The Sun.
London, England, 1861-04-25 00:00:00

I have had, however, no reason to doubt the truth
of anything I mentioned in my last letter, in which
I was very careful not to give mere hearsay stories,
except the account of the student who killed the
soldier that had shot his friend. This wants con-
firmation. It appears that the two soldiers killed
were two Cossacks—one by the blow of the stone, and
the other by a gunshot wound received in the volley,
he being at the time among the crowd. The original
official farce, that ten only were killed, has been
carried out by another official announcement, that
the ten corpses have been buried. A list, compiled
from careful private investigation, has since been
formed, and the number of dead, inclusive of those
killed on the spot and those who arc known to have
died of their wounds, cannot be less than thirty-
nine! It is probably even greater, and many are
still lying in a very precarious state. The wounded
aro very numerous, many having received bayonet
wounds from soldiers in their individual attempts to
disperse the crowd after the firing was over ; many
also having been cut down by the sabres of the
gendarmes in the first charge. It appears, too,
that many poor creatures have concealed their
wounds, afraid, even, to apply to a medical
man for professional advice lest they should be
taken to the citadel with the other wounded.
Eye witnesses have described the scene inside
the court of the Castle—when after the firing the
dead and wounded were ruthlessly dragged in
there, men and women, dead and dying together
as something appalling: All subsequent testimony, '
too, goes to show that the masvere was prear:-
ranged. It has since transpire& that on the Sun-
day night there was a kind of council of war held
in the Castle. The matter was then and there
debated and settled. I rejoice, however, to be able
to say, for the sake of humanity, that some voices
were raised against such a fell deed of blood. It is
said that General Liprandi, General-in-Chief of the
corps d'armee at present stationed in Poland, was
strongly opposed to it, as also the Military Governor
of the town, General Paniutin, who by his justice
and humanity in the discharge of the duties of the
Viceroy's office on several occasions during the ab-
sence of Prince Gortschakoff has gained universal
respect and goodwill. All honour to men who can
dare to be in the minority on such occasions ! The
colonel of a regiment stationed in the Castle, when
informed by the Prince on the Monday morning
what would be required of him in the evening, re-
fused to obey, and on retiring to his own quarters.
within the precincts of the Castle shot himself.
Since Monday week the Government has been
endeavouring to restore some kind of order. During
the first few nights numerous arrests were made,
the prisoners being first conveyed to the citadel,
and thence carried to the fortress at Modlin. A law
was promulgated, with retrospective force, regulat-
ing the manner of trial and the punishment of such
as were arrested for taking part in tumultuous',
assemblies. An order was published forbidding all
unusual dresses in the streets, all mourning, all
walking sticks with lead or iron about them. All
persons are required to furnish themselves with lan-
terns in case they are in the streets after 10 o'clock
at night. The effect of these in a town lighted with.
gas is somewhat ludicrous. But why was not all
this done sooner ? Why were not steps taken to
prevent crowds in the streets ? Why were they
allowed to collect, and then barbarously fired into ?
The town post has been abolished, and the
merchants' club, called the Ressource, closed ;
the town is still occupied by troops, tents having
been pitched for them in several of the principal
squares, and their camp fires light up every evening
the circle of swarthy faces grouped around them.
Such have been some of the repressive measures
adopted. What has been done to calm and reassure
the public mind ? You.shall judge.
Prince Gortschakoff, the Minister at Petersburg,
has been telling Europe that his Imperial master
wishes and intends developing the concessions he
has granted his Polish subjects with all loyalty and
sincerity. How does Prince Gortschakoff, the Vice-
roy, begin the work? An order has been published
for the provisional organisation of the new Muni-
cipal Council for Warsaw. I append some of the
details that you may see the spirit in which the
Emperor's telegram and ukase are acted upon—in
which his promises are carried out :
" The Council shall be called only, when the Pre-
sident (named by the Government) deems it neces-
sary.
" The President shall determine the order of
matters for the discussion. No subject can be in-
troduced which has not been placed on the order of
the day.
" The deliberations of the Council shall be carried
on with closed doors.
" In those matters wherein the Municipality has
had no power of final decision hitherto their deci-
sions will still require the sanction of Government..
" The President shall have a right to suspend
any decision which he considers as exceeding the
powers of the Council. He shall inform the Council
within three days of such' determination. The mat-
ter shall then be referred to the Minister of the In-
terior, who in the course of eight days shall con-
firm or revoke the suspension. The Council may
appeal from this decision to the Council of Admi-
nistration.
" The President shall publish and execute the
decisions of the Council, and shall appoint the secre-
tary to write the protocols."
Now, where are the " loyalty" and " sincerity"
of such an organisation as this? Here is a Muni-
cipal Council, but without a grain of power. When
the President chooses they may meet, be it once a
month, or only once a year. If he places it on the
order of the day, they may discuss the necessity of
a new gas lamp in this street or a new pavement in
that. But there is not a vestige of initiative power_
Can it be wondered, then, when the Poles read such
enactments as this, that they say, as they constantly
do, " Oh, the concessions ; they are for Europe, not
for us Poles." It looks well on paper to promise a
Council of State, Departmental Councils, Municipal
Councils ; but if this is the spirit in which the Im-
perial promises are to be carried out, better not
make the promises at all. This organisation of the
Municipal Council 'professes to be only provisional ;
it is to be hoped, indeed, that it is no more. How
infinitely better to give the nation a pledge of the
good faith of its governors by the honest, hearty,
speedy realisation of the Emperor's promises. It is
their suspicions of want of good faith—not unna-
tural nor:unpardonable after the withholding of the
Organic Statute in 1832—that prevents the right-
minded portion of the nation from joyfully accept-
ing what the Imperial ukase has promised.
The Government has also been taking measures
to reorganise the Administration. For this pur-
pose it is said that several eminent Poles have been
requested to take office. They have consented under
cede' conditions, but these conditions have been
refuse , and so the offices still remain vacant. In.
deed, t ere would have been many resignations by
lh
Poles actually in office, had not considerable pres-
sure, and even threats, been used to prevent such a
course. It is a lamentable state of thifigs when a
man must serve against his will, or else be sent to
Siberia, or some far off town in the east of Russia.
But little progress, then, has been made since
Monday, the Bth.

The'quotations of exchange from China yesterday
were 65. 4d. at Shanghai and 4s. Bd. at Hongkong, showing
no alteration. The reports from the Chinese markets aro
favourable, while those from India, in consequence, it is
supposed, of the famine, are Unsatisfactory.
THE "TIMES " AND THE PAPER-DUTY.—We
read in the Critic :—" Unless Mr. Gladstone puts a heavy
_
duty on foreign paper (which assuredly he will notlicki?; '
old
British paper-maker is badly off indeed.
- Eventhis very
friend the Times has deserted him. Begilounnogn
week, the Times is printing its impress in prin.
paper. Not a sheet of British make is now used
shillings per
ting-house Square. Now the Times Belgian
saves
hundred reams
ream by importing its paper, as Haas it
to the enormous sum of
per diem, the total saving amounts patriotism are very
£18,780 per annum. Sentimentf iitti9 worth ?flan. opposed to
grand ideas; but they are 0.
81144 A Mal Ati that.