The Sun.
London, England, 1846-01-28 00:00:00

JANUARY 28, 184 6
PRICE oD.

much skill and vigour 325 English suldiers. This determined con-
duct on the part of the two commanders, executed with equal
bravery and success, overcame the last resistance of the enemy, and
decided the day.
_

and incessant movements en the continent, and without any notice
to me, either before or after the affair was concluded; and whatever
weight you may attach to my seeing it stated in the English papers,
those journals never reached me, and I had not the slightest ac-
quaintance wills the fact until I accidentally heard it rumoured after
my return, and only two days before I saw you.
" This Is the less excusable, inasmuch as this engagement was made
within a fortnight after I left London, and you must have predeter-
mined on that course long before, and the probability or certainty
ought then to have been communicated to me as a matter of common
courtesy.

The first English detachment, under the command of Captain
Sullivan, had been received
en lauding by a heavy fire of musketry
from the enemy In ambush in an adjoining wood, but the arrival of
the rest of the troops, under the orders of Lieutenant Hindle, quickly
put the enemy to flight, notwithstandMg the efforts of their cavalry,
which were charging and ruthlessly slaughtering the Englisd infantry.
Captain Trehouart having likewise landed with his men, shortly
after joined the English, and took possession of the batteries, on
the.enemy discontinued further resistance. '
On the morning of the 21st additional forces landed, and completed
the destruction of the batteries. The gun carriages wen. destroyed,
and the guns broken or cast Into the river. Ten bronzed cannon
only were preserved, and shipped on board the combined squadron.
All this day the allied forces remained ashore without being in the
leant disturbed.
It was during the nottest part of this remarkable engagement that
Captain Hethani wrote to his colleague, Captain Trehouart, the
words underneath quoted—words equally honourable to the writer
and to the party addressed—" If the title of brave' has ever bee',
dese-ved, it is by you and your crews." "Si le titre de brave ; a ja-
mai. etc merite e'est par vows et ves equipages."
The engagement with the batteries began at 10 A.M., and lasted
till 5 rad., during which time there was au incessant firing. Front
5 to 7 P.M., the landing and the destruction of the works took place.
The loss of the combined forces is—French, 18 dead and 7
wounded. Among the dead, Micbaud, officer of the St. Martin.
Amotg the wounded, the officers are—hello. same ship ; Venieis, of
the Pandour ; Simmonneuu, Expeditive ; and Daviel, Fultdu. The
English lost-10 dead and 25 wounded, rand among the former are to o
officers, Lieutenant Brigdale, Firebrand; and Andrews, Dolphin.
The Fulton has received 104 shot, the Dolphin 107. The St. Martin
has been literally drilled. Captain Trehouart had only one officer on
board, and half the crew hors de combat, or 44 to 96.
The loss of the enemy cannot be ascertained, carts being constantly
employed to remove the dead and wounded : it must be considerab:e.
In two batteries only there were found 403 dead, 25 i In one and 150
in the other. Private letters state that the neighbouring woods
contain many dead.
The battle of Obligado is the more honourable to the two services
ln that it was not ships of the line and frigates, but merely brigs, and
even smaller vessels, which advanced against batteries wall served,
wel mounted, and well defended by retrenchments and works pre-
pared for three months previously, and which were fought bravely
for seven consecutive hours.

" In spite of my addition to your salary last year to prevent yon
sharing your time with another establishment, I did not object to
your proposition of another increase of salary for the present year.
For, notwithstanding the salary you derive from your appeintmeut,
the patronage and profit of it leads to in concert.,.lessons, cud from
ether sources, I consider that sacrifice .of money cannot be
balanced against the vital interests of the theatre, nor could any
consideration induce me to reduce this establishment below the level
of the most insignificant theatres on the Continent, each of which
has the exclusive services of a musical director. Nor can I reconcile
your complaints of having too touch to do in one establishment with
your acceptance of onerous duties in another.

" Under these circumstances, I have been obliged to take mea-
sures tbr securing the services of a musical director, though I greatly
regret your secession from the theatre, ar.d, more so, that it should
take place under such circumstaner3. It does not, however, prevent
me wishing you success in the servi.,e °fa% institution of so admira-
ble a tendency as that to which you are now devoting your time.
(Signed) " B. LUMLEY."

SIR ROBERT PEEL'S NEW TARIFF

FROM THE MORNING PAPERS OF THIS DAY.
POST.— Sir Robert Peel's plan is now before the country. We give
the details above, but the broad fact to be kept in view is, that the
Ministerial scheme involves absolute free trade in corn at the end of
three years. That all men of common sense and sound principle
will oppose this new device of the enemy, we assume. It cannot be
o: hervvise. But the opposition must be quick as well as vigorous.
All the reprieve that could be wrung from Sir Robert Peel is till
Monday the 9th of February, when he will positively bring forward
his odious measure for discussion. Everything, therefore,
must be
done before that day; and, above all, unity on the one great point
must be the object. Hencetbrth there must be no old-world dis-
tinction between Whig and Tory; the battle lies between Protec-
tionist and l'ofon-Protectionist. The tone given by agricultural
Members last night ought to be the one adopted by the country—
stern and uncompromising opposition to the scheme under all circum-
stances, accompanied by a protest against the fitness of the present
House of Commons to entertain it. If the Minister persist in his
measuie, the nation must demand a dissolution of Parliament.
TIMES.—The long-expected project wl.tch has been the occasion
of so many Ministerial revolutions,, public controversies, and secret-
struggles, is now before the world, and, as tar as merely concerns
what is called the great question of the day, it will not disappoint
the expectations of those who hoped for something great, comprehen-
sive, and bold. Never, should we think, did it fall to the lot of a
I Minister to propose a larger scheme. • Never did the proiperity of a
nation give scope for so liberal a policy, and certainly it is not every
day that we meet with men ads enturous enough to seize that oppor-
tunity. Viewing Sir Robert PeePB plan simply in its commercial
bearings, to which it is necessary now to confine our attention, it
amounts to an abolition of all protective duties. If in one point there
has been a shadow of a compromise—a concession for concession
sake, the Minister has amply avenged that enforced blot in his mea-
sure by the universal character of the revolution. We cannot but ad-
mire the dexterity which has responded to the general feeling that the
whole protective system is practically involved in the protective duties
on corn. And now for the important questiou, is the agriculturist to be
allowed compensation, as he claims, after the example of the planter ?
Indeed he is. We could almost wish that 20,000,0001. were given
him out of hand, to get rid of the grievance at once. But all Eng-
land is scarcely enough. • It makes one nervous to contemplate the
social revolutions to be wrought under the name of agricultural com-
pensation. Everything is to be changed into compensation. Free
trade, ce3thes, boots, shoes and stockings, sugar, and each small
things are not enough. As for Ireland, we are forthwitk to enjoy the
first fruits of Lord Devon's Commission, by paying the whole expense
of the constabularyforce.
HERALD.—We have hitherto declined offering any decided
opinion upon Sir R. Peel's measures until the statement made by
the Minister himself on Tuesday night should have appeared. But
Tuesday has come, and we do not feel at liberty to pronounce a
" decided opinion upon the measure." Let us not, however, be mis-
taken : we affect not to deny that se far as it is possible to judge as
yet, the measure is uncalled for, and inconsistent with the principle
upon which the present Ministry assumed office. This fact was ad-
mitted by Sir R. Peel himself when he claimed the right of availing
himself of his experience during the last three years. But we decline
entering at present into a discussion of the question, and chiefly on
the ground that it would be impossible, without doing injustiee to the
Minister, to offer an opinion upon a measure not yet viewed in all its
bearings. Before a correct idea of the effect of the intended changes
can be attained, it will be necessary to consider what operation they
will have generally upon the interests of the country.
CHRONICLE.—Sir Robert Peel's plan is at length before the
country. As he had given us reason to expect from both her Ma-
jesty's speech and his own, it comprises more than a simple settle-
ment of the corn question. It touches all the great divisions of our
tariff, and applies to all the same large principles of free trade. For
the benefit of the entire community it deals vigorously with what is
called the protection of certain great interests; but those who ima-
gine that they are to suffer by the withdrawal of that protection al e
to find their -just and true compensation in the universal
application of the principle, and the relief which they
will thus obtain as consumers. We cannot say that we
are in every instance satisfied with the application of the
principle. In the case of foreign brandy we must regret that the
Treasury enters into what looks likely to be an ineffectual competi-
lion with the smuggler, marring its praiseworthy purpose by the
timidity of its reductions. In the case of sugar, we must still more
strongly object to the maintenance of the absurddistinction between
the produce of slave and free labour. While Sir Robert Peel was
bidding adieu to so many of his former errors, and subjecting himself
to the charge of inconsistency, it is to be lamented that he should
parade his constancy to about the most flimsy fallacy of his days of
darkness. Nor can we understand why in a plan which provides for
the extinction of all other restrictions on the importation of food,
an exception is made by the continuance of a somewhat high duty on
butter and cheese. Taking it, however, with all its shortcomings
and faults, the plan proposed by Sir Robert Peel is one worthy of
the favourable acceptance and energetic snpport of the Liberal party.

This victory will destroy the prestige which has hitherto favoured
liosas, and will open to the two intervening Powers a great work of
civilisation.

The thoraughly cordial understanding which has uninterruptedly
existed between the civil representatives and the naval and military
chiefs of the allies, tqe energetic conduct of their squadrons, and the
complete union and mutual loyalty with which, on this occasion they
co-o?erated, are certain guarantees of ultimate and early success.