The Press. — London, England, 1854-02-04 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 4, 1854. TERNS OF SUBSCRIPTION FOR Ebe Vrefso: Per Annum .. Half -Yearly .. Quarterly .. Q 1 6 0 013 0 0 6 6 Payable in advance. Subscribers are requested to send their Orders through their News Agent; if direct to the Office, accompanied by a Remit- tance. Money Orders to be made payable to Mr. ALTRLD IV' 110, Strand. London. TO CORRESPONDENTS. - - - - - FAIR Pwa.—We think we can assure our correspondent that the motive he suspects had nothing to do with oar criticism on Mr. Templer's editorial labours. The de. clanition referred to by him was wholly unknown to our reviewer. With respect to the judgment and delicacy displayed by the editor of Sir James Brooke's letters we see no reason to reconsider our decision. As regards the reduction of the establishment at Labuan, it has been again and again stated in public that that step im plied no censure on the governor, but was taken solely on general grounds of public expediency. This,indeed, is expressly asserted by Mr. Templer, in the preface to Vol. p. ix., to which we refer "Fair Play." It is impossible to acknowledge the mass of letters we receive. Their insertion is often delayed, owing to a press of matter ; and when omitted, it is frequently from reasons quite inde pendent of the merits of the ^^•-•-••••,;,..tia We cannot undertake to return not avail ourselves. Ccmmunications should always be legibly written, and on one side of the paper only. If long it increases the difficulty of finding space for them. Whatever is intendedr Isertion must be authenticated by the name and address o f the n writer, not necessarily for publics son, but as a guarantee of his good faith. of which we do Ais iprog+ LONDON, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 4, 1854. POSTSCRIPT. HOUSE OF LOADS.—FRIDAY. The Marquis of CLANRICARDE gave notice that on Monday he would put a question to her Majesty's Government in order to ascertain whether this coun try were really at war or at poach 'with Russia; and also that he would call attenttni to the list despatch from this country to St. Petersburg dated the 24th of December. Their lordships then adjourned. HOUSE OF COMMONS.—FRIDAY. Mr. ADDERLEY gave notice that on Tuesday week he would interrogate the Government with respect to their intentions on the subject of national edu cation. In reply to Mr. Fagan, Lord Jour; RUSSELL said it was not intended to in troduce any measure for the reform of Dublin Uni versity. In reply to Mr. Bentinck, Mr. CARDWELL stated that the Government in tended to introduce a measure for the better preven tion of railway acctdents. In reply to Lord Stanley, Lord PALMERSTON said that he intended shortly to introduce a measure for the better regulation of burial societies, and for the prevention of abuses connected therewith. MERCHANT SHIPPING AND PILOTAGE. In committee of the whole house, Mr. CARDWELL moved for leave to bring in a bill to admit foreign ships to the coasting trade, and also a bill to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the merchant shipping of this country. These mea • sures the right hon. gentleman said he should regard as a complement to our recent legislation in respect to our mercantile marine. Mr. HORSFALL, while he approved of the principle of the bills, trusted that ample time would be given for their consideration of the mercantile and shipping community. Mr. HUME supported the bills. Mr. LIDDELL cl.,ubted whether the removal of what are called the remaining restrictions upon our com merce would be productive of the results anticipated, and warned the Government of the danger of fur• ther crippling that arm of the service, *hose support the country might have to seek. Sir G. PECHELL having supported the bills, Mr. HENLEY also stated his general approval of them. A consolidation of the law was much to be desired, for at present it was next to impossible to understand our mercantile code. Mr. LIBOUCHERE rejoiced at the present exhibition of the desire of the house to co-operate in the im- i l l' I . THE PRESS. provement of our mercantile code, in conformity with past legislation on the subject. After some observati ms from Admiral Walcott, Captain Scobell, Mr. Philipps, Mr Ingham, Mr. Laing, and Mr. Pellatt, leave was given to bring in the bills. The answer of her Majesty to the address in reply to her Majesty's speech was then brought up by Lord Drumlanrig, Comptroller of the Household, and received. The LORD ADVOCATE moved for and obtained leave to bring in a bill for the valuation of lands and heti tages in Scotland. On the motion of Mr. WILSON, it was resolved that on Monday next the house should go into a commit tee to consider the oaths taken by members of Par Lament. The house then adjourned, at a quarter to nine o'clock. THE RUSSIAN AMBASSADORS. DIPLOMATICALLY speaking, the Russian Ambassador at the Court of St. James's quitted England yes terday. Personally we believe that Baron Brunow will not leave London until this afternoon. The Chesham-house establishment has, however, been broken up, the domestics are dismissed, and the attaches of the Embassy have subsided into the cha racter of mere individuals. Contemporaneous changes of similar character have passed over the hotel of the Russian Embassy in Paris. M. Kisseleff, whose departture has been positively stated by one Parisian journal or another every day for the past week, upon information derived from the Bourse, has actually demanded his passports, ceasing to hold diplomatic intercourse with the French Government, on Thursday evening, purposing to depart from the French capital this (Saturday) morning. The proximate departure of the representatives of Eng land and France respectively from St. Petersburg has already been announced. Thus the rupture is complete, so far as the cessation of all ambassadorial functions can mark its completion, and Russia is at war with the two great Western powers. M. Kisseleff, it is said, proceeds to Brussels in the first instance, and thence, more leisurely, to St. Pe tersburg. Baron Brunow, according to report, will not go so far. He retires to Darmstadt., and there watches the course of events. The Ministerial reply to the envoys in London and Paris was to the effect that the powers do not intend to maintain in the Black Sea the neutrality as inter preted by RuSiia, abd that 'bray cannot place on perfect equality Russia and Turkey, seeing that they are resolved to protect the Turkish squadron and the Turkish territory from the attacks of the Rus sians—the weaker against the stronger. This was of course conveyed iu terms of studied courtesy, but firm and determined, and such as left no room for doubt. On Wednesday M. Kisseleff was invited to a ball at the Tuileries, which, however, he did not attend. His last appearance before the Parisian public was accordingly on the previous evening (Tuesday), when he was present at the Italian Opera, on the occasion of the datut of Mademoiselle de Petrowitch, a young lady of high origin, granddaughter of Kara George witch, during his lifetime Hospodar of Servia. The under-secretary of the Russian embassy, and several of the great Russian families resident in Paris, have taken out their passports for Berlin. The Princess Lieven goes to Brussels, and has made her arrangements for remaining for acme time in that capital. She does not leave Paris for a fortnight. M. Ebeling, a Russian agent, will remain in Paris after the departure of the embassy. The chancellerie of the Russian embassy has been for some days crowded with Russian subjects demanding passports. The Assenthlke Nationale states that the proposals tending towards opening new negotiations, of which Count Orloff MSS the bearer, have not been deemed acceptable either in London or in Paris. A Vienna telegraphic despatch, dated Thursday evening, says :—" Report states that the Emperor of Austria has declared to Count Orloff that if the Russians cross the Danube he will consider the same as a declaration of war. Austria insists on the acceptance of the project of the 13th." The Trieste Gazette, the most important organ of the commercial interest of the Austrian empire, calls upon the Government to intervene against Russia on the Eastern question. It says :—" All our future will be at stake, and exposed to chance if we do not declare ourselves on the question of the Danube. Every true patriot will despair if our com mercial interest as connected with that river be not enforced." Letters from Berlin in the Weser Zeitung report that at the sitting of the Council of State the Prince of Prussia had pronounced himself against all neu trality and tergiversation. "He was ready to do honour," he said, "to the noble quali lea of his brother-in law, the Emperor Nicholas, but, as a Prussian Prince and heir presumptive to the throne, 109 he did not hesitate to declare that the moment wra come for Prussia to assume a decisive attitude. and to notify to the Cabinets of Europe that a refusal to accept the propositions of the Conference would force Prussia to take her stand by the side of il Western powers, and to follow them to all ex tremities." The Paris Moniteur was expected to publish a de claration on the subject of the Russo-Turkish war, fur the purpose of explaining the departure of the ambassado.s. The preparations for war, both of a military and naval character, are proceeding in France with great activity. Orders have been sent to Toulon that the Labrador steam-frigate shall be immediately armed and got ready for sea. She is to be victualled fur seventy days, and with six months of spare stores. The Asmodie steam-frigate, the aiming of m Web is completed, is now ready for sea. Despatches have been received in Marseilles an nouncing that. Mr. Tucker, of the Caradoc, would leave London on the evening of the 30th, the bearer of important instructions from the British Govern ment to Lord Rodeliffe. Owing to the badness of the roads, Mr. Tucker could not reach Marseil:es be fore Thursday morning. The Caradoc was to leave for Constantinople immediately after his arrival. In St. Petersburg, the Grand Duke Constantine, who has placed himself at the head of the old Rue sian party, has shown considerable dissatisfaction at the expectant attitude taken by the Government atter the receipt of the communication of the maritime powers, and, it is said, urges the Czar to reject the last propositions of the Divan. He does hot conceal his irritation against M. de Ne-selrode. Constantinople adv.ces of the 23rd state that the combined fleets had on the previous day returned to the Bosphorus, and taken up their old anchorage at Beycos. According to one despatch this return bad occasioned extreme astonishment in Constantinople. Another report states that the fleet had only re turned for the purpose of convoying Turkish troop ships to Varna. Authentic accounts respecting the movement of the combined fleets have been received up to the 15th ult. The expedition with troops and munitions hail safely arrived at Batoum, touching at Sinope on the 14th, on its return. It, there communicated to the combined fleets that an attack of the Russian fleet was much dreaded at Batoum ; and then returned without delay to Constantinople, the wind being faitnrable, in order to take in fresh troops Rill am munition. This expedition consisted of six Turkish and six Augliareneb-veresels. On the morning of the lith a division et Ale,combined fleets weighed anchor, and set sail for Batoum. The remainder of the fleet was left at Sinope. In the afternoon of the same day two steamers were sent to Batoum to sig nalise, and one steamer was despatched to Constan tinople. It was not deemed impossible that on the way to Batoum the combined fleet might meet with Russian men-of war. Rumours of actual collision, sometimes accompanied by striking circumstances, have been spread on the Paris Bourse and London Stock Exchange. They were all of a completely speculative character and intention. From the principalities it is stated that the Turks, although abstaining from great operations, give the Russians no rest. On the 15th and 10th ult. a heavy firing was kept up from Rustchuk against Giurgevo, and an attack was made on the island there. On the same day the Turks made attacks near Oltenitza and Calarasch. News of the same kind arrives from ;silietria and Ttutukai, and fighting is again going on near Matshine. The Russian troops on their march are allowed to rest. A Bucharest letter of the 21st ult. says :—" Giurgevo is being bombarded by the Turks, and gre t damage is done to the town. The enli s tment of volunteers is going on with consider able success. The number of recruits in this city amonnts already to 000." THE PRINCIPALITIEB.—The Russian General Count Osten Saken arrived in Jassy city on the 20th ult., and took possession of the apartments prepared for him at the Government - house. He will administer the government of the province in the capacity of vice-president. The French Goverment has determined to try the experiment in Paris of night policemen, similar to the police force in Ergland. The new corps will be established in Paris in about two months. It will be simply a night police, and will, in the first in stance, be on a very limited scale. If the experi ment succeed, the system will be gradually extended. The Madrid journals of the 28th ult. have arrived. According to the Heraldo, the Marquis de Turgot, the French Ambassador, has not, as announced some time ago, become convalescent, and has not yet been able to leave his bed ; but his state, it says, presents no danger. The Marquis del Duero, one of the exiled generals, had left Cordova for Cadiz to embark for the Canary Islands. The Treasury had prepared the funds for the January payments. The Marquis de It