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

102 late elections in these boroughs had been declred e void on petition, and he wished to give the ho a us an interval of five weeks to consider the reports from the several election committees, and de termine how the franchise question should be dealt with. AORTCULTURAT. STATISTICS. In answer to Mr. Stafford, Mr. CARDWF.LL stated that Sir John Walsham and another gentleman had been sent to institute en inquiry into the agri cultural statistics of the counties of Norfolk and Hants, and he expected their reports very shortly. EPISCOPAL AND CAPITULAR REVENUES. The Marquis of BLANDVORD has obtained leave to reintroduce the bill of last session making better provision for the manage ment of capitular and episcopal property. The only moditication proposed in the present bill is one for giving corporations, aggre gate or sole, p eet power of applying a portion of this property to the making rmanent provision for the spiritual wants of the population in which it was situated. With the assent of Lord J. Russell the bill has been brought in, and passed the first reading on Thursday. GOVERNMENT MEASURES. Mr. 'Daus, on behalf of the Government, has promised a series of measures, which will be introduced on the following dates :—Monday next, the 6th inst., Motion for committee of whole house on parliamentary oaths (Lord J. Russell); Friday, 10th, Leave to bring in a bill to amend laws on bribery, treating, and undue influences at elections (Lord J. Russell); same day, Bill to Amami laws respecting election petitions and inquiries into corrupt practices at elections (Lord J. Russell); same day, Bill to amend law of settlement (President of Poor-law Board); Monday, 13th, Leave ►o bring in new Reform Bill (Lord J. Rus sell); same day. Bill to amend laws concerning the vacating of seats by members of the House of Commons (Lord J. Russell). Sottip and (Colonial fltelligtatt. PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. PARIS, February 2. THE speech of the Queen of England appears at full length in the Moniteur of this morning, unaccom panied by any comment. It is generally rumoured here that this royal address is more significant in its omissions than in its expressions. No mention of the entry of the combined fleets into the Black Sea, and the names of Austria and Prussia not pro nounced. Mlle. Petrowich, a Servian singer, made her dibut last night at the Italiens in Luerezia Borgia. M. de Kisseleff, with several Russians, was present at the representation. He holds himself in readiness toile part from day to day. The ball given on Saturday at the Hotel de Ville was magnificent. The brilliant salons of the muni cipal palace were dazzling to behold. The Prefect of the Seine, M. Hanssman, and M. Delangle, presi dent of the members of the Municipal Canned, did the honours with delightful courtesy. Upwards of 5,000 persons were present, among whom were to be re marked a great number of English visitors of dis tinction. The orchestras of Strauss and Dufrene inspired the dancers. Five It/Its, abundantly provided with all the delicacies of the season, offered their varied seductions to the guests. The ball was opened at half•past eight o'clock, and continued till far into the morning. The Emperor and Empress honoured with their presence the ball at the Palais Royal on Sunday, given by the Prince Jerome. The Ministers, the grand officers of the Crown, and several distinguished members of the Senate, the Corps Legislatif, the Conseil d'Etat, and the army, were among the bril liant throng which crowded, to the number of six hundred, the rooms of the Palais Royal. Their Ma jesties arrived at ten o'clock, and remained till one o'clock in the morning. The Imperial School of Fine Arts will soon proceed to the election of a new member of the commission charged to assist the section of architecture in the award of prizes, and also of a secretary of archives, vacant by the death of M. Achille Leclerc. The celebrated Abbe de Lamennais, author of " Les Paroles d'un croyant, " who has been lately very ill, was yesterday declared out of danger. The Prince Napoleon has been received with marked honours at the Court of Brussels. The Duke de Braaant welcomed him on his arrival, surrounded by a bril liant staff, and conducted him to an anclicince of re ception held by King Leopold. On the 30th of January a grand court dinner was given in his honour. The French Ambassador and Mme. Bar• rat were also invited. After the dinner, his Imperial Highness went, in company with the Duke and Duches of Brabant, to the ball of the Nobles, where he remained till half-past eleven, and went away with their Royal Highnesses. Next day the French Ambassador presented the Corps Diplomatique to the Prince, who conversed with each o f th e Ministers of foreign powers present. After which he accompanied the Duke and Duchess of Brabant to visit the Church of St. Gudule and the Hotel de The Bourgomestre of Brussels attended, and pointed out the different monuments to the visitors. In the evening another grand dinner took place, THE PRESS. succeeded by a visit, in company with the Belgian Royal Family, to a performonce (by command) at the opera. It is said that the Prince will proceed from Brussels to Berlin. The family of the late Lieutenant Bellot have pre sented to the mayor of Rochefort (his native town) the cross of the Legion of Honour worn by him on board the Phenix in his last and fatal expedition in the Arctic Seas. M. Bineau, Minister of Finance, having called the attention of the Emperor to the very valuable services rendered to the country by the custom house officers and men employed on the coast, a decree has appeared this morning nominating a number of these meritorious functionaries to be chevaliers of the Legion of Honour. The Government has again found itself called upon to disclaim any responsibility in the trans mission of news conveyed through the medium of the electric telegraph. Stringent orders have, more over, been given to bring to justice any parties send ing despatches which may be false, of a nature to trouble the public mind, or to facilitate fraudulent speculation. FRANCE. Prince Napoleon left Paris on Saturday for Brussels, travelling in the same train with the Prince de Chimay, who was returning to Belgium. The details of his journey were chronicled with much parade in the Moniteur, and he was received in the Belgian capital with imperial honours. The Duke de Brabant met him at the railway station, and con ducted him to the palace. Much importance is attached in both countries to this journey, and innumerable rumours are current both iu Paris and Brussels as to its cause and object. It is said to mark a complete change in the relationship between the Bonaparte and Coburg families, and there is a persuasion among the Parisians that the Duke and Duchess of Brabant will shortly pay a return visit of compliment to the Emperor Napoleon. All the young disposable soldiers of the second portion of the contingent of the class of 1851 are called into active service by imperial decree to fill up the gaps produced by the discharge of old soldiers of the special corps. Colonel Ardent, accompanied by the English general Sir John Burgoyne, are said to be about to visit Constantinople, these officers being commis sioned by their respective Governments to pro ceed there on duty connected with military engineer ing. Several military councils have been held at the Tuileries with respect to this subject, at which the most eminent French military engineers have assisted. The Emperor has been present at atl, and has taken great interest in their labour - . Many Russian families are preparing to quit Paris, and some have already done so, to their infinite regret. The Moniteur has published the official returns of the customs during the month of December last, and also for the year 1853. The receipts last month amounted to 11,840,175 f., being a decrease of 1,505,812 f. on the corresponding month of 1852, and an increase of 2,148,147 f. on that of 1850. The yearly return of 1853 amounts to 140,395,473 f., being an increase of 531,818 f. over 1852, and of 23,242,001 f. over 1851. The principal articles on which an advance has taken place, as compared with 1851, are raw cotton, coffee, rough castings, coal, wool, and French colonial and foreign sugars. The Times article, in anticipation of the Queen's speech, was telegraphed to Paris on Tuesday morn ing so incorrectly that the expressions of the writer were attributed to the Queen. Much sensation was excited, and the consequent fluctuations in the Bourse were serious. In consequence, probably, of this incident, the Moniteur subsequently published a notification stating that the Government is not responsible for the news given in pnvate telegraphic despatches. It will continue, however, to give the greatest latitude for despatches of this kind; but it has thought it necessary to order that any despatch with false news and of a nature to disturb public tfanquillity, or to favour illicit speculations, shall be brought under the notice of the judicial authorities. A contract has just been concluded at Rochefort for the equipment of 15,000 men : they are to be fur nished within one month, independent of 20,000 already in progress, which number is nearly com p** SATURDAY, with the Emperor on Monday last, the 30th. He was expected to leave the Austnan capital before the end of the week. A letter from Vienna, in . the Cologne Gazette, states that tue disposition of the Ausuians is not untavour able to the Turks, even in military circles, and that Count Orloff would find great difficulty in succeeding in his mission. As it is, no State has hitherto suffered more than Austria from the disturbance caused by Russia. It was reported that the Emperor Nicholas would pay an early visit to Vienna and Berlin. The Germanic Diet have resumed their labours concerning the modifications which were to be intro duced into the military constitution of the Confede ration. BELGIUM. The Belgian Minister of nuance has presented to the Chamber of Itelu•eseutativea a bill provubing a credit of 1,730,0001. Mr UHs continuation of the ueten sive woks of the country, and for completing the necessary warlike stores. SPAIN. A decree suppressing passports was signed on the 45th ult. by the Queen of Spain. The Nueion and Diario Espanol have been sus pended for not making up their caution-money, a part of which was embargoed to pay a tine imposed on them. The Oriente has been condemned in 5,000 reels fine, and six months imprisonment for its re sponsible editor. RUSSIA AND TURKEY. The English and French Ambassadors at St. Pe. tersburg have already received their instructions to demand their passports, and it is added that the tone of those instructions, which will be read to Count Nesselrode, contain some strong e,pressions which are not in the answer to the Russian An►bas sdors. The Cologne Gazette states that the Imperial Guard has received orders to set out on the Ist of March to occupy the coast of the Baltic, its head-quarters being at Riga. Telegraphic despatches from Vienna announce in very positive terms the dismissal and disgrace of Prince Gortschakotf, and add that General Schilder, who has been appointed his successor, had left l'esth for the seat of war. Another account states that the general hail, indeed, departed for the scene of hosti lities, but simply for the purpose of superintending the operation of throwing bridges across the Danube for the passage of the troops. General Schilder is chief of the engineers, and the statement of Prince tiortschalcoirs dismissal appears exceedingly. doubttu'. The Wallachian peasants sell all their cattle to avoid Russian transport service. The Russians pro hibit the purchase of cattle from the peasants. The whole Russian fleet was at Sebastopol on the 11th ult., but left in the direction of Ratkum on the following day. At the date of the last intelligence from the Black Sea the greater part of the British fleet had returned to Constantinople, in order to convoy troops and ammunition to Varna. The Odessa correspondent of the Wanderer writes on the 20th of Jan. that 400 vessels were in port taking in corn. It was then still firmly believed in Odessa that there would be no rupture between Russia and the Western powers, though the tre mendous preparations proved that the war against the Porte was to be carried on with all energy. There are nu tidings of any hostile movements in the principalities, but accounts have been re received of a sanguinary battle which took place on the Ist December at Soubatan, in Asia, a place in ! the Turkish territory, between Kars and the Russian frontier. The battle continued the whole day with great obstinacy, and the losses were very consider able. A letter from Trebizond of the and gives the following details of this engagement:— " The Turkish force was composed of about 25,000 regular troops and redifs, besides a considerable body of bagi bozouks (irregular cavalry). The Russians had from 20,00) to 25,000 men. Only the right wing and centre of the Turkish army were engaged in the battle. The left wing, which was commanded by Veil Pitch', could only come to within three hours' distance of the , scene of action. The regular troops end redifs fought very well, and were for several hours engaged with the Russians. Several attacks were made with the bayonet, and they even fought hand to hand with the Russians. They were, however, abandoned by their leaders ; and then, of course, nut having any one to direct them, took to flight. Several thousand men were killed on either side; and the Turks lost 17 guns. " Veli Pacha brought back his men to Kars, where most of the regulars and redifs of the centre and right also rallied ; but the bazi bozouks and other irregulars all took to flight, and disbanded. The Russians remained masters of the field of action, and remained in the villages near for several days, quietly collecting the guns and ammunition lea by the Turks; and then returned to Gumri and Akiska, recrossing the frontier. The Turkish colonel of infantry (Skender Rey) was killed. The troops would not have suffered so much had nut the generals, Hussein Paella, who commanded the right wing , and Osman GERMANY. Count Orloff's mission to Berlin and Vienna has given rise to many rumours. It appears pretty cer tain, however, that the chief object for which he is sent is to sound the disposition of the Prussian and Austrian Governments, and endeavour to persuade both or either of them to promise neutrality, if nothing better, in the fast approaching war with the Western powers. The count reached Berlin on the 25th ult., and a Count it of Ministers was held on the following day to discuss the subject of his communi cations. Their decision is not known. On the 27th Count Orloff reached Vienna, and bad an interview 1 I jig. -11