The Sun.
London, England, 1854-03-09 00:00:00

SECOND TBOUGETS dRE BEST.

All the world knows that the Standard is simply
a second or evening edition of the Morning Herald.
They are the Siamese twins of English journalism ;
their minds united as indissolubly as the bodies of
their Oriental prototypes. Well, this unity in
duality was yesterday compelled to divide itself and
go to buffets—a phenomenon which astounded Lon-
don no less than a fistic " set-to" between Cluing
and Sing would have done. The Herald, in the
course of the forenoon, published a wondrous story
about the arrival of " a special messenger," " direct
from the seat of war," with " despatches of the very
last importance," which were immediately for-
warded to Buckingham House, and had the tre-
mendous effect of detaining her Majesty " for
upwards of three-quarters of an hour" from the
Opera. These despatches contained, according to
the _Herald, news of the " capture, by the Russian.
army, of Kalafat." A few hours later the " alter
ego" of the Herald had to repeat this circumstan-
tial—romance ; but cool reflection had in the mean-
time showed it the absurdity of the story. The
manner in which the Herald No. 11. contrives to
repeat the nonsense of the Standard No. 1., with the
least possible amount of damage to its own reputa-
tion for common sense or pain to its " better
half," may serve as a model for all husbands or
wives when compelled in like manner to hint deli-
cately to their respective " nearests and dearests,"
that they have been making fools of themselves.
" The Herald," says the Standard—that is, says
Mathews in one character of his Monopologue of
Mathews in another character of the same enter-
tainment—" is usually cautious as well as vigilant
in its communications, but we cannot help thinking
that much doubt attaches to the communication to
which we refer. In the first place the disastrous
intelligence is said to have been brought by a
special messenger, and to have arrived last night.
Now, no messenger can travel so fast as the electric
telegraph, and through the latter medium we are
in possession of intelligence from Vienna of yes-
terday's date, and at that time nothing was known
in the Austrian capital of even a collision between
the Turkish and Russian forces, much less of a battle
and massacre which could not be the work of a few
hours or even a few days." How Sing must
have winced as Ching gave him that shock
from the wire of the electric telegraph ! What cou-
rage is displayed in the administration of such a
public self-rebuke for gobe mouelierie! We were
expatiating a few days ago upon the blunders occa-
sioned by the inconsiderate haste of the young
electric telegraph : what are we to expect when
newspapers take into their service couriers who can
outride the electric spark and deliver messacres in
less time than the telegraph ? The luckless Herald
must have been misled by that sad wag Puck, who
boasts that he can " put a girdle round the globe "
in no time ; or Ariel, who tells her master that she
will perform his multitudinous and difficult behests
" before you can cry come and go." Yes ;it is the
delicate but tricksy Ariel that has been at work.
The " harmless fairy" has led the _Herald, in the
character of the confiding Stephano, and the Stan-
dard, in the charactor of the sceptical Trinculo,
into a horsepond, and the latter protests that at
the consequences his " nose is in great indignation."
The scepticism of the Standard is of some hours
later date than the credulity of the Herald. This
proves that second thoughts are best, even when
lapse of time may give reason to suspect that the
latter are after-dinner thoughts.—Daily ,News

THE BALTIC FLEET.-SIR C. NAPIER.

It was yesterday resolved that the Baltic Fleet
shall sail from Spithead, for its destination, on
Sunday next. It is fervently to be hoped, that no
further delay, in the sailing of the fleet, will take
place ; for it ought to have quitted our shores be-
fore this time. While its commander, Sir Charles
Napier, was yesterday at her Majesty's Levee, a
communication was brought to him by a special
messenger from Sir James Graham, marked " Con-
fidential and Urgent." No sooner did Sir Charles
cast his eye over the contents, than he precipitately
quitted the Palace, and hastened to the Admiralty.
—Morning Advertiser.

EAST INDIA HOUSE DIRECTORS.—The election at the
East India-house took place yesterday, at which the
Court of Directors decided upon 15 members of their
body that are to remain in office under the law requir-
ing their number of 30 to he reduced to 15. The choice
fell upon Messrs. Ellice, Oliphant, Mills, Smith, Eayley,
Mangles, Prinsep, Eastwick, Sykes, Sir H. Willock, Sir
J. W. Hogg, Shepherd, Melville, Astell, and Macnagh-
ten. The directors not re-elected were--Sir J. L. Lush-
inaton, Sir R. Campbell, Messrs. Wigram, Masterman,
Muspratt, Shank, Cotton, Plowden, Dent, Moore, Mar-
joribanks, and Whiteman. Three seats had previously
been vacated by the death of Sir R. Jenkins and the
retirement of Messrs. Loch and Alexander.
RATES OF EXCHANGE.—The quotations from the
Paris Bourse yesterday indicated a renewed tendency to
depression. From Vienna and Amsterdam they were
rather less unfavourable. The St. Petersburg letters
are to the 28th of February, at which date the rate of
exchange was 37d., showing a decline of more than 2
per cent. from the previous quotation. No prohibition,.
however, had yet been issued against the exportation of
gold. The rate of exchange at Paris is still adverse,
and gold is now being transmitted from London to the
extent of about 100,0001. a day.
BRITISH SUBJECTS IN RUSSIA.—The number of
British subjects resident or travelling in Russia on the
night of the recent census of Great Britain was two
thousand seven hundred and eighty-three, (2783).
.Roulta of tlite Come. "