The Sun.
London, England, 1849-04-25 00:00:00

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LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 25, 1849.

an officer who, eight or nine years ago, was a boy in
England, who only eight years ago received his ap-
pointment as Lieutenant, and who has subse-
quently assisted in every action in India,
in one of which he was wounded. Alluding to
the' praises bestowed upon the rising star of
our Eastern empire by the Lord President of the
Council, his Grace the Duke of IVELLINGTox de-
clared that he entirely concurred in the observations
of the Noble Marquis as to the conduct of Major
EDWARDES and the other youthful officers engaged in
the late transactions. "My Lords," exclaimed the
Duke, with all the earnestness of genuine admira-
tion, "these officers did their duty with advantage to
the public, with honour to themselves, and have im-
mortalised themselves by their conduct." Im-
mediately afterwards the great military autho_
rity of the age pronounced these emphatic syl-
lables—" It is impossible, my Lords, to
speak in too high terms of Major EDWARDES
and the other gentlemen engaged in those services."
Nothing is wanting to testify to Lord GOUGE' and his
heroic companions in arms the approbation of a grate-
ful country. Their splendid deeds of valour have
been acknowledged by the Company, by the Parlia-
ment, and by the Administration. Their glory has
been proclaimed by the Duke of WELLINGTON, by
the Prime Minister, by the President of the Council,
by the President of the Board of Controul, by the
Leaders of the Opposition in both Houses (Lord
STANLEY in the Lords, and the Marquis of GRANBY
in the Commons), by the Right Hon. Sir ROBERT
PEEL, and by other distinguished members of the
Legislature. All that is now required is the practical
confirmation of these tokens of national gratitude by
the display of a discriminative munificence by the
SOVEREIGN.

Not even Mr. BANKES who, as the representative
of that party which considers it would be most de-

sirable that Manchester and all our great towns
should be levelled with the ground, feels it his duty
to come forward as the champion of every traitor

Sovereign who indulges in the amusement of bom-
barding his capital ; not even Mr. BANKES, we should

suppose, can now venture to defend the proceedings
of General FILANGIERI, or to deny that the atrocities

committed by the Neapolitan soldiers under his

command at Catania were such as cannot be paryl-
leled in the annals of civilized warfare. The Neapo-
litans " massacred thousands of the peaceful inhabi-
tants after the troops had retired from the city; neither
age nor sex was spared. 'Wrecked villages and
smoking houses marked the route of Neapolitans and
Swiss for miles along the coast. The troops under
FILANGIERI pushed forward, firing the houses as they
advanced, burning those within, and killing those without.
Still the Neapolitans continued the burning until at
length the whole principal street was on fire, and when
all further resistance had ceased, the cathedral, the uni-
versity, the HOSPITAL, and most of the palaces and public
buildings were in flames. The ill• fated survivors of
this once noble city were given over to the tender
mercies of the conquerors, and a general pillage
ensued, which lasted from the dawn of the 7th inst,
until the afternoon of the Bth, during which time
burning and destruction of life and property `•ere
carried to the most fearful and wanton excesc, espe-

cial:y on the ith, when the most atrocious massacres
were committed, and neither age nor sex was spared

by the unbridled soldiery."
After the perpetration of these frightful atrocities,
who can place any reliance on the solemn assurances
of FILANGIERI or his promise-violating master? They
both declared that the war should be conducted
according to the practice of civilized nations, and that
the rights of humanity should be observed. The per-

petration of these atrocities abundantly absolves the
British and French Admirals from any pledges they
have given FILANGIERI and the King of NAPLES;
and if, after the perpetration of the hor-
rors of Messina, " the voice of humanity
imperatively called for some expedient to prevent a
repetition of such devsatation at other points," much
more loudly does the voice of humanity and justice
call upon the English Government to interfere now
that the horrors of Messina have been incalculably
surpassed by the unheard-of atrocities perpetrated by
the organized band of thieves and assassins, the
drilled Lazzaroni whom FILANGIEXI and his master
have trained to plunder and incendiarism, to rape
and murder ! If the interference of England and

France to compel a cessation of hostilities in Septem

ber last was right, the abstinence from such inter-
ference at the present moment must be wrong. The
Sicilians occupy precisely the same position with

To-day the Overland Mail leaves England for
Hindostan. It will convey to the northern portion of
our Oriental dominions the gratifying intelligence of
the thanks yesterday voted to the conquerors of
Moult in and the victors of Goojerit by three great
as,emblies—by the Court of Proprietors in Leaden-
hall-street, and by both Houses of the Imperial
Parliament. Those expressions of the national gra-
titude to the heroic soldiers who havz., gained the late
glorious campaign in the Punjaub were uttered
thout any reservation whatever by the Lords, the
Commons, and the Indian Stockholders. Even the con-
scientious opponents of war—those humane gentlemen
who are fascinated by the beautiful but utopian doc-
trine of " arbitration"—abstained from any indecorous
attempt to detract from the unanimity or to diminish
the earnestness of the panegyrics pronounced upon
his Excellency the Governor General, upon the Right
Hon. the veteran Commander in-Chief, upon Sir
jOSEPII TRACK WELL, upon Sir WALTER GILBERT,
upon Major-General WILLIAM WEisu, as well as
upon tha several officers, non-commissioned officers,
and privates, under their command, both native and
European. It was felt that the gallantry, the skill, and
the fortitude exhibited by every one who had been
engaged'in the late transactions north of the Sutlej had
entitled them to the cordial and unconditional felici-
tations of their countrymen. It was perceived that
the two most conspicuous achievements of the cam-.
paign were so important in their character, and so
brilliant in their execution, as to be numbered hence-
forth amongst the most glorious events in our
Asiatic history. The seizure of Moultan is an enter-
prise so remarkable as to vie with the capture of the
'Sogdian Rock by ALEXANDER. The battle of
Goojerat is worthy of being ranked as the
crowning triumph of the brave old warrior
who has served his country faithfully and nobly
during more than half a century—who has dictated
terms to the Celestial EMPEROR—who has planted
the banners of England on the vanquished shores of
China whose sword has so often proved victo-
rious, and especially on the memorable occasions at
Sobraon and Ferozepore. In the taking of Moultan,
it should be remembered that our troops were suc-
cessful notwithstanding the almost impreg-
nable nature of the fortifications, in spite and itenf
the formidable abilities of the
redoubtable
of ch.f-
tain MooLaaJ. In the victoryGoojerat,a
moreover, it should not be forgotten that the grand
army under Lord Gouou, numbering only 25,000
men, were disproportionately opposed by upwards of
60,000 antagonists. Neither should it be lost sight
of that those antagonists were the coalition of the two
most warlike nations on the Asiatic continent, the
Seikhs and the Affghans.
While the meeds of commendation were awarded
without stint to the conquerors of the Punjaub by
the most distinguished members of both the Legislative
Chambers at Westminster, we were rejoiced to observe
that a very express and particular panegyric wasreserved
for the young officer by whose precocious abilities
and heroic daring the recent rebellion was first re-
pelled. The extraordinary genius for military enter-
prise displayed by that soldier whose name' is already
chronicled among the illustrious, obtained the homage
due to his parts and his patriotism. The House of
Lords was forcibly reminded last evening, by the
Marquis of LAABDOWNE, that Major EDWARDES is

avowedly, "to maintain French interests in Italy."
Has not England also interests to maintain ? The
Marquis of LANSDOWNE declared the other day, and
it was with shame we heard him make the declara-
tion, that we had only a few steam- boats in the
Sicilian waters for the protection of British subjects
and British commerce, but they were not to interfere
between the belligerents. For the protection of
British commerce, forsooth ! How can British com-
merce be carried on with Sicily, if all her ports are
destroyed by FILANGIEBI ? HOW, for years to come,
can Messina or Catania carry on commerce ? The
interest of Great Britain, to put the question on no
higher ground, commands immediate interference
to prevent the further destruction of Sicilian ports,
and to force from the King of NAPLES ample com-
pensation for British property destroyed at Messina
by the bombardment which took place, without notice,
in September last. if France is justified in interfer-
ing in Rome to protect French interests, and to
maintain French influence, then is it the duty of
England to interfere in Sicily to protect English
interests, and to maintain English influence. And
let it not be said that the maintenance of English
influence in Sicily is a matter of no consequence.
We felt the advantage during the whole of the last
war of having Sicily as an ally. Had Sicily been,
instead of an ally, an enemy, NELSON could never
have fought the battle of the Nile. There has been
for years past, on the part of the free nations of
western Europe a jealousy—and by no means a cause-
less jealousy—of the increase of the power of Russia,
more particularly of the presence of a Russian fleet
in the Mediterranean. The King of NAPLES is at
this moment acting under the influence and by the
assistance of the Emperor of RUSSIA. He is as
completely under the command of the Emperor of
RUSSIA as is the HErMAN of the Cossacks; for Russia,
Austria, and Naples are bound up together in an in-
timate alliance, and should the King of NAPLES suc-
ceed in conquering Sicily, all the ports of that island
will be, in case of war, open to the Russian fleet and
closed against the British. The independence of
Sicily guarantees the frcedom of the Mediterranean
to all the nations of the world, but Sicily, under the
domination of the King of NAPLES, is the outpost of
Russia, and means—British communication overland
with India cut oft; and the Levant a Russian lake.

As we observed yesterday, the third reading of
the Navigation Bill was carried in the Commons,
after an animated debate, by a decisive majority of
61. The Protectionist party, it will be remarked,
offered the most determined opposition to any pro-
gress in free-trade principles, and clung to the last
vestiges of monopoly with a zeal and devotion wor-
thy of a better cause. They had abstained from
contesting any of the details of the measure in
Committee, being resolved to exhibit their hostility
to the entire Bill in the strongest point of view. It
was manifestly the champ de bataille on sshich
they staked their entire strength, being anxious, if pos-
sible, to render the majority in the Commons so slight as
to justify the rejection of the Bill by the Lords. In
this, however, they have totally and entirely failed.
Public opinion has been too clearly and unequivo•
cally manifested on the question. No doubt can
remain as to what must be the result of a " collision

between the Houses." The success of the measure
may, perhaps, be retarded for a brief period, but it

cannot possibly be averted. 'The nation, to which a
free and unfettered trade in goods and commodities
has been granted, will not be satisfied to continue a
monopoly of the right of carriage to any class or
interest. It has been solemnly decided that hence•
forth impost shall be levied for the purpose of
revenue only, .and not of protection, and Par-

liament will not stultify itself by sanctioning a
"principle" in one respect, while it legislates in
another instance on totally different and conflicting
grounds. Why should we be anxious "to buy in
the cheapest and to sell in the dearest market" if we
neutralise these advantages, and deprive ourselves of
the inestimable blessings within our reach, by con-
tinuing narrow and short-sighted enactments, founded
chiefly on hostility towards another nation, and
perhaps partly on the exploded doctrine that the
national wealth was increased in proportion to the
poverty of other countries, which should therefore be
injured in every possible manner. A. fair and gene-
rous emulation, an honourable and manly competition,
that desires a clear stage and no favour, is now re-

garded as the rule by which our dealings should be

regulated, and we will abide by that just and equit-
able principle, and act fairly and honestly towards the
entire world.

regard to Naples, and to England and France, which Sir JAMES GRAHAM, in his lucid and powerful
they did at that moment. They are still in their address, placed the question in the clearest light, and
right. We may be told of what is commonly, but distinctly exhibited the injurious results of the navi-
most improperly, called " the mediation" which has gatien code, under the various Acts (more than 140
since taken place, and of the rejection of the terms in number) that had from time to time been passed
offered by the " Mediating Powers." That so called since the introduction of the more stringent enact-
mediation was, in fact, no mediation at all. There ments during the Protectorate. On each of the
were no Sicilian Plenipotentiaries present at the grounds argued by Mr. WALPOLE—" the historical,"
conferences, the Sicilians were never heard, and that " the economical," and " the national"—the Right
is not, properly speaking, a mediation in which only Hon. Baronet proved that these laws had not been
one side is heard; neither can that be called a decision productive -of those beneficial results erroneously
of the mediating Powers, which is in fact merely a ascribed to them—that England bad flourished despite,
proposition made by one of the belligerents to another, and not in consequence thereof. The almost con-
of which a neutral Power undertakes to be the bearer. temporaneous authorities of ROGER Coax and Sir
Had Sicily been represented at those conferences, and Jossan CHILD, who wrote shortly after the pe-
i had the Sicilian Government refused to ratify the riod when these restrictive laws were enacted,
terms agreed to by the Sicilian Plenipotentiaries, then showed that their immediate effect was "to drive
indeed the mediating puwers might have been justified British shipping out of the trade both of Russia and
in' withdrawing from further interference, but such Greenland"—" to destroy our Baltic trade and greatly
was not the case. And let it not be said that Sicily to dimini,h our general trade ;" while Sir MATTHEW
was not to be considered in the light of an independent DECKER, with half a century's additional experience
state ; so far as England and France were concerned, of their working, said that, " although the object of
she was clearly an independent slate. They had the law was to increase the number of our seamen
acknowledged and saluted her flag, they had been the and to add to our shipping, it produced exactly oppo-
bearers of an offer from the Sicilian nation to the site effects"—" that it had greatly diminished the
Duke of GENOA of the Crown of Sicily. How then tonnage of our shipping, as well as the number of our
can they pretsnd t) deny the independence of Sicily ? seamen, while at the same time, through advanced
Had the Duke of GENOA accepted the offer, he would rates, great injury had been done to the interests of
have been at the time of the conferences King of the country ;" while the authority of ADAM SMITH
SICILY, and the mediating Powers would not surely —so happily termed by the Right Hon. Gentleman
have ventured to hold conferences with the Ministers " the NEWTON of political economists"—is no
of the King of NAPLES on matters affecting the rights less decisive. Although that profound reasoner (as
of the King of SICILY without the presence of a Si- we have already repeatedly pointed out) was induced,
cilian Plenipotentiary. It is clear, therefore, that in one part of his great work, to support the ex-
Sicily occupies, in relation to the mediating Powers, elusive system on the principle " that defence is of
precisely the same position which she occupied in the much greater importance than opulence"—an opinion
month of September last ; we therefore, in the name that has been so triumphantly adduced by the Pro-
of humanity, call upon the English and French Go- tectionists—he, at the same time, and almost in the
vernments to at once interfere for the purpose of same paragraph, showed that he was fully alive to
stopping the perpetration of these horrors, and of their injurious effects to trade and commerce, and
forcing FILANGIERI to conduct his operations according their deteriorating influences upon the national
to the rules of war observed among civilized nations. wealth, and that "we sold less dearly and bought
The claims of Sicily, however, upon England are of a more dearly" in consequence. But, even on the point
still stronger character. It was under the mediation of " national defence," the great economist does not
of England that the old Sicilian constitution was at all times maintain the same opinion ; and in a
reformed in 1812, and the new constitution was subsequent part of his work he more than doubts
guaranteed by Great Britain to the Sicilian people ; whether these laws had really the effect of "strength-
and at that time, be it recollected, the Sicilian people ening our national defences." He says--
remained faithful to the British alliance and expelled " England, it must be observed, was a great trading
the invading army of MuitAT, to whom the Sicilian country—her mercantile capital was very great, and
Bourbon King, FERDINAND, the grandfather of the liktely
only
b blcroem eh
the
stillA e t
oefa greater and gre greater everyd
es t sdhaeyd
present FERDINAND, would have betrayed the British ntl?e omnoynopoly oft the colony Navigationtrade, but before that trade
troops in the island. The duty of Great Britain to was very considerable. In the Dutch war, during the
protect Sicily in the enjoyment of her constitutional
government of Cromwell, her navy was superior to that
rights is so manifest, that in 1814, Sir IV. A'Couser, on fi
g o(I)Ifa
tnhde;
raerninoftchahtarwlehsiclhl bt.;oskweasouatt
least
equal,berrf
the British Minister at Palermo, declared in the name not superior, tog the united navies of France and Hol-
of his nation, that Great Britain could not refuse, at land. Its superiority, perhaps, would scarce appear
the invitation of the Sicilian nation, to declare herself greater in the present times, at least, if the Dutch navy
was to bear the same proportion to the Dutch corn-
the protectress of the constitution of 1812; and again, coerce now which it did then. But this great
of the 6th September, 1816, when the King of naval power, could not in either of these wars be owing to
tursintgfor them efidrs and,t of themo Though
h the
before pl en
NAPLES began tampering with the Sicilian constitu. gh
lion, Lord CASTLEREAGH, writing to Sir W. A'COURT, of that Actthat of Navigation.
Acthad
been
m Dti
j
the breaking out of the second it had been enacted by
says, " His Royal Highness (the PRINCE REGENT), legal authority, yet no part of it could have had time to
although contrary to his desire, will feel it his duty to produce any considerable effect; and, least of all,
that
interfere, should he have the mortification to perceive part of it which established the exclusive trade to the co-
that any attempt should be made so to reduce the It cannot surely be asserted that the writer of the
privileges of the Sicilian nation as to expose the Go- opinions above cited considered the maintenance of
vernment of England to the reproach of having these laws essential to the safety of the country.
contributed in Sicily to such a change of system as While, however, we would abolish every exclusive
shall ultimately lessen the liberty and the happiness of
privilege, we agree most fully with the Hon. Member
its inhabitants, as compared with their previous situ- for Glasgow, that every restriction and impediment
ation." On that occasion the King of NAPLES solemnly
that now injuriously affect the shipping interests,
bound himself to Great Britain, among other matter,
should be also removed. Every owner should, as Mr.
never to levy any taxes in Sicily beyondth
e perms- r
IuACGREGOR truly remarked, "be at liberty to man
nent flotation fixed at 1,847,687 ounces (an ounce is
10s. British) per annum, without the consent his
ship
in whatever way he thought most advan-
tageous to himself. The stamp duties on insurances,
'
of the
Sicilian Parliament. That provision has beenvio-
lated.oughttualli o
gt oo
fb
Be r
tbi
togethersoh-
whiehSir
w.the
Taxes to an amount infinitely
dotation hare been levied without calling
Sicilian Parliament, and thus, thatcharter
with parties,
the
v
ships should cease; and the light-house dues should
exceeding th fished bills
o f;
lading,all i interference andrfer ence
A'COIJRT declared, and which the King of NAPL be put on the same footing with the United
admitted, would be a case calling for the interfer-s- States of America." The timber duties, that act so
ence of Great Britain has arisen. So much for the prejudicially to the British shipbuilder, should be
right—now as to the policy of interference. M. either wholly or partially repealed, and then, indeed,
we should have no cause to shrink from a fair and
ODILON BARROT 1105 interfered in the affairs of Rome, opeu com-
petition with other nations. If the Protec-

tionists had directed their efforts to these points,
they would have fully succeeded, and the British
shipowners, although not unduly favoured, would at
least be freed from all the disadvantages and impedi-
ments with which they now have to contend.

LLOYD'S SHIPPING.—(THIS DAY.)
LONDON, APRIL 25.—Wind N.W., light breeze and •
fine, but cloudy.
DEAL, APRIL 24.—Wind N.N.E.—Arrd. City Of
Glisgow, Brown, Calcutta; Agnes, Fox, Trinidad.
Arrd. from the river and sid. Miranda, Molted, Barba-
does; Walker, Cokton, Quebec. bid. Helen Mary,
Singapore; Portley, Quebec.
OFF THE WIGHT, APRIL 24.—Merwerle (Dutch trans-
port), Curacoa for Helvoet.
GUERNSEY, APRIL 21.—The Active, bound to New-
foundland, which got on Castle Comet Rocks 19th inst.,
was partly discharg,ri yesterday, and warped into the
harbour, where she is discharging the remainder of her
cargo; she has lost her keel, has her fore foot broken,
and her bottom is supposed to be considerably damaged.
LEITH, APRIL 23.—Wind S.W.—Sld. Mayflower,
(Zoe,* c.
PORTSMOUTH, APRIL 24.—Wind N. to S.W.—Arrd.
her Majesty's ship Ringdove, Bombay, and sailed for
Plymouth; British Queen, Stables, Cardiff for Cronstadt,
with loss of bulwarks, sails split, upper works strained;
and making water. Off port, Kilblain, Shaw, China.
LIVERPOOL, APRIL 23.—Wind N.N.W.—Arrd. Rock-
shirts, Mc Leary, Savannah; Curl Emil, Utrichsen, St.
Croix; Clutha, Langster, Charleston. 24,h, Pendia,
James, Baltimore. Sid. Hebe, Thompson, Demerara;
Sarah Birkett, Proddon, Port-au-Prince; American
Lass, Newfoundland. Off port, Charlotte, Hottinguer.
Columbus, Isaac Wright, Jamestown, Sea, Roscius,
London, Ann Henderson, General Sale, John Bull, Wi-
nifred, Colonist, Earl Harwood, Viceroy, Helen, Eliza
Killick, North Carolina, Mary Imrie, Themis, Holywood,
Ann, Dumfries.
ARDROSGAN, APRIL 21.—Sid. Warner, St. John's,
Newfoundland.
SUNDERLAND, APRIL 23.—Wind S.—Arrd. Effort,
Moulmein. Sid. Wave, Quebec, Swan, ditto; Mary and
Dorothy, ditto.
HARTLEPOOL, APRIL 22.—Wind E. to S.—Sid. Par-
thian, Batavia; Caledonia, Valparaiso.
COWES, APRIL 24.—Wind variable.—Arrd. Leontine,
Arlaan, Batavia; Bolivar, Hager°, Cindad Bolivar,
both for Bremen; Dane, Forster, Porto Rico for Bremen.
23d, the Bolivar, from Cindad Bolivar to Bremen, rut
in here this evening, and the master reports having been
chased in the Channel yesterday by a Danish brig of
war, probably th. Ocean, which sailed hence 21st
SCARBOROUGH, APRIL 24.—The George and Mary
(sloop), of and for Boston from Stockton, was struck by
lightning off Robin Hood's Bay last night, and set on
fire, when the crew abandoned her, and at three o'clock
this morning they saw her go down.
HASTINGS, APRIL 24.—Wind N.—Arrd. Camper-
down, Cumberland, Calcutta ; Southampton.
SOUTHAMPTON, A PRIL 24.—Arrd. Jupiter steamer, left
Gibraltar 15th, Cadiz 16th, Lisbon 19th, Oporto 20th,
and Vigo 21st.
FALMOUTH, APRIL 24.—Wind N.N.W.—Arrd. 23.1,
Christian VIII., Nielsea, Batavia, for Hamburgh ; Emelie,
Buster, ditto, fur Altona; Lord Stanley, Peters, Bom-
bay; Commercial, Henderson, Samarang; Sophia, An-
dersen, Rio Janeiro, for Harnburgh; Mina, Lenau, ditto;
George Ann, Brown, Pernambuco; Courier, Havighorst,
Buenos Ayres, for Bremen ; Christian, Taggenbreck,
Maranham, for Hamburgh. 24th, Broad Oak, Shelford,
Bahia; Sophia El,aabeth, Jorgan, Rio Janeiro, for Ham-
burgh; Adeline, Spland, ditto; Cheetak, Cook, Per-
nambuco. Off port, Actif, Ekrnan, Rio Janeiro.
The Rose brig, from Newcastle, for St. John's, New
Brunswick, with foremast, bowsprit, and main top-mast
carried away in a gale of the .6th inst., was spoken 15Ji
inst. in lat. 49 N., lon. 13 W., and on her return to
the Channel by the Isabel, from Antigua, bound to
Liverpool, which put in here to-day with foremast car-
ried away, bowsprit, main and mizen top-masts, top of
yards, boats, &c. on the 19th inst., while lying to under
a close reefed main top sail.
OFF SWANAGE, APRlL.—Australasia, Cornell, Hobart
Town.
LIMERICK, APRIL 23.—Wind N.W. to W.—Sid. Con-
' gress, Quebec; 22d, Quebec packet New York, John
Hawkes, Boston; Fame, Quebec; Thetis, ditto.
NEWRY, APRIL 23.—Wind N.—Sid. Seraphine, New
York.
SHIELDS, APRIL 24.—Wind S.W.—Sld. 23d, August
Adolph, New York; Olinda, Point de Falle.
WEXFORD BAY, APRIL 23.—Arrd. Native, Doyle,
Norfolk V.
CASTLETOWN, APRIL 21.—S1d. Vixen, Boston, Unitcd
States.
BRISTOL, APRIL 24.—Wind S.W.—Arrd. Feliza,
Smith, Trinidad.