The Sun.
London, England, 1854-04-24 00:00:00

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,—As in your publication of this morning there ap-
pears a letter signed " Common Sense" in which my name
is I consider brought in a very unfair and unnecessary way
before the public, I feel myself called upon to point out to
you not only the unfairness but the absence of all common
sense displayed in the whole of that anonymous publica-
tion.
In the first place, it is no part of my duty to proceed to
the seat of war until I receive orders from superior Military
Authority so to do—nor until a vessel has been appointed,
to convey myself, my Fellow-Brigadier-General, our Staff
Officers, horses, &c.
Your correspondent proceeds to criticise the regiment I
have the honour to command. It would be scarcely neces-
sary for me to state, except to show the falsehood and igno-
rance of this anonymous writer, that in the 11th Hussars,
the men's Jackets are longer and Overalls looser than in al-
most any other Cavalry regiment in the service, and that
what this writer calls " the irrationality of their Head
Gear," is the precise pattern of the Fur cap worn by all the
other Hussar regiments in the service—and not unlike those
of the Horse artillery—except being lighter and smaller in
size. The crimson overalls aro not unlike the " Garance
overalls worn by the whole of the French army, and are
similar to those worn by many Hungarian and Austrian
regiments of Hussars, than which there are no Cavalry re•
giments in Europe more efficient in every respect.
I have to state also, that the sharpening the swords,when
a Cavalry regiment is ordered on Foreign Service, is not only
the invariable rule of the Service, but is usually on each occa-
sion of the sort expressly ordered by the Military Authori-
ties. It is not difficult to perceive why, when another
Cavalry regiment was also named as having their swords
sharpened, the 11th Hussars are alone quoted by your cor.
respondent. Nor is the animus of the writer to be mis-
taken, when the brigadier general of the 2d Cavalry Bri-
gade, and the commanding officer of every one of the
cavalry regiments being still in this country, my name
alone should be brought forward.
Suffice it for me to add that I cannot but consider that
a letter containing such petty and paltry slander is quite
unworthy of the columns of your newspaper. As this
writer has thought proper to criticise and ridicule the 11th
Hussars, he will probably be sorry to hear that the regi.
moot has been declared by the military authorities in Ire-
land to be in a perfect state of order and efficiency for
foreign service ; as it has invariably been pronounced for
many years past by the first military authorities to have
been in the highest state of order and discipline on home
service, and the late Duke of Wellington's opinions to that
effect were officially communicated to me a few years since
by the express desire of that illustrious man.
Requesting you will do me the favour to give publication
to this letter, I remain, Sir, your most obedient servant,
Portman-square, April 22. CARDIGAN.

WILFUL MURDER ON THE HIGH SEAS.—On Thursday
evening, the American ship Moses Taylor, Capt. French,
master, with 400 French emigrants, from Havre to New
Orleans, put into Plymouth under very painful circum-
stances. The chief officer having been murdered by one
of the crew, Captain French put himself immediately in
communication with Messrs. Fox, the American Consuls,
who, early on Friday morning, took the necessary steps
to have, the prisoner secured, and the serious charge
inquired into. As the body would have to be landed at
this port, and the crime took place on the high seas, the
inquiry came under the jurisdiction of Saltash. The
coroner and authorities of that borough were made ac-
quainted with the matter, and the Stonehouse police
were accordingly employed to take prisoner out of the
ship as county constables. The crime, it appears, was
committed under the following circumstances :—The
deceased was chief officer of the ship, named J. G.
Drinkwa,ter, a fine powerful young man, and at 8.30
instantly
ysh
drew man of colour,
knife
p rn., was giving some orders, when a slight altercation
tooknnine pd l a ce
Richardwithth
He
ipl prisoner, s ocheo i
r, a
and stabbed the unfortunate man in the bowels,—he
fell on the deck, whence he was removed to the cabin,
and expired in 10 minutes. The murderer was brought
on shore, as above stated, by the Stonehouse police,
and secured in the lock-up house, and at 4 o'clock on
Friday he was conveyed to Saltash ; the body of Drink-
water having been in the meantime landed for the jury
to view. The facts of the case are as we.ha.ve briefly
stated, and there can be no doubt of the verdict ' • but
as the crime...v/0.5 committed on the high .seas, and on
board an American vessel, ulterior proceedings, as to
the custody and trial of the prisoner, must be subject to
the directions of the Secretary of State. The ship must
consequently be detained till communication be had with
London. •
SCOTTISH EDUCATION BlLL.—This bill, which is now
before Parliament as a Government measure, has called
forth a good deal of criticism from the ecclesiastical
bodies and town-councils of Scotlani. The Church of
Scotland opposes it without qualification ; the Free
Church accepts it with a few modifications in detail ; the
Dissenters are hostile to the religious clauses,
.but sug-
gest that the bill may be improved;` the parochial
schoolmasters are in favour of it, and town-councils give
it a very hearty approval ; the great majority of the_
people seem to wish the bill to pass with some modifica-
tion, but -the clergy of the Church of. Scotland are bent.
out on throwing it in the Lords if it should receive the.
assent of,tll433,oufiei of Commons.