The Express. — London, England, 1855-02-19 00:00:00

THE NEW RETURN OF NEWSPAPER STAMPS. The return of sewspaper stamps just issued gives the followiag ranks : First Qauter. fleuail Charter. Daily Iwo . 319,191 348,044 Morelos Ikeda . 303 000 299,000 !dossing Post . . 206,000 226,000 Moraine Chrealde . 162,600 166,000 Express . . 177,133 196,389 (Hobe . . . 176,000 196,000 Sue . . . . 168,000 192,000 Staadud . . . 103.000 104,000 wile enorelso. TO CORRESPONDENT& ielvertiemode latesded for •• nip lapreee," Looks Evade. yew, most be at Na Mee, le, Illeavarbwereet. by Tiro *Week out the cloy of pabibiedes. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Turn Tay —Marna& XL Ha .....4fternson. 4h. 14a. TO-110/11/011—Morelag, 41. Warman, 41. 54a. LONDON, MONDAY, FEBRUARY 19. LATEST NEWS FROM ABROAD (111 r lILICIMIC TZLIIONAPIL) CONSTANTINOPLE, FIB. 8. In the last attack upon the English lines the Romaine were repulsed before the arrival of General Bosquet's corps. General Liprandi returned to the heights of Balaklava. The French reinforcements had arrived, and the Russians had also been reinforced to a large extent . The weather has improved. A general attack is prepared for on both sides.—Doily News. We learn further, by the arrival of the Hydeapes at Marseilles, that General Guyon arrived at the camp before Sebastopol on the 6th. The allied forme amounted in all, it is said, to 116,000 men. General Osten-Sacken was preparing to attack Eupatoria at the bead of 40,000 men, but as that place was defended by 20,000 men, and by formidable earth-works, no fears were entertained of the result. The condition of the English troops had greatly im proved. Huts, warm clothing, and provisions were in abundance. The presence of General Niel male rated the labours of the siege. Many thousand bed, were being prepared at Con stantinople, in the expectation of an assault on Bo bastopoL Sir George Brown arrived at Constantinople on the 6th. BERLIN, SUNDAY. The journal do St. Pstorabourg contains the Gar's manifesto respecting a general arming. The Czar says :—That he had endeavoured to uphold the rights of Christendom in the East without a con tent, and had therefore consented to negotiations, bat that the hostile armaments of other States had obliged him to increase his means of defence; and that, trusting is the grace of Clod and the love of his people, he has commanded the general organisation throughout the country of the militia. VIENNA, Fs,. 15. The arrival of Baron Brook is expected with much eagerness, u it is generally believed that it would be the signal for important changes, affecting not only Austria but Europe. The position of the new minister in the cabinet is as yet undecided, and will be the turning point in the crisis.—Daily News. DECLARATION OF BELGIAN In the Belgian Chamber of Repramentatives, on Thursday, M. Orts desired to be informed what course the Belgian cabinet would pursue if invited to join the Western Alliance against Russia. M. Henri de Brouckere, the Minister of Foreign Affairs, replied that no invitation bad been made to Bel gium by the Western Powers to join their al liance. The articles of the treaties of 1831 and of 1839, which constituted the kingdom of Belgium, imposed oa that power a perpetual and obligatory neutrality. That condition was the very essence of its independence Lod :nationality. The five great powers, in imposing on Belgium that obligation, engaged in return to protect her from all attack, at the same time that the treaties in question permitted her to defend herself. From these considerations, it was evident that there could not be any idea of Bel gium intervening in the armed contests of Europe, as on the day on which she would so act, she would cease to be an independent state, and would behold her existence come to a close.—Doily News. The Monileur of yesterday publishes the following I note : FRANKFORT, Fas. 15. Bina the resolution of the diet, on the Bth of this mouth, ordain the federal contingents to be placed on a war , footing, Germany enjoys a kind of truce. This calm is I however more apparent than real. Every one feels the Ina depeacy of the prescribed measure. The diet, in its sitting 1 of this day, has adopted the propmition submitted to at by the military committee, that of inviting all the governments individsilly to acquaint It with the situation of their me pemive contingents, with respect to the effective strength of each, and its ordnance, es likewise concerning the arrange- ' mints entered into for the formation of the mixed corps. The Monitcur of yesterday gives prominence to an article from Journal de Frankfort on the subject of the contingent c-operation of a French army corps with that of Austria. This is the first time the sub ject has been mentioned in the official organ of the French government. The following is the article: The Berlin Zeit. of the Bth instant publishes a letter from Frankfort ander date of the 6th, in which the writer pre tends that Austria would aot be soma' sed to conclude an alliance with France, I. virtue of which a French army would be concentrated in Bohemia, in order to complete Austria's line of defence against 'Lassie, unless "she had first obtained the assent of the confederation to the mea sure ; for this latter would alone have to decide whether a treaty on the paint of conclusion with (omits powers for the occupation of German provinces does or dote not threaten the security of the confederation or of some of its members. Great stress is laid, says the Frankfort correspondent, on the fact that the articles 2 and 11 of the Federal Act are opposed to the conceotretion of Frerch troops in a country be at all times known to the Government. Although of the Germanic confederation. According to article 2, personally glad of publicity, we doubt the fairness the object of this confederation is the maintenance of Ger• or propriety of publishing the stamp returns to many's safety at home and abroad, of tte independence and gra tify curiosity, and to affect the interests of invirelability of the article 11, the members of the confederation preserve, it is t he proprie tors of newspapers; but there cannot be trot, the right of amending every species of alliance, bat a doubt that it is desirable for a Government to they are hosed to enter into no Engagement militating know the extreme extent of influence possessed by against the 'eddy of the confederation, or any one of its the various organs of the press, in a country where members. it is so free as here. Take the Times as an instance. DUO sostolo Parties see danger to the security of Germany it i s la the easseass of a f ore i gn army, especially a Frisch - published in • City whose population is greater than that of any other capital. It army. This may wo u ld not be placed under the son • mad of Ault* bet would remain entirely subjected to is reputed to possess a more extensive asembere *"7 w" v jue var""L" w 95.." 1".."‘" I:l7ls : 6l;;Lii. r irefT;rZa;tZlniaoll79, :070%71 . 010;d1;t;iirtaZiralis a very 'Moog detschment Public exposure las lashed our own hospital ma- busy in Paris, will be; associated with Prince Bat meek parties se* kager to the security of Germany i t i s it is so free as here. Take the Times as an instance. Waterford; Captain Francis Scully, Tipperary ; Lord of efilcient polio., to honked from tbe various police toreas nagement at Scutari into comparative excellence, but obakoff at the Vienna conference. published in • City whose population is Beetles, Cavan ; Colonel Sir it. Ferguson, Londonderry ; over the country. A communication was received yesterday even yet it lacks the clock•worlc beauty and regularity Yesterday the new dogma of the Immaculate Con- k the of a foreign army, especially a Ftoach Lieutenant• Colonel Caulfield, Armagh •; Captain Conolfy, by the police authorities of Glasgow on the subject ; and we easy. This err• would not bs placed ander the sole coma- t reater than that of any other capital. It ,_ Donegal ; Captain O'Brien, Sing's CottutY ; Lord Bernard, learn that to entarkising young kfleen very encouraging which pervade even the smallest of the French es t a b • °option was proclaimed with great pomp by the mud of Austria, bet would remain entirely sobjeeted to is Malta' to Pomo a 11 "" eataaliva air• Cork Artillery. toms will ',reoffered. 'bah' moots. Our energetic aka hays laid hands Archbishop Of Paris it liQtre Danie l and to-an the , • • • the adios of the Ismer et the Frieda test that it would set be employed f the mearity d dillemat Gases et► one of the federal states mused Weiss eeseeatieMa them ea He Maher, lo- elastics' throughout the provisoes of this and on the eos in the :world. • Mein distriliated than say mans. the *adulate of its elm* wad list be tested by redivides, Mbar Maas algid & weld be parrible he ell 111111aW Weeps lereige pewees. The whole of this argameat is based m tim—namely, that whoa hissame the ChM, Miss Austria and Prude bed the tatsaties mateiseing their essestial rights as great Europe= powen Is suet a meaner that the exeraising of them shield de pend ea the will of the other neembees of the misfederstloa. Austria, Pamela, Densamit. the Netherlands ham the right to easels& alliaame of every dearripllea, sot Imams that is said in the article 11 of the federal set, but I. their quality as Europese powers. If the great German powers had 'squired this right solely through the said article, they *sibs to sithealt to the Gam. Dist all the treatise with truism powers before Emir &asides conalasion, in order that this assembly may mains and ascertain whether the aliases dose aims ast militate against the safety of the CoefederaMia se IMINOW • members, sad so approve or reject it. Bat Mime EMU tbs. be the isdependeme and dignity of Austria se IhifilMes Ibelreimlity as great Beropean powers ? Is is to their feeling of duty alone that we mast leave Om MO of exercising their free right of making war sad poses sad maciadicg alliances, so that the security of the Oanliederation or any one of its members may net be em issowed. The entrance of as auxiliary army Jetsam Arm lIES Or Primula provisos, belonging to the Genoa& Ow IliEsestios, fee the porpres of operating against a elalle Bet beleaging to this Contrderatios, 1100Stitatall in Miff se danger whatever for this security, sad is solely the add If the respective great German powers. Prussia mad AMID have sever moused their right of concluding sad defensive allianese with other European steles, mai uniting auxiliary nos-Genus troops to their own troops is their own 1 with about a goalie 'bunkum Sr Clore (ban .. per __ _ , with half the popular dem a liladeli s i sa =ation of mere than 40,000 per ft en' li is it not likely that a fabiiimieriellation would be ascribed to the These, if the NUM did Lot ruthlessly show that its sale does not opal that of its Parisian contemporary ? This is a Neliieuedha Which ought not to be lost sight or by IN Wm; he wkihmessigoad soot etrossooorly for ell Ye and hollhiele hemee. IN shall be parry to u Ibe obillos et _..s which give greater was kr to frobedisso to the influence of the pees, either collectively or individually. The terms of the Resolutions ars sufficiently vague Is allow the CasecuLLos of the Exotic:gm in any Bill which may be based upon them to meet some of the points before adverted to. There are other points, such as Copyright, which will require careful consideration upon any revision of the New& paper Laws. We postpone, therefore, for the present, any further remarks upon the subject. As more than four-fifths of the newspapers issued are reputed to pass annually through the Poet-office, the postal question is one in which the public is more interested than the proprietors of newspapers; and, if a new arrangement be new made, the smaller and the larger newspapers ought not to be subjected to the same indiscriminating rate.—Daily News. THE EXPRESS. MONDAY EVENING, FEBRUARY 19, 1855. .Mt Court. tat Pemeare hid an audience of the WINS ea IlturiforyM Beekleiglian Palms. Mena* dOembeldire 'Wad her lbjeety. _ _ The Sod boa r took their wail e;ereiee fa the pr elim etthe Pam. . The Royal Amer party in the evening 'minded the United States liiaiske and Mir Lane, the Sul COlAMlllf_Clareadem 'firma& Baselines, she Pa Hen. W. Zas Mn. Gladeetme. Major the His. Artkar Hu dings, 3140141eseral Simpson, and Maier-General Ide. Yederday the Queen and Priam Albert, with the Prince el Wales, the Priam' Royal, Priam Alfred, sad the Prim mer Albs, the ladles sad gestleinsa of the Court, and the denim& Messeheld, attended Divine Service in the private 'impel of Bnekisibana Palms. The Rom sad Very Rev. the Dena of Windsor ofß siateL A Cabinet Council was held, on Saturday after noon, at the Foreign office. It was attended by Viscount Pabnenton, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, the Duke of Argyll, the Marquis of Lansdowne, Sir George Grey, the Earl of Clarendon, the Right Hon. Sidney Herbert, Lord Panmure, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir James Gra ham, Sir Charles Wood, Viscount Canning, and Sir William Molesworth. The Council sat four hours. The Cathedral Commission met at No. 1, New-street, Spring-gardens, on Friday. The commissioners present were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Marquis of Bland ford, M.P., the Ran of Harrowby, the Bishop of Odor?, the Hon. and Rev. H. M. Villiers, the Rev. Dr. Words worth, and the Rev. Canon Selwyn. A deputation mudding of the Rev. T. L Mills, Mr. 3. • Platt, the Mayor of Oldham, Mr. Alders= Worthington, Mr. B. A Wright, Mr. George Berland, and Mr. Henry Radcliffe, ammenpanied by Mr. Heywood, M.P., Mr. Brown, MX., and Mr. Cheetham, M.P., had au interview with Sir George Grey on Friday at the Home-office. Despatehes for the Governor of the Cape of Good Hope were seat on Saturday frees the Colonial-ofiee. Has Mawr: will give s splendid entertainment on Friday nest at Buekingham Palace, to his Royal High ness the Duke of Cambridge, General Sir de Lacy Evans, the Earl of Cardigan, &a on their return from serving with the British army in the Crimea. APPOINTMENTS. The Lord Chancellor has appointed Mr. L I. Landslip, secretary to the Criminal Law Commissionen, to the vacant county court judgeship. Mr. J. Mellor, Q.C., of the Midland Circuit, will sue seed the late Mr. Hildyard as Recorder of Leioestar. The private secretaries of Lord Palmerton in Downing street are Mr. C. C. Clifford, who was with his lordship at the Home-office, sad Mr. W. Law, of the Treasury (late pri rate secretary to Mr. Wilson, M.P.), who was one of Lord John Rur's private secretaries when he was Prime Minister. Mr. George Reesell, of the Treasury, succeeds Mr. Law so private secretary to Mr. Wilma. Mr. W. F. Higgins, of the Colonial•official, lately with Mr. F. Peel. will be the private secretary to the Hon. Sidney Herbert. Mr. D. Dalhousie Raney (of the War-office) is appointed private secretary to Lord Penman. Mr Robert Ellice is private secretary to Sir George Grey, In the place of Lord Hobart, who resumes his old place at the Board of Trade, with Lord Stanley of Alderley. —Observer. s i zr:fio !Week. Wm stosig Pl•- elastic) a throeghout the I ter *eels %bleated's, kisidose, is its colonies, stabs? les the rem, U b an e, Ojos any Ow . Raper rel i t " a ri a sat.l . tothitore Nritlidy distsi stem* pen se tai lilt , wild 'maid sot Is• the to tbe mask sad Wl* . 0 Won if its whose isiee weld 11/ lb• •i 11514.41 741 s Mara p. IA is Nelr Took; wil bessall - • • fats o •Plia the population of London, a sir is the Ungulate seated,- 20, 000 pir dsy, or in Paris, THE NEWSPAPER STAMP. ne CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER is to king bare the House of Commons this evening his reso lutions with reference to the Newspaper Stamp. The plan proposed is not an abolition of the tax : it is simply an alteration—the removal of an impost counterbalanced by the withdrawal of a privilege. Unless the details be considerably modified, the scheme is one which is likely to be injurious to the public as well as to the press; and it is brought forward unsupported by the recommendation of any committee, and in direct opposition to the testimony already given by Government officials. Hitherto the question has been considered fiscally, as one of 350,0001. per annum. It has been argued that if newspapers were allowed to be published without stamps, this would be the total sum involved; and that any loss would be reduced in proportion to the postal charge to which they might be subjected. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER contemplates a more extensive range. He disdains to deal with the postal transmission of newspapers alone, but includes that of all printed matter, called the Book Post; and, instead of printed papers passing through the Post at a charge of ed. per pound, he proposes that they shall be charged at the rate of Id. for four ounces, thus converting the Post-office into a Parcel Post, and inviting an exten sive trade at a rate which will, according to the evi dence of Mr. HILL, be unremunerative. Nay, more; either in irony, or with that happy departmental in dependence for which the country has during the last few months been paying so heavily in blood and treasure, a notice has just been issued by the Post-office, announcing that the Colonial Book Post age will, after the Ist of March, be reduced to the Inland rate, so as to double the effect of this new financial arrangement. In justice to the Newspaper Stamp Committee, it must be stated that such a tampering with the revenue wee not recommended by them; and it might have been thought that the present was not the moment at which to venture upon experiments which cannot be productive, and may be seriously injurious. While the scheme of the CHANCELLOR of the Ex- CHEQUER is open to these objections on fiscal grounds, it is one which, by the inevitable id. on each transmission, will relieve local residents at the expense of those who reside at a distance. We do not stay to argue as to the manner in which partial views ad lend prejudices are moderated and removed by semi d the sixty-six millions of newspapers passing annually through the Post-office. We simply point • • tion to the fact that the change proposed cannot bat will in many instances increase, the cost el those newspapers which now pass through the Fast-office to a daily average of more than 200,000 persons. This portion of the population is a class which is specially entitled to consideration, and they have a right to protest spinet a plan which has the peculiar objection of lessening the revenue and at the same time increasing their expenses. Are there then no means by which the government can avoid the difficulty from which they shrink —namely, the definition of a newspaper ? It seems to us that the remedy is easy. Abolish the newspaper stamp, and let any one publish without stamp or inquisition any news, intelligence, or comment, that he desires; but at the same time give special postal privileges to the proprietors of such defined serial publications as shall choose to register their publication at the Stamp-office, and to stamp their whole impression. This mode would effectually solve the present difficulties. and might be se arranged as to benefit the public, and at the same doe increase the revenue. Litigation would be avoided, for the stamp would be sought as • privilege, and not evaded as a burden ; and as special postal privi leges would be confined to those papers whose whole impression was stamped, the inconvenience, expense, and evasion which are sow occasioned to the Post office by pagtially stamped issues, and which will be con tinued by the plan at present suggested by the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, would be altoge ther got rid of. The only question of importance in such a scheme would be the cost of the stamp. Here the Government should adopt the Postal principle, and by a graduating scale remove the present I unfairness, which charges as much for the postage of the Globe as for that of the Times. By • scale of id. for two ounces, and Id. for each additional ounce or fractional part of an ounce, all the evening papers wouid pass for id.; the ordinary morning mere for f,d. Thcse publications which contain only Leal information would not need a stamp, oil thus would be free. On the other hand, the leading journals both in town and country, which , seek and obtain a wider range, would desire to secure to themselves on terms so advantageous a postal privilege, and would stamp their whole imprea sion. By this means another important public advantage, now about to be sacrificed, would be preserved—namely, that the whole extent of the circulation of any stamped newspaper would GAZETTE RETURNS OF WHEAT SOLD. A correspondent has called our attention to the circumstance that the quantity of wheat returned in the Gazette, as sold in the towns of England and Wake, cannot be assumed to be the quantity Wo olly sold or consumed. What he says on this point is quite true; but the quantity returned as sold more often noseds than falls short of the quantity actually sold for consumption. The bulk of all the wheat and flour, consumed by the town population.of Eng land and Wales, is undoubtedly bought and sold as wheat in the markets of the 290 towns, including London, from which the returns are collected. Some of the flour made from wheat sold in the town mar kets goes to feed part of the agricultural population. Some of this wheat, too, is re-bald in the towns, and appears in the inspectors' returns two or three times. For example,wheat which is sold in a small town, say Chelmsford, is afterwards sent to London and resold at Mark-lane. In years when speculation in corn is rife the same parcel of corn is notoriously sold two or three times over in the same town, and every sale may be included in the returns. Thus it is quite true that these returns are not an accurate index of the quantity of wheat consumed by our town population, for which we used them; but they are erroneous more on the side of excess than deficiency. So much we say of the nature and accuracy of these returns ; and now to add a few words as to the important question of the quantity of wheat consumed, to illustrate which we quoted them. Mr. BRIGHT, it will be remembered, assumed, in his speech at Manchester, that the people consumed 30,000,000 quarters of wheat; he also assumed that the price had been raised 20s. per quarter by the war; and concluded that war had cost the people, in the price of their wheat, 30,000,00 W. This being a mere repetition of the gross exaggeration of the Times, which we exposed some months ago, we took fresh ground to expose Mr. Balcarr's exaggeration. We took the largest quantity of wheat ever sold in our towns since 1842 as the consumption of the town population ; we took an equal amount as the consump tion of the agricultural population, who are not equal in numbers to the population of the 290 towns from which returns are made ; and adding to it the largest quantity of wheat and flour ever imported, we con cluded that the total was less than2o,ooo,ooo quarters. Such a slim is far more in accordance with all modern estimates of the whole consumption of the nation than the quantity stated by Mr. Baum. We are quite aware, however, that it needs a great variety of corrections; and it is worth while to notice some. Between 1849-53 the average of the sales in the towns was 4,608,939 qrs., and of the total imports of wheat and flour the/average was 6,072,722 qrs.; or 2,057,301 qrs. and 1,163,038 qrs. respectively leas than the extreme quantities we stated. But the sales in the towns apply only to England and Wales, and the imports are for the whole empire. Now, we have recently obtained an accurate account of the produce of wheat in Scotland in 1851—a year when it was largely cultivated and the yield large—and the total was 606,063 qrs. The total produce of Ireland, of which we have also returns, was at most 1,400,000 qrs. ; and we have the quantity of wheat and wheat flour imported in 1854, 5,500,000 qrs. Thus we have three elements of our total supply, and they amount together to 7,506,313 qrs. There remains, there fore, only the growth of England and Wales to be accurately ascertained. If for the har vest of 1854 we add one-third to the avenge sales in the towns, we shall have 6,145,252 qrs.; and if we take an equal amount for the consumption of the population of England and Wales not dwelling in the towns, it will give 12,290,504 qrs. for the whole consumption of England and Wales, which is not far from the estimates of Mr. BUCKL&ND and Mr. CURD —being some little below the latter and above the former. Adding to this quantity the total imports, and the growth of Ireland and Scotland, we shall have, as the consumption of wheat in the whole em pire, 19,796,817 qrs., a sum that is not very widely different from our former estimate, though arrived at by using different elements. Mr. BRIGHT'S esti mate of 30,000,000 qrs. proceeds on the old supposi tion—that the consumption is one quarter per head— and is erroneous, first, from assuming that the total population is 30,000,000, when it is only 28,000,000 ; and next, from assuming that the whole of the people consume wheaten bread, while it is notorious that the bulk of the Irish, a large number of the Scotch, and some of t►e Welsh and English, never touch it. Taking the whole population, the old esti mate is too high, and two-thirds of a quarter would accord more with the facts ascertained as to our own production and the imports of wheat.—Doily News. It is now reported that the Earl of Carlisle, and sot Sir F. Baring, is to have the Chancellorship of the Duchy of Lancaster. Baron von Usedom, on a mission from the wart of Berlin, had an interview with the Earl of Clarendon on Saturday. The Home Secretary declines sanctioning the for mation of a volunteer rills corps at Glasgow. A local paper advisee the gentlemen with whom the proposition orie -1 acted to enter the militia. A marnege between the Earl of Monster and his cousin, kliss Kennedy Erskine, eldest daughter of the Lady Augusta Gordon Hallyburton, by the late Hon. Kennedy Erskine, is spoken of. hum M.P.'s iw TEE MlLmA.—The following lath memben of parliament are at present serving with their several regiments of militia :—Coloasl Orville, West.' moth Infantry ; Colonel Dunne, Queen's County ; Major P. Urquhart, Westmeath; Captain John O'Connell, Dab lin; Captain D. O'Connell. Reny; Captain Ramondo, Waterford ; Captain Francis Scully, Tipperary ; Lord Bettis*, Cavan ; Colonel Sir R. Ferguson, Londonderry Lieutenant-Colonel Caulfield, Armagh ; • Captain Coolly, Donegal ; Captain O'Brien, King's Comm ; Lord Derma, Cork Artillery. MR. LATARD AND ADMIRAL DUNDAS. The following correspondence his been published : " Little Ryder-street, Feb. 17. My dear Mr. Drummond.—l regret to find, from the elsismest you wade in the House of Commons, and from whet you have told me to-day, that certain expressions in a letter of mine, which wee not intended for publication, but which wee printed in the Time newspaper, have been mis interpreted, and have, therefore, neurally (sued much pain to Admiral Deeds.. We agree that there are two points upon which that letter requires explanation. In the fret place; I stated that Admiral Dundu, in a letter which I had ma, rejoiced in the sinking of a part of the Russian fleet. I admit that the letter to which I alluded does bear the construction whims you now inform me Admiral Dundee states he intended it to bear, and I regret that I should have placed any other upon it. Be eondly, with regard to any words which may appear to re lent upon his personal courage or private character, I beg distinctly to state that it was far from my intention to rant upon either, and that I alluded to his professional conduct as and to what I considered a Mad men to moot responsibility. I am sorry to lean from you that my words should have bun otherwin oonstrued by him, and I willingly express my regret that they shouli have caused him pain. I best you will sawn Admiral Dundee that such are my eentintente, s►owing him this latter, of which you may make any other nee you may think at. s Bac., an, ran very tray, " A. H:LAYARD. " Henry Dnintraoad, Bag., M.P." "London Hotel, Albemarle•street, Feb.l7. "My dear Drummond,—After the explanation you hate reoeived from Mr. Layard, and will& you have forwarded to me, I have no desire to think more of the matter ►etween th►t gentleman and myself. "Your. faithfully, " J. D. DUNDAB. " Henry Drummond, Esq., M.P." Sir James Graham is pufficiently recovered to attend the Cabinet °pencils at the Foreign-office, instead of meeting his colleagues as of late in his chamber. Lord John Russell is still suffering from the effects of a severe cold. The severity of the symptoms is, how ever, subsiding, and his lordship hopes to be able to leave for Vienna to-morrow (Tuesday). DEFENCE OF LOANS RAISED BY MR. PITT.—A paper entitled as follows will be read before the Statistical Society this evening (19th inst.) On the loans raised by Mr. Pitt during the ant French war, 1793-1801; with some statements in defence of the methods et funding employed." By William Nemesia, Req., ono of the ho. pray secretaries of the sosiety. THE SPEAKER'S Mbar2A.—The Right Hon. the Speaker of the House of Commons gave his second full dries parliamentary banquet on Saturday evening last, at his temporary official residence, in Baton-square. Covers were laid for 30 guests. The following hon. members were invited :—Right Hon. Benjamin Disraeli, Lord Stanley, Right Hen. Lord Nana, Right Hon. Viscount Newport, Right Hon. C. Forester, Right Hon. Sir John Pakington, Right Hon. Spenser Walpole, Right Hon. J. W. Henley, Right Hon. R A. Christopher, Right Hon. Mr. Bamford, Right Hon. Sir John Trollops, Hon. H. T. Liddell, Hew Captain Duncombe, R.N. ; General Sir George Berkeley, IL.O B.; Captain Sir Thomas Herbert, &N., X.C.B. ; Ar Frederick TWriger, Sir Fitzroy Kelly, Colonel Kner, Mr. Sateson, Mr. ikalford, Cannel Dunne, Mr. Grogan, Mr. Whitmore, Mr. Krigheley. The following gentlemen were ppeeev~eennfed :---The Granby, Right Hon. George lisakes, and Wit Hon. Joseph Napier. The Rev. Mr. Gender and the lisoretary were present. We regret t• barn that accounts have been received of the death, lest week, in Normandy, of Mr. W. F. Camp bell, of Way, who repainted for many years Argyllshire m the Rouse of C._- Sin 'mix Pomo, M.D., D.C.L , has been appointed by government Medical Superintendent of the @MI hospital at Smyrna, for the reception of sick and wounded from the Crimes. Dr. Barclay, Medical Regis trar of Sr. George's Hospital, end Dr. Leered, physician to the City Infirmary for Diseases of the Cheat, have been appointed physicians. Mr. Holmes Coots, easistant.surgeon St. Bartholomew's Hcepitsl. and Mr. Spencer Wells, wren to the Samaritan Hospital, and lecturer on surgery ,at the School of Medicine adjoining St. George's Hospital, ' have been appointed surgeons to the same hospital. Several other appointments have bees made, but have not yet been officially annonneed. Mr. Spencer Wells left Ragland en Thursday last for Sterns, for the purpose of forwarding the necessary preliminary arrangsments.—Medical Tuna and &weft: - THE SANITARY COMMISSION SOIL SCUTARI.—Two of the Medical Deicers appointed to form part of the Sant. easy Commission about to be sent out by government to in quire into the condition of the Hospital at Scutari, are (says tie Timms) Dr. Gavin and Dr. Southwood Smith. LORD OODERICH.—The limiderefreld Examiner ma, of the noble representative of that borough :—" From the refusal of his lordship to act with the new ministry, we may gather that it does not stand very high in his estima tion. The country need' the services of industrious, con. seientioue, and able men, and we hope the time is not far distant when a government shell be composed of each ; in that case we feel sure Lord Goderich woull feel it his duty to accept of office, and tabs an active part in the hastnusbi• and arduous labours of statesmanship." POLICE FOR AUSTRALIA. —We (North British Mail) uodentand it to be the intention of government to send out immediately to Australia a very strong detachment of efficient police, to be raised from the various polies forces over the country. A communication was received yesterday by the polio, authorities of Glasgow Co the subject ; and we learn that to enterprising young officers very encouraging tame wil4 lr• offered. WAR. GERIIANY. lamingllMib Nepecting the military forte *MUD maws@ eomledmmtion will be found interest ing at thiolimmuht The Did his IV a vote the expense adertained to be aseessary foe Oa military protection of the general inn- Inste of the nemlsibration • and the different states condi beste to the fend gesordini to an adopted tariff. The pro portion paid by each state necessarily varies according to its financial rewards :—For Austria, it is 324 f. 33c. for every- 1,000 f.; for Prussia, 268 f. 48e. per I,ooof. ; Bavaria, 118 f. le.; Wurtemburg, 46f. 26e.; Saxony, 39f. 77c.; and it descends for the different states until it falls as low as 79e., 66c., 47e., and even 165., for the petty principalities of &homburg-Lippe, Hesse Homburg,Hohen sollern-Heckingen, Lichtenstein, btu. The Federal army is formed by contingents ; that is, each state supplies a body of equinely-organised troops, and not of recruits. The ordi nary dontingent, find at ene-hundredth of the population, is required to be ready to march within four weeks after a vote of 'mobilisation. A reserve equal to three-hundredths of the population, and a :supplement of a sixth hundredth, treated by decision of the 10th March, 1851, hap also to be kept up. A simple contingent, including the garrisons of the federal fortresses, amounts to 303,493 men, and the yearn and supplement to 161,767 au : total, 455,260. This force is divided into ten corps eremites ; Austria supplies three of them, consisting of six divisions and 47,411 men; Prussia three, of six divisions, and 39,742 men ; Ba varia one, forming two divisions of 17,800 men ; Wurtem burg, Baden, and the Grand Duchy of Hesse, one, consist- Mg of three divisions, that of Wurtensburg being of 6,977 men, that of Baden 6 ,000, and that of Heed 3,098 ; Saxony, Electoral Hesse, and Nassau, form one corps, consisting of two divisions, one of which is composed of 6,000 men, sup plied by Saxony, another division of 2,839 men supplied by Electoral Hesse, and the third of 2,019 by Nassau. The 10th sore d'arode is formed by six petty dates and the three Hasse towns, and consists of three divisions. In ad dition, the free city of Frankfort and 18 other petty states equip a division of reserve, consisting of 13 battalions, and in case of war this force is almost entirely employed In de fame of fortresses. In the federal army the cavalry is wonted for a seventh of the total effective, the light in fantry for a twentieth, the sappers and minim and pontoon train for a huadredth, and the artillery at the nits of two guns for 1,000 men-30 men, including drivers and workmen, being calculated for each piece. Each state has besides in reserve at least one gun per 1,000 men of the con tingent, In order to be able to fill up any void immediately. Thus the total artillery is 894 pieces -300 of them in rie• serve ; and then is besides a siege train of 200 g uns , re quiring for its service 200 bombardiers, 650 gunners, 1,760 drivers, workmen, and cartridge-makers. The number of artillery horses k 9,600, and 14,400 can be taken by regul ation. Austria and Prussia supply a large pontoon train, and each of the other corps d'arrnes keep pontoons for paring rivers 400 feet wide. The sappers and miners are only supplied by the states in which a co r p s o f t h em i s maintained in tide of peace. Each division of the army consists of two brigades, and each brigade of two regiments. The minimum of a regiment of in fantry consists of two battalions of eight hundred men each, and of a regiment of cavalry of 4 squadrons of 150 men each. These regiments are commanded by officers nominated by their sovereigns; the corps (Vannes by gene rals alto designated by the sovereigns, if their contingent forms a corps d'annte; but when a contingent is what is called mixed, and that it consists of I contingents, the different states come to an understanding to nominate a general, and in ease they cannot ape* the Diet does so. The generals choose the officers of their staff. In time of peace there is no g e and the federal authori-y is concentrated for purely military matters in a military commission consisting of six members, one for Austria, one for Prussia, one for 13•Thtill, and one for each of the suited cone. The commission is charged with the control and surveillance of the federal contingents, the inspection of the fortified places of the confederation, and of the garrisons of such place+. It ascertains that all prescriptions are executed • and, if needier!, as was do ne last year, delegates inspect o rs - general, possessed of the full powers f the Dist, to verify the state of the troops and ma teriel of the federal army, from the drilling of Twain no to the state dale arms. There are two sorts of war materiel —one, consisting of a stock which each power is obliged to have in reserve for the troops which it sends, and the other, of general stores collected at a common expense in federal arsenals for the use of the army when collected. The arsenals always contain then stores-60,000,000 ball eartridges for infantry, 3,000,000 for cavalry, 60,000 car tridges for field howitzers, 160,000 for guns of six, 60,000 for gnu of 12, and for the siege train 100,000 cannon balls, 25,000 balls for howitzers, and 60,000 shells for mortars. In addition to the inspections, the Confederate States, on the Ist January of each year, communicate to the Diet an exact and: detailed account of the personnel and au inventory of the materiel. When circumstances re quire it, the Diet may order that the federal army shall be plated on a war footing, in order to be promptly ready for action. This is done to avoid the expenses of immediate mobilisation, which are very heavy for the petty states. When a vote of the Diet orders the mobilisation, the federal army at once completes its organisation, and becomes at once only one army. To that effect, the vote for the mobi lisation is always accompanied by the appointment of the general-in-chief, on whom every care then devolves. The Diet also nominates the lieutenant-general. who is to re place him when absent. The powers of the g I•in chief are immense, as he alone decides on all the plans of opera tion, which he can modify as be pleases; but he is bound to always set them forth in writing, in order that, in case of death, there be neither delay nor hesitation in earning out the operations commenced. He can sign all swat tions of arms, but in order to be valid they must receive the approbation of the Diet. He has the right of judging by summary procedure all individuals forming part of the army, and even the inhabitants of the country in which their army may be quartered ; he has the nomination of all his principal 011/011111; and he is responsible only to the Diet, who can have him brought, for faults committed, before a council of war, presided over by a field-marshal, and con sisting of six general officers. In fine, it may be affirmed that the federal forties must be considered rather as an army of resistance than one of invasion. Being composed prin cipally of young soldiers from the German dates, through economy, keeping as few man as possible en active service, and as many as possible in the reserve, it is essentially wanting in unity and experience, and is, consequently to a certain extent feeble, in offensive operations. But the various governments are careful to keep up their stores and supplies on a most liberal scale, so that in case of a cheek they could quickly repair their losses. Several English officers have lately visited Alge ciras and St. Roque (Spain), to purchase horses for the East. Upwards of 300 Andalusian horses were brought to them in one day, which wore purchased at high prices. We resd in the :—" We have reason to believe that despatches have been received from the Crimea to the 7th. The weather continued fine. Extensive preparations for an attack were being made." TURKEY. (nom ♦ orscua. LILSPONDINT OP THI DAILY 1131110 CONSTANTINOPLE, Fax 6. Foreign example and the pressure of current neces sities have infused a zeal and activity into nearly every department of the Turkish administration that are not the least of the evidences the last twelve month has brought to light es to what the Osmanli character is capable of under higher influences and another system of government Not only is every workshop in Tophand and along the shores of the Golden Horn turning out its materiel for the war with a rapidity that would not discredit Woolwich itself, but to every branch of the war executive of which I can glean intelligence the same well directed and resultfal energy is being dis played. Nor is this patriotic activity ono lined to the public offices and workshops. Suggested, doubtless, by the philanthropic exertions of our own public, a general subscription has here, too, been set on foot, and with the proceeds—which have up to the present time been far from contemptible—warm woollen and fur clothing has been purchased, and is at present being made up by the ladies of nearly every harem in Stamboul for their own troops in the Crimes. I have seen very extravagant accounts of the patriotic and self sacrificing zeal which is said to fill the breasts of the Turkish population all over the empire ; but I am bound to say that although my own personal knowledge enables me to contradict the report so far as it concerns most of the provinces, a large modicum of that spirit does appear to animate the " true believers " of the capital, and is now manifesting itself in efforts which merit considerable praise. In all justice, let the Turks get credit for the few good qualities which five hundred years of despotism and misrule have yet left uncrashed in their national character. If the Turks, however, are active, what shall be said of the French? A ctivity is no word for the ceaseless and all-pervading energy with which they are providing for all present and possible demands for animate and inanimate supplies. To enumerate the countless agencies they have here at work, to meet every contingency that the necessities of the war may give rise to, would in itself fill a column of your space: while not one letter nor ten would be sufficient to describe in detail the admirable complete. nese and efficiency of every one of their departments. _ has on a very large proportion the rep 0 . this aids of the Gold en H orn , an d have agencies work which are is themselves nearly sufficient to as supply every current want of their Crimean army. Th e leaden weights of routine clog none of their ofilei e f movements: what they want they take, and what they take they make the most of. Their lab* appropriation has been the splendid palace of the Russian embassy, which they are about to devote to the reception of their wound e d Russian prisoners : a medical staff has b on already organised for it, and before another we e k has elapsed, the once magnificent saloons of P • eee Mentohikoff will be peopled with his captured coon tr.ymen now scattered throughout the other eight es nine French hospitals in Pere.. A friend who came down yesterday from Balaldava gives me sad accounts of the continued hardships o f our troops. The fine weather had to some degree lessened the intensity of the cold, and hardened th e mud; bat the temperature was still at a very per, fully low point, and firing there was almost none. Many of the wooden huts, which are, and hive beau for sometime lying on the beach at Balsklava fee want of means to transport them to the camp, are being broken up by the soldiers and used u fire. wood,—* better use than that they should con. throe to lie there doing good to nobody. This, however, only reminds me of another instance of commissariat neglect, which is even m ote to be wondered at and less excused than many others with which the public are already familiar. From the mouth of the Boephorns, round along the southern shores of the Black Sea, to Trebizond and Batoum—a distance of some 600 miles—forest sea coeds forest, down to the very shore, offering facilities for the procurement of any amount of firewood which the allied armies could require. The sailing distance is not much above a week or ten days thence to the Crimea • and why, with hundred s o f transports atone disposal, we have not drawn supplies of fuel from these vast woods so conveniently at hand, I profess myself unable to understand. This source of supply was suggested to the commissary -general many weeks ago, but without any result following from the hint ; and when he was at the same time informed that the same coast could furnish him with any amount of gra , n he might require, his rel " There is no regular mark e t." No regular market! Why all the world knows that a demand would create a market ; and were it not so, our consuls and consular agents at Sinope, Samsoon, and Trebizond, could secure the delivery at these ports of 20,000 qrs. of barley within a fortnight'. Official wisdom, how. ever, cannot see this, and our horses must continue to die in consequence. By a return made public within the last few days I learn that since the establishment of the seven principal French hospitals here the total number of their inmates, sick and wounded, has not exceeded four thousand ; whilst of these only eleven hundred have died. To this low aggregate of invalids and deaths oar own returns at Scutari have formed a melancholy contrast. Well it is that even thus late in the season our arrangements have reached a point of improvement which justifies the hope that weber. seen oar worst. FRANCE. (11011 TRI ON !RR DAILY NT/S.) PARIS, SATURDAY EYINING. The Monsieur contains a stately political manifesto, the precise object of which at the present moment I do net profess myself able to understand. It is, of course, supposed to be written by the Emperor, and at any rate must be taken to be published with his immediate approbation. The article is a glowing panegyric upon existing French institutions. The fact of which the government was lately reminded by the Siecle, that the constitution was designedly made "improvable," is prominently alluded to, bat not the remotest promise is held out of any improve. ment being in contemplation. One is almost tempted to think that the composition now published must have been the preface to the announcement of some practical measure which has since been struck out. As it stands the article is nothing more than an invi tation to fall down and worship" whatever is." The bourse has been again very dull. The rents fell at one time as low as 65.75, bat at the last moment a despatch from London reporting that Prussia had accepted the proposition of a separate treaty to the same effect as that of December 2, occa sioned a smart rally. The last price was 66.10, being a fall of but 10c. from yesterday. There was little change in railways. Most of the lines closed &franc or two lower. PARIS, &MIMI' Evinneo. The great question continues to be whether or no the Emperor is going to the Crimea. Half the people you meet have a positive opinion on this sub ject, one way or the other, and are very impatient of contradiction. My own mind is at this moment in a state of doubt, but the inclination of my opinion is that the project did exist and has been abandoned. That the Emperor did at one moment seriously think of going, I feel certain. At all events, his cousin, the Prince Napoleon, thought so, for I happen to know that so lately as Thursday last he told a friend, that, after considering the various difficulties sug gested, the Emperor had changed his mind. One fact upon which the believers in the expedition mainly rely is the recent departure from the Tuileries of one of the Imperial aides-de-camp—Captain Merle. He is gone, it is said, with instructions to make pre parations for the Emperor's reception at Marseilles and Constantinople. Now I can state with certainty that whatever may be the truth in regard to the matter in controversy, Captain Merle's mission has nothing to do with it. He is the bearer of orders to General Caorobert. He will proceed to the camp before Sebastopol without stopping by the way, and will stay there but twenty-four hours. Iby no means affirm, however, that the event which all Europe finds it difficult to believe may not after all be realised. The whole history of Napoleon 111. shows that he loves startling incidents, and that on great occasions his most intimate friends and coun sellors are left in doubt as to his decision up to the last moment. That the idea of suddenly appearing at Sebastopol has really crossed his mind is to me not doubtful. The Emperor:has been much perplexed by contradictory reports as to the state of the army and the prospects of the siege. He desires to uphold General Canrobert, but has received reports against him which cum painful misgivings. A serious difference of opinion exists between General Canrobert and Lord Raglan. The English commander, at the last council of war, expressed an opinion that the siege should be con verted into a blockade, and that no assault should be attempted before the month of May.. General Canrobert, on the contrary, was so convinced that the assault should be given almost immediately that he expressed his determination to attempt it with the French troops alone. The result of ti is discus sion was that Lord Raglan, washing his hands of what appeared to him a rash measure, withdrew the remains of his army to Balaklava to form a reserve, leaving all the trenches before Sebastopol in the oc cupation of the French. The Emperor greatly dc sired to judge for himself which of the two generals was in the right. He would also have been glad to hate given a fillip to the old magic influence of the name of Napoleon on the field of battle, which he con siders to have been damaged by the insufficiently explained departure of the Prince Napoleon from the theatre of war. I repeat that—although I thick the better opinion is that the Emperor has, or at least had, given up his project—l am not certain, in spite of all improbabilities, that it may not be again on the tapir. His resolutions may be modified from hour to hour by the state of the negotiations with Prussia. A report has been circulated that a treaty with that power had been already signed. This is not correct. A Prussian agent, Colonel Olberg, arrived only yesterday afternoon with fresh instructions for Baron de Wedell. A conference with M. Dronyn de Limye was at once held, from which nothing posi tive resulted. Strong hopes are, however, entertained in official quarters that Prussia will at once join the alliance. It is rumoured that the Count Jacques de Tolstoy. who wu for 20 years an attache to the Russian em- r r F ~"'