The Sun.
London, England, 1866-08-06 00:00:00

THE SUN, LONDON, MONDAY EVENING, AUGUST 6, 1866.

nothing new to find eloquent denunciations
in opposition succeeded by consenting silence in
place. The point of view from which such matters
are regarded exercises a potent influence over the
inquirer, and, when once he is shown into the magic
circle the esprit de corps, of which Mr. SEELY com-
plains, makes him ready and willing not only to de-
fend his friends 'and associaties, but to fight the
battles of his predecessors and smooth the way for
those who come after him, though they may be
his enemies.

But there is another aspect of the case
which is evil more unsatisfactory. No doubt
in every public department more money is
spent than is strictly necessary, and although this
reflection is unpleasant to the taxpayer, still there
are few expenses more cheerfully borne by an
Englishman than those necessary for the maintenance
'of an efficient navy. The House of Commons
yearly votes enormous Estimates, and the members
are never called to account by their constituents for
their votes in this respect. But how is the work
done? On Saturday evening, before the discussion
on the dockyards, Mr. GRAVES asked the First
Lord of the Admiralty the names of the ships at
present available in the reserve for immediate ser-
vice. Sir JOHN PAKINGTON did not give the names,
but significantly said that if he did so the list would
be a very short one. The right hon. baronet's
words on this occasion deserve especial notice. " I
regret to state I find the reserves by no means
in a satisfactory condition, or indeed in such
a state as I had a right to find them—so
much so that the Admiralty have great
difficulty in finding relief for the ships that return
from foreign service." This is satisfactory certainly
after the annual outlay. how is it that we have so
few ships in reserve ? What have the Admiralty
been about during the last few years, when
the aspect of affairs has certainly not been
especially pacific? Sir JOHN PAKINGTON has not
shown himself at all disposed to censure his prede-
cessors, or to hold up their shortcomings to criticism.
We must, therefore, conclude the case to be really
a very bad case, and we can only hope that he will
speedily inaugurate a better system. If we have
barely enough ships to relieve our foreign stations,
what should we do in the event of a war with any
two allied Powers? Our commerce would not need
less protection than it does now, but more, and we
should find ourselves asking with good reason what
the Admiralty had been doing with the public
money.

containing some two or three hundred eggs, saying
" That is my way of making an omelette, look after
the stove to cook them." A policeman was sent for,
and the inventor of cookery upon a new system,
after having undergone some essential purification
from the eggs, was consigned to the care of the
police. They will probably impose rather a dis-
agreeable joke upon the meddler with eggs.
Business on Saturday at the Bourse may be said
to have been almost suspended. The tendency of
prices was rather towards decline. The calm was
no doubt preparatory to the coming liquidation
storm to-morrow (Monday), which is likely to be
of unprecedented difficulty and violence. The last
arrangement presenting similar obstacles was in
1848, when mutual concessions and arrangements
were made. The differences then were not of an
exceedingly serious amount. Those to be arranged
to-morrow, however, exceed the value of a million.
Prince Napoleon Jerome has returned to his
country seat at Mendon, near Paris.
The Constitutionnel says :—" If the Correspon-
dence Generale of Vienna is to be believed, the
negotiations for peace will commence in a few days
atPrague." This is in conformity withthe announce-
ment in the Moniteur.

LATEST INTELLIGENCE.

(REUTER'S TELEGRAMS.)

TEE PEACE NEGOTIATIONS.

PARIS, Aug. 6.

France takes no part in the negotiations for an
arm;stice opened between Austria and Italy at Cor-
mons. These negotiations are completely foreign to
the preliminaries of peace which will be negotiated
after the conclusion of an armistice with the con-
currence of France probably at Paris.

VIENNA, Aug. 5 (Evening).

The suspension of hostilities between Italy and
Austria having been prolonged in order to allow
negotiations for an armistice to proceed, the nego-
tiations have commenced at Cormons, in Istria.
General Mooring is the Austrian plenipotentiary.
Should the negotiations not lead to a result by the
10th inst., the renewal of hostilities is not impro-
bable.

To-day Baron Brenner takes his departure for
Prague, in order to negotiate with Baron Werther

_ .
definitive treaty of peace between Austria and

Prussia.

BERLIN, Aug. 6.

The King of Prussia w'll shortly proceed to Carls-
bad, where the treaty of peace between Austria and
Prussia will probably be signed.
Prussia has positively declin?d the proposition of
Russia for a congress of the signitary Powers of the
treaties of Vienna.