The Press. — London, England, 1853-08-27 00:00:00

390 PERSIA. A letter from Erzeroum, published in the Patric, states that, according to very recent accounts ro ceived frum Persia, the English influence was again dominant at Teheran, and it was said that the Shah had granted t , ) an English company some important privileges for mining in the southern provinces. The same company had made propositions to the Government for the establishment of a mint in the Persian capital, and it was thought that they would be accepted. MO ItOCCO. The Imperial troops have obtained signal advan tages over the insurgents in the interior. Two of the rebel chiefs have been captured, and decapitated at Mequinez. The Emperor, who is still suffering, has sent for his eldest son, who governs a large part of the empire. On the coast there is a good deal of acti vity in commercial auks. A British steamer has arrived at Larache for the purpose of exploring the rivers of Morocco. INDIA AND CHINA. Telegraphic summaries of the news brought by the Bombay mail of July 21) have ben received from Trieste. The mail arrived there on Tuesday in 111 hours from Alexandria. The King of Ava, being starved into submission, has sued for peace, set the British prisoners at liberty, and requested that the river blockade may cease. The Governor-lieneral has assented, and proclaimed peace, although a formal treaty has not been concluded. Trade in India k dull ; the markets easy. In Chinathe Imperialist forces had attempted to re gain Ching-Kiang-Foo, but without success, notwith standing foreign aid. TUE IU NAVY. The AUgemeine Zeituny contains an interesting description, derived evidently from authentic sources, of the present condition of the Russian fleet, the system of discipline observed among her sailors, and the influence which Russia is thus entitled to exert among the maritime powers of the world. Com mencing with a detail of the ports and harbours belonging to her, the &Unity remarks that the only seaboard she possesses, that on the shores of the Polar Sea, is blocked up with ice for eight months of the twelve ; and her great harbours open only into basins with outlets at the Sound and the Bosphorus, to which other powers hold the key. In the ease of Russia, therefore, a stategetical system of ports, such as England and France can boast, is utterly out of the question. Turning, then, to the navy itself, as reckoned by numbers, materiel, and men, the Zeituny proceeds:— - - "For shipbuilding Russia has thebestmaterials that can be found. Her forests supply her with oaks which are equal to the oaks of Canada of which the British ships are built ; but of late years so great has been the waste that the forests of Central Russia are unequal to the demand of the navy, and the Russians have been compelled to take their wood from the forests of the North. This wood is naturally wet, and they never give it time for proper seasoning. Consequently, it is soon wormeaten anal rotten. It is generally said that a Russian vessel lasts bat twapthirds of the time which an English ship itt pected to last. The sails and ropes in the Russian navy are excellent. Russian hemp is quite as fatuous as Russian tar and Russian leather. The guns are all that can Is• desired. The vessels are very orderly and clean; they show to this day that Peter took Ins first lessons in Holland. The fittings of the cabins are splendid in the extreme, according to the manners and customs of the Russian aristocracy. The. Russian captains and tublike's are not by any means bluff, bearish old tars of the Drake, Tromp, or Itnyter stamp. Slippets4 they are and wrapped up in morning-gowns, anal gat up in the most splendid style of ease; they 101 l on soft sofas of purple eelvet, reading French novels, air they sit at the piano by the hour, playing Eits,lea par 7topia. The fact is, the Russian naval officers care verb• little for the profession ; not that they are ignorant—the nautical academies at Oranienhaum, Petersburg, Cronstadt, I ►dessa, anal Nico lajeu pnn•ide all sorts of theoretical knowledge—but for all that, it's not in the grain; and in case of a war it will be shown that the Russian vessels are badly officered. Very much the Mule may be said of the crews. The Ruts sums are not fond of salt water. The majority of the sailors cantle from the interior: they are inveterate land rats, and never saw the sea until they were enlisted in the navy. " With the soldier, present courage is partly derived from the reminiseetwes of a glorious past. The. Russian marines and sailors have no past to think of. They stand in their high boots and stiff coats in the exact position prescribed by the rules and regulations of their service, so that their feet form an angle of 45 deg., anal this position it is their pri.le and their glory to preserve on the spars, at the pnmj►s, and at the guns. The rules and regulations of the service alone determine the movements of the Russian sailor; he will, in the very teeth of danger. go on winding up his anetor, while an Englishman would have cut his cable, wor.e ship, and put on every rag of novas. The guns alone are quickly seized and cleverly handled, but the matneuvring generally is by far slower than the mameuvrea of the British fleet. The shortness of the ships neskee it difficult to turn them, and the signalling is far from being perfect. The ships are clumsy. the planks are thick, and remind one of the wooden walls of the Armada. TIIE PRESS. " The various mananvrea in the Russian fleet are eite cuted with great precision; but it appears that every man hits hiv peculiar post, and that be is tit fur only one set of manipulations. Of counse practice makes him perfect; but the question is, how the same manoeuvres ate to be performed in battle when many of the crew are killed or disabled? The Duke of York insisted on the same turn being marines, gunners, and sailors ; and surely his prin ciple was the better one. The stiffest mechanism prevails in the Russian naval service. The Russian sailor works his hours off, and having worked them o►l' he goes to sleep. He takes no interest in the service, and the receiving his rations is, in his opinion, the important business of his life. He is not wedded to his ship as the British sailor; he is not. a child of the ocean. When he sees a stray rope Ire does not coil it and put it aside, he reports the matter to his lieutenant, and the lieutenant refers to the journal fur the name of the man who has neglected his duty, and, having limed the culprit, lie takes hold of his ears and pulls him up to the neglected rope. Such is Russian order and discipline. Russia is nut fit to engage in a naval war, for she has no mercantile marine. Her trade is in the hands of the Germans, English, Greeks, and Swedes. In the case of all the great naval powers, the war fleet sprang front a trading fleet. The Russian fleet is not a natural off spring of the national inclination; it is a thing of order and commma►d, and, tl gh possibly useful us a means of defence, it can never become an instrument of aggression. " Russian fleet consists of five divisions, — ef which three are stationed in the Baltic, and two in the Black Sea. In the last war with •Turkey, Russia bad 31 vessels of the line, 9.i frigat e s, 20 corvettes and brigs, 7 brigantines, 6 cutters, all schooners, 20 galleys, 2:s flouting batteries, 121 gun-boats, making a total of 401 sail, and carrying 6,000 guns. Since that time a great activity has prevailed in the Russian docks, and the result is that at the present day the Russian fleet consists of 60 vessels of the line of from 70 to 1•NI guns, :17 frigates of from 40 to 60 guns, 70 cor• vettes, brigs, and lotigantines, 40 steamers, 21)0 gun-boats and galleys, the whole maimed by 42,000 sailors and 20,000 marines, with 9,000 guns. " In a contest with any of the great naval powers, Russia has not a chance of success. The various Czars have. indeed, strained every nerve to create an efficient fleet, but all their endeavours ar• fruitless, unless Russia succeeds in completing and appropriating the coasts of Turkey, Greece, and Sweden—the open sea, harbours, and a marine Court nntr THE VISIT OF THE QUEEN To IRELAND will be ex tended over a longer period than was at first antici pated. According to the present arrangement the Court will remain there six days. Her Majesty and his Royal Highness Prince Albert were to leave the Isle of Wight yesterday, in the Royal yacht, sleeping one night on the sea. The Royal children who will accompany her Majesty and the Prince to Ireland are the Prince of Wales and Prince Alfred. The Princess Royal and the rest of the Royal Family pro ceed by the Great Northern Railway to Holyrood Palace, where they will remain until the arrival of their Royal parents from Ireland. Her Majesty and the Prince will remain one day at Holyrood Palace, and then proceed with the Royal Family to Bal moral. Great exertions will he made at Windsor Castle during the absence of her Majesty in fitting up and repairing the dining-room which was so ex tensively damaged at the late fire. Her Majesty and the Prince will return to Windsor on the 21st of Oc tober next. - THE Qui:►:s AND PRINCE gave their annual fete on Saturday last, t►► celebrate his Royal Highness's birthday, to the labourers and workmen employed at Osborne; also to the seamen, marines, and boys of the Royal yachts ; to the non-commissioned officers and men of the detachment of the 23rd Royal Welsh Fusiliers, the Trinity-house men, and the Coast guard stationed at East Cowes, amounting in all to about WO persons. After dinner, dancing and rustic games were carried on with great spirit, which were witnessed from the Royal marquee by her Majesty and the Royal Family. In London, the birthday of Prince Albert was celebrated with the customary salutes and illuminations yesterday (26th). His Royal Highness has now completed his thirty-fourth year. DrettEss OF KENT, attended by Sir George and Lady Couper, and the Hon. Lady Augusta Bruce, arrived at Edinburgh on Saturday afternoon, en route to Abergeldie. the Highland residence of the Duchess, whither the party proceeded on Tues day morning. PaixcE Ar.nEirr is said to be negotiating for the pu-chase or rental of a magnificent building the pro perty of Mr. Chill the banker. It is situated on an eminence between St. John's•wood and Highgate, and commands extensive views of the scenery in and about the metr►polis. It is intended as an occa sional residence for the Royal children. IN anticipation of the Queen landing at Ardrossan from IMblin, which is the shortest. route to her High land home, the Earl and Countess of Eglinton have ordered the state apartments of Eglinton Castle to be thoroughly re-embellished. Mu. B. !soEnsom, on Wednesday, delivered to the Queen at Osborne his letters of recal as United States Minister; and Mr. Buchanan was presented by the Earl of Clarendon on his appointment to suc ceed Mr. Ingersoll. SATURDAY, Volitual and &anal. POLISH TESTIMONIAL To LORD PALMERSTON. THE Polish Historical Society sent a deputation to Lord Palmerston on Saturday, bearing a compli• mentary address and a series of medals in gold, silver, and bronze, commemorative of their gratitude to his lordship for his long-tried sympathy with the cause of Poland. Prince Adam Czartoryski, as the president of the society, headed the deputation, which, however, Lord Dudley Stuart, in his character of patron of the London branch society, took the opportunity of introducing in a speech descriptive of their objects, and anecdotical as to the various mem bers who accompanied him into the presence of the Home Secretary : " Count Stanislans Malachowski was the treasurer of the society and cousin of Count Malaehowski, who wus Minister for Foreign Affairs at Warsaw during the war of independence. Mr. Alexander Chodzko was the Russian Consul in Persia, and sacrificed his position for the sake of his country. Mr. Julian Fontana was a gentleman of great accomplishments, who hail travelled in America and other parts of the world. Lieutenant Charles Szulczewski was an officer in the Polish army, but now a naturalised British subject. He had tilled for some years the office of Secretary of the Literary Association of the Friends of Poland, and might be said to be his ( Lord D. Stuart's) right hand. Major Gielgud was the brother of the general of the same name, who served during the war of indepen deuce against Russia; and Mr. John Terleeki was a gen tleman who, under a very mild exterior, possessed most patriotic ardour, which had induced hint during the out break in the Grand Duchy of Posen, in 1545, to pits.sed there and take up arms in behalf of his country.' One or two of these gentlemen having spoken in turn, and the address being read by Mr. Fontana, Mr. Chodzko presented the medals, which were of a large size, and contained in a beautifully-manufac tured case, on the lid of which, and round the edges of the medals, was engraved an appropriate Latin inscription. On the face of each medal was a beautifully-executed portrait of Prince Adam Czartoryski, surrounded by an inscription. Lord Palmerston, having received the address and the medallions in the most gracious manner, said : " lie thought there was no Englishman who did not feel a deep interest in the history of Poland, which was a very painful history. He could assure them that he had felt a deep sympathy with Poland in its sufferings ; and, in re ference to a recent particular occasion, he had done what he could to give them aid, and should at all times be most happy to do so, so far as it was not incompatible with his duty as a member of the Government ; for no one could sympathise more than he did in the sufferings of so noble and patriotic a people as the Poles had proved themselves to be. He most cheerfully accepted the kind address and valuable present with which it was accompanied from gentlemen connected with the Historical Society of Poland; and, if anything could enhance its value, it was that the deputation who had presented it to him had been intro duced by his noble friend, Lord Dudley Stuart, than whom a more sincere and tried friend of Poland or of liberty generally did not exist." The deputation then withdrew. NATIONAL EDUCATION IN IRELAND. THE Commissioners of Education have just presented their annual report to the Lord Lieutena►t. Though nominally occupied solely with the transactions of 1852, certain occurrences have lately taken place which have resulted in the retirement of three dis tinguished members of the board, and provoked so much public comment that the commiss►oners, not withstanding the seeming irregularity, dwelt upon it with much minuteness in their report. On this subject they observe : We have lately (namely, on the Nth of July) passed, after yen• long consideration, two important resolutions, which, although not adopted during the year lt4t►2. we think it right to announce on the present occasion. First, that we Intro withdrawn from the list of books published by us a work entitled " Lessons on the Truth of Chris tianity ; " and front the list of beoks sanctioned, but not published by us. another work, namely, " Introductory Lessons on Christian Evidences." The first was intro duced in ISM ; the second in IM$2. Secondly, that we have amended our Nth rule, section 2. Hitherto it has been thus expressed : " The commissioners do not insist on the ' scripture Lessons,' 'Lessons on the Truth of Christianity,' or book of ' Sacred Poetry,' being read in any of the national schools, nor do they allow them to be read, during the time of secular or literary instmetion in any school attended by children whose parents or guardians object to their being so read. In I , llCil ease the commissioners prohibit the use of them, except at the times of religious instruction, when the persona giving it may use these books or not, as they think proper." As altered. it is as follows : " The commissirders do not insist on the 'Fsripture Lessons' or is of • Sacred IWtry• being read in any of the national mehools,eior do they allow them to be read as part of the ordi nary school business (during which nil children. of whatever denomination they may he. are required to attend) in any school attended by children whose parents or guardians object to their being read by their children. " In such cases the commissioners prohibit the use of these books, except at times set Spurt for the purpose. eithe , • berme or after the ordinary school business, and under the f dlowirg conditions:— " 1. That no child whose rarent or guardian objects shall be required. directly or indirectly. to be present at such reading. " 2. That in order that no child whose parent or guardian ob jects may be present at the reading of the books above specified,