The Express. — London, England, 1853-12-21 00:00:00

env ferameoz. TO COItItESPONDENTS. A Peesnd The Evere..6" lowa:inns the US. evening's "Chiette, tv published every Tuesday ee4 Vridity blight. is hose Ise lent. - - _ Avertteetnento to h‘l to "The tapress," Lateen Everuee peen, meet be at t: e houverie•dreet, Ly u'cludt se the tiny ut pub' izatwo. MGR WATER AT LONDON BRIM E W*—llaraute. lb. .. Afterkkun, 3k. 4 10 , 11011118W—llunsl6i. eh. 6u. 31s. LONDON, lI P EDNESDAY, DECEMBER 21. THE complacency with which Lord Ars,anwr allows his Ministry to be dragged through the dirt at the heels of Austria seems inexp icable—except on one theory, which we loyally refuse to entertain, except on the very clearest evidence. On Saturday last the official journal of Vienna announced that it "was empowered " to state that the French end English vessels despatched to the Black Sea, after the sews of the disaster at Sinope reached Constantinople, " is unconnected with any design of hostility ;" and that if any more ships from the combined fleets should follow, their only object will be to " prevent any further collision between the Russian and Turk. ish tliete." The retainers of the Court at Vienna make no secret of this announcement being made oa the authority of the English Cabinet, as communi- I cited by telegraph ; and boastingly add, that nothing abort of such au assurance could ensure the continu- ' ante of the professedly good understanding between England and Austria. In any circumstances, it would be humiliating to Englishmen to witness such a servile haste on the part of their rulers to assure a foreign Government that they have no intention to act an honest and manly part. The eagerness to dis pel all suspicions to this effect that might arise in the minds of the Austrian Ministers, which feared to wait for the tardy conveyance of the post or a Quers's alessunger, but rushed immediately to the electric telegraph, reminds one of the anxiety of Mr. Snake, in the " School for Scandal," to escape the imputation of doing a good action, seeing his livelihood depended on the badness of his character. Bat the discredit that attaches to such truckling is doubled by the character of the Government to which the unworthy homage is paid. The bad faith of the Austrian Government is proverbial and hereditary. Not to go further back than the last generation, the despatches and private correspondence of Sir ROBERT Munster Emu have been preserved to show how that honest Minister, having been prepossessed by a long and pleasant residence at Vienna in favour of the Austrians, and having been deeply imbued with the prejudices entertained in his day against the Tnrks and al' Mahometans, was compelled by the proceedings in the Congress at Sistova to admit that the Ambassadors of the Porte had acted with uniform good faith, while the Jesuitical falsehood of the Austrian Ministers and their Court had been disgraceful and revolting. The Memoirs of Sir It MILT CALVERT, heel/ published, present a shock ing picture of the callous duplicity with which the Austrian Court not only betrayed its allies in the war against Republican France in the Netherlands, but actually sacrificed its own gallant army, principally composed of Hungarians and Bohemians, to promote its own selfish and cowardly policy. Further, it has been left on record by dispassionate and conservative English travellers how lit tle care the Austrian Minister, ItirrYeeNicu, took to pay to common decorum the tribute of a decent hypocrisy by giving himself the trouble to conceal that, in order to blacken the cha. ratters of the German Liberals, he systematically invented and disseminated scandalous stories to their discredit. We advert to there reminiscences of the last sixty years in order to remind our readers that the base duplicity which Austria is now displaying in behalf of Russia is a confirmed habit of that miserable Government ; that the recent instances of bad faith of which Austria stands convicted are not accidental lapses of an honourable nature, not isolated yielding. to sore temptation and the pressure of circumstances, but the results of a syste matic dishonest policy. The instances to which we allude are these: in the first place, the last crown ing act, the confession that the present " good un derstanding" between Austria and England depends for its continuance upon the latter power's abstaining from affording Turkey its promised support. It is avowed in the official journal of the Austrian Go vernment that, while professing to observe a strict neutrality between the Turks and Russians, it has engaged England io renewed negotiations for the sole purpose of obtaining a power to prevent England from lending efficient assistance to Turkey. The Cr sa, while professing to desire peace, has dealt a heavy blow to the naval force of Turkey, and Austria insists that England shall prevent the SULTAN from retaliating if it wishes Austria to remain neutral. In the second place, " neutral" Austria has helped the Cz sit to strike the blow from the repayment of which in kind it now interferes to shield him. It was an Austrian steamer—the property of a company sup. ported in part by Government subventions—that served the Russians as a spy, and told them where their fleet would find a Turkish squadron so inferior in force as to offer an easy prey. It was no act of mere indiscreet babbling on the part of the captain or crew of this steamer. Its direct habitual course is from Constantinople to Trebizond and back; but from this it diverged in order treacherously, and in contempt of the duties of neutrals, to carry race to Sebastopol. In the third place, this is not the first time in the course of the present disturbances that Austrians in close connexion with their Govern. ment, or in actual service, have been found playing the part of Russian spies. In the dictatorial note addressed by M. NWELRODE to the Prince of Saar is on the 29th of July last, be intimates that his infor mation respecting Servian affairs is obtained through the medium of " news from official sources lately ar rived from Vienna," and that " the Imperial Austrian Court entirely concurs in these our views." The nature of the views in which the Austrian Court concurs are no longer doubtful, now that Russia is openly intriguing to excite an insurrection against the reigning Prince of Seam, and restore a pre tender to the throne, because the former is under stood to be more attached to his VlZtrelin, the SeLTAN, thar to the Cz sa. Nor is the complicity of " neu tral" Austria with Russia confined to Servia and the Bleak Sea; Vienna is at this moment the scene of a traitorous intercourse openly carried on by the Adjutant of the Vladika of MONTENEGRO, with the Russian Ambassador at the Austrian Court. The veil which Austria throws over its subserviency to Russia—its repayment of the CZAR'S services in enabling it to trample down Hungarian liberty—if, indeed, it can be said to throw any veil over its mercenary baseness—is of the most transparent character. It requires an excess of charity to believe that the English Cabinet do not see through it; and even that charity which acquits Lord ABER DEEN and his col)eagues of a wilful or pretended blind ness to Austrian falsehood must impute to them an utter want of perspicacity and common sense. We repeat what we said at the outset of these remarks: the tame patience with which the English Cabinet allows itself to be hoodwinked and played upon by the Austrian is inexplicable. To be so &mired, implies either moral blindness on the part of Lord ABERDEEN ; or, what is more degrading Faith a weak complicity combined with an utter sense lessness to the shame of the world. That Austrian and Russian Ministers—from their cradles servile tools of despots, trained in the miserable rivalries and in trigues of a bigoted and retrograde, or of a half barbarous court—should be u insensible to shame as to the restraints of morality, is in the nature of things; but that English gentlemen, accustomed from their boyhood to defer to the public opinion of an enlightened and moral nation, should lower themsels es to become their dupes and tools is a Ow -1 nomenon not to be contemplated without astonish meat. The favourite cant of a section of politicians who are assiduously labouring to promote the views of Russia, and at the same time to escape the odium which in English society attaches to such conduct, is the necessity of supporting the Christians of the East in their opposition to Mahometan infidelity. We neither prclees nor entertain any particular respect for the tenets of the Moslem, but we must confess, with shame and humiliation, that the Mussulman may at this moment point with exultation to the con duct of the Turkish Governmect as contrasted with that—we do not say of the most Christian Govern ments of Austria and Russia, but of the equally Christian Governments of France and England. If loyalty and humanity in action be tests of religious' truth, the European missionaries at present scattered throughout the Turkish empire must be rather puzzled to explain to those they seek to convert how they are to be morally bettered by exchanging the I creed of their ancestors for the new one offered them in lieu of it. LATEST FROM ABROAD. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. ST. PETERSBURG, Bic. 10. An ordinance is published with the signature of the Finance Minister, declaring all merchant vessels laden with or carrying munitions of war to be lawful prizes, although sailing under a neutral flag. Bessarabia and the governments of Thais and Kherson are placed under martial law. They will form provisionally two districts, of which Prince Menachikoff and General Osten Sacken are appointed governors. • • • • No reuons arc given for thus placing the southern maritime frontier in a state of siege, but the measure is declared "necessary under present circumstances." FRANCE. PARIS, TUESDAY EVINIXO. The Three per Cent. Relates closed for money at 74.93 ; the Four-and-a-Half per Cents. at 102. The Threes show a rise of 33c., and the Four-and-a. Halt per Cents. of 90c., compared with the final rates of yesterday. THE WAR. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. --•- An official messenger reached London yesterday from Constantinople, bringing, amongst other intel ligence, the ascertained fact that the overmatched Turks succeeded in sinking one Russian line.of battle ship and a frigate A few more such victories and the Russian Black Sea fleet would disappear. Letters from Vienna of the 16th state that it is known there to a certainty that the position of the Russians in Asia is even worse than is generally supposed, and that Tiflis itself is seriously menaced both by the Turks and the Caucasian tribes. The frost having rendered the Baltic fleet inactive, another ukase releases a portion of its crews until next Manh—viz. 28 men of each of the crews of the guard, and 48 of ;hose of the line. Res:chid Pacha has communicated to the French Ambassador at Constantinople a document in which it is stated that the provinces of Silistria, Varna, Widdin, Belgrade, Nista, Sophia, Scutari, Albania, Bosnia, Herzegovina, Trebizond, and Adrianople, being considered as military positions which must supply food to the troops that are concentrated in those localities, it has been resolved that the export of corn from the said province shall cease on the 13th inst., and until after the next hit-vest. The contracts which have been made previous to the above date are to remain in full force. Corn may still be exported from the European provinces south of the Balkan and Arabia. The following is as extract from a private letter received from a person on board one of the line of battle ships belonging to Admiral Dundas's squadron : We have received news of a collision between the Teekish and &wilt* fleets. The intelligence runs thus (claims/lobate not got, but I believe it to be only two dye ego, es the scene of operations is not more than Xi mess boa this, and our information is derived from as Zegliemsa by the name of Parker, who was an eye-vellums be Vie Al ; Fear Russian line of battle ships came off She pert of where the Turkish squadron was at anchor, to reeenzwitse. At sight of their approach the Turks prepared to Agfa, but the Russians, instead of advancing within gun shot, made off, and in two days afterwards appeared again wit\ aa addition of three first rate ships (three deckers! ; they then manned and armed all their boats, and sent diem into the port with an idea that they would be enabled to cut the Turks out. bat to their surprise the Turks sunk every boat that yoked within gun-shot. The Russian force seeing this, nosed with their ships and opened fire on the Turks, earl pad smut the asmanding continued, when& steamer essepsd. OS beard whisk was this Mr. Parker, and he says that two Tarkish frigates were on fire, bat whether they bad been sit on fire by the Turks or by the Russians is yet • gyratory. The Retribution and Mogador (French steamer) are gone to the place to collect more correct intel- and the Fury Ind Naval (French steamer) to sees for the sane purpose ; and we should all have gone beta the Bleak Sea this day, bet the French admiral refused Mat without advice from his government. The steamers are es be back again in • week ; until then we shall not move, sad {hen it Y supposed it will only bee division of the two theta. The Trafalgar will remain here to take care of the prises as they send them down. Yesterday the last of the series of diplomatic docu ments connected with tae latest attempt of the Poor Powers to settle the Russian and Turkish difference was laid before the public in these columns, and the public is now therefore well able to form its own udparint of the proceedings of the governments. In the same way the opinions of foreign publicists and the collateral facts of foreign journals have been duly reported, and it will not have escaped remark that those organs of public or party opinion which are most opposed to oue another by their sympathies with the respective belligerents agree in their opinion of the propositions now made to Turkey. The same thing happened, as all will re member, when the Vienna Note first became known. From the Russian and Turkish points of view the same conclusions were drawn respecting the meaning and effect of that document, and the governmen is of Russia and Turkey ratified the opinion of the public, the Sultan rejecting the note, for the very reasons which commended it to the acceptance of the Czar. The press of Europe, of course with' the exception of the especial organs of the two western governments, has now, with one consent, de clared the protocol, the collective note, and the am bassadorisl instructions of December 5, to be the expressions of a policy decidedly and intentionally ad verse to Turkey. Everywhere it is recognised that these documents assume that Turkey, the r wronged and invaded state, must bid for peace while the Powers, which invite Turkey to renounce her position and to stay the march of her troops, are unable to give any assurance that the Czar is ' disposed to forego his original claims, and unwilling to promise that in the event of his continued hostility their efficient aid shall be forthcoming. The reports relating to the Czar's disposition as to peace which reach Vienna, Berlin, France, and Lon don are all singularly unanimous. The Czar, say these accounts, is " moat anxious for peace;" be has been so from the first; indeed, he marvels at the sin• gular obstinacy of Turkey in commencing and per sisting in war. But his terms are unchanged; they are a pacific occupation of the pros-Tees without the interference of any third power until the Porte shall have conceded his original demands. Hitherto no organ of any government has been able to affirm that Nicholas I. has offered to abate his arrogant and dangerous pretensions. As to 'I urkey, all the news which arrives from Constantinople is of one tenour. The ministers of the Sultan are as anxious for peace as they have ever been, and only ask that the invaders may retire from li their master's territory. The hopes which have been THE EXPRESS. WEDNESDAY EVENING, DECEMBER 21, 1853. expressed in some quarters, bet cherished in more, that the disaster at Sinope would discourage them and render them willing to accept a peace incom patible with the honour and safety of the Ottoman state, are already shattered. The excitement and indignation (say our correspondents) are indeed great in the Turkish capital, but no one betrays fear. In deed, the heroic resistance of the Turks at Sinope to an immense superiority of force, has only inflamed the martial ardour of the nation. In this temper the courier bearing the Vienna Protocol and Notes would find the population of the Ottoman capital. A ministerial contemporary has stated that, in the conference held at the British embassy at Con stantinople, on the receipt of the news from Sinope, Admiral Dundee strenuously urged that the cum bined fleets should instantly . set sail, in order, if possible, to intercept the Russian fleet before it could beat back into Sebastopol, and that this opinion was overruled by General Baraguay d'Hilliers, the French ambassador. It is added that " this is not the first occasion on which the movements of the British squadron have been controlled by deference to the French officers." It is to be presumed that an asser tion of this kind cannot pass unnoticed by the French government. It would be interesting to know whether the proposed movements referred to were to have taken place in the Black Sea or only in the Bosphorus. Whatever steps the admirals commanding the French and English squadrons in the Bosphorus may take, it will be remembered that the English govern ment has given assurances to Austria that they shall not assume an attitude hostile to Russia until the diplomatic experiment of December 6 shall have failed. CONSTANTINOPLE. Dec. 3. The delays which France and England arc stu diously causing in the settlement of the quarrel with Russia are making matters much worse. The posture of affairs at present is, in truth, somewhat carious. No sooner had the news of the defeat of °Realize arrived than the mediating powers exiled for an armistice, which was one of the most bare faced attempts on record toprevent a victorious gene ral from reaping the fruits of his triumph. While the English people are being flattered by their rulers with the notion that in conjunction with France they are saving Turkey, defending liberty, and humiliating Russia, the Turks can hardly persuade themselves that we are not in a league with their enemy. There is a report current in Constantinople at the present moment—l mean, of course, amongst the Mussulmans, that Lord Aberdeen has been bribed largely by the Emperor Nicholas, and is now merely acting a part, to prepare the way for a final act of treachery. This is implicitly believed by the masses; and not only so, but it was repeated in sober earnest in the room of a functionary of high standing at the Sublime Porte, by a well-informed and intelligent Osmanli, and in the preseuce of an English gentleman who has resided for thirty years in Turkey, and from whose lips I have the story. The tale has received a curious addition in the cafes over in Stamboul. It is there solemnly told amongst the bearded patriarchs, who discuss the affairs of the nation over long chibouks, and scowl through the windows at the passing giaoar, jewellery and such is Queen Victoria's fondness for and inability to procure it by more legitimate means that she has lent her countenance and support to Lord Aberdeen's policy in consideration of a diamond necklace had and received from one of the Russian grand duchesses. In the meantime, while the English sailors are everyday disgusting the inha bitants of Galata by their beastly drunkenness and riotous conduct,:and the officers are pursuing game at Therapia, the Russian cruisers are scouring the Black Sea and Turkish vessels are afraid to show themselves outside the Bosphorus. The Turkish steamer to Varna has ceased running. One of the boats has already been captured, and rumours were afloat yesterday that Varna itself was in a state of blockade. Thu, however, I do not believe fur many reasons. Six hundred Asiatic re inters were brought across the Bosphorus on Thurs• evening, and yesterday morning set out for Adrianople. The men are fine, tall, hardy looking i fellows, but the horses are small. Ido not doubt, however, that they will prove a match for anything of the same kind Russia can bring into the flea. The government have resolved upon organising two seeps of Cossacks, one on the Danube, and eat in Asia. The former is to be placed ander the command of Zodek Bey, and an Irish officer, named O'Reilly, who has served in the Piedmontese and English cavalry leaves this on the 9th inst. for Adrianople, to assist la drilling and training them. A Pole, who served kr fourteen years in the Russian army in the Cauca- Ins, and retired with the rank of Captain on deco ration, but became involved in the troubles of '4B, has already started for 'frebizond on the same mis sion. Very few, if any, of the other refugees have,how ever, received employment, owing, I have heard, to the fear that their reception into the Turkish service might furnish Austria with an excuse for throwing aside her neutrality. Guyon is still at Damascus, with the rank and emoluments of a Pacha, but no authority, and Klapka is residing here at Pere, but preserves a strict incognito. I have conversed with two English odious who witnessed the Russian attack at Oltenitsa from an emiuence on the left bank of the river, in anipally with Omer Pacha and his staff, and they &earths it as displaying not merely want of military skill, bat of common sense. The Russians advanced from the village about three miles distant, in which they had been quartered during the preceding night, in three close columns, leaving the cavalry to their left, out of ranch of the fire ; and withqut making the slightest &sage in their order, or once attempting to :tol l , commenced to fire as anon as they came range, and kept it up for two hours and a half, while the Turks raked them with musketry and grapeshot, and pounded them with the heavy artillery from the other side of the river, almost without having to take the trouble of aiming. Every shot of course told with murderous effect upon dense masses of men standing in the one spot, and with out shelter of any sort. There were two short intervals left open in the flanks of the entrench ments, from want of time to finish them, but no attempt (and perhaps wisely) was made to effect an entrance. The force of the Turks was known to be 2,800 men ' • that of the Russians was estimated, ex clusive of the cavalry, at between 7,000 and 8,000. One boatload of troops was ' sent across by Omer Pacha as a reinforcement when the news of the Russian advance was first received, but after this nothing could be done on the Turkish side of the river, except by the artillery. The action began at about 12 o'clock, and was kept up with uninterrupted vigour till half-past two. The Russian officers were observed striking the men with the Rats of their swords whenever any hesitation was shown in advancing, or in filling up the tremendous gaps which the huge round shot every moment made in their ranks. From the very commencement, the whole plain between their rear and the village appeared dotted thickly with wounded men, painfully struggling to reach the shelter of a house. At last, even Russian stolidity and endurance found a limit. The attacking columns gave way, and, in spite of the efforts of the officers, ran for fifty or one hundred yards in very disorderly style. It the Turks could have poured cavalry on them at . this moment, few would in all probability have escaped. As soon u they got from under fire, however, they fell into their ranks, and marched off steadily but slowly, leaving about an immense number of tilled on the field. Nothing is known of the number of their wounded, bat it must have been very great. The bodies of the dead were all those of very fine men, tall and well made ; but the features appeared hollow and the cheek bones high. It is hardly fair to infer, however, that this was the result of want or starvation, as it is in some degree a national characteristic. They were all in heavy marching order, and each man carried several pounds of black bread. Many wore medals, some of which I have seen, commemorative of the campaign in Hun- gary and Transylvania in 1849, and several images of the Virgin, or of some saint, most likely as charms or amulets to protect the wearers against the bullets of the " Pagans." Poor fellows, they at least had not to undergo the mortification of outliving their faith. Viewed in reference to the effect which it has had upon the Turkish people and soldiery, and which it must have had also upon the Russian army, the battle of Oltenitza is of immense importance. I have been credibly infdrmed that the news of the engagement reached the Russian public in the shape of a gloriotut victory, and that it has formed the subject of balls, dinners, and other rejoicings at Sebastopol and Odessa. The truth, however, cannot be concealed from the army, and if the Russian soldiers advanced spinet the Turks with the contempt with which it has been the aim of their leaders to inspire them, and which the reckless mode of attack would seem to betoken, we may imagine what a severe end painful lesson their defeat must have proved. The Turks, on i the other hand, are equally elated, and will, doubt less, commence the combat in the spring with re ! doubled ardour. They need something of the sort, certainly, to enable them to bear up against the loads of shameless calumny and depreciation which the agents of Russia have never ceased to heap upon them since the commencement of the present crisis. The progress of the Russian army to Constantinople, we were gravely informed by one of your contempo raries, was to be " a parade march. The Inealide publishes several columns of Imperial orders conferring rewards and distinctions upon offi cers who have distinguished themselves by land or we. 'Tile present struggle has found Turkey in a tran sition state, very mach resembling that in which the assaults of Charles XII. found Russia. The money, time, and attention of their government has for some years been devoted to the introduction of wise and useful reforms, which promised, if the good work were not interrupted, to place her in a far higher position amongst European nations than any of the German or Italian states, except Prussia and Sardinia. I have no hesilation in saying that the Sultan and his ministers have since 1839, the year in which the Khatti sherif of Gulkhane was promulgated, shown a far grater knowledge of the duties of a government, and a far nobler and better idea of their mission than the ma jority of the Christian princes of Europe. The efforts of the former are constantly devoted to the work of raising a great and brave people out of a slough of prejudice and barbarism unto the high ground of intellectual progress and civilisation ; while the latter give their whole attention and energy to the glorification of brute force, and the abasement and degradation of thought and liberty. I assure you, one needs to be here on the spot to learn what Turkel , was eves twenty years ago, to compare it with what she now is, and what she promises to be if suffered to pursue her course, to estimate at its full guilt and enormity the policy which seeks to dis member her, and cast the fragments for a prey to her barbarous assailants. The difficulties which the present Sultan, young u he is, has had to contend with, are really astonish ing—the savage hostility of the fanatical dervishes, whose influence over the lower chases is all-powerful —the more subtle, but not less dangerous, opposition of the ulemaa, or clergy, a sacerdotal body as trouble some, grasping, and bigotted as any to be found in Europe—and the tiger-like watchfulness of Austria and Russia. In 1840 the penal code underwent a total and complete reform ; all the abuses of the old regime were swept away at one blow, and a new code was promulgated, in perfect harmony with the principles of criminal jurisprudence recognised in France and England. Other ordinances issued in 1846 introduced a vast number of improvements into the administrative system; and a commercial code, borrowed almost literally from that of France, was issued in 1830. The beneficial effect which these have had, and will have, upon the country are immense. True, as Mr. Cobden remarks, the streets are bad, and the roads worse; but the great reason why there are not good streets and good roads lies in the tact that for several years back the government has been so harassed by attempts made from without upon its very existence that its resource', diminished as they have been by great and sudden changes in the financial system, have been devoted to the single purpose of self- defence. You have a set of men in Western Europe, and in England as well as in other countries, who have kept echoing for years past the cuckoo cry, " Turkey is a dead carcase ! Turkey is a dead car case!" and forthwith the Austrian and Russian and Prussian vultures wipe their beaks and flap their wings, and prepare for a surfeit of carrion. What man could have heart or energy to put his house in order if his work was constantly interrupted by the clamours of undertakers at his door, driving nails into his coffin, and insisting that he was dead or dying, and proclaiming that they were come to bury lum. Within the last four years Turkey has had four different times to carry on or prepare for war, which were in no one instance of her own seeking— insurrections in Bosnia and in Kurdistan, the dispute regarding the refugees in 1851 with Austria and Russia, and now actual hostilities with Russia. In the midst of difficulties such as these, it is hard to expect a nation in her position to do much towards the development of the material resources of the country. Legislative and social reforms can be effected by energy and perseverance, but money is required to make roads and bridges. The latter do not exist in Turkey, it is true, but their absence is owing to no neglect of duty on he part of the present government, but simply to the labours of those who seek to impede it at every step of its pro gress, and in order that by pointing to its detects afterwards, they may excuse their own vio lence and rapacity. In September, 1850, the work of road-making was commenced pith great activity: Asa beginning, a new route was laid out from Tre bizonde to Erzeroum, end thence to the frontiers of Persia. Ismail Pacha, the minister of public works, went from Constantinople in person to superintend the opening of the work. The peasantry of the surrounding country flocked in crowds to offer their services, in many instances gratuitously ' • and the whole road bade fair to be finished within the ensuing year. Very shortly afterwards came the demand of Austria and Russia for the extradition of the refugees, accompanied by partial threats. De fensive armaments commenced, money became wane, and the road was left to its fate. SERVIA. A Hanoverian officer writes from Widin, under date of the 30th Nov. "Belgrade is growing into a handsome European town, its improvement being only hindered by some Turkish houses and burial grounds which are unac- I countably suffered to remain. It is a mistake in the German papers to say the Servians are preparing to garrison the fortresses in the interior of their coan try, for (according to treaty) all these are, and must be, occupied by Turks. I met a reinforcement of artillerymen for the Belgrade citadel. They appeared quite ready fur their work. The highly intelligent person to whom I was recommended, explained that there is no chance of opposition if Russian troops land in Servia, but that if Austria should play the same trick (' epees') they would rise to a man. "What gives the political agents of France and England much influent's with the Servian govern ment is, that they hold out expectations of the Sultan doing more for the principality than the Emperor of Russia would do. The Consul-General of Russia has nominally retired from Belgrade, yet comes over to it from Semlin as suits his purposes. The Pacha is said to be so angry at this as to have fallen ill from vexation. The Russian arms are lowered, however, and both Pacha and government have appealed to the Sublime Porte for instructions. The French consul•general, M. de Segnier, is said to have gone to Paris to explain the situation more exactly to his government than writing allows of. He is an ardent friend of the Turks. Prussia is unrepresented in Servia, the Con sul-General of that state living usually at Bucharest, and being engaged more in judicial matters than in political ones. _ "The electric telegraph at Semlin plays a great in all this hurry. The captain of the steamer told me the British Consul-General went to Semlin, the other morning, to ask for instructions on some point from London, and in six hours' time he received Lord Clarendon's reply. " Semi Pachit,of Widdin, is a superior man in every respect—brave, well-educated, and disinterested. " The Turks do not think the Russians will eras the Danube, but will be glad to receive them— A la fagon de Barbarie, Mon ami, if they should do so. " December.—lt seems the affair of the Russians at Belgrade is a serious one. Far from being set tied, the Pacha has written for instructions to the Porte, and the Servian government has sent a note which has much displeased the Sultan's advisers. The Austrians are trying to get their fingers into the fat pasty, and may perhaps burn them." GERMANY. The Vienna correspondent of the 11-ankfort Jour wal states, that upon the representation of the Aus trian cabinet the Porte has consented to renounce the measures which it had intended to execute against Strvia. The writer, who is likely to be well informed, adds that but for that concession on the part of Turkey, the march of Austrian troops for the south would not have been countermanded. Thus the animus of the quondam "mediating power" con tinually is disclosed. The same journal contradicts the rumour that Prince Milsech Obrenovitch had any political con nexion with Dr. Gay, the pansloavistic writer, who has been arrested in the south of the Austrian mo narchy and brought to Vienna. The causes of Gay's arrest are known, but "this is not the proper time for stating them." The Prussian journalists occupy themselves with the resignation of Lord Palmerston. The Cologne Gazette derides the ides that the noble viscount's withdrawal from the Cabinet was motived by consi derations attaching to the New Reform Bill, and explains it by the reported resolution of the Cabinet that after the affair of Sioope the English ships should merely "cruise" in the Black Sea. " A rare man this Palmerston," says the Voss. Ga zette, " and yet rarer still the luck which for some time has attended him. Notorious as Lord Firebrand, who, according to his continental opponents, desires nothing less than to throw English bombs into every citadel and explode every magazine, in order to bring Europe into confusion with every kind of demagogy, anarchy, and antarchie ; and now, it is said, a mor sel of reform is too large for his gullet." DENMARK. The two chambers at Copenhagen are again work ing in tolerable harmony with the Cabinet. The Folksthing, following the example of the Lands. thing, has voted the hill oa appanagea in the form desired by the government. It has also voted the budget. It was thought probable at Copenhagen that, as in 1848, a line of defence round the capital against an attack by sea would be thrown up. FRANCE. PARIS. MONDAY EVININO. We are to-day without any important addition to our news from the East. People are discussing the chances that the Sultan and his ministers will accept the project devised at Vienna. The DThuts of this day publishes the instructions to the ambas sadors of the Four Powers. It cannot be said that this last document has raised the few hopes of a pacific and honourable settlement which were pre viously entertained. The Powers do not promise to constrain Russia to accept fair propositions, nor does it appear that the four cabinets are agreed in their opinion of what might be considered such. The question whether and how far the retirement of Lord Palmerston will affect the entente between the French and English governments forms to-day the subject of an article in the Pays. The writer begins by remarking, whatever has been the motive of the retirement of Lord Palmerston, the circum stances, in the midst of which it takes place, give it a bearing and acharacter much more important. In such a moment, when the eastern question touches its most decisive period, when the mediating powers are uniting in a supreme effort of conciliation, public opinion can with difficulty accept the idea that a man so considerable as Lord Palmerston should abandon his share of influence and responsibility in the direction of public affairs and in foreign policy for a simple differ ence of opinion on *question of parliamentaryreform. He then proceeds to ask—Does the retirement of Lord Palmerston mark a new phasis in the policy of the English government? Whatever may be the motive of it, will it modify the conduct of the British cabinet Can the situation of Eastern affairs be modified or compromised ? And his answer to these questions is the following: We have never dissimulated the sincere and devoted ad miration which we entertain for the character and the great political qualities of the former chief of the Foreign Office. The sympathies of Lord Palmerston for France and for the government which directs her destinies were on his part highly avowed. In our conviction the presence of Lord Palmerston in the English cabinet has facilitated between England and France an alliance which is at present the moat po werful guarantee of the peace of the world, end of the independence of states. With his old experience, Lord Palmerston, from the first, understood that, when the two great Western powers should be sin cerely united, Europe would have nothing to fear from the violence of private ambitions, or the enterprises of the re volutionay spirit, and that they would always form an efficacious counterpoise to any force which should pace so cial order or the European equilibrium in peril. In this point of view Lord Palmerton may claim an eminent share in the resolutions which have cemented the union of France and England, and have made them the most energetic ob stacle to pretensions which menaced Europe in the Otto man empire. But this union, let us hasten to say, is much more in the nature of things, in the logic of situations, end in the predominating authority of interests than in men. Personal sympathies may have rendered it more easy and more sincere; but they did not create it, and still less have they been able to change ' the character of it. Engiand and France are now what they were yesterday; their will, their interests, their action remain the same, for the basis of them is the respect of treaties, the object of them is the defence of an ally un justly attacked, and the maintenance of the peace of Europe, and the guarantee of them is a mutual sympathy which has been strengthened by new and frank relations. No doubt there were divers elements in the British cabinet; all its members were not perhaps completely in accord as to the means to be employed to solve the Eastern question. But we believe we may affirm that, if there have been dif ferences of opinion in the British cabinet as to the employ ment of the most efficacious means, there has never been any as to the object which it was desired to maintain in accord with the French government. England has hesitated as to the necessity of guarexteeinft to the end the free sovereignty 'and the integrity of Tut.- , key, of opposing the encroachments of Russia, and of thereby defending the sacred cause of European right. The retirement of the Minister of the Interior cannot then change this policy, with which reason and justice inspired England from the first, and which has become that of Europe herself. Assuredly no one regrets more than we do the resolution of Lord Palmerton ; his experi ence might still have been of great utility in the delicate condition in which Europe is placed. But that this event can serious y affect the relations established be tween the great European States, and lead to a modifi cation in the unanimity of their views, is what appears to us neither logical nor probable, and is evidently dis proved by the rights, interests, and conduct of all the mediating powers. Under the head of "Des Petits Prophkee de la Deesse Raison," there is an article of nearly four columns, from the pen of M. Grapier de Cassagnac, in the Constitutiunnel. It eonsiAs for the greater part of an euloginm on the present government, and a satire upon the doctrines and theories of the philo sophising politicians who oppose it. The article is well written, but it will not excite much interest at a moment when public attention is absorbed by the great and stirring question of the East. The Bourse was heavy to-day, with little business doing. The Three per Cents. opened at 74f. 80c., but on a report that the English ministry had resigned en naasse, they fell to 74f. 60c. They closed at 74f. 70c. for the end of the month. The Four-and s-Half per Cents, closed at 101 f. 10c. ; Orleans Rail way shares, I,lBBf. 75c.; Rouen, 1,060 f.; Havre, 500 f. ; Great Northern, 8821. 50c.; Paris and Strasburg, 832 f. 50e. ; Paris and Lyons, 9201. ; Lyons to the Mediterranean, 782 f. 50c.; Great Western, 696 f. 23c.; Bordeaux and Cette, 6281. 75e.; Great Central, 520 f.; Lyons and Geneva, 5201.; Shares of the Bank of Credit Mobilier, 760 f. FALL FROM BVlLDlNGS.—Yeaterday Mr. Payne held an inquest at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, on the body of James Hubner, a bricklayer, aged 21, who had been killed by a fall :Tom a building in New-street-square, whilst he was fixing a chimney-,14. His master, Mr. Clarke, of Gough•square, deposed that be had asked him whether he thought it would be safe to attempt the job without an u• siatant, and he replied that he thought it would. Mr. Wood, foreman of bricklayers at a building opposite, saw the accident, and considered it not only rash in the de ceased to attempt such a job, but exceedingly imprudent in any master to permit a workman to go out on a roof in such weather without an assistant. He would not have done so in fine weather ; indeed, there ought to have been two or three men to such a job. The Coroner addressed the jury at some length on the imprudence of Mr. Clarke, in not exercising the authority of a muter to compel the deceased to have an assistant. The jury returned a verdict of" Ac cidental death," and several expressed a wish that Mr. Clarke should be admonished. That gentleman was called in, and was cautioned in strong terms by the coroner. A LIBERAL GlFT.—Thirteen inhabitants of Here ford have subscribed the donation of 720 tons of coal for the poor of that city. Int Court. OSBORNE, Dee. 20. The Queen and Prince walked in the grounds yes terday. Sir James Graham arrived in the evening from London, and remains on a visit. The Duchess of Kent, attended by Lady Fanny Howard and Colonel Sir George Couper, arrived in town yesterday morning from her residence, Frogmore, near Windsor. Iler Royal Highness ♦isited the Duchess of Gloucester at Gloucester-house, Piccadilly, and afterwards left London on her return to Frogmore. Tho Royal Duchess travelled by the Great Western Railway. - present w ere t h e R ight The Turkish Minister bad an interview with th e Chan cellor of the Exchequer yesterday at hi s offi c i a l residence in Downing-street. The commissioners for inquiring into th e state of the cor poration of the city of London held a me e ti ng yesterday at the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury, i n Downing - street . Sir J. ratteson, and G. Cornewall Lewis, Eaq. The Chancellor of the Exchequer had a select party at dinner yesterday, at his residence in Downing-street. A deputation from Hanley and Shelton, in the Staffu rd• shire Potteries, consisting of Mr. Dimmock, chief bailiff, Mr. Ralph Stephenson, Mr. Ridgway, Mr. E. Ridgway, and Mr. Brownfield, had an interview with Sir William Mulesworth yesterday, at the Office of Works and Public Buildings in Whitehall-place. The deputation wa, intro duced by the lion. F. Leveson Gower, M.P., and Mr. Ri cardo, M.P. The Gazette of last night contains two orders of the Queen in Council, for the purpose of carrying out the copyright convention with the Free Hanseatic City of burg, published in the previous Gazelle. The first order assigns, after the 16th inst., to books, prints, articles of sculpture, dramatic works, musical compositions, and all other works of art, to which the laws of this country give the privilege of copyright, the same protection from Piracy if published i■ Hamburg as if published in the United Kingdom. The same protection is also given to the per. formance of dramatic works, provided that in both cases the work shall have been registered and copies delivered in ac cordance with the terms of the treaty—that is to say, withi n three months after publication. The second order fires the import duties of Hamburg publications at the following rates—namely, for works originally produced within the United Kingdom and republished within the state of Ham burg, 21. 10s. per cwt. ; works not originally produced in the United Kingdom, 15s. per cwt. ; prints or drawings, coloured or plain, single, each ; bound or sewed, lid. per dozen. Mr. Robert Macfarlane has been appointed Sheriff of Reofrewshire, in the room of Mr. Hercules Robertson, recently promoted to a seat on the Scottish Bench. The Journal d'Augsbotirq announces the death of Comte Vincent de Tabun firosnowski, Hereditary Com mander of the Order of Malta, Chevalier of several other Orden, and one be the most distinguished noblemen of Oallicia. VESTRY MEETING AT PADDINGTON FOR CUURCII EXTENSION. Yesterday a meeting of the vestry of Paddington was held at the Vestry Hall, Harrow•road, to take into consideration a report from she Church Committee, of which the following is a copy : Paddington, Dec 2, 1853. —The Church Committee beg to report, that in compliance with the resolution of the vestry of the 2nd of August last, they have received and considered plans for building two additional churches in this parish, one at Craven bill, pro. posed to be erected by the Rev. Richard Wood, and the other in Westbourne Park-road, proposed to be erected by Messrs. Phillips and Roy; and the committee recommend that sums of two thousand pounds be applied by the vestry, from the church rate, in aid of the cost of bull Ping each of these churches, upon condition that not fewer than .500 free sittings be appropriated in each church, for the use of the poor for ever, in positions to be approved by the vestry. —A. M. CAMPBELL, Chairman." About 30 members were present, and the Rev. A. 11. CAMPBELL occupied the chair. The notice for calling the meeting having been read, The CHAIRMAN stated that he had received a note from the reporter of the Daily News, desiring to be admitted on behalf of the public. He had already told that gentleman that be could not admit him. It bad never been usual to admit reporters to their meetings, but he thought it right to mention that the application had been made. Mr. J. B. SMITH, M.P., moved that the reporter be called in, which was seconded by CHARLES lIILL, Esq., a magistrate, but only about half-a-dosen hands were held up in favour of publicity. Mr. idAttrxxxi moved the resolution proposing that 4,0001. be applied out of the church rates in aid of build ing one church in Westbourne-park-road, and one at Craven-hill. lie said these churches were wanted, and more churches would be wanted by and by. The aum asked was enough for the present, until a more extended plan was developed. He wished to adopt the principle of the vestry advancing a sum of 2,0001. in aid of eacis case where parties were willing to build a new church. Mr. WAveox seconded the resolution. Sir JOSHUA WALMSLET, M.P. desired with every re. .pact for the gentlemen present to express his dissent to the report of the committee. He believed it would be found adverse to the feelings of a large number of the parishioners and contrary to the real interests of the church as well as unjust to the dissenters, who were compelled to subscribe for building churches adverse to their own tenets. It sp. peered to him before any large sums were expended for the exclusive benefit of one portion of the community the opinion of the whole pariah should be ascertained, and this was the more necessary in consequence of the avowed desire of the vestry to extend these grants to any party or parties who were inclined to build churches in the parish. However desirous individually be might be to aid in relieving that spiritual destitution which had been described he could not consent to do so at the expense of those who differed with him in their conscientious scruple.. He believed it was a vicious principle to force others to contribute to a church which they could not conscientiously support, and one not at all calculated to promote that religious har mony we were professing to advance. He did not doubt 'the power of the vestry to dispense the sums proposed, but he more than doubted its expediency ; and especially with out submitting the question to the parishioners. It has been stated that the ecclesiastical revenues of the parish were very large, and that had they been properly disbursed no such spiritual destitution as bad been described could have existed. He had been told that the Paddington estate yielded some 20,0001. a year to the Bishopric of London, yet he found the parish deeply in debt for church building, and a declaration that there was great spiritual destitution. There eras now a fresh de mand fur 4.0001. for two new churches, and an implied promise that like sums would be given by the vestry to any party who were inclined to build more churches. Surely this ought not to be done without consulting these we re present, however confident we may be of its propriety. No one doubted the ability of churchmen to sustain their own poor. He believed they had the will, as well as the power, and, if properly applied to, would prefer free offerings to forced contributions from those who opposed their doctrines, The course which had been pursued with respect to the refusal to admit the press was, in his opinion, a mista►e, and would tend to prejudice them in public opinion. He submitted the following amendment That before the vestry determine to act on the report of the church com mittee, which recommends the expenditure of 4,0001. for further church extension in the parish of Paddington, that the sense of the parishioners be taken thereon, either by pablic meeting or by such other means as the vestry may deem desirable for ascertaining their wishes." Mr. KEMPSHEAD said some of the churches in the parish had been built by prvate subscription, and he thought it was not too much to ask for their poorer brethren that the parish should provide church accommodation for them, and he was prepared to say to any person building achurch who would appropriate free sittings in it for the poor that the pariah should subscribe a sum of 2,0001. It might be said that the free sittings were occupied by servants, but he thought the servants of the rich were entitled to such sittings as well as the poor. It was objected that churches should be built in poor districts, It had been proposed to lay out 10,0001. in building a church on the present site of the vesty-hall, which is situated in a part of the parish surrounded by a poor population, but that scheme was defeated by the opposition of the minister of St. Mary's. A VESTRYMAN said that there were many unfounded reports of the revenue derived by the Bishop of London from the church property in the parish. It had been stated that he received 20 to 30,0001. a yea , . Now, he knew that it was no such sum ; in fact, he only received one-third of the church revenues in the parish, and he believed it did not exceed 10,0001. a year. The bishop had exercised the greatest liberality; he had subscribed 3001. to several churches that had been built in the parish, and he had no doubt he would subscribe liberally to others. Another VESTRYMAN said there was no ground for the popular prejudice against the Bishop of London. It never could be expected that he should apply all his revenue to the building of churches. Paddington was only a small part of his diocese ; there were many parts of it which re quired church accommodation for the poor more thin the;