The Press. — London, England, 1854-10-28 00:00:00

I i i caster principle) ; ten bomb•veesels, to be armed with from two to three mortars of the most powerful description ; and twenty gun-boats, drawing about four feet of water, the latter being specially intended for service in the River Nova. WAR SPECULATION ON THE BOURSE. WHILE all France its on the tenter-hooks awaiting the arri val of the courier (not a Tatar) who is to bring the tidings of the fall of Sebastopol, the 300 or 400 persons who be tween one and three o'clock gather in the vestibule of the Bourse receive with equal eagerness every report, every story, whether favourable or unfavourable, and are equally prepared to make money by a victory or realise a fortune by a defeat. Bourse speculators form a race apart. Other men glory in the triumphs of the allies, or mourn over the defeats of the Russians, according as they are swayed by political feeling; but for the boursier there are neither allies nor Russians, there is only a rise or a fall, and the only question which interests him is that of anticipating a suc cessful or an unfortunate issue in order to derive advantage from either. A story is told of one nervous speculator, whose existence since what may be called the first taking of Sebastopol has been one of uninterrupted torture. He had speculated on a fall, and puzzled, in common with the public at large, by the extraordinary and oftentimes unin telligible accounts brought by the telegraph, made a bold effort to arrive at the truth amid the doubt and darkness which encompassed it. With that object he went to con sult one of those clairvoyontes who, for the small fee of a franc per consultation, will disclose all that passes at the moment they speak, from the North Pole to the Antartio, or from Hindostan to the back woods of America. The stockjobber timidly put his questions to the sleeping sorceress—" What are the allied armies doing at this mo ment" (the 20th inst.). "They are encamped near Sebes topol." " What have they done ?" " They have burnt the Russian fleet—not a vessel saved; they have bombarded Sebastopol, which has surrendered ; killed hundreds, and beaten the Russians in all directions." " Are the allies in Sebastopol ?" " No." "Why not ?" " Because Fort Constantine and Fort St. Nicholas are still standing, and their fire prevents them from occupying the city, which is in ruins." " Has Prince Meusohikoff come up to the allies ?" " Yes, but he has been again beaten, and his army cut to pieces. I see, I see him followed by a few horse men flying towards Perekop !" " Then the Russians are beaten, and the Crimea is lost." " Yes!" "No hope of their rallying?" " None whatever." " Then I am lost (the. French expression employed is more emphatic), and I shall be ' executed' next settling day !" was the wild exclamation of the boursier, as he snatched up his hat and rushed from the apartment. Since then he has been the most miserable man in Paris, as lie firmly believes in the truth of the cluirvoyante. If the prediction be verified the credit of clairvoyance is established for the future. NURSES FOR THE WOUNDED, __ . The Secretary at War has written the following letter to a gentleman residing in one of the midland counties, who had transmitted to the War-office various offers from ladies who were willing to proceed to the East as nurses and attendants on the wounded : Wm.-office, Oct. 21,1854. Pear Sir,—T beg to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, stating that you have received several communications from ladies offering their services to go out in the capacity of nurses, or for the purpose of offering spiritual m inistra tion, in the British General Hospital at. Scutari, and asking what course to take regarding them. The Government have felt that it would be impossible to throw open a military hospital —or, indeed, any hospital —to the indiscriminate nursing of any persons whose benevolence or wish for employment might induce them to offer themselves, without evidence of their experience or fitness to perform the arduous duties they undertake. The duties of a hospital nurse, if they are to be properly performed, require great skill as well as strength and courage, especially where the cases are surgical cases, and the majority of them are from gunshot wounds. Persons who have no experience or skill in such matters would be of no use whatever; and in moments of great pressure, such as must of necessity at intervals occur in a military hospital, any person who is not of use is an impe diment. Many ladies whose generous enthusiasm prompts them to offer their services as nurses are little aware of the hard ships they would have to encounter and the horrors they would have to witness, which would try the firmest nerves. Were all accepted who offer, I fear we should have not only many inefficient nurses, but many hysterical patients, themselves requiring treatment, instead of assisting others. Nor, even if capable in other respects, would they always be ready to )field that implicit obedience to coders so necessary to the subordination of a military hospital. In self-defence, the surgeons before long might find themselves compelled to exclude all the female nurses, good and bad, with a view to rid themselves of the trouble some and inefficient. The Government have oome to the conclusion that the best mode of obviating these dangers and inconveniences would be to appoint some one person, on whose energy, ex perience, and discretion they can rely, who should be the one authority to select, to superintend and direct, in the British general hospitals in Turkey, a staff of female nurses, herself acting under the immediate orders of the medical authorities. Miss Nightingale, who has, 1 believe, greater practical experience of hospital administration and treatment than any other lady in this country, has, with a Belt-devotion for which I have no words to express my gratitude, under taken tbis noble but arduous work. She will act in the strictest subordination to the chief 'HE PRESS. medical officer of the hospital ; and the nurses wbo ac company or who follow her will, in the same manner, be placed completely under her authority; nor will any one be admitted as a hospital mine except she have a certificate signed by the director-general of the army medical depart ment, upon Miss N.'s recommendation, or that of some person deputed by her. 1 trust that all confusion will be avoided by this arrangement. Miss Nightingale leaves England this evening, thirty-four nurses accompanying her to Scutari. No additional nurses will be sent out to her until she shall have written home from Scutari, and reported how far her labours have been successful, and what number and description of persons, if any, she requires in addi tion. Should more be required a register of their names will be kept, and applications may be made to Miss Stanley, 6, Grosvenor-crescent, Belgrave-square ; or the Hon. Mrs. Herbert, 49, Belgrave-square ; or to St. John's Hospital, Queen's-square, Westminster. It is most important that those who wish to devote them selves to the work should fit themselves by previous training, and acquire by practice in a hospital a knowledge of the duties they undertake, and confidence in their own power to perform them. This they can do by application to Mrs. Gipps, St. John's Hospital, Queen's•square, West, minster. But, in the meanwhile, no one can be sent out until we hear from Miss Nightingale that they are required ; nor would any one going out there be admitted to the hospital unless provided with the certificate I have already described. All I have said as to the necessity of order and authority as regards the attendance on the sick and wounded, so far as their physical wants are concerned, applies with still more force to the provision for their spiritual wants. It would be impossible to run any risk of the military hospitals being made the arena of hostile efforts directed by rival creeds one against the other. Clergymen of different denominations are sent out in the relative proportion of the troops belonging to their faith, but they go at the expense of the Government, to whose authority they are amenable, and they are empowered to choose persons to aid them in their labours as scripture-readers or otherwise. An additional number of clergy are about to proceed to Turkey, but, like their predecessors, under military authority, and under strict orders as to their conduct ; and no one can be admitted on other terms. It is most neces sary, for the sake of harmony and good order, that this system should be strictly maintained. I have endeavoured, I fear at some length, to explain what has been done and what is doing, and the reasons for the course adopted. It only remains for me to express my thanks for the interest you have taken in the noble and brave men whose sufferings it is our duty and our endeavour to assuage, and my sense of the admirable spirit which has dictated the many offers of personal service and pecuniary liberality which have been made through yourself and others. SIDNEY HZRISSIM. Mr. and Mrs.'Bracebridge, with a party of thirty-six nurses, left London on Monday last for Boulogne, en route to Marseilles. At Boulogne they were re ceived with great tiosipitality, and the proprietor of the Hotel des Bains, where they spent the night refused all payment for their entertainment. The party are to join Miss Nightingale at I'aris. It is stated that a number of nuns, of the Order of Mercy, are to proceed from the south and west of Ire land to Dublin, on their way to the East, to render their services to the sick and wounded. The Sisters of Mercy are a religious order very much resembling the Sisters of Charity. Dr. Spence and Dr. Cumming, deputy inspectors general of hospitals, accompanied by ten staff assistant-surgeons, left town on Tuesday, having been placed under immediate orders to join the army in the Crimea. These officers have proceeded via Mar seilles. Acting Asssistant Surgeon Wason is relieved from duty at Chatham garrison, for the purpose of proceeding for service in Turkey. PATRIOTIC FUND. Numerous meetings continue to be held all over the country for the purpose of organising committees or otherwise aiding in obtaining subscriptions to the Patriotic Fund. In almost every instance the appeal has been eagerly responded to, and lists opened with contributions of considerable amount. On Thursday the Court of Common Council of the City of London met and voted a donation of 2,0001. to the fund. A great City meeting is also to be held at the Mansion house on Thursday next, the 2nd of November, for the promotion of the great object. AN OFFICIAL APPLICATION has been made to the Admiralty for permission that the Russian and Finnish officers now prisoners on parole at Lewes to visit London, and that the younkers (as cadets) may be permitted to enj'y the same privilege. A reply has been received granting the boon. BY the death of Lieutenant-General Ewart, which took place on the 23rd instant, the colonelcy of the 87th regiment has become vacant. There are now three regiments of infantry without a colonel, viz., the Bth, 50th, and 67th. THE HON. AND REV. SIDNEY GODOLPHIN OSBORNE, brother of Lord Godolphin, and rector of Durwestone and Bryanston, Dorset (the "S. G. 0." of the Times newspaper), last week left Blandford for Con stantinople, to aid in the distribution of any funds collected for the benefit of the wounded in the battle of Alma. SATURDAY, trtign halo antelligtrue. FRANCE. The Emperor and Empress have left Paris for Compiegne, where they remain until the 6th of November. A large number of invitations have been issued, and a distinguished circle of visitors will be entertained with balls, concerts, theatrical representa tions, and hunting parties. The Emperor's pack of English hounds and hunters have been sent to Compiegne. The Court will visit Fontainebleau before returning to the Tuileries. Viscount Canning and Lord Chief Justice Camp bell have arrived at Paris within the last few days. The Moniteur de l'Arntie contains a long list of promotions and nominations in the Legion of Honour in consequence of the battle of the Alma. Among the list of grand officers are Generals Canrobert, Bosquet, and Forey ; and in that of commanders Generals Thomas, de Monet, and de Paladines. There is also a list of 129 non-commissioned officers and soldiers who have had military medals awarded to them for their conduct. The Moniteur publishes a nominative list of the French officers killed and wounded at Alma. There were four officers killed ; sixty-one were wounded. The names of the non-commissioned officers and privates killed and wounded are only partially published, but the total loss is stated at four officers and 132 non-commissioned officers and privates killed, and sixty-one officers and 1,139 non-commis. sioned officers and privates wounded. The Emperor has granted a pension of 20,000 f. to Madame St. Arnaud as a national recompense for the loss of her husband. Mr. Parrett, an English engineer, exhibited on Monday to the Emperor, at St. Cloud, models of his tubular life raft and pontoon raft. His Majesty ex• pressed himself much pleased with the ingenuity o' these inventions, and dire -ted that the models shoult be deposited with the Minister of Marine ant Minister of War. A number of sailors of the French Baltic fleet wll receive leave of absence for four months, with tie privilege of engaging during that time in the fishifg or coasting trade. This favour will be grantedin preference to such of the men as have fumiliei to maintain. The artillery of the French army is commanded by 8 generals of division, 17 of brigade, 48 cobnels, 50 lieutenant-colonels, 170 chefs d'escadront, 379 first captains, 317 second captains, 272 first leute nants, and 194 second lieutenants. The futilely is divided into 17 regiments, namely, 4 of 18 bitteries each, 1 of pontonniers of 16 batteries, 7 nounted regiments of 15 batteries, and 5 regimentsof horse of 8 batteries—in all 233 batteries. A detachment of Polish volunteers has lit Toulon for the East, where they will enter thi Ottoman service. Brigadier-General Francisco Solano I.,(pez, Envoy Extraordinary of the Republic of Paragtay, had on Tuesday an audience of the Emperor t take leave, his mission in France being terminated . The Pays publishes various detail' which prove the deep solicitude felt by the Emperor for the wel fare of the army Not only has the Minister of War organised the intend ance and the hospital service in such amanner as to pro vide for every want—not only has he sent large supplies of every kind—but every man has been provided with a cotton shirt, a flannel waistbelt, a lianket, and a tente abri. The Emperor has also sent te. the General•in-Chief of the army of the East a considcable number of small bottles, containing a preservative against the cholera Hearing also that the officers in the Crimea had great uiffi culty in procuring wine and bandy, his Majesty appro priated 60,000 f. from his privy purse for despatching a certain quantity of these articles to the army. The camp of the north has not been less the object of the particular attention of the Government. The soldiers have each re ceived from the Minister of War a flannel belt and two blankets. Each company las a room constructed in which they can warm themselves, and which contains two kitchens. The Emperor !ias, at his own expense, caused iron roofs, thirty yards loaf; by ten yards wide, to be con structed, warmed by staves, and intended to serve as places for meeting. There will be one for officers and two for soldiers in each division. It is stated that these rooms will cost, the Emperor more than 150,0011 f. The camps being very distant from each other, omnibuses have, as already stated. been established, also at the expense of his Majesty. They run four times a week between the camps and Boulogne. Each brigade is also to have a library composed of fifty volumes. IELGIUM. B: --- The Brussels Moniteur of Wednesday publishes a royal decree, dated from Lacken on the 24th instant, by which the Senate and the Chamber of Repre sentatives are convoked for the 7th of November next. The Cologne Gazette notices a rumour current at Brussels, wording to which Prince Napoleon, the heir-presumptive to the French throne, is about to espouse the daughter of King Leopold, a grandc hild of Louis PLilippe. -.