The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-21 00:00:00

THE NAVAL REVIEW.

M r. M. CHAMBERS'asked what provision had been
made fur the artisaTis of the dockyard who had been co-
gaged in constructing portions of the fleet ?

Sir C. WOOD—Certain accommodation has been

made.

Mr. MALINS, before the Speaker put the motion
for the adjournment of the house, called the attention
of the house to the charge made by the Clerk of the
Ordnance against Messrs. Grissell of having inserted
pieces of iron in the mortars made by them, in order that
the flaws in the materials they had used might escape
observation. The hon. and learned gentleman said that
the . Government being pressed for mortars, Messrs.
Grissell undertook to manufacture eight mortars
of five tons each at 241. per ton, and proceeded
to detail how the contractors had acted in order to pros
duce the best article that possibly could be manufac-
tured.

[LEFT SPEAKING.]

THE MILITARY BOARD OF INQUIRY.
(This Day.)

The Board of General officers reassembled this morn-
ing at the Royal Hospital;Cheleea, at the usual hour.
Lord Lucan commeuced the proceedings this morn-
ing by first putting the question to Colonel Tulloch
which, on a previous day, the Board took time to con-
sider was a question that ooght to be put to him, viz.,
whether he would now produce a letter which on a
former occa•ion he had stated was in his possession or
that of Sir J. M`Neil, in which the Government had in-
timated their approval of the report of the Commis-
sioners ?

Colonel Tulloch said he bad given a letter to the
Judge-Advocate-General that he (Colonel Tulloch) had
received from Sir J. IPNeil, in which he stated that
Lord Panmure informed bim--
The Judge-Advocate-General said, you showed me a
copy of a private letter. You must use your own dis-
cretion whether you will produce it or not.
Colonel Tulloch—lt will be necessary for me to con-
sult Sir. J. M.'Neil first. There is a public letter, of
which the Board have a copy.
Lord Liman—l will put' the question to Colonel Tul-
loch in a different form. Have you a copy of a letter
received from Lord Panmure, iu which he intimates the
Government approve of your report ?
Colonel Tulloch—Here is the copy of the letter I have
alluded to. I should not like to read the whole of it ;
but I will a portion of it. Sir J. .111'Neil says, "And
when I next saw L r,l Panmure he told me he had read
every word of it (that is the report), and that he consi-
dered it to be temperate and moderate ; and he only
took objection to a part of it that he thought more pro-
perly belonged to military statistics, which he would
have to lay before the Horse Guards." Besides this, I
think the board have a copy of an official letter, stating
that Lord Palmerston in the House of Commons inti-
mated his approval of the report.
The Judge Advocate-General said the board had no
such letter.
Colonel Tulloch raid there was such a letter, and he
would furnish the board with a copy of it in the course
of the day.
Lord Lucian then called Admiral Sir E. Lyons. He
said he commanded the Black Sea fleet. He was never
applied to for canvass with which to shelter the horses,
and had never heard that such an appeal had been ma le
to the fleet until he entered that Hall.' Had such an
appeal been made, he must have known it ; because,
whilst the cavalry were in such a sad state, be was in
the habit of riding daily to the c imp to see if assistance
could be given them. He did not consider that such an
application was made by Lord Raglan ; because, before
the 14th of November, as many sailors, marines, and
carpenters had been sent to the assistance of the army,
with as much canvass as could be spared from the fleet.
It would have been impossible to have supplied canvass
for covering 2,000 horses. He never had at one time
15 sail of the line. The largest number he had at one
time did not exceed 11 ; the average was 7. These ships
were engaged in watching the coast, and he had not one
man on board any of those vessels whom under any
possible circumstances he could have spared to the
army. Colonel Tulloch had stated that there
was nothing to prevent-him -Edmund Lyons)
from sparing some of his 200 or 300 carpenters, but
speaking from memory he should say that he never had
more than 50 or 60 carnenters at one time.

Lord Lucan—Would you, under such circumstances,
have given up anything on th 9 application of a divisional
and therefore a subordinate officer

Sir E. Lyons—Certainly not.

By Col. Tulloch--Each- ship of war, under ordinary
circumstances, carried a second set of sails. It would
not be safe to go to sea without ; but it was not usual to
carry a reserved supply of canvass in addition. The
quantity of spare sails or canvass for an 80 or 120 gun
ship might be 7,844 yards, as stated in a nautical work,
but it was impossible for any naval man to recollect the
precise quantity carried. He was unable to say whether
canvass could .have been procured at Constantinople.
There was a great deficiency of carpenters- at Con-
stantinople, and he had to write ' to England for
some, The Admiralty ,wrote to say no more
could be obtained from England.' Constantinople was
again tried for carpenters for the fleet, but none could
he had, and he was obliged to send to Malta and offer
very high wages to get some. If it had been possible to
have got carpenters at Constantinople Admiral Grey
would have obtained them. He could not say if car-
penters and canvas could have been obtained from the
merchant vessels in Balaklava Harbour. That could
only be known of the admiral in charge of the harbour,
but this he knew that the navy did everything they
could to assist the army. SC well aCquainted was he
with the number and strength of the ships in the Black
Sea that he could give a list of the names of the ships
and their position in the Back Sea from memory, on
any particular day Col. Tulloch might name. The ships
were never lying at one time snug in harbour at
' Kamiesb. xf they had been, there would have been no
difficultyin landine, the spare canvas and the carpenterg
to provide shelter.; There were only two vessels at one
time in harbour, and that was at Kazatch, and for a
short period.' The line-of-battle ships were stationed at
octaiqukii*the Goa eloug foal LuPao

toria, ronnd Sebastopol, to the other side ; and the
other vessels of war were spread about from the Danube
to the Circassian coast, changing their number and posi-
tion as to any given point several times a day.
Col. Tulloch explained that, he took the number, &c.,
of the ships from the Naval List of that date, and wbico
he handed in to the Court.

Admiral Lyons—lt's perfectly clear you Were not
there yourself, and ..you have been misinformed, and
that's about the end of it.

Examination continued—He was of opinion that can-
vass would have been worse than useless on the plateau
as Capt. Drummond had stated, but he was unable to
give an opinion-on it with regard to the Talley of Kadi-
koi. It was a military question, which he did not feel
himself qualified to answer.

It will be seen by the following report how some of
our flying squadron have been engaged in the Baltic
during the last six weeks :-The Firefly, which left
Sheerness six weeks since with the mails for the flying
squadron, proceeded direct to Kiel, there coaled, thence
to Faro Sound, there fell in with the Euryalus, Pylades,
Falcon, and Harrier, the Imperieuse being on a cruise
up the Gulf of Finland, up which she advancnd until the
solid ice impeded her further progress. The Imperieuse
then proceeded to Dantzic to coal, thence she went to
Faro Sound, and there received, her mails from the Fire-
fly five days after their arrival there. Oti the arrival of
the Firefly at Faro Sound she was towed through the
fixed ice, from six to seven inches thick, a distance of
three miles, by the Falcon screw steam-vessel, the
paddles of the Firefly being rendered useless. The Fire-
gy then coaled there, and was towed back again by the
Falcon to her anchorage. She theu took the mails to
Kiel, and there found the Majestic and Caesar at
anchor. She coaled there, and proceeded again to Faro
Sound. On her passage down she communicated with
the Amphion off Bornholm, the squadron still re-
maining at Kiel. She remained there for three days,
when the Pylades and Falcon were sent to cruise
off Gottka Sando. The Amphion and Harrier were
sent to cruise eff Courland. Three days after they left
the Cuckoo arrived with the news of peace and with)
orders to recall the squadron. The Firefly then pro-
ceeded to Gottka Sando to recall the Pylades and Fal-
con, and thence off Courland to recall the Atnphion and
Harrier. From off Courland she proceeded to Faro
Sound ; when off there fell in with the Imperieuse, com-
municated with her ; during this time of absence of the
Firefly, all the vessels except the Falcon, Cuckoo, and
Impel-lime, had left there. The Firefly then, by order
of Commodore Watson, proceeded up to Gottka Sando
in search of the Falcon, and found her off the Island
off Gottka. The Firefly, then, being senior vessel,
ordered the Cuckoo and Falcon to proceed to Kiel. The
Firefly then proceeded to Faro, and there took on board
from the Government depot about 15 tons of coals, be•
ing all that remained at the depot, all other vessels of the
squadron having filled up there previous to their leaving
for England. The Firefly then left on the 7th inst. for
Kiel. Between Faro and Bornholm fell in with a dense
fog. Guns were kept fired and fog signals made, which
were shortly answered by several guns. On the Firefly
approaching slowly towards the sound she found the Lit-
piirieuse at anchor under Bornholm. The Firefly anchored
there also. On the same evening the fog clearing off, the
Impdrieuse and Firefly proceeded for Kiel ; there found
the flying squadron, except the Falcon and Cuckoo ; the
latter vessel arrived at midnight of the same day. On the
following day all left for England except the Firefly and
Cuckoo, The Firefly coaled during the ngh'e and left on
the following day ; she anchored off Sprogo the same
evening to take astronomical .observations, remaining
all that day ; at midnight weighed and proceeded to
Anholt for a similar purpose ; left A.nholt in the after-
noon, and rounded the Scaw on the 6th inst. at 6 a.m.;
she arrived. in the Downs, and anchored at 5 p.m. on
Friday, making the-runefroter the Scaw in 59 hours ; re-
mained in the Downs nine hours fora pilot, then weighed
and arrived at Sheerness at 8.30 a.m. the same day. The
Firefly bas run over about 3,500 miles, . and expended
duringT he
ilwd efierke s
emt
eoarme than
e
oMtalsntserofCcoomalms.ander G.
Brockman, left Sheerness yesterday morning for Ports-
mouth. Captain Lord F. H. Kerr proceeds round in her
to be present at the coming review.
The Thames steam transport, No. 92, Captain Strutt,
arrived at Spithead on Saturday from the Crimea, with
the following invalids and passengers :-Lieut. Charles
Pe Stokes, 4th Foot (in command) ; First Class Surgeon
J. Paynter, of the Medical Staff ; Assistant Surgeon J.
M'H. Cowan, of the 55,1 ; Acting Assistant Surgeon
G. Hind; and Hospital-dresser W. Coombe (in medical
charge) ; First Class Staff Surgeon F. Foaker ; Captain
G. A. Warburton, of the 19th Foot ; Capt. J. 3. Wood,
of the 82(1 ; Capt. John E. Miring, ILA. ' • Lieutenant J.
Sharpies, 39th Foot ; Lieutenant Richard Coote, 46th ;
Lieut. E. Townsbend, 46th ; Lieut. C. H. Williams,
R.N. ; Rev. G. J. Gill, Chaplain to the Forces ; Mr.
Y. Fogartby, of the Turkish Contingent ; 1 Medical
Staff Steward, 14 orderlies, 2 non-commissioned officers,
13 Commissariat bakers, 2 servants, 2 distressed sea-
men, and the following soldiers and others :-18 of the
Royal Artillery, 2 of the Royal Horse Artillery, 1 of
the Royal Sappers and Miners, 4 of the Grenadier
Guards, 7 of the Coldstream Guards, 7 of the Scots
Fusilier Guards, 6 of the Ist Royal Regimeht of Foot
(2d battalion), 3 of the 4th, 2 of the 7th, 2 of the 9th, 9
of the 13th, 3 of 14th, 1 of the 17th, 3 of the 18th, 4 of
the 19th, 1 of the 20th, 1 of the 21st, 1 of the 23d, 6 of
the 30th, 5 of the 31st, 3 of the 33d, 2 of the 34th, 6 of
the 38th, 3 of the 39th, 3 of the 42d, 2 of the 44th, 5 of
the 46th, 2 of the 48th, 1 of the 50th, 3 of the 55th, 5 of
the 56th, 1 of the 57th, 1 of the 63d, 2 of the 68th, 1
of the 71st, 2 of the 72d, 1 of the 77th, 5 of the 82d, 3
of the 88th, 1 of the 89th, 2 of the 90th, 1 of the 931, 2
of the let Battalion Rifle Brigade, of the Medical Staff
Corps, 11 of the Land Transport Corps, 1 Commissariat
Labourer, and 50 of the Army Works Corpe all whom
she landed at the dockyard in the afternoon, and, they
proceeded to invalid quarters.
Tne freight-ship Hope, of 500 tons register, now lying
in :,the Lendon-docks, is appointed to sail shortly for
Halifax. Her magazines have been prepared for storing
40 tons of powder and anamuni.ion, which are ordered
to be in readiness at Woolwich Arsenal, and to be con-
veyed to Gravesend for shipment on her arrival there.
The Government transport Hesper, No. 47, Capt. R.
Walling, lay to on Saturday morning off Woolwich Ar-
senal from Deptforklorthe riteihse of reshipping her
powder. She proceeded thence the same day on her voy-
age to Plymouth to make up her caego for the East, with
provisions for the troops,
In pursuance of the orders for discontinuing, the fur-
ther despatch of gun boats from Woolwich to Fortsinputh
the screw gun-boat Cochin, 2, turned over her stores to
the Peacock. A telegraphic message was, however, re-
ceived on Saturday at noon, ordering her to receive fresh
stores, and. with the Peacock, to get under wayas speedily
as possible for the review. Efforts were immediately made
for their eat ly clearance, after which the fitting basins will
be entirely empty, and the caissons ore to be thrown open
and the water drained off, and a partial holiday is to be
given. A Eurnl'er.of the clerks who are desirous of wit-
nessing the manoeuvring of the ships at Spithead have
obtained leave, and are to be accommodated with berths
on board the iron screw troop-ship there, the Megsera.
Accommodation is likewi-e to be given oa board tee
Himalaya to the clerks of Whitehall and Somerset-house.
On Saturday afternoon the Erebus floating battery was
launched in the most successful manner from the building-
yard of Messrs. Robt. Napier and Sons, at Govan' about
2 miles below Glasgow. On taking the water shedipped
deeply en account of the immense weight, and was sub-
merged for a moment or two almost to the level of the
deck, hut as all the pert-holes were closed with the excep-
tion of those at the bow she shipped little or no water,
and gradually rose upon the reflux of the wave. Two im-
mense chains, fastened to two anchors of the same weight
as those used on board the Duke of Wellington, line-of-
battle ship, and which were buried in the earth, covered
with immense iron forging plates, acted as a check against
the ship touching the opposite side of the bank.
When the temporary warp checks on the chains had
snapped, the anchors were drawn forward about two
inches, and would in all probability have been drawn out
altogether, but that the chains in the interior of the
battery were gradually slackened from the windlass,
wiiereby the Erebus got smoothly across the stream, and
was brought up after slightly grazing the north bank,
from whittle, however, she did not sustain the least injury.
When stoat the battery drew eight feet four inches of
water aft, and six feet eight inches at the bow. The
Erebus left in the evening for Portsmouth, under the
command of Captain Case. She is 186 feet long, with
a breadth of beam of 50 feet, and a depth of 16 feet.
With the exception of being nearly as flat on the bot-
tom as she is on the deck, she is framed and plated like
any ordinary iron vessel ; but there is this peculiarity in
her construction thic'oake'Tioie hull, for a distance
of 12 feet from the top of the gunwales downwards, the
vessel is sheathed with teak planking six inchei in thick-
ness and,
malleablethen again,
iron
p over planking, there are
massive plates not the
noless than four inches
thick. Thus, with the inside plates, which average from
to s)-inch thick, the entire hull of the ship above water
mark forms, as it were, an iron and wooden wall of no
less than 103 inches in thickness-a wall apparently so
formidable as to be capable of resisting the effects of
shot of the largest size. The battery is pierced for 30
guns, there being 15 port-holes on each side ; and her
armament will consist of guns 11 feet in length, with
an 8-inch bore, and capable of throwing 1001 b. shot.
She is supplied with two decks-a gun-deck, which is
the lower, and an upper or weather-deck. The battery
has been fitted with seven water-tight bulkheads or com-
partments, extending from the bottom of the vessel up-
wards to the gun-deck. The vessel has been constructed
under the superintendence of Mr. R. Kneebone, from
her Majesty's dockyard at Pembroke.
Of the 15 iron mortar-boats ordered 'of Mr. J. Laird in
January last, 13 have been sent to Portsmouth, and the
remaining two will leave Liverpool about Wednesday
next. Of the .14 wooden gun-boats ordered at the end of
last year, eight are now at Portsmouth, and two more
will be launched at Liverpool to-day, and two to-morrow

Naval and Dilutary intelligence.

Tho Assurance, 4, screw deQpatoh gun-boat, CJTI2
inandet Win. G. Jones, has had her cfrieffiSs adjusted,
and left Sheerness on Saturday last for Portsmouth to
join the squadron. The Firefly, 4, paddlo-wheel steam-
vessel, Capt. H. C.-Otter, left Sheerness on Saturday at
three p.m. with the new mortar-vessels, Nos. 53 and
54, and the Thames, tender to Formidable, in tow for
Portsmouth. These mortar-vessels built by Harvey and
Co., draw 6 feet of water, with full completnent of
stores, provisions, shot, and shell, with armament com-
plete.

Sir G:Berkeley—You have mentioned that you were
constantly riding through the camp. Did it strike you
that there was any want of promptitude or ingenuity
displayed in not having the cavalry horses more under
shelter I

Sir E. Lyons—Certainly not. I saw a great many
officers occupied in sheltering their horses in a way that
appeared to me the most efficacious, and that was by
throwing up embankments in a certain direction against
the prevalent and piercing N.E. wind. Sir George
Browne's horses never had any other shelter. Every
one appeared to me to be doing their best.
Examination continued—Ha 'was unable to form an
opinion of what ought to have been done, and be never
could admit there was an interval of a month, or any
time, as Col. Tulloch assumed, between the 12th Nov.,
when the order was given to provide shelter for the
cavalry, and the February following, when it was pro-
vided. Every one always appeared hard at work.
By the Judge-Advocate•General—Do yobs consider
yourself competent to speak further on the promptitude
or ingenuity displayed in providing shelter for the ca-
valry ? _

Sir E. Lyons—No. •
After some further unimportant questions the gallant
admiral was informed he might withdraw; but before
doing so he addressed the Board on the, cordiality and
:good feeling that had existed during the Crimean cam
paign, and which he trusted would continue between
the army and the navy, and entered into a detailed
statement of the assistance rendered by the navy
to the army during their periods cf suffering, atter
the battles, and subsequently, when afflicted with
sickness, &c.,i becau3 from the statements that had
gone forth it might be inferred that there were
many things and much assistance that might have been
rendered to the army voluntarily or if asked for that had
not been done or given. He was far from believing that
Col. Tulloch meant to blame the navy for not giving
assistance—[Col. Tulloch—No.}—but that he blamed
the army for not asking for it. [Col. Tulloch—Yes.]
The gallant admiral then read several letters and
documents conveying the thanks of Lord Raglan and
others to the navy, for the great and valuable assist-
ance they had given to the army, and for their readiness
in placing everything they had available for the army at
their command, as well as for their assistance in getting
up ammunition and supplies for the army.
The gallant admiral then withdrew.
Major Connelly was next called by Lord Lucan.—He
was Brigade-Majoim the East. On the 3:1 of October
782 horses of the heavy brigade were landed in the
Crimea, aad he produced the return, signed by General
Scarlett. The returns of the duties of the cavalry in the
East, as stated by Col. Hodge, and, printed in the ap-
pendix of the report, was incorrect, so far as the heavy
brigade was concerned.

Col. Tulloch asked that the correct returns should br
put in.

Examination continued—The details of brigade duties
should be obtained from the Brigade-Major, and for a
division from the Adjutant-General of the division, and
not from officers in the temporary command of brigades
and divisions. Lord Lucan • frequently called his
brigade-majors and officers of division to con-
sult together how they might best provide shelter for
the horses. Witness read a copy of an order, dated Ist
Jan,, 1855, in wir.ch Lord Lucan informed them they
had better take all the care they could of their horses
and men, because in all probability the calamities that
had befallen the cavalry would be laid to their
charge. More promptitude and ingenuity could not.
have been displayed, under the circumstances, in
providing shelter for the horses, and Lord Lucau
had never deterred the officers by any act of his from
providing shelter. The Greys changed their encamp
merit, from the time of their arrival at Balaklava to the
14th November, about seven times ; the ground of the
horses might have been changed oftener. He thought
it incorrect that the Greys had changed their ground
during that period from 20 to 27 times. Witness, with
General Scarlett, went repeatedly to Balaklava to
procure canvas for nose-bags for the horses ; but
they never get any. One captain of a vessel
promised them a sail for that purpose, but he failed to
keep his promise. No unfair prejudice could be drawn
against the cavalry from the artillery providing
shelter for their horses. They had greater facilities
for doing it. During the whole time he was in the
Crimea he never saw any of the French troop horses
hutted. The French cavalry mounted on French horses
suffered. One regiment suffered se much that the few
horses that remained were handed over to another, and the
dismounted cavalry were all fresh horsed in April witl,
horses from France. The French never had an out-
lying picket during the canipaign. Several other French
regiments suffered with their horses. All the trenches
used for sheltering French horses were paved ; the 3
could not have been used without it except new trenches
were dug daily.
Sir G. Berkeley—There were few entrenching tools,
and they were very bad. The ends of the picks and the turned up on coming in contact with hard sub-
stances. The handles also broke.
By General Peel—The French did not put their horses
under canvas.

By Col. Tulloch—The return of horses on the 3d
of October hail reference only to those landed. There
might have been others on board in the harbour at th.
time, but he could only speak of those which joined thF_
army, and for which the return was signed. The differ-
ence between the horses landed and the whole strength
of the cavalry was named in the return ; if they wer.
in the harbour at that time, they were not reported.
The officer commanding a brigade was the proper person
to make up a return, Such return being furnished and
signed by that officer, Col. Tulloch was justifies in as-
sumiug it to be a correct one. No doubt• Col. Hode.e
was in command when he made out and signed the re-
turn alluded to. The witness then explained how Col.
Hodge had made a mistake in the return alluded to, and
which that gallant officer much regretted. Witness was
abient on duty the day the return was asked for, and Cul.
Hodge, who was on duty at the. time for him, made it
out with the assistance of a soldier who acted as clerk,
and hence the inaccuracies complained of.
By the Judge Advocate-General—During the months of
November, December, and January, the health
of the men was very bad, and it would have been
worse thin cruelty to have • worked them harder than
they were during that period.
The witnesses theu retired.
Colonel Lowe was again recalled and re-examined
by Lord Lucan. He did not remember ii the Light Ca-
valry commenced commissariat duties so eariyas Dec. 13.
He did not think he should be properly performing his
duty if he allowed himself to be deterred from the per-
formance of his duties by any alleged altercation between
himself and his divisional general. He had never been
deterred by any act of Lord Lucan's from attempting to
provide shelter for his horses. His lordship had always
urged upon officers the duty of making such provision.
This was the whole of the evidence in Lord Lucan'h
case.

•
Colonel Tulloch said he was not then prepared to go
on with his statement, and he should require wale days
to consider the matter.

The Court adjourned for deliberation, and on the re•
turn of the Commissioners they adjourned the Cour
until Friday next.

The Fulton, from New York, was telegraphed this
afternoon, with 112,0001. in gold, a considerable portion
of which is probably for Pans.
The shipments of specie by the Peninsular and Oriental
steamer Indus amount to 356,5741., of which 5,2001. is
gold for Alexandria and Ceylon, and 351,3741. silver for
Bombay, Madras, and Calcutta.

The Right Hon. Sir Benjamin Hall, M.P., has given
dinners during the past week at his residence, in Great
Stanhope-street. The following, among others, have been
guests of the right hon. baronet Excellency the
Netherlands Minister,..his' Excellency the Saxon Mini-
ster, the Earl of Zetland, Lord Falkland, ViscouLt
Monck, Lord Sudeley, Sir H. R. Fergusson Davie, Sir
John Shelley, Sir Baldwin Walker, Sir Chas. Barry, Sir
Chas. Eastlake, Mr. Campbell, Gen. Bnlkeley, and Mr.
A. Berring,ton. On Wednesday the guests included the
Bishop of Oxford, the Speaker, Lord Robert Grosvenor,
Sir Edmund Lyons, Lord Adolphus Fitzclarence, Lord
Wodehouse, Colonel the Hon. C. B. Phipps, Baron
Marochetti, Sir Edward Cust, Mr. Spencer Walpole,
Sir Edward Lytton Balwer, Mr. Austin, and Mr. A.
Berrington.

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complaints, glandular swellings, particularly those of the
neck, &c. They form a mild and superior family aperient
that may be taken at all times without confinement or change
of diet. Sold in boxes, at is. lid., 2s. 9d., 4s. 6d., Hs.,
and 225. each.—Sol.d wholesale by the proprietors, Beach and
Barnicott, at their dispensary, Bridport; by the London
houses ; retail by all respectable medicine vendors in the
United Kingdom. Observe.—No medicine sold under th
above names can possibly be genuine, unless " Beach and
Barnicott, late Dr. Roberts, Bridport," its evaravod, and
14114 C/ 94.-U4P dto%ohDL

from Mr. Lai;cl'Bßirkenhead yard. They will be ready
to proceed to Portsmouth in a few days afterwards, the
engines having been fitted while the vessels are on the
stocks. The two remaining boats are in a forward
state, and will be ready for sending to Portsmouth in
about three weeks.

The large new convict prison, in course of erection at
Chatham, in close contiguity to Chatham dockyard, is
rapidly approaching tow—rds completion. When finished
it will accommodate nearly 1,500 convicts. Each pri-
soner will be provided, so far as practicable, with a cell
to himself, the separate system appearing to the autho-
rities the best method to ba adopted. All association

•
among the prisoners will be avoided, and alterations
which have_been suggested as improvements on the Mo.
del Prison at Pentonville- have been carefully attended
to. A large and handsome church has been erected
within the prison for the use of the prisoners. The con.,
victs will be employed in the dockyard, with which esta.
blishment it is intended the priionll communicate
by means of a subterranean passage. It is expected that
the prison will be completed and fit for the reception of
ROOM' NOT i4llO castiiag moor, •

THE StiN, LONDON, MONDAY EVEN I APR IL 21,

TILL FALL OF KARS.

( From the Press.)

By the mation of Mr. Whiteside, postponed till
Monday week, the House of Commons will be
called on to express an' opinion whether her Ma-
jesty's Government is in any degree chargeable with
the great military disaster of the war—the loss of
Kars. The question raised is very simple, but
most important ; and the discussion will be closely
scrutinised. It is a great mistake to suppose that
the public are indifferent to the manner in which
the campaign was conducted because the war itself
is now over. On the contrary, they are eager
for an explanation on circumstances which they
cannot comprehend. They see that the reputation
of England has in some unaccountable manner
been damaged by most adverse incidents since the
war commenced, and they are anxious to know
whether the blame rests mainly with what is called
our Administrative System, or with those men
who are are at the head of the system, and who
have at their disposal the whole might and re-
sources of the nation. It is this point which
it is hoped the -impending debate will clear up,
and hence it is anticipated with the strongest inte-
rest. The Administration is responsible to the
house, but the house itself is responsible to the
country.
There are some facts which are indisputable.
General Williams joined the army in Asia as " the
Commissioner of the Queen of Eugland," in Sept.,
1854, and from that date until the capitulation of
Kars at the end of Nov., 1855, our Government
was constantly and fully informed of the condition
of the Turkish army in Asia, of its wants, its de-
plorable inefficiency, and its danger. Lord Claren-
don and Lord Panmure well knew that without
prompt aid and large reinforcements that army
could not hold its ground against the Russian force
—they knew also that such aid was not to be ex-
pected from the Ottoman Government at Con-
stantinople. Either it wanted means or it wanted
Vigour to place 'the Asian army in an efficient
state. But with this knowledge our Foreign
Secretary and Minister of War decided that
nothing more was to be done than to make
remonstranceswhich they knew would be unheeded.
By sending Gen. Williams to join the army in
Asia, England was directly made a party to the
war in that quarter. Of this Lord Clarendon seems
to have been fully conscious. It was necessary, he
wrote (Sept. 22, 1854), that Gan. Williams should
" have high Turkish rank given him to insure re-
spect for his authority ;" and in the following Oc-
tober he wrote that " her Majesty's Government
had a direct interest in the effective state of the
Turkish army, as it was likely that military opera-
tions on a large scale would be carried on in Asia
next year.' So far there was a foresight, but it was
foresight of that kind which regards the probability
of events, without making the slightest preparation
to meet them. •
From the first of Gen. Williams's despatches to
the last their tenour is the same. Constantly and un-
varyingly he complains of the wants of the Turkish
army, and especially of the deficiencies at Kars.
The infantry were in ragged clothing, without
shoes, without stockings, without knapsacks., The
cavalry had neither valises, boots, spurs, sabres,
nor carbines. The men were 23 months in arrears
of pay. For the service of -the artillery there were
required horses, ammunition, and gunners. En-
trenching tools were wanted to repair the roads ;
drugs and surgeons were needed for the hospitals ;
provisions and stores of all kinds were wanted for
the supply of the garrison. These wants are urged
not once only, but a hundred times ; they are re-
peated in every variety of form, and pressed in the
most moving manner. Such sentences as the fol-
lowing are constantly recurring in General Wil-
liam's despatches to Lord Clarendon :
I repeat it, my lord, that not a day is to be lost ; and I
urgently impress upon your lordship the necessity of
prompt, active, and ample support in the execution of my
duties,-Dec. 12, 1854.
Lord Clarendon recognised the justice of these
representations as often as they were made. He
admitted the urgency of the case. He declared it
was most necessary that the *ants brought to his
notice should be supplied, and that all the require-
ments of General Williams should be promptly
fulfilled. Nearly as often as be received a despatch
from the British Commissioner he wrote to Lord
Stratford at Constantinople, desiring that the com-
plaints of General Williams might be brought to
the notice of the Ottoman Gavernment, and that
his requisitions might be complied with. In this
manner he conveniently threw all responsibility
front himself. He wrote much, but did nothing.
Having made up his mind that' the Turkish Go-
vernment ought to do whatever was necessary in
Asia, he would pay no attention to the hints he
received, that he was expecting more from'it than
it would ever perform. He seems to have con-
ceived that his sole duty was remonstrance ; and
this duty he discharged with wonderful pertinacity.
If his Lordship's expostulations could have
saved Kars, we are quite ready to admit it would
never have fallen. At one time he is exalted with
the hope " that measures will be taken for at
length abandoning that systematic neglect with
which the army at Kars has been treated."
(Nov. 29, 1854.) And at another time he is silenced
with despair at discovering that, " with the ex-
ception of some ball-cartridges, little or nothing
seems to have been sent for the relief of the army
at Kars . . , . notwithstanding the repeated
dud urgent remonstrances of her Majesty's Govern-
ment, which are of aidate long anterior to the de-
parture of General Williams from this country"
(Jan. 11, 1855). His "painful duty" at being
compelled to draw attention to General Wil-
liams's reports of misdoings at Kars (Jan. 6,
1855), is rapidly succeeded by his confident
trust that "in future" the demands addressed
to the Turkish Government will be better
attended to (January 16, 1855). Often his re-
monstrances are dictated with that calmnt ss
of mind which a supreme reliance on the effi-
cacy of official routine inspires. Thus, adverting
to Williams's despatch on the importance of nomi-
eating a vigorous Governor for Kars, Lord Cla-
rendon simply acquaints Lord Stratford de Red-
cliffe, " I have to state to your Excellency that
General Williams fully demonstrates the import-
ance of sending an efficient, Governor to Ktrs"
(Feb. 5, 1855). General Williams asks for a thou-
sand artillerymen, and Lord Clarendon instructs
Lord Stratford "to state to the Porte that it.is of
urgent importance to send this corps of artillery-
men and supply of ammunition without loss of
time." (Feb. 9, '55.) It is in vain for Lord Strat-
ford to reply that it is doubtful whether the
Turkish Government can send the thousand artil-
lerymen. When Lord Clarendon is informed by
authentic documents that all his " hopes " have
been disappointed, and all his " fears " have been
realised, he consoles himself with being able " to
state" to Lord Stratford, that a memorandum
sent him from the Porte "is most unsatisfactory,
and therefore quite consistent with all the pro-
ceedings of the Porte as regards the army of Kars"
(May 13, '55.)
If the urgency of General Williams's appeals be
contrasted with the measures taken by Lord Cla-
rendon to satisfy them, a just estimate may be
formed of the amount of assistance the British
Commissioner met with from the Foreign-office.
As the result of six months continued and most
urgent entreaties for .supplies, he writes, April 2,
1855 :--" Not a shoe or knapsaok for the remnant
of the infantry, not a boot or a sabre for the wrecks
of the cavalry, have been sent from the Seraskie-
rat ; not an infantry or cavalry recruit to fill up
the casualties of lasts yeAr_bas been sent from the
capital ; in short, we are left utterly uncared for."
Well might he subsequently write that the Kars
army seemed doomed to destruction.
Yet it is on the despatches of Lord Clarendon—
which were by his own acknowledgment futile
for any good end—that the Government will ground
their defence. "Admirable despatches!" " High-
' toned compositions I" They amused the time that
should have been occupied in vigorous action, and
which hatte helped to swell a bulky Blue-book in
exchange for the loss of Kars !
The winter' of 1854-55 was passed in diplomatic
correspondence ; with the spring Williams con-
ceivScl hopes that decisive action might be under-
taken. So early as March 5, in' last year, he ad-
dressed,a despatch to Lord Clarendon, stating the
prornps reinforcements which would be require to
enable the army of Asia to hold its ground. He re-
quired 15,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry, and 1,100 ar-
tillery. In this despatch he expresses his confident
expectation of allied astistance. He was deceived.
The cold answer returned to his urgent appeal by
both Lord Clarendon and Lord Panmure was, that
the Porte would be urged to " the importance of pay-
ing attention to the requirements mentioned.
by General Williams whenever the more press-
ing need of the services of the Ottoman troops else-
where shall have ceased." (April 13, 1855.)
Those despatches; sealed the fate of Kars. The
opportunity for reinforcing the army of Asia was
lost. Liter, when Kars was completely invested,
when the danger of its fall became apparent, when
the Porte insisted that some effort must and should

be made for its relief, our Government discovertA
that a force under Omer Paella might be spared.
But the 20,000 men which would have been
sufficient in March were wholly inadequate in

August. When the crisis came, it found. our

Government unprepared for it ; no shipping
had been provided for the conveyance of a force ;
no transport service bad been organised, no sup-
plies had been collected. Lord Clarendon would
object to the plans of the Turkish Government,
but had nothing to propose himself. Not till the
garrison of Kars was reduced to the last extremity
of isafferillg, and till ite relief lad become impoo•