The Sun.
London, England, 1856-04-08 00:00:00

LONDON, TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 1856.

This deplorable, because at once futile and san-
guinary, War, has been the touchstone of almost-
all,our great public reputations. It has been the
test of patriotism, and the criterion of ability:
And how. many of these reputationi—military,
maritime, diplomatic, ad:ninistrative— having
been weighed in the balance, have been found
wanting? Rather, we should say, pet haps, how
many haie not ? Hoer many " shining lights "'
before the struggle commenced with the crossing
of the Pruth by tile Russians, and the mustering
of the Allies -at Varna, how many who were
" shining lights " before then, have net (since
those incidents transpired) paled in the glare of
this grand. European coal Lgratiou Scarcely
half-a-dozen altogether—viewing theta (states-
men and warriors alike) indiscriminately.'

Scarcely half-a-dozen we s•ty altogether. • Why,
those great reputations almost at the first blast of
the war-trumpet went down like a pack of cards
built up only to be tumbled into ruins at a whiff!
oral avibration! The London Gazette had scarcely
given the official *announcement of this righteous
War against Russia having commenced, when—
just to begin with-Lthe boasted ABERDEEN
Coalition, the-Ministrr- of All the Talents;-the
Cabinet containing within it the creme de la
erbne.of living A:dreinistrators, suddenly.eollaiKd
—collapsed shamefully, instantaneously, ignomi-
niously.. Athenian AZERDESN..)I6aeIf--Lthe tra-
velled Thane—ce cler--cet exedient—vras sent to
Coventry for once and for all—for, cier and, 'ever
afterwards ! Being rewarlea—V3eaven knows
for what !)—with the ribbon, and star,. With; the
collar and mantle, with all the paraphernalia, the
BillicraCks and gewgaws of the Most. Noble Order of
the Garter—perhaps (abzurd though it May seen 3)
for th; Very reason that the old man. had posi-
tively not a leg left to stand upon ! However,
Eint Coventry. Lord ABERDEEN ,was—beyond
all doubt--with a bee his bonnet.. And after
him—with the,"double-prongs of a' curiously
peinted cap buddinf, th-hi
s
coronet, the ye yet of
coronet, and sundry strange bells tinkling among
hia:straWberry' leVes-7—went the lAckless Duke of
14,tife,tsTriE -! Followed, a little later,, a Par-
lcaiiintary -triumvirate, still to thiaVery day ye-
mainin under a sort of Ministerial taboo—a
tricky Vint tord;of the Admiralty, a crotchetty
Secretarrat,;War, and a hair-splitting Chancellor
of the Exchequer t! I Scarcely had these three
u-nfortunates gone to the wall--quite calmly and
unconsciously, and, as it were, comfortably arin-
in-arm—when down came tumbling from .the
tbp of it, periluusli'', 'irretrievably, - that
wonderful diplomatic Humpty-Durupty, my
Lord' JOLTY RUSSELL ! And "0, what a - fall
W 46 Owe; my countrymen _ Insomuch that
since, the time of that very memorable casualty,
" all the QUtEN'S hones," howevei delicately

cream-coloured, or richly capariso;sed, and "all
the QUEEN'S men," both in the House and out of
it, have failed to set him up again on what was
supposed, until so very recently, to be his pre-
scriptive post of elevation. So l—akeady then,
we have enumerated among the overturned Big-
wigs of the Peers and Commons, such great-grand
Lord-nigh-Everythings as the Earl of ABERDEEN,
and the Duke of NEWCASTLE, and my Lord JOHN
RUSSELL, and Sir JAMES GRAHAM, and Mr. HER-
BERT, and Mr. GLADSTONE ! Besides whom—
below the gangway—have we not seen " falling,
falling, falling, falling, falling from their high
estate," such leaders of the people—leaslers of the
people, now, no more—as Mr. JOHN BRIGHT and
Mr. RICHA RD COBDEN; the Political Bagman and the
Belligerent Peacemonger ? Enough, and to spare,
we conjecture—for this one while at least—as to
the fading out of so many of the big,- flaring,
sputtering Lights of the Age, who have thus died
away abruptly with " a melodious twang," like
the amiable ghosts, who were wont, in the good
old times, so to vanish " out of all knowledge"—
luddenly—into a mouldy wainscot !

The all-important question of the currency was
brought forward last night in the House of Lords
by the EArl of EaLrsToN in a very temperate and
able speech. The chief object of the Noble Earl

was to elicit the views and intentions of the Go-
vernment on the interesting topic, and to spacer-

taro whether any move was in contemplation, and
in what direction it would probably. lie Made.
Some little information was obtained, but, we re-
gret to say, of a .very
_unsatisfactory character,
merely tending to show that it was the intention
of Ministers to shelve the entire question for an
indefinite period, or, as the Duke of ARGYLL ad-
mitted, "to tide it over" sine die. They thought
an inquiry into the operation highly desirable " at
the proper time and in the proper mode," and
*would await the result of such investigatien,be-
fore any revision was attempted in the present
arrangements. , But no intimation was given as
to the time for that • inquiry ; and it is manifest
that unless there be a very considerable pressure
from without, nothing will be done during- the
present session, and that the country will be com-
pelled to endure unnecessarily for an addi-
tional year, the incubus that has so long
paralysed its industrial energies, and ren-
dered its legitimate trade and commerce little
better than gambling speculation—not depending
on sound calculation and prudent caution, but on
blind chance, in matters over which the parties
can exercise no possible control, and wherein they
have no data to direct thseir course.
Although we do not agree with all the conclu-
sions arrived at by Lord EGLLNTON, it is impos-
sible to deny the accuracy of his statements, or
that he fully and clearly established the only
point for which he at present contended—viz.,
the propriety, nay, more, the imperative necessity,
for immediate anel stringent inquiry into all
the ramifications of the subject. That is re-
quired on every side, by bullionists and anti-
bullionists, by the most strenuous advocates
of monetary restriction, and the supporters of
free trade in mOney, by those Who.desifeathe, pet-
13aanency.of the monopoly so unwisely granted- to
the Bank of England, and others who "Wish fer a
really national bank, the obligations whereof, in
notes of convenient denominations, should be the
only legal-- tender throughout the length and
breadth of the land. All concur' in 'thg opitAion
expr.eased in the Times of tha 26th of Qztober
toot; to which we hive repeatedly referred; ," that
a ia-diseussien of the whole question, in Parljar
ment cannot be arranged too soon." The Govern-
Ment stand alone in trying to evade tie omoi-
deration of the matter, and even Lord GREY, an
ardent disciple of the JONES LOYD school, who
only thought-the act imperfect "because it did
not carry to their full extent the principles on
which it was founded," was "quite at a loss to
understand the line now taken by. her MAJESTY'S

, ~
Government." The community at large will
participate in the astonishment of the Noble Earl,
and will, we trust, be prepered to supply the
necessary stimulus to-induce it to enter on a more
creditable and politic course.
But why should there be any pretext for post-
poning the investigation ? The continuance of
the War was urged as au excuse for avoiding that,
as well as every other question that could
by any possibility embarrass the Govern-
ment or disturb its attention from what
was par exc?llence the topic of the day—
the vigorou3 and energetic waging of the con-
flict in which we were engaged, until the pride of
Russia had been humiliated, and her, power re-
duced to dimensions consistent with the security
and well-being of Europe, But that pretex,
which we have already proved to be futile and
unavailing, no longer exists. If we are to suffer
the evils of an improvident and impolitic peace,
there is certainly no reason why we Should at the
same time endure a grievance to which only war
could reconcile the nation. Our Government.
must •not at the same tune " blow hot and cold,",
and require the country to submit to sacrifieee,
only tolerable from a strong and.overwhelming
sense of duty, when it has damped its ardour by
accepting terms and conditions wholly inadeqaate,
and far-beneath what it had the power to- enforce
and, the right to expect.
` Among other matters touched on by Lord
r .
EGLIN TO:lit in.hii'very clear and, able Speech
,was..
the- absurd prohibition of 11 notes, which saved
the credit of the Bmill of England, and indee4l of
the country, in 1825, and, against -which no
reasonableobjection has ever been preferred. It
requires not the examples of Scotland and Ireland
to shbve thlt'tVgiii-neSittless rags are invariably
preferred to gold Wherever there is a joint circu-
lation. There never was any feeling of distrust
against these notes .in'England. AS' terd Asir::
BtfltrOX declared, "their credit for all 'doniestie
purposes waaperfect." They never were resorted
to for any political purposes, and however much
the people might'be Misled in other respects, they
are'far too wise to quarrel with their bread > and
butter, or to make an onslaught on that which in-
sured the working operative that great desideratum,
" fait day's wages for a fair day's work." The
.. . ?
people of .Ireland are not Jess, excitable, or
_less
in:dined- to act on impulse, than their English
,
brethren,
,cud. yet there was no example even in
their' pals?: dayseef agitation
of a -political run
.for gold, or 4 iiik" the -slightest inconvenience
arising from the smaller` denominations of notes..
. The liability to forgeryis another tong-bear' that
ha
should long sinceve-dispelled from
been
tical experienee. There can be
_nO. town why
11 notes should be more , liable to-forgery than
those for 51. The crime, so far as Bank paper;is
concerned, is almost unknown in either of the
sister kingdoms, and, indeed, there is far greater
probability of the circulation o: base coin than of
spurious paper. In fact, while the former is rot-
' dared every day more threatening from the iin-
provementa in electrotyping, be., the latter be-
°°rneli almost impossible, if ordinary care be
exerted in .getting up the bank note.
Let the monetary reformers, then, exert them-,
Selves in earnest, and the evil will speedily be
redressed. . Let them, as we have already atitedl.
gin, this 111-importaut point " a lops pull, a

strong pull, and a pull altogether," and they
will speedily place the welfare and prosperity of
the nation on a firm and enduring bases.

Lord LUCAN seems to labour wader an errone-
ous impression with regard to the Crimean Com-
missioners. With whatever expectations in cer-
tain quarters they were sent out, their mission
was neither to exculpate nor inculpate him and

his fellows in error or misfortune—but to ascer-

tain on what foundations the charges preferred
against him and them rested—to get at the truth;

so far as they were a,ble, and report i,ecordingly.

It may be, and doubtless is, unpleasant to be in-
culpated by their Report, but as yet the public,
have no reason to believe that that Report is

otherwise than honest ; And it would, therefore,
be wiser in the Earl to confute, if he is able, the

allegations on which it is based, rather than throw
out insinuations of foul play against them, which

no one will believe save on the evidence of sub-

staitive facts. The allegations on which their
conclusions rare based may •be false, but that is
no reason why their integrity should be ques-
tioned. , They have given that evidence, the
questions asked and answers returned, with the

names of the witnesses to the public, and it is
for the Earl to show that that evidence is

fake, for there can. hardly be two opinions

as to the fairness of the conclusions the Cora
missioners have drawn from it. Take, for,
instance, 'the hutting of the horses, to which
the'Earl more particularly addressed himself yes-
terday. He is charged with neglecting to provide
cover for the horses in proper time, the result of
which was the loss of by far the greater portion
of them, and much needless suffering and mortality
in the army—in other words, with not having
caused the hutting to be commenced before the
end of January or the beginning of February, nor
to be completed before the middle of March, when
it was of ~little use. Is there no evidence fairly
to countenance this charge ? We say nothing as
to its quality. Undoubtedly there is. There is
the evidence of several Commanding Officers of
regiments. The Commander of the Heavy Cavalry
Brigade informed the Commissioners that the
first lot of horses was got under cover, he thought,
about the end of January. Colonel DOHERTY,
commanding the 13th Light Dragoons, stated
that "we commenced. butting the horses on the
26th of January, and completed it on the 22d of
February." Colonel DAREPGRIFFITHS, command-
ing the Scots Greys, contrived, it is true, to get
some of his, horses under cover at an earlier period ;
but that was by employing five French soldiers, at
his private expense, in hutting. What did he
say? Why, that he entertained apprehensions se
early as November Of what actually occurred, if
something was not done to protect the horses ;
And, on suggesting the propriety of that some
thing being done to Lord LucaN, was threatened
with arrest. Ts 'there not here presumptive proof
of the fair dealing of the Commissioners ?
We should. like to have seen a little less disposi-
tion to insinuation and mere quibbling in the
Earl's attempted defence. If the charges pre-
famed against him are false, he would lose nothing-
by a More. 'frank, seldierly explanation.. Why
should he be so anxious to have his case considered
and decided upon apart from the others? A
civilian would think his innocence—it innocent
he is—Would only be rendered more palpable the
better the opportunity given him to Titylielte it.
Bet, proceeding witlithe Es:rl's defence—it •seenm
ratheoM,ier.hini to object toga comparison be:
tween the losses of., the Commissariat ":and the
losses of the cavalry, because .of the greater, ex-
posure, of •the cavalry horses, when the charge
against hint iq that he neglected to provide against.
that exposure. It certainly was creditable to him
that he saved the mules to which he refers ; but
what bad that to .do with the loss of the horses?.,
We like better his cenfessien that "the construe,

tion of stabling of .that sort was novol to Liar,"
whatever we may think of his opinion ti-4# every:
body else conneetc4.with the aavalry was equally
ignorant. But why threaten Colonel' GRIFIPITIM
in. November with arrest for daring to suggest to
‘" him" the propriety of setting about huttisg?'
That certainly does not warrant the suPposition
that his Lordship's ignorance was of a oonvertiVe
nature, nor tend to suggest any anxiety for the
fate of the horses on his part. His Lordship, it
is true, alloges that.the Heavy Brigade was shifted,
about from day to day in opposition to his remon-
strances, but he adduces no proof of this important,
statement. He Will do well to do so. As for.
the alleged period of hutting, Major SuurE's ordt r
of iho 29th of January; written under Lord
LUCAN'S directions,-that when an hospital but has
been erected for, each regiment, "-the whole,atten-
tion of. commanding officers may be devoted to
the drawing of timber. for. completing the hutting
of hOrses," certainly goes to corroborate the state-
went of the Co;niiiiWPtiers. Let Lord LucA,N
look to it, that he employ the opportunity afforded.
him for defticioVith.disc'retion. The public Want

justice, neither more uar less, and will have it,
so far as they arc able.

THE MISSING STEAMER PACIFIC.

GALWAY, Tuesday-Morning.—The Tartar and
the Desperate, ,Govertnaent screw steamers 'which
had e becn:desPatched, by the: Lords or the Aduci
ralty, is search of, the missing Pacific, put into
Galway ..Bay yesterday evening, at 6 o'clock, hay-
ing'spent nine days in searching,' but could not
discover any trace of the- ill-fated PAcit;3.