The Sun.
London, England, 1870-05-12 00:00:00

INDIA.

CALCUTTA, May 11.
It is reported that cattle disease has appeared in
the Punjaub.
The appointment of Sir Henry Durand as
Governor of the Punjaub has given general satis-
faction.

POINT-DE-GALLED May 11.

His Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh has
written a farewell letter to Lord Mayo, expressing
his extreme gratification at the reception which he
has net with throughout India. Her Majesty's ship
Galatea sailed last night for the Mauritius.

INDIA, CHINA, AND AUSTRALIAN MAILS.

MESSINA, May 11.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steamer
Ripon passed Messina at 1.30 this morning, en route
for Marseilles.

MALTA, May 10.
The Ceylon left for Southampton at 7 p.m. on the
10th. She may be expected on the 19th inst.
The Bangalore from Southampton, 30th ultimo,
arrived at 5 p.m. on the Bth, arid left at noon on the
9th for Alexandria.

PLYMOUTH, May 11.

The Royal Mail Steam Packet Company's ship
Neva, with the West India and Pacific mails, arrived
here at 8.30 a.m. to-day.

AMERICA.

NEW YORK, May 10.

Mr. J. Rcesing, Consul-General of the N orth
German Confederation, has authorised a positive
denial of the statements lately circulated in Europe
giving a warning to German capitalists against in-
vestment in American railway bonds.
The trial of Mr. M‘Farland for the murder of
Mr. Richardson resulted to-day in a verdict of Not
Guilty.

NEW YORK, May 11.
COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.

Closing prices : Gold closed at 115 ; the highest
quotation during the day was 115, the lowest 1141.
Sterling exchange on London, 109 i. Five-Twenty.
United:States Bonds, 1882, 1121 ; ditto, 1885, 111-li ;
ditto, 1867, 114+ ; Ten-Forty United States Bonds,
1411 ; Erie, 231. Cotton : Middling
upland, 23+c. Petroleum : Standard white, 28+c.
Flour : Extra State, s4:9oc. to $5 50c. Corn : Old
mixed, $1 16c.

We learn by telegram from Enniskillen that the
Lord Lieutenant arrived there last evening. His Excel-
lency was received with much enthusiasm. To-day he will
receive an address from the Town Council, and, after visit-
ing the various institutions, will proceed on a trip down the
lower Lake Erne, visit Castle Caldwell, and return in time
to proceed to Londonderry.

(CENTRAL PRESS TELEGRAMS.)
THE DISCHARGED DOCKYARD NIEN.

The Western Morning News of to-day comments upon the
correspondence which has just passed between the First
Lord of the Admiralty and Ur. Lewis, member for Devon-
port, on dockyard discharges. The Morning News points
out that in this, as in previous similar cases, Mr. Childers
has been misinformed as to facts, and specifies particulars in
which discharged dockyards men have been subject to injus
tics and haidship. Our contemporary concludes by saying,
" Thy reductions at Devonport are now proceeding with
greater rapidity than ever ; the necessity for reducing the
dockyard staffs has never been denied by ourselves or by
any one acquainted with the internal adminis-
tration of those establishments, but should have
been done gradually, judiciously, and with the most scru-
pulous fairness towards the workmen. it is because the
reductions are being carried out in a manner the very re-
verse of this, that even staunch Liberals and Ultra-Econo-
mists in Devonport feel indignant and disappointed. At
the next election for the borough Mr. Childers will be better
abl, to a; preciate this fact, and we fear that Mr. Lewis
despi e his earnest remonstrances with his friends in the,
Ministry, may feel its effect "

The Duke of Manchester's Light Horse Volunteers
completed their annual drill at Cambridge yesterday, under
the command of the Duke, and were inspected by Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Elliot, who complimented them on being
the smartest Volunteers he knew. He also complimented
them on the wonderful improvement they evidenced con-
sidering the shortness of their drill. The prizes for proficiency
in sword exercise were distributed at a luncheon at the
Lion Hotel by Lady Mary Montague,the eldest daughter
of the Duke of Manchester. The health of the Duke
and Colonel Elliott were drank with all the honours
possible.

Great preparations had been made for holding a Fancy
Fair to-day, at the Earl of Mount Edgcumhe's villa at
Plymouth, but the rain considerably marred the effect.

After three months of almost unbroken drought, which
latterly had become very serious, the Western counties
were visited yesterday with steady rain.
A serious accident occurred at Chesterfield yesterday
to four men engazed in pulling down some houses to
make room for a new siding at the railway station. The
men were putting the floor of a house through a window
opening, when the gable end of another house fell upon
them and so severely hurt two of them, named Degges
and Birch, that they were taken to the ,hospital and are
not expected to recover. Another, named Bloomer, was
very much hurt, but was taken home. The fourth named
Bower, escaped.
At a meeting of the Manchester shareholders of the
Albert Insurance Society held yesterday, the scheme of
reconstruction, proposed by the committee, was adopted.
Mr. Morris, solicitor, made a long statement, shewing
that the plan was the only one which could save the
shareholders from ruinous loss. A resolution was
also passed, that premiums due should be paid into the
Agra Bank, and returned if the company should not be
resuscitated.

The directors of the Manchester Chamber of
Commerce have appointed Mr. ohn Slagg, jun., and Mr.
Benjamin Armitage directors, and Mr. Henry Adaworth,
formerly President of the Chamber, to give evidence before
the French committee of inquiry into the operation of the
treaty of 18E0 on behalf of the cotton trade of Lanca-
shire.

Inquests were held yesterday at Wroughton near
Swindon, on the bodies of Miss Emily Kate Selling Farmer,
daughter of a yeoman living at Wroughton, and her illegiti-
mate child. Miss Farmer, it will be remembered left hex
father's home at night on Sunday, and was confined near
Swindon reservoir. She threw the child which was born
into the water, and died by the roadside, where her body
was found the next morning. Tho jury returned a verdict
in Miss Farmer's case that she died from her confinement
and want of proper attention. In the case of the child the
verdict was " Found drowned."

Last night Mr. George Odger addressed a meeting
of the Birmingham Land and Labour League. He urged
the necessity of working men members being returned to
Parliament. They were not properly represented at the
present time, and never would be till some of their own class
were in Parliament. He denounced those Liberals who,
while professing to be their friends, were ever ready to op-
pose a working man candidate. -A resoluticn thanking the
Government for the Parliamentary Election Procedure Bill,
hut regretting that Mr. Fawcett's proposal to throw the legi-
timate expenses of elections on voters bad not been adopted,
was carried unanimously.

FREE RUSSIA.

TC THE EDITOR OF THE SUN.

May 9, 1870.

SIR,—In justice to a gallant officer, who had to
conduct a difficult operation in an unknown sea,
and in completion of a curious episode in the history
of our time—the miraculous defence of Solovetsk
against an English squadron—l send you the fol-
lowing correspondence N‘ith Admiral Ommaney.—
Very faithfully yours,

W. HEPWORTH DIXON.

" 6, Talbot-square, April 29, 1870.
" Sir,—On perusing your work, just published, under the
title of ' Free Russia,' you have given me cause to feel
deeply grieved with the manner in which you represented
my conduct before the public, especially in chapter 13 on
White
Sea Great Miracle, respecting the operations of the
Sea squadron at Solovetsk, in the late Russian war in
1854. You have no doubt prepared your narrative from
the statements made by the Russians, which I beg to in-
form you are not correct. I could have wished that you
had conferred with me and heard my version of that
affair, before putting forth such inaccuracies, which
seriously affect my reputation.
" I infer from what you have written that the Russians
concealed from you the facts connected with the military
character of Solovetsk, and that they opened fire upon her
Majesty's ships which were approaching the anchroage of
Solovetsk with peaceful intentions, and desirous of respect-
ing the sacred character of the place.
" I shall be glad to give you the full particulars of all
that occurred, and can show you that we were fully justi-
fied in the act of retribution which we were compelled to
inflict for the unprovoked insult to the British flag.
" Having thus publicly exposed my conduct to the criticism
of the world, and traduced the characters of British
officers who had a painful duty to discharge, at the same
time I feel sure that you have done so unintentionally ;
but I must be allowed to appeal to your generosity, and
ask you to take an opportunity to set me right before the
public.—l, am, sir, your most obedient servant,
ERASMUS OMMANEY, Vice-Admiral.
" W. Hepworth Dixon, Esq."

" 6, St. James's-terrace, April 30, 1870.
" Sir,—On receipt of your note of yesterday, referring to
the account in my book, Free Russia,' of the defence of
the Convent of Solovetsk against the English squadron in
1854, I hasten to express my regret that any words of mine,
even when wrongly read, should have caused you pain. I
trust that when you turn to the passage again you will
see that no word is said on my part that could suggest a
doubt. The version is, as you say, the Russian version.
As such I give it, not as a true statement of all the facts,
but as a report from the other side,' singular and impres-
sive, as an illustration of native modes of thought. You
will see that the attack and -defence of the convent fell
into my plan, not as a series of events now passed, and
matters of history, but as part of a general picture of an
existing state of mind.
" The facts on the English side are not very well known,
if one may guess by conversations in clubs and at dinner-
tables, and a record from your pen, as chief in command,
would interest many persons. As you appeal to my
generosity' to assist in setting you right, I beg to add
that it would give me much pleasure to do everything in
my power to that end. Such a statement would enable
us to see a little more clearly than at present the reason
for opening fire on the convent.—Ever faithfully yours,
" W. HEPWORTH DIXON.
" Rear-Admiral Ommaney."

" 6, Talbot-square, May 5, 1870.
" Sir,—Permit me to thank you for your courteous reply
to my letter of the 29th ult., and to furnish you with a
general statement of my operations at Solovetsk in 1854.
Proceeding with her Majesty's ships, Brisk and Miranda,
under orders, on an exploration of the White Sea, we
visited Solovetsk. On approaching the anchorage I placed
the Miranda in advance of the Brisk to lead the way in,
for the reason that she drew. less water, caution being ne-
cessary in navigating waters not without danger without
any pilot on board. The Miranda was commanded by
Captain Lyons, a gallant officer, who afterwards lost his
life in the Crimean war. I was on board the Brisk, ad-
miring the imposing aspect of the monastery and its mas-
sive fortifications as we drew into the bay, when my
attention was suddenly called to an exchange of shots be-
tween the Miranda and some field artillery drawn by horses
which emerged from the woods adjacent to the monastery.
With every desire to avoid hostilities with a locality bearing
such a sacred character, I signalled the Miranda to
anchor out of gunshot, and both ships did so about 4 p.m.
on the 18th of July, and on inquiry, Captain Lyons in-
formed me the Russians were the first to fire ; before re-
senting this hostile act, I was anxious to ascertain whether
it emanated from a military or an ecclesiastical authority.
The same evening the enemy was observed throwing up an
earth battery to the westward of the fortress. On seeing
this I determined opening a communication by means of a
flag of truce, and demanding satisfaction, requiring the
surrender of garrison and the munitions of war—fail-
ing to comply, the place would be bombarded. At day-
light on the following morning, the 19th July, the flag of
truce was displayed from both ships ; an officer, accom-
panied by an interpreter, proceeded to the monastery with'
my written conditions. On reaching the shore they were
received by some monks and soldiers, both being armed

with muskets and swords. A monk who spoke French in-
formed our officer that he was confined there for a political
offence. We also learned that beside the garrison sta-
tioned there for the defence of the place arms were sup-
plied to the monks, who numbered about 300. A horse-
man was dispatched with my conditions to the monastery,
when our officer returned to the Brisk, having agreed that
we should send for the reply at the same time.
" At the hour appointed a boat was seen coming off.
dispatched the same officer and interpreter, and they /net
the bearer of the Archimandrite's reply half way. The
reply was evasive; declining to accede with my conditions,
and the Archimandrite acknowledged himself to be the sole
director of the military operations. At 8 a.m. the flag cd
truec was hauled down, and the ships took up a position to
bombard the place. We opened fire at 8.30. The earth-
work battery, skilfully thrown up on the crest of the hill,
returned the fire • pieces of ordnance mounted in the
' towers of the fortifications were fired at us besides. A
desultory fire of musketry from several parts of the
brushwood was directed at us, but their shorts fell short.
In the course of an hour the battery was silenced, as the
guns were apparently dismantled, on which we suspended
our fire ; after a time, the Russians had the temerity to
rebuild the battery and remount the guns, when the fire
was resumed on both sides. Our shots fell harmless on the
massive breastwork which encloses the monastery; the
domes and roof work were the only portions of the building
within range of our shot ; these were considerebly da-
maged, and believe, occasionally, on fire. The battery
was silenced a second time ; the guns and soldiers dis-
appeared from our sight, and we concluded they were
withdrawn into the forces. We fired an occasional shot
at the monastery until the enemy ceased firing in the
afternoon, when the ships resumed their former anchor-
age in the bay. To make a reconnaissance of the defences
of the monastery I landed on the small island of Pesi.
My conclusions were that the place was unassailable by
the small force at my command, nor had I the means
of besieging it, so nothing more was to be done. w e
remained quietly at anchor before the monastery until the
following morning. No further intercourse transpired,
and we, therefore, could not understand the amount of
damage the enemy had sustained. Soon after daylight on
the 20th we left the anchorage, feeling satisfied the Archi-
mandrite was punished for assuming the character of a,
combatant. On my part, I approached the anchorage
with every desire to respect the sacred character of the
spot ' • had he acted like a man of peace it would have
accorded better with his sacred calling. Of course the
Archimandrite had to make out a good case to the Empe-
ror, and he very adroitly turned it to his own advantage.
I was exalted by him to the rank of an admiral, the cor-
vettes were magnified into frigates ; as to swearing round
oaths, I never personally communicated with any one,
neither did we leave Solovetsk with shame.
" I gave the fullest credit to the gallantry and pluck
which the Russians manifested at the battery ; none but
a skilled artillerist could have selected the admirable and
advantageous position in which the guns were placed ; at
the same time I should mention that owing to the nature
of the coast navigation our nearest position to the monas-
tery was 1,600 yards, a longe range for damaging stone
ivalls.
" What would the Emperor have said had he known that
the Archimandrite assumed the offensive by being the first
to open fire ?
" But it is clear that he made good capital out of us for
the benefit of his monastery ; legends and miracles are
easily imposed upon a race who are slaves to superstition.
From the benefits be has derived from my visit I think
canonisation is my due.
" I had the advantage of a very good interpreter with
me, a gentleman who had been brought up in St. Peters-
burg, so that I had the means of obtaining pretty good
information. We heard that Solovetsk was a state prison,
and from your book this is a confirmed fact, and accounts
for the place being garrisoned ; one consul who took- his
passage home at the conclusion of the season assured me
that 80 soldiers and eight guns were sent from Archangel
before we entered the White Sea.
" Having thus described circumstantially my proceed-
ings at Solovetsk, 16 years ago, I have always been de-
sirous of having full particulars of the place, and I dare
say you can testify to the strength of its position in a.
military point of view. However faithfully you have
narrated the Russian version of the affair, I think you
might have refrained from drawing analogies and conclu-
sions which can scarcely avoid prejudicing the mind of
the general reader to my disadvantage.
"'The term convent in the mind of the British public
conveys the idea of an establishment of harmless nuns
or monks ; to fire upon such a place would therefore be
a sacrilegious act. You do not describe the true cha-
racter of the place in its simple purposes of monastery,
fort, and prison. The Archimandrite was some tune
chaplain in the army, and naval chaplain at Archangel.
" I should also remind you that we were at war with
Russia, and I did nothing but what was in accordance with
the usages of war. I commanded a small force in a re-
mote sea, surrounded by the enemy's coasts ; we were cut
off from all resources except those we carried with us ; we
had to navigate a dangerous sea to which we were
strangers ; we had to blockade and harass the enemY's
ports and trade. Altogether I believe it was the most
arduous duty which fell to a vaval officer's lot in the
Russian war.
" In conclusion, I express a hope that should you bring
out another edition of your work, you will do me the jus-
tice to add a note to the end of your miracle chapter, or in
the preface, to exonerate your countrymen from the ride'
culous position in which you have placed them, as I think
that I have shown you that the Russians brought upon
themselves the attack upon Solovetsk. The attack
was not made hastily, or without due consideration of the
unpleasant duty which circumstances imposed upon rar ;
nor did we retire with shame, as you have expressed it.
Excuse my lengthy communication.—l remain, sir, faith-
fully yours,
"ERASMUS OMMANEY.
" H. W. Hepworth Dixon, Esq."

" St. James's-terrace, May 7, IS7O.
" Sir,—Your note of Thursday, May 5, completes a
curious story, which I will gladly lay before the public in
your own words. In the next edition of ' Free Russia'
I will also give your letter of explanation a conspicuous
place. Permit me to add two words, one on the
part of my monastic hosts, the other on my own. Exe.ePt
on the important point of which side opened fire there „„is
general agreement between the two stories as to facts. w
attacked, faile4 withdrew. The Archimandrite conduce
the defence. The fortress- walls were not injured ;we
domes of church and chapel were struck and burnt. "
retired, you say, because the place was ' too strong.
They say the same thing ; only they believe that th?
strength was not in the rusty guns and ancient pikes, bu
in the miraculous portrait of the Mother of God.
" Excuse me for repeating that I have nowhere adopted'the monkish facts, nor have r anywhere ' drawn analogies
and conclusions' from those facts. • I have told the story
from their point of view, as they tell it, and as an illustra-
tion of their state of mind. A sense of art would keep
man from forcing any personal views into another insn'°
story, just as his respect for a noble profession would keeP
him from censuring operations of which he was no fitting
judge.—Very faithfully yours, "W. HEPWORTH DI:KOS.
" Rear-Admiral Ommaney."

By command of the Queen a State Concert WO
given last evening at Buckingham Pahce, to which a party
of upwards of seven hundred was invited. Amongst the
company were their Royal Highnesses the Prince ancl,
Princess of Wales, the Princess Louise, the Duke anu,
Duchess of Cambridge, and Prince Christian. The band
and chorus, consisting of upwards of 160 performers, v(818
selected from the Italian Operas, the Philharmonic Lou
Sacred Harmonic Societies, and her Majesty's Private Baud'
His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales has been
graciously pleased to announce that her Royal Highness the
Princess of Wales will accompany him on the occasion °f
his Royal Highness's opening the new schools for the chil-
dren of seamen an i others, in connection with St. Poll%
ock-street, London Docks, the church for seamen of the
port of London, about the end of June.

- , , The marriage of the Hon. Elizabeth Denison,
daughter of the late Lord Londesborough, and the Rev. Mr'
Dickinson, son of the late Sir Richard P. Dickinson, K.C.6•1
is to be solemnised to-day.
Sir John Simeon, M.P., is ordered by his medical
advisers to the Continent.
The annual meeting of the Surrey Club was held
yesterday at the Bridge House Hotel, Southwa k.
balance sheet showed that the recei is for the year bto
b e £4440 and the payments .£!,020, leaving £420 in
hand In the evening th members d ned together in the
larg.i hall of the hotel.
Mr. HEPWORTH DIXON'S "FREE RUSSIA.”--r"
Emperor of Russia has ex ressed, through Prince Gortscba-
koff, his thanks for a copy of Mr. Hepworth Dixon's svorl.
"Free Russia," which the author had presented to his
Majesty.
THE ALBERT INSURANCE SOCIETY.—At a meeting
of the Manchester shareholders of the Albert Insuraue°
Society, held yesterday, the scheme of reconstruction Pr°-
posed by the committee was adopted.
The Emperor has appointed Count Beust Chau-
cellor of the Order of Maria Theresa.
It is stated, observes the Church Herald, that the
Right Hon. W. E. Forster, Vice-President of the B°ard
of Education, is unbaptised, tit
A lively young barrister has been brought upff
the Dublin Police-court, charged with wrenching °
knockers, and sent to gaol for a month.
Lord Elliot arrived on Saturday at Constantinoplef
to resume the duties of his post there, after an absence °
six months.
Mr. Isaac Butt, Q.C., has been named as the can:
didate of the Liberal party for the vacant seat in the re
presentation of Dublin.
A woman named Hannah Norman was y esterdilY
charged, at the Worksop Police-court, with attenaPtijel;
to drown her daughter. On Saturday night, when
the influence of drink, she dragged her daughter, age at ',
to a well, and was raising the cover to throw her in, Niro
a constable fortunately interfered.
FALL OF A WOODEN CHURCH.—The roof ark
,f.t,
large wooden church in course of erection in Bernar.di
street, Bridgeton. It had- been completed all but plot:t
putting on of the slates. Workmen had been engaged.
this portion of the work, but the weight proved too
for the sides, which were pressed outwards, thus leavi
the roof without support. A number of the worknou
were buried partly in the debris, but with one exceptio
none were seriously injured. It is fortunate the acciden,
did not occur on Sunday. when the church was open
for public worship. At one service that day some 200
children were in the building.

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