The Sun.
London, England, 1856-02-22 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, FRIDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 22, 1856.

LATEST NEWS.

PARIS, FRIDAY, FEB. 22, 9 A.M.
Couut Orloff arrived last light, at 10 o'clock,
at Paris. He was received by M. de Ssebach.

BERLIN, FEE. 20.

Baron do Manteuffel has declared to the com-
mittee on the budget that the prospect of peace
was exceedingly favourable ; but that the con-
tinuation of their armaments by the belligerent
parties, and the tone of Queen Victoria's Speech
from the throne, obliged Prussia to direct her
attention to the shores of the Baltic, to keep up
her army on a war footing, and even to extend it
if necessary.

HAMBURG, FEB. 21.

M. Bang, Minister of the Interior for Holstein,
hds followed the example of M. Raaslaff, and
resigned. M. Simony, Minister of Justice, retains
his functions provisionally.

THE BRITISH ARMY IN THE CRIMEA.
CAMP, SEBASTOPOL, FEB. 9.
For the last few days, since the destruction of
Fort Nicholas, a continual dropping fire, day and
night, has been maintained from the forts and bat-
teries on the north side. It does not seem to be
carried en at any regular intervals, but wherever
a few soldiers are seen or suspected to be, by day,
and wherever a light shows itself at night, there a
shot or shell is sent. When the night is dark, or
there is a thick fog, this dispersed tiro is still con-
tinued, either from tho attention of the Russian
men on watch being attracted by sounds supposed
to indicate movement in the town, or on the mere
chance of causing casualties among the guards
and troops on duty there. The Russian riflemen
also try their aim across the water to the Kara-
belnaia, and, as the width of the roadstead
varies at this part from four to six hundred
yards only, no one can approach the shore from
the Fort Paul guard to Careening-bay with-
out risk. On the 7th instant the Russians kept
up an uuusuallystrong fire from the Inkerman heights
and lower Mackenzie heights over the Tchernaya
valley. They attempted to reach the position of the
French camps along the Fediukine ridge, but, as
usual, without success. Some shells sent burst at
an immense elevation. They also fired grape, in ad-
dition to round shot and shell, at parties going to
the reservoir, and at the advanced posts of the
French, in the plain. The French made no return,
either from the batteries in the valley or from the
Fediukine heights, but their riflemen stationed in
the ambuscades near the river kept up a constant
fusillade. The Russian riflemen on the oppo-
site side were by no means inactive—the little
puffs of white smoke were seen frequently from
their places of concealment, and the sharp crack-
ing of this cross-fire was constantly audible in
the intervals between the reports from the can-
non on the summit of the cliffs above. The
Russians have not repeated the experiment which
they tried about three weeks ago of bringing a field
battery out upon the valley ; they, no doubt, saw
that the result, as affecting the French position,
was altogether a failure.
The destruction of Fort Nicholas has proved to
bo as completely accomplished as it appeared to be
when looked at from a distance at the time of the
explosions. As an example of engineering skill in
mining, the success is perfect. The foundations are
rooted up, and from one end to the other the whole
fabric lies now an utter ruin, a mere heap of shat-
tered masonry and rubbish. Measures are in pro-
gress for the demolition of Fort Alexander, and it
is stated that the walla of all the principal build-
ings remaining iu Sebastopol are shortly to be
levelled to the ground. On the sth instant, part
of the north wing of the Karabelnaia barracks, or
White Buildings, as they are commonly called, was
blown down. The building was not undermined,
but the explosion of bags of gunpowder against
the wall, applied in the usual manner, effectually an-
swered the purpose intended. It h asbeen remarked
that the blocks of stone which formerly composed
the sides and basin of the Karabelnaia docks have
not generally been much injured, but only separated
from each other, so that they would readily be avail-
able for the construction of fresh buildings. This
remark will apply to many other of the stone
buildings in Sebastopol, and there can be little
doubt, whenever the Crimea is abandoned by the
allies, the materials left will furnish the means of
rebuilding very quickly such a town as the simple
demands of habitation and commerce would re-
quire. The chief difficulties will be to clear the
blocked up roadstead and harbour, and to provide
the necessary planking and timber, of which
articles, in all probability, no very great quantity
will remain after the winter has passed.
The collection of the subscriptions from the Army
in the Crimea for the Nightingale fund is very
nearly concluded. The sum collected amounts to
little short of 4,500/., and the money had been paid
over to the commissariat chest.

To turn to a less pleasant theme. it appears
that the unhappy criminal, in the 77th Regiment,
has been found guilty by court-martial of murder,
and is sentenced to be hanged—the finding of the
court having been confirmed by the commander-
in-chief General Codrington. His name is George
Day. He is quite a young man, and before his
enlistment, which occurred in London, he earned
his livelihood chiefly as a pickpocket. His mother
died when be was a child, and his father, au aban-
doned charaaer, sent him into the streets to pick
up anything he could steal, as a means of living.
His father has been transported, and he has also a
brother undergoing penal servitude. Since he has
joined the head-luarters of his regiment in the field
he has been constantly entailing trouble on all
around him.

There is talk of a reprieve, until communications
have taken place with the authorities at home.
This does not appear probable, as it is known that
orders have been given to proceei with the neces-
sary preparations, and the commander of the forces
is armed with full powers and authority without
further reference. Monday, the 11th instant, has
been named as the day of execution. He is not to
receive a soldier's death by being shot, but is to
expiate his offence by the ignominious punishment
of hanging. The Rev. Mr. Wallace, the chaplain
of the division, has been in frequent attendance
upon the prisoner, and he has also been visited by
the acting chaplain-in-chief, the Rev. Mr. Eagan.
The health of the troops is still remarkably good.
The weather during the greater part of the past
week has been fine.