The Sun.
London, England, 1854-11-08 00:00:00

THE USE OF MECHANICAL SKILL.

The superiority of one nation over another consists in
its knowledge and its skill. Our 28,000,000 people,
having at their command innumerable instruments and
machines, are in reality more powerful than the
65,000,000 Russians who have only very few such in-
struments and machines, and are without the skill and
knowledge necessary to make them. The English an-
nually create more wealth than all the Russians. The
wonderful success of the Europeans on the continent of
America was not due to their numbers, but to their
knowledge of gunpowder. In relation to the Russians
we possess in our mechanical skill a similar superiority.
Have our Ministers made any use of it ? Very little.
They have stuck to the old routine, and have used only
armies and navies pretty much as they were organised
half a century ago. They have gone to battle, as it
were, with clubs and spears, after fire-arms were in-
vented. They have not thought apparently of applying
the arts they see around them to insure success in the
Crimea. Railway engineers have got instruments for
crushing rocks ; the rudest navvies, when set to work to
crush rocks or move masses of earth, and immediately
improvise a railway, however short and interrupted ; yet
powers like these seem not to be used by the army, and
the most important operations are delayed for want of a
short road. Ministers seem to have sent to the Crimea
only ordinary pioneers and artificers, with imperfect
tools, and have attacked the rocks of thei Crimea as dis-
advantageously as they have attacked the Russians. A
ship-load or two of navvies, with their implements, as
well as more military force, are required in the Crimea.
There is at present no excessive demand for the labour
of such men or engineers in England. There are no
great lines of railway constructing, no great suspension
bridges making, no excavation going on under the
Thames, no conquests of nature in progress, occupying
all our skilful men. Ministers, earnest and zealous in
bringing the great undertaking they haye begun to a
successful conclusion, would have used the mechanical
skill of the nation for the purpose. Had they formed,
as was their duty, a clear opinion of the work to be done
at Sebastopol or Cronstadt, and had they consulted the
Stephensons, the Brunels, or the other depositaries of
the mental powers of the nation, how they were to ex-
ecute it, would it have been still to do ? Granite walls
are of a measurable strength, the force necessary to de-
stroy them can he known to a pound ; the means of
bringing that force to bear on them can as surely be de-
vised as the means of suspending in mid-air the Bri-
tannia-bridge, or boring a channel under the Thames ;
but the Ministers, instead of devising these means, or
calling on skilful men to devise them, sent to the Baltic,
according to the old routine, a great many large two and
three-decked sailing and unprotected ships, which could
neither be carried close to the granite walls, nor be re-
lied onlwhen close, to do the work assigned them before
they were themselves destroyed. The Ministers and
the Admirals scarcely went one hair's-breadth out of
the old routine. They did not even provide ordi-
nary gun-boats, much less destructive machines, easily
moved, that should be indestructible by the feeble me-
chanical powers of the Russians. The disheartening,
and to our vast national power, the disreputable resultTne
is, that Cronstadt could not even be attacked.
magnificent fleet returns home, having accomplished,
after a vast outlay, next to nothing, the commanders
and crews soured and grieved, and the nation disap-
pointed and annoyed.
the large fleet employed in the Baltic would have suf-
ficedlf they did not mean to attack Cronstadt, one half of
to keep the Russian fleet in harbour, and to block-
ade all the Russian ports ; if they did mean to attack it,
they employed a force not adapted to the purpose, and
inadequate to effect it. In either case, from adhering to
routine, or from being ignorant of the immense power at
their command, they have during the summer mis.
rgutiney,
employed a large navy in the Baltic, with which they
might have transported a large additional army to they
Crimea, and effectually overwhelmed the Russia. B
adhering to old principles, and following
old
vefadilehdavtoe dneovt obtainedelopeand apply the national re-
the success which the
stohuey hrcesa,
an
nation has a right to expect. Nicholas is
preparations to continue the war
and
making great
assailant. Let them not
twain. again become the
nity, but at once plan how they ose time and
conjunc-
tionoortu-
with France, the whole may bring, in
nations to bear on some strength of the two united
superiority of our knowledge one point, and demonstrate the
News. and our skill,—Daily

The Monkey steam-vessel, Second Master Synder-
combe, received on board yesterday the iron and brass
shaft for her. The shaft weighs 7 tons 14 cwt. 1 qr.
12 lb., and is to be conveyed, with two of the boilers
now at Woolwich, to Sheerness, to be fitted on board
the Orion at that port.
Her Majesty's ship Hannibal, Captain the Hon. F.
W. Grey, weighed from Spithead yesterday morning, to
adwashitiipnsg ihnerthtoe
ship spare spars and gear
erfeorotrhdeerds aisarbele
Black Sea fleet, troops to reinforce the squadrons, and
a large amount of sea stores, with which she makes all
haste to the scene of action. Her crew has been made
up from the sailing line-of-battle ships at this an-
cherage.
The Calcutta, 84, Captain J. J. Stopford, bent sails
in Plymouth Sound on Monday, previous to sailing for
Falmouth, where she will take up her winter quarters,
and not in the West Indies, as has been stated.
The Asia, Captain W. J. Dougall, arrived at Sheer-
ness from Quebec yesterday at two p.m. with a
general cargo of timber for the dockyard, and has
moored off Cockleshell Hard. She has been 36 days
on the passage, and has experienced very heavy wea-
ther, and has carried away part of the larboard bul-
swhhiTpicphheedrsectrauetrwn
warks. It appears she got on shore in the River St.
Lawrence.
Greenockes froman.f steam-frigate
gcao:toel
0a Meander,
seamen,
ato n de
w4h4o Plymouthaw!) nti
tahiCaptain
a BsSaturday,aYll'
amount of practice, will prove a valuable addition to her
crew. She will be inspected to-day by Port-Admiral
Sir William Parker, after which it is
stated she will
proceed to the Tagus.
The Dauntless, 33, screw, Captain Ryder, will go to
Spithead to-day, and will shortly leave for the Black
Sea.
The Horatio, screw, is still lying in the basin, but
was hauled over to the east side, to make room for the
Orion.

Cuckoo, paddle, Lieut. Augustus Murray, is lying
refitting, &c., still in the basin, and has shipped her new
funnel, &c. Some of the crew have returned from their
leave.

Lizard, paddle, Lieut. Christopher, hauled out into
the harbour to-day.
The Livonia steamer has been taken up by the Ad-
miralty to convey troops to the Crimea.
The Government transport Chapman, No. 118, Capt.
Morgan, from London, arrived at Plymouth on Monday,
and was towed immediately up Hamoaze.

APPOINTMENTS.
Clerk.—Frederick (1852), recently serving in the Cum.
berland, to the Esk, 20, at Woolwich.
Clerk's Assistant. —Charles F. Hockins, to the Nankin,
50, at Chatham.

MAIL FOR THE CRIMEA.
A mail for the army in the Crimea and the fleet in the
Black Sea will be made up to-morrow evening. A sepa-
rate mail bag is made up for the sick and wounded, and
all letters and newspapers for them should he addressed
" The Hospital, Scutari, Constantinople ;" for others
" Head-quarters."

I.°s` r- between the hours of 10 and •12 this
,day,
at Cox's' Hotel, Jermyn-street, a GOLD WATCH, maker's
name Dent. On the same being' returned to the porter of the said
hotel, the finder shall remit -a the Reward of 251., and no questions
stall be asked.
November 8.

GIIILDHALL.—Under the especial Patronage
of her Most Gracious Majesty the QUEEN and his Royal
Highness PRINCE ALBERT, K.G.
GRAND CONCERT and BALL, in AID of the PATRIOTIC
FUND, will take place on WEDNESDAY, the 22d of November,
18.54.

Sir JAMES DUKE, Bart., M.P., Chairman.
JAS. R. CARR, Hon. Sec.
Farther particulars will be duly announced.

T HE AT RE-ROYAL, DRURY-LANE,
M. JULLIE.N'S CONCERTS.
(FOR ONE MONTH ONLY.)
•
The Programme is changed Every Evening.
PROGRAMME for THIS EVENING (Wednesday, Nov. 8? :
PART I.

Overture, " Egmont" - • ......... .......... Beethoven.
Quadrille—" The Californian" .................. Junien.
Symphony, the Andante, from the " Symphony
in A" ...... • •
Rondo Bohemienne, from" L'Etolle du Nord,' sung
by Madame Anna 'ninon .................... Meyexbeer.
false, " Valse D'Adlen," with solo for cornet-a-
Jailien.
piston, by Herr Keen' g• • • • .M. Wuille.
•-• ' • •' • • • •• •
Solo, Clarionet, performed by
Quadrille, " The British Army," the
assisted by
military bands .•••• • • • • • .... • • • • Juilreni
PART 11.
Opera, Grand Operati.: Selection and Fantasia,rom
Meyerbeer's opera " Les Huguenots," arranged
expressly by M. Jullien, with solos by M. Pros-
pere, Herr 31cenig, M. Baumann, M. Wuille, M
Lavigne, and Herr schreurs Meyerbeer.
Polka, " natty Did "
Symphony, the " Allegro Vivace," from the sym-
phony in A minor •. • • •••• • • •
Sew Song, "Minnie," sung by Madame .Anna
Thillon••••••••—•• G. Linley.
Quadrille, " The Americut Quadrille"..
solo; violin, " Talso Diabolique," performed .b.y
Signor Itobblo
Rabbi°.
Gaiop," The Atlantic"
Jullien.
The Concerts on each evening will commence at Eight and termi,
nate at Eleven o'clock.
Puicts OF ADMISStoY —Promena3e, buses,
and galleries 18.
dress private boxes I/. I Is. Cd. •
dress circle, 23. Ed.

THEATRE ROYAL HAYMARKET.

Under the management of Mr. 2ackstone.
For the BENEFIT of Mr. WEIGHT.

THIS EVENING, Nov. 8,

Will be performed the comedy of P PRY. Principal cha-
racters by Mr. Wright, 31r. Chippendale. Mr. W. Fa..ren, M.
Poynter, and Miss E. Chaplin.
To be followed by THE IRISH LION. Principal character by
kr. Hudson.
To which will t'e added TILE SP.INISII DANCERS.
To conclude with DEAF AS A POST.

ROYAL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET.
trnder the Management of Mr. Clitair.ss
TUIS VrENINO. Nov. 8,
After which (for the 4th thee this semon), THE CORSICAN
BROTIIER6. Principal character by Mr. C. Kean.
After which will be presented a new If elo-dramatic Spectacle, in
three acts, entitled SCLIAMYL, the Warrior Prophet.