessary or wise to call
upon the Legislature to magnify the punishment
which attached to these cases. We should
not thus dwell upon the opinion so de-
liberately and advisedly put forward by the
Right Honourable and Learned Gentleman (for
whom personally, as we have already stated, we
entertain a high feeling of respect), but for the
weight that must necessarily be attached to any
views emanating from so high an authority, and
which have been sanctioned and confirmed by
many of the civic authorities in their judgments.
Under such circumstances, then, and feeling the
magnitude of the evil, we deem it an imperative,
as it is a painful, duty to prove, from the examples
of every-day life, that the existing law is practi-
cally inoperative, and that some more efficient
remedy must be provided if we desire to get rid
of the great social grievance of the nineteenth
century, and to avert the disgust that must be
excited in every well-regulated mind, by perusing
the heart-rending details of unmanly violence, and
unprovoked brutality.

It may be that the tendency to the crime is so
deeply rooted in some debased natures, that no
punishment whatever would prevent, or even ma-
terially diminish, the number or the atrocity of
the offences—that it is only by the careful edu-
cation of the masses, by instilling into the juve-
nile mind, while it is yet young and ductile, and
easily directed, an intense horror of such cowardly
outrages. There is sometruth in these assertions; we
can easily conceive the amount of ill temper with
which a half-druken ruffian who had come to what
in the statistics of inebriety is termed "the cross
drop," would return to his miserable and squalid
home and behold the wretchedness of his partner
and slave, and of their unhappy offspring. We
can picture to ourselves that ill-temper, aggravated
partly by the reproaches t f c )uscience, and partly
by fury, at being compelled t ) abandon his half-
concluded carouse at the moment when his scoun-
drel companions were most eloquent against the
" meanness" and " want of spirit" of the man who
would be "tiedto hiswife's apron-strings," or apply
his earnings in procuring domestic comfort in place
of squandering them in low debauchery and vul-
gar profligacy. "The still small voice" on the
one side, whispering that he was responsible for
all the suffering that he witnessed, and the fear
of ridicule on the other, rendering him reckless
until all future consequences are totally forgotten,
and the victim once more experiences the fearful
ill-usage to which she has been but too well accus-
tomed ; but which is, perhaps, carried to such a

length as to render a public investigation neces-
sary, and to bring down the tardy vengeance of
the law upon the offender.
But, although we recognise the validity of
these arguments, we cannot think that they are
conclusive on the question. They certainly show
that the enactments now in operation are not
adequate to the emergency. But that is the very
point with which we set out. We acknowledge
the severity of six months' imprisonment with
hard labour, and believe that if the offenders
could realise the full extent of the penalty, they
would endeavour to curb their malignant passions
in order to avoid the bitter expiation. But
men of the class by whom such offences are
committed do not understand the nature
and effect of a prolonged imprisonment. They
look upon it rather as an avoidance of
their daily toil, and are accustomed to dwell
with malignant satisfaction on the fancy that their
unfortunate wives who, during their absence, must
endure the deepest privations, will suffer more
than themselves from the execution of the sen-
tence. It is true that they acquire very different
notions from experience, but others of their class
have not the benefit of that experience ; nor can
they estimate its actual severity until the burden
falls en themselves and the yoke is placed on their
own shoulders—no addition to the period of in-
carceration—no more stringent provisions while in
gaol would suffice—even if the mantle of Lieut.
AUSTIN descended with double virtue upon all his
fellows, and the brutality and cruelty of the gaoler
far exceeded that of the prisoner, it would not
suffice. The punishment, to be effectual, must
be speedy, and must be of the nature of the
offence. It must be painful—intensely painful—
and disgraceful, holding up the offender to public
contempt. The lash—brutalising and degrading
as we know it to be—the infamous cat, coupled
with the stocks and pillory, will be found the only
suitable avenger—the only efficient preventative.
We feel all the objections to its use—and as we
have repeatedly declared, would banish it from
the Army and Navy, from every place
where a single spark of honour still remained.
But, the wretch that coolly maltreats wo-
men and children, those weaker than himself,
and incapable of defending themselves, or of re-
torting on the aggressor, is worthy of no con-
sideration. Not a feeling of sympathy can be
excited on his behalf, nor is it possible that he
can be rendered more degraded than he has been
by his own actions. Let him be flogged, soundly
and heartily flogged—flogged like a craven, yelp-
ing hound. Let his crime be exposed, that he
may feel the contempt of all. Let the children
point their fingers at him as he wends his
weary way along, and thus the rising generation
will be taught to abhor the crime that leads to
such fearful consequences. Let the power,
although summary, be guarded by every possible
precaution to avoid its abuse. We regret to say
that there are Magistrates on the bench whose
decisions should be subjected to revision before
being allowed to be carried into execution, and
therefore it may be that it would be essential that
a new tribunal should be established, or at all
events that the sentences should be carefully
considered by a higher authority before the cor-
poral punishment could be inflicted, but nothing
else will be sufficient to arrest the evil. The
remedy that stopped assaults on the QUEEN will
alone prevent acts of violence against her female
subjects.