The Sun.
London, England, 1853-02-05 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE BUN.

SIR,—It appears that the French-Emperor is deter-
mined to possess a powerful navy. He has at present a
fleet of war-steamers nearly equal to our own, and is
still augmenting their number. Twenty screw line-of-
battle ships have recently been laid down, and are rapidly
progressing. It cannot be supposed that the British
people look upon these preparations with indifference ;
quite the contrary : they are fully aware that the inde-
pendence —nay,
the very existence of the nation is threat-
ened. 'What is greatly to be regretted is, that no encou-
ragement is given to the enrolment of volunteer, or rifle
corps, which, without such support, the present force is
totally inadequate to the defence of the country. It is
not by the addition of 20,000 regular soldiers to our
present army, brave as they are, that we will be able to
protect our shores against the vast host of France ; but
a suggestion by Government for the formation of volun-
teer corps would in a few weeks exhibit to the world
halts-a-million of men banded for the preservation of
peace and the prevention of invasion.
Twice has France within the last 40 years been prof:-
trate, and at the mercy of Britain and her allies, and
should such an event once more occur, care would un-
doubtedly be taken that she should never again disturb
the peace of the world.
The necessity of these remarks is obvious, and their
justice is proved by the consideration that the moral
relation of England to France is that of the preserver of
her nationality, since but for the generosity of British
statesmen the Treaty of Vienna might have borne a very
different aspect, and the dismemberment of France
might have been urged as more necessary for the pre-
servation of the peace of Europe than the partition of
Poland. This reflection seems to establish a moral
claim on the part of England. or a duty on the part of
France, not to jeopardise either by covert or open hos-
tility the independence and integrity of that power
which preserved her from extreme humiliation, after the .
most signal vanquishment of her armies, and the
triumphant entry of her capital by the Allied Powers of
Europe. Such a duty being established, there arises its
correlative—the right of this country to demand for
what purpose exist those great naval preparations in the
ports of France, against which there is evidently no-
power capable of contending but that of England. If
the reply to such demand be unsatisfactory, Britain will
certainly be justified in attempting to prevent such an in-
fliction as an invasion by means similar to those which
she, under threa'ening circumstances, employed at Co-
penhagen in 1807.
The blessing of peace, however desirable, must never
be purchased at the cost of independence.

THE VOICE OF THE NATION.

Feb. 1, 1853.

TIONAL DEFENCE.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE MORNING HERALD.

Sir,—lt would be a great satisfaction to the nation if
some responsible minister could announce in precise
terms :—" We consider the national armament and the
national organisation sufficient for the national defence.
We have secured immediate information from abroad of
any preparation or movement that may be considered
dangerous to this country. In case of threatened ag-
gression our arrangements for resistance are complete.
Men are forthcoming for our fleets—generals for our
armies • stores, ordnance, and depots of ammunition are
provided ; the stations and disposition of our armed
force are determined upon. The orders we shall issue
are prepared, and their prompt execution may be de-
pended upon."
It is not unreasonable to demand that some such an-
nouncement should precede any further legislation.
Until a minister is in ai position to make such an an-
nouncement it is insanity to argue the advantages of the
ballot or discuss the provisions of a Jew bill.—Your
obedient servant, HAROLD.
London, Jan. 31.

THE MAIL TO INDIA.-The Peninsular and Oriental
Company's steamer Ripon left Southampton yesterday
with the India and China mails. This is the first bi-
monthly dispatch under the new contract. The Ripon
took out about 50 passengers amongst whom were Lieu-
tenants Glinn and Coffin, Admiralty agents in the India
and China seas. The mail consisted of about 60 boxes,
which will cross the Desert, besides bass for the Mediter-
ranean.

Accounts from Constantinople have been received to
the 20th of January, and contain rather important in-
telligence.. Instead of direct remittances to meet the

liabilities of the Bank of Constantinople, bills at three
months' date for 150,003/., drawn by the merchants
recently appointed to conduct the liquidation of the
bank upon their agents in London, have alone been re-
ceived. Political affairs continued in a very unsatis-
factory state, and the re-actionary Ministry seemed
determined to carry their injurious system as far as pos-
sible. Not a word is said about the loan, and the bond-
holders therefore appear to remain precisely in the posi-
tion they occupied two or three months back when Lord
Stanley, on behalf of the Derby Government, defended
the conduct of the Sultan, and asses led that a satis-
factory settlement was to be immediately expected. Ali
Pasha, who was Grand Vizier when the loan was con-
tracted, has been virtually banished by being sent as
Governor to' Smyrna
amEbffioseusnitodnit,oo
rt he
proceed
capen
emre
ForeignedbsastsotaClPora,riiss
is, in like manner, to be sent to Broussa. Fuad
and it said that Reschid Pasha
n buto Mt i
mwn i
hes
net
tet
hir
0, e
nri
et
dii
ns. a a dAd
med
Among
ispecialgs
other proceedings indicative of the spirit of the present
Government, has been the issue of a decree restoring to
the governors of provinces the arbitrary power of life and
death, as it existed previously to the Tanzimat. To add
to the prevailing complications apprehensions were en-
tertained that affairs were taking an unfavourable turn
with Russia, ostensibly on the question of the Holy
Sepulchre and the rights of the Greek Church.
Letters from Riga, of the 4th January, state that the
recent importations of gold from England into Russia,
thus announced, amounted to 1,125,0001. Of this total
821,5001. had been received at St. Petersburgh,
244,8001. at Riga, and 52,9001. at Odessa.
At the annual meeting of the Royal British Bank,
held to-day, a dividend was declared at the rate of six
per cent, per annum, after making an* addition of an
equal amount to the reserve fund (which has now
reached 7,5001.) and appropriating 9881. in further
liquidation of preliminary expenses. The report showed
a steady increase in the business of the establishment,
the accounts open having been 2,989 at the end of the
first year, 3,994 at the end of the second, and 4,411 on
the 31st December last.--Times.
REPRESENTATION OF BLACKBURN.—It is reported that
Mr. Eccles, one of the Liberal members for Blackburn,
is about to resign his seat, and it is also confidently
stated that addresses will be issued in a few days from Mr.
W. H. Hornby, in the Tory interest, and Mr. Monta-
gue Fielding in the Liberal interest. Mr. Hornby is
the gentleman whose name appeared in the papers some
months ago in a paragraph headed "Assault by the
Mayor of Blackburn," and Mr. Fielding is a son of the
late baronet Sir William Fielding. A considerable and
respectable pat ty in the town seem to be anxious to de-
viate from the rule that has hitherto prevailed of having
a gentleman of local interest merely, and prefer a
stranger of greater political mark t. represent their
borough, which his become, in consequence of the great
increase in its population, one of the most important
boroughs in the country. Viscount Duncan, it is also
repoi led, is likely to come forward.
sed to be paid
We understand that the dividend pr,opo
by the London and North-Western ~,,ailway Company
will be at the rate of 5 per cont. pe7 annum, carrying^
over a balance of 90,000/. or 95,000/.
The directors
MARYPORT AND CARLISLE RAILWAY•
their
of the the Maryport and Carlisle Railway:ivi.ndend at the
yearly report just issued, recommend a I
rate of 4 per cent. per annum.
The dividend to
BLACKWALL RAILWAY DIVIDEND.—
per share,
be declared at the forthcoming meeting is ,
being au improvement on the previous halt year s, and
the report, it is understood, will be favourable—a surplus
being carried over after the dividend is paid.