The Press. — London, England, 1854-12-16 00:00:00

1186 to dissipate that sympathy of the people with the cause of the war which up to the present moment has been so general. The Earl of ABERDEEN complained that the bill had been misrepresented, its sole object being t 3 in troduce into this country a limited number of troops for the purposes of drill only, the troops thus drilled to be drafted into our army in the East. The Earl of MALbIESBURY expressed his strong objections to the measure, contending that every other means should be exhausted before we attempted to recruit an army among foreign countries. Earl GREY, though ho regretted the necessity of employing foreigners, would not oppose this bill. He had no doubt of the spirit of Englishmen, but the exigencies of the case required more speedy re inforcements than the necessity of drilling our home recruits would allow. In answer to the Earl of GLENOALL, The Duke of NEWCASTLE said it was the intention of Government to embody the whole of the Irish militia. As to the countries from which the foreign recruits were to be taken, it would not be right to mention them now, as no communication had yet been made to those countries from whom they ex pected recruits. He complained, with some warmth, that the measures had been entirely misrepresented by noble lords opposite. The bill was then read a second time. The commital of this bill was moved by the Duke of NEWCASTLE, who admitted the justice of many of the objections urged against the measure, and con sented so to modify it as to render impossible the employment of foreigners on military duty in this country, and reduce the number to be immediately enlisted from 15,000 to 10,000. Thus modified, the bill, after a discussion, in which Lords Ellenborough, Berners, Hardwicke, Vernon, Clanricarde, Derby, and Argyll, took part, was or dered to be committed by a majority of 55 Contents to 43 Non-contents. The bill then passed through committee, and was ordered for third reading this day (Saturday). AUSTRIAN TREATY. The treaty lately concluded between the Emperor of Austria on one part, and the Queen of Great Britain End Emperor of the French on the other, was laid on the table by Lord John Russell last night. VOTE OF THANKS TO THE ARMY AND NAVY. The noble lord afterwards rose to propose a vote of thanks, from the House of Commons, to the army in the East. He felt sure of universal Sympathy in performing this grateful duty, and remarked that, even those who believed the management of the war to have been inefficient, would be only the more ready to recognise the superhuman valour and nn exampled heroism displayed by our soldiers in the field. Disclaiming any intention of criticising the tactical skill with which the military operations were carried on, Lord John Russell professed his high admiration of, and entire confidence in, the talents of Lord Raglan, who had woo his way to command by eminent services many years ago, under the Duke of Wellington, in the Peninsula. Adverting to more recent triumphs, the noble lord remarked that the best blood of England had been spilled in their achievements, declaring that in that expression he recognised no limit of birth, or rank, but believed that higher honour, if possible, must be assigned to those sons of labour who had devoted heart and life to their duty, without even the expectation of favour or promotion to stimulate their courage. Referring to Lord Raglan's despatches for the detailed nar ration of warlike proceedings, he briefly sketched the successive engagements and manauvres that fol lowed the disembarking of the allied forces in the Crimea, and related many incidents evincing the per sonal prowess, the professional skill, and the perfect unity of action among the leaders of the British and and French armies. Mr. DISRAELI seconded the motion. He expressed his perfect concurrence in the tribute which it was proposed to pay to the heroism of our army and its ally, but remarked that that heroism was not exhi bited only in action. Lives had been sacrificed and intense endurance undergone, amidst labour and privation, and the course thus evinced was not less noble than if it had been displayed under the glare of the battle-field. After a few words from Lord HOTHAM, Mr. LAYARD, Mr. MILNER, and Mr. H. DRUMMOND, the vote of thanks to the army was put and agreed to. The vote regarding the navy having been read, a conversation took place respecting the conduct of Admiral I)undas, in the course of which Sir J. GRAHAM, on the part of the Government, declared himself perfectly ready to defend that gal lant commander for every disparagement. The vote was then agreed to, as were the other votes of the series, in complete unanimity. Adjourned at half-past seven o'clock. Similar votes were proposed in the House of Lords by the Duke of Newcastle. The motion was sup ported by the Earl of Derby, the Earl of liardwiel- THE PRESS. Viscount Hardinge, the Earl of Malmesbury, Lord Gough, and Lord Colchester, and carried unani mously. jortign and (colonial llntelligente. FRANCE. The Emperor has caused a bronze medal in honour of Marshal de Saint Arnaud to be struck off at the Mint. It bears on one side the effigy of his Majesty, and on the other au inscription, of which this is a translation : Napoleon 111. to the memory of Marshal de Saint Arnaud, conqueror in the battle of the Alma, on the 20th of September, 11351. Died on board the Bertholkt the 29th September, 1451. His interment in the church of the In. valides was ordered on the 11th October, 1854, and cele brated under the direction of Marshal Vanlaint, Minister of War, on the 16th October, 1854. On Wednesday evening, for the first time since the opening of the campaign in the Crimea, the Emperor visited the Opera in Paris. Admiral Hamelin, in consequence of the recent dignity conferred on him, is to return to France, with Rear Admiral Count Bonet Willaumez and the other officers of his staff, and Vice-Admiral Bruat is to take the command of the French naval forces in the Black Sea. The Baltic and Mediterranean squadrons are to be formed into one, under the name of the Medi terranean squadron. Several British officers on their way to the Crimea arrived in Paris on Tuesday, and shortly afterwards were observed promenading on the Boulevards, where they excited the most lively interest, and were received with the heartiest welcome. In the evening they departed for Marseilles on their way to the seat of war. At Lyons and Marseilles, without waiting for the decision of the Roman See, the fête of the Immacu late Conception was celebrated on the Bth with great pomp. Lyons was illuminated at night ; Bengal lights from time to time rose in the sky, and balloons filled with fireworks were let off. At Marseilles the tete commenced in the morning with a procession, which lasted for two hours, of the statue of the Virgin, which was escorted by detachments from the garrison. At night the streets were illuminated, and a great crowd thronged the streets. The fete was to continue the next day. GERMANY. The following has been published in a semi-official journal, as the ultimatum addressed by Austria to Russia Austria has sent her final summons to Russia. No modification of her territorial possessions is demanded. Besides the four points, an indemnification for the war expenses is to be a basis for peace propositions. A. future Russian protectorate over the Greco-Catholic subjects of the Porte is declared inadmissible, as inter fering with the Sultan's sovereign rights. The five powers guarantee the privileges and equal rights of the Christians. The Russian protectorate in the Danubian princi palities, and in Servia, is declared extinct. The navigation of the Black Sea is to be guaranteed by the razing of Sebastopol, and by converting the other arsenals on its coast into common harbours. The Russian fleet to be reduced to four frigates and two line-of-battle ships. The remainder of the Black Sea fleet to be allowed to withdraw to the Baltic. The free navigation to be en sured by a formal declaration. The Sulina mouths, with the environs, to be declared neutral territory. A courier left Vienna for St. Petersburg on the 3rd instant, the day after the signature of the new treaty. On the following day Prince Gortschakoff spent an hour in audience with the Emperor of Austria. Prussia has not yet joined the alliance of Austria and the Western powers. When that treaty is rati fied she will be invited to join, and will, it is stated, probably comply. The King of Prussia was seized with a slight in • disposition on the 7th, and for several days remained in his apartments. He, however, continues to re ceive the reports of his Ministers as usual. The Prussian Moniteur announces the taking pos session by Prussia of the territory of Jande, which she has acquired by treaties entered into on the 20th July and Ist December, 1853, and also pub lishes the ordinance regulating the provisional man agement of that territory. In a special sitting on the 9th inst., the Ger manic Diet acceded to the additional article of the Berlin treaty of April 20. The decision was all but unanimous, one vote being withheld. DENMARK. The King has composed his ministry. Count Molke has been named Prime Minister; the Privy Councillor Scheel, Minister of Holstein; Bailli Stockfleth, Minister for Schleswig ; Lieut.-Col. Andre, Minister of Finance ; Professor Hall, Minister of Public Worship; the Councillor Simony, Minister of Justice ; Count Wulff l'lessin, Minister of Foreign Affairs ; Colonel Lucttichan, Minister of War; and Admiral Mourier, Minister of Marine., SATURDAY, ITALY. A telegraphic despatch from Rome announces that on Sunday last the Pope, officiating at St. Peter's, promulgated the decree which declares that the Immaculate Conception is an article of faith of the Church, and that whoever denies it is a heretic, Two hundred bishops were present on the occasion, and, in the words of the announcement, "Rome was intoxicated with joy." SPAIN. The Madrid journals of the Bth have arrived. General Kos de Olano was generally spoken of as likely to be the new Minister of Marine in the room of M. Salazar ; General Prim and M. Corradi were also mentioned. A conspiracy at Cuba has been suppressed. Two United States packets have been siezed at Havana, for having conveyed arms and seditous pro clamations. TURKEY. The Presse of Vienna has the following from Jassy, of the 21st ult. :—The Porte has recompensed the Jews of Moldavia for the loyalty which they have always shown. All the Jews whom the Russians had incor porated by force in the Moldavian militia have been liberated, and have had a part of their taxes remitted. RUSSIA. The Empress of Russia is reported to be dying. It was not even certain that she was alive when the last Vienna account was transmitted from St. Peters burg. The barrage of the approaches to Riga Harbour, by sinking masses of stone, has been so effectual that even merchant vessels drawing an ordinary depth of water cannot enter or depart with cargoes, and all such vessels must be loaded and unloaded outside this artificial bar destined to prevent the ap proach of hostile cruisers. There being no prospect of attempts being made to remove these impedi ments until peace is signed, the barrage will gain solidity from accumulations of sand and mud, and many months and a large expenditure will be re quired for its ultimate removal. UNITED STATES. The latest intelligence from North America is of the 25th ult. It was rumoured that a naval demonstration would be made in the Dutch East Indies, s hould Holland persist in refusing Captain Gibson's claims. The British consul as Honolulu has protested against the annexation of the Sandwich Islands. THE ABSOLUTE. (From a Correspondent.) [lt is proper to state that the following paper is compressed from a memoir drawn up by the Sovereign of one of the minor German States, who, under an aspect of indifference w poll. tical affairs, conceals great peuetratiqn and sagacity.] THERE are three principles of governmental policy militant throughout Europe—the absolute, the re publican, and the constitutional. Even in the two last, traces of the first may be more or less detected. The insidious encroachment of the absolute is the imminent danger of the present age, and feeble is the sophist who, without discriminat►on, would seek to confound that term, and to determine its properties by the word autocrat. The autocrat is only the re alisation of the absolute in a particular phasis, and is a consequence of a prevailing cause which ensures a state of despotism. The despot, or autocrat, does not create himself by himself—he is only obedient to the generic power of the absolute, whereby he is placed in a position to represent the principle by which be is him self ruled. A disobedience thereto would cause his removal for a trustier representative. The essential for the ascendancy of the absolute is a blind obe dience in the governed and the extinction of all rationalistic process which might suggest an analysis of the qualities of good or evil in the governing body. To dispute the will of the official act, or the moduli operandi, is to attack the vital principle of the system itself, and consequently is judged to be the most flagrant of all possible crimes. Blasphemy against the absolute of God may be atoned for by acts of penitential severity, but blasphemy against the abso lute of Government can only be expiated by death. Now, there are two necessities for the conservation of the absolute, viz., that the governed should be debarred from au association with other sys tems, and that the ruling principle should be extended. Both these essentials are antagonisucon the main, to a state of peace. An intimacy with other systems of political government more germane to the rationalistic begets reflection leading to a comparison that is immediately detrimental to a po licy which degrades man to the level of a brute. Therefore isolation or slender habits of foreign intercourse, and only by official permission, are the dictates of a despotic prudence. But as foreign will,• ance by princely marriages must, to a certain degree, beget association without let or hindrarce, even by receiving the foreigner, it is of the first importance that the principle of the absolute should be sought to be enlarged everywhere, by foul means or fair, in \