The Sun.
London, England, 1861-05-25 00:00:00

N. MIRES I,V PRISON.

A letter in a contemporary says :—I hear truly
heartrending accounts of the sufferings of Mires in
Mazas prison, where he still is—for the statement
circulated by a lithographed correspondence of his
having been removed to an hospital turns out to be
untrue. He applied for this favour, but was re-
fused. Long solitary confinement has seriously
affected the mind as well as injured the health of
the great financier. His black hair has turned
very grey, and is falling off. The restrictions upon
interviews with his family, of which his wife com-
plained in a letter which was made public, still
continue. The cell in which he is confined is so
fetid that when his friends do see him they can with
difficulty stay more than a few minutes. The only
furniture is a rush-bottomed chair, a deal table,
and a small iron bedstead, which has to be turned
up in the daytime to give him room to move about,
so narrow is the dungeon which for three long
months has been the dwelling-place of the man
who was dragged from one of the most sumptuously
furnished palaces in Paris to be thrust into it.
All this while neither the prisoner nor anybody
else knows exactly of what he is accused. At
the time of his arrest it was rumoured that the
charges against him were of a very serious irituye,
but now many say that at the worst his
offence was bailable, and he has offered bail to any
amount. However this may be, it does seem unne-
cessarily cruel to keep him so very long in such
a horrible place. Such treatment is certainly un-
usual, although the Monitenr, in answer to the
public murmurs on the subject, was pleased to say
a month ago that Mires was dealt with just like
any other prisoner in the like category. This is
certainly not so. Even a murderer before his trial
is not treated so badly as M. Mires has been.
" Equality in the eye of the law " is doubtless a
good maxim, and one cannot but commend the
refusal of any indulgence which might enable a
wealthy prisoner to escape, or to destroy evidence
against himself. But the regulations of French
prisoners are generally humane and considerate
towards untried persons, and admit of their enjoy-
ing all reasonable personal comforts, having regard
to their habits and station in life. Great facilities
are given, to exchange a prison for an hospital, to
people who are able to pay for the means necessary
for assuring their safe custody, and the slightest
medical recommendations are attended to in such
cases. It cannot be pretended that there was any
necessity for keeping Mires three months in the
miserable cell above described, and such imprison-
-1 ment, if not necessary, is cruel. Bullier's Corres-
pondence gave out lately that the Emperor himself
had expressed a wish that the trial might speedily
be brought on. I understand that a petition, signed
by upwards of 600 shareholders in Mires' under-
takings, who still have full confidence in him, was
presented to his Majesty the other day.
Since writing the above I find it announced in the
Temps of this evening that the Chambcr of Accusa-
tion has sent M. Mires before the Tribunal of Cor-
rectional Police, and that his trial will probably
come on in the early part of June.
nature as
is a pregnant confirmation of the surmise s thatt
charges against him are not of so ki,riLliev
Correctional
was supposed three months ago.
of
misdemeanours,
Tribunal takes cognisance only
hitherto fully expected
the
Assize Court. As it
that he would be tried Y
and not of crimes. It was
he
taitycinpossibly be worse, mitigates its charge,
benefit of a jury before
That is a court which
it sh, e aflattheooufg hthethperipsornoesertcbh7u-e
be-
cause he will not have
a_,
inainverdict of not guilty, Now,
Tr;
scarcely ever returns
the Con ectional
M. *
that the accusation against, Mires reduced to
proportion of a misdemeanour, it will be more
the difficult to justify the
than ever cruelty of his long
preventive imprisonment.

DEATH BY LIGHTNING,--On Thursday evening
about 7 o'clock, Mr. F. Keen, head-keeper to Mr. H. Per-
kins, of Hanworth-park, was walking in the grounds with
his wife. They were overtaken by the storm. Mrs. Keen
held up her umbrella to shield herself and her husband
from the rain, vhen she was suddenly struck by the light-
ning and rendered senseless. She was conveyed in a cart
to a surgeon at Hampton. He pronounced life to be quite
utinet. .

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PARLIANENTARY Commrlz . ...7.-,-_O/
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BOARD OF ADMIRALTY.
This—tummittee resumed its sittings yesterday,
Mr. Henley in chair. The other members pre-
sent were Sir J. Graham, Sir M. Seymour, Admiral
Duncombe, Sir H. Willoughby, Sir T. Baring.. Mr.
Stansfeld, Mr. Phillips, Mr. Finlay, Mr. Bruce,
Lord Clarence Paget, Sir J. Pakington, Mr. Whit-
bread, and Mr. Clay.
Admiral Sir George Seymour was examined at
some length as to the working of the Board of
Admiralty, and the authority exercised by the First
Lord. He stated that when he was a member of
the board under Lord Haddington, Sir George
Cockburn, the first naval lord, generally suggested
the answer to be given to the different communica-

tions,that were brought before the board. The points
which arose were generally decided by a majority
of votes. The effect of the members of the board
transacting business together was, that the whole
of the naval lords became conversant with tho
general business. That mode of transacting busi-
ness was advantageous to the public interests.
shaayenv
hand,
,hr heardor
rt
st
that
ra
tj h. hiseGbirira onhteah le brother-
disregardedehi na
rlrai
ewhd' ,
matters
iaartdif: hircos
withn o s Ha Hardy,
e
a very high opinion on profes-
sional matters. wt at
fSir T. Hardy enter-
tainedAdistinguishedo Sir J. Graham;
Sir J. Pakington—
stated that he regards the FirstLrd witness has
work
bo
theas reFsponsible;
that the board can only
extent
tt Lord
exercising his authority to such by
e
;nthaats hote
of marine. Does
render the board subservient to his will
ought to be regarded as a minister
that description accord with your ideas of the work-
ing of the board ?
Admiral Seymour—By no means. If them were
any person who really exercised the principal func-
tions in my time it was Sir G. Cockburn. Lord
Haddington Lever attempted to take upon himself
the authority of a minister of marine. Sir `jr.
Parker, the best nasal authority of the present day,
entertains the same opinion as myself, that there
ought not to be a supremacy on the part of the First
Lord or any member of the board.
Do you think that someone member of the board
should be responsible for the manning of the navy
and the naval reserve ?—Yes, I think so.
Do you think it desirable that the comptroller of
the navy should be a member of the board ?—Yes,
and be co-equal with the other members of the
board.

By Lord Clarence Paget—lle claims for promo-
tion are examined by the First Lord. The memo-
rials and claims for promotion are sent to the pri-
vate office. I suppose it is the duty of the private
secretary of the First Lord to make a careful dis-
crimination of the claims. That office is a most
important one, and I think should invariably be
given to a naval officer. I have seen no cause of
dissatisfaction with the choice made by the First
Lords for several years. I think it would be de-
sirable, before a promotion takes place, that the
name should be laid on the table, so that the other
lords might be able to express their opinion.
Admiral Bowles was the next witness examine 3.
In reply to questions by Admiral Duncombe, he
said—When the naval board was abolished a
wholesome check on the Admiralty ceased to exist.
Whilst that board existed the Admiralty were con-
stantly informed how far the materials for the navy
were diminished. In consequence of the necessity
of appeasing the House of Commons by low esti-
mates, we have lived to see the naval forces of Eng-
land scarcely equal to that of France : and it is
only by dint of extraordinary exertions that we are
able to bring ourselves to our former superior posi-
tion.

Admiral Duncombe—ls it your opinion that
since the abolition of the naval board the building
department has not received that attention under
the management of the comptroller which you
think desirable ? I think that was the great cause
of cutting down the navy in a most dangerous way.
I think the board, as now constituted has not suffi-
ciently brought under its notice the state of the
ships and the materials in the dockyards.
What would you suggest as the remedy ? I
think the first step has already been taken by the
Duke of Somerset in re• establishing the comptroller
of the navy, with increased powers. He was for-
merly considered an inferior officer. I think his
position would be greatly improved by a seat at
the board. If he were considered a colleague the
business of the board might ba conducted in an
amicable way. The country will be in the greatest
danger until measuics are taken which will enable
us to exert greater energy and activity when danger
arises.
The committee then adjourned.