The Sun.
London, England, 1871-01-21 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1871.

but it required the most skilful management. It was
necessary for its success that Chanzy should not be
forced into a decisive battle against the concen-
trated forces of Prince Frederick Charles, and
that Bourbaki's advance should be effected
secretly and rapidly before the bulk of
the German reinforcements could come up.
Neither of these conditions was fulfilled: Chanzy
was forced into disastrous fighting. Bour-
baki did not confront Werder until the latter had
been so strongly supported that, in an entrenched
position, he was able to resist the large force brought
against him. So the scheme failed.
THE AMERICAN MISSION.
Genera] Schenck is really to be the new Ameri-
can representative at St. James's. He has resigned
his seat in the House of Representatives, and his
departure for England is now fixed for the 25th.
This is a week later than the date originally men-
tioned, and the delay is said to be caused by the State
Department being unable to prepare his instructions
earlier. No doubt it is a difficult task, especially if,
as General Schenck himself states in a letter to an
Ohio newspaper, all questions at issue between Eng-
land and the States are to be placed in his hands for
negotiation. All sorts of rumours are current re-
specting his instructions, and the horror and apprehen-
sion with which the Americans regard English dinners,
and the attendant speeches, is absolutely amusing.
The President is said to have directed General
1 Schenck to accept no invitations to public dinners
and to make no speeches, and the
new Envoy has rehearsed his part by
declining all invitations prior to leaving
his own country. Mr. Motley has written a long ex-
planation to the Government about his mission,
which is said to have incensed the President, but it
has not been male public. The Alabama claimants
are agitating for their money, and propose that the
. . Government should assume the claims, compensate
the claimants, and prosecute the claims at its leisure.
A SAFE TURRET SHIP.
Mr. Frank Haddam, of the Admiralty, has pre-
pared a design for a turret ship, which he thinks
will provide for the safety of a low freeboard ship
like the Captain. He proposes that the hurricane
deck should be extended laterally to the full width
of the vessel, as the insufficiency of the Captain's
deck area caused great inconvenience. The sides of
the hurricane deck are to be made to push back under
the central portion, but when drawn out, they will
receive the upper part of the moving bulwarks, which
are to be hinged to the fighting deck. These bul-
warks will give a freeboard of 17ft., instead of one of
Oft., and an angle of immersion of the upper deck of
35 degrees, instead of 14 degrees, thus greatly
increasing the st,lbility of the ship when under sail.
The guns of this new ship are to be worked on It
different method from those of the Captain. The
proposed plan will compensate for the increased
weight of the expanding hurricane deck, by decreas-
ing the height of the turrets above the
fighting level. The turrets are to be loaded
with muzzle-pivoting guns on the Moncrieff
system, 'se • constructed that they can be
lowered when necessary, and prevent the necessity of
using ballast for cruising under sail. This system
affords protection to the guns both in firing and
loading. The mobility of the bulwarks is the chief
characteristic of Mr. Haddan's design.
THE QUEENSLAND SLAVE TRADE.
The Under Secretary for Foreign Affairs has
again had his attention directed to the Queensland
slave trade. He has received a memorial on the
subject bearing the names of Lord Allred Churchill,
Sir Fowell Buxton, and others. It appears that the
Colony of Queensland presents the anomaly of a
slave state, or one that is virtually so, in the British
Empire. The slaves who are taken to the
colony are inhabitants of the South Sea Islands,
brought there by force. An Act of the Queensland
Legislature regulates the trade carried on in
respect to these unfortunate natives, and attempts
to provide for their partial independence in the
matter of making the engagement. These rules are
of no use, however, as is proved by the increase that
has taken place in the slave traffic. Mr. Monsen
considers they fail in consequence of the omission of
some important particulars, among which is the
want of an emigration agent on board the vessels.
It is, however, almost impossible to regulate such a
trade. The islanders are tempted on board, in many
instances, by false representations, and at other
times are kidnapped, When they reach Queens-
land they are hired to the planters, and are
sent to work in the fields. The case of the Queens-
land slave trade calls for the interference .of Parlia-
ment.