The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-13 00:00:00

THE LATE MARSHAL ST ARNAUD.

Lord Cowley's letter of condolence to the French
Minister of Foreign Affairs, on the lamented 'death of
'Marshal St. Arnaud, truly and gracefully expresses. the
feelings which have been excited in this country by the
tidings of that melancholy event. All Englishmen must
entertain a deep respect for the military devotion which
led the deceased. general, with a perfect knowledge of
the dooin which science had pronounced,. to accept the
most arduous and responsible duty which a general
could be called upon to undertake. All must admire
the eminent zeal' and ability with which that duty was
executed ; and it is universally regretted that it has
not been given to him to share in the consumma-
tion of the glorious enterprise in the earlier stages of
which he performed so high and important a part. In
the career of General Canrobert, however, we confi-
dently expect to see the same generosity of feeling, the
same courage, and the same strategic ability which
distinguished his predecessor, and we rely with full
assurance on the maintenance Of that perfect harmony
of counsel and unity of action which have so conspi-
cuously marked all the operations of the Allies, Under
Marshal St. Arnaud and Lord Raglan the armies of
France and England have known no other rivalry than
that of emulous devotedness to the great common
cause ; and though it may at first have seemed strange
to the troops .of each nation to be associated with those
of the other, we may be sure that a battle like that
of the Alma has done the work of years in esta-
blishing solid and cordial friendships. The • pru-
dence of the commanders assigned to the troops of each
country the duties best adapted to their peculiar powers.
The Zouaves, who are. described .as having climbed up
precipices almost perpendicular, throwing away their
knapsacks that their progress might not be impeded, and
suddenly making their appearance on the heights, to the
infinite surprise of the Russian General—who is re-
ported, by the way, to have well horsewhipped the mes-
senger by whom the unpleasant intelligence was brought
—executed a task for which their distinguished agility
pre-eminently qualified them. We can well believe that,
to use the graphic phrase of one •of the eye-witnesses
whose narratives have been published, they looked
' like ants swarming up the hill ; and it is at least
certain-that, when they gained the summit, they fought,
as the English General is said,to, have observed, " not
like men, but like lions and tigers." The work assigned
to our gallant soldiers was of a somewhat different
nature, and better suited to display their characteristic
merits. In the face of the murderous fire of the Rus-
sians, they advanced with as much sang froid as if they
had been manoeuvring in Hyde-park, and their resistless
charge swept aw ay all that resisted their provress. Marsi al
St. Arnaud, it is stated, paid a visit of congratulation
to the encampments of the 23d and 95th Regiments
on the evening of the battle ; and the value .of the
tribute thus paid to English valour must have been duly
appreciated by those who knew the suffering which the
slightest additional exertion occasioned to the enfeebled
frame of the French Commander. "The English,"
says a correspondent of the Constitutionnel, "fought,
so to speak, a separate battle. We do not know the
details of it, but we saw them far off, ascending with
regular step a glacis in which there was an entrench-
ment full of artillery. Never was the contrast between
this advance and the impetuosity of the French more
strongly marked. But the two armies are enchanted
with each other. In the evening, the field of battle was
covered with sailors from the fleets, and they displayed
almost childish joy."

THE C.RIM'A PAST AND PRESENT.

Before the Russian Government had cast an envious
eye on the Crimea, and that fertile land had felt the
withering influence of the protection of its northern
neighbour, the population of the Tauric peninsula
amounted to a million and a half. The wars between
the Turks and Russians, which were caused by the
unjust aggressions of the latter, decimated the inha-
bitants, and reduced them to a tithe of their former
number. Nearly all the Turkish, and a great, por-
tion of the Tartar, population emigrated . after the
annexation of the Crimea to Russia, Li() that the
best authorities estimated its population at the end
of the last century at less .than one, hundred and
sixty thousand. But the natural advantages of • the
district—the fertility of its soil, and. the onnvenience
of its situation for commercial porpoees—counter-
lialance4 the effects of Russian 'misrule. Its popu-
lation has been gradually increasing since the com-
menceenept of the present century,..and is now more
than three hundred thousand—double what it was fifty
or sixty years ago, though far below the number that
inhabited the peninsula in its more flourishing, da,ya.
The Tartar element in the population 'is diminishing
and dwindling away, whilst the Russians have been
settling in great numbers since the country came into,
their possession'. A few German settlers, Greek and
Armenian merchants, and al ancient colony of Karaite
Jews, make up the rest of the population.
• Dr. Clarke, the celebrated traveller, visited the northern
shores of the Black Sea at the close of the last century ;
and whilst he speaks in high terms of the natural re-
sources of the Crimea, he points out the treachery and
cruelty which have characterised the policy of the Russian
Government in their dealings with the Tartars and Turks.
He was the first to give a detailed account of the deceitful
policy by which the annexation of the Crimea was the re-
sult of its protection by Russia. He showed how the
excellent system of irrigation, established. by the old
Tartar population, was destroyed by the neglect of the
conquerors ; and he corroborated the testimony he had
received froth trustworthy witnesses of Russian tyranny
by facts which happened before his eyes. " During the
time we remained," be tells his readers in the account
of his sojourn in the Tauric Chersonese, " soldiers were
allowed to overthrow the beautiful mosques, or to con-
vert them into magazines, to pull down the minarets,
tear up the public fountains, and to destroy all the
pubic aqueducts, for the small, quantity of lead they
were thereby enabled to 'obtain. Such is the true na-
ture of Russian protection—such the sort of alliance that
Russians endeavour to form with every nation weak
enough to submit to their power, or to become their
dupes." The manner in which the Russians exercised their
p wet is a perpetual subject of complaint to this celebrated
traveller, who does not hesitate to express his opinion of
their conduct in language
.not the less true 'because it is
strong :—" If it be now asked (he says in another place)
how the Russians have conducted themselves with re-
gard to t':e Crimea, 'after the depravity, the cruelty, and
the murders whereby it was obtained, the answer may
be given in a few words. They have laid waste the
country, cut down the trees, pulled down the houses,
overthrown the sacred edifices of the natives, with all
their public buildings, destroyed the aqueducts, robbed
the inhabitants, insulted the Tartars in their acts of
public worship, torn, up from the .tombs 'the bodies
of
their ancestors, casting their relics upon dunghills,
feeding swine out of their coffins ; they have am hflaatuFde
all the monuments of antiquity, breaking up alike
sepulchres of saints and pagans, and scattering
flis their
nomi-
wiles in the air. Auferre, trucidare, rapere, a
nibus imperiuoa ;
,atque übi solitudinent fecinnt, pasovi
adnellant."

MANSLAUGHTER IN Waucnoss-sQuanit.--Yesterday
an inquest was held by Mr. Baker, at the London 1101.
pital, respecting the death of Tobias Johennesen, 32, a
Norwegian seamen. Very little evidence was adduced,
beyond what has already been reported at the hearin
before the police magistrate. The deceased was drinking
at the Angel and Crown, Ship-alley, with other seamen.-
prostitutes, and musicians, when a dispute arose bet .
five or six of the party, and deceased struck a wine::
named Wylde on the head, and with 3,
ve •
otherspressed upon him afterwards and drove him into
to s
cor-
ner. Wykle then drew a knife, and Stabbed deceased
three times, and also wounded
several others. One of
the witnesses deposed that Wylde "had too many on
him," and drew the knife in self-defence. Johennesen
died soon after being stabbed.
"Manslaughter"
diet of The jury returned a vet-
against Wylde, and the wit-
nesses t_M,l2 b_.911114 Iyer to proiiecuto at ,the
t
_ _ _ . . ROI
s - - _ - • .

The dividend declared yesterday at a meeting of the
Royal Mail Steam Company was at the rate of 21.
per share free from income-tax, and the report was,
after some discussion, adopted. The points brought
under consideration were, the alleged inefficiency of
management, the large outlay necessary to render the
Parana a serviceable vessel, the circumstances attending
the payment of the last dividend, and the connexion of
the engineering superintendent with the coal con.
tractors. The whole of these questions were entered
into at length, and the dissentient proprietors sug-
gested -that it would be desirable to introduce into
the direction parties practically acquainted with
shipbuilding . and engineering, to check excessivt-
expenditure. In answer to the general charges, it
was stated that the dividends hitherto declared, and
the precautions devised in arranging the Govern..
rnent contracts, proved the exercise of sound discretion.'
With regard to the last dividend, no reservation what-
ever had been made respecting the position in which the
finances of the company were placed, and the result had
justified the directors in recommending the payment.
In connexion with the allegation concerning the Parana,
it was admitted that defects in original construction have
entailed increased expense, but it is yet hoped that she will.
become a valuable. adjUnct to the fleet. Although a dif-
ference of opinion may exist with respect to the number
of vessels employed, the enlargement of the service neces-
sitates a provision for casualties, especially at distant
stations. The assistance of the engineering superintendent
it is stated has been found ofgreat benefit to the company,
and the whole of the works in that department are con-
sidered to have been conducted with economy. With
regard to a connexion between that functionary and the
coal contractors, first, in the shape of a pecuniary ad-
vance, and -ultimately as taking a share in the colliery,
it was mentioned that the directors viewed the trans-
action in its earlier stage as a legitimate employment of
private capital, but that, as in the latter it had assumnd
an aspect contrary to the spirit .of their byelaws, it had
at their . request. been immediately abandoned. These
explanations having been received by the great majority --
as satisfactory, the report was carried. At the close of
the proceedings a special vote of thanks to -.the board
was agreed to. The following is a list of the fleet of
the company

Registered Horse,
, - Tonnage. . power.
Atrato (iron)
2La Plata
3 Magdalena
4 Parana 2,943 800
5 Orinoco
6 Avon ,—. 2,069 440
7 Clyde
8 Ds© , 1,849 440
9 Great Western • 1,775 ,420
10 Medway 1,895 430
11 Severn 1,868 440
12 Tay
13 Teviot
14 Thames
15 Trent
16 Solent 1,804 400
17 Tamar - 1,850 400
18 Conway
19 Derwent 794 260
20 Eagle
21 Camilla (iron)
22 Prince (iron)
23 Wye (iron screw)

41,019 10,740

BIJILDING.

Tonnage.
Builder's Horse.—
21 Tyne (iron) measurement.lxnver'
1,850 400