The Express. — London, England, 1853-12-24 00:00:00

THE EXPRESS, SATURDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 24, 1853. Zile ersireficis. TO CO It It EsroNi)EsTs. a Peened Malan of .Tbt t.o ore.," ' , mahout/ the luxe evening's ••Ger tte, a pohLohe.l ►very Imolai and Yettlay eight, is UMW toe poet. cieertootoretainteodol foe The Express." Lemke Emelt, wee, meat be at tbeacs, IV, liwaverboareat, ►y Two o'ckok IS t►e day of pe►:iatbe. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Teti* 711. Aftern.r.. IN-roaa...w—Nurillag, :Ss attersouo. 30 ft. LONDON, SATURDAY. DECEMBER 21. CIIIISTMAS.EVE IS ours once more. It is pro- bable that every Christmas-day since the institu tion began has been thought very rem arkable by some people or other within the circuit of its observ ance. To us the present is a very remarkable Christ mas, for more reasons than one ; and whether we look abroad or at home. If we look abroad, we cannot but be struck by the infidelity of the Chris tian world to its professions of rejoicing in its faith. All over Christendom men are professing to rejoice in and be thankful for the glad tidings of " peace on earth and goodwill to men." They are celebrating the promise in all the churches, from Mount Sinai to Iceland, from Thibet round to Califor nia, " with service high std anthem clear," while whole nations are disposed for any thing rather than peace on earth and goodwill to men. At St. I'eteraburg, the Christmas festival is kept with great splendour. While the heaven born Czaa is paying and receiving worship, and holy bells are ringing, and holy candles are burning, and holy altars are glittering, and he Virgin with three hands inspires holy wonder, and the star of Bethle hem is declared to have risen again upon Hoes* in the shape of the comet of 1853, the CUR is oppress ing the Jews moat horribly, breaking up their for tunes, driving them into the steppes, where their lives will be one long torture, and robbing them of their children, who are to be made soldiers and sailors, and Creek Christians to boot—made orphans and apostates before the very eyes of their heart broken parents. In their "strange land," the safferen are doubtless vengefully mutteting, as they do in the Place of Wailirg at Jerusalem, " Happy shall he be who taketh thy little outs anddasheth them against the stones." While Christian Russia goes on in this way, how is it at that very Bethlehem where the Turks rule and inhabit? Every eastern tra veller knows the convent there where no molestation ever enters. The monks take the guest nut into their garden, and point out to him an enclosure, far off, at the foot of the Moab mountains, where, as they say, the shep. herds were abiding once upon a time when that Christmas song was first heard. In the Greek church on that rock there is parent freedom of woe. ship, ercept in as far as the quarrels of the Christian sects interfere. The Mahometeas give them no trouble. They only stand by, and say, " See how these Christians hate one another." And how is it over the whole territory of the Holy Alliance? It is not so many years since the Sovereigns of Austria, Russia, and Prussia took " for their sole guide the precepts of the holy religion of our SAvtoun—namely, the precepts of justice, Chris tian charity, and peace, which, far from being appli cable only to private concerns, must have an imme diate influeuce on the councils of Princes, and guide all their steps." It is not the profession, not the aspi ration here that is to be censured. The conception and agreement are worthy of Christian potentates, and unavoidable on the part of sincere Christian rulers. It is in the falsification of the profession that the shame and horror lie. In the very territories where there was to be all this good will to men, there is inexpressible and inestimable misery, caused by the ultra-heathen tyranny of the Sovereigns. The Christmas music of St. Petersburg can but drown the groan of diversified suffering that goes up from the ground wherever the rule of the CZAR ex tends. The serfs who live like swine, and the soldiery who die like flies, would willingly exchange lots with the Jew and the Pole, whose wrongs one can hardly endure to think of. In Prussia tke mind and beast of the nation are wasting away, under a rule of folly, caprice, and almost Absolutism. In Austria, we know too well what is endured. That Empire is the Bridge of Sighs over which the Cr %II means to step into his antici pated Western dominion. He knows well enough, and so do we, that the tide of despair which heaves below washes against the dungeons where the best mind and heart of the Empire is shut down, to wait for death, while Despotism stalks overhead. How stands human welfare in Home, the great Chris tian centre for so many ages? How in Madrid, whose Sovereigns have boasted of their exclusive devotion to the maintenance of the faith? How la the prisons of Dimples and Sicily, of Florence, when there are heretic, to be caught,—of Milan and Venice? In all these cities there is " Ser vice high and anthem clear" this week. Is there not something remarkable in it, when the profession and the thanksgiving are compared with the results? It might be well if the assessor, who, in the cities of Germany, precedes the Christ-child, to examine into the behaviour of the youngest class of Christians, were to visit the Potentates, and declare how worthy they are to share the joys of the season. The thins will be more sternly done some day by a severer reckoning. As for the Americans, they do not keep Christmas as we do, but transfer the observances to their Thanks giving Day. which is annually appointed by the state governments, when the last fruits of the harvest are got in. In Canada, however, and in all our half-hundred colonies, our kindred will keep the day, as the rolling earth brings each land in succession within eight of the Christmas sunrise. The logs will blaze in the Canadian dwelling, and the Australian diggers will stop work for the day, to be fanned by the breezes, and cool their palates with fruit. To many of them this Christmas is remarkable enough. Some who were penniless a year ago are very wealthy, and probably • good deal surprised to Sod themselves little the happier. Some who were then living de cently in a humble home beside us—happy, if they weld only have thought so—are now in debt to charity for their Christmas dinner. A multitude more—lrish emigrants—who dined in a enigma house last year, are sitting at a well-covered board of their own, and spending an hour of their holiday in writ ing to their friends to come over to the land of plenty. Wherever this hsppeos—whether in Aus- iralia the letter-writer throws off his coat for cool ness, or in Canada gets into the chimney-corner lest his ink should freeze—we regard it as a thoroughly cheerful feature of our present Christmas. As for us at home, the first remarkable thing is, that we have two Christmas-days thisyear. 'fhe religions observance is on Sunday, and the merry-making on Monday. We wish the consent to this were universal, for everybody's sake. Another remarkable thing is, that, for the first time, we believe, in human memory, since the days of great plagues, —there are no more of us to keep Christmas than there wire lust year! - It is a thing unheard of that the population of Ores' Britain should be stationary without any occasion for mourning. Our people have gone to a better land (to them) other 'site than by death. They were never so alive. or likely to enjoy life; and there is thus no grief in the case, beyond some family partings, when all could not go together. As to the rest, the Christmas is not so remarkably prosperous as the last. The prices of provisions are very high; the price of coals is enormous. Christmas warmth was never dearer to buy. Christmas fare is out of the reach of multitudes who, living in places where the work depends upon the weather, have but poor wages with which to meet the high prices. Sadly too few of them laid by money in the interval—not a short one—when wages rose and commodities were cheap. A worse drawback is that of the strikes. Hundreds of thousands of our countrymen and countrywomen and their little children are pinched and suffering through the waste caused by the unhappy strikes of the last autumn. At the best, their wages would have fallen before this time from the injury accruing to trade from political sus pense. The CZ.►R would have put his hand into their dish at all events, but they have chosen to have no dish for him to put his hand into. He would have made us all poorer; but some of us have made ourselves destitute meantime. We do moat earnestly desire that every one of us could have a merry Christmas; and we do not doubt that the abundance of sonic will be freely supplied to the destitution of others; but there is only too much reason to fear future hungry Christmas-days, if our workpeople ao excellent and so sensible in many respects as to make us proud of our relations with them—cannot learn, by experience or other demonstration, the philosophy and fact, the science and practice, of the relation between capital and labour. We suspect that they know a good deal more than they pretend. We suspect that the mischief lies mainly in their want of independence. Large numbers of them are certainly slaves to dictation and intimidation. In that case they cannot be aided. We may help men—we cannot help voluntary slaves. We must see that they do not starve this Christmas time, but nobody can make them prosperous if they sub mit to be arbitrar.ly ruined. We fear it will be a dark Christmas-day in some parts of Lancashire. Else where, the prosperity is unquestionably far above the avenge, and we may, with as much propriety as heartiness, wish our neighbours and fellow-citizens • merry Christmas and • happy new year. IT would be mere affectation to affect to ignore the painful reports that are in circulation respecting undue interference of the Court with the Cabinet. These reports are not of yesterday. More than two years ago they were heard faintly and at intervals ; of latethey are more frequentlymade the subjectof dis course and with less bated breath. True loyalty, like true friendship, is often best shown by daring to incur anger and misconstruction on the part of its object, and the public, in order to do real service. And in this spirit it may surely be allowed us to venture so far as to address a loyal remonstrance to the highest quarter,—should any ground have been afforded for these injurious rumours,— to pause in time, to look back on the national history, to reflect on the conse quences. The English public, from reflection and con viction, are loyal to the throne and the institutions with which that throne is associated, and by which it is supported. It is probable the this cool, deli berate, abstract conviction might have sufficed to maintain that striking sobriety and steadfastness which a few years ago characterised England, while all the other nations of Europe were caught and whirled about in the giddy and maddening vortex of revolution. But there can be no doubt that the enthusiastic and devoted feel ing of personal attachment to the present occu pant of the throne,— which her frank, cordial constitutional deportment as QUEEN, and the beauti ful picture of unostentatious domestic happiness pre sented by herself and consort inspired,—greatly in creased our security. Had the national heart been alienated from the SOVEREIGN in 1848. by suspicions or beliefs in unconstitutional interference with Ministers in the discharge of their official functions, or in the existence of a power behind the throne greater than the throne, as was the case in the earlier part of the reign of GEORGE lll.,—who can conjecture how fatal the consequences might have been ? The most loyal are at this moment reflecting that as we read in history of princes whose reigns have commenced darkly and inauspiciously, but ended by conquering the people's love, so we read of some over whose early promise a fatal blight has crept, and earnestly praying that it may not be their lot to witness any such change in their days. They are tenaciously clinging to the hope that sixteen years of prosperous tranquillity, for which we are mainly indebted to a saaacity and firmness in a young woman, rarely witnessed in the most experienced men, may be continued under the same auspices during s long reign ; yet unable alto gether to divest themselves of the anxiety springing from experience of how far popularity can per vert the most generous natures, and sycophants aggravate and confirm the evil. Should it in deed prove true that human frailty bad so far prevailed with a high personage who has won golden opinions by his abstention from party and political contests, his cultivation of the graces of domestic life, and enlightened patronage of art and letters, as induce him to stoop to con vert these opinions intone element of vulgar political power—and should the influence of • husband pre vail to undo the work of sixteen happy years, the grief of the devotedly loyal would be great, but the hazard to all parties infinitely greater. England, it seems obvious, touches at present on • crisis of no ordinary magnitude. A clear bead and • strong steady hand will be required to steer us through it in any circumstances. The paltering of the administration with the difficulties in the East renders it all but certain that the struggle with Russia, which early and firm opposition to the pretensions of that Power would have made brief and simple, must now be ar duous and complicated. Had the deportment of our Cabinet been such at the outset as to impress the CZAR with the convicion that they were in earnest, he might then have retreated, as he and his prede cessors have done ere now. But a contrary policy has left him more deeply committed ; false and flat tering reports of imaginary or exaggerated victories have confirmed his obstinacy; he will now, in all likelihood, brave the worst and fight to the utter most. Russia, it is true, is no match for France and England; but Russia is not easily accessible to borne blows ; the Russian people are isolated from European opinion; ignorant, prejudiced, fanatical; capable of an almost incalculable extent of dogged, pertinacious endurance ; and these things confer upon the Czaa a dangerous power of protracting hos tilities. The extensive and unscrupulous agency which Russia maintains in all countries—from Persia to the United States—must also be taken into sic count as an element that may be turned to account in embarrassing its enemies. It would therefore be the height of folly for Englishmen to shut their eyes to the fact that the struggle which has commenced may —most probably will—be both long and costly. The danger from without is a trifle; not so the danger from within. The tone of the English public seems unanimous—not to shrink from their engagements, even though they involve war; but different men and pat ties are animated by widely different motives. Some (ourselves among the rest) acknowledge the necessity with regret as tending to withdraw attention from useful reforms and economies ; others hail it with delight for these very reasons, that it will stop Reform; while others again are carried away by the mere pleasure of yielding to strong excitement. The first class will seek to concentrate and confine the national efforts to the one task in hand—the settle ment of the Eastern question ; but the second will seek to prolong and multiply the external struggles which serve their factions purposes; while the third will unconsciously play for a time the game of that unscrupulous faction. Already we hear defiance muttered against other powers as well se Russia : see a disposition evinced to stoop and take up the gauntlet even of so petty an adver sary as Persia, unmindful that Persia, unable to reach us, only resembles a monkey grinning with spite and rattling the bars of its cage at the by standers. Should an unreasoning war spirit be awakened in the nation, there is imminent danger of even its resources being severely strained ; of the reins of power being confided to those who for their own selfish purposes would wantonly lavish life and money ; and of a counter-spirit of discontent and dis affection being excited by the burdens thus imposed. England might thus again be brought to suffer, as it has done ere now, by being left single-handed to struggle against numerous and inveterate foes with- ' , out, while within infuriated factions were threatening to resolve everything it.to anarchy. In such a position of the national affrirs—in such a mood of the national mind—should the Crown continue to observe the same wise policy which has been so successful for 16 years, we should, even in the worst of times, have a I standard round which all true and loyal hearts might rally; but should the great constitutional principle— that the SOVEREIGN of England reigns but does not govern—be abandoned, along with it will be aban doned all hope of preserving that internal civil disci pline, our only security against the confused and bewildering assaults of internal and external foes. Again we repeat, the oriole that is impend ing will task, even in the moot favourable circumstances, the sagacity and nerve of the best of our statesmen. They will be called upon to inspire and keep alive national enthusiasm, and at the same time to keep the national judgment clear and collected ; they will have to contend against factitious and unreflecting eagerness for war on one hand, and discontent with necessary burdens on the other ; they will have to conciliate the affections of the army and the navy, and at the same time, in order to husband the national resources, to impose unpalatable reforms on both; they will need to repair and fight the vessel of the state at the same time. These are duties to strain the best and most' robust abilities. If to these should unfortunately be added the necessity of watching and counteracting court intrigue—of resisting attempts from a quarter where affectionate loyalty alone is due, and whence only friendly countenance and encouragement ought to proceed—to compromise their parliamentary re sponsibility at the instigation of intimate and dear connexions—they would need to be almost more than mortal not to succumb under the additional load. TILE MINISTEE All day yesterday the question still was,—Who will be Home Secretary? the balance of opinion being that Lord Palmerston would be induced to re turn to office. Another arrangement strongly can vassed was that the scruples of Sir James Graham might perhaps be overcome, and that he would assume the post thrown up by the honourable Member for Tiverton, —the vacancy thus made at the Admiralty finding an occupant in Lord Paumure, The rumoured desire of Mr. Sidney Herbert to occupy the post of First Lord of the Admiralty could never meet encouragement at the hands of any far-sighted liberal. Mr. Herbert's family alliances with Russia render it most undesirable that he should at any time assume a post con nected with the British navy. He is (of course) a highly honourable man, but he certainly is not the official to be entrusted with the management of" our wooden walls." The return of Lord Palmerston to his place in the Coalition—if arranged—would no doubt avert many Ministerial difficulties otherwise impending. It is not easy to speculate about the exact terms on which such return could be satisfactorily arranged. Those Reformers—and amongst them we find many of im portance, weight, and high principle—who would be glad to see the Ministerial breach healed up, explain their views very candidly, and, it may be, very wisely ; somewhat after this fashion. If it be undesirable to break up the Government at the meeting of Parlia ment, there is no purpose in discouraging a re union between Lord Palmerston and his late colleagues. The public are in many quarters angry and disappointed at the present Ministerial disturb. once. They do not want splits and differences, out of which there is no present promise that good shall come. The Tories are not either prepared or qua lified to take office, nor is the country (so runs the argument) in a temper or condition for a dissolution of the House of Commons. Therefore, say the peace makers, let the differences be healed up. The alleged lack of men equal to the position of governing this country in the spirit of the age, renders it all the more desirable that all the good which may still be got out of the present combination should be got by the people, and that the Coalition should be supported, at least for a while, on that account. The trouble and risk of a premature dissolution of Parliament is not held to be desirable. We must have something definite and clear before the people are asked again to select their representatives—something more exact than the rallying cry of an unproduced Reform Bill. The Duke of Newcastle (now said to be earnest in his wish for representative reform) has, it is under stood, been active in the kindly and judicious office of mediator and arranger of differences in this Minis terial juncture. We believe that the rumour of Lord Clarendon's contemplated desertion of his I present colleagues is entirely without foundation. Reformers, when considering the question of the value of the present Ministry (of course apart from its Foreign Policy), will scarcely overlook one con sideration : whether it is not better to tide on for awhile under King Log Aberdeen than invite the opening of the jaws of King Stork, Palmerston or Derby, who may possibly come next if ill-considered steps should be taken. In the present Cabinet there are at least some men who have the zeal of con , verts—who profess reform now, having once op posed it, and who may be supposed to keep the ' Whigs up to their promises and their old creed. The Coalition "mixture" has, perhaps, done more from internal rivalry than we might have got from a Cabinet collection of all Whigs, or from one-half Whigs and half Protectionists under such a liader, for instance, as Lord Palmerston. One club rumour yesterday was, that Lord Aberdeen was going out, but, as we before stated, there is no reasonable cause to suppose he will retire from office befure he has at least given in Parliament au explanation of his remarkable Russian policy. This last likelihood, perhaps, is as strong as any one connected with the present arrangements of the Ministry. The season—Christmas—is not one for fomenting dif ferences and discontents, and is thus rather in favour of a new " patch-up" of the whole Coalition. ROYAL COLLEGE OF PIITSICIANS.—At the usual quarterly meeting of the Comitia Mejora, held on Thurs day, Dec. 22, the following gentlemen having paced the necesssry examinations for diploma were admitted mem bers of the college :—Dr. Roseow, Sumner-place, Onslow square; Dr. Clark, Montague-place, ltursell-square ; Dr. Barnes, IMonshite-square. LATEST FROM ABROAD. INDIA AND CHINA. THE OVERLAND MAIL. AND NUILOPIAX Timsoi Lim') TRIESTE, Dn. 23. The steamer Bombay arrived here this morning at 9.43 from Alexandria, in 112 hours. ALEXANDRIA, Dsc. lb. The India mail proceeds this day from Alexandria to England. The dates are, Calcutta, 20th; Madras 24th ; Shanghai, 2nd ; Amoy, sth ; Hong Kong: 11th ; Singapore, 18th ;... Penang, 20th; Galle, 27th; and Bombay, 28th Nov. Accounts from Burmah are of a more satisfactory character. Pegu is more tranquil ; the Dacoits are disappearing, and famine no longer prevails. . . Viscount. Melville is appointed to the command of the Sirhind division in the room of the late Gen. Godwin. The Peshawar force has been concentrated. Trade in indigo Bat. Exchange at Calcutta, 2e. Id. In Chins, the insurgents keep possession of Shang hai, but those at Amoy have been defeated by the Imperialists. The Canton market has improved. Exchange at Canton, ss. 2d.; Shanghai, 6s. 6d. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. TRIESTE, THURSDAY. The steamer from Constantinople has arrived here with intelligence to the 12th inst. It was generally expected that the Capitan Pacha would be requested to resign in consequence of the affair at Sinope. Ali Pacha aspires to his poet. The declaration of war by Persia had not been received when the packet left, but Achmed Khan had broken off all relations with the Porte. The French and English fleets are still in the Bosphorus. The Porte has placed a very clear case before the ambassadors and admirals of France and England, and has asked for tho support of the fleets. The ambassadors promised that on certain even tualities, inch u an attempt on the part of Russia`to land troops upon Ottoman territory, the fleets should enter the Black Bea. The popular sentiment is fast turning against England. A Orman has been issued in favour of Serviii, in which the privileges formerly conceded to that state are declared and confirmed. VIENNA, FIIIDAY. It wu rumoured last night after the close of business that something unfavourable to the Rus sians had taken place in the Crimea. At first it was mid that an attack had been made on Sebastopol by the fleets, and afterwards a rising in the Crimea was spoken of. Positive information is wanting. THE WAR. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. We have correspondence from Constantinople to the Bth, and telegraphic despatches, with a summary of intelligence, to the 12th. At the earlier of these dates the Mogador and Retribution had not returned from Sinope with their report, and at the later the messenger from Vienna bearing the collective note had not reached the Ottoman capital. We learn generally from the telegraphic despatch that the statements brought by the 'fair steamer of the mas sacre at Sinope are confirmed. The intelligence, however, had not led to the entry of the fleets into the Black Sea on the 9th day after it became known at Constantinople ; and it is, therefore, reasonable to suppose that that event would not take place before the receipt by the admirals of positive orders f r om P ar i s an d London. The Vienna telegraph again repeats that the com bined fleets are only ordered to eater the Black Sea, subject to certain eventualities, and then on a pacific understanding with Rassia. The meaning of this last expression is difficult to conjecture, except upon assumptions so dishonouring to our national character that we refuse to adopt them. Letters from Paris go beyond these assertions transmitted from the Austrian capital. It is said, "The instructions given to the admirals are to the effect that they shall stop all Russian ships found cruising in the Black Sea, and force them to return to Sebas topol, which port they bill not be allowed to leave till the conclusion of a treaty of peace." It is of course unnecessary to say that this rumour needs con firmation. The Vienna Weekly Medical Gazette has a letter of the sth from the Turkish camp on the Danube. The writer says that three great columns are to cross the river as soon as the floating ice will permit. The greatest part of the artillery, cavalry, and bag gage trains is directed towards Silistria. Wounded men are continually brought in from Rustchuck, u the out-pickets of both armies persist in firing at each other. Deserters of all nationalities, who oome in great numbers tram the left bank, keep Omer Pacha well informed of what is going on in the Wallachian plains. The head-quarters are at Ruetchuck, but the troops are kept in readiness for an advance. The Balkan army has remised a further reinforcement of 15.000 men, who are principally Asiatics. The Constantinople correspondent of the Wanderer writes:—" Even the Greek population asserts that there is a secret understanding between the British and Russian Governments. Lord Stratford still attempts to force the mediatory proposals on the Porte, but the Turks turn from everything English with disgust." The Tried Zeitung says that the highest function aries, who speak with great bitterness of France and England, much fear that the allied fleets are only in tended to act as a check on the Porte should it obtain any signal advantage over the Russian. " The Sultan must either continue the war with Russia or make war on his own subjects. The fearful sacri fices made by great and small, rich and poor, would be perfectly inconceivable were it not well known that the Turks are convinced that it is a qustion of life and death for them." A few days ago, it was announced in several Ger man and in some English papers that the Russians and Turks had come to serious blows between Kra jowa and Kafait, which resulted, so the story went, in a signal victory for the Russians. No bulletins of such an engagement have as yet been received from Bucharest, but private letters state that a severe engagement has taken place. The correspondent of the Frenden Blatt writes from Bucharest, under date of the 10th inst., that Lieutenant Fischbach had, a few days previous, received orders from Prince Gone chakoff to march against the Turks stationed around Kalafat, and force them from their position. In the meantime General Fischbach had received strong re , inforeements from different parts of Wallachia; and, according to private information which reached Bu charest, the attack took place between Kalafat and Krajowa. It proved unfavourable to the Russians, who lost 2,000 killed, and left the Turks in possession of Kalafat. Another correspondent writes from the Turkish frontier, under date of the 11 th inst., that severe engagements occurred near Kalafat on the 2nd and 3rd inst. (doubtless the affair spoken of above), which proved favourable to the Turks. The Russian loss is not mentioned. Tll , l Bucharest correspondent of the Wanderer furnishes a brief account of the sitting of the Admi nistrative Council, at which it was decided that the Wallachian militia was to form an integral part of the Russian army. In vain the Grand Ban and Pre sident reminded his colleague s that Wallachia was not at war with the Porte ; that it formed, so to say, a part of Turkey ; that the country had no cause to complain of the Porte, and that a war against Tur key would be an act of disloyalty to the sovereign power. The ministers, John :Kano, John °tete lechium, and John Bibeseo, and Demetrius Joanid, the Director of the Home Department, voted for the incorporation; George Philippesco, Grand Ban, Minister of the Interior, and President of the Council ; John Philippesco, the Finance Minister; and Constantine Cheresco, Count Mis time', Grand Ban and Commander of the Militia, against it. After the division the President bitterly reproached his four colleagues for their want of pa triotism, and accused Demetrius Joanid of having always furthered foreign interests. When Prince Gortschakoff heard of what had occurred, ho de clared that if it were not for the great age of the President (he is eighty) he would have sent him, not to Kischeneff, in Bessarabia, but to Siberia. The consequence of the weakness of the four Boyards is, that the three infantry regiments are to be raised from 2,000 to 4,000 men eimh, and the six squadrons of cavalry from 2,000 to 4,000 men. When the regiments which had been quartered at Bucharest marched to Braila, a great crowd of afflicted people accompanied it to a place at some distance called Dudesti. LPtters from Constantinople fully confirm the fact of a breach between the Courts of Turkey and Persia, and we have also positive information of the departure of our Charge d'Affaires from the Court of Shah. It is stated that the Russians have promised Persia support, to raise the Affghans against British rule. In consideration of this active alliance, the debt of 50 millions due from Persia to the Russian government will no longer be clamed. Recruits from Asia continue to arrive at Constan tinople is undiminished numbers, to the great astonishment of the Europeans in that city. The men are all volunteers. The following address was lately presented to the Sultan by the Greek Patriarch and the Metropoli tans of the Greek community of Constantinople. His Majesty the Sultan, our august master and bene factor, has just declared, by an Imperial finnan, that it is his intention to proceed to Adrianople next spring. We, his servant, end the Metropolitans, members of the Synod, prostrate ourselves before the throne of the Almighty, making ardent vows day and night; and inconformity with our duties of fidelity, we pray God to mercifully ap preciate the courageous intentions, the laudable will, and the good dispositions which his Imperial Majesty, our legi• tiruate Sovereign, shows for the inte gr ity o f the glory and honour of his great empire, as also for the welfare and tranquillity of the trustful subjects who are under his bene ficent protection. As the absence of our august master and benefactor from the capital of his empire will cause the greatest grief to the inhabitants of Constantinople, and especially to his ser vants, we humbly pray his Imperial Majesty to accord us, as a mark of special grace, the permission to follow him wherever he Ray go. Tu solicit this grace of his Imperial Majesty, we have taken the liberty of presenting this humble addreu to his Majesty. SERVIA. Austrian and German papei; have spoken a great deal of the disagreement between Servia and Turkey, and have proclaimed an approaching contest as an indisputable Eta. Not a word of all this is true. The good understanding has not been interrupted one moment. It is true that the Porte did not agree to the abso lute neutrality of Servia, and demanded the removal of the Russiim consul Musehin. But this did not lead to any rupture : the Servian government ac knowledged that the Porte was only making use of its rights, and induced the consul to take his depar ture. The latter, it must at the same time be ac knowledged, yielded at once to the representations of Prince Alexander, and declared that it was far from his wish that his presence should be the cause of conflict. False are therefore the statements of Servia's op position to Turkey ; and false, too, is the other statement that the Divan has demanded a free pas sage for Turkish troops through the Servian terri tory. Turkey has always acknowledged that the treaties and firmans would not admit of her making such a demand. It is clear with what method the enemies of Ser via are working to place that country in a false position and create suspicion. The part which Austria is playing is at least very equivocal, and causes much anxiety. The Vienna newspapers take great pains to trumpet forth Austria's power and regard for Servia. The Austrian government is said to have promised the Servians its support against Turkey. The Austrian consul in Belgrade is said to have hindered the l'aeha from bombarding the town. These are absolute untruths. beryls has never demanded aid from Austria; the Paella has never threat. ened Belgrade with a bombardment. It is plain that the Austrian government does all in its power to make the world believe it is the proper and true protector of Servia. An Austrian corps is collected on the borders of this country, and Europe is given to understand that this is done ac cording to the wish of the Servian government, to secure the country from the inroads of the Turks. This is entirely false. There is no fear of a Turkish invasion. The Prince has lever asked aid of Austria. What is, then, the reason of this concentration of troops ? They are certainly not destined to act against Russia, and it is not a mere matter of parade. In the present state of Austria's finances, this corps trarmee on the borders of Servia can only show that the Austrian government has important ob jects to gain. Are these troops destined to act against Servia and Turkey ? It is high time that the press of Eogiand should take up this question, and urge the cabinet to demand a clear and explicit answer from Austria. How is it, with the so-called neutrality of Austria, when it is threatening to take military possession of a Turkish province?—for that Servia undoubtedly is, despite its otherwise abnormal position. Has Austria official and secret politics? Is there not a secret agreement with Russia? Of course there is; for the Austrian Emperor fears Russia less than his own peoples. Have France and England been told the purport of this Austrian concentration of troops? Poli tical Machiavelism was never more rampant than in this Turkish question. Against its will Turkey has become the champion of the liberals. The govern ments know this, and therefore fear the success of the Turks. They hope that in the spring the Turks will be obliged to sue for peace, for want of means to carry on the war. FRANCE. —.•— PARIS. THURSDAY EVENING. The .1/oniteur publishes a decree modifying the regulations of the Mortgage Bank established at Paris, known as the Credit Foncier of France. It declares that whenever the average quotation of the Three per Cents. Rente has been for three months together below 86tr., the Mortgage Bank can raise for all future loans, to sfr. 95c., the annual sum to be paid by the borrower, that annual sum to include interest, running expenses, and sinking fund for paying off the debt in 50 years. For loans of less duration, the annual sum shall he determined pro portionally on the same bases. Whenever the Three per Cents. ltente shall have been for three months together at an average quotation of Mfr., the maxi mum of the annual sum already spoken of shall be reduced to sfr. 45c., for loans of 30 years, and pro portionally less for loans of shorter duration. The subvention of 10,000,000 fr. accorded to the Mort gage Bank established at Paris by the decree of December 10, 1832, is :awed to 9,700,000 fr., to ire paid successively in the proportion of the 20th part of the loans effected. The remaining sum of 300,000 f. is to be appropriated in equal proportions to the Mortgage Banks of Nevers and of Marseilles. When the amount of the loans of the Mortgage Bank shell have reached the sum of 230,000,000 f., the maximum of the running expenses, fixed by Art. 71 of the statutes at 00c. for every 100 f., may be reduced by the government to 43e. If by the Ist of January, 1837, the loans effected by the Mortgage Bank do not amount to 200,000,000 E, the government reserves to itself the power of authorising, concurrently with the Mortgage Bank, other similar societies in various Darts of France. And even if at the above mentioned p, nod the aggregate amount of loans shall reach two hundred millions, but there shall not have been lent within every jurisdiction of an imperial court of justice a sum proportionate to that amount, government may still, concurrently a ith the Bank, authorise other societies in those localities. Over and above the 200,000,000 f. of bonds issued in execu tion of the convention of November 18, 1832, the Mortgage Bank cannot affix prizes to sums it may borrow, unless Kith the special authorisation of the government. The statutes of the Mortgage Bank are to be modified in conformity with the present decree, hut should a general meet ing of the shareholders not give its approval withia the space of two months from the present time to the modifications thus specified, the Mortgage Bank shall be deprived of the benitits arising t rent the present decree. General Hugo, the uncle of th e illustrious poet and an eminent officer of the E m pi re , h as just diei at Tulle, where he had long lived in retirement. General Wysocki, who in 1848-9 comm anded the Polish Legion in Hungary, left Marseillesyesterda for Constantinople, accompani e d b y several officers; y I believe I may now announce on good authority that several of the Emperor's most faithful. adherents will, on the occasion of the new year, be at length rewarded with titles. MM. Persigny and lie Morn y are to be made princes —at least their friends o p en l y proclaim them by that title. M. Troplong will also be made a prince, but at the same time the office of Arch-Chancellor of France will be revived in his person. MM. Fould and Abatucci are to be dukes. Of course Marshals St. Arnaud and Magnan will be included in the creation. Ido not happen to ha ve heard what their titles are to be, but I take it for granted they will be princes. Some doubts appear to be felt whether it is in. tended to strip the bishops of the appellation univer sally accorded to them of " Monseigneur." Th e Mon/kw, in terms, says that " nobody " is entitled to be so styled but French Princes and Princes of the Imperial family, and it happens, curioubly enough, that in the very same number of the . I b , edo•ur th e bishops aro spoken of as " ..Ifesrierirs !es Some think this intentional, and a commentary upon the curt note in the other part of the official journal, I confess I can hardly think so. According to all received usage bishops are addressed as Monseigneur, Monsignore, My Lord, and the attempt to deprive them of the appellation would give great offence indeed. Vice-Admiral Le Predour has been appointed a member of the council of the Admiralty, in the room of Vice-Admiral Brunt, called to the command of the Ocean squadron. PARIS, ritIDAY EVENING. The Muni(cur alludes as follows to the recent military demonstration at Lyons : " The &dut Public of Lyons gives an account of a sort of alert which took place in that city, and which did not deserve being mentioned. Some posts were doubled on false information, certainly not calling for so many precautions. In fact, no disturbance took place. NVe are no longer in times when a handful of rioters were sufficient to disturb men's minds. The elements of such easy disturbances fortu nately do not any longer exist in France." There is much confusion in the above note. What is the meaning of false information not calling for so many precautions ?" If the information was known to be false it was of course no ground for " precau ' tions " at all. But as long as the falsehood was unsus pected themore or less of precaution to be taken could only be regulated by the nature of the informa tion given, and not by its accuracy. It was not the .S'alut Public alone, but several other Lyons journals that gave the account in question, and mere than one of them claimed great credit for government for having discovered a most horrid though impotent conspiracy. It may very possibly be that the whole affair was a concoction of the police, but the fact that Lyons was in a great state of alarm is undoubted. It may also be asked whether the numerous arrests still going on are based upon " false information." The Sulfa Public of Dec. 21 (a day later than the number alluded to by the Multittur) says: "Several arrests, of the number and importance of which we are ignorant, were effected in the night of Monday and Tuesday, and during yesterday. For the rest, Lyons, after being for a moment very se riously alarmed, has now resumed its usual phy siognomy, and we may affirm that the se curity as well as the prosperity of the city, so important at this period of the year, will retain no trace of an alarm as suddenly created as rapidly dispelled, and which will only have served to demonstrate once more the nothingness of the threats of some obscure agitators." The Bourse was very much excited to-day, and a fall of 55c. has taken place in the rente. The fall was principally attributed to reports that Lord Palmerston had been called upon to form a ministry, and that the Moniteur would announce to-morrow the entry of the fleets into the Black Sea. The Vienna despatch received to-day announcing the " definitive" en try of the fleets was more generally believed than that from Trieste, with news of the same date, stating merely that they were " about to eater." Notwithstanding the generally depressed state of the Bourse, Bank of France rose 10Ir.; Rouen and Versailles Railway a, 5 fr. each; and Western, 2fr. 50c. There was a considerable fall in the other prin cipal lines. St. Germain declined 17fr. aoc. ; Rouen and Northern, 10fr. each. HOLLAND AND BELGIUM. • BRUSSELS, Tituustuy. During several days past the Second Chamber of the States General of Holland was engaged in dis cussing a motion in favour of the abolition of the excise duty on the slaughtering of cattle, and of the tonnage duties. That motion was brought forward by nine friends of the late government—the Thor beeke one—and it was consequently regarded as a political " move." The present administration—the Van Hall one—does not object to the reduction of the excise duty above mentioned, but is, for the pre sent at least, opposed to the abolition of the tonnage duties, on the ground that it would too much di minish the revenue. The adherents of the late cabi net indulged in the hope that they would be able, by securing the votes of all engaged in the shipping interest, and of those members who, as a matterlof humanity in the present dear season, were desirous of rendering meat cheaper, to obtain a majority, and consequently to bring about a ministerial crisis. Hence the importance attached to the debate, which was brought yesterday to a close by the rejection of the motion by a majority of 44 to 21. A telegraphic despatch from Vienna of this day's date positively annouoces the arrival of the allied fleets in the Black Sea. Up to the 12th inst. the declaration of war by Persia had not reached Con stantinople. GERMANY. The Corporations of Dan tzic, Stettin, and Schweldt,* have, on the occasion of the annive , sary of the secession of M. de Manteuffel to the Presidency of the Ministry, voted him the freedom of those cities, which were on the 18th presented to him by deputa tions. The first Burgomaster Grodbeck delivered an address, in which he pointed out the misfortunes to Dantzic in consequence of the interruption to peace in 1846, and expressed the wishes of himself and his fellow citizens for the maintenance of the peace of Europe. M. de Manteuffel in his reply, said : Material interests have acquired a great stimulus, but it is n y that they shout• have a greater development. Dantric is placed at the head of those towns which will con tribute to it. It teue that it is necessary for peace to be preserved, and I hope that it will be possible, whatever may be now the threatening aspect of affairs. 1 maintnio, and the King has ajproved of my view of the subject, that Prussia ought not to meddle in affairs which do nut concern her, and I hope tt.i.l she will remain aloof from po:itical complications. Bu I c.O never forget that she must in any event maintain intact her honour sad her position. ITALY. -. • - FIEDNIONT. The following is the King of Sardinia's speech on the opening of the new parliament, of which we hare given a surninaly received by telegraphic des patch: Senators and Deputies—ln commencing a new legislature ' it is with legitimate pride 1 call to mind that the sixth year since my august father Inaugurated Constitutional Liberty, in this ancient monarchy, is now drawing to a close. The nation accepted its liberties with exultation, and has used them with wisdom. By taking the same path with its wing, in the etrictest Ulli , ‘ll with him, ctmented by confidence, it has proved it,elf alive to its own interest, and worthy of its destiny. To this indissoluble union, which has been ren dered more cansp'cuous by the noble conduct of the nation, is due the increasing symrathy of the most civilised people, and the intimate friendship of the most en lightened governments of Europe. From this union my go vernment derived sufficient strength, under painful and difficult circuwstanc• s, to uphold the dignity of the 111:i011, and to preserve fr..na insult the noble principle of indepen dence, which is the chief object of my veneration and yours. (Loud and prolonged cheers) The Chamber e!ected in 1849 bad already pursued a laborious career, being milted upon to meet the consequences of serious and unmented disasters with proper remedies, it had completed its die...ad The R Duchess Highnese, Phipps. 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