The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-09 00:00:00

GREECE.

A letter from Athens, dated the 18th of Oct
says :

" Mr. Wyse, the English Ambassador, as Presi-
dent of the Financial Committee has presented a
collective note of the three Powers to the Minister
of Foreign Affairs, containing a succinct resume of
the report of tno commission. In this note the
three Powers draw the attention of the Greek Go-
vernment to the faulty financial administration of
the country and to the urgent reforms required, and
conclude by saying that as the three Powers see
that the country offers sufficient resources to pay
without inconvenience the sum of 900,000 f. on ac-
count of the loan and interest it yearly claims that
sum from it.

"The note took the Government by surprise, as
no previous notification of it had been made.

"At a Cabinet Council, presided over by the
King, the principle of the payment of the 900,000 f.
hzs been adopted. The Chambers have been con-
voked for the 10th of November."

Colonel Clifford, son of Rear-Admiral Sir Au-
gustus Clifford, has been appointed Yeoman Usher of the
Black Rod at the House of Lords, in the room of the late
Mr. James Pull-Ilan, F.R.S., Clarenceux King of Arms.
DEATH OF THE COIJNTESS DOWAGER OF HARE-
woop.—Wo have to tumour e the death of the Countess
Dowager of Harewood, who expired yesterday morning at
an early hour at Goldaborough Hall, near Leeds, after a
very short illness. The late countess was the second
daughter of Thomas, second Marquis of Bath, K.G., by
the llon. Isabella Elizabeth Byng, third daughter of George,
fourth Viscount Torrington, and was born on the 25th of
March, 1801. Her ladyship married, on the sth of July,
1823, Henry, third and last Earl of Harewood, who, it will
recollected, died in 1857 from the effect of injuries sustained
by being thrown from his horse on the hunting field. The
marriage of the Earl of Dalkeith, M.P., and Lady Louisa
Hamilton, which was fixed to take place to-morrow, has, in
consequence of the death of the countess, who was sister to
the Duchess of Buceleuch, and therefore aunt of the bride-
groom elect, been postponed to a more distant day.
THE RAILWAY STATION AT PERTIL—A final
understanding has been come to as regards the joint use of
the Perth general station. The whole matter in dispute,
which led to the formation of a new station at the Glasgow-
road Bridge, has been amicably settled between the directors
of the Scottish Central and Scottish North-Eastern Rail-
ways, and the terms of arrangement only require the ap-
proval of tho Scottish North-Eastern shareholders. The
necessary station buildings and accesses are provided for,
and the Scottish North-Eastern Company are to resume
their use of the general station in all respects as formerly.
—alebreath Guide.

THE VOLUMEERS.

TO THE EDITOR OF TIIE SUN.

Sint,--Allow me to amend my first letter on a
point of importance.

In 1805 the volunteers were formed in regiments
of 1,000 strong, and even in larger masses, clothed
in red, and armed, accoutred, and drilled like re-
gular troops. Of use they were, displaying the
moral power excited by the danger of invasion ; but
as soldiers mere mimics, without solidity to support
the regular army, and offering points of weakness to
the enemy, because, having neither artillery nor
cavalry of their own, they required the aid of those
arms of war from the regulars ; for it is by fine com-
binations of infantry, cavalry, and artillery that
battles are won. Soon all would have had to trust
to their legs ; for be it known to Mr. Wise that
absolute running away at the right time is also an
essential part of warfare, to be learnt with care,
though a battle is not the best school for the first
lesson.

The regular artillery would then havo feared to
close on the French masses, trusting only to the
support and protection of unwieldy, untaught, ill-
commanded mobs of volunteers.

Now, acting as riflemen, the volunteers will be
independent of the regular army, yet support it;
and, having free play for their own natural intelli-
gence, it will in each be developed according to
mother wit—though it is not every mother that
gives her son military wit, as proved by Mr. Wise.
They would also more easily escape from the evil of
incapable commanders, and yet give full play to
their own usefulness.
Thus it would be :

A rifle infantry man takes post, under cover, half
a mile from a French column of march, and he
plumps into it every-shot, or knocks over the men
and horses of the artillery and cavalry, if at all ex-
posed to his fire. At the same time one or two of
Sir William Armstrong's lightest guns, which are
said to be of sure stroke at two miles' distance, and
may be drawn by two horses, can take post a mile
or more behind the riflemen, pounding the enemy's
column and protecting our own skirmishers from
cavalry, which, however, could make but little im-
pression, giving, as they would do, half a mile start
to the volunteers in running away, if such running
should be expedient.

It may be said the French have rifles and long
ranging guns also. True ; and it would be a fair
fight between the riflemen on each side ; but the
heavily-loaded Frenchmen would soon tire, and the
!rutin column must halt to rally them again. Thus
the long ranging arms, pushing the volunteers into
their natural career, have quadrupled their power ;
and, all former points of weakness being swept away
they will be a real support to the regular troops,
instead of a drain and a burden.
The delay thus enforced on the enemy must be
made also under the destructive fire of the Armstrong
gun, which would hit always, and never be hit by
a counter gun of the same range, for the columns

of the enemy could not hide, they must be perforce
of Mr. Wise's school ; whereas the Armstrong gun
corild and would hide, and, having fired, remove to
another place to fire again, so that the enemy's shot,
directed only by the smoke, would strike an empty
nest.

Each gun, whether manned by volunteers or

militia artillerymen—and there are many good ones
--should be attended by small corps of volunteer
cam airy always moving with it, ready to support the
skirmishers and protect the gun from accidental
roving detachments of the enemy's horsemen. We
also should have roving horsemen—aye, and fight-
ing . horsemen, numerous and bold. They would
soon teach the French cavaliers how much a good
ho] se has to do in warfare ; horses never blunder if
their riders be earnest and strong-willed.
The last Gazette having given me a step of rank,
mr signature will be in future
:Nov. 4, W. NAPIER, General.

THE ;STATE OF ITALY.