The Sun.
London, England, 1861-11-22 00:00:00

HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE,

THIS DAY.—Morning, 4h. 23m.—Afternoon, 4h. 48n1
TO-moßßow.-Morning, oh. 7m.—Afternoon, :sh. 23m.

THE WEATHER.—Strr OFFICE, NOVEMBER 22,11861.
THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE,
60-lAighest since noon yesterday.
15—lowest this morning and during the night.
41—this day at noon.
BAROMETER-29.63; falling rapidly.
WIND—S.-Westerly; fresh, with dull, rainy weather.

r
,14:`1 1.: .-. ;a,-- - 4 -,1 : •
4 r
...,,,, ,
~T..
_ ;,, ,
-171.; (7 l -71,. Tr''' .4,6.:. T'' oil, • 0

THE SUN.

LONDON, FRIDAY, NOV. 22, 1861.

From reports confessed to be " very confused,"
we gather the certainty that the Federal fleet has
got to work. Port Royal is the point of attack,
and it is certain, by the resistance, that the attack
had been anticipated ; it is said, however, to be
just ready to surrender. The Confederates are
obviously alarmed, for not only were they foitnd in
force, but their army on the Potomac seems to be
sending some of its troops to the scene of naval
attack. Even the General, BEAUREGARD, is said
to have thought the danger to South Carolina so
much the most urgent, that ho has relinquished
the command in the North and gone to Carolina.
In the west the fighting seems to be still on equal
terms. First a Federal force from Cairo lands at
a place called Belmont, beats the Confederates, and
captures everything, with 100 men ; but imme-
diately the Confederates come on their rear the
Federals march for their boats, and with heavy loss
on both sides the Federals retire. It is sad that
these purposeless and bloody fights should be so
often repeated. Many of them, however, afterwards
dwindle down to small affairs. The thousands en-
gaged prove to be hundreds, and the hundreds
killed, at most tens. Another Cot. federate steamer,
with a valuable cargo, has run the blockade—and
the Sumpter is once more talked of, this time as
captured. The next news must be important.

We shall soon probably understand a little better
the prospects of Italy. The Italian Parliament has
assembled, and RICASOLI has announced his policy.
It seems to be as identical as possible with that
which would have been pursued by his lamented
predecessor, since it proffers to the POPE such inde-
pendence as he could scarcely have hoped for. The
Emperor NAPOLEON had been requested to become
mediator, but through want of concentration on the
part of the Roman Court, the mediation fell to the
ground. Roman pride, like that of Austria, clings
to ignominious power, as if power on any terms
were a prize. The Porn's is, however, the more
discreditable, because he holds it merely by foreign
aid. The Romans at this moment are not his sub-
jects, but the subjects of France, which allow him to
govern and tax them as he likes. It is LOUIS
NAPOLEON, not Pope Pius, who is Sovereign of
Rome ; nor dare the POPE do what he prohibits.

RICASOLI asks of the POPE to renounce for ever
such a trumpery Viceroyalty—asks him to exchange
humiliating submission to a Suzerain at the
Tuileries for spiritual, and ecclesiastical, and tem-
poral independence in the capital of his country.
He and his Cardinals are to retain their dignity
and inviolability. He is to have full liberty for
all his acts of divine right as chief of the
Church ; he may send his nuncios whether he
pleaos ; convene councils and synods without the
intervention of the Government ; the right of eccle-
siastical benefices—doubtless some handsome livings
' —is given up by :the KING; as also, what our
QUEEN would not resign, all right of interference
in the nomination of bishops; and—the best thing
of all in tho eyes of the Vatican—" the King of
ITALY will guarantee the POPE a certain revenue."
Of course we in England can only imperfectly
judge, previously to the discussions which will arise
on them, of the value of these concessions. We can,
however, see that they are very considerable.
No Church in any State in Europe, except, indeed,
the self-supporting and therefore independent sects
in Great Britain, have anything approaching to
such liberty. The Catholic Church in Italy will,
under these arrangements, be, we should have
thonght, too free for any State Church. It will
gain a degree of ecclesiastical independence
amongst 20 millions of people, hitherto unknown,
by sacrificing a detested and humiliating temporal
rule over a million of Italians of whom France is
the real master. Even nominal titles and powers
are dear, however; witness how beggared Irish
landlords clung to their mortgaged estates. His
Holiness is much such another beggared Prince
—and clings to his empty title, while the title
deeds are in Lous NAPOLEON'S strong box.
Nothing, however, can excuse the conduct of
France. She promised to leave when the Papal
independence was provided for. It is provided
for. The enemies of Italy wish indeed to keep
her out of her capital, and the poor Romans in
subjection, but France is not professedly at heart
an enemy to Italy, and she has no honourable
excuse for her obstinacy. Just now, when she is
in want too of money, she has the best reason
of all to allege for accepting the independence of
the Pope and granting independence to the long-
oppressed Romans, It may be hoped that M.
FOULD will have a voice. in this matter.

The Confederate privateer Nashville has created
a case which may well puzzle our international
lawyers. If it be discussed on purely technical
grounds, we confess we do not see our way to a per-
fectly satisfactory solution. The United States
are recognised by us ass friendly Power, and we
have but a few days ago allowed a vessel of war
belonging to their Government to leave the waters
of Southampton after having qualified herself to do
what she pleased with any vessel of inferior force.
But yesterday another vessel of the Confederate
half of the United States comes and claims the
same privilege—and we, having recognised the
Confederates as belligerents, and declared perfect
neutrality between the two belligerents, are now
called on to do for the Nashville what we did for
the James Adger.
The Nashville seems indeed to want to make
herself a better ship of war, or rather to convert
herself from a merchantman into a ship of war;
but that seems to be merely aof repairs ; the commission
o
question u
me stri.o nIEoFfi, extentEßsoN
DAVIS converts her into a public ship of war.
Perhaps a little might be said on the ground
that to " take off her top deck and to fit her out
as a vessel of war," is almost equivalent to build-
' ing a ship of war for her owners; and it is pos.
slble our lawyers may be able to refuse so much.

They may take the ground that the " asylum and'
hospitality" asked by a ship which has suffered
from weather at sea, cannot go beyond making
good the damage done at sea. To add a single
gun to her armament, or in any respect to make
her more competent to fight than when she left
the shores of her own country, would certainly be
to take part in the quarrel by deliberately fur-
inishing naval power to one aide. Had a

gun been thrown overboard in the storm,
or the deck been strained and become leaky, we
roigl It have allowed a gun to be taken, and have
caull'Wd or repaired the deck ; but to make the
deck more fit for a fighting one, or to furnish ad-
ditiom tl armament, is apparently aiding in the war.
We k suppose that as the American representatives
here aci -:ept charge of the captured crew and make
provisi on for their return to New York, their act
will relieve us of all responsibility for permitting
their landing. Otherwise it would seem that as it
must have been a great convenience to the
Nashville to get rid of them, and as the charge
of them had nothing to do with " refitting,"
we might have been accused of aiding in
the warlike operations of the Nashville,
by relieving her of her troublesome and worse than
useless " prisoners of war." This would have
been, indeed, a refinement in legal quibbling, but
no quibbling is too absurd for United States autho-
rities if they can quibble England into the wrong.
Probably, however, Captain NELSON and his men
would have settled the case for themselves, if offered
by the privateer captain a landing on any friendly
coast. Perhaps the question, however, may be
raised whether the Nashville's entering the port
with prisoners of war, and disposing of them there
as best suited her convenience, may be placed by
the lawyers in the same line with actually bring-
ing a prize into port. It may be argued that if the
privateer had known that she could not get rid of
the captured creNt, she would not have destroyed
the captured vessel, it might have been nure con-
convenient to have left them on board of her.

It is perhaps this destruction of the fine ship, the
Harvey Birch, a vessel of 1,487 tons, American
measurement, and which had cost sbout £25,000 in
her construction, which will create the greatest dis-
gust. We do not deny its accordance with the laws
of war, or rather with the usages of war, but it was
to be hoped that Americans with their boasted civi-
lisation, would exhibit themselves rather in the
light of ameliorators of barbarous usages than fresh
examples of them. Wanton destruction of valuable
and useful property is a disgrace to any cause ;
better have allowed the ship to remain for a derelict
than to have burnt and sunk a noble vessel from

mere revenge.
The excuse is the conduct of the North in " in-
vading their territories, burning their houses,
ill-treating their women, and stealing their negroes."
Whether it is " invading" or lawful endeavours to
suppress rebellion is, as yet, the question in dispute
between North and South. " S tealing the negroes,"
if a crime, is the crime which England only de-
mands that the North should commit more fre-
quently—but as between the two parties the South
boasts, justly, of their value in the war, and the
North has therefore a right to treat them as " con-
traband of war." Tho other two accusations might
doubtless be retorted on either side—they are but
too common in the train of armies, but certain it is
that the orders of the officers are distinct and their
threats severe against such offences. The charge
against PEAGRIII, is, not that any of his men
in blind passion set the ship on fire
contrary to his commands and desire, but
that he, the commander, in cool blood,
ordered his men to do it. It was an act of heathenish
savagery, and will do, as it ought to do, much to
make Englishmen loathe a cause in which command-
ing officers, on such vague provocation, can retaliate
in such a wanton manner. We have not adverted
to what would have been more worthy of a spirited
sailor—namely, to have put a small crew on board,
and to have attempted, as the Nashville herself did,
to run the blockade; or if that were not practicable,
to make for South America. We hope the inhabi-
tants of Southampton will not fail to let Captain
PEAGRDI understand what they think of such
Vandalism.

One thing both Federalists and Confederates,
we suppose, both understand, that the less we
have to do with the ships of war of either of them
the bettor we like it. We do not like
,their war;
we do not like the way it is pursued on either side ;
we do not like the causes of the war ; and feeling
no interest in it we do not want to offend either.
American impudence is so great that either side
will make a boast of getting all it can out of us,
each at the same time looking angrily at us for
helping the other. We would beg them, therefore,
to keep their ships of war from our coasts. They
are very unwelcome; though perhaps the know-
ledge of that will only bring them oftener; we
hope they will keep as much as they can on their
own side the water.

Right glad are we to find that the Premier
avows himself to be entirely in favour of a double
Embankment of the river Thames ! Its embank-
ment, that is, not only on the Middlesex side, but
on the Surrey side as well. This is, really and
truly, of course, the only rational view that could
be taken of the proposed enterprise. But, then, it
is not always the rational view that is taken in re-
gard to projected metropolitan improvements—
particularly by Prime Ministers. And it is there-
fore, because the view taken by our veteran Pre-
mier is essentially the rational view of this magni-
ficent scheme of a Thames Embankment, that we
hail the avowal of it by the lips of Lord PALMER-
STON himself, with such peculiar satisfaction.
What is worth doing at all—a good old proverb
tells us—is worth doing well. And it is an axiom
just as applicable to large undertakings as to small.
It is peculiarly applicable to an imperial project
like this of the Thames Embankment. For what,
in point of fact, does that project of an Embank-
ment undertake to do ? In a few plain and simple
words, it proposes, among many other things, to do
this—to transform the back entrance to London
into the grand end noble and picturesque front en-
trance to the most wonderful city in the world—
the largest, the wealthiest, and the most populous !

Time was when our river afforded to the inhab
tants of the capital, their favourite and the mos
frequented channel of communication. The Thames
was then the Silent Highway. Instead of the cab
and the omnibus clattering and lumbering over the
crowded causeway—the wherry shot hither and
thither to the stroke of the dapper oars wielded by
that now almost extinct race, the race of our Lon-
don Watermen. Alas ! the " Jolly Young Water-
men," sung of yore, in the popular ditty—he who
erstwhile " used for to ply" near the ancient bridge
at Blackfriars, has long since degenerated into that
amphibious animal, the Surly Old Waterman, so
called, we have been facetiously informed, because
he opens the cab doors ! Then—in the good old
times (" all times when old are good" as BYRON
sings)—the Thames actually had a poet of its own ;
as though its current were that of another Helicon :
[ TAYLOR, the Water Poet ! Fancy the Thames
with a Laureate of its own now ! Supposing we
could witness such an incongruous phenomenon,
TAYLOR'S success as the Bard of the Thames, if he
1 invoked any
t ought in reasonmythological dniveitnietnyee
for itnhsepiration,
attend-
ants upon APOLLO, not one of the virginal off-
spring of ININEmos/NE, but—as a matter of course
—no other than CLoAcniA.! But, in former times,
when the river Thames was really,
in truth, a river,
and not, as now, a vast open sewer—green turf
grew down to its margin between bridges, just as
it does still in some favoured localities above bridge,

say at Mortlake, here and there, and at Twicken-
ham, Our forefathers could think then, with an
anticipative sense of refreshment, of taking a
" header" after the fashion of the COLLEEN BAWN'S
lover, during the hot summer days, into a stream
—the notion of contaminating oneself by touching
which, in these times, produces only a sensation
very much like a shudder of disgust in every well-
regulated mind. Then the river shores, bet ,veen
bridges, were not, as now, with a frightful literal-
ness of signification—river shores! Swans then
frequented those margins of the Stream which are
now only the haunts of those enfants terribles,
those wretched little gamins de Londres known
familiarly as Mudlarks. It is through the realiza-
tion of the magnificent scheme now about to be
adventured upon—this grand project of a Thames
Embankment, that all the old charms and beauties of
the river Thames can alone be brought back to us;
that all the existing evils and abominations now
polluting its current and festering along its banks
can be effectually got rid of ! And to dream of
doing all this simply by halves—by having merely
oae side of the Thames embanked, the Middlesex
side and not the Surrey side as well, the northern
bank and not the southern bank into the bargain—
would be the merest absurdity, the sheerest folly
well imaginable. It is precisely because we are
so thoroughly impressed with the conviction that it
would be so that we are so sincerely rejoiced that
the noble Viscount the First Lord of the Treasury
has himself, betimes, so very distinctly avowed his
solicitude to see an embankment of both shores of
the river, and not simply of one shore. Thus, there-
fore, and thus only do we trust that the enterprise
will be carried out. Then—in that case—upon
those rational conditions—the main drainage of the
capital being carried away from the river, and not,
as now, into it—the filthy old ramshackle wharves
being swept out of sight, the current of the Thames
being restored to its original pellucidity; a broad
roadway being constructed upon either hand, with
rows of houses raised beyond each embankment,
houses rivalling and, we dare say, many of them
surpassing the frontage of the Adelphi-terrace—
this one metropolitan improvement alone will do
more towards the adornment and beautification of
the cities of London and Westminster than all the
other metropolitan improvements that have ever
been dreamt of by our palladian daydreamers pu t
together. Only, however, if both shores of the
river Thames be embanked together ! But the
necessity of both shores being embanked we have
happily seen at length insisted upon by the Prime
Minister, and therefore we will encourage ourselves
to hope and believe that so—and so only—will it
be done.

Supposing we but carry out this one grand
project in the way of a comprehensive metropo-

litan improvement, as it is now proposed to be
carried out—supposing we achieve this single
scheme of a double Thames Embankment as it
ought to be achieved—and supposing we do this
promptly, and energetically, and with a will, we
may yet in more ways than one outstrip our
Parisian neighbours before very much longer in
the labour of developing a great series of metro-
politan improvements. Paris, for one thing, has
no such river to adorn as we have in our majes-
tic Thames—the Seine being insignificant by com-
parison. Besides which, if we have Mei all this
while to build superb edifices like the Louvre, to
carry right through the most crowded quarters of
our capital broad vistas of Boulevard upon Boule-
vard, running straight as an arrow from point to
point—well, at least we have the consolation of
reflecting that all this while we have not been

plunging head over ears into debt like some others
that we wot of! Yet, while there is a profoun d
satisfaction, of course, in remembering that hitherto
we have manifested this conspicuous prudence
in refraining from rash and ill-considered enter-
prises of metropolitan improvement—there is as-
suredly no reason why we should remain obdu-
rately apathetic when a scheme is at length un-
folded before us, by judiciously carrying out which
we may ensure immense adornments to the capital
—adornments that, while they will wondrously en-
hance its beauty, or we ought rather to say, perhaps,
at length impart something like beauty and splen-
dour to its general appearance, will, at the same
time, increase its salubrity, and prove in the end
actually (it cannot fail to do this) remunerative.
Such a scheme, in truth, is this project of a double
Embankment of the river Thames.

COWES, ISLE OF WIGHT.

NOVEMBER 21.

The Swedish brig Aegir, Petterson, from Lulea for
Rochfort, with a cargo of deals, put in hero last night with
loss of bulwarks and stanchions and stern frame started,
having been struck by a sea during the gale of the 14th
inst., when on the Doggesbank.
The Aegir fell in with the Nowegian barque, Nouna, from
Illea.borg for London, in a sinking condition, on the 15th
inst , and took off her captain and crew, 12 in number, and
landed thorn here.

CHURCH RATES.—A vestry of the parish of Northwood
was held at the Town-hall, West Cowes, this day, to take
into consideration the propriety of making a church rate.
The parties for and against the rate mustered strongly, and
after a long struggle a rate of ld. in the pound was carried
by a majority of three votes.
REMOVAL OF ToLLs.—The public have been for years
seriously annoyed by the vexatious tolls demanded at the
pier at Southampton. These have been at length removed,
and now all persons leaving Southampton for the Isle of
Wight, or arriving from it, pass over the Royal Pier toll
free.

The Duke and Duchess of Marlborough have re-
turned to Blenheim Palace from visiting the Marchioness
(Frances Anne) of Londonderry at Seaham Hall, Durham.
The Marchioness of Ely has arrived at her resi-
dence at Prince's-gate from Windsor Castle.
The Earl and Countess of Ellesmere have arrived
at Bridgewater House from Woreley Hall, Lancashire.
Viscount and Viscountess Palmerston entertained
a party at dinner last evening at Cambridge House. A
select circle assembled later in the evening. Her ladyship
has issued cards for an assembly on Saturday next.
Lord Llanover arrived at his residence in Great
Stanhope-street on Wednesday evening.
The Right Hon. Benjamin Disraeli, M.P., and
Mrs. Disraeli have left Hughenden Manor on a vist to the
Duke and. Duchess of Northumberland at Ainwick Castle.

The Right Hon. Sir George C. Lewis arrived at
Kent House yesterday from visiting her Majesty at Wind-
sor Castle.

yv
A memorial to the Court of Aldermen is in pre-
paration on the part of the members of the Stock-Exchange,
for an abolition of the annual tax known as " Broker's
rents."

The commercial telegrams from China reeeived
this afternoon are dated the 16th of October from Hong-
kong. The import-markets were still very dull from the
pressure of large stocks. Canton had been evacuated by
the British. The quotations of exchange were 4s. 51d. at
Hongkong and 6s. at Shanghai, showing no alteration.
Loss OF THE SHIP BRITISH FLAG.—Yesterday
a despatch was received in Liverpool from Queenstown,
announcing the :arrival there of the ship Ernst, having on
board the captain and crew of the Liverpool ship British
Flag, Captain Campbell, bound fi orn Liverpool to Bombay,
with a large and valuable general cargo. The British Flag
was a fine first-class ship, of 1,395 tons burden, belonging
to the well known East India and China merchants,
Messrs. Bates, Stenhouse, and Co., of Liverpool, and left
Liverpool on the 6th of the present month. There is no
doubt but this vessel must have been caught in the recent
heavy gales, for on the 13th inst. she was dismastod in lat.
45 N, long. 11 W, and shortly afterwards abandoned by
the crew, which were, as we have already stated, saved
by the Ernst, and landed safe at Queenstown this morn-
i g. The abandoned vessel had a crew of 37 men on board
at the time of the disaster.

THE FINSBURY ELECTION.—A requisition was
yesterday got up by a number of influential members of the
Court of Common Counoil, calling upon Mr. Lusk, one of
the late sheriffs, to come forward as a candidate for the re-
presentation of the borough of Finsbury. The requisition
isialready very numerously signed, and it is thought that if
Mr. Lusk should come forward, there is every probability
1 114 bas being successful.

LATE6T NF

THE CIVIL WAR IN AMERICA
(PER THE GLASGOW, via QUEENSTOWN.)
NEW YORK, Nov. 8, Evening.

It is reported from Fortress Monroe that the
commander of the Minnesota has received informa-
tion that the Federal fleet was bombarding Port
Royal, and was meeting with a warm reception, the
Confederates having been prepared for an attack
some time before. The Confederates were com-
manded by Commodore Patrick.
Another despatch states that Port Royal is in'ea
critical condition, and just ready to surrender to
the fleet.
Two Federal steamers have been wrecked off the
ooast of North Carolina: The crew were taken
prisoners by the Confederates.

The accounts received are very confused. Im-
portant movements are taking place on the Lower
Potomac, indicative of the despatch of large Con-
federate reinforcements to the points threatened on
the Southern coast.

It is reported that General Beauregard has relin-
quished the command of the Confederate army on
the Potomac, and has proceeded to take the com-
mand in South Carolina.

A despatch from Cairo announces that a Federal
expedition from that place, numbering 3,500 men,
had landed at Belmont, on the Mississippi, and
attacked the Confederate force there, capturing
cannon, horses, and 100 prisoners.
After the Federals had taken possession of the
Confederate camp, it was reported that the Con-
federates were crossing the river from Columbus in
order to attack the Federals in the rear. The Fe-
derals were then ordered to return to the boats,
when a severe engagement took place, and the
Federals ultimately retired.

The Confederate force was reported to number
7,000 men. The loss was heavy on both sides.
The Southern journals report the arrival of the
Confederate steamer Theodora at Savannah with
a valuable cargo.
The privateer Sumter is again reported to have
been captured near Barbados.
It is reported that President Davis will cer-
tainly be relieved of the Presidency.
There is a large majority for union tickets in
Maryland.
The captain of the slaver Erie has been con-
victed of the capital offence of piracy.
It is asserted that the Federal army in Missouri
will not advance beyond Springfield.

COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE.
NEW YORK, Nov. 8, EVENING.

Money easy. Exchange rather firmer. Bankers'
bills 1074 to 107 i. Stocks slightly firmer. New
York Central, 79 ; Erie, 321; Illinois Central, 621.
Cotton firm and advancing. Sales today, 2,000
bales. Middling Uplands, 24c. Flour quiet.
Wheat, good demand for export. Corn lc. higher.
Provisions steady. Coffee and sugar quiet. Molasses
unchanged.

TURIN, THURSDAY.

The Opinione of today says :
" The proposals for the partition of Italy men-
tioned by the Daily News, originated with Powers
who have not the courage to declare themselves
favourable or opposed to Italy, but who wish to
play a part in European politics which their posi-
tion does not permit them to assume."

NAPLES, THURSDAY.

The brigands who were defeated at Pietragalla,
in the Basilicats, have taken refuge in the moun-
tains and woods surrounding Lake Pesolo.

MADRID, WEDNESDAY EVENING.

The Correspondencia Autografa of to-day says :
" Victor Emmanuel first claimed the Neapolitan
archives in the quality of King of Naples. Spain,
however, refused to recognise this title, and Victor
Emmanuel then withdrew his previous notes, and
confined himself to simply claiming the Neapolitan
archives."

PARIS, Nov. 21.

The report, originating with the Paris papers,
that General Cialdini had arrived here, proves to
be unfounded.

General Cialdini has not yet left Turin.

The Moniteur, in its bulletin of to-day, says :
" The Independance Beige amuses its readers
with incidents purely imaginary relative to the late
Ministerial modification, and in its number of the
19th instant pretends to divulge what has taken
place in the councils of the Emperor.
" The account given by the Independance Beige
is entirely false."