The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-25 00:00:00

sent thence 270,387---au ext Ent of correspondence
probably without a preneden it. This vast amount
of business is consequecit t t, uon the execution of
laws passed during and subs equent to the year
1853, viz :—The Pension- At 3t, of 3d February,
1853 ; and the Bounty La.ld Law, of 3tl March,
1855 ; and the Amendatory- Act, of 14th May,
1856.

the Patent
OffiScinecehatsheisiSaut ayedd2,o2fssjpaaatut rani3ts';lasantd within the
itear the number will probably be _lncreased to some
2,500.
During the present year, the appropriation to
the Commissioner of Patents, for pro curing agri-
dcaoliltaurs.ral Eltaitleist 105,000
tion are declared to be " the collection of, agricul-
tural statistics, investigatioet for promoting agri-
culture and rural economy, icid the procurement
and distribution of cuttings and seeds." In pursu-
ance o 7 the design of Cougrets a easures have been
taken to procure cuttings and seer's from every part
of the globe, where any nee, pros% ct can be found,
which is likely to prove useful in ort y portion of the
United States. Many new prodactions of great
probable utility have thus been introduced, and
others are being sought for, whereverthere is any
prospect of success. A vessel has ju: tit been sent to
South America to procure cuttings tef the sugar
cane, to furnish our southern planters with a fresh
stuck, to supply the place of that which it is sup-
posed has deterierated by continued cultivation,
without renovation from the indig,enotts plteut.
The Sesretary recommends additional ina move-
ments to be made at Washington. He sivs :
" The public grounds in the city of Washington
hays Le n extervively improved and beautifi d, but
still as much has not 'seen dune as is required-
Within a few past years Congress has, in this re-
gard, been more than usually liberal, but far from
lavish. The comfort, health, and convenience, not;
merely of the citizens, but of the members them-
..,elves, and all the functionaries of the government,
and every visitor to this city, demand that much.
larger expenditure should be made. When the
aviueY is Judiciously expended, no one can object
to its application. The whole nation is interested in
the national metropolis, and the people will sanction
any thine relating to its improvement which is neces-
sary aid constitutional. a e thing is certain, these
improvements will eventually be made by the
goveinn eat, and being merely a question of time
an over& wing treasury suggests this as the proper
period."
During the present administration there have
been negotiated 52 Indian treaties. Of these, 32
have been ratified fey the Senate and 20 yet re-
main to be acted on. By these treaties the Indian
title has been exeiuguislied to and reacquisitions
made of lands, amoun ing in Vie aggregate to
174,184,71 e acres ; of whim' about 52,000,000 are
inoin.led in the ratified treaties, and about
122,00'0,000 (ores are secured by those now before
the &awe, besi ?es 19,343,800 acres which have
been reservett for Indian purposes. The aggregate
Money consideration involved is 11,184,203 dole.
80 cents.

The Secretary speaks highly of the Indian race,
a`trtbutes their faults chiefly to the cruelty prac-
tis:d upon them IT unprincipled white men, and
recommends p-trseverauce in the police of endea-
vouring to eivili a and christianise, and the invio-
late maintenance of the colonial reservations, in
which manual labour schools should be introduced,
where the mechanical arts may be taught, agricul-
tural scieue'', with its practical applic alio a, perse-
veringly incioeitJed by precept and example.
SEMETARY OF THE NAVY'S REPORT.
The report uf the Secretary of the Navy gives a
detailed view of the operations of the navy during
last year, and its present strength. Among the
recommendations are the following :—For another
squadron in the Pacific, rendered necessary by an
extending commerce • the adoption of the English
and French system of gunnery on practice ships,
and ter the lie:leach of small steamers to survey
the Guaro lsdlnds, on which Commed,ire Mervine
male an unsatisfactory report. The Secretary re-
g.trds the construction of the six war steamers as
mauguratieg a new era in the naval service, and
repeats his former recommendation for building
steam sloop; of war of small craft.
The sending out of seamen to relieve distant
crews is spoken of as an experiment, and will be
continued if it sha:l week' well. The Secretary
likewise recernmends assistant-I ursers with mode-
rate compensation.

SEC TALLY OF WAR'S LEPORT.
The felluwilig ;distract from the report of the
Secr..tary of from the New York Herald.
We have not seen the document in extenso:—

" The authorise' strength of the army is now
15;891 men. Tile actual strength at the date of
!lie returns, July 1, 1856, was 15,562. The num-
ber of enlistments made during the twelve mouths
ending September 30, 1856, was 4,140. The num-
: her of offers r.Zust-11 on account of minority and
untLness for service was 5,59 t. Tle number of
casualties during the same time was 6,696, of
whom 3,223 r.,..0 by desertion.
" All the Indian troubles in the West have
ceased, exeqa with the Cheyennes.
"The (LspositiHn of the troops is given in detail.
" It is recommended to extinguish the possessory
rights of Liao Hudson Bay Company, as they owe no
diegiance to our Giivernmeut, and they would be
disposed to exercise a powerful influence among
the Indians against our people if occasion required.
"A vi' eron4 campaign 438 been projected against
the Floridaindians, G6neral Harney commanding
the military posts.
"Much spice is devoed to the consideration of
the_pre:.ent system of military posts on the western
frontiers, 'and a complete revolution of the whole
system is urged. The expenses at present are
enormous, without any corresponding benefit to
fao country or frontier. . _

" The ;:-eat number of resignations in the army
show the necessi'y for an increase of pay. It evi-
dences a policy injurious to professional pride,
while the hitt.: snrvice and frontier stations of the
officers require of them' sacrifices which no other
officers or toe Government are called upon to make.
Toe expense of living has Wen greatly augmented,
and the pay is about the same as it was fifty years
ago. It is bad economy (the report continues) to
drive the active and intelligent from the sorvico
which they ado: n."

ATTACK BY GAROTTERS AND SUCCESSFUL
RESISTANCE.

The garotters and burglars are beginning to gat the
worst of it. A few months such successful efforts in re-
sistance as we have had lately, and we shall not hear of so
many of these dastardly attacks. We have much pleasure
in recording that an attack by highway robbers, on Tuesday
evening, upon Mr. Charles Ward, of the Vine Hotel
lotel Tom-
cross-lane, Sheffield, was successfully repelled by that aen
tleman in such a way as to give the robbers a "taster:f
their own quality." Early in the afternoon fir,wentilar-dbyo spend trainthe Christmas
children
there, hre
teo.
Masbro
From Masbro' for the
purpose of taking them to the house of his sister at Greas-
bro,' ro, to
they all walked to Greasbro,' where the
and Mr. Ward prepared to return about 5'
arrive
o'cd in safety,
.
Ward's sister warned him that several
lock. Mr
stopped by robbers on the road betweenpersons had been
Masbro.' Mr. Ward, for the purpose Greasbro' and
cepted a stout walking-stick, and, of self-defence, ao-
walk back to Masbro,' whence he intended) tints armed, set out to
ee
6 o'clock train to Sheffield. At to return by the
near the farm which hensad 13 a lonely spot on the road,
the footpath, to whom s • arbot Hall, he met a man cn
no reply Mr. Ward's Flu said " Good night." Receiving
walked on quickly, keeping Sicions were aroused, a a
had gone a short distance he saw another man advancing
on his way, and the fe°PPosite side attic) r • oad Ho kept
so ethin
about its being a llow approached, B,Vil?g ~a ' Yes,
is ;" and the fine !light. Mr. Ward replied
man .._ . you got any
money?" .. y "umedrately askP . IVard "do
es, I hay " 01l replied Mr. ,
low. want it rte y e, co y
•ve it me," said the fel-
Air. Ward, es, you m
c uls:isgistick close up against his
side, so that in thevficlaorkatrhrOeman could not see it) at once,
with great press of mind, resolved upon the course to
pursue. He tosaid the robber, " Suppose I give you the
money, will me ?" " No, replied the fellow,
ei,,„„ You not hurt
- - Ino all you have got, and I will not hurt you."
Whrle
this Was pas,ing, Mr. Ward, in order to throw the
fellow off his guard, pretended to be unbuttoning his coat
to take out his money; but suddenly, going back a step or
two, be raised the handle end cf his stick, and dealt the
robber a tremendous blow on the side of the head,
Which precipitated him to the ground. Immediately,
the man whom Mr. Ward had first met, and who
no doubt bad been lurking close by to assist his corn-
pan *c, , came up and attacked Mr. Ward. He seized Mr.
Wardin before he could strike with his stick, a struggle en-
sued, and they fell together. Mr. Ward, however, who is a
powerful,
muscular man, got the best of the conflict. He
beat
the robber at his own game. Seizing the ruffian by
the threat,
be favoured him with such a squeeze as would
give a himpractical notion of the pleasures of being ga-
rotted ,
• and then, when the man relaxed his hold, he got
up, took to his heels, and made the best of his ray to Mail-
hr.,o' li. ,NV lch he reached ti me enough to start by the six
o'clock train. The other fellow had no doubt been ren-
dered insensible by the blow on the head, for he never
stirred while Mr. Ward remained on the spot. Mr: Ward
was covered with dirt and much exhausted ; but the only
injury he received was a bruise ou the back. In the e
missive darkness of the night Mr. Ward did not very I.
e*
tinctly see the features of his assailants, and it is doubtful-i
whether he will be able to identify them.

A painful accident is stated by the Brussels journals
to have befallen M. Nothomb, the Belgium Minister of
Justice. A few nights ago Madame Nothomb having
occasion to use a flask of ether some of the liquid was
spilt, took fire, and burnt her face severely, as wall as
her infant whom she had in her arms. M. Nothomb,
in attempting to extinguish the flames,
was also much
burnt.

icmo Second
o rCt
ah
10 In the Se e
goonvel rhne-
natmcbaerar
mofutnhiceartirounsais
faronmDt!heet
aunt were expected, but none were made. The Cham-
ber, on rising, rl;
h-j'Jurned for the Christmas holidays to
the sth January.
The monument to the memory of the daughter o
Charles 1., which the Queen commisfioned Baron Maro-
chetti to execute, has just been erected in St. Thomas's
church, Newport, Isle of Wight, where the Princess
who died in captivity at Carisbrock Castle, lies buried.