The Sun.
London, England, 1860-06-11 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, JUNE 11, 1860.

syst em has undergone (thanks chiefly to Miss
FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE) a total transformation.
We! know something now about the advantages
accruing from the proper use of the ambulance as
an auxiliary—a subject upon which our authori-
ties appear to have been hitherto so unenlightened,
that each one amongst them was little better than
the veriest purblind ignoramus. Associated
with our military corps in the field we have now
in time of actual hostility two other corps unknown
to our fighting forefathers, but never likely- to be
disbanded by our posterity—the land transport
corps and the naval brigade in which our light-
heeled, nimble-handed Jacks show their aptitude
in doing the grim work of battle as readily and
vigorously ashore as ever they have been known to
do it on board a ship—adding to their old historic re-
nown a new one of a most amphibious character.
Hard upon the heels of all these strange modifi-
cations and transformations in the two great arms
of the Public War-Service—has appeared within
the last twelvemonths that grand movement among
our population that has furnished England, for the
first time, with a veritable National Guard. It is
no longer to her sparsely scattered militia and
yeomanry that the old country looks now for her
defence in the event of invasion—any more
than it is in the efficiency of her eccentric wis-
dom of Martello towers, tltb.t she places any
peculiar reliance. Her bulwarks are, first
of all, her wooden walls—manned with
her hearts of oak. And, within the girdle of her
white cliffs, equally distributed over the whole
island—" ready, aye ready," in the midst of her in-
habitants—prepared at any summons to start forth
fully armed, skilled in the use of the deadly rifle,
admirably drilled and disciplined—England has
already her 100,000 volunteers ! She has her
Channel Fleet. She has her regular army perpetu-
ally advancing more or less gradually along the
path of improvement. Promotion is going there
already rather by merit than by interest or pur-
chase—save only now and then in the instance of
a Privy Purse K.C.8., or a new Court-Plaister
in the shape of a comfortable sinecure Colonelcy.
Wherever there is a rotten gunboat we are sure
to find it out and to take securities for its substitute
being effectually kyanised. The application of the
screw-propeller to our men-of-war has grown long
since to be—what it ought, and in reason to have
been years ago, what years and years ago we re-
solutely insisted it should be--the rule instead of
the exception. The national defences, in fact, in
lieu of being neglected are now zealously and strenu-
ously cared for. Could his grace the late and great
Duke of WELLINGTON but return amongst us now
for awhile, he would find considerably less reason
(to say the very least of it) for those patriotic feel-
ings of dismay as to our general insecurity from
invasion which were known to have seriously
clouded and embittered his last days. The indif-
ference of forty years' duration has passed away,
giving place on all hands to the most generous and
enlightened solicitude as to the efficiency of our
defences. In the height of one of those earlier
panics, which, seeing their happy results,
we can hardly now regret in sober serious-
ness, Sir FRANCIS BOND HEAD, wrote a
big book, demonstrative of what had un-
til then been only occasionally suspected
namely, the glaring and deplorable insecurity of
these islands from the chances of invasion, A sup-
plementary volume from the pen of the clever old
baronet would at this moment be, we are quite cer
tain, very generally acceptable—a volume record-
ing what has since been accomplished in the way
of rendering our island fortress impregnable.
" Much has," within that interval, " been done" un-
doubtedly—" but," continuing the familiar Shak-
sperian quotation, we may assuredly add " more," far
more "remains to do." A glimpse of how much more
—in one single direction, in the direction that is to
say of England's metropolis—has just been afforded
by an ingenious engineering theorist in the current
number of Mr. THACKERAY'S Co nhill Magazine.
To those among our readers who may not yet have
glanced at the paper to which we are now directing
particular attention, we would earnestly commend
the perusal of it. They will there learn, in a
few setartling pages, illustrated by an admirable
diagram, how effectually and with what facility, if we
but set about in it earnest and, as the sailors say,
" with a will," London might be made the
stronghold of this island-home of Liberty. The
Ministry that should realise such a project as this,
while judiciously regulating the general develop-
ment of the national defences in all the various
departments—would do more genuine service to
the population and to our posterity than by the
negotiation of a dozen Sham Treaties of Commerce,
by the introduction of a score of Poor Little Bills in
the name of Reform, or by the blowing of a hun-
dred Bubble Budgets from the lips of a Ciceronian
Chancellor of the Exchequer.

THE VOLUNTEER RESERVE FOR THE NAVY.

LATEST NEWS.

The following telegrams have been received al
Mr. Reuter's office :

TURIN, JUNE 10.
The Senate has approved the treaty of cession o:
Savoy and Nice by 92 against 10 votes.

PARIS, JUNE 11.
The Moniteur of to-day publishes a telegram

dated :

" NAPLES, JUNE 10.
" The evacuation of Palermo by the Royal troops

will terminate to-morrow.
" The troops who have already commenced to
arrive at Naples have been despatched towards
Castellamare and Gaeta.

" The Neapolitan troops in Sicily will be concen
trated at Syracuse, Messina, and Agosta."

PARIS, JUNE 10.

The Moniteur of this morning contains a dis-
patch, dated Cagliari, 9th inst., according to which
a convention has been signed at Palermo, between
the Royal troops and the insurgents, on the 6th
instant.

Eighteen thousand Neapolitan troops quitted
their positions on the morning of the 9th, and had
encamped near the mole to be ready to embark im-
mediately.

The citadel would be evacuated after the embar-
kation of the troops and the exchange of prisoners,

TURIN, TUNE 9.
Gen. Garibaldi has constituted the Government
of Sicily as follows :
Baron Pisano Foreign Affairs.
Signor Crispi
Signor Orsini (a Sicilian) . . War.
Abbe Coligni
It is positive that Garibaldi found 24,000,000 f. in
the Treasury.

MARSEILLES, JUNE 10.

Letters from Palermo to the 3d inst. gives details
of the devastation at Palermo. Numerous houses
had been shattered by the bombs, but scarcely
any persons killed.

The insurgent bands were furious, and had
sought to massacre 100 spies and several judges.
Garibaldi had issued a decree, calling all Sici-
lians to arms between the ages of 17 and 50 years.
Fifty vessels of war were in the Roads of
Palermo.

PARIS, JUNE 10.

According to the latest telegrams received from
Naples from an authentic source the Neapolitan
Government had decided upon concentrating all its
military forces at Syracuse and Messina, because, by
preserving these strategic positions, the Neapolitan
Goverment still hopes to appear in the eyes of
Europe as master of Sicily. It seems to fear that
the revolution would be recognised as an accom-
plished fact should the Neapolitan army abandon
Sicily.

PARIS, JUNE 9.
The Petrie of to-day says:—" The principles of
iron-intervention will be provisionally applied only
to Sicily."

The same journal states that Garibaldi has issued
a decree to the effect that the revenues derived from
imposts and customs will be paid over to the insur-
rectional authorities.

It is rumoured that the second division of the
squadron of evolution is about to leave Toulon.

VIENNA, JUNE 9.
A few days ago Signor Carafe, the Neapolitan
Minister, assembled the ambassadors of the Great
Powers, and demanded that, in the event of Gari-
baldi proclaiming the King of Sardinia in Sicily,
they should not recognise the anexation, but that
the possession of Sicily should be guaranteed to
Naples.

The representatives of the Powers refused to enter
into any engagements.
The King of Naples has recently demanded an
Anglo-French intervention, which was likewise
refused.

:VIENNA, JUNE 10.

Prince Petrulla, the Neapolitan Minister here,
has received by courier an autograph letter from
his Sovereign. In this letter his Majesty engages
himself solemnly:—

First—To call to his councils men enjoying pub-

lic confidence.

Second—To reconstitute a Government for gua-
ranteeing the faithful and conscientious execution
of the laws, as well as the suppression of abuses.
Third—To proclaim a general amnesty.
His Majesty hopes that, in consideration of these
guarantees, European diplomacy will no longer re-
ruse to interfere in his favour against the revolu-

GENOA, JUNE 10.
Advices from Palermo to the Bth inst. state that
the troops and artillery formerly occupying the
castle had embarked.

The report that the castle had been entrusted to
the English admiral until the embarkation was
accomplished is unfounded.
The Corriere Mercantile, of Genoa, says that the
evacuation of Italy by the French troops is com-
pleted.