The Sun.
London, England, 1859-05-06 00:00:00

IRELAND.

DUBLIN, THURSDAY MORNING.
The returns of yesterday show some variation in
the position of the contending parties. The Derby-
ites have gained one seat and lost another, while a
third has been won by a gentleman whose political
views are not yet rightly defined, but the belief
seems to be that they lean more towards the present
Ministry than a Government formed under any of
the chiefs of the Wig party. This, however, is but
speculation. Mr. William
Kirk, the great gun of
the Presbyterian body, who had always held the
position of first favourite at Newry, literally bolted
on the night previous to the polling, and left the
race to be run by Mr. M‘Blain, a local barrister,
who, as might be guessed, was thoroughly distanced
by Mr. Peter Quinn, the Government candidate.
This was all undoubted victory for the Conserva-
tives; but, on the other hand, a reverse was met
with in Limerick city, by the defeat of Mr. Spaight
and the return, after a fierce contest, of Major
Gavin. Weiford borough was won without a blow

by Mr. Redmond, a Roman Catholic Liberal, who
takes the place of Mr. Devereu.x, a stanch supporter
of the Whigs, while his successor's views of parties
are at present hid under a cloud of generalities.
Kilkennyborough has re-elected its old and faithful
servant, Mr. Sullivan (Liberal). Galway town has
also given a new lease to Mr. Lever and Lord Dun-
kellin, although the latter was sorely pressed by
Col. French, an old Indian officer, attached to the
Young Ireland party. Armagh torough has cast
aside Mr. Sterne Miller, the late member, and
i chosen Mr. Bond, who sat for the borough n the
Parliament of 1852. The victor and the vanquished
are both Tories, but Mr. Bond's Toryism is of a
milder type than Mr. Miller's. He supports the
Maynooth grant. There are not likely to be
more than 12 counties contested namely,
Clare, Galway, Kildare (doubtful), Limerick, Lon-
donderry, Louth, Queen's County (doubtful), Sligo,
(doubtful), Westmeath, Waterford, and Wexford.
The Government are quite sanguine of a gain of
two seats in the places enumerated, and a third is
believed to be possible. Londonderry is expected
to substitute Mr. F. Heygate for Mr. Greer, and
Blare is to do a like office for Col. Vandeleur, vice
either Calcutt or Luke White. The less certain
success is Waterford county, where the Derbyites
are straining every nerve to secure the return of
the Hon. Walter Cecil Talbot, a scion of the house
of Shrewsbury and Talbot.

KING'S COUNTY.
Mr. Pierce Creagh, a Roman Catholic supporter
of Lord Derby, has withdrawn from the field, and
wares his claim in favour of Mr. John Pope Hen-
nessy, of the Middle Temple, London, who has gone
to the expense of publishing a long advertisement
in the local papers announcing his readiness to sit
for the county as one of the select band of Irish
Independent Oppositionists.

SCOTLAND.
BUTE (COUNTY).
The nomination of a member of Parliament for
Buthshire took place on Wednesday at Rothesay.
Mr. Sheriff HUNTER having read the writ, and
called on any elector to propose a candidate,
Lord JAMES STUART proposed Mr. Lamont, who
was seconded by Provost M'EwAN, of Rothesv.
Dr. GIBSON proposed the Lord Advocate.
Mr. R. MACALLISTER, President of the Bute Far-
mers' Society, seconded the nomination.
The candidates then addressed the meeting.
Mr. LAMONT condemned the conduct of the Go-
vernment in respect to reform, and, still more, their
course of dissolving Parliament at such a time as
the present. He contended that he was the fitter
man to represent the county, being able to devote
his whole time to the performance of his Parlia-
mentary duties, while the Lord Advocate had many
professional calls upon:his time and attention that
must interfere with his usefulness in the House of
Commons.

The LORD ADVOCATE denied that he was the nomi-
nee of any, pa rty, and added that the ties of office would
not prevent him from voting against any measure
which the Government might introduce, and which
he could not approve. In respect to general poli-
tics, he said that in being opposed to the ballot he
was a Conservative, but in regard to free trade, the
Test and Corporation Acts, and others, he was a
Liberal; and it was in view of that he was of the
number of those who belonged to that party who
described themselves as Liberal Conservatives.
Upon the question of reform in Parliament he was
in favour of the general bill that was introduced
the other day. With reference to one point in that
bill, there was a difference of opinion in Parliament,
namely, the lowering of the borough franchise.
But that bill, he said, was no sham measure of re-
form, because, if it had been passed, it would have
added somewhere about 500,000 voters to the con-
stituency of this country, who at the present mo-
ment were excluded from the elective franchise.
He was in favour of all the " fancy" franchises. He
said that that bill would have given to the people of
Rothesay and the people of Bute everything that
the resolution of Lord J. Russell or any views even
of Mr. Bright would confer upon them, because it
was only in the franchise for the Parliamentary
boroughs that any reduction was to be made beyond
that of the Ministerial bill. Alluding to the pre-
sent aspect of foreign affairs the learned lord said,
we were now, so far as this country was concerned,
*Still at peace. A war had, no doubt, broken out on
the Continent of Europe, and it had broken out be-
tween two European Powers ; but this country was
entirely free from all participation in that war. It
was a most wilful and most criminal act on the part
of Austria, and on the part of Austria alone, and he
trusted that even yet, by the exercise of wise diplo-
macy on the part of the Foreign Minister of this
country, a stop might soon be put to the war. In
order that we might be in the position to keep our-
selves safe in the war it was necessary that we should
have an efficient administration in the executive de-
partment of the Government—more especially as
regarded the army and navy. He believed there
never was a time when greater improvements had
been made in the navy of this country, or when it
had been in such an efficient state as it was under the
present Administration. All naval men admitted
that. The army of this country, too, was in a
most efficient state, and providentially the Indian
mutiny being at an end we were enabled to bring
back our army to these shores. The Lord-Advocate
concluded by giving a general approval to the acts
of the present Government, and declared his inten-
tion ofopposing the Maynooth grant.
A show of hands was taken, which was declared
by the Sheriff to be favourable to Mr. Lamont. A
poll was demanded for the Lord-Advocate, and was
appointed to take place on Friday (this day).

EDINBURGHSHIRE.
The election of a member for Mid-Lothian took
place at Edinburgh on Wednesday. There was no
opposition to the re-election of the Earl of Dalkeith,
who was nominated by Sir James G. Baird, and
seconded by Mr. Davidson.
The Earl of DALKEITH, in returning thanks, said
he voted, as they were all aware, in support of Lord
Derby's bill, on the ground that he thought there
were those who might safely be intrusted with the
franchise who did not at present enjoy it. He could
not have supported Lord John Russell's resolution,
because he felt convinced that it was brought for-
ward on mere party mid factious grounds. It was
well known at the time that the principle Lord
John sought to embody in his resolution might
have been carried by an overwhelming majority if
the bill had been brought into committee, and he
thought that if Lord John Russell had been sincere
in his desire for Reform, he would have supported
the bill brought forward by Lord Derby's Govern-
ment. He (Lord Dalkeith) could only say he would
be willing to consider in as full and conscientious a
manner as he could any consistent. measure which
might be brought forward for the extension of the
suffrage. With regard to the continental war, he
hoped that England would occupy a neutral posi-
tion, but that it would also be a strong and dignified
position.

ROXBURGHSHIRE.
The nomination and election for this county took
place on Wednesday, Sir William Scott (Liberal)
being the only candidate.
Sir W. SCOTT said he considered the present dis-
solution unwise and unjustifiable. He believed that
a satisfactory measure of reform could only be car-
ried out by those who had all along been reformers
from conviction. There was scarcely a clause in the
late Reform Bill which was not open to objection.
If returned to Parliament, he (Sir William) would
have great pleasure in supporting the Reform Bill
sketched by Lord John Russell, which included a
£6 borough franchise. Though he was not in favour
of the ballot, there was no one more anxious than
himself to protect the voter from intimidation, and
it would be necessary to frame some measure so as to
afford him due protection. Sir William next alluded
to the war which had broken out on the Continent,
and was of opinion that this country ought not to
embroil herself on either side. Lord Derby's plan
of an armed neutrality would not do—the country
must declarc for non-intervention. At the same time
our armaments ought to be in a proper condition,
and we should be prepared for the worst.

ST. ANDREW'S BURGHS.
Mr. E. ELLICE, jun., was returned on Wednesday
for these burghs without opposition. After thanking
the electors for having continued their confidence in
him for 22 years, he said he was one of those who
had great distrust of Lord Derby's Government, and
believed that the object of their liberal professions
was simply that they might keep their places. He
was not prepared, however, in the next Parliament
to give them any factious opposition, but wanted to
see what they had to propose, and if they did not
come up to his wishes they had some certainty that
another and a better Government could be put in
their place. He went on to express his approval of
the ballot, as the only apparent means of preventing
such influence as had been exercised at South Dur-
ham and elsewhere, and such corruption as Lord
Derby's £20,000 was likely to promote. But the ques-
tion of reform must give place to that of our national
defences. On the question of foreign policy he could
not help reiterating his distrust in the Government.
Lord Palmerston's Government was turned out of
office for being too obsequious to France. He
should like to know what Lord Derby's Government
had been. Lord Derby had believed, with the
utmost obsequiousness, the assurances of France
that there was no danger of war ; and yet every-
body that had any brains in his head knew now
that France had been determined upon war all
along. Why, what could all her preparations that
had been going on for years mean ? What could

be meant by the great extension of her navy, and by
the calling out of her contingents to the full extent?
The fact was that Austria had merely taken the
advance because she knew that France was prepared
and determined to do it; and that, instead of the
Government taking those steps that they ought to
have done to ascertain the truth, they had believed
professions which ultimately turned out to be en-
tirely false.

THE WAR IN ITALY.

(From the Times.)

Austria appears willing to let the world believe
that if shewas precipitate in her diplomacy she will
make amends for such unaccustomed promptitude by
being very deliberate in her strategy. When she
astonished Europe and shocked grave, innocent, and
trusting statesmen by decisive action, at a moment
when she was thought to be waiting patiently the
peaceful solution of all her difficulties ; when she
appeared with that sudden menace, that three days'
pause, and that prompt act of war, we all believed
that she had resolved to seize a quickly passing op-
portunity for striking a decisive blow. She had
190,000 men in Lombardy and Venice, whereof
120,000 were drawn up almost on the banks of the
frontier river Ticino. The general of that army, as
he looked across the little river, could almost survey
the scene of his future operations. On his right,
rolling away in the distance, rise the peaks of the
Graian and Pennine Alps • on the left the lesser alti-
tudes of Montferrat and the summits of Mont Apen-
nine mark the highland character of the country
into which he was about to advance. But between
these two northern and southern uneven districts,
stretching straight before him, like an irregular bay
which spreads its rippling surface deep into a rocky
region, extends along vista of flat country. Through
the middle of it winds the Po, so renowned in song
and history; and from north and from south,
from the Alps on the right hand and from the Apen-
nine range on the left hand, and from those distant
Cottian Alps that close the vista and shut out
France, descend little rivers, each bringing its
tribute from its own mountain—little shining ribs
that articulate to the backbone of Piedmont. In
those mountainous districts to the left lie the fast-
nesses of the Sardinians. The great fortress of
Alessandria stands almost at the entrance to the
Montferrat country, and over the high hills and on
the margin of the sea lies Genoa. The hills to the
right—those uplands which swell away towards
the frontier mountains of the Simplon, Mont Rosa,
and the Grand St. Bernard—are for the most part
undefended by art, and straight away before him,
up that flat alluvial plain, our Austrian General
can see no place capable of an hour's defence. The
great river winds about ; the tributaries stream
down into it from right and from left. There are
little indefensible towns like Novara, Mortara, and
Vercelli, the three points of a triangle ; but there
is nothing serious between him and Turin, which
lies away up at the top of this deep lowland level.
All Europe thought that this was Austria's object ;
that, bold in her great preponderance of force, she
would with a strong army mask the fortresses of
Alessandria and Casale, and all that southern moun-
tain district which they command, and that she
would with the remainder of her force rush straight
forward, never stopping till she reached the Royal
Palace at Turin. There would be some prestige of
arms in occupying the enemy's capital at the out-
set of the war, and there would be obviously some
strategic advantage in being in a position to destroy
that network of railways which now puts the
French who land at Genoa in direct and imme-
diate railway communication with the French
who cross Mont Cenis and attain the Piedmon-
tese side of the Alps at Susa. Master of Turin
and of the railways that centre at Turin, the Aus-
trian General would have divided the two French
armies, and would have been in secure possession
of all Sardinia, except only that mountainous
Montferrat region which we have supposed him to
survey, as lying on his left, while meditating his
advance across the Ticino.
This raid upon Turin was thought to be an object
so material to the successful opening of the game
before her that Austria was believed to have acted
wisely even in incurring some moral odium while
securing so important a physical advantage. But,
for some reason or other, which is probably a very
good military reason, but which lessens our idea of
the necessity of her diplomatic precipitancy, Austria
has taken no advantage of her priority in point of
time, or of her superiorlty in point of force. She
moved her army forward in two main divisions.
One of them stepped cautiously over the river, and
set foot upon that alluvial plain, that flat bay of
land, which lay before them. Gradually, and with
much deliberation, this division occupied the two
little towns of Novara and Mortara—one on the
right wing, and the other on the left—and then
advanced a few miles further to Vercelli, where
they halted, surveyed, and reconnoitred, while every
hour was bringing laden transports into the har-
bour of Genoa and long lines of French infantry
were swarming over the Cenis. Perhaps the rains
that fell swelled the tributaries and damaged the
roads ; perhaps the revolution in Parma, Modena,
and Tuscany counselled caution or created irreso-
lution ; perhaps the Austrians were impressed with
the conviction that it would be less troublesome to
let the French come over the sea and over the Alps,
and assemble in their full strength ; that it would
be easier to meet them all on this hither side, as in
a cockpit from which there was no escape. We are
not in a condition to divine motives or critcise
strategy, for the telegrams are not very explanatory
and the knowledge vouchsafed to us by the mili-
tary authorities are not very perfect ; but we can see
that after being seven days on the Sardinian soil
the invaders have not yet advanced more than 35
miles from the frontier river.
Of the division which crossed the Ticino, and
which appeared to be intended to march up the
level upon Turin, we can trace the movements with
some certainty. They have diverged rather south-
wards of their direct route ; that is to say, they are
tending towards the foot of the Montferrat range,
rather than towards the foot of the Alpine hills. In
this advance they find one of the windings of the Po
in their path, and on Wednesday evening they
crossed the river at Cambio. The point chosen for
this passage was near the town of Sala, and per-
haps indicates an attack on Alessandria. Higher
up the river, at Frassinetto, close to Casale, a for-
tress capable of some resistance, another body of
Austrians seems to have attempted to cross the
stream, after a cannonade which lasted 15 hours,
but were repulsed with some loss.
What can be the object of these operations ? If
the Austrian had kept the northern bank of the
river it would have taken him to Turin. But to
proceed by this route the Austrian must cross the
Dora—a little river which comes down from the
Alps, and flowing through the level country in
front of Turin, falls into the Po. The banks of
this river are said to have been fortified, and it was
thought that these lines had been chosen as the
battle-field on which France and Sardinia, profiting
by the sluggishness of the Austrian, had determined
to draw together and fight a battle for Turin. By
crossing the Po the invading division, whose ad-
vance we are now tracing, has turned that position
altogether ; for they are now on the south bank,
and the Dora comes down into the Po from the
north. The object of attack, however, is quite
doubtful. They may be either proceeding to-
wards Turin by the most direct route, or they
may be about, by the simple manoeuvre of " right
shoulder forward," to turn to the left, and ad-
vance upon Alessandria. If it be true that an
Austrian cannonade was commenced at Valenza,
it would appear, perhaps, more probable that the
fortresses are the object of attack ; for Valenza is
within a few miles of Alessandria, and the Austrian
reserves, which are said to be in great force at
Pavia and Piacenza, are well placed for taking part
in a concerted attack upon Alessandria, or even for
descending upon Genoa.
Thus have we traced the progress of one division,
which took the plain country, and was at the last
advices crossing the Po at a point not above 10
miles distant from the great fortress of Alessandria.
There is, however, another division of the invading
army which, instead of crossing the Ticino, went
up north to the lake whence the Ticino flows, and,
crossing the lake, penetrated into the northern and
Alpine districts of the kingdom they invaded.
Distant from railways and telegraph wires, the
movements of this force are as yet obscure. We
expected to find them coming down into the level
country somewhere about the line of the Dora, and
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except the power of making forced contributions in
their enemy's country. Sardinia has her fortresses
secure. Alessandria, Casale, Genoa, and Turin are
in her hands, and all the positions she holds arc
connected by lines of rail with each other and with
the sea, and with the Alpine passes into France.
It as yet seems as though Austria had staked
heavily for an opportunity, won it, and now thrown
it away.

CANADA.—LIVERPOOL, May 5.--The Canadian
Royal Mail steam ship Indian, Smith, commander, arrived
this afternoon from Portland, Maine, with dates to the 23d
ult., 40after cabin and 27 steerage passengers. Her adviees
are entirely devoid of interest.
LIVERPOOL, Thursday.—The screw steamer City
of Baltimore, which will leave Liverpool for New York on
the 11th inst., will call at Queenstown on the following day
for cabin passengers and despatches. The amount of specie
brought yesterday by the Lebanon, from New York, was
77,000 dol,