The Sun.
London, England, 1853-08-23 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY EVENING, AUGUST 23, 1853.

OLD TREWETHER CONSOLIDATED
MININ COMPANY.

Conducted on the Cost-book System.
This Company is divided into 10,000 shares, upon each of which
the sum of 1/. is to be paid upon allotment. These mines, contain-
ing silver-lead, copper, antimony, and manganese, are situate inthe
parish of Endellion, in the county of Coinwall, and are held under
:eases for 21 years, at one•sixteenthdues.

-
COMMITTEE OF MANAGEMENT.
James P. Anstice, Esq., Park -crescent, Stockwell.
Edward Brooks, Esq., St. John's-wood.
Charles Heaton, Esq., Lime-street.
John Harvig, Evl., Elm grove, Hammersmith.
Osmund Lewis, Esq., Fenchurch-street.
Francis Moore, Esq., Kennington-terrace.
(With power to increase the number to eight )
Bankers—Messrs. Hankey and Co., Fenchurch -street.
Solicitor—John Steavenson, Esq., 25, Gracechurch. street.
Chief Inspector of the Mines—Capt. Wm. Terran.

Offices of the Company, No.), Cushion-court, Old Broad•street,

London.

The present Company has been formed for working the Old Tre-
wether Mines, and also those which were known at the Wheal
Thomas, situate at Port Isaac, as well as the setts upon the estates
of Tresungus, Vennies, and Treore, in the parish of Endellion, in the
county of Cornwall, with additional grants connected therewith.
The setts of these noises extend over a surface of about 1,000
acres, as shown in an accompanying map, and contain antimony,
copper, and silver lead in great abundance, and of a very rich de-
scription.
The principal antimony lode nine nearly north and south through
the entire length of the sett ; the Wheal Thomas copper lode runs
nearly east and west, and the silver lead lodes at Port Cavern, being
counter lodes, run south-east and north-west, intersecting the whole
of the other lodes at the depth of 30 fathoms.
Five lodes have been already worked upon, and two others par-
tially opened. The principal lode is the great antimony lode, which
was worked many years since, and produced antimony ore to the
amount of 72,0001., at a profit of 52,000/. ; the whole of which was
realised in the course of two years. The extent of working on
this lode is only 30 fathoms from surface, and stopped down-
wards, north and south of the shaft, about 50 fathoms in length.
At that period no steam-engine was on the mine, and the opera-
tions were carried on only in the summer months, by the aid of
a horse-whim. During these limited workings, six men, in the
course of six months, raised antimony ore which realised a profit
of 6,0001. The adventurers, after incurring considerable expenditure
In continuing the deep edit, tsxpeliented great difficulties, in conse-
quence of failing to make arrangements with the owners of some
intervening ground, who required an exorbitant suns to pass through
their lands. Application was afterwards made to the lord of the
manor for a renewed lease upon more liberal terms, the due being
then one-seventh, but it being refused, and the whole of the works
filling with water, owing to an extraordinary flood, the mine was
then abondoned. About four years since, four adventurers took up
the sett and expended upwards of 700/. upon the mine, but discon-
tinued working in consequence of the death of the principal party
and the continuance of the diffl culties with the proprietors of the
ground above referred to. Satisfactory arrangements have, how-
ever, now been made with the various owners of these lands, and
the Company can, therefore, now complete the old workings as for-

merly proposed.
Upwards of 20,0001. have been expended upon the various works
on the Mine, which, to a great extent, will be available for the
future operations of the Company.
All the deep and shallow wilts have just been opened, and are now
dry, and their entrances secured and fully completed; 700 fathoms
of adits have be n driven and are now open, and eight shafts have
been sunk, two of which are 30 fathoms each in depth.
A lease has been obtained from the Right Hon. the Earl of For-
tescue and Viscount Ebrington for 21 years, at 1-16th dues. A lease
has also been granted by the trustees of the adjoining estates of Tre-
sungus and Vennies for 21 years, at the same amount of dues ; and
like terms have been made with the owners of the adjoining setts.
The value of the ore from the Old Trewether lodes has long been
acknowledged, and, as a proof of the same, the Trustees of the
British Museum, in the year 1825, purchased, for 1,0001., various
specimens of the silver lead, antimony, and copper ore, the produc-
tion of these mines, which can be seen in the Mineralogical depart-
ment of that institution.
This Company is divld,:d into 10,000 shares, upon each of which
the sum of 1/. Is to be paid upon allotment ; but only 3,500 shares,
in addition to thosa constituting the purchase money, will be issued
at present, as it is believed that that amount will be more than
ample to complete the present workings and secure a remunerative
return- It has been satisfactorily proved by some of the men who
were formerly employed, that, at the period of the water breaking
Into the mine, about 35 tons of antimony ore were ready to be brought
to surface, but the workmen w re compelled hastily to abandon it,
as well as all their tools, which will be found and rendered available
when the shaft has been cleared, which can be effected within a fort-
night after the 20-horse power portable steam-engine has been set to
work. This ore will produce 75 per cent. of the regulus of antimony,
which, at the present market price of the metal, will realize about
1,0001. The remaining 2,000 shares will form a reserve fund for
working the additional setts which have been obtained, and will be
issued at a premium of 21. upon each share, the full amount of which
will be carried to the credit of the Company.
Applications for the un.dlorted shares, accompanied by satisfac-
tory references, may be made, on or before the 29th inst., in the
usual form, to the Committee of Management, at the offices of
the Company, 1, Cushion-court, Old Broad-street, London.

" Divide about the broad bride cake,
Round about the bride's stake."—BEN JONSON.

WEDDING BREAKFAST, BALL SUP-
PERS, and DINNERS PROVIDED ENTIRE in town or
country, by Messrs. PITRASELL, Cornhill, including wines of the
most recherche description, and use of plate, linen, china, glass, and
attendance, seats, tables, lights, dancing hollands, and instrumental
music, wedding and invitation stationery, as in Paris. Carriages,
post or otherwise. An elegant assortment of bride cakes for selec-
tion, dessert and evening ices. A competent person sent to receive
orders, and give instructions as to the arrangements of entertain-
ments. Note —Messrs. Pursed have no other business premises
except those in Cornhlll, near the Exchange.

TOZEAU'S COPAHINE-MEGE, or Saccharatta
C A.PSULES, approved by the French College of Physicians, and
successfully administered in the Paris and London Hospitals, and
acknowledged by them to be the best remedy for the cure of
Gonorrohcea, Gleet, and Leucorrliceal Discharges, on an average of
six days (see " Lancet " of 6th Nov., 1852, an extract from which
will be forwarded immediately on application).—Prepared and sold
by G. Jonau, sole French chemist, 49, Haymarket, London ; and
Jozeau, Pharmacien, 161, Rue Montmartre, Paris : at Liverpool, M.
Clay and Abraham, chemists, Hold-street ; and the principal
chemists of France, England, and the Colonies. Price of bottle of
100 capsules, 4s. 6d.; 50 do., 2s. 9d., with direetions, and stamp with
the name of Gabriel Jozean printed thereon.

NAVAL INTELLIGENCE.

PORTSMOUTH, Ama, 22.

By the death of Sir George Cockburn 'the following
promotions take place on the flag list :
Admiral of the Red Thomas Le Marchant Gosselin,
to be Second Admiral of the Fleet, vice Sir George
Cockburn, deceased.
Admiral of the White Sir Charles Adams, K.C.B ,
Governor of Greenwich Hospital, to be Admiral of the
Red.
Admiral of the Blue Sir William Parker, Bart., G.C.B• ,
A.D.C. to the Queen, to be Admiral of the White.
Vice-Admiral of the Red Edward Hawker, to be Ad-
miral of the Blue.
Vice-Admiral of the White Sir George Francis Sep
mour, K.C.8., G.C.H., to be Vice-Admiral of the Red.
Vice-Admiral of the Blue William Bowles, C. 8., to
be Vice-Admiral of the White.
Rear-Admiral of the Red Richard Arthur, C. 8., to
be Vice-Admiral of the Blue.
Rear-Admiral of the White, Gordon Thomas Falcon,
to be Rear-Admiral of the Red.
Rear-Admiral of the Blue, Houston Stewart, C. 8.,
Superintendent of Malta Dockyard, to be Rear-Admi-
ral of the White.
Commodore Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, G.C.H.,
commanding her Majesty's squadron, to be Rear-Admi•
ral of the Blue. This is very untoward promotion for
his lordship, as he will lose 1821. 10s. by the " step."
The Royal Squadron, compromising the Victoria and
Albert, Captain Crispin, flag of Rear-Admiral Lord
Adolphus Fitzclarence ; the Tribune, 30, screw-frigate,
Captain the Hon. S. T. Carnegie ; the Encounter, 14,
screw-corvette, Captain O'Callaghan ; the Barracouta,
6, paddle-sloop, Commander Parker ; the Banshee, 2,
paddle-vessel, Lieutenant-Commander Hosken ; the
Black Eagle Admiralty yacht, Master-Commander Pet-
ley ; and Fairy Royal tender, Master Commander
Welch, all got under way from Osborne by 5 o'clock
last evening for Holyhead.
Rear-Admiral Corry's division of the Channel fleet,
comprising— the Prince Regent, 90, Captain Hutton,
flog of Rear-Admiral Corry ; the Queen, 116, Captain
Michell ; the Amphion, 34, Captain Key (acting) ; the
Sidon, 22, Captain Goldsmith; the Leopard, 12, Captain
G. Giffard ; the Valorous, 16, Captain Buckle ; and the
Vulture, 6, Captain Glass, weighed from Spithead this
morning for a six weeks' cruise. All left the anchorage
under sail, but finding no wind, the Prince Regent was
taken in tow off the Nab by the Sidon, the Queen by
the Valorous, and the Amphion (screw) and Vulture
(paddle) by the Leopard. The Edinburgh, 58, screw
block-ship, Captain Hewlett, steamed away from the
anchorage in the afternoon on a three weeks' cruise. It
was said the First Lord of the Admiralty was about to
take a cruise in her, but we cannot hear that he is
aboard. As soon as Rear-Admiral Corry was out of
sight Commodore Martin, C. 8., of the Duke of Welling-
ton, 131, hoisted his blue broad pendant at the main of
that ship. It was not hoisted on Saturday ;we mistook
other firing for the complimentary salute incidental to
hoisting a flag.

TRH LATE LORD SALTOUN.—The Chisholm writing
to the Times says :—" That it was Lieutenant-General
Sir James Macdonell who commanded the Guards at
Hougoumont, and with them made good the defence of
that important post, the very key of the position at
Waterloo. Lord Saltoun was next in seniority to Sir
James Macdonell, and fought gallantly by his side. The
late Duke never forgot the circumstances of this most
noble defence, nor the name of the officer who conducted
it. If any excuse is necessary for me, as a relation of
Sir James Macdonell, for correcting the error into
which you have fallen, it may be found in the fact that
the late Lord Saltoun, when he was on one occasion
spoken of as the defender of Hougoumont, replied, that
the only credit he deserved on the occasion was for obey-
ing the orders which he received from the commanding
officer, Sir James Macdonell. He was too good and too
chivalrous a soldier to take praise which belonged to
others, and, in truth, he earned enough honour for him-
self to satisfy any man."
THE HARVEST IN IRELAND.--The corn markets all
through the country afford the most gratifying evidence
of the progress already made in the harvest, and of the
promptitude with whicL the farmers are availing them-
selves of the present high prices for agricultural produce.
The largeness of the supplies of grain at this early period
of the season is a remarkable circumstance, and it is
attributed to the more thrifty habits of the tenantry,
many of whom are persons of great intelligence and
comparative wealth. The accounts received report most
favourably of the potatoe crop. Although in some dis-
tricts the stalks and leaves appear black and withered,
the tuber is described as being perfectly sound. The
demand for harvest labourers is so great that in the
county of Tipperary they are receiving I.s. 6d. a day,
with their diet.
CHRISTCHURCH AND 366.113ETH REGATTA.—Yesterday
erafternoonei
g n
st, haen sdi xotthh
e r annualpri prizes,
es,
was rowing-matchcontestfeodr aforpubrsyeio2f
sov
free watermen, residing in the parishes of Christchurch
and Lambeth. It was a double smilers' match, in three
heats, the two first being in flood, and the final heat in
ebb tide. The result was as follows : Red the winner,
blue second, and green third. Great interest was excited
upon the result, and the river presented an animated
scene, from the number of boats that accompanied the
match.

JUSTICE TO SCOTLAND.

( From the Weekly Dispatch.)
We never expected to hear such a cry as this from
such a quarter. It has become chronic in Ireland,
where people cannot, or at least do not, depend upon
any energies or resources of their own, except those
which are exclusively exerted in hallooing to other
people to come to their rescue. It is the miserable
consolation of the futile and ineffectual to attribute
their misfortunes to the injustice of those who have
helped themselves, and whom thereby God has helped.
But we are somewhat humiliated to think that such a
cuckoo note shouk find a parrot echo reverberated from
the manly and self-asserting race who inhabit the
northern side of tie Tweed. We doubt whether we
would hear of the cuerulous expostulations even from
our Irish friends, were they well off and prosperous.
What should ever ha' e led our fellow-subjects of Scot-
land, warm and
i well to do, to forget the characteristic,
we might call t national maxim, "to let well alone,"
can only be explained by reference to that lurking spirit
of. jobbery which, under the dynasty of the Dundases,
disgraced a portion of ;he middle and higher classes of
Scotland, who waited upon Providence with such ortho-
dox trust and pious confidence. We think we are quite
capable of discussing tins question in a perfectly im-
partial spirit. We are m)re inclined to remonstrate
than to sneer our way through it. A Scotchman has a
"reasonable soul"—some honourable pride—a sense of
shame—a sturdy ma.nfulneas. We speak therefore, as
unto wise men, and entreat them to judge what we say.
A manifesto has been issued from Edinburgh, signed by
provosts and baillies, advocates, physicians Ler divines
—a lord or two, and some baroneta—. having our title for
its text. We think it supplies its oven best refutation.
-It tells us that Scotland `consists of 2,800 000 inhabi-
tants, and contributes 6,000,0001. to the revenue ; while
Ireland, with a population of 6,500,000, musters not
quite 2,000,0001., whereof the whole is spent in the
country, and more to boot. Why, this is like the man
who should complain that he
.pays 1,0001. a year
income tax, while his neighbour is exempt, because his
income is under 1501. There is something singularly il-
logical, and, therefore, not at all Scotch, in this blatant
document. It first claims for Scotland justice to its nation-
ality, its independence as a separate kingdom—its rights
under the Act of Union—and then it blinks all these items
to prefer other demands on abstract grounds of vulgar arith-
metic, which are directly in the teeth of its union and its
nationality. Her Act of Union gave to Scotland only
45 representatives in the Imperial Parliament—while
that Parliament itself raised the” number to 53. Well.
The " Statement of Grievances very composedly aban-
dons the plea of the Union and of rights as an indepen-
dent kingdom, and argues, by Rule of Three, that, if
England have 500 Members, Scotland should have 77.
Yorkshire, with a larger population, and much greater
wealth, than Scotland, has , only half her number of
Members. "Oh ! but then, rejoins the Caledonian
grumblers, "Yorkshire is but a province, and Scotland
is a separate kingdom with independent rights." Again.
Lancashire is about as populous as Scotland—a good
deal richer—and returns about thirteen millions of reve-
nue to the Exchequer. That duchy ought to have, ac-
cording to the " Justice to Scotland" theory, more
than twice the amount of public money spent within its
borders to that disbursed in the " north countrie." But
it is quite the other way. For the sole and exclusive use
of Scotland a separate hierarchy, a numerous and varied
judic.al establishment, commissioners of northern lights,
national institutions, six colleges, and we know not
what besides, are maintained, mostly at the expense of
the Imperial Exchequer. Lancashire has none of these
things provided for her. The answer is ready. Lanca-
shire is but a province, while Scotland is a kingdom.
But if that be the ground of distinction between the ri-
val comretitors for a grievance, what becomes of that
other, according to Cocker, which claims " justice"
on the score that Scotland returns so much revenue,
while she retains so little for her expenditure ; and
Ireland, with treble her population, pays less than
hail her amount of taxes, and expends upon herself
all, and more than all, she contributes ? The tonnage
entering the port of Liverpool, and the Customs
levied there, amount to several times as much as those
in all Scotland. Yet Liverpool has no Board of Cus-
toms, and is relogated to London in all cases of diffi-
culty connected with the question of foreign revenue.
Under the cry, however, of " Justice to Scotland,"
the modern Covenanters who have bound themselves
together to pursue this crotchet to the utmost, demand
the restoration of a regular Board of Customs to Leith, be-
cause it was there before, and because Scotland is an inde-
pendent kingd ona ; but theydrop this plea altogether in a
few sentences, and found the claim on the greater amount
of revenue paid and of commercial business transacted
in Scotland than in Ireland. If national establishments
should be centred anywhere in the former it should be
in Glasgow, the true heart and centre of this country.
But this will not suit the " book" of these remonstrants,
who claim their retention in Edinburgh as the capital
city, in law, although the progress of society, and the
growth of trade and commerce, have left that place im-
measurably behind her western rival of the Clyde. If
the land of cakes is to have Boards of Customs, Ex-
cise, and Stamps, long
after the use of such establish-
ments is past, why not require a sovereign of her own,
demand a resident court, and insist upon the revival of
a separate nobility ? But if such mediaeval claims are
to be listened to where is the grumbling to stop ? Why
not revive the kingdoms of the Heptarchy ? Perhaps
the two kings of Brentford, who harmoniously smelled
at the same nosegay. If Scotland is to quote nationality,
Acts of Union, independence, and solemn compacts at
every turn, in support of a claim to exclusive privileges,
and to rights which have long survived their meaning
or purpose, every separate county, borough, duchy,
principality, or province may, with equal force of law
and logic, prefer each its peculiar charter of prescrip-
tion. Northumberland and Westmoreland should be
restored to Scotland ; heritable jurisdictions should be
revived ; prelacy should rear its head in Aberdeenshire ;
and popery in the Celtic counties • the Highlander
should demand the restoration of all the laws and cus-
toms which were crushed by the strong hand of the
Lowlanders ; in a word, the Eglinton tournament should
be revived as a reality, and antiquaries should be di-
rected by royal commission to examine the origin of the
title "kingdom of Fife," in the view of assigning to
that county some sovereign all to herself, to hold state
in Dunfermline, and restore its abbey to its pristine in-
tegrity. Why should Scotland alone set forth upon the
Quixote enterprise of a resurrection of the dead and rot-
ten carcase of archeological prescription ? Exhume the
claims of Cornwall to its Court of Stanneries and other an-
cient perquisites and privileges ; revive the boroughs ruth-
lessly sacrificed on the altar of reform to the ogre schedule
A ; rebuild whatever has crumbled to ruins that once was a
house, a custom or a right —where would the confusion end
or common sense begin ? The Isle of Man has been
" annexed " to England without any consent of its three
legs, or the Manximm. Guernsey, Jersey, Alderney,
i
an% Sark has eachits little bill of antiquities. Our
foreign dependencies, while we are settling these ques-
tions of grievance, have equal rights of this purely his-
torical kind—and we are afraid to contemplate the very
whisper of such a subject in its application to Ireland
and Brian Borou. When
.Scotland had all the paraphe-
nalia of which it is now claimed she should be again put
in possession, she had to pay for them all separately
out of her own resources. If she is prepared to do that
now, she may doubtless accomplish their restoration.
At present she pays no more than her fair share of im-
perial taxation ; and can qualify no better title on that
score, to the perquisites of a useless expenditure, than
Manchester or Bristol. There is no Board of Customs,
Excise, or Stamps in Ireland, any more than in Scot-
land. Is the country at large to be taxed to supply the
means of a totally useless expenditure for offices that
are not merely unnecessary, but have proved detrimen-
tal to the public service and instruments of local job-
bery and corruption, only to satisfy rival clamours for
national recognition ? It is nothing to the credit of
either country, that they have separate and conflicting
institutions, jurisdictions, churches, laws. It is the en-
deavour of enlightened men to assimilate these—both
borrowing from the other what is good in each. It is
an evidence of nothing but of execrable stupidity, that
whenever a British subject crosses the border, he places
himself under the operation of a set of laws and judges
of which and whom he knows no more than of the me-
dicine men of Kafraria, or the pundits of Hindostan.
What can be more incongruous than the fact, that the
Queen is a Dissenter at Balmoral, a heretic at Dublin,
and the head of the Church at Osborne or Windsor ?
We can quite understand the measure, the exetent of
the interest which Edinburgh has in blowing this con-
troversy into a flame of national enthusiasm. Her shop-
keepers, house-proprietors, lawyers, doctors, parsons,
and professors would have very pretty pickings out of
it. The Edinburgh Post-office would witness a return
of its time-honoured system of peculation, by being
virtually irresponsible to a London Board. The
"good easy men" who retired from political service
in the livery of the Hopes and Dundases, into the
snuggeries of Excise, and Stamps, and Customs Corn-
missionerships, and looked upon the collection of the
revenue much more as it affected the convenience
of the Scotch merchants than the interests of the
Imperial Exchequer, would spend the public money at
their ease in Leith and Edinburgh, and do the dirty
work of faction, and the jobs of corruption, as they did
before. But we cannot, for the life of us, see that Aber-
deen or Dundee, or Glasgow or Perth, can derive any
substantial advantage from being taxed to enable sine-
curi.ts to dose life away in " Auld Reekie ; " to pay
Sir David Lindsay of the Mount,
Lord Lyon King-at-Arius,
to define the exact place of the lion of Scotland among
the emblems of the United Kingdom ; or to determine
the quarterings of—
Dread Dalhousie, the great god of war,
Lieutenant-General to the Earl of Mar.
If the gentlemen grievance-mongers and those patriotic
antiquaries who grumble through their inventory of na-
tional wrongs will prove to us that it will be for the
good of the country as a whole that any of their requi-
sitions should be granted, they will make out an inex-
pungable case on much stronger bases
.than purely ter-
ritorial of archeological grounds. But if all they have
to say in favour of their views is, that Parliament should
spend, for the mere sake of spending, public money upon
the revival of corrupting sinecures and unprofitable
offices, merely to add the income of public idlers to the
general expenditure of Edinburgh, we think there are

not many honest and right-minded Scotchmen who will
add their signatures to this document. It is to no pur-
pose that the adherents to this modern solemn league
and covenatit rest their case upon precedent and exam-
ple. The precedent is vicious, and the example to be
deprecated. Let them rather help is in our endeavour
to put a stop to the abuse, than extend it to themselves
on the plea of cases in point. London should build its
own bridges and maintain its own public institutions in
so far as these are local. Indeed, if the inhabitants of
the metropolis possesed half the spirit of those of Man-
chester or Glasgow, they would scorn to go to the public
purse to do that which they are able and should be proud
to do for themselves. As for Dublin, she is a public
pauper ; and if Edinburgh desires to enter the same cate-
gory, by all means let her have an equality of alms.
But if Scotland means to maintain her high character
for self-help and self-respect, her sons and daughters will
scorn to don the blue gown of the political gaberlunzie
—instruct her representatives to help reformers in put-
ting a stop to the mendicity of London and Dublin—
and compel districts which are unjustly favoured to take
their hands out of the public pocket, and to observe the
wise maxim of making every tub stand on its own
bottom.

THE EASTERN QUESTION.

( From the Press. )

If the character of Great Britain and the balance of
power in Europe, and the great interests of liberty and
civilisation were not deeply involved, we might say the
solution of the Eastern question, as explained by Lord
John Russell on Tuesday, was simply ridiculous.
After a long and grave silence—after significant ap-
peals to Mr. Layard, importing and portending great
results—after a congress of the representatives of the
European Powers, with negotiations and messages
and notes, during the season for energetic measures—
the solution is this : the united fleets of England
and France, instead of moving from Besika Bay to the
waters of Constantinople, may retire to Salamis and
Malta ; and the armies of Russia may retire beyond the
Pruth ; but neither process is stipulated for or is treated
as material to the issue, which is confined to the acqui-
escence of the Porte in certain proposals upon which
Russia has been previously sounded, and which the
Ministry have thankfully ascertained are acceptable to
her.
The debate on Tuesday was not, however, so pacific
as the contemplations of Lord John Russell and his
colleagues. Exhausted as it is, the House of Commons
evinced more spirit than its leader. Every speaker, ex-
cept Mr. Cobden, vigorously assailed the Government,
and even he, the only apologist of the Ministry, received
asuEpapgolrataindg
has
colleaguescastigation.
ult
on fromim Lordane ous Pa
ly
shown itself in the tone of most of the organs of public
opinion ; and it is obvious that Englishmen of the pre-
sent day feel, like their ancestors, that the blessings of
Simultaneously the ofr
peace are purchased too dearly, and cannot be secured
permanently, by the sacrifice of national honour.
Nothwithstanding the Ministerial reserve, some
matters of considerable importance transpired through
Lord John Russell's speech.
It is admitted now, for the first time, that the ques-
tion regarding the Sacred Places was but the pretext
for Russian aggression. Lord John Russell states that
in April last Lord Stratford was informed by the
Turkish Minister that new demands had been made
by Russia, with the ignominious requirement that
they should be concealed from the knowledge
of Great Britain and France. Turkey, with her
characteristic good faith, communicated them, not-
withstanding, to her allies. But Lord John Rus-
sell, on Tuesday, did not express himself with the
indignation befitting a British Minister addressing
the British House of Commons, as regards this dis-
creditable attempt. It appears, too, that what Lord
John Russell declares to be the undoubted right of Tur-
key to consider the occupation of the provinces as a
easus belli was waived by that power under the pacific
influence of Lord Aberdeen, a counsel of which he is
entitled to take the chance fruits if he dared to assume
its certain responsibility.
In conclusion, we learn, that should the Sultan re-
fuse to accept, or require any modification of, the
note proposed by the four Powers, the previous com-
munication of that note to Russia, tends, as
suggested by Mr. Layard, to complicate this re-
sponsibility with conflicting obligations. The Min-
isters are not, indeed, absolutely concluded by
their recommendations, for they have not acted
in the matter as arbitrators ; but Lord Aber-
deen may find himself in a position towards
Russia which may be inconsistent with the liability he
has contracted on behalf of Turkey. In any event, and
whatever may be the issue, he and his colleagues are at
length exemplifying the spirit of " self-sacrifice" in which
they professed to take office. For them, their conduct
of this business is a voluntary abandonment of their
credit as English statesmen ; while for the interests for
which, as Russian diplomatists, they are providing, the
substantial question, as Mr. Layard stated, is " not
settled, but only deferred."