The Sun.
London, England, 1854-06-22 00:00:00

HIE BALTIC FLEET.

MILITIA. AND YEOMANRY,
The different divisions of the enrolled out-pensioners
of Chelsea Hospital resident in Londonderry and other
parts of the north of Ireland are now out for their annual
drill, which will-terminate on the 28th inst. Lieuten-
ant-Colonel Tulloch, the superintendent of the enrolled
pensioners, is now on a tour of inspection, and will visit
the different divisions before they are dismissed.
The West Kent Yeomanry Cavalry completed their
drill at Maidstone on Monday, when the regiment was
inspected and put through a number of evolutions, the
whole which were well accomplished. Previous to being
dismissed a number of silver cups were awarded as prizes
for superior swordsmanship.
The Denbighshire Yeomanry Cavalry assembled on
the 10th inst. at Wrexham, and were, after eight days'
drill, dismissed on Saturday, the 17th inst. Major
Unett, attended by Lieutenant Slade, both of the 3d
Light Dragoons, inspected the corps on Friday, the
16th, and expressed himself quite satisfied with its effi-
ciency. The regiment is in hopes of receiving orders for
barrack duty, to enable it to become thoroughly ac-
quainted with military duties.
The Norfolk Artillery having completed their 56
days training at Great Yarmouth have been dismissed
to their homes. During the past week gun practice
has been carried on from the 24-pounders mounted
on the South Denes Battery, at a range of 1,260
yards, at a target moored in the roads. From the
very excellent practice made (the target, although
'only a small object, having been struck several times)
it cannot be doubted that these volunteers would
perform good service to their country in the event of
their being called upon to render it. Previous to dis-
missal prizes were awarded to those who had made the
greatest progress in the several drills, and in a verrflat-
tering letter from the Mayor to Lord Hastings (the
noble commandant) the magistrates of the borough have
presented the thanks of the town to the corps, for the
orderly and soldierlike behaviour evinced during their
two months' stay.
The 4th Middlesex Militia completed their ten days
extra drill on Tuesday at Hounslow. Previous to being
dismissed nearly the entire regiment volunteered to be
embodied.

THE CRYSTAL PALACE.—Yesterday, which was a shil-
ling day, the number of persons who paid for admission
at the doors was 11,252 ; those admitted by season
tickets-were 1,356, making in all 12,608.
SOCIETY FOR PROMOTING THE AMENDMENT OF THE
LAW.—The annual meeting of this society was held yes-
terday, and was unusually well attended. Lord Brougham
presided, and amongst those present were Lord Beau-
mont, Mr. Adderley, M.P., Mr. Baring, M.P., Mr.
Commissioner Fane, Mr. Commissioner Hill, Ste. The
report of the committee, after congratulating the society
on the progress made by the question of law reform dur-
ing a year of great public excitement, proceeded to
enumerate the subjects which had chiefly occupied their
attention since the last annual meeting, viz., the changes
in the ecclesiastical courts, the reformation of juvenile
offenders, the assimilation of commercial laws, the com-
mission on the inns of court, and the appointment of a
pliblic prosecutor. The report was unanimously adopted,
as were also two resolutions founded thereon, and the
proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the
r president.

Our letters from the Baltic fleet show its constant
activity, and yet the Tory Mrs. Gamp—with toothless
virulence—abuses Sir Charles Napier ;—nominally be-
cause he has not yet battered down Helsingfors' but
really because he is not only a brave and praetical sea-
man but a Radical Reformer also. It was a complaint
sometimes made by Nelson, and often by Wellington,
that people at home (generally political foes) were always
expecting victories. No sooner was one gained than they
began to reckon how soon there might be another. They
seemed to think that great sea-fights and Peninsular
battles might be brought on any day, at the will of the
commanders—forgetting that between allies, and foes,
the season and weather, and the having to repair ships,
and feed men, and transport armies, and wait for a wind,
and so fcrth, there must be much preparation for any
conflict of importance, and a considerable interval be-
tween any two.
It was when the prompt spirit of Bonaparte, ex-
hibited at the cost of every nation on the Continent,
had communicated itself to all Europe, that the "igno-
rant impatience" of enemies at home began to give most
trouble to our champions abroad. If Bonaparte, pro-
ceeding on a new principle of attack, was enough to
spoil the world's patience on land, Nelson was no less so
at sea. Never in a hurry—able in critical moments to
seal a letter in due form and order, and to eat his dinner
in leisure and comfort, that his officers might do the
same—his promptitude was, to say the least, as marvel-
lous as that of Bonaparte. Being always ready, ho had
no occasion to stop, even for a different time of day. A
fair wind was, in those days, the main condition of action
of any sort at sea : and when Nelson saw the topmasts
of the enemy, on he went and took or sunk them, mar-
shalling his force, distributing his orders, and seeing that
his people ate their breakfast or their dinner by the way.
Yet this promptest of commanders had to leave the nation
waiting for news so long—occasionally for so many months
at a time—that they grew disheartened, and he vexed
with them, and the elements, and the enemy ; and lastly
with himself for being vexed. It may be feared that as
Bonaparte's speedy ways taught people to expect unrea-
sonably from their own generals, the improvements in
the sciences and arts within the period of the peace may
have made us yet more exacting in our imaginations
of what our Napiers and Raglans may be expected to
do. When the Baltic fleet was going out, a saying was
invented for Sir Charles Napier, which shows how far
some of his countrymen then were from appreciating
his position. He was reported to have said that he
should take Cronstadt first, and be in St. Petersburg in
a month—the ice being then more than a month from
its first appearance of breaking. Now, of all the per-
sons concerned, Admiral Napier is the one most certain
not to be guilty of unnecessary delay. Such apprehen-
sion as there was about him was all the other way. It
was feared that his headlong courage would lead him
into rashness ; yet there he is still, ready, active, quiet,
well-prepared, about to do great things, we all believe,
but detained thus far by hindrances that had not been
duly anticipated. Leaving the land expeditions to work
out their own justification, we may profitably remind
one another what the delays were that our fathers were
obliged to have patience with, in the intervals of the
great battles of our history.
Like Admiral Napier, Nelson put to sea before the
declaration of war was made, titer the peace of Amiens.
Like Napier, be went forth without any doubt that
the state of war wbuld soon be clear enough. He
went to the Mediterranean as Napier went to the Bal-
tic, to catch the enemy's fleet as it came out of harbour.
Unlike Napier, he had no means of locomotion but the
wind ; and no projectiles that gave him power over an
adversary but one that was face to face with him, within
what we should now consider very short range. How
long did he wait off that harbour of Toulon Fourteen
months ; and from May to August twelve mouths he
never left his ship but three times ; and then on busi-
ness,
returning within the hour. The Corporation of
London, trying to be patient, complimented him on his
blockade of Toulon ; and then he was really angry—to
be supposed by Landon itself to be blockading, when
the whole desire of his heart was that the hostile fleet
would come out. He wrote back that he was not
blockading Toulon, but " quite the reverse." His ships
began to break up under the storms of the Mediter-
ranean, and his health under, the suspense. When the
enemy did get out, it was under cover of a fog, in the
middle of January, and Nelson missed them. He hunted
them in vain, and could neither see nor hear anything of
them ; and in March they slipped through the Straits,
and were off into the wide ocean. Now it may be as
well to ask ourselves how we should bear 14 months of
expectation, and failure at the end of the sixteenth
month. Such a course of events is impossible now ; but
is it impossible that we may have a lower stock of
patience than is wanted for our shorter needs t Let us
see, then, what followed.
While north-east winds were carrying the enemy
where they wanted to go in the Atlantic, westerly winds
within the Straits kept Nelson a chafing prisoner till
May. When he got out the French and Spanish fleets
had joined, and were terrifying our West India Colo-
nies. For weary months he chased and explored, over
all the broad and narrow seas where the enemy could
go, and not an inch of their masts could he see, and not
a reliable word of their whereabouts could he hear.
Half broken hearted he went to his own house in Eng-
land to rest. Then came the news that the hostile fleet
had certainly got into Cadiz ; and forth he went again
—this time solacing himself (for thus it really was) by
carrying his coffin. He was resolved to exclude the
idea of further suspense. A brother officer had
given him this coffin, made out of the mainmast
of the Orient, which went down at the battle of the
Nile. Excluding the idea of suspense, Nelson had
its history engraved on the plate, saying that he
should soon want it. He meant to go into action ; and
he knew that he was the mark for every French gunner
and marine that could get a sight of him. His departure
cheered his heart. The unbounded enthusiasm of the
people who saw him off proved that they could bear sus-
pense without quarrelling with him for it.
He was going to give them a victory at last. His
promptitude insured the opportunity. An American at
Cadiz assured the French Admiral that Nelson could not
possibly be with the fleet, as he was certainly in London
streets a few days before. If the American had got to
Cadiz, so had Nelson got within sight of it. Even now
there were delays and suspenses from want of frigates,
and consequent uncertainty what the enemy were about.
Nelson encouraged his tars to act plays and have fun
the evenings, while he kept his cares to himself. It
was a month before the moment came at last ; and how
many months before anything could be really said to
have been achieved, except the taking of two ships in the
Atlantic by Sir Robert Calder ! The delay had been
too long for Nelson's elasticity of spirit. While calm
and cheerful, he did not manifest the old exhilaration
in the prospect of action. At Trafalgar, as now in the
Baltic, the enemy had a good harbour in their rear; and
then, as now, a chief danger of the British was from rocks
and shoals. Here the parallel ends. Nelson felt him-
self more equally matched, as to both skill and bravery,
than he had ever been before ; and the foe were men who
had a country and were fighting for it, as citizens and
not as slaves. However many ships the Czar may now
count in the Baltic, his material preparations are certainly
very inferior ; and his serf-sailors can assuredly be no
match for the mariners of England and of France. This,
however, is not the topic of the moment. What we
would say is, that anything in the way of suspense that
we have yet experienced is a mere trifle compared with
what our fathers bore—not for weeks only, but months
and years. And with that suspense ended the war, as
far as naval conflict was concerned, a consummation very
likely indeed to be repeated. Preparations so careful
and patient on the part of a Napier—of an embudiinent
of energy—justify such a hope.
Whatever may be his next great act, it will be some-
thing to make us ashamed if we have been fancying
meantime that we could have taken St. Petersburg in a
month from Portsmouth without waiting for ou.. ally, or
a thaw, or other needful condition. It is true the sum-
mer is short in the Baltic. It is true, we all believe the
Gulf of Finland to be the great battle-field in this war.
But these true things ate in our Baltic Admiral's mind
as well as ours, and no doubt much deeper down in his
heart. He has gone about his duty in his own way—
which is action, after preparation : and we must see to
ours—which is patience and generous trust, after having
chosen our commander well. Let, therefore, the tooth-
less virulence of the Tory slanderer be stilled.—Doily
News.

PRIVATE AND JOINT-STOCK BANKS,

The Banker's Magazine furnishes the returns of circu-
lation of the private and joint-stock banks in England
and Wales for the four weeks ending the 13th of May,
1854, and gives the following as the average weekly cir-
culation of those banks during the past month, viz. :
Private banks ............................. . ...... . £3,950,026
Joint-stock banks 3,135,188

Average weekly circulation £7,085,214
On comparing the above with the returns for the pre-
ceding month, ending the 15th of April last, it shows—
An increase in the circulation of the private

£45,5T

--
banks of
A decrease in the circulation of the joint-stock
backs of

Increase on the month £27,611
and, as compared with the return for the corresponding
period of last year, viz., May 14th, 1853, it shows—
An increase in the circulation of the private
£33502
banks of
A decrease in the circulation of the joint-stock
445
banks of

Increase on the year ..................... £38,056
On comparing the above with the arnounts of the fixed
issues, the following appears to be the comps.rative state
of the circulation :
The private banks are below their fixed issues... 2657,429
The joint-stock banks are below their fixed issues 190,669

Total below their fixed issues ......

818,098

JOINT STOCK BANKEL—The whole of the London
Joint-stock Banks are now participating in the arrange-
ments of the Clearing-house system, with the exception
of the Royal British Bank. The latter establishment has
also made application for the purpose, and will be ad-
mitted in a few days.

The quarterly general Court of Directors of the East
India Company was held at the house, Leadenhall-
street, yesterday, Major Oliphant in the chair.
After the minutes of the last meeting had been read
and confirmed,

The CHAIRMAN announced that certain accounts and
papers which had been presented to Parliament had
been laid before the court. He also announced that
the byelaws as amended would be laid upon the proprie-
tors table, and submitted to thein for confirmation at the
nest quarterly meeting. •

THE MUTINY OF THE LIGHT CAVALRY OF MADRAS.
Mr. LEwIN again' brought before the "conrt'the cie
cumstances connected with the milting of the 6th Light
Cavalry at Madras; which took plaoe between thirty
and forty years ago. Having detailed the facts at con-
siderable length, he moved ; "That the time is now ar-
rived for taking into consideration the sufferings or-the
military who were punished on the ground of a mutiny
of the 6th Light Cavalry of Madras.
Mr. JONES, who declared that he never heard of the.
matter before, said he would second the motion rather
than allow the subject to drop. (Laughter.)
The CHAIRMAN said that none of the parties referred
to in the motion were now suffering any penalty. It
was true that the sentence of death had been passed on
two of the parties, but they were tried and sentenced
by a court-martial, and he had the highest authority for
saying that the proceedings were regular and. proper.
With regard to the officers who were dismissed, their
families were now in the enjoyment of pensions. He
did not see the necessity of again taking into considera-
tion a matter which had been fully disposed of. (Hear.)
The motion was then put and negatived.
ADMINISTRATION OF SIR O. NAPIER IN BOINDE.
Mr. LEwns. moved that the Court of Directors do lay
before the proprietors the several reports of Mr. Pribglet
Sir George Clerk, and Mr. Frere, tending to explain the
administration of the late lamented Sir Charles Napier
in Scinde. He considered the production of those papers
necessary for the vindication of the character of Sir C.
Napier from the attacks of the Duke of Wellington, who
was capable of any injustice. (Oh, oh.) It was the
general opinion throughout the army that the Duke of
Wellington was one of the most unjust men that ever
lived. (Loud expression of dissent.)
A PROPRIETOR seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN expressed his deep regret that such
observations should have been made to the Court.
(Cheers.) With respect to the motion, all he could say
was, that the directors were desirous of giving every in-
formation that could be required for the purpose sug-
gested by the hon. proprietor. The correspondence,
however, was so voluminous, that he trusted the hon.
proprietor would specify what papers he required. He
saw no real reason for the production of the papers, and
he did not believe they would bear out the impression
of the hon. proprietor.
A PROPRIETOR said that the friends of Sir Charles
Napier were very desirous that every paper should be
produced which could have a tendency to vindicate his
administration in Scinde.
The CHAIRMAN said, if the hon. proprietor would give
the names of the papers which he required, with their
dates, he would take. care they should be produced if
they had been laid before Parliament. He could not
promise the production of any, others.
The motion was then put and negatived.
CASE OF MR. LE GEYT.
Mr. HELPS moved that the Court of Directors be re•
quested to reconsider its decision with respect to the case
of Mr. Le Geyt. The hon. proprietor was proceeding
to state the circumstances, when
Mr. CLARKE rose and said that the family of Mr. Le
Geyt did not wish to have the discussion re-opened, and
he trusted that after such an intimation no hon. pro-
prietor would have the bad taste to persevere with it.
Mr. HELPS believed he should exercise a sound dis-
cretion in proceeding with the matter, and then went
into a detail of the circumstances connected with the .dis-
missal of Mr. Le Geyt from his office of judge in Bom-
bay, but as they have been so often brought before the
public, any further statement is quite unnecessary.
Mr. LEWIN seconded the motion.
The CHAIRMAN said it was most painful for him to say
anything on the subject, and he regretted that the matter
had not been allowed to rest, The question was whe-
ther Mr. Le Geyt did or did not bring discredit on the
court with which he was connected, .and the adminis-
tration of justice in India. The GovernMent of India
decided on his removal from the bench, and the court of
directors having taken the case into consideration, and
gone minutely int:) all the circumstances, came to the
conclusion that it was not for the interests of the ser-
vice, or consistent with justice to the individuals, to re-
verse the decisien. He thought it would be much better
to leave the matter in the hands of the directors.
Colonel SYKes, as a friend of Mr. Le Geyt; expressed
his concurrence in the remarks of the chairman, and
trusted that his suggestion would be acceded to.
Mr. HELPS said he had no objection to withdraw his
motion, but Mr. LEwIN refused his consent.
The question was then put and negatived.
MEDICAL SERVICE IN INDIA.
Dr. BURNES (late Physician-General at Bombay) in-
quired whether any means had been taken to remedy the
injury done to the medical service in India under the re-
gulations of UM, by placing them on a different footing
from the military ?
The CHAIRMAN could not admit that any injury had
been done ; but, in answer to the question, begged to•
say that no alteration was intended to be made in the
regulations, and that they were applicable to the medical
service as well as, to the military service.
INDIAN RAILWAYS.

Mr. SULLIVAN inquired whether it was true that the
East India Company had granted a loan of money to
the East India Railway Company for five years, on a
gurrantee of 41 per cent. 7
The CHAIRMAN said the railway company had found
some difficulty in raising money in consequence of the
state of the money 'market, and therefore the directors
had agreed to make an advance of 1,000,0001. at 41 per
cent , to be red9emed at the end of five years rather
than allow the construction of the railway to be delayed.
Dr. BURNES then brought under the consideration
of the directors the claims of the medical service
to be restored to an equality of pension with the mili-
tary, and moved a resolution, requesting the directors
to consider the pension rules for medical service.
The motion, not being seconded, fell to the ground,
and the Court then broke up,

MORE LOSSES BY FIRE AT SEA.-THREE

SIIIPS DESTROYED.

Since the announcement of the sad burning of the
Europa, transport ship, three other losses of valuable ships
by fire have been made known at Lloyd's, and which, thct•e
cau be no doubt, were occasioned from the same cause—
spontaneous combustion. The following are the par-

ticulars :
The ship John Cooper, 660 tons barthen, Captain G
kison, master and owner, belonging to Glasgow, was totally
destroyed by fire at sea, on the night of the 21st of April
last, off the Cape of Good Hope. She was bound to
London from Cochin, and was laden with a valuable
cargo of oil, cotton, and other articles. On the
evening of the 20th smoke was discovered issuing from
the cargo. All hands set to work to ascertain the locality of
the fire, by hauling upon dock some of the cargo, but were pre-
vented continuing their operation in consequence of smoke
and heat, and shortly afterwards a body of flames buret
from the main hatchway. In vain the crew endeavoured
to extinguish the fire by throwing water into the hold,
but to no purpose ; and the captain, perceiving that the
I vessel was lost, ordered the boats to be launched, and with
his crew, all of whom safely got into thorn, abandoned
her. Within half an hour afterwards she was completely
in flames, her masts having fallen over her sides. She con
tinned burning several hours, when the wreck disappeared.
Captain Gilkisou and his men were picked up the follow.
jog day by the Hoppett, Captain Beaumgaidt, from Arra
can, bound for Plymouth, which landed them at St
Helena on the Gth of last month. The ship and cargo
were but partially insured.
The next loss by fire was that of the ship Mary
Sheppard, a new vessel, G 25 tons .burthen, bound
to Shanghai, with a cargo of steam coal. She sailed
from the Downs on the 22th of last October, and nothing
appears to have transpired to alarm the crew until the 20th
Feb. : the ship was then• making for the island of Catena
ness, she having encountered very bad weather, a heavy Sell
took her long boat out of the chocks, and stove in the deck,
besides doing other damage. After the gale had toeda
steam was seen ascending from the hatchws w_
strong smell of gas. By pouring water down foro. nearly
week this somewhat ceased, but on the 23d_afbArepakiln",
again became visible, and hourly increased. 0 „
down the main bulkhead, some of the beadmays wtheorehreoautnuant,oi
be burned quite throa 0x gh. The t
smoke became so unbearable tha t
vio theship was hove to, and
sioned, all ready insase
the long-boat hoisted out andP
of emergency. Tho moo continued to throw water down
•in copious quantities, but still the smoke gained instead of
decreasin,
. At eight o' distant about that nigh
seven t the s
mile sland
The
of St.
S• E.s. crßernardtuno bore ,
other boats were then lowered, and all_ hands left the ship,
except Capt'
and his officers wchaoprteaimnattnae
pdonorithtein
s par dock until it almost fell in.
oloved off, and the ship was abandoned. There were in
the boats, besides the crew, several passengers, whose safety
wore first secured before the men got in. Almost directly
after the boats left, the sails, rigging, and masts were in
flames, and in a few hours the ship was burned to the
water's edge. The boats' craws were eventually picked up
and conveyed to Manilla. The ship's loss is estimated at
16,0001.
The third shipwreck by fire was the British brig Fanny
of Sunderland, bound for New York. On the 30th of
May, when about 12 miles off Madeira, she was found to
be on fire, and, notwithstanding all the efforts of the crow,
she became a total loss the crew escaping in the boats.
The master, in his protest,, believes the fire to have arisen
from spontaneous ignition of some bales of rags, which
were stowed in the hold. _

ETON COLLEGE, Wednesday.—A. resignation arrived
at the college yesterday evening from the Provost of
King's College, Cambridge. The vacancy
Bis ca
whused by
the death of Bernard Win. Francis Drake, sq., ich
took place on the 30th ult., at Funchal, Madeira. Mr.
Henry F. Burnaby, K.S., now captain of the school,
and eldest son of Mr. Burnaby, of Newark, Notts, will
succeed to the vacant scholarship, and Mr. Shaw will be
the new captain.