The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-27 00:00:00

THE SU

for the construction of the ships, or their conver-
sion, if requisite ; but let no newly-appointed Sur-
veyor be suffered to make ducks and drakes of the
ships of bis predecessor. That has been the curse
of our fleets. It is said that a new broom sweeps
clean, but some of our surveyors sweep the half-
built vessels of his predecessor right off the stocks !
His jealousy cannot contain itself at the fancied or
real excellence of a rival, and the nation has to
pay for his presumptuous folly. If he be •re-
strained in any one favourite particular, he
takes it so much to heart that he sulks
for a season and leaves the "offensive ship" to rot
on the stocks ! Thus has it been with ships that
have disappeared—or, with those too heavy to be
smuggled without observation like the NELSON—
that the expense of their building after long years
of uselessnesss, would serve to fit out a respectable
fleet. We are glad now to find that our present
very excellent surveyor, Sir BALDWIN WALKER,
has had the courage to take the Nelson in hand
and to cut her down from a first-rate to a second-
rate of 91 guns. Better late than never! But
what disgrace does that one fact reflect on former
surveyors and boards of Admiralty !

No board or set of men can ever be efficient, or
do justice to the country, if subject to eternal
change. The out-going board scrambles to find
places for friends neglected, or for friends that
may become useful hereafter; while the incoming
party, hungry and sharp-set, hasten to make
places—for their friends, or friends in expectancy,
and so the country is taxed by the shuffling of
both the cormorants and their friends. The system
must be altered and the nuisance abated, or Eng-
land will be ruined.

The confidence of the Coalition is beginning to
fade out. Their bouncing and braggadocio are no
longer audible. They don't, certainly—as yet—cry
Peccavimus. But they begin to look about them
with some degree of trepidation. Hitherto they
have talked of themselves as a strong, an unassail-
able, an unprecedentedly powerful, permanent, and
peculiar Government. They are, they always have
been, we will admits a peculiar Government.
Though not according to their own estimate of the
meaning of that phrase—according to a very dif-

ferent interpretation of it. They are a peculiar
Government, for example—for inasmuch as they
enter upon office not simply, be it said, with the
seeds, but with the burgeoning boughs of disunion
among themselves. They undertake to carry on the
Government of the empire in the face of the most
powerful, the most united, and the most formidable
Opposition that has perhaps ever yet confronted
an Administration. They do so with a narrow
majority or thirteen votes—in other words, of
scarcely seven voters—upon that memorable divi-
sion in the largest House upon record in the annals
of Parliament, the division which led to their own
instalment in office, under the Premiership of the
now once more First Minister of the Crown—Vis-
count PALMERSTON. They assume the reins of
Goveinment when a sanguinary European war
is threatening an extraordinary development—

and this at the very moment when England
is, by a strange anomaly, at one and the same
time eager above all things for neutrality, and yet
animated from one end of the land to the other by
an unusual ardour of warlike enthusiasm ! The
population insisting upon the diplomacy of the
country being strictly neutral, even while forming
themselves with all speed into volunteer corps in
almost every county, in nearly every town, in well
nigh every class, and in all but every profession—
thus giving an instantaneous response to the appeal
of the Laureate—

" Riflemen, riflemen, riflemen form,
Ready, be ready to meet the storm,

Riflemen form, riflemen form I"
The Coalition has to preserve peace between itself
and the actual belligerents—under the conduct of
the so-called JEolus, or Firebrand of Europe, Lord
PALMERSTON. They have to celebrate this main-
tenance of peace with a considerable increase of
taxation. They have to signalise this unwarrant-
able increase of taxation most unwarrantably, by
imposing the war-tax as the price of the peace
thus unaccountably purchased by a monstrous
advance in the expenditure, necessitating a more
monstrous burden upon the toiling multitude. The
Finance Minister who will have to propose to
the House of Commons the abrupt reim-
position of 'the obnoxious Income Tax
upon the nation, upon the very eve of the
date of its long-anticipated removal, is that identi-
cal Chancellor of the Exchequer who devised, a
few years back, so ingeniously the method of its
gradual extinction by 1860—the twelvemonth which
is now, it seems, to witness, not the removal of the

income tax, but its whole re-imposition. Precisely

when the juncture has arrived for the accumula-
tion of all these various difficulties around the
newly-installed Government of the Coalitionist
Palmerstouians, they are contriving ingeniously to
celebrate the inauguration of their rule by an im-
mense defection from their own already diminished
and embarrassed forces ! Mr. ROEBUCK awaits
the new Ministerial explanation on Thursday—
armed, formidably enough, .with the avenging
blue-book of the reviled and maligned, but honest
and patriotic Earl of INIALMESBURY. Mr. BRIGHT
awaits those explanations powerful, almost, we had
said, irresistibly strong, in his seemingly despised,
certainly depreciated independence. Indignant,
naturally indignant, at the glaring violation of
faith which has induced the Chiefs of the
new Coalition to exclude his name among all
names from the long list of that hodge-podge
Cabinet, including within it men like Mr. CARD-
WELL and Sir CHARLES WOOD—the popular
Tribune sent to the House of Commons by the
reforming constituency of Birmingham, for the
express purpose of putting an end to the govern-
ment of England by the Great Families, has ob-
viouily within his grasp the means of at once
wreaking a deadly vengeance upon those who, for
theirown selfish ends, havetreated him at once so un-
gratefully and so contumeliously. The persuasions
of Mr. BRIGHT, if so directed, we may rest per-
fectly well assured would be adequate to induce
Mr. COBDEN, on his arrival from the United States,
to decline the acceptance of that seat in the
Cabinet which has been set apart for him, to the
discrediting of his eminent associate and compatriot.
Once let the member for. Birmingham withdraw
_

the member for Rochdale from the Palmerston

Coalition Government, and the member for Ashton-
under-Lyne must, in honour, withdraw also from
that seat, as President of the Poor-law Board, to
which he has already been inducted as one among
the ranks of our sixteen contrasting administrators.
Deprive the Coalition of the support of the Man-
chester School leaders, and let those leaders lapse
in a cluster into a fresh section of the Independent
Oppositionists, and the vaunted Strong Govern-
ment will to-morrow be completely at the mercy
of their antagonists. The Coalition will collapse
and the Derbyites be at once recalled to power—
not merely as the only strong, but as the only
possible, Administration.

THE RIFF PIRATES.—GIBRALTAR, June 17.--
The Mereede: (Austrian barque), Captain Tomichic, from
Tunis, reports that on or about the 30th of April she was
chased by a Ruffian boat, off Cape Tres ForcaS, for a consi-
derable time, but a fresh breeze having sprung up, she was
enabled to elear the coast, and thus escaped.

CITY OF LONDON ELECTION.
(THIS DAY.)

The re-election of Lord John Russell, as one of
.he members for the City of London, in the Com-

mons' House of Parliament, took place this day in

he Guildhall.

The proceedings seemed to excite but little in-
terest, as at the hour of commencement (12 o'clock)
the ancient hall was not a quarter full.
Mr. HARKER, the chief yeoman usher, having
read the writ,
The LORD MAYOR came forward, and having
alluded to the circumstances that led to the defeat
of the late Government, said the veteran

statesman, Lord Palmerston, had been sent
for by her Majesty to form an Administration,
and in that difficult task he had succeeded.
The noble lord, the member for the City of Lon-
don, had been called upon to take office as Secre-
tary of State for Foreign Affairs—(hear, hear)—
and however much they might estimate the honour,
he (the Lord Mayor) felt certain that' that dis-
tinguished nobleman could not be excluded from
any Liberal Administration. (Hear, hear.) He
trusted that, in the fulfilment of his duties, the
noble lord's policy would be one of strict and hon-
ourable neutrality—(hear, hear)—as that was the
course the country had made up its mind to adopt.
He begged to propose the re-election of Lord John
Russell. (Cheers.)
Mr. G. MOORE said he felt it a great honour to
second the proposition of the Lord Mayor. He
confessed his pleasure would have been greatly
heightened had he had the honour of seconding him
as Premier, but as it was he thought as Secretary
of State for Foreign Affairs he would not disap-
point the country as to his policy. He thought he
was the best man that could be selected for that
post, because he had—if he (Mr. Moore) might use,
the term—all the treaties that had been ;made
during the last five and twenty years at his fingers'
ends, and therefore was well able to steer the
country safely and honourably through the diffi-
culty with which it was surrounded. He had just
returned from Italy, a more misgoverned and
oppressed country it would be impossible to find,
and however much might be said he did not think
he could augur much for an amelioration
of that condition by the interference of
a country where liberty was unknown. (Hear,
hear.) He hoped non-interference would be the
motto of Lord John Russell. (Loud cries of Hear,
hear.) They all knew what he had done, and what
measures he had passed, so he was relieved from
enumerating them. The citizens of London liked
men of principle better than men of policy. (Hear,
hear.) Lord Palmerston was a man of principle,
and when his measures were before the country he
felt certain they would be found to be honest and
straightforward. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) He
had much pleasure in seconding the nomination of
his lordship.
Mr. Alderman and Sheriff HALE asked if any
other citizen had a candidate to propose ? No
response being made, he immediately declared the
Right Hon. Lord John Russell duly elected mem-
ber for the City of London, in the Commons' House
of Parliament.
Lord JOHN RUSSELL, on coming forward to
return thanks, was received with loud cheers. His
lordship said—He had to return his grateful
thanks to the citizens of London for the honour
they had done him in returning him for
the ninth time as one of their representatives in
Parliament. They were all aware of the occasion
that had led to the present election. Lord Derby
had thought it right to advise her Majesty to con-
sult the electors of the United Kingdom whether or
not they had confidence in his administration.
(Hear, hear.) The challenge had been taken up
in the House of Commons, where it was decided
that it had not. After such a decision only one
course was open to Lord Derby—that was, to ten-
der to her Ma sty his resignation. That course
had been adoilled ; her Majesty had accepted
it, and.sent for Lord Palmerston, and imposed upon
him the duty of forming an administration. They
would recollect, on the occasion of his last election,
that, referring to the composition of an administra-
tion, he stated that nothing would be satisfactory
which did not contain representatives of the sec-
tions that composed the great Liberal party, which
accomplished so much. (Hear, hear.) He thought
it would be admitted Lord Palmerston had carried
out that view, and in doing so, no doubt, had occa-
sioned much disappointment; lint all he asked for the
new administration was the support of the country
and the confidence of the House of Commons.
There were two questions at the present moment
he would advert to, and the first was foreign
affairs. (Hear, hear.) With every feeling of
deference and respect, he felt it incumbent
not to go at any length into the matter. He had
already, a very short time ago, told them what he
thought had occasioned the present war. (Hear,
hear.) It was not the ambition of one, two, or
three men, but the grievous manner in which Italy
was governed. (Hear, hear.) He had told them
that the Italians had attempted to throw off the
oppression, and he should have been glad if they
had accomplished that object—(hear, hear, and
cheers)—and he should also have rejoiced
had France and Austria agreed in their
differences. He deeply deplored such was not
case ; instead of which they were now, with Sar-
dinia, engaging in a bloody and destructive war.
He trusted, however, that the modesty of the suc-
cessful and the wisdom of the defeated would soon
lead to peace; but in the struggle the Cabinet of
Lord Palmerstons had determined to pursue a line
of strict neutrality. (Hear, hear.) If peace was
not restored by moderation and wisdom, it was
impossible to say how far the war would
extend, or what country would not have to take
part in it. It behoved, therefore, this country
not to neglect its army and navy—(hear, hear)—
and he repeated here, as he had done in the House
of Commons, his readiness to pay his tribute of
praise to the First Lord of the Admiralty (Sir
John Pakington), and the board that had acted
with him, for the energetic steps they had taken to
put the navy in an efficient state. When however,
the time arrived, and he trusted it was not far dis-
tant, for the belligerents to terminate the contest it
would be the business of the country to give such
counsel as would be honourable to all parties and
beneficial to the liberty of Italy. With respect
to domestic policy it would be possible during the.
present session to pass a bill for amending the re-
presentation of the pe.ople in Parliament. He had
already said he was in favour of an ex-
tension of the suffrage, because it would strengthen
the institutions of the country by placing
it on a broader foundation, but how far that exten-
sion was to go must be matter for anxious delibe-
ration in the Cabinet ; but when the measure was
produced he firmly believed it would be found
satisfactory to the country. The noble lord having
again thanked the electors for his re-election, con-
cluded by moving a vote of thanks to the Sheriff.
The compliment having been acknowledged, the
proceedings terminated,

PRIVATE SECRETARY TO THE FIRST LORD.--'
We understand that the,Duke of
.Somerset has selected
Cdptain John Moore, C. 13., now commanding the Hogue,
as his private secretary. This appointment will afford much
pleasure to the service.
FIRE IN THE BIRMINGHAM THEATRE BUILD-
INUS.—On Friday night, about twenty minutes to ten,
persons passing up New-street noticed a thick volume of
smoke and fiery flakes rising from the rear of the premises of
Mr. Pritchard, gun maker, adjoining the box entrance of the
theatre, and forming, in fact, a portion of the theatre build-
ings. Information of this having been quietly conveyed to
Mr. Simpson, the manager, he soon ascertained the locality
of the supposed danger. It was in the back premises o
,Mr. Pritchard, but within a few feet of a closet in the upper
box lobby, and not more than five or six yards from the au
dience. On opening the door of this clos( A Mr. Simpson
saw that a thick beam' was in a blaze. He at once ordered
the fire brigades to be summoned, quietly closed the various
box doers, and took other measures to preve at the audience
being alarmed by either smoke or noise. Thee ngines, on their
arrival, were quickly got to work, and the by ese being taken
in through the Shakspeare rooms ten minute; s' well-directed
efforts extinguished the fire. Had a panic , arisen in the
theatre the result would probably have bee- a a lamentable
catastrophe, as the house was crowded to excess in every
part. Some forty or fifty occupants of Fire lower boxes,
nearest the main lobby, alarmed by the sh, rats of the fire-
men, left their seats, but beyond these, few in the house
were aware anything was wrong. The noise of the orches-
tra helped materially to drown all on.twarg sounds,—.Bir-
mingham tionntal.

LATEST NEWS,

THE WAR IN ITALY.

The following telegrams have been received at
Mr. Reuter's office :

VERONA, JUNE 25.

The day before yesterday our right wing occupied
Pozzolengo, Solferino, and Cavriana, and the left
wing pressed forward yesterday as far as Guidizoffo
and Castellgoffredo, driving back the enemy. The
collision of the two entire armies took place yester-
day at 10 a.m. Our left wing under General
Wimpfen advanced nearly as far as the Chiese. In
the afternoon a concentrated assault of the enemy
was made upon the heroically defended-town of
Solferino. Our right wing repulsed the Pied-
montese, but on the other hand the order of our
centre could not be restored. Losses extraordinarily
heavy, a violent thunderstorm, the development of
powerful masses of the enemy against our left
wing, and the advance of his main body against
Volta, caused our retreat which began late in the

evening.
(The above is official.)

PARIS, JUNE 26.
The Moniteur of this day contains the following

telegram :
THE EMPEROR TO THE EMPRESS.
CAVRIANO, Saturday, 1.30 P.M.

It is impossible to obtain details of the battle of
yesterday. The enemy withdrew last night. I
have passed the night in the room occupied on the
morning of the battle by the Emperor of Austria.
General Niel has been appointed Marshal of
France.

The Moniteur also announces that yesterday the
public buildings in Paris were ornamented, and a
great number of houses illuminated.

TURIN, JUNE 26.

A message dated the 25th instant from the head-
quarters of the Allies announces that a battle has
been fought at Solferino against the Austrians, who
were commanded by the Emperor. The Allies took
30 cannon, 6,000 prisoners, and several flags. The
Austrians have recrossed the Mincio. All the
fortified positions of the enemy were taken.

ROME, JUNE 25.

Ferrara, Ravenna, Forli, Ancona, and other
,owns have been replaced under the authority of
he Pope by intervention of pontifical troops.

PARIS, JUNE 26.

The Paine of this evening says that the Pied-
montese army took part in the battle of Cavriana,
under the command of the King. The Pays says
the Papal authority has been re-established every-
where, with the exception of the delegations of
Bologna, Ferrara, Ravenna, and Forli. The same
journal adds that this version seems to be more
probable than that of the message received here
from Rome. There are as yet no other official
details of the battle than those published yesterday.

BERNE, JUNE 25.

Advices have been receixed from a reliable source
that 300 Piedthqntese have arrived at Tirano, with
700 volunteers, and advanced towards Barmio, at
the foot of the Stelvio pass. The telegraph line in
course of construction between Verona and Lan-
deck, through the Tyrol, has been completed as far
as Mals.

FRANKFORT, JUNE 25.

In to•day's sitting of the Federal Diet. Prussia
made the proposal to place a corps of observation
on the Upper Rhine. This proposal was referred
to the military committee.

VIENNA, JUNE 25

The Austrian Correspondence contains the follow-
ing:—The day before yesterday the Austrians crossed
the Mincio at four points, and yesterday came upon
a superior force of the enemy on the Chiese, after
an obstinate combat of twelve hours, our army
withdrew across the Mincio. Our head-quarters
are at Villa Franca.

PARIS, JUNE 25.

No official message has been received to-day other
than the one of this morning. The Patric alleges
that our victorious army has crossed the Mincio in
pursuit of the Austrians. The _Press° says that a
private message from Berne has been spoken of,
which puts down the Austrian loss at the enormous
'number of 35,000 hors de combat, and 1,500 taken
prisoners, together with 16 flap, and 75 pieces of
cannon captured. A message from Berne dated
to-day 2.30 p.m. does not mention these particulars.

TURIN, JUNE 25.

Bulletin No. 99, published to-day, announces that
the Piedmontese sent a reconnaissance to Pozzo-
sengo, and on Wednesday pumUed 2 squadrons of
the enemy killing 10, wounding 30, and taken 6
prisoners. Our troops suffered no loss.
Bulletin No. 100, contains a message from
Lonato, confirming the news of the battle of Sol-
ferino.

PARIS, JUNE 26.
A supplement to the Momiteur, published this
evening, contains a telegram, dated

CAVRIANA, JtrNE 26, 11.30 A.M.

The Austrians, who had crossed the Mincio for
the purpose of attacking us with their whole army,
have been compelled to abandon their positions
and to withdraw to the left bank of the river
Mincio. They have blown up the bridge of Goito.
The loss of the enemy has been very considerable,
but our loss is much less. We have taken 30
cannon, more than 7,000 prisoners, and 3 flags.
General Niel and his corps d'arrnee have covered
themselves -with glory, as well as the whole army.
General Auger has had an arm carried off. The
Sardinian army inflicted considerable loss on the
enemy after having contended with great fury
against superior force.

TURIN, JUNE 26.

Prince Napoleon arrived yesterday at Parma,
where he was received with enthusiasm. No de-
tails of the late victory have come to hand, nor has
any bulletin been published to-day. The town is
to be brilliantly illuminated.

DRESDEN, JUNE 26.
According to private advices from Frankfort,
dated Saturday 25, Prussia has .made the proposal
to the Federal Diet to place a corps of observation
on the Rhine, to be composed of the 7th and Bth
Federal corps d'armee; and under the superior
orders of Bavaria.
It.is said that this proposal has been referred to
tho military committee.

A letter from Messina, of the 19th, says :—" The
first division of the French siege fleet, commanded
by Admiral Bouet-Villaumcz, arrived here two
days back, after nine days' sail from Toulon. Al-

though each frigate had to tow a heavy floating
battery, the passage was effcted without obstacle.
The Neapolitan authorities manifested some emotion
on seeing the frigates and batteries, especially when
the vessel carrying the admiral's flag went right
into the port, and anchored at the distance of only a
pistol-shot from the forts and citadel ; and they re-
quested the French consul to represent to the
admiral that he would do well to take up a less me-
nacing position. But it was too, late ; the vessels had
cast anchor, and had already begun taking coal on
board. The chiefs of the national party represented
to the admiral that they wished to make a demonstra-
tion in his honour by presenting bouquets, getting up
illuminations, &c. ; but he begged them to abstain
from so doing. Yesterday an English frigate ar-
rived, and saluted the admiral's flag with 13 guns.
She announced that the English squadron, consist-
ing of five vessels, was about to pass ; and in the
course of the day we saw the fleet go before Mes-
sina towards Corfu. By to-morrow we shall have
embarked all our coal, and shall then leave for the
Adriatic. We shall there be joined t y Admiral
Desfosses, whose vessels are towing the rest of the
siege fleet."

The Milan Gazette of the 21st announces that
about 70,000 Austrians are concentrated in the
fortresses of Mantua and Verona. "It is not pos-
sible for any one," it adds, "to leave either place
without a special authorisation of the commander,
and no one enters. A forced levy of all men, aged
from 18 to 35, capable of bearing arms, has been
ordered."