The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-20 00:00:00

THE COMBINED FLEETS.

BEIKOS Bar, March s.—The English and French
squadron are still lying here. Her Majesty's ship
Furious and the French steamer Vauban arrived on the
3d from the Black Sea, whither they are sent to recon-
noitre. They parted company in a gale of wind, but
fortunately fell in with each other a few days afterwards.
They visited Varua, Odessa, and went within 2 miles of
Sebastopol, wherethere was a bourn across the mouth of the
harbour. They saw lying there 6 liners, 5 frigates, and
some steamers and small craft. Her Majesty's ship
Caradoe arrived yesterday from Tchekmidge, whither
she had been sent three days previously with Sir John
Burgoyne and staff, and some French officers of ar-
tillery. The French steamer Ajaccio accompanied
her. A midshipman belonging to H. M.S. Furious had a
narrow escape two evenings ago. He had been to a ball
at Constantinople, and while returning on board his
ship in a "caique, " was robbed by the boatman.
He appeared not to remark the circumstance until he got
alongside his ship, when he laid hold of the ladder, and
called out lustily for the assistance of the quartermaster
and sentry. These functionaries had to go and fetch their
lantern, and, while doing so, the boatmen commenced be-
labouring the arm of the midshipman with a stick, which
obliged him 6 to relinquish his hold, and the current soon
cleared the boat from the ship. A scuffle now ensued, the
midshipman armed with a stick, and the boatman with
his knife. This unequal combat was maintained fcr
some time, when the young officer, considering the wiser
part of valour to be discretion, jumped overboard, and
swam to a French steamer. Boats were sent in pursuit
of the caique, but in vain, as the darkness favoured his
escape.

But this is by no means all. The extraordinary
apathy with which he regards the gradual depar-
ture of the precious metals from our shores, ad-
journing every counteracting effort until it is too
late to prevent the evil, is even more injurious to
the national welfare. 1t43 sees that, during the
week ending the 11th i nst., the stock of bul-
lion in both departments had been diminished
by no less than 889,4801., while there had been
a simultaneous decrease of 192,7871 of "notes
in circulation." lie must also be well
aware that the falling off during the past week
will be nearer a million than half a million, and
yet he does nothing. Surely, it is time that this
very injurious apathy should be shaken off, and ,
vABINET COUNOIL.—A. Cabinet Council was held on
that some effort should be made to dam up the Saturday afternoon at the Foreign-office, Do wning_
tide, and either to retain. for our own use the street. The Ministers present were the Earl of Aber-
funds which are of such vital consequence to the dean,
Granville,t he MarquistbeofDLnaknes dol.() wAnre , tllhe.,l,l7eciouContapnacletlnloerr,
well-being of the nation, on which our future
ston, the Earl of Clarendon, the Argyll,
or Newcastle, the
" power," nay more, ortr future " safety" may Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir James Graham, the
mainly depend, or else, by liberating moans, from
_H. Councile
~n. Sidney Herbert, and Sir William Molesworth.
other channels, to obtain newsources of supply that .-1-11„IRTH-n AI, sat
n!, three
THE
hours
PRINCESS :end
to
a half.ti isa..— The sixth
would enable us to meet the demands from every BIRTH-DAY
anniversary of the bit th-day of her Royal Highness the
quarter, without subjecting our own people to Princess Louisa was celebrated at Windsor on Saturday,
loss or inconvenience. with the customary demonstrations of loyalty and
We now ask, and we earnestly hope, that the reap tct. The bells of the Chapel Royal, of St. George
and St. John's churches sent forth their merry peals, a
question may be repeated within the House, royal salute was fired in the Bachelor's Acre from the
whether the Bank Charter Act of 1844 is suited corporation ordnance, also at Fort Belvedere, and by
to a state of warfare with a powerful nation—a th?_hßeo3alkAedeflaDide frigate,ainselsiotarVinognih Virginiacnnapwraattievre.
1
warfare that may b 3 protracted for a long term of
retirement at the Burlington Villa, at Chiswick, where
reasonably hope
years ? It is true that WO may his Grace has received a few select friends at dinner,
that such will not •De the case, that the would-be during the past week.
residence
Clare and family have
a rrTvheed
at Earl
e?.ndewCoruensitde
robber may be compelled, ere long, not only
r
in Soutn-street, formerly
to disgorge his past plunder, but to find i
the late Viscount Melbourne's, from Mount Shannon,
would on
ample securities for keeping the peace ; but it
would be unpardonable in a Financial Minister not near Limerick. The Duke and Duchess of Sutherland and familj, re-
to regard every possible phase of the question, and c eived on Saturday, at Stafford House, letters froi i
to provide for any possible eventuality. What
their w
graces' second son, Lord Frederick Le 'veson Gower
would appointed to a commission in the Rifle Brigade,er
would be said of Mr. GLA.DSTONE if he suffered
2d Battalion, announcing the safe arrival at Malta with
on th.e 1n
:I thEinst., in the Vulcan, en route
the larger proportiot, of the precious metals to be his reglinentoi
e
noble
leand Giuntess
war
a have' left theTilo
taken out of the country before he tried to pre- too then :t a seatnce
Grosvenor
vent, or at least retard, so calamitous an occur- ()duke's man-
rence ? There would be but little use iu "shutting the sion for Calveley Park. Cheshire.
ARRIVALS OF BULLION.— The arrivals of bullion last
stable door after the steed was stolen. !" If we con- week have been about 2)0,0001., including some small
sider the arguments that have been urged in favouramounts
from
cont'inae Tnt, hhaeveexpboeretns,
unusually heavy,
n
of ill-advised enactments, we shall find that they f,ol
gold to the RL,Olvr
only aimed at correcting "over trading," as it has amid are supposed to have reached at least 1,0
exclusive of 243,000/. of silver shied for India, and
been termed, or " undue opeoulation." Now, China by the Indus, pp