The Press. — London, England, 1854-05-20 00:00:00

MAY 20, 1854. and Sante Constantini, condemned to death. Rug giero, and the two brothers Phillippi and Bernardo Facciotte, to the galleys en perpetuiti; and Francisco Constantini, Selvaggi, and Testa, fifteen years in irons. The other accused have not yet been set at liberty, the greater part of them having been pre viously condemned, or being on the eve of trial for other offences. The prisoners have appealed, and the appeal will be heard on the 12th. The proceed ings were secret. PORTUGAL A most important measure is now under discussion by the Lisbon Government, comprising a complete revision and alteration of the whole monetary system of Portugal, which will, of course, affect its finances, as well as its external commercial relations. A project has appeared for raising a loan in series, to the amount of 10,000,000,000 reis by " Titulos de Obras PublicEus," at six per cent. per annum. The loan is intended to carry into effect all public works, but the interest is to be paid by those items of revenue which are at present raised for public works, and applied to the service of the State. The squadron that is to convey the young King to London is to consist of two steamers only, but it is said the admiral insists on hoisting his flag on board one. The war against Russia is very popular in Lisbon, so much so that a strong desire exists to raise several Portuguese regiments for the British service to be employed in that war. A Russian ambassador to the Court of Lisbon arrived from Southampton on the 2nd, incog., and under an assumed name. SPAIN. Queen Isabella has conferred the Grand Cross of the Order of Isabella the Catholic on Omer Pacha, and on Mehemet Ali Pacha, ex-Minister of War in Turkey ; and the Cross of Commander of the same Order on Ferik Pacha, Mustapha Pacha, and Ismael Pacha. The Madrid Gazette publishes a royal decree restoring to his Royal Highness the Infante lion Henry his titles and honours. The reply of the Spanish Government to Mr. Soule's last note was, that they consider General Pezuela and the Cuban authorities to have acted in a perfectly regular and legal manner; that, out of consideration for the United States, but not as an acknowledgment of right, the fine of 6,000 dollars has been remitted, but that the demands made upon Spain by the American Minister are destitute of foundation, and wholly inadmissible. RUSSIA. Travellers coming from St. Petersburg state that the Emperor, although greatly harassed and fatigued by the accumulation of labour, and evidently baring traces of profound anxiety, is not indisposed to the extent reported and believed in the West. The accumulation of military business has brought such excess of labour upon the War Minister, Prince Dolgorukoff, that an adjunct has been appointed to his department. This, however, produces little diminution of labour to the Emperor, who directs and supervises all matters, and not a single detail is carried out without his previous examination and assent. An extraordinary scarcity of money prevails in the capital, attended by a corresponding increase of prices, not only on all articles of luxury, but of first necessity, and especially upon colonial produce, which must henceforth be transported by land, ex clusively from Prussian and Austro•Galician fron tiers. Not an atom of coffee, rice, foreign-made sugars, spices, drugs, and numerous sundries, as well as raw salt, hitherto drawn from abroad, can reach St. Petersburg or other places, save by this expen sive and tedious route. A grand parade of the garrison of St. Petersburg took place on the sth instant, in presence of the Emperor, Empress, and Imperial Family. The troops, consisting of nearly 40,000 men of the Guards, of all arms, were commanded by the Czarewitch, who is chief of the corps of Guards and Grenadiers. RThe houses on the right bank of the Neva at St. Petersburg have been demolished. The Russian versions of the Odessa affair, differ ing as they do so materially from those received by the English and French journals as published upon authority in the official organs of London and Paris, have received an imperial endorsement by the following decree, which was published in the Invalide Ruase of the sth inst.:— " To our Aide-de•Camp General, the General of Cavalry, the Commander of the 3rd Corps of Infantry, Baron Osten- Sacken the First —On the day when the inhabitants of Odessa, assembled in the orthodox temples, were celebrating the death of the Son of God, crucified for the redemp tion of humanity, the allies—enemies to his holy name— committed a crime against this city of peace and com merce, of this city where entire Europe, in its years of famine, always found open granaries. The French and English fleets bombarded our batteries for twelve hours, the dwellings of the peaceful citizens, and the merchant vessels in the roadstead. But our valiant troops, con ducted by you in person, and filled with a profound faith in the supreme protector of justice, gloriously ---~-- r THE PRESS. repulsed the attack of the enemy against that soil which had received, in the time of the apostles, the sacred pre cursor of the Christian religion to our holy native land. The heroic firmness and devotion of the troops, inspired by your example, have been crowned with complete success; the city has been saved from destruction, and the hostile fleets have disappeared. To recompense worthily so brilliant an action, we grant you the Order of St. Andrew. (Signed) " NICHOLAS. " Saint Petersburg, April 21 t May 3), 1854." The damage done by the bombardment to the Government property in Odessa is now stated to be far greater than was generally supposed. The Russian journals announce that, in virtue of a deci • sion of the Government, the military stores, batte ries, and all the other works of defence, destroyed by the division of the combined squadron, shall be re constructed at the expense of the city of Odessa. Those journals add, that the Czar, in taking that decision, merely acceded to the patriotic demand of the inhabitants of that city. The Governor of Moscow caused a "Te Deum " to be sung in honour of the victory gained by the Russians at Odessa. The Copirte Zeitung's Correspondenz says : . . " It is confirmed that Russia is concentrating an army corps of observation on the Prussian frontier. The 20,000 troops that have recently commenced their march from Warsaw will not be sent into Moldavia, as at first announced, but to the neighbourhood of Petrikau and Czenstochan—places which are only a few miles distant from the Prussian frontier." A letter from the Russian frontier, published in the Moniteur, states that the levies of troops have ceased throughout the empire ; they amount to 200,000 men. The principal armies are stationed in columns along the frontiers of the south and the north-west. The different reserve corps are concen trating around Moscow and Kiew. There are 50,000 men now in Poland. TURKEY. Prince Napoleon, who arrived at Constantinople on the Ist inst., was received on the same evening in a most affectionate manner by the Sultan. On the following day the Prince was visited by the Sultan— a most unusual honour. In the evening there was a grand banquet at the embassy in honour of the Prince, who proposed the toast of " The Sultan." Muslaman Bey and Mehemet Pacha have been appointed, respectively, to the Ministries of Com merce and Police. Namik Pacha, who was lately charged with the negotiation of a loan, will, it is said, be nominated Ambassador to France. A terrible conflagration took place in Constanti nople on the 4th inst. Two or three hundred houses were burnt down. Prince Napoleon and the crew of the Roland worked actively to extinguish it. Mr. Colquhoun, the English consul, passed through Belgrade on the Ist, coming from Wallachia, on a mission extraordinary to Bosnia, the Herzegowina, and to Montenegro. He will endeavour to prevent any armed rising in these provinces against the Turks. GREECE. The French Emperor seems determined to take effectual means for putting down the insurrection on tha frontiers of Greece. Troops have already been embarked at Toulon for that country. The Moniteur has published an article on the attitude assumed by King Otho and his advisers, which leaves no doubt that these troops are prepared to act with vigou and decision. Both the English and French ambassadors are stated to have left Athens on the 3rd inst. By the latest advices from Athens we learn that the Greeks are disheartened since the bombardment of Odessa. Kariaskai has been mortally wounded. Three generals have been sent by King Otho to defend the northern frontier. Some transports, conveying horses belonging to the generals of the expeditionary army, have been attacked by Greek pirates. Eight thousand muskets, destined for the Greek insurgents, have been cap tured near Malta. The Government of Greece will, it is said, be re quired by the allied powers to give in its adherence to the protocol of Vienna. UNITED STATES. New York advices to the 3rd inst. reached Liver pool on Monday by the Asia. Great loss of life and property had been caused in the States by deluges of rain. In a battle with the Indians forty United States soldiers had been killed and wounded in New Mexico. AUSTRALIA. The celebrated-clipper ship Marco Polo arrived in the Mersey on Saturday, after another very quick ran from Melbourne in 83 days. She left England on the outward voyage on November 9, and thus completed the double transit in six months and four days, including a stay of twenty-three days at Mel bourne. The Marco Polo was run ashore near that port by the gross negligence of the pilot, but was got off with much trouble and expense, and, on an ex amination by the cfficial at Melbourne, declared fit 463 for the homeward voyage. The accident, however, caused much prejudice against her safety, so that she brought only ninety passengers and about 100,000/. in gold-dust. She brings also a mail, in which are replies to the English letters sent out as late as December 5, a rapidity unexampled in Australian postal communication. From Hobart Town, by way of Callao, we learn that a fire had taken place there, and property to the amount of 500,000 dollars had been destroyed. THE WAR. THE ARMIES. The Duke of Cambridge has at length reachei Con stantinople. H.R.H. passed through Corfu on his way from Trieste, spending some hours in the island, and dining with the governor, Sir H. Ward, on the 7th. At au early hour next morning he continued his voyage to Constantinople, where he arrived on the 10th. A review on a grand scale of all the British troops in that capital, mustering now 10,000, was ex pected to take place immediately after his arrival. Prince Napoleon had preceded the Duke of Cam bridge by several Jays. He reached Constantinople on the Ist inst., and interchanged visits of ceremony with the Sultan on that and on the following day. Marshal de St. Arnaud was at Smyrna on the sth. At the date of the last advises from Gallipoli we learn that a forward movement was expected to take place in a few days. The French troops there were preparing to march for Adrianople. Orders have been received at that place to have provisions ready for 70,000 men, who are expected there towards the end of the month. Lord Cardigan passed through Paris early in the current week on his way to Marseilles. The Rifle Brigade, and the 93rd Regiment of High landers, have arrived at Scutari from Gallipoli. A company of Sappers and Miners has also arrived there, but without tools. The health of the troops continues to be excellent. The barracks are spacious and airy, though filthy and overrun with vermin. The infantry employed in the East are divided into four divisions, each of two brigades : Ist Division, his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge, R.U.-Ist Brigade, the Grenadier, Coldstream, and Scow Fusilier Guards, Brigadier Bentanck. 2nd Brigade, Briga- dier Sir C. Campbell.-42nd, 79th, and 93rd Regiments. 2nd Division, Sir De Lacy Evans, K.C.B.—lst Brigade, Brigadier Pennefather.-30th, 550 i, and 95th Regiments. 2nd Brigade, Brigadier Adams.-41st, 47th, and 49th Reglo menta. Yrifbivision, Sir Richard England, K.C.B.—let Brigade, Sir John Campbell, Bart.—lst, 4th, and 38th Regiments. 2nd Brigade, Brigadier W. Eyre, C.8.-28th, 44th, and :10th Regiments. . _ Light Divisiou, Sir George Browne, K.C.8., Brigade, R. Airey.-7th, 23rd, .and 33rd Regiments. 2nd Brigade, U. Buller, C.11.-10th, 77th, and Stith Regiments. The 2nd battalion of the Rifle Brigade will set u a regiment ( under tho 2nd brigade of the Light Division) u may be ordered. THE REINFORCEMENTS. From Malta we are told that twenty transport ships, with detachments of the Bth Hussars, 17th Lancers, and 38th Regiment, arrived between the 6th and 9th inst. On the latter day two large French steam frigates, the Infernal and Canade, arrived, and pro ceeded to the Levant. The first had on board 10 horses and 026 troops ; the other, 24 horses and a full battalion-1,0:56 troops. Besides these, the cor vette Capricieuse has joined from Toulon, with 200 troops and 150 sailors. From England the 11th Hussars have sailed in several transports from Kingstown. As one of these vessels, the Tyrone, was on the point of departure, a number of her crew mutined, and occasioned some delay; but the disturbance was quelled, and eight of the mutineers arrested and carried away in irons. The 42nd Highlanders were inspected on Tuesday at Portsmouth by Major-General Simpson, and a full examination made into their fitness for the field previous to their embarkation on Thursday in the steam-packet Hydaspes. The 4th or Royal Irish Dragoon Guards moved in from Newbridge on Tuesday to Dublin, to embark at Kingstown for Turkey. The 2,500-ton screw-ship Jason, Captain Lane, is embarking the Horse Artillery at Woolwich for Con stantinople. She will take just as many as five sailing-transports. The 1,000-ton screw-ship Harbinger, with Captain Gambier's company of Royal Artillery, a portion of the heavy battering train, and fifty tons of gunpowder, passed Gravesend on Sunday afternoon for the East. The Sydney takes the other portion of the battering train. The order for the 97th Regiment to march from Windsor was countermanded on Monday in conse quence of the American steam-ship Orinoco not being in a sufficient state of readiness to proceed im mediately with the troops. The departure of the regiment is now fixed for Monday, the 22nd inst. The Himalaya steamer, intended to convey the sth Dragoon Guards from Cork to the seat of war, will arrive in Queenstown on the 25th inst. ~~:•-~ P I J