The Sun.
London, England, 1859-11-28 00:00:00

SPAIN AND MOROCCO.

A letter from Malaga, dated November 17, says :
The young soldiers here at Malaga, the head-quar-
ters of the 3d corps of the expeditionary army,
commanded by General Ros de Olano, are begin-
ning to learn that, even when all seems ready for a
war, many things still remain to be done ; and cer-
tainly the Spanish Commander-in-Chief is right to
avoid precipitation: All the circumstances of the
conflict to which he is about to lead his army pre-
scribe prudence and deliberation. He has to com-
mand untried troops against an enemy whose qua-
lities are but imperfectly known, and whom it would
be rashness to despise. It is very long since Spanish
troops met a foreign foe. Even the civil war
against Don Carlos has become a matter of history,
so long past that probably very few of the soldiers
who shared in it now remain in the service. And
that contest, although bloody enough in many of
its episodes, was of a widely different character
from the one approaching. In an uncertain season,
and on wild and comparatively unknown shores,
the Spaniards have to assail a foe who in numbers
will probably prove superior to them, and whose
courage and powers of defence and offence must not
be underrated. A Paris paper lately gave some
details concerning the Morocco army, according
to which a certain degree of organisation has
been introduced into it since the battle of Isly.
A portion of the Emperor's troops, if those accounts
be correct, aspire to the title of regulars ; there are
battalions armed with the modern rifle, and we are
told even of artillery trained in the European sys-
tem. Doubtless such corps are looked upon with
admiration in their own land, but it may be doubted
whether they will prove the most formidable of
those brought against the Spaniards. A little
knowledge is often dangerous, and it is difficult to
believe in the efficiency. of Arabs newly trained to
European drill and discipline. Their regular lines
would probably appear less imposing to young
European troops than would be the impetuous
swoops of those clouds of wild horsemen who
whirled and swept around the French squares in
the memorable retreat from Constantina. As re-
gards the fighting qualities of the North Africans
there can scarcely be a doubt. They may not be
military, but they are decidedly warlike. More-
over, we well know the desperate courage given
to them by fanaticism. Their priests, we learn,
have been preaching up a religious war, and ex-
horting them to do good battle against the infidel.
Although the war appears popular in Spain, and
O'Donnell's soldiers may go into it willingly and
with confidence of success, it is not to be supposed
that their martial ardour and desire for distinction
will be stronger stimulants than the blind enthu-
siasm of men who reckon on crowns of glory in a
paradise of houris as the sure recompense of death
in conflict with the unbeliever. In short, it would
be a dangerous error on the part of the Spanish
Generals to imagine that they have but to walk
over the course ; that the Moors will fly in terror
at the very first onset of their battalions. A
glance at the annals of the French armies in
Algeria must satisfy them—even allowing for
a little high colouring on the part of conquerors
who were their own historians—that they will
find stout opponents, and should render it
incumbent upon them to take every precaution
tendin-, to insure the triumphon which they reckon.
The Kabyle hordes that will be launched against
them are of the same breed and courage as the best
' of those Tursos who, more than once in Lombardy,
bore down the stout resistance of the well-disci.
plined Austrians. And, besides the armed opposi-
tion to be expected, the Spaniards must encounter
and overcome the severe hardships and many ob-
stacles inseparable from a campaign in such a coun-
try. It is of the highest importance, in order that
they may do this without great suffering, that the
commissariat and means of transport should be well
prepared and highly efficient, and we are justified
in believing that the necessity of such preparation
is fully present to the mind of the Commander-in-
Chief and his Generals, and that to it is due the
delay-in the commencement of operations. The
department of the artillery ought also to receive the
greatest attention, for it will probably be found the
most effective arm that can be employed against the
Moors. In the French army in Italy it was well
known that the Tursos, desperate with the bayonet
and intrepid in the exchange of rifle shots, were not
to be depended upon when opposed to the fire of
artillery. The Spaniards have long been accustomed
to speak highly of this branch of their service, which
will now have an opportunity of justifying its re-
putation.
With respect to the place and manner of com-
mencing the war, nothing is yet known, and you
must attach but slender value to any statements on
the subject you may have seen in the Spanish or
other papers. It is manifestly desirable that the
operations on land should begin as near as possible
to the place where the troops disembark, in order to
save them from toilsome marches over a rough
country. With only irregular forces to oppose
them, it ought not to be difficult to land at
any convenient spot, under cover of fire from from
the ships. My own impression is that all opera-
tions near the coast will be comparatively easy,
and that if, as it would be tinfOr. to doubt, the
Spanish Generals prove capable and the Spanish
soldiers brave, success will attend their first opera-
tions. But if, carried away by early triumphs, they
attempt too much, and press on into the interior,
they will risk reverses, due, probably, as much to
natural impediments as to the perseverance and
daring ,of the enemy. Every league they march in-
land will increase their difficulties and dangers,
since they will be so much the further from their
supplies, and so much the more exposed to the
harassing warfare in which the Arabs excel. Their
convoys will be in greater danger, stronger escorts
will be required, the encumbrance of their sick will
be the more felt, while the sick themselves are likely
to be the more numerous by reason of fatigue, cli-
mate, and exposure. The Spanish soldier is, per-
haps, unequalled by any other in his powers of en-
durance. He will march further and faster, on less

food, than the soldier of any other European na-
tion. lie is temperate, patient, and docile. But the
present army has never been used to rough work,
and harassing marches, and damp bivouacs, would
assur-Ally tell upon it at first. A reverse would be
much to be deplored, bath on account of the fact,
and because Spain, in order to retrieve it, might be
compelled to an expenditure of men and money far
beyond anything that has been contemplated. For
her sake, then, it is to he desired that her Govern-
ment and Commander-in-Chief may prove mode-
rate in victory, and may not risk being led too far
by not knowing when to stop. Marshal O'Donnell
is noted. as a man of great resolution of character,
and also for his tenacity in carrying out enter.
prises in which he has once embarked ;
but those qualities are by no means in-
consistent with that prudence and moderation in
his designs which he owes both to his country and
to his own reputation.
The three corps of which (besides the reserve at
Antiquera) the Spanish army of Africa consists, are
each composed of two divisions, each of these con-
sisting of two brigades, and each of these of four
battalions—that is to say 10 battalions in each corps,
besides the proper complement of artillery. With
respect to cavalry, I have not positively ascertained
how many regiments or squadrons it is proposed to
send, but I have reason to believe that the force of
this arm will not be large—probably not more than
2,000 horses. The troops quartered in Malaga have
frequent drills and parades, but I have not yet had
an opportunity of seeing any large body go through
manoeuvres. The present uniform of the Spanish
infantry is rather peculiar. it consists of a brown
frock, buttoning loosely, gathered in folds at the
waist behind, and reaching not quite to the knee.
This coat has a cape, covering the shotilders and
extending= down 'to - the elbow. This is a good
contrivance as regards protecting the soldier from
the weather, but it must, I think,*be rather incon-
venient to him in firing. The shako, which is a
new one designed by General Ros de Olano, and
known in the army as the " Ros," is of very
peculiar appearance. It is of a low form, more
so behind than in front, and is composed of gray
felt, bound with black leather. There are holes
for ventilation just below the leathern tops, and flaps
to let down and cover the ears, but this last contri

vance is so neatly managed as to escape observation,
except on close inspection. The great advantage of
the shako appears to be that there is no top-heavi-
ness, and that it is convenient and sticks close to the
head. The Cazadores (Chasseurs or light in fantry)—
of which the Spanish army comprises 18 battalions,
numbered like the French Chasseurs a Pied, by
battalions, and not by regiments—are dressed much
the same as the Line, but wear red trousers like

the French. They are the finest infantry Spain at
present has, and a couple of battalions now here,
look very smart and soldierlike• The long gaiter,
reaching from knee to foot and buttoning over the
trouser, has been adopted by the whole of the
Spanish infantry. It is of cloth, a material alleged
to be preferable to leather because it dries sooner.
It also, however, gets wet much sooner, and I sus-
pect it would be found iu the long run that there is
" nothing like leather." Tha French, decidedly the
most practical and successful army tailors of the
day, prefer leather, and have long recognised the
advantages of the gaiter, which the English mill-

tart' seem slow to adopt. A strong leathern gaiter
ought to form a part of every infantry-man's equip-
ment, or should, at any rate, be sorved out to him
when he goes on active service. It affords both
support and
,protection to the leg, while the long
loose trouser does neither, and is but a collector of
mud and an additional drag ugon the soldier when

wet. As regards arms, ihe -Chasseur battalions
have the Niime, a portion of the line has the common

rifle, and the remainder the old musket. A part of
the artillery consists of rifled cannon.
There are a number of steamers in port here.
Two days ago all the Spanish ones received orders
to proceed to Cadiz, to be at the disposal of the
military authorities, but this has since been
countermanded. We have no news of any im-
mediate movement. We are still expecting troops
to complete the 3d Corps. There appears to be
now little expectation that General O'Donnell
will visit Malaga. The Gibraltar C'lu•onicle of '
the 15th mentions the departure from Algesiras
for Ceuta of 18 pieces of mountain artillery, with
equipments complete. The mules to carry them
were to follow the next day. This information,
combined with the other news that has just reached
me, renders it probable that the whole of the Ist
Corps will be very shortly
,transferred to Ceuta,
where one of its brigades already is.
The whole of the troops composing the Spanish
expedition will be provided with the tente d'abri, on
the French plan, which does good service as protec-
tion from the sun, but will be found altogether in-
adequate in the event of wet and inclement weather.
You will probably have become acquainted, be-
fore this reaches you, with a circular addressed by
the Spanish Minister of the Interior to Governors
of provinces with respect to prudential measures to
be taken by them during the war, and especially
with regard to the press. The publication of plans
of campaign, of the state of fortresses, and of stores
and provisions of war, of movements of troops, of
the movements of vessels employed for the service
of the army, of changes of generals, establishment
of hospitals, transport of supplies, of every sort of
arrangement and preparation, in short, within or
without Spain, relating to the war, is strictly pro-
hibited.

P.S. Two battalions of the regiment of Albuera
have just arrived to join thisc orps, of which they
film part. Together they do not number more than
1,200 men, but these are stout active fellows, tall
Acva(pll up to their work.
k
covers ; and, indeed,
fTohreSypiaian‘i,aerndiso,c aitnedd
‘O3,
hi t e
the weather here, in the latter half of November,
is such as to render that protection by no means
superfluous during the sunny hours of the day.
The Spanish steamers have left for Algesiras. It
would not be surprising if they were to take some
part of Echague's corps over to Ceuta, and if a
small fight were to be got up in front of that placo
the day after to-morrow. It is the Saint's day of
Queen Isabella, and the Spaniards like to burn a
little powder on such anniversiries. This, however,
is a mere conjecture. Echague's corps is the
strongest of the three, and is said to number 12,000
men. It has been for two months assembled in and

near Algesiras, and is probably the ono that is best
prepared to take the field.
GIBRALTAR, Nov. 20.
General Prim arrived at Malaga yesterday. liis
division (the reserve) is moving down to Algesiras,
a more convenient position than Antequera, in case
it should be wanted in Africa. Yesterday the fes-
tival of the Queen of Spain's patroness was cele-
brated at Malaga with the usual rejoicings. The
General commanding the 3d Corps held a Levee in
the morning, and at 3 o'clock in the afternoon he
reviewed the Bth battalion, some artillery, and a
squadron of the cavaly regiment of Albuera (120
horses), which had arrived the day before. The re-
mainder of his corps, being cantoned in the sur-
rounding villages, was not called upon to parade.
The troops looked very well, and comprised a con-
siderable proportion of old soldiers. The follo\Ning
order of the day was issued:—

" Soldiers of the 3d Company of the Army of
Africa,—The Queen has placed me at your head
that we might together fulfil a great duty, a duty
of patriotism, of religion, and of military glory ; a
duty which, for Spaniards, is traditional and his-
torical—war against the Moor. The Catholic Queen
of the nth century. in exercising her prerogative,
expresses the will of all Spain, which, while rege-
nerating itself, feels the necessity of continuing its
history. The conquest completed by Isabel I. took
upwards of SW years; Isabel 11., reconnecting the
historical succession broken by an interval of three
centuries, orders us to continue.
" Soldiers !—The campaign we are about to make
is not of those which present frequent opportunities
of employing the impetuous dash so proper to
your character ; constant calm and coolness
are, on the contray, what it especially requires.
You go to combat an enemy among whose quali-
ties cunning and deceit are prominent. lie will
prepare frequent ambuscades, he will feign discom-
fiture, and will employ all possible means of inspir-
ing you with a dangerous confidence. On the
march in the daytime, in your camp at night, you
must be ever on your guard, certain that he is in
your vicinity, unceasingly watching then moment
to surprise you. In the first encounters his auda-
cious ignorance will lead him to throw himself
rashly on your ranks; the inutility of his efforts
and the dismay occasioned him by his losses will
render him more cautious on sun( eling occasions.
'4," In order that the result may be undoubted,
strictly observe the great maxims of discipline,
oppose complete silence to the attacks of a barba-
rous enemy, and resist with military regularity the
assaults of his confused masses • let our light infan-
try, with their admirable mobility, never lose sight
of the support of their reserves ; let them load
slowly, aim well, and always bear in mind that much
fire is no more than much noi-e. . . . With these
conditions of combat the bayonet will have little to
do, but if any portion of the enemy presents itself in
solid order break it at once. For this you combine
more qualities than your opponents, since you have

" Yesterday, as soon as the steam transports at
Algeciras received the troops on board they steamed
across to Ceuta, where the troops have been landed.
One or two steam transports made a second trip.
The whole of the troops composing the first expe-
ditionary army, under the command of General
Echague, which had been assembling in our neigh-
bourhood—Tarifa, Algeciras, San Itoque, Ximena,
Los Barrios, Campanaento, and the Lines—ever
since the beginning of September, have now left.
Among the regiments composing the corps d'arniee
are those of the line Borbon, Rey, Granada, and
Albuera, and the light infantry battalions of Cata-
luna, Merida, Barbastro, Madrid, Simancas, Tala-
vera, Las Navas, and Alcantara, with squadrons
from the Mallorca and Albuera light cavalry corps,
horse and mountain artillery, and some comparies
of engineers. Detachments of these troops had,
from time to time before the general embarkation,
been sent to reinforce the garrison of Ceuta, in pre-
paration ter the approaching hostilities. The Pro-
vinciales de Malaga' are, we understand, the only
soldiers remaining to do garrison duty in the neigh-
bourhood. I
bourhood.

" This morning the only vessels of war that re-
mained in Algeciras were the sailing line-of-battle
,ship Isabel H., of 86 guns, bearing the pendant of
Rear-Admiral Segundo errera, two sailing fri-
gates, a paddlewheel frigate, and a gunboat.
" Shortly before 7 o'clock the fort of Santiago
fire a salute, which was followed by a similar com-
pliment from the sailing ships in honour of Queen
Isabella, this being her saint's day. Salutes were
also fired at noon by the Algeciras batteries and
the Spanish ships anchored in Algeciras roadstead.
" An official communication has been received
this morning by the Spanish Consul in this city
from the commandant of the neighbouring district,
announcing the gratifying news of the cessation of
cholera in that city, and that a Te grout was to be
chanted there this morning.
"The British brig Anna Maria, which arrived
yesterday afternoon from Tangier, scarcely brings
any news. Everything appeared to be quiet,
although the town swarmed with troops of the
Sultan and armed Bedouins, expecting hostilities to
commence shortly. The Anna Maria had been
freighted two days before the declaration. of the
blockade, and has been lying there ever since dis-
charging a cargo of grain from Casablanca. This
accounts for the vessel not being molested by the
blockading squadron. The brig brings, in addition
to a supply of fowls and eggs, 14 horses belonging
to the American, Neapolitan, Portuguese, and other
foreign consuls that have left Tangier on account
of the rupture between Spain and Morocco. Her
Majesty's paddlewheel sloop Vulture was the only
ship of war off that port.
"Three of her Majesty's steamships that have
been in our bay since the 24th of September will
take their departure to-day for England. These
ships are the Edgar, 91, bearinr, Rear-Admiral
Erskine's flag, belonging to the Channel fleet ; the
Conqueror, 101, Captain Clifford ; and the Centu-
rion, 80, Captain Patey. The two latter having
put in their time on the Mediterranean station will,
we hear, be paid off on their arrival at Portsmouth.
" 1 o'clock—The above ships have just left the
bay."

Yesterday there was a good deal of firing on the
opposite co ist, but it seems thought here that there
was not much fighting; that the Spanish troops
moved out and the Moors retired before them. It
was, as I predicted at Malaga, a celebration of the
Queen's j'ete day. There are various reports current
here concerning O'Donnell's movements. Some
t hink that the landing of the First Division at Ceuta
is a ruse to fix the attention of the Moors in that
direction and draw their forces thither, while the
two other divisions shall attack Larache, or some
other place where they are not expected. In any
case O'Donnell is believed to be on the point of
leaving Cadiz, but I make pretty sure of finding him
there to•morrow morning, the weather being very
dirty and most unfavourable to the transport of
troops by sea.
Contrary to a statement I lately saw that Mr.
Drummond Hay had come to Gibraltar, 1 learned,
on my arrival here this morning, that he is still at
Tangier, passing his days on shore and his nights
on board her Maiesty's ship Vulture. As my time
for writing is very short I will say little of the
reports current among Spaniards—and to some of
which, absurd though they be, same of the Madrid
papers have given earrency—concerning assistance
given by Mr. Hay to the Moors. One paper went so
far as to say that English artillerymen in uniform
were assisting at the Tangier batteries, pointing the
guns, &c. Such silly inventions are not worth
dwelling upon. According to the accounts I ob-
tain here, and which proceed originally from persons
lately there, Tangier has been put in a good state
of defence, and will be likely to give the Spaniards
some trouble, should they attack it. As regards
their means of aggression by sea, they appear to
have been exaggerated, and their chief reliance
must be on their land forces. On the other hand, I
am assured that there has been some exaggeration in
the accounts given of the Moorish troops. The French
Moniteur de V Armee has lately repeatedly spoken
of regular troops, Minie rifles, &e., as possessed by
the Moors. This is true only to a certain extent.
The Emperor is said to have 40,000 regular troops,
but that these are all provided with good firearms
is not believed here. It is an undoubted fact that
they have some Europcant rifles and muskets. The
Kabyles, on the other hand, were seen at Tetuan in a
very ill provided state. Some had only yataghans,
others pikes, others unserviceable pistols. The
Emperor has greatly increased the pay of his sol-
diers, who now daily receive, it is here stated,
nearly ls. sd. a day. The consequence has been a
great influx of volunteers.
The following notice has been issued from the
Secretary's office :

" Gibraltar, Nov. 19.
" At a meeting of the Gibraltar Board of Health
this day, it was represented by the Deputy Inspec-
tor-General of Hospitals that a few cases of small-
pox had occurred in the military hospital which
have been isolated.

" Decided,—That the captain of the port notify
the same on the bills of health issued by him.
" By command,
" S. FREELING, Colonial Secretary."
I hope the above may not cause our detention in
quarantine at Cadiz.
The Spanish Government has taken possession of
45 large lighters (sailing) at Cadiz, and has made
gunboats of them. This does not look as if their
navy was very strong. Tho consequence of this
appropriation is great delay in loading and ship-
ping goods at Cadiz. The French steamer, Ville do
Malaga, by which I came here, was detained fivo
days at Cadiz in consequence, the Spanish Govern-
ment having to pay her I,ooof. a day indemnity.
The lighters carry each one large gun.

A letter from Moelfra, received at Liverpool yes-
terday by Mr. Smith, states that on the previous day a male
body was washed ashore with a bag in the pocket, contain-
ing Bs. 6d., £6 10s. in gold, a bill of exchange on the Bank
of Australia for the sum of £96, payable to Robert Evans.
A second male body was washed up, about o feet 9 inches
in height, red whiskers, grey coat, plaid waistcoat, cotton
drawers, duck trousers, blucher boots, gold Albert chain
and key, a gold ring marked "F. 5.," and a memorandum
book with the name of Alexander Mawle, Hampton, Mid-
dlesex, inscribed. The body has been identified by Mr.
Gapper, one of the survivors, as that of John Mawle. A
third body has been found very much disfigured, in height
5 feet 9, red crimson shirt, white flannel, worsted drawers,
and Wellington boots. Another male body was also picked
up the same day, dressed in a crimson shirt, stout knee
boots, grey flannel and striped shirt, a gold ring marked
"Ballarat," with a fully rigged ship engraved on it, a knife,
key, and half a crown in silver.

(Even the Daily _Yews.)
Austria still demurs. For several weeks the
French Government has been assiduously employed
in the endeavour to persuade the Court of Vienna to
leave the arbitration of Italian affairs to an Euro-
pean Congress. The reluctance shown by the Em-
peror Francis Joseph and his advisers NVUS not per-
haps unnatural. If foreign force was not to be used
to impose a regime of restoration and reaction, what
would it avail to have such a 'vim:: for the Duchies
and Legations diplomatically enjoined ? Yet re-
sort to force had been so plainly and explicitly re-
pudiated by, France, and its specific renunciation by
all foreign States was so explicitly insist ed on as an
indispensable preliminary by England, that it was
hopeless to think of it as a means- of carrying into
effect any resolution or advice which the dynastic
map-makers of Europe might be persuaded eo offer.
Then there was the question of who should be in-
vited to assist in the proposed deliberations—a
question not easily freed from difficulties, from what-
ever point of view contemplated. Should all the
signitarics to the fraudulent compact of 1815 be
asked to participate in its revision ? And if not,
where was the line of omission to be drawn ? In
vain Austria applied to other powers to sustain her
views as to the bases of the proposed Congress. It
was not as on former occasions, when all felt a deep
interest in coming to an agreement and enforcing a
determination. More than one of the more influen-
tial states have in the present instance taken secret
pains to conceal their indifference as to whether any
Congress at all took place or not. Austria and
France had gone to war in spite of their counsel
and remonstrance ; and, however neutrals in the
quarrel might differ in their wishes as to its even-
tual results, none of them affected any particular
anxiety to undertake the collective task proposed
to them. At length, however, by dint of confiden-
tial assurances perseveringly administered by M.
Wale wski,the Austrian Govisrnment was brought, or
was supposed to have been broughtto the pointdesi red
The form of invitation was publicly declared to
have been agreed upon, and in terms all but iden-
tical the other leading Powers of Europe were to
have been requested to aid in the general consulta-
tion which Austria, by way of compliment to her
vanquisher, was to propose should be held at Paris.
Notwithstanding, at the eleventh hour, new delays
are known to have arisen, and new difficulties to have
been made. The cause assigned is currently al-
leged to have been the nomination of M. Buoncorn-
pagni to the Regency ad interim of Central Italy,
an appointment by which, it was asserted, the
whole question at issue, namely the legality of the
representatives of 'the people tendering their alle-
giance to whom they would, was virtually pre-
judged. Nobody perhaps believed that this was
put forward as the sole or substantial cause of re-
calcitration at the last moment on the part of the
Holy Apostolic Empire. The events that have oc-
curred during the last fortnight in Italy, especially
the withdrawal of Garibaldi from the post lie had
previously held in the army of Central Italy, are
known to have revived hopes and pretensions that
were flickering apparently their last at Rome. In
the chilled and trembling bosom of the Sacred con-
clsve, the warm pulse of returning courage throbs
again. Anticipations of disheartenment and dis-
organisation among the volunteer troops, and dis-
cord, capable of being assiduously augmented, if
proper means be used, into open disruption among
the actual rulers of the hitherto united States, oc-
cupy the thoughts of the Vatican. Already the
meek and virtuous Antoneili dreams of reconquest
and revenge. Vienna is now besought to hold
her hand, eschew all compromise, and await the
course of events. Les agens provocateurs are
known to be ready to act in the cause of impatient
liberty, whenever the signal shall be given ; and
everything, as in 1848, may be hoped from partial
outbreaks, divided councils, and the combined
energies of retrogression of the Governments not
yet overthrown, if France will only now, as
then, limit her sympathy to vows in favour
of order, and command her soldiers to main-
tain it a tout prix. We need hardly say how illu-
sory we deem these hopes of evil ; but they are not
the less vivid or the less likely to prove influential
because they are incapable of justification in the
realities of the ease as it stands. Garibaldi has
neither seceded in sulk because he has not had his
own way, nor is he less ready than at any former
time to lead the van of the still deferred up-rising
of all Italy to assert nationhood and freedom be-
cause, in deference to the reasonings of others, he
has temporarily withdrawn from his troops the
daily excitement of his presence. Neither Rome
nor Vienna can understand the moral necessity
which, snore than all his own genius and daring,
has invested him with the power they dread.
Whether his decision of last, week be right or wrong
as a matter of policy signifies comparatively little.
All Italy (that is Italian) feels that he has acted
unselfishly and acted for the best. The generous
laying down of military command by a popular
leader in the midst of a popular struggle, when his
motives are unquestioned and his fidelity undoubted,
never yet diminished his personal influence, but, on
the contrary, has generally tended to augment it.
We have little doubt that it will be so with the
gallant chief in question. Nor do we see any cause
for uneasiness should Austria determine on refusing
to send the required invitation for a Congress, or
upon annexing to it such conditions as must laad to
its indefinite postponement, or to the eventual re-
fusal of England and other Powers. The game of
time is, aster all, as things actually stand, no bad
game for Italy. Every day that passes uninterrup-
tedly of fusion and freedom throughout the Duchies
and Legations is a great fact, and one that cannot be
effaced from the consciousness of men. Napoleon
111. is not a man on whom treachery and tergiver-
sation, in requital for conspicuous forbearance and
generosity, are likely to be lost. Whatever be the
depths of his character as a political strategist, he
cannot as a man be insensible to the difference between
the too relying fidelity of the King of Sardinia and
the unfathomable fatuity and falsity of the Court
of Vienna. Nor can he, as a monarch whose throne
rests on universal suffrage, be indifferent to the con-
sequences of securing peace, contentment, and free-
dom to the nation he undertook to liberate by arms,
even though the tenure of those blessings be for the
p•
feriemssenatndbuAt
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conflfer,
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hi 101
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e
incur the thankless odium of trying to effect a com-
promise of interests in the Peninsula ? England,
Prussia, and Russia will be only too glad to be
saved the trouble of a Congress. To keep his word,
unfortunately pledged at Villafranca, he has thus
far deemed himself bound to try and bring about
such a compromise; but if those for whose sake he
has already incurred infinite trouble and solicitude
should think fit to thwart his efforts he has but to
leave them to the enjoyment of success in their
own conceits, and to permit the union of the whole
of Central Italy to subsist provisionally and peace-
ably under its present rulers. If he values popu-
larity at home, nothing can contribute to it more
effectually—for even the ultramontane piesthood
will have nothing whereof to accuse him ; and if he
values the goodwill of the people of this country,
no act which he could perform, however striking
or brilliant, could more certainly tend to propitiate
their goodwill. What might possibly come of a
Congress we know not; but what is tolerably cer-
tain to ensue were the project abandoned we think
we can very clearly see.

(From the Times.)

It is not lightly, then, that we can regard the
prospect of a general Congress to re-open questions
of distribution of territory, nor is it 'without
anxiety that we await the invitation of France and
Austria to accept a part in their proceedings. That
invitation, however, will certainly arrive, and a
course must be taken upon it. A very onerous re-
sponsibility rests with our Government as to what
that course shall be. England is not now in the
position she held in 1815. She had a good right to
hold high pretensions when she had for many
years subsidized all Europe, had borne the whole
brunt of the naval warfare, had monopolized all
the glory of the seas, had given the first check upon
land to the great enemy, had liberated Portugal
and Spain, and had dealt the final blow which
shattered the power of the common oppressor ; but
now she must appear in the somewhat inglorious
position of an importunate adviser as to how other
men shall wear their laurels. We have been lookers-
on while others have been fighting. We have
wished well to Italy, but we have not always been
sanguine as to the results of the vicarious sacrifices
whereby she has achieved her present position.
We have had our " idea," like other nations, but,
so far from going to war for it, we have openly de-
clared that we had no intention of going to war for
it. We have not only professed the principle of
non-intervention in the struggles of other popu-
lations, but we have given practical plod
that in our vocabulary non-intervention is
not, as Talleyrand defined it, "a diplomatic
phrase, which means precisely the same thing as
intervention." We have no locus standi, there-
fore, in this Congress except to argue, to expostu-
late, to enounce constitutional principles, to demon-
strate the existence of an original contract between

4trd ple, and to insist upon tiasli
every coy= nity, when the place of the
trate i,b's'a nt; to choose its own ruler
are scar y doctrines likely to find m k.
an aslembly- where Russia and 'Au strilx
ence, and where their application is advt
policy of the 'Emueror of the French. Buthi.en a
were the Austrians callable of conviction on these
points, and were France and Austria for soillreTin-
expected reason outvoted at tbs ;”---4.:vtion of
Englt.nrl • France
has 60,0u0 Loco in the country-lb.& 'destinies of
which are to be pronounced in this Congress.
Napoleon 111. is scarcely so ductile "s. politician as
to march these troops away in immediate obedience
to a note of Congress. Suppose he should throw
those 'MOO" bayonets into the balance—can we
quite see the issue of such an untoward conjuncture,
or-can we quite calculate how far we should be led
'from advocacy to action ? Or, even failing these
remote possibilities, can we, if we once go into this
Congress, hold ourselves unfettered by its acts
Or, if a " note of Congress" should authorise Aus-
tria to reinstate the Grand Mikes and should corn-
mission France to restore the power of the Pope in
the Romagna, can we avoid being made responsible
for arrangements which we may in no way ap-
prove ?
On the other hand, to stand wholly apart is not
a desirable pOsition. A first-rate Power cannot
withotit loss of character in the community of .na-
tions sulkily withdraw from counsels in which all
other nations are taking part. We cannot wrap
ourselves up in our owu virtue and enjoy our own
barren sympathies apart without suffering some re-
proach from those we do not help and some con-
tempt from those we do not hinder. Isolation is the
next thing to war. It is a declaration of moral
hostility. It is a position which every Power active
in the task which we refuse must at least mentally
resent. To refuse this invitation would undoubtedly. •
be considered by those who give and those who ac-
cept
it to be an invidious act. Moreover, we may
be asked whether we have a right to refuse to our
convictions the small aid which what some other •
nations call our "selfish policy" allows us to give.
If we will not fight—anti the proprietors of every
nationality and every cause assume the right to
sneer at England for not fighting it out for them
—we may at last give Italy the advantage of, our
advocacy. _Have we a right, after all that has
been said by the mouths of our public men and
by the voice- of our press, to. abandon Italian
interests entirely to the despotic Powers ? Even if
we were to withdraw, as we did from the Congress
of Verona, shall we be in a worse position than
if we refused to join. 'We shall at least have
said our say, and shall have. manifested our wil-
lingness to hear what the other Powers have to
put forward. We shall at least have made Our
protest against.what we could not help. Thus the
matter stands. The inconveniences of either accept-
ing or declining this coming invitation to go into
Congress seem to be almost equally balanced. We
have attempted to state them without bias to either
course of action. Perhaps the objections to an
attitude of absolute isolation slightly preponderate.
But, whichever may be the course resolved upon by
those upon whom the responsibility rests, their de-
cision must be fraught with most important conse-
quences,to this country, as well as to Italy.

NATIONAL DEFENCES.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES.

Sir,--We all ,expect war, and accordingly we
have built big ships, provided ourselves with rifles,
and even volunteered to use them.

There are, however, just two points—and those,
unhappily, the really important ones—in which we
are behindhand. We have not a sufficient number
of either sailors or soldiers, and the quality of both
is still more defective. The cause is well known—
we underpay them both.
With retard to the sailor, we pay the Queen's
sailor less than the mercantile marine does. That
the discipline is not the deterrent is shown by the
fact that the American navy gets an ample supply
of the best hands. Their discipline is even harsher
than our own, but the pay is far higher than that
of even their amply remunerated private sailors.
We have, or rather we ought to have, about 40,000
sailors. By raising the sailor's wages -C1 per month
we should incur an expenditure of £480,000, or id.
in the pound income-tax, and this increase would,
I apprehend, be ample.
The new order of the Admiralty, giving L 6 per
annum to the private sailor who volunteers for im-
mediate service only in time of war, acts in time of
peace to its whole extent as a bonus to the merchant
service, to the detriment of the Queen's service.
The sailor will say, " I can now enjoy the high pay
of the mercantile navy in peace time, and in tha
event of war (when only the-Queen's service is at-
tractive) I shall have my share of honour and prize-
money, and in either alternative get my pension."
The pay of the soldier of the Line is now ls. Id.
per diem, with a prospective addition of one penny
a-day on acquiring a good.conduct badge—wages
less than those of the ordinary unskilled labourer;
in fact, it is just what it was 40 years ago, though
the wages of every other kind of labour have since
risen at least 50 per cent. Out of this sum the
soldier has to feed himself, pay for part of his cloth-
ing and accoutrements, provide regimental neces-
saries, and even the repairs of his barrack-room
furniture.

The marine is allowed his messing nearly free,
and hence the popularity of that branch of the ser-
vice. One well-trained marine would outweigh in
the scales, as well as thrash, two of the pale, lathy,
sickly recruits you now get--the physical and moral
refuse of large cities, instead of the hale, red-faced
boys whom we formerly had.
The French Emperor gives 2,000 f., or £BO, to
each soldier who re-enlists for seven years at the
expiration of his forced service, besides 10 centimes
per day (or one penny) additional pay. So anxious
is he for the quality of his soldiers.
I should propose to raise the soldier's pay by 6d.
per day, or to ls. 7d. in all, which increase would
nearly provide for his messing, and thus give him
his pay to spend for his own comforts, less the de-
mands of the service before alluded to. This would
put him fully on a par with the marine.
Estimating our proper force (India excepted) at
150,000 men, this would cost us X 1,700,000, or in
round numbers 11d. in the pound income tax ; the
increase of pay to both services together amounting,
therefore, to 2d. in the pound of additional income
tax.

Seeing that we are the only great continental
nation where the military and naval services are
voluntary, threatened as we are with war at our
very doors, this does net seem too large an expen-
diture. It should, moreover, be borne in mind
that., with a large and fully-mannedfleet, and 100,000
soldiers at home, besides volunteers, the chances of
war are infinitely lessened. But neither soldiers
nor sailors are made in a day; each probably re-
quires-at least a year's training to make him really
efficient, so that we have no time to lose.

The Admiralty and the Secretary at War have full
power in these matters, and must be held respon-
sible for the omission to man the fleet or fill the
"ranks of the army. Parliament has granted funds
with no niggard hand, and will continue to do so.
Expenditure, provided it be well directed, is now
the road to popularity. Any Government which,
at this crisis of our fate as a nation, shows itself
unequal to the emergency—which is afraid of
spending the money which it ought to spend, of
dismissing the men whom it ougnt to dismiss, of
employing the men whom it ought to employ, or of
despising the routine, the forms, the privileges or
the restrictions which it ought to despise—will
perish and ought to perish amid the execrations of
the people.—Your obedient servant,
ONE WHO HAS SAILED IND SOLDIERED.

P.S.—I am told that we are sending a battery of
Armstrong guns to China. Have we enough at
home ? If we have not this seems madness.

The Prussian Chambers of Commerce intend to
establish a committee composed of delegates of all the cham-
bers, and whose mission will be to watch over the interests
of Prussian commerce. This committee will assemble regu-
larly and et fixed periods, and will be independent of the
Government. The following is its pmgrernmo :—Esta-
blishment of uniformity of commercial usances; abolition
of the laws on the restriction of rates of interest ; reform of
the attilway tariff; abolition of transit dues; improvement of
river navigation; reform of the customs tariff', &c.

MURDER IN TILE STREET.—henry O'Connell,
third mate of the American ship Flying Scud, has just been
committed by Mr. Reece, the coroner for Cardiff, for trial,
for the wilful murder of Antoni Tesmacher, another sailer,
under circumstances of great atrocity. The town of Cardiff
has an unenviable notoriety for the number of brothels of
the lowest order which it contains, and which are the com-
mon resort of the sailors from the merchant ships. The
decesed had been living for several days at one of these
with a girl named Clarlsaacs. On Tuesday last O'Connell
quarrelled with some parties at a house in Frederica-street,
used as a brothel, and rushed into the street, where he offered
to fight any person who would engage with him. Deceased
and Isaacs hearing the noise, had come into the street and
were standing looking on, when O'Connell rushed up with
a knife or dagger in his hand (it was a two-edged knife with
a spring at the beck) and plunged it into the deceased's
bowels, repeating the stab six or seven times, while the de-
co:reed was on the ground. When picked up by the by
the blood spurted from the deceased's clothes in a
stream, and he died almost immediately. One of the wit-
nesses of the affray named Robins deposed, "As I ran to-
wards O'Connell ho was stooping as if in the act of pushing
something into the bowels of the deceased, who cried I'm
stabbed, I'm stabbed 1' I seized O'Connell by the hair of the
head and had t) hit him in the face before I could get him
off the deceased. lie kept on working his elbow at the de-
ceased." The surgeon who made a post mortem examine.
tion of the deceased proved that both ventricles of the he: rt
were cut through. The deceased's liver was cut through in
six places and covered with blood. Tho prisoner will be
tried at the winter assises