The Sun.
London, England, 1854-10-12 00:00:00

fort of Balaklava.
" The Rifles advanced in skiririshing order and took
possession of the conical hill and house at the summit,
while flanking parties advanced to clear the hills to the
right and left of the pass. Some of the enemy were seen
on the sides and summit of the mountain to the right.
Dropping shots were now heard in rapid succession.
After a position had been secured, some artillery ad-
vanced, and the enemy were soon afterwards seen re-
treating on the hills, up which the Rifles pursued them.
The Light Division were tow ordered to leave their
packs on the ground and to move forward. The First
Brigade took a mountain road to the right, the Second
Brigade to the left, of the gorge. Not long elapsed be-
fore a regular attack on the fort commenced. The at-
tacking party, assisted by the ships; had it all their own
way—the shells from the enemy burst in the air, their shot
felt far and wide, and seeing their case hopeless they shortly
after the eommencetient of the attack capitulated. Only
one man, a soldier of the 88th, was wounded, and it was
doubtful whether the shell, a fragment of which struck
him, was not from our own ships. The garrison, which
was much smallerthan was expected, was taken as prison-
ers of war, and the fort occupied by our troops. It was
evident that an attack by land had not even been
dreamed of; no preparations whatever were made
against it, and it is only a matter of surprise that any
resistance was made at all by the troops in the fort. The
ships now entered the harbour, and great elevation of
spirits succeeded the successful opening of communica-
tion with our sea stores. To Sir John Burgoyne is gene-
rally attributed the plan of this operation.
" What with supplies of all sorts left in abundance by
the people who had deserted the village, and renewed
confidence in the success of the main operation and a
speedy conclusion of the war, all the troops are passing
a very happy evening around their camp fires.
" Sept. 27.—A cloudy morning, and rain threaten-
ing. The French army advancing, and moving towards
Balaklava, where the head-quarters of the allied forces
is to be established. Met Marshal St. Arnaud coming
in, indulging like every one around in eating some of
the delicious grapes which abound in the vineyards of
this country. Went into the small town said to be built
by the Genoese—of Balaklava. It consists of a few
narrow irregular streets and detached houses, rising one
above the other up the side of the hill. It presents the
usual accompaniments of an eastern town—dirt, veran-
dahs, smell of garlic, narrow filthy lanes, and everywhere
evidences of idleness and neglect. But now all was
bustle. On a gate here was painted, in large letters,
Head-quarters Commander-in-Chief,' there Adjutant-
General, in many places Commissariat,' and persons
in every dress and of every department were jostling
against each other in the close confined lanes. Parties
of sick were pouring in from all regiments to a pleasant-
looking white building, in a large garden, on the side of
the hill, the General Hospital. The English being first,
had got the best houses. French regiments were pour-
ing in and encamping near the bay, and on the -sides of
the hills, in the vineyards, and, in short, everywhere.
The little sea inlet itself—the channel of communication
with the sea, as it wound between the mountains, being
hardly to be distinguished=was filled with transports
and steamers. Among these the Agamemnon floated
proudly, its length nearly the same as the width of what
still seemed to the eye to be a lake, and its huge size
told of the water. There was the Caradoc, Lord Rag-
lan's vessel ; then the little Brenda, its deck covered
with grey-coated Russian prisoners. Piers—one for the
French, one for the English—were being constructed,
and the beach was covered with arabas, carrying
off supplies of tea, sugar, rum, biscuit, and other
articles of food from the fleet. One considerable
space near the town was occupied by the ambulances
and ambulance mules—each mule carrying two com-
fortable seats or cote, as required—of the French.
They were in such numbers, and so manifestly conve-
nient and necessary, that it was impossible not to regret
the want of foresight or arrangement on the part of the
English authorities which allowed such a battle to be
fought as that of the 20th without any such an applia-
ance at hand. With all the kindness and care of our
brothers of the fleet, -how much suffering might have
been spared during the five miles' transport from the
scene of action to the fleet had there been proper con
veyance, instead of sprineless ill-made arabas. Never
will those who witnessed it forget the misery of the poor
wounded wretches, officers and men who on the nights
of the 20th and 21st, lay on the cold ground, without
any tent or protection from weather, save a great coat
and a blanket, and the maimed alone can tell what they
endured, when their wounds were stiff and their bodies
feverish, from the jolting of the cots or hammocks, or
the by far worse shaking of the country carts. It must
not be forgotten that the French were kind enough,
when they knew of our deficiency, to spare us a few of
their ambulances, but this was only on the last day of
the moving of the wounded to the transports.
" Sept. 27, Evening.—The English force has been kept
in readiness all day to move to the hills, but is still en-
camped on the plain near the Balaklava gap. The siege
guns are being landed. The Russians are said to be
in the greatest panic. They are bringing all available
guns to protect the side of the fortress on which they
know now, but too late, that the chief attack is to be
made. It is stated, on good authority, that Prince
Menschikoff attempted to cut his throat, but was pre-
vented from executing his purpose by some officers near
him. This appears to be very like a ruse, by which his
master would hardly be taken in. After writing that
it would require 80,000 men and three weeks to force
his position at Alma, and yet seeing that position—in
spite of Russian artillery, and every natural advantage
—forced in about a couple of hours by comparatively a
handful of men, he may well be driven to despair when
he asks himself how he is to appease the wrath and dis-
appointment of the Emperor.
" Sept. 28.—The troops are to have a day's halt to
rleasnt
dteldi e.m sle,lovrest,e
nwhiley
st ht
he e guns and
without tents, constantly on the move
military
clotheshsatvner ebsaenae drne
and occupied, and, having no change of clothes, it may
be easily imagined that both the rest and the washing
are urgently necessary. The weather has providentially
continued fine in spite of clouds and threatened rain."

THE SEAT OF WAR.

THE PENINSULA OF THE CHERSONESUS.
This peninsula is defined as follows :—From the head
of the harbour of Sebastopol, along the Tchernaya, to the
point at which that stream is crossed by the road from
Bakshi-Serai to Balaklava, is about five miles in a south-
east direction. From this crossing the western head-
land of the bay (or creek) of Balaklava is six miles
in a south-west direction. From the western head-
land of the bay of Baiaklava to Cape Chersonesus
is about 11 miles in a north-west direction. From Cape
Chersonnesus to where the Tchernaya falls into the
harbour of Sebastopol is about 11 miles in a direction
to the north of east. The surface of the trapezoid con-
tained within these limits is a plateau elevated some 200
or 300 feet above the sea, on which there are several
ridges and isolated hills. All this ground is occupied by
the allies, who appear to have concentrated the whole
of their land forces upon it. In this position they can
only be assailed from one or other of three directions.
From Balaklava to Cape Chersonesus, and from Cape
Chersonesus to the Quarantine Battery, at the entrance
of the harbour of Sebastopol (7 miles) the peninsula is
washed by the sea, on which the allied fleets ride
triumphant and unassailable. The southern shore of the
harbour is occupied by Russian troops, but they
are little likely to make a sortie, inasmuch as their
line of advance would everywhere be under the grins
which the Allies have planted along the verge of the
elevated plateau. Only the men in the forts, bat-
teries, and barracks south of the harbour, could be
made available for such a sortie, inasmuch as any
troops attempting to cross the harbour from the north
side would be exterminated by the guns on the
heights, and the flanking fire from the fleet.
A hostile force might be brought up to assail
the Allies on the side of the peninsula extending
from Balaklava to the Tchernaya by the coast road from
Yalta, which is believed to be practicable for artillery,
though it passes through a difficult country ; but Prince
Menschikoff is understood to have drawn to him,
before the battle of the Alma, any troops that
may have been stationed in that quarter. Lastly,
the position of the Allies might be attacked on
the side that is covered by the Tchernaya ; but the facts
that the combined army was allowed to march unassailed
across the difficult country between that stream and the
Belbeck, and that the only Russian troops upon which
it stumbled by accident on the march fled in confusion
without fighting, show that the Russian commander-in-
chief is not strong enough for such an enterprise. The
allied troops are therefore left to deal with strongholds
on the south side of the harbour of Sebastopol safe from
interruption. They occupy the heights which overhang
the town and harbour on the south from Cape Cherso-
nesus to the Tchernaya. From the head of the south
bay or harbour, the deepest indentation on the south
side, they look down, immediately to the east, upon Fort
Prul, the docks and the barracks which surround them,
the
and beyond these upon the Careening Bay. From
same point they look down, immediately to the west,

The council of the borough of Scarborough availed
themselves of the visit of Lord John Ressell to present
him with a congratulatory address, which was unani-
mously agreed to at a meeting held on, Wednesday, the
27th ult. The address was presented on Friday last.
Lord John Russell replied in the following terms :
"Mr. Mayor and Gentlemen—I am very sensible of
the kindness which has prompted you to address me on
this my first visit to your ancient borough, The legis-
lative measures which have contributed so. largely in
our day to the extension of the civil and religious liber-
ties of the nation, and those which have in so great a
degree promoted the material prosperity of all classes
have received my cordial support. But the enlightened
voice of the country, and the favour of the Almighty,
gave to these measures the success for which we have all
so much reason to be grateful. You have the happi-
ness to enjoy the advantages of a healthy position and an
exemption, which I trust will long continue, from epi-
demic disease. Your vigilance as a municipality will, I
doubt not, be exerted to prevent or to mitigate those
evils which grow with the growth and strengthen with
the strength of our proud and populous cities. So long
as I am allowed a part in the proceedings of Parliament
y attention will be devoted to the task of domestic im-
provement. Progress is conservative of institutions
such as our own, which are founded on the principle
that the liberties of the kingdom are the birth-right of
its people."
The Council then withdrew. Lady Russell and the
Hon Miss Russell were present during the proceedings.

LORD JOHN RUSSELL ON HUSH

EDUCATION.

The Dublin Protestant Publication Committee have
succeeded in obtaining from the President of the Coun-
cil a letter in reply to an address forwarded to his Lord-
ship from that body on the subject of religious education
in Ireland. Lord John thus expresses his views :...
" Filey, September 26.

" Sir,—l had the honour of reviving some time ago an
address of the Committee of the Protestant Publication
Society of Dublin.
"My support of the British and Foreign School Society
has been publicly given as a member of that society.
"My support of the National system of education in
Ireland, as introduced by Lord Dgiby, has been also pub-
licly defended by me as a Minister and a member of Par-
liament. _

" In supporting both systems 1 have endeavoured to pro-
mote education in a manner that was practicable. The
great majority of the people of England are content to read
the Bible in the authorised version, and aecept that ver -
sion as a true exposition of the Word of God.
"This is unhappily not the case in Ireland, and hence
has arisen the system of the National Board, which, since
its est ,blishment by Lord Derby, has done great good, and
will, I trust, by the blessing of God, diffuse still more
widely than it has hitherto done very useful, although very
imperfect, instruction.
" I have the honour to be, sir,
" Your most obedient servant,
" J. RUSSELL.
" Philip R. Patman, Esq., 24, Wellington-quay, Dublin."

THE RIGHT HON. W. BERESPORD AND

HIS CONSTITUENTS.

Mr. Beresford, the late Secretary-at-War, addressed
a large number of his constituents on Friday last, at a
dinner given by the Conservative Club at Castle Heding-
ham. The right hon. gentleman defended bits elf at great
length from the charges preferred against him in the well-
known Derby case, and concluded his speech as follows:—
"Now, I will only add, that though we have struggled
for protection to the landed interest, instead of our bur-
thens being diminished they are doubled, as witness the
income tax and the malt tax. (Hear, hear.) But there
is something left to struggle for that's worth it--I mean
that Protestantism which was delivered to us, secured by
the blood of our fathers ; and let future generations say
whether, if we have submitted to the tricks of the Coali-
tion, we would yield to the tyranny of a popish majority.
(Loud cheers.) It is now nearly fourteen years since I
first became connected with the representation of Essex
or its boroughs, and I will honestly tell you that during
that time' I can only call to mind two votes that I feel
ashamed of. When, in 1842, I was member for the bo-
rough of Harwich, I voted against my own feelings, and I
have suffered severely for it. The circumstances were
these—Sir James Graham was the Secretary of State
for the Home 'Department—a very able man, but I
will say nothing of the other qualities a Secretary of
State ought to possess, and he had opened the private let-
ters of Mr. Thomas Duncombe, who brought the mat-
ter before the House of Commons. I was a supporter
of the conservative government, which we had laboured
so strenuously to bring in, thinking that it would do
justice to the country. After listening to everything
that was said in the debate, I was so disgusted with the
whole transaction that I rose to leave the house, when
one of our friends seeing me get up, said—" Beresford is
going to bolt." He followed me and urged me not to
desert the party at a pinch, and leave them in a fix and
difficulty. I went back and voted with Sir James Gra-
ham against my conscience and feeling, not liking the
man, but wishing to stand by the party. The majority
on that occasion was one, two, or three, I do not know
which. I did not like Sir J. Graham then. I could not
bear that evil eye, that sinister look, that malicious leer,
that face which he put on to conceal the fear beneath,
for he was a coward I knew, and it it had not been for
the party I would have gone away and left him to his
fate for having opened another gentleman's letters.
(Cheers.) The other was a vote on that free trade re-
solution, affirming that free trade had promoted plenty,
and the cheapness of all articles of existence, when
immediately afterwards came high prices and star-
vatiog. I could hardly drag my body into the lobby
that night to give the vote, but the party were in such
a position that they could not halo it, and I went
to bed more unhappy that night than I ever was
before. (Hear.) If my health should break down and
I should not in future be able to serve you as I desire,
and you find some one more honest and talented than
myself, I will yield the place to him, but while I remain
the member for North Essex, I pledge myself to the
support of those principles you have often heard me
avow, and I will net be caught voting against them
through the solicitations of the whipper-in or the cour-
tesy and promises of those who would delude
,me."
,Loud cheers.)

THE "4Gth" REGIMENT.--SCENE AT TIME

ELEPHANT AND CASTLE.

Yesterday morning, about half-past nine o'clock, a i
scene took place at the Elephant and Castle, Newington, i
which showed that the popular feeling regarding the con-
duct of the officer of the 46th Regiment, relative to the
case of Lieutenant Perry, has not in the slightest degree
abated. A small detachment of the above regiment, in-
cluding several officers, was marched along in the middle
of the ror.d way opposite the Elephant towards the New
Kent-road, for the purpose of proceeding to the New-
cross station of the South Eastern Railway, when a
number of persons who were standing to see them pass,
mistook them for another regiment, and cried out loudly,
here are some more of the brave defenders of their
country. However, one of the bystanders, more obser-
vant than the others, espied the numerals " 46" on the
front of the men's hats, and immediately called out
" Oh, my, it's the 46th, let's ask them what they have
done with poor Perry." This seemed to act like a spark
on a train of gunpowder, producing a perfect explosion
of expletives, such as the following :—" Oh, I really can-
not recollect." " Don't you see they have got 9&07t
DZz
record() on their flag ?" " Did you ever see such a set ?"
and " No, no, the men are all right, it's the officers we
mean." " Has Lieutenant Greet gone home to his
mother ?" and other similar witticisms. At this junc-
ture an officer wearing a cocked hat passed
lalong
the pavement, and was met with a genehras
was
of " Here's Colonel Garrett himself ;"
regarded with by no means
some one exclaiming that it Ws; the ;weal
turned
the regiment, and not Colonel Garrett, ange.
the
into mirth, the prevailing cry being'„ Oh, It only re
pleasa?_ t a looks,eo n but
way, as the detachment proce?
"Non
.umaiticriectordoC
doctor, he had nothing to do wditehdidt.wnTthheewNheowleKofetnhte.
safiadetthioat
o t e r‘ionado,wth,seLy
iweuetr.ermeertrywri,thtsTeLe.;f3
othffiecyemrs
eitnacuhathrgeersomf theark
s, detachment,certainlyniottnwiuistht bseatsi
MIMI%
but with the most imperturbable good h n

L
PERMANEtiTsoEfietItCyAoTfIOANrAtZ MUSEUM.—ofA
her
etrh
Majesty's
su gg es -
g estion of the
Treasury have decided that it will he desirable to estab-
iliapermanent educational museum. The nucleus of
such a museum has been already contributed by a large
proportion of the exhibitors at the recent Educational
Exhibition at St. Martin's Hall. The receipts at the
doors and the special subscriptions in aid of the exhibi.
tion are still considerably below the actual expenditure;
but the council of the society naturally hope that this
important result having been igained further voluntary
subscriptions will be made, so that the deficit may' be
met without the ordinary income of the !moiety being
1 trenched upon,