The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-09 00:00:00

THE_ SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, JUNE 9, 1854,

sons are, however, essentially cowards. They
shrink from enduring the pain which they are so
ready to inflict, and would be disposed to curb
theirviolent tempers when aware that their injuries
would be promptly and severely avenged. The
pain and degradation would be amply merited,
while they could not evade the responsibility of
supporting their families, and while the wives
would not share in the sufferings by the loss of
their wages. A very brief imprisonment, if
coupled with flagellation, would suffice to prevent
the alarming frequency of these onslaughts, and
after a few examples had been made we should
seldom hear of parties venturing to indulge in the
noble pastime of " woman-beating."
The law should, however, be administered with
great discretion, and never until the sentence had
been revised, and its execution sanctioned by a
competent officer. It would be worth while ap-
pointing such an officer at a liberal salary, who
might also be allowed to order the party to find
sureties for his good behaviour, or in aggravated
cases to pronounce for a limited or permanent
separation ; leaving the custody of young chil-
dren to the mother, and determining the
allowance which should be paid by the offender out
of his earnings. For a single act of legal
cruelty the Ecclesiastical Courts will grant a
divorce a menses et thoro, giving alimony to the
aggrieved wife. These provisions are, however,
beyond the reach of the poor. A cheap remedy
should be afforded in such cases, giving the woman
protection as to her own earnings for the future.
By such means, judiciously and cautiously ad-
ministered, we may hope to check, if we cannot
altogether eradicate, the evil, to abate the dange-
rous nuisance ; and surely it is worth while
trying the effect if only for a single year.

LATEST FOREIGN NEWS.

THE WAR.

MEETING OF THE EMPEROR OF AUSTRIA
AND THE KING OF PRUSSIA.
A telegraphic despatch from Vienna last evening
states that on Wednesday night Count Buol left
for Prague. The Emperor and the Count will
meet the King of Prussia and Baron Manteuffel at
Teschen, on the Saxon frontier. It is thought that
the meeting bodes no good to the Western Powers.
The following despatch, dated last night, has
been received from Berlin :—" The King of Prussia
and Counts Manteuffel, Alvensleben, and Gerlach,
left Berlin to-day for Teschen to meet the Em-
peror of Austria, who will be attended by Counts
Buol and Thun."

complaints were repeated to Marshal St. Arnaud
and Lord Raglan during the late interview with
the Ottoman General at Shurala, that both were
convinced of their truth, and that representations
were made to the Sultan on the subject.

THE BALTIC.

A telegraphic despatch from Berlin, dated last
evening, states that Prussia has forbidden the ex-
port of ammunition.
The French fleet, 22 strong, passed Rugen on
the 4th, steering north-east.
According to the Invalids Busse, the English
fleet had been inactive up to the 28th.
KIEL, JUNE s.—The French first-class frigate
Semillante, 50, Captain du Brossais, has returned
to this port from the squadron, and anchored
under the heights of Bellevue, between the Breslau
90, and the frigate Vengeance. This morning the
French steam-corvettes, Milan, 4, and Souffieur, 4,
left the harbour for the fleet, having coaled and
watered. The Russian merchant schooner whicli
escaped the vigilance of the English cruisers, and
arrived here about a fortnight ago, has been sold
to a shipowner of this place, but will probably have
to remain in port during the whole of the war, for
it has been notified to him that the French Go-
vernment does not recognise any transfer of
enemy's property made after the commencement
of hostilities, and if the vessel is taken at sea she
will undoubtedly be condemned as a legal prize.
COPENHAGEN, June 3.—Letters and papers from
Stockholm bring a number of details respecting
the affair at Eckness. The loss of the Russians is
estimated at 500 killed and wounded. The ex-
ploit of the Hecla, Captain Hall, was so much
the more brilliant, as she only carries six guns,
and had two batteries against her. ftor silencing
them, Captain Hall landed, spiked the cannon,
with the exception of three, which he took on
board as trophies, and returned down the fiord
with a prize-ship, in company with the Arrogant,
Captain Yelverton. Not a shot was fired at them
as they sailed out to sea. And yet this shameful
defeat by so inferior a force has been represented by
the Russian journals-as a glorious victory, and the
general in command has been promoted. The Eng-
lish had three killed and five wounded. Among the
Russians who fell was an officer of high rank, who
was shot, together with the horse on which he rode.
The Hecla is now lying at Stockholm (that is, at
Vaxholm), and its crew are the lions of the Swedish
capital. Everybody admires their gallantry. Cap-
tain Hall is already famous from his expeditions
against the Chinese pirates, but his prudence and
coolness at Eckness have gained him fresh laurels.
He stood during the whole combat on the paddle-
bridge, giving his orders with the same self-posses-
sion as if it had been a parade, although the balls
were whizzing around him. The first-lieutenant
of the Hecla, who was wounded below the eye,
has been left for medical care at Stockholm. The
report that 50 English sailors had been lost by
an attack from Russian sharpshooters, near Eck-
ness, turns out to be a fable. Gustafsvarn has been
strengthened by the Russians with fresh troops and
batteries. A number of Finnish sailors have deserted
from the Russian gunboats. They have been taken
on board the admiral's ship, and have petitioned Sir
Charles to be allowed to fight against the Musco-
vite for the liberty of their country. There is
great liveliness at Farey Sound, where a large
number of colliers are gradually arriving from
England. The Basilisk and Driver have taken in
provisions for the fleet. The Finnish authorities
have instructed the shipowners not to sell their
vessels, as they have made arrangements by which
they can immediately procure registration and
full papers, as Prussian traders or Hamburg
skippers, while at the same time they will re-
main Russian subjects. The harbours may be
blockaded, but the country harbours are
not so easily watched ; they are therefore to
apply for Prussian documents. This game is al-
ready in operation, and many a prize has been
given up by our cruisers in consequence. But it
is to be hoped that our Government will imme-
diately put a stop to this system. It has been
announced in Finland that every person found
guilty of holding any intercourse with the enemy
will be shot. All persons refusing to take the new
Finnish assignats will be severely punished. All
the better class are flying from St. Petersburg.
They fear the troops now arriving—wild Cossacks
and bandits.

NORWAY.
A letter from Christiania of the 30th ult., in the
Cologne Gazette, says :—" In this country also a
good deal of movement is beginning to take place.
In all directions troops are to be met with, and all
the steamers are busied in taking them oa board.
Troops are to be moved from this place and others
to the marshes of Finland, and it is said that a bill
is to be presented to the Storthing for a new levy
of troops. I can affirm to you that the Norwegians,
though not over-anxious for war, would march
with pleasure against the Russians."

LEAGUE IN DENMARK TO MAINTAIN
THE CONSTITUTION.—EXHIBITION OF
POPULAR FEELING.
We extract the following from a letter from Co-
penhagen of June 4 :—" To-morrow morning,
being the anniversay of the promulgation of the
Danish constitution, an important document will
be published—nothing less than an invitation for
the formation of a league or association for the
protection of the fundamental law or constitution
of the monarchy. The draught is already signed
by the following influential gentlemen :—MM.
Bonnesen, manufacturer ; C. A. Broberg, mer-
chant ; Brock, barrister of the Supreme Court ;
M. Hammerich, professor ; H. P. Hansen, mer-
chant and bank director; J. C. Jacobsen, brewer ;
and M. G. Melchior, merchant. The promoters
invite their fellow-citizens, of every rank, and
throughout the country, to join them in forming
an association for the protection of the I undamental
law of the kingdom. Every member signing the
deed will engage tocontribute a yearly subscription
to the funds of the association. In their address
the promoters say :
"We are induced to publish this invitation in conse-
quence of the unsatisfactory result of the negotiations of
the last Diet. The manner in which the government
endeavoured to carry out the constitution for the whole
Danish monarchy granted by his Majesty and promul-
gated by the royal decree of the 28th January, 1852,
has been hitherto so very far from giving a favourable
solution of the problem, that there is every reason to
fear it may eventually lead to fresh complications, and
not impossibly to an ultimate dismemberment of the
different integral parts of the kingdom. We are there-
fore inclined to believe that the difference of opinion
which exists between the responsible ministers of the
crown and the constitutionally elected legal representa-
tives of the people, as to the mode of settling this im-
portant question, is of a nature to call forth the most
serious and well-grounded apprehensions for the future
in the minds of all true and loyal Danish men, lovers of
their country and of liberty."
Further on they say
" It appears to us of the greatest importance to invite
all good and true Danish men to unite themselves firmly,
in the noble cause of defending the Lindamental law from
any direct or indirect attack., The leg
is
ways and
means for such a defence, are contained in the funda-
mental law itself, and the people are not cnly allowed,
but enjoined, to make full use of these con.
stitutional
means. The only thing to take care of is to inOure the
needful peace and order, and the organisation of a power-
ful executive organ, to demonstrate and enforce the will
of the people. This can be effected by the formation a f
the association we propose to found. It will become
the central point around which all good subjects can
rally, to carry out by speech and writing the objects
in view, and to awaken in the minds of the multi-
tude a lively knowledge, not only of the vast bles-
sings of a free constitution, but also of the duties
incumbent on a free people, both as regards their
power and privileges at the elections for the National
Diet, and in supporting the efficacy of that body of re-
presentatives of the people. Both of these have been
hitherto very much neglected. The central committee
must necessarily have its seat in the capital, where the
Diet (Reichsd ig) is also convened ; provincial com-
mittees can be formed in those parts of the monarchy,
where independent and patriotic Danes see the imp
',ace of such branches, and are willing to place them-
selves at the head of the movement to secure the objects
in view. It is not by revolutionary convulsions, but by
the most pert;:let confidence and unanimity between the
Sovereign and th,' people that our fatherland has arrived
at the happy state of numbering itself among the free
and civilised countiies of Europe. But, in order to pre-
serve intact the benefits eranted us by our free constitn-
tution, it becomes doubly needful to keep
and jealous eye on any attemi.,ts to undermine it. 'Chi!
a watchful
is our duty to ourselves and all s:icceeding generations.
The document by which the Kinister of Justice
empowers the Fiscal-General to prksecute a num-
ber of opposition newspapers, is publis._led now in
the Departentents-Tyding. It states that the rte-
presentations made by the Diet the Xing o
to
dismiss his ministers is an offence of a very grtaset
nature, and appears to Inculcate the doc
identified,
trine ha
the King and his ministers ar
that any offence to the former is an offence to the
latter. This is for the Danes rather a striking and
original view to take of it, and it remains to be
seen whether the courts of justice will confirm this
new idea of constitutional government. All the
interest of the capital is concentrated in the forth-
coming festival to-morrow,
celebration of the
constitution, and nothing else is talked of
fo-rday.
It is hoped that no outbreak of popular ee feeling,
beyond a legitimate demonstreationdy of oops
of
tr public
opinion, will take place. A larg bo
has boon concentrated at Copenhagen. The direc-
tor of the police has just published anr order
bidding the procession through the steets
p.m. to-
with
music and flags, to take p bein Whit-Sunday.
lace before 4
morrow, on account of its g
We hoe already lora by telefgßiz that the de.