The Sun.
London, England, 1859-06-03 00:00:00

villages deserted. I understand that with respect
to the movements of Garibaldi, the new bridge
which the Piedmontese have just erected over the
Sesia was rendered necessary by the former one
having been carried away by the rise of the river,
and it was that circumstance which prevented the
march of General Cialdini on Novara, as had been
decided before the departure of Garibaldi. The
operations of the latter would have been compro-
mised by this untoward circumstance had he not
been able to ward off the danger by his extraordi-
nary boldness. Yesterday I understand King Vic-
tor Emmanuel sent a despatch to him, asking how
many days he could hold the position in which he
then was. Garibaldi replied, A fortnight.' The
King only requires three days !"
The Opinione of Turin publishes an order of the
day and a proclamation signed " Ceccarini, comman-
dant of the first regiment of the 2d corps of the
army of Central Italy," meaning Tuscany. In the
first of these documents, the soldiers are informed
that Lieut.• Colonel Mezzacapo has arrived among
them to be present at the ceremony of their taking
the oath, the text of which is as follows :
" I swear fidelity to his sacred Royal Majesty
Victor, Emmanuel 11., and to his Royal successors,
as also faithfully to observe the statutes and the
laws of the State, and to fulfil all the duties belong-
ing to my quality of a soldier, with the sole view
of the welfare of the King and country."

THE SEAT OF WAR.
(From the Correspondent of the Horning Post.)
TURIN, MAY 31.
Eleven years ago yesterday the King of Sardinia
saved the- day at Goito at the head of the Guards, as
Duke of Savoy, and, exposing himself in the hottest
fire, was wounded-by a ball in the thigh. Yester-
day the Sardinian army, commanded by the King in
person, crossed the Sesia, and attacked the Austrians,
who were entrenched at Palestro, a hamlet some
eight English miles from Vercelli. The Austrians
occupied the three villages of Palestro, Vinzaglio,
which lies perhaps a mile above Palestro, and Casa-
lino, three or four miles farther to the north. They
had entrenched themselves strongly, and defended

themselves with obstinacy ; but the Sardinians, after
some sharp firing, attacked them at the point of the
bayonet, drove them from their positions, and took
two guns and many prisoners, and a quantity of
arms and ammunition. The loss of the Austrians is
said to have been severe, that of the Piedmontese is
not yet publicly known, but it must be considerable,
as the Austrians fought well, and were for some
time under cover of their, works, while the Sardi-
nians were exposed to the fire of the enemy's guns
until they were able to close. There are no parti-
culars of the numbers on either side given in the
official account, but I hope to-morrow to be able to
give some more interesting details.
Vercelli was illuminated last night, and the Em-
peror of the French visited the town and remained
there some time. The King passed the night at
Torrione, nearer to Vercelli than the scene of action
by a mile or two, where the army encamped.
The following proclamation was addressed by
the King to his soldiers :
" Head-quarters, Torrione, May 30.
" Soldiers !—Our first battle has been distin-
guished by our first victory. Your heroic courage
and the admirable order of your ranks, the spirit
and ability of your leaders, have this day
triumphed at Palestro, Vinzaglio, and Casaba°.
The enemy, repeatedly attacked, abandoned to you
his strong position after an obstinate resistance.
This campaign could not have opened under happier
auspices. The triumph of to-day is a certain pledge
to you that there are other victories in reserve to
the glory of your King and of the brave Sardinian
army.
" Soldiers !—Your exulting country, through me,
expresses to you her gratitude, and, proud of our
battles, she already adds to history the names of
her heroic sons who, for a second time on this
memorable 30th of May, have bravely fought for
her. " VICTOR EMMANUEL."
The Regent Prince Eugene has published a de-
cree, in virtue of which all offi?ors who had left the
service, retaining or not their military rank, can
re-entef it with the same regimental rank, senior-
ity, and length of service, and all the non-commis:
sioned have the same privilege accorded to them
and the same advantages. In consequence of this
decree more than 500 officers will be enabled to
serve again in the Sardinian army ; and many
volunteers now in the army, who had served as
non-commissioned officers in 1848, will at once be
promoted to their former rank.
In Garibaldi's actions at Varese and Como, Cap-
tain de Cristoforis and Lieutenants Battaglier, Cus-
tigliari, Pedotti, and Ferrini were killed and 98
wounded.
The Duke of Modena, befdre leaving his duchy,
sold-or otherwise disposed of everything he could
lay his hands on. He sold the palace furniture to a
broker, down to the bed he slept upon the night
before he left, and got rid of to a governMent con-
tractor the wood, wine, 5,000 sacks of grain in store,
even the uncut hay and standing crops on the Crown
lands. They say he has not only taken away every
picture of any value, but the silver bell-pulls, and
handles to the doors in the palace of the same
metal ; every piece of plate has also disappeared.
He also took possession of the public money that
happened to be in the treasury, being determined,
as he said, to leave the French nothing. He tried,
but of course without success, to raise a loan before
leaving.
The ceremony of swearing fidelity to King
Francis 11. at Naples took place on the 23d, and
'went off rather coldly, although the order of the
day gave the fullest instructions how every sabre
was to be drawn, and when every 'voice was to cry
" Viva it Be I"
A number of horses belonging to the Imperial
Artillery of the Guard arrived here this morning,
and a regiment of artillery of the line left for
Alessandria at 12.
Another engagement is expected almost hourly
in the vicinity of Bobbio ; a corps d'arrnee of Aus-
trians is said to have directed its march upon
Tortona and Novi, to cut off the railway 'communi-
cation with Alessandria, but this is what ought to
have been done at the opening of the campaign, as
by that they would have stopped the arrival of all
the heavy stores at Alessandria for many days.
us-

FRANCE.
PARIS, THURSDAY.
We learn that the Emperor has given orders for
the construction of 60 flat-bottomed boats, 20 of
which are to be of a larger size than any yet built.
They are to be employed in landing troops on
nded an
enemy's coast from ships of war ;
and are inte
(so it is said, at least) for the Adriatic. Twenty-
two additional battalions of foot Chasseurs are to
an of the original Chasseurs
be organised on the p
l
de Vincennes. it is observed
This being Ascension-day, as a
close holiday at the Bourse and public
offices.

ROYAL CALEDONIAN ASYLUM.—Yesterday a
special general court of the governors of this institution
was held at the house of the Scottish Hospital Corporation,
Crane-court, Fleet•street, for the purpose of electing four
boys and six girls into the asylum from a long list of de-
serving candidates. The proceedings, which were of ,a
formal character, and not furnishing materials for a report,
were presided over by Sir John Maxwell, who, at the close
of the poll, announced the names of the successful candi-
dates.

ALARMING FIRES AND NARROW ESCAPE.—Yes-
terday morning three fires took place in different parts of
the metropolis—one in the premises of Mr. Smith, Down-
ham-terrace, Kingsland-road, which destroyed the greater
part of the premises and their contents. The loss will fall
upon the Phoenix Fire Office. A fire also happened in the
premises of Messrs. Lewis and Taylor, pianoforte makers,
16, Ludgate-hill ;it commenced in the first floor, amongst
some unfinished work, and although the damage done was
trifling the servant gill and three children of Mr. Taylor's
had very narrow escapes, and were rescued by Police-con-
stable Wm. Bates, who was compelled to break open the
door to get to them.—A fire also took place in the premises
of Mr. Wm. Ternan, cleckmaker, &c., in Long lane,erso Smith-
field.n-ate-
The Royal Society's lire escape from Mei
k the conductor,
street promptly attended,
wife of the proprietor and his child, about ascended his machine, and when
nghilt oasuteoti:t pyreeanrisisoefsa thege.
was unable to save other two owing
to the lower part of
The occupier himself brought oi4 sevetoi atlhcehdilednrseinty, bouftthhee
early
e t andhis
tshmeobkueikuT4e. fire was happily confined
morning on the premises FIRE IN TILE ClTisYes.
warehousemen, silk mercers, and
firebtrooAkiee. s outsrs .
Pringle
Co., wholesale stuff
hosiers, Addl
es were quickly on the s ,
----
belongingA
pot and a good • in e-streetw, we quickly
Cheapside. Many
of the Brigade engisn
as
quickly obtained. The men laboured
supply of water...a
ti they had succeeded in getting the mastery
lt
not until tTie lower part of the building
ere nearly burnt out and serious damage
and the contents w. s
done to the upper mon...
ionveeerstshanetfilYreu,nbu

Yesterday a meeting of the Royal National Life-
boat Institution was held at its house, John-street,
Adelphi, Thomas Baring, Esq., M.P., in the chair.
There were also present Thomas Chapman, Esq.,
F.R.S., Sir Charles Rowley, Bart., Sir Edward
Perrott, Bart., Admiral Cator, Capt. Hall, R.N.,
C. 8., Alex. Boetefeur, Esq., General Blanshard,
C. 8., W. H. Harton, Es 1., Admiral Gordon, De-
puty Master of the Trinity House ; and Captain
Ward, R.N., inspector of lifeboats to the society.
Mr. LEwts, the secretary, having read the
minutes of the previous meeting,
A reward of £1 10s. was voted to some men, and
the thanks of the institution, inscribed on vellum,
to Captain Ellison and Mr. M'Lellan, who had
courageously exerted themselves in saving 10 men
from the brig William Sortie, of Glasgow, which,
during a heavy gale of wind, was wrecked off Barra,
on the Western Islands. Having encountered a
heavy gale, the vessel sprang a leak, which cora-
pelled her crew to run her on Barra Strand, the
sea at the time running so high that two of the
men were carried overboard, one of whom was un-
fortunately lost. While on shore 10 of her crew
were rescued from their perilous situation.
A reward of £2los. was likewise voted to a boat's
crew of five men, for putting off in a boat and
rescuing, amidst considerable danger, the crew of
15 hands of the steamer Preston, of Liverpool,
which, during very thick and blowing weathT er,
was recently wrecked on the Anglesey coast. he
steamer's crew had taken to their boat, and
the sailors succeeded in safely piloting it through
a very intricate passage between some rocks. There
being a great deal of sea on, the steamer went to
pieces in about half an hour after striking. Anglesey
lies immediately in the track of all vessels passing to
or from the important port of Liverpool, the arrivals
and sailings at which alone exceeding 40,000 vessels
every year. Many parts of the island is bounded
with precipitous rocks, without for many miles an
inlet for shelter, except for boats of very small size.
On this dangerous coast the National Lifeboat
Institution has at present five efficient lifeboats.
A reward of £4 was also voted to a boat's crew
for putting off on two occasions and saving the crew
of five men from a French vessel, named the Bon
Calais, of Bayonne, which, during a gale of wind
and thick weather, was recently wrecked in Dun-
dalk Bay. A crew of four fishermen had, on the
first occasion, gone off in their yawl against ae
the
heavy sea, and succeeded in' getting alongsid.
ship ; but the Frenchmen would not leave their
vessel, though at times the sea was breaking com-
pletely over her. Subsequently, however, they
were only too glad to abandon her.
A reward of £5 was likewise granted to a Coast
Guard boat's crew of five men, in acknowledgment
of their laudable services in putting off and
rescuingver they crew of four men of the Schooner_
Amelia, of Salcombe, which was recently wrecked
off Cardiff, during an easterly gale. Great exertion
was used by the Coastguard men on the occasion,
there being a heavy sea on at the time, and blowing
a strong gale of wind. The shipwrecked men were
taken off quite exhausted, having been 12 hours m
the rigging, where they must have perished in a
short time had they not been taken off.
Several rewards of money were also voted tote e
crews of different boats for their praiseworthy -
tions in saving life from wreck on the Irish coast.
The committee expressed much commiseration for
the fearful loss of life from the unfortunate ship
Po
mona. An offer had been made to the locality of a
large, powerful 39 feet lifeboat, to meet,
such lamentable catastrophes in future.
had
It was stated that the institution, which _
already 82 lifeboat stations on the English and Irish
if ossibe,
coasts, was desirous to extend its work of usefulness
to the °oast of Scotland, which is 1,500 miles
long, that every part of the United Kingdom may
be provided with the means of affording succour to
those unfortunate persons who, by the n°violece of
the storm, are cast away, and must too n
otherwise perish on its shores.
Without, however, the pecuniary assistance and
the hearty general co-operation of the community
at large, that object could not be carried out.
It was reported that the institution had sent on
Monday last a new lifeboat and transporting car-
riage to Exmouth.
During the past month three new lifeboats on
Mr. Peake's plan, and built by the Messrs. Forrest,
had been sent to the Emperor of Russia. They
.are.
to be stationed on the Gulf of Finland. A Russian
steam packet company had likewise purchased frora
the builders two lifeboats of the same class, to be
stationed at Odessa. A lifeboat had also been for-
warded to the Prussian Government.
The useful little pamphlet On the g, Management
of Boats in Heavy Surfs," &c., issued by the institu-
tion, and sold for a fewpence, was reported to have
been ordered by the Admiralty to be circulated in
her Majesty's fleet. This practical little
bobook
should be in the hand of every seaman and at-
man in the kingdom. It was about to be translated
into French. The valuable instructions of the
institution for the restoration of the apparently
drowned, which are now in extensive use on our
own coasts, had also been forwarded to all the
foreign missionary societies for use on their stations.
The proceedings then closed.