The Sun.
London, England, 1854-02-14 00:00:00

THE COMBINED FLEETS.

----
A letter from Malta, of February 7, says :
The Triton, despatch steamer, which left Beycos
Bay at three p.m., on the 2d February, and the
Golden Horn at nine on the same night, reached
Valletta harbour yesterday afternoon, bringing
despatches for England from Lord Stratford de
Redcliffe and from Vice-Admiral Dundas, which
are forwarded this afternoon to Marseilles by the
Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-ship
Vectis. At the above-mentioned date the combined
fleets were still at anchor at .Beycos, barring the
Firebrand and Sampson (English), which left on
the 27th January to await, at the entrance of the
Euxine, the Descartes and Seine, which left on
the 28th. These four powerful steam frigates have
orders to proceed to the offing of Sebastopol, there
cruise for twenty-four hours (very much like defying
or rousing the bear in his den), and then return to
Beycos and report proceedings. Rear-Admiral Sir
Edmund Lyons was under orders to proceed on the
3d or 4th of February, with the steam force of
both squadrons, for the purpose of convoying a
number of Turkish steamers and transports con
veying 10,000 troops, gunpowder, and other
warlike stores to Batoum. The Fury, which had
been simt to Odessa to deliver a despatch to the
authorities thereat, returned to Beycos on the 25th
without execu ing her mission, having found the
approach for some distance seaward so frozen as to
render all communication by sea impracticable. Cap-
tain Tatham, unwilling to return with the despatch,
tried to push his boat through the blocks of ice, but
withouit a successful result. The Vauban, from
Toulon and Malta, joined the French Admiral on
the 2611 January, and would be immediately fol-
lowed lby the Cacyque, another steam-frigate. The
Spitfire left for the Dardanelles on the 2d February,
conveying thither three British engineer officers,
who alrrived from England on the 30th in the
Banshee (which likewise brought Captain Brock of
the naval surveying service), for the purpose of in-
spectin g the Turkish batteries and defences, and
putting them into fighting order. The Caradoc ar-
rived at Malta from Marseilles with despatches for
Con,ita ntinople from London and Paris at 9 a.m.
on tho sth of February, and having on board
General Sir John Burgoyne, inspector-general
of fortifications and military defences, with an
aide-do-camp, Captain Coote, of the 11th Hussars,
Captain Fuller, of the 12th Lancers, and Colonel
Ardent, of the French Engineers ; besides several
other distinguished officers of the French army,
who all went on in the same vessel at two p.m.
Several sappers and miners, volunteers from the
detachment at Malta, took passage by the same
vessel for service in the Levant. The Perdrix
French transport, coal laden, left Malta this morn-
ing for Constantinople, and will be followed this
evening by the Provençal, another coal transport.
A third, the Chandernagos, has just arrived from
Constantinople for a like cargo, so that it would
seem that there is every prospect of " going ahead."

FRANCE.

The French ocean squadron, under the orders of
Admiral Bruat, has arrived at Algiers.
The discovery of a Greek conspiracy in the do-
minions of the Sultan has induced the French Go-
vernment to address a Note, couched in strong
and energetic terms, to the Government of King
Otho.
The Independant de la Moselle states that a
number of cannon balls and shells are every day
arriving at the arsenal of Metz from the founderies
of Douai and Toulouse ; and adds that if the same
activity prevails in the other fortified places, pre-
parations of war will have been made on a most
extensive scale by the approaching spring.
The Courrier du Nord publishes the following
curious anagram, lately discovered by a magistrate
at Valenciennes :—" By combining the seventy
letters of the following phrase—' A sa Majeste Im-
p riale, le Czar Nicolas, souverain, et autocrats de
toutes les Russies,' will be found letter for letter,
except the vowel o,' which is doubled—' Ta vanite
sera to perte, elle isole la Russie ; tes successeurs
to maudirout it jamais.' "
An Imperial decree, dated the 4th, promulgates
the convention for the protection of literary pro-
perty recently concluded between France and
Spain.
We read in the Sieele:—
" For several days past the autograph letter of the
Emperor of the French to the Emperor of Russia has
been spoken of. The reserve which we have employed
in entering on so delicate a question may be compre-
hended. But since the English journals and the Assemblee
Nationale have broken the ice, we think we can mention
what we have collected on the subject of this letter, con-
sidered as a last attempt at conciliation before corning to
extremities. It was on the 29th of January that the
autograph letter of the Emperor of the French was
sent to St. Petersburg. It was previously, it is said,
communicated to the British Government. The propo-
sitions which it contains would, consequently, engage
France and England. These propositions, it is said,
may be thus summed up : A treaty of peace should be
negotiated between Russia and Turkey on the bases of
the Vienna note as modified by the Porte. The nego-
tiation is to take place directly between a Turkish
plenipotentiary and a Russian plenipotentiary. The
seat of the negotiations would not be either at
Constantinople or at Bucharest, but in a neutral
town, at which the representatives of the Four
Powers would be asseeibled, to whom the convention
would be naturally deferred. We shall be sober of
reflections. It will suffice for us to remark that the
concessions made to the Czar bear on the question
of self-love and on that of time. In what touches the
amount of consideration shown to a prince who com-
mands 70 millions of' men, we have nothing to say, ex-
cept that we should sincerely like, at that price, to see
an honourable and solid peace re-established. As to the
question of time, it is different, and we confess that we
are not without distrust. Russia has so visibly need of
some months to complete the concentration of her
troops, that we fear she will profit by the overture
made to her to obtain the delay which she may re-
quire. But what every one knows the governments
of France and England cannot be ignorant of. The
autograph letter despatched on January 29, ought
to have been presented the 7th of February. In
giving three or fear days for reflection, in supposing
even that before deciding, the Czar has wished to await
Gnint Orloff's return, the answer to the letter of the
Emperor of the French ought to arrive in Paris by the
20th or 22d instant. If the Autocrat consents to nego-
tiate on the basis decided by the Powers and accepted
by the Ottoman Porte, peace will not then have been
wade ; there will always be danger that Russia will
profit by the delay accorded to her to prepare better for
the great struggle which she will have provoked. How-
ever, a significant engagement will have been entered
into by the Muscovite Governm nt, awl the re-establish-
ment of peace will have chances which it has not at pre-
sent. Besides, the letter mentioned above has not slack-
ened the preparations."
The Bourse was remarkably firm yesterday, and
there was a considerable amount of business trans-
acted. The speculators in general appear to believe
that the new negotiations opened between the
Porte and the Emperor of Russia will lead to an
arrangement of the differences existing between
them. The Three per Cents. opened at 70f. 25c.,
rose to 70f. 40c., fell again to 70f. 10e., and closed
at 70f. 20c. for the end of the month. The Four-
and-a-Half per Cents. closed at 99f. 10c. ; Orleans
Railway shares, 1,105 f. ; Rouen, 925 f. ; Havre,
450 f. ; Great Northern, 760 f. ; Paris and Stras-
burg, 740 f. ; ditto, New, 587 f. 500. ; Paris and
Lyons, 842 f. 50c. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean,
680 f. ; Western of France, 590 f. ; Bordeaux and
Cette, 560 f. ; Great Central, 447 f. 50e. ; Lyons
and Geneva, 460 f. ; Shares of the Bank of Credit
Mobilier, 648 f. 75c.

TA
The Piedmontesel
GazetteLY. of the 10th announces
that the 2d Company of the National Guard of
Villanova has been dissolved by a royal decree for
acts of insubordination.
The Genoa papers announce considerable arrivals
of grain in that port during the last month, and
attribute it to the late suppression of the duty on
corn.

The Corriere Mercantile states from Florence.
sth, that the Minister of the Interior has suppressed
the Gettio, a theatrical paper.
The Cattolico of Genoa, a clerical organ, was
seized on the Bth instant, for au unconstitutional
article.

Six Months at Markham. By an Officer.
Partridge, Oakey, and Co.
A lively and intelligent volume, upon a subject
just now of enthralling fascination, is here pre-
sented to us by an anonymous writer, who reveals,
through a style of youthful animation, the riper
merits of observation and experience. His theme
we learn at once, as we ought to do in all instances,
from the title-page. He does not indulge in any
vagaries of designation. He refrains from bewilder-
ing his reader, like Mr. St. John, by telling him
that the book is descriptive of " There and Back
Again." Neither does lie allow his work to emu-
late the monster in "Frankenstein," or the literary
puzzle of Sir Charles and Lady Morgan, by allow-
ing it to come forth from his hands as a cu-
riosity altogether nameless. Least of all does
he stamp his production with a preposterous hiero-
glyphic like—" &c"—that which was impressed
upon the latest volume from the pen of the Lady
Emmeline Stuart Wortley—a notion suggested,
one might conjecture, by that inscrutable symbol
prefixed to the first of the many jumbled chapters
of Southey's " Doctor"—Dr. Dove, the immortal !
No—here the theme selected is plain enough—as it
should be, coming from the hand of a soldier—as
plain as a pike-staff. " Six Months at Martaban,
during the Burmese War—by an Officer iu active
service on the spot." During the Burmese War !
By an officer "in active service on the spot !" The
bias of the argument may be conjectured on the
instant from those few syllables. Everybody
knows the force, the verve, the enthusiasm, arising
from the esprit de corps : we have no precisely cor-
responding phrase in our own language. Here is,
of this remarkable fact, in the volume before us, a
brilliant and by no means unacceptable illustration.
It constitutes literally nothing more nor less than
a vindication, in regard to the Burmese war,
of the course pursued by the Indian Go-
vernment. A vindication in which the author
has done Yeoman's service to the Company.
Now, from the first, from deliberate convic-
tion, from a careful study of the particulars
officially given to the world upon the subject in the
blue book laid several months ago upon the table
of the British Parliament—we regard that war
upon the Burmese as one of the most atrocious
wars recorded in the annals of our power in Hie,
dostan. We consider it as one of the many blots
upon the Earl of Dalhousie's Government. We
look upon it as another and a very heinous evi-
dence of the criminality with which in those re-
gions we have, time and again, been developing our
pet system of territorial aggrandisement. The
story of the rise and progress of this war upon
Pegu and Burmah is altogether too long and com-
plicated to be adventured upon in the notice of a
bound pamphlet of 131 pages octavo. Besides, our
opinions upon this question have been already de-
tailed in our leading columns repeatedly. They
have been laid before the public too often and too
explicitly to remain matter of uncertainty to anyone
familiar with our views in regard to the general
policy of our Indian Government. It only re-
mains to us, therefore, in speaking of the work
here offered to our consideration, to remind our
readers what our real sentiments are in reference
to the Burmese war ; while, at the same time, in
doing so, we give our cordial welcome to this agre-
able journal of "Six Months at Martaban." Wel-
comed by us the book would be, if only from that
old English tone of fairplay which was foresha-
dowed in the classic days of that little scrap of
homely latinity, audi alteram portent, well-worn,
but worth remembering. In addition, however,
to this inducement to accord the book a hearing,
there is another if possible yet more persuasive.
An inducement which may be recognised at once
after turning over the first few pages of the volume
—that arising from the fact evidenced in every
sentence, that the book is dictated by a manly
spirit, its views, no less than our own, being those
Corn of candid' scrutiny and of impartial deduc-
tions. Any one might have seen, on glancing
through Mr. Cobden's clever pamphlet about the
Burmese war, that its statements might reasonably,
some of them, be swallowed C 2174 grano salis. Well,
here is the grain of salt to flavour them somewhat
more to the palate of the general community. Ap-
pended to the writer'samusing accountof"SilMenths
Martaban,"at is a graver e-say upon "the political
causes which led to the establishment of British
Power in India"--according to the view, that 12 to
say, taken of those same causes by one among the
military admirers of the British Indian Govern-
meat. In the course of his argument upon this
ample topic, the writer, beginning with a reference
to the decay of the Mogul Empi under
review the successive administratire,opnsasses of Clive,
Warren Hastings, and Lord Cornwallis, embracing
the defeat of Suraj-a-Dowlah an l the downfall of
Tippoo Saib, recounting some of our more remark-
able triumphs in Asia from Plassy to Seringapatam.
Altogether—setting aside some of those views we
cannot but regard as most erroneous—the volume
before us must, in justice, be pronounced emi-
nently worthy of perusal, inasmuch as it affords
a picture of the seat of war in Burmah, sketched by
the hand of an eye-witness, one whose manner
throughout betokens him to be a generous, clear-
eyed, light-hearted English gentleman.

AUSTRALIAN AGRICULTURAL COMPANY.-_
The sub.
Australian Agricultural Company
rJotnpany :—" The .
joined memorandum is from the Australian Agricultural
etn-
chief superintendent had held an
stockexperi-
elmitvaete,
w hic
hatwStroud,n
in
nth];
tier 1853. The
have received satisfactory ad. vices to the 25th of Nov
largest breeders of stock in the
company s
ine,otal saleby
auctiontp no f
• re,ent. The sum realized was
colony being p
3,1141.,
-tuck having fetched at wholesale retail prices. It
attended, some of the
intendedthit-tt
in future to hold quarterly sales. The
was
colliery return
1,-
°tuber ; 3,472 tons sold, realizing 3,211/. Arrange-
tments had been made for the immediate supply of ocean
steamers from the company's coal wharf at Sydney."
The quotations frome,
the various cot-dine/AA cities
are generally favourable. On the Paris Bourse there
has been a further recovery of about a half per cent.
At the same time the exchange on London has become
decidedly firmer, although the dealers will still be able
tii send gold from London at a fractional profit. From
Vienna the report shows a further reaction from the late
panic, the rate on London being 12 26, while the funds
have experienced an advance. This movement, how-
ever, is proltably owing to nothing but the eager credu-
lity with which in the present state of the money-mar-
ket any assertions of pacific intentions on the rt of
the Emperor of Russia are received. At Hamburgh
money remains abundant at 11 to 2, and at Amsterdam
the rate is 3 per cent., the exchanges at both places
tending in favour of this country. In Belgium the ex-
changes continue low, and money is 21 to 3 per cent.
From St. Petersburg it is stated that a limited business
was taking place in produce for future shipment, some -
contracts being uncon,litional, and others with a pro-
viso that the buyers may pay a forfeit instead of receiv-
ing the goods. The depreciation of the currency had
now sent the rate of exchange to a point at which it
would pay to export gold, but any attempt to do SO
would doubtless be prohibited. ,
._ _ .-