The Sun.
London, England, 1846-11-13 00:00:00

AN ENGLISH NEWSPAPER IN
ROME.
(From the Maneluster Guardian.)
We announced last week, we believe exclusively so
far as the Engll,h periodical press is concerned, the
publication of an English newspaper in " The eternal
city." The first number of that newspaper is now be-
fore us. It is called " The Roman Advertiser, Journal
of Science, Literature, and the Fine Arts," and is pub
lished every Saturday evening, by L. Piale, Monaldini's
Library, 79, Piazza di Spagna, price 10 bajocchi (sd.
English). This No. 1, which is dated Rome, October
24, is a small 4to. paper, of eight pages, resembling the
Athenceurn in form and size. It commences with an
editorial " Introduction," explaining the object and
purpose of its publication. From this article we take
the following extracts :
" Cur first care shall be to provide a source of enter-
tainment and instruction to that portion of the generous
public of Great Britain which may be resident, for a
shorter or longer period in this metropolis, i%hether in
the pursuit of amusement, health, or information."
The educated traveller, it is observed, is well informed
as to the ancient city and its remaining monuments,—
"But of modern Rome, the majority of travellers know
very little ; and the of glect of providing intelligence on
this head has been as great, as have been the pains to
collect every possible detail, to disinter every existant
relic of the Pagan city. Her actual social state, the
place she fills in the frroup of modern metropolises, her
importance as one of the great centres of the intellect
and civilization of Europe, are thus comparatively un-
known.
" We therefore desire in these pages to supply to the
utmost of our power the deficiencies hitherto to be re-
gretted ; and abstaining from all political and theologi-
cal disquisitions, having regard to the honour of the
Catholic Church is illustrating her exalting influence
over art and literature, but without in the least degree
touching upon controversy, or attacking the opinions of
others, to present the stranger with a picture of the ac-
tual state of things amongst us, and to facilitate him in
searching out and judging for himself.
" In this object, we shall give a summary view of the
recent productions in the literature and science of Italy,
of Rome in particular, but, as far as limits allow, of the

render the que,tion an abitruse point of law upon which
the jury at the Central Criminal Court would be at all
at a loss to arrive at. a clear judgment. He could nit
fee Counsel in consequence of tie expense he had teen
put to, ar.d his friends had been denied access to him.
Ile had brought an action against the he. per, and that
action would be most materially prejudiced by the grant-
ing of the press at application.

-Mr. BAI:LANTINE;aid that the writ had been issued
against the keeper six months ago, and it had not been
tried yet.
Mr. HERRING said that it would come on at the sittings
a!t'r term.

Mr. Justice PATTEsort—But you have not declared
yet, and cf course your indictment will be tried first, un•
less some accident interfere.

Mr. HER RING then went on tocomplain at great length
at the regular system of annoyance to which he was sub-
jected by the officers of the prison, who would never
suffer him to see eny of his friends or legal advisers
alone; and who had followed him even into the grand
jury room when he wen', to give his evidence, and had
insisted on remaining there until they were ordered out
by the grand jury.
Mr. Justice PATTESON -It is not a very usual course
to remove these indictments from the Central Criminal
Court ; but in this case—the more I hear and the more
I sec—that this case should be removed. If the keeper
were here, he would say that this prisoner had infringed
the rules, and given him a great deal of trouble. It is
clear that there is ill feeling on one side or the other. I
must therefore grant a writ of certiorari to remove it.
The defendants were then admitted to bail in an in-
creased amount, and the case was ordered to be entered
for trial forthwith. _ _

Mr. Herring again complained of the treatment to
which he was subjected, and was eventually escorted
from the Court, surrounded by four or five attendants,
who encircled him whilst speaking to a friend, and so
went with him across Palace-yard, followed by many
people from the body of the Court.

BANKRUPTCY,-(THIS DAY.)
(B:•fore Mr. Commissioner SHEPHERD.)

IN RE THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM EXTENSION TO

LEAMINGTON RAILWAY COMPANY.

In this case Mr. Commissioner SHEPHERD gave his
decision as to the alleged act of bankruptcy by the dis-
solution of the company by notice in the Gazette.

The argument used- by- Mr. Pocock, the solicitor, to
the fiat, was, that the dissolution was an act of bank-
ruptcy against the creditors, who could proceed against
the company, although the shareholders had not de-
clared that the dissolution should be deemed an act of
bankruptcy, which they were entitled to do in order to
have the affairs wound up.
The Learned COMMISSIONER very briefly gave his de-
cision, and said that he had consulted with his brother
Commissioners, and they agreed with him in opinion,
and he had come to the decision not to adjudicate in the
case.

The only remedy for the creditors appears to be to
appeal to the Court of Review, and to endeavour to get
an order of Court.

SECONDARIES'.---(THIS DAY.)
(Before Mr. Secondary JAMES.)
SEWELL V. MARTINDALE.
This was an action to recover the sum of 161. on a
bill of exchange. The defendant had pleaded that she
did not accept, but a judge's order had been obtained,
calling upon her to admit the handwriting, in order to
save the expense of calling witnesses in cases where the
defence was vexatious.
The jury, accordingly, gave a verdict for the amount
claimed.

sister countries into which this peninsula is divided, no
less ; notices of the most remarkable institutions of
charity or public instruction, both in reference to their
foundation and present conduct ; intelligence of all the
ceremonies of the church, and in particular of the Capelle
(the functions at which the supreme pontiff assists with
the college of cardinals) celebrated with all the pomp and
beauty of the Roman Catholic ritual, noticing the precise
time and place of their performance ; as also accounts of
the different academies for the advancement of art or
learning, institutions of religious orders, notices of the
dramatic and operatic performances of the theatre, con-
certs, exhibitions of painting or sculpture, and of the
most meritorious works of the several studios in Rome,
and, in fine, all that shall be deemed of importance for
the instruction of our intelligent visitors."
The next article in the papers is on a religious cere-
mony which would take place on Sunday last, Nov. 8,
when the Pope was to proceed from the Vatican to the
Lateran church, to take possession of the latter church
and palace. If we have space, we shall give some ac-
count of this ceremony probably in our next publication.
Under the title, "Institutions of the Fine Arts in Rome,"
this newspaper promises to notice these institutions from
time to time. We copy the following notice of
THE ACADEMY OF ST. LUKE.—Many courts and

patrons of genius, in different parts of Europe, have
founded and endowed acad?mies and artistic reunions in

this city, for the benefit of the youth who gave promise
of excellence in the three sister arts, assigning to such a

competent pension, to enable them to devote themselves
entirely to painting, sculpture, or architecture. The
aim of these institutions is the perfection of the arts in
the several countries of their founders, through the

study of those consummate models that so enrich our

excavating the streets that conducts to the Bracchi Pa-
lace, have been lound the remains of a small temple
with twelve columns, with a pedestal in the midst for
the statue of Apollo, on which the inscripion would
have been placed, Ansure A polline Dicatutn.'
The second article under this head relates to the
" Mamertine stones at Messina," extracted from the
" Continuation of Oscan Researches, by T. Mommsen."
" The next announcement in the paper is that a book
of addresses of all foreign residents during the season
may be consulted during the season, at Monaldini's
library. There are instructions for strangers as to pass-
ports ; the hours at which the mails arrive and depart,
including the Malta mail ; a list of the physicians in
Rome, 11 in number ; the bankers, 5 firms ; and the
English artists, resident in Rome, of which we give the
names only :

Painters, Sculptors.
Miss Chauner Mr. Digby Wyatt
Mr. R. S. Macpherson Mr. J. Gibson
Mr. Dessoulavy 1 Mr. .1,1 acdonald
Mr. Thomas Cromek Mr. Theed
Mr. Tobin Mr. Gctt.
Mr. Williams
There is also a list of the first-rate hotels, 11 in number;
and the remainder of the paper is occupied by about 20
advertisements. These are of a very miscellaneous
kind. A young German tutor wants a situation; Jos.
Lambertini respectfully informs the public that he has
the best milk, butter, cream, eggs, and ass's milk, for
sale on his premises, 67, Piazza di Spagna ; a Roman lady
gives instruction in Italian conversation • a wine mer-
eltnt informs " the English nobility and gentry re-
sident at Rome, that he has established a sale of the
very best wines of the country, the good qualities of
which he can guarantee." Next comes a bootmaker's
card, followed by announcements of works of' art for sale;
one is a folio volume, containing prints of the works of
art in the gallery of the Borghese Villa, by the first
engravers; published at 65 dolls., and offered for
50 dolls. Another is a copy of the engravings of
the Vatican Gallery, cne of the first impressions,
the criginal price of ordinary impressions (in eight
vols. boards) being 119 dolls., and this edition is offered
for 80 dolls. Then the great picture by Fred. Barocci
(figures life size) is offered for sale, representing the
Virgin seated on clouds, with the infant Saviour in her
arms, surrounded by angels ; below are St. Francis, St.
Augustin, and St. Elizabeth, with the infant St. John.
Then comes an announcement of the publication of M.
Seraphic Dubois's work on chess, with an intimation
that the author, who resides in Rome, gives lessons in
the game. Advertisements of servants wanting places
succeed. An Italian advertisemet of a publication re-
lating to the Villa Torlonia follows ; then a bookseller
and stationer's announcement. To this follow two adver-
tisements of apartments to let ; and it seem the Italians
have a somewhat different notion of what constitutes an
apartment than we have. For instance :
*To let, at No. a large, clean, and comfort-
able apartment, looking to the east, consisting of two
sitting rooms, nine bedrooms, and a kitchen."
So that one apartment in Rome includes twelve English
apartments or rooms. Then we have an announcement
of a steamer's starting, with a primitive cut of a
steamer. " The Tiber will leave Civitavecchia for
Naples, on Thursday, 29th October." Next comes an
advertisement of an Italian grammar. To this suc-
ceeds a diary of the occupations, amusements, reli-
gious services and ceremonies of the week. On Sun-
day, October 25, it seems there were to be popular
festivities in the Villa Borghese at three P.M. ; those
fond of art might visit the studio of Overbeck, in the
Palazzo Cenci ; and there was to be high mass at St.
Peter's at nine, A.M.. ; vespers, at half-past three, P.M.
On Monday the museum of the capitol open from two
to five, P.M. ; and the gallery of the Villa Borghese,
from eleven ;A.M. to half-past four P.M. On Tuesday,
vespers at St. Peter's, at four, P.M. On Wednes-
day, high mass and vespers at St. Peter's ; and the gal-
lery at the Palazzo Rospigliosi, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.
On Thursday, the gallery and museum at the Vatican,
from two to five, p.m. On Friday the festival of the
blessed Alphonse Rodriguez, at the church of the Gesu.
On Saturday, vespers at St. Peter's, and papal vespers
at the Quirinal palace, both at half-past three, p.m. The
Rospigliosi gallery from nine a m. to five p.m., and the
villa of Prince Torlonia (ticket requisite). The follow-
ing were to be open daily: except on Saturday :--The
Borghese, Doric, Corsim, Sciarra-Colonna, Barberini,
Farnese, Farnesine, and Colonna galleries, and the Orti
Farnesiani, from eight a.m. to four p.m. To the follow-
ing places tickets were requisite :—Etruscan Museum
and Studio of Mosaics, at the Vatican ; Cupola of St.
Peter's, and the Villas Albani and Ludovisi. Books
explaining the religious ceremonies of the Holy Week
are advertised ; also guide books to Rome, and to
Naples and Sicily ; and the last advertisement is as
follows :

city, as well as the rest of Italy. To give an idea of
their nature and conduct, more in detail, we shall, from
time to time, notice the principal of these estabiish-
ments, commencing with those that are of Roman origin.
The Academy of St. Luke.—This famous institution
being regared as the first of its order, takes the title of
"Illustrious Pontifical Roman Academy of the Fine
Arts." Itis called after St. Luke, because, as all ancient
Italian bodies of artists were accustomed to place them-
selves under the patronage of some saint, this took for
its protector the evangelist Luke, who has been regarded,
from an ancient tradition, as a painter. The origin of a
congregation of artists in Rome is most ancient. There
exists records to prove that Sixtus IV, in the year 1471,
gave statutes to the nniversity of the arts, which had
&ready long been accustomed to meet in a chamber
adjoining a small church dedicated to St. Luke, on the
Esquiline Hill. This university was subjected to
certain consuls, and placed under the protection of
the Roman senate ; but having originally admitted
arts of a less noble character than painting and sculp-
ture, it occurred to a painter of merit, named
Muziano, in the reign of Gregory XIII., to found a
new academy for the ascription, exclusively of the best
1 artists living. This was instituted by the authority of
the
Pope, in 1577 ; but the death of Gregory, and
that of Muziano, prevented the immediate enjoyment of
its privileges, till these were finally secured, on the in-
stance of Frederic Zuccheri, by Sixtus V. in 1588.
Zuccheri, who received the title of prince of the aca-
demy, gave the code according to which it was to be
regulated, and fixed its locality at St. Martina's, on the
Forum, where it still stands. The solemn inaguration
took place in 1595. The code given by Zuccheri having
been gradually departed from and modified, it was re-
served for the wisdom and high intelligence of Pius
VII. to determine the laws by which, in conformity with
its original purpose, it is now so admirably directed.
The illustrious Canova was at this time president. The
object of this academy is to promote the arts by
exciting the emulation of those who cultivate them
in awarding the honour of admission to its body ;
and providing for the maintenance of the public
monuments in Rome, and the states of the
church generally. It is placed under the protection
of the cardinal camerlengo of the holy church, at
present his Eminence Tommaso Riario-Sforza. Its
body is composed of a president (the Chevalier G. Sil-
vagni), a vice- president, a secretary of counsel, an econo-
mist, a perpetual secretary of the academy ; and the
academicians, styled "of merit and honour," of the first,
those of merit, are twelve for each class of painting,
sculpture, and architecture ; and beside these thirty-six,
as many as twenty are added who may be foreigners,
either Catholic or not ' • there are also twelve others of
merit in the school of landscape and intaglio. The
academicians of honour are of an indefinite number ;
amongst these many are sovereigns and artists of all
countries. The academy possesses revenues bequeathed
by different members, and administered by an economist.
All its afl'airs are regulated by a council of twenty-four
members, conjointly with the president and secretary.
It holds also public schools of the line arts, supported
by an annual stipend from Government of 5,000 scudi,
for the instruction of those who cannot otherwise obtain
masters. In these schools lectures are given on painting,
sculpture, theoretic and practical architecture, geometry,
anatomy, history, mythology, and ancient customs.
All these schools are open in the new edifice raised
by the Government, at Ripetta. The academy also
presides over the school called that of the Nudo. The
concourses are divided into sernestral, annual, and tri-
ennial: of the last there are two—one, founded by
Clement 11., of painting, sculpture, and architecture, in
which the subjects must be sacred ; and the other by
Carlo Pio Balestra, a painter, who left all his fortune to
the academy to this end, and in this latter the subjects
must be profane. These two concourses are called the
Clementine and the Balestra. Every three years one of
these concourses takes place, and the works of students
are rewarded according to the judgment of the whole
academy. The adjudication is celebrated with much
pomp, in the great hall of the senatorial palace, in the
Capitol, in presence of the Sacred College of Cardinals
Theof academyoriginal pos-
sessespie
and the prelacy ; the Society of Academicians are ac-
customed to assist, celebrating the praises of the fine arts
gallery
tures, mostly by its own members, every
merit,oi of whom is
pmroosste annhdoinveergsael.
in comapossmi compositions
s butof
or, at least, a
his own portrait and one of his, works, .
..
as an associate ofpresent
obliged, on entering
locality, was in
cians having become too large for the
of
the last century, principally St Id to the Government
sketch of one. The collection of portraits of acadenn-
Tuscany,
and a large portion of it is now attached to
the Imperial Gallery at Florence. From produce
the
of this sale, the associates restored the church of St.
Martins, annexed to the academy, and erected its pre-
sent facade.
The next article in the paper is a very interestingone on the "Popular Festivities" of " October in Rome.''
1 Of this article, which is from the pen of A. Marchetti,
we shall give the substance in an early number. - To
this succeeds au article entitled " Vespers in the Papal
Chapel" for the vigil of All Saints, 31st October. This
describes the ceremonial, briefly referring to the un-
rivalled music of the papal choir (some details of the
character and history of which it promises on a future
occasion) and notices incidentally that in the Pauline
Chapel (which was erected by Pope Paul V. Borghese,
in the year 1616), have been successively elected and
have here received the first homage—" the Popes Leo
XII., Pius VIII., Gregory XVI., and finally our pre-
sent most beloved Sovereign Lord Pius IX., created in
, the unusually short space of thirty-two hours." The
next articles consist of an exceedingly interesting ab
1 stract of the proceedings of the Institute of Archaeolo-
gical Correspondence, from its bulletin of October.
These relate first to excavations now being made at
cf,trboi
whichehr
ne thew
r,
re
fissurroundedlatee:rdravdo(.Professor
to
rp,nriio.tnhfet
edhsbisnyvoertres me ancienti
cathedral,
Terracina on the piazza before the cathedral, at the
summit et' the ancient city, and on the site of the old
Luigi le s
t;
el
arcades,
nhobpes
being
met:
iinll modern
of
:ft. eubuilt
ot steps.
ldescribeswater,
va
ot
Al
erearnan thosedxaaiunnnrgd:
in all probability one of the ancient Thermm. The'pro-
fessor thus concludes his letter :
" Opposite to the vast edifice called the Palace of the
Pope, is being erected a church in the Basilica form, of
a magnificent aspect, ornamented with a portico or
'Theiiave naves,
nterminating
mostin wanitdh
isittshocuwpoolrai.,
pronaos of lonic columns, the interior divided into five
ab
eLa ua tt lit% 1 cells:I ,
of the architect Antonio Sarti. Not far
from this, on
the shore, are seen the remains of the enormous port of
Antoninus Pius, of a perimetre of more than three thou-
sand feet. Beyond the canal of navigation for entering
the new port, in the place where the statue of Sophoclea,
which now adorns the Lateran Museum, was found,
are magnificent remains of other Thermm, with walls
of reticulated work, and others of the same nature
adjoining the Braschi Palace. This city, looked on
from the sea, is very picturesque, and the eye is struck
by the contrast between the red tints of those vast
mountains and the cold colours of the gothic and
modern edifices. The winter here is like spring ; the
palms, cedars, oranges and other southern trees are
[
abundant : but in the summer the air is nut healthy. I
hairy just written to a friend the following words;—' In

" ARGENTINE THEATRE.--To-morrow, Sunday, will
be performed, for the first time, rgia, an original drama,
by Giuseppe Checchetelli, with music by Pietro Corbi."
From the imprint, it appears that the directing editor
of this paper is "C. I. Hemans ;" and the proprietors,
" Prof. G. Brocchi, A. Morelli, and L. Male." It is
altogether a very agreeable and interesting specimen of
a literary periodical ; destitute, certainly of leading ar-
ticles, deaths, and marriages, local and provincial news,
foreign and domestic intelligence, &c., but still furnish-
ing much light reading, coupled with interesting local
information, especially as to the habits, customs, and
religious ceremonies of the Eternal City, in this the
nineteenth century.

FAILURE OF THE POTATO CROP.

AN APPEAL FROM AN: IRISH CLERGYMAN TO
HIS ESTEEMED AND RESPECTED BRETHREN
IN ENGLAND, IN, BEIIALF OF DESTITUTE
AND STARVING POOR INHABITING A DIS-
TRICT WHICH HAS SUFFERED DEPLORABLY
BY THE FAILURE OF THE POTATO CROP.

Kilmore Glebe, Drumsna, Ireland, Nov. 9, 1846.
Reverend Brethrt n,--I take the liberty of addressing
you from an early knowledge which I obtained of your
feeling and sympathy towards Ireland.
Certain of those manifestations of your charity com-
municated through my hands I still fondly retain, as
illustrating that liberality which it has been my lot to
observe on the part of yourselves and the lay members
of your community towards this country, it is now my
painful undertaking to solicit your humane exertions
v!ithin. the spheres severally allotted to you in mitiga-
tion of the most heartrending sufferings which our na-
ture can be subjected to endure. I allude to the appal-
ling spectacles of starvation, which are daily witnessed
here, of fellow-creatures sinking under the most aggra-
vated privations, combating the agonising pangs .of
hunger, sharpened in no rare instances by the afflicting
clamorous wails of their craving children.
Whilst engaged in addressing you thus far I have
more than three times been obliged to drop my pen and
to attend to persons supplicating for one morsel of food.
Need I apologise to you under such circumstances ?
Far be it from me, Reverend Brethren, to desire your
alms upon the terms of an overcharged representation.
Alas ! language ceases to exaggerate where it proves
insufficient to express. Doubtless you are aware that
the most strenuous exertions are being used under the
Irish Board of Works, in conjunction with district relief
committees, to avert the prevalence of such general dis-
tress, through the medium of extensive employment, as
also that poor-law unions are in existence ; that many
private individuals have come forward, besides public
bodies, comprising troops on foreign service ; the Com-
missioners of Woods and Forests, &c., in augmentation
of grants liberally bestowed from the Treasury. Not-
withstanding such is the extent of the sad visitation, that
further scope for benevolent exertion remains, as above
described, and especially in regard of a certain portion
of sufferers, whose necessity is at length only revealed
at their last extremity to their overtasked parish cler-
gyman !

May I then entertain the hope of your kind inter-
ference and assistance towards furnishing aid for the re-
lief of such tarnishing fellow creatures around me, with-
out effecting any withdrawal of your bounty from other
localities whose exigencies may, with not less veracity,
be further represented to you?
And, while inviting your utmost scrutiny, and pro-
posing to supply through the intervention of a local
magistrate and the churchwardens of the parish such
returns as your benevolence, moving under the impulse
of discretion, may fitly ask in reference to the rigid ap-
plication of sums afforded in response to this appeal,
I beg leave to subscribe myself, Reverend Brethren,
your respectful applicant in behalf of suffering fellow-
members,

ROBERT ICING, A.M..
Rector of Kilmore, diocese of Elphin,

WINGLAND, THE NOVA TERRA IN THE COUNTIES
OF NORFOLK AND LINCOLN.—In addition to the large
tract of land which has already been reclaimed from the
sea, a further reclamation of five hundred acres has
been made during the last few weeks, and measures
are now being taken to bring it at once into cultivation.
It is said that such is the productive nature of the soil that
the greater portion of the land will not be sold for less
tF, for the
ability and economy with which the works have been
carried out.o the engineers,
Fulton, than 1001. per acre. The success which has attended
these and other operations connected therewith, entitles
to the highest praise the zealous and respected Chair-
man of the Commissioners of the River Nene Outfall,
Tycho Wing, Esq., after whose name this district has
beensir
Johncalled.R
Much
d Hamiltonit credit is alsoiduoen
Rennie and

CENTRAL BARRACKS IN BIRMINGHAM.—Our Bir-
mingham correspondent says:—" Government has just
concluded a purchase of about fourteen acres of land, on
the east side of the town, for the erection of a great
central barracks for England. The site is on the angle
of the junction between the London and Birmingham
and Birmingham and Derby Railways, and will cost, we
hear, 25,000!. The new barracks will be the largest
yet built in the United Kingdom, and troops stationed in
them may be in any part of England, by one or other
of the railways, in a few hours after receiving notice
from head-quarters. We understand the electric tele-
graph is to be bronght into a centre at the barracks,
and communicate with all parts of the country,
extending along every line of rail that may be made."
Loss or 3001.—0 n Wednesday the clerk of an
extensive linendraper in Oxford-street, whilst proceed-
ing from that district to Cornhill, either lost or was
robbed of a pocket-book containing, in addition to other
valuable papers, Bank of England notes to the extent
of upwards of 300/. No clue being obtained likely to
lead to the recovery of the property, a large reward
was offered for its restoration.
The remains of Miss Harriet Churchill, of Manor-
place, South Chelsea, niece of the poet, and the last
member of his family, were on Tuesday deposited in
theßfEatlEyEvwausßltiinns
laoreNt.'s_Chcuorlcohn,er
eMstmurien,steori
Caldwell, the Tory candidate, is likely, we hear, to be
returned without opposition, the Liberals not being pro-
vided with a candidate, and being naturally reluctant to
engage in a contest under that disadvantage, and so
StE
hILEarCTg
close upon the period Of gener4 election.—ScotonKeh

T.H. SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, NOVEMBER 13, 1846.!

THE NAVY.

(From the Times.)
A 13tter " Navalis," in our paper of yesterday,
expressed a dissatisfaction, welch is probably general
amongst the members of the writer's profession, at the
reduction of complements which all ships of war are
forthwith to suffer. The intimation, however, of this
determination on the part of the Admiralty was not the
only remarkable piece of information contained in our
naval intelligence of that day from which our correspon-
dent extracted the subject of his comments. If our
readers had looked carefully over the column in question,
they might have observed several statements bearing
rather a striking relation to each other. It was there
reported that the Vengeance had. great difficulty in en-
tering any seamen; that the Penelope was in similar
straits; and that the Victory had been almost drained of
her crew to supply sea-going vessels. Yesterday, too, we
announced, in our intelligence from Portsmouth, that
the Mercury tender had left that port for Plymouth
with "one supernumerary." And at the moment
that we were presenting the public with a record of
Lieutenant Green's services and rewards, it was openly
stated that the Admiralty had been involuntarily
driven to the proposed reductions as regarded the
officers in consequence of the " difficulty experienced
in finding lieutenants to serve." Few persons will have
any trouble in putting these facts together, and extract-
ing a moral for themselves. That lieutenants should
not be easily procured will hardly be a matter of sur-
prise, considering the price offered by a grateful country
for their lives and labours; nor is the appearance of the
bargain much bettered by the fact that, instead of the
honourable and useful services on which Lieutenant
Green had the gratification of gratuitously expending
his strength, an applicant for employment would now be
almost certainly dispatched to the Gulf of Guinea, there
to consume his health and his ardour in a task promising
danger in abundance, but which he can hardly represent
to himself as a patriotic service of his country, except by
a most liberal interpretation of the phrase. The
western coast of Africa seems as serviceable to our
navy as the northern coast is to the French army. A
superfluity of professional zeal can be admirably expended
in the plain of Algiers er the Bight of Benin, and any
troublesome tendencies to activity or enterprise may be
effectually counteracted by the prospect exhibited of their
issue. Connected—and very inconveniently too—with
the circumstances to which we have been alluding is the
report which was partially current not many days ago
concerning the immediate equipment of a strong squadron
of line-of-battle ships and frigates. That this rumour is
incorrect may be very true, but the condition of Europe
and our relations with foreign Powers have experienced
such alterations since the last session of Parliament as
to leave it at least possible that a speedy augmentation
of our force afloat may be considered desirable. And at
such a crisis what will be our condition ? There are
ships enough in Portsmouth harbour to fight another
Trafalgar—there are guns and shells enough at Wool-
wich to sweep the Channel like the ditch of a fortress—
there are steamers enough in our royal and mercantile
navies to blockade the ports of the Atlantic and the Me-
diterranean from Dunkirk to Toulon—but when we
come to bring these powers into action it is found that
we can hardly man an eighty-gun ship llf the destina-
tion of the Penelope be considered as rather damaging
her attractions, the same excuse cannot be alleged of the
Vengeance ; yet here is an example of the resources sup-
plied by the present system immediately under our eyes,
at a period when rumour proclaims, and reason suggests,
that we may speedily have to put these resources
to a very trying proof. We do trust that the reduction
of ships' complements may not be a necessity imposed on
Government by the deficiency of ready volunteers, but
we must express our regret that the measure should,
have been adopted on any principle or from any cause
except that of its avowed expediency. It has been a
question, though one admitting perhaps of an easy solu-
tion, whether a very strong crew was not liable to more
severe losses in action than a less crowded vessel, and
we can understand a reduction confessedly proceeding
on this principle; but an involuntary diminution of the
complements of our ships must argue a mal-arrangement
of our resources, or a miscalculation of our means. No
Minister need for a moment hesitate to demand a vote
sufficient to man, fully and effectively, by fair means and
on honourable terms, as many vessels as the credit and
interests of the country may be shown to require. But
is it not now abundantly clear that our present system
is utterly unequal to any emergency? Admitting that
seamen are naturally less numerous in time of peace—
that the prospect of active and honourable
service would allure hundreds of excellent hands—

that war would release the crews of many a
merchantman—and that the coast-guard and the
yachtsmen would form a very pretty little reserve—yet
it must be obvious that this increased supply would bear
no kind of proportion to our increased demand. Three
ships of the line we might thus, perhaps, turn out splen-
didly in a week or two, but what is to be done with the
next ten or twelve ? We fear that our old system of
impressment is counted on with complacency by Govern-
ment and with resignation by naval men Os the expe-
dient by which carelessness is to be compensated and
forethought supplied. Our condition then will be this:
—Presuming matters to proceed in the most favourable
manner, we shall tyrannically seize upon the services of
thousands of our countrymen whose free aid we were
neither prudent nor liberal enough to engage ; we shall
hand these captive victims over to their respective
officers, who will necessarily have to subdue the
ignoranc, obstinacy, sullenness, or vicdictiveness
of such a class by arbitrary and repulsive
means ; and at length, when lashes and labours have
formed a passable crew, we shall send them to face
death for our honour and glory. This is the most favour-
able issue that can possibly be prayed for from our ad.
herenee to the ancient system. If we can discover and
seize our victims, if we can crush them into shape, and
if we can escape a mortal struggle till these prelimi-
naries are completed, we have then got everything we
could have hoped. But, suppose the course of our in-
justice
to run a little contrary—suppose the more civi-
lized state of public opinion to revolt and rebel at acts of
daily oppression and brutality which it passed unheeded
forty 3 ears ago—suppose the improved condition of the
individual seaman to interfere materially with the pf o-
jected discipline—suppose common cause to be made
with the sufferers in these nightly razzias—and suppose
the energy, strength, and discipline of the enemy to
allow us no such law and license as in past generations
we enjoyed—what will be our condition then? And
which is the mare probable of these hypothetical alter-
natives ? We have never been inconsiderate alarmists
on the state of our navy ; we believe our resources to be
unbounded both of men and means, but it is strange that
successive Administrations, while so laudably organizing
the latter of these requisites, should so pertinaciously
conspire to neglect the former.