The Press. — London, England, 1854-04-01 00:00:00

APRIL 1, 1854 certain that the Ituabian force maintained itself in Bul garia." It thus appears that the Danube has been crossed in three places by the Russians—at Ibraila by thirty thousand men without opposition; at Galatz by fifty thousand men, under General Luders; and now at Oltenitza by Prince Gortschakoff. The statements of the strength of the Russian army must, however, he read with the remembrance that they come mostly from Russian sources. We learn in addition that on the 24th General Luders commenced preparations for the siege of Alatschin. Matschin is well fortified, and has had its garrison lately strengthened by the addition of 4,000 men. It is situated about thirty-two miles north-east of Hirsova. A despatch from Prince Gortschakoff to Baron Meyendorff, dated Ibraila, 24th ult., confirms the passage of the Danube by the Russians under his command and that of General Luders, at Ibraila and Galatz. TURKEY. The treaty of the triple alliance between France, England, and Turkey, was signed on the 12th ult. at Constantinople. The text of the convention was re ceived on Wednesday at the Foreign office in Paris. Orders have been sent to Malta to hasten the de • parture of the Engish expedition. Advices from Constantinople of the 16th tilt. state that the Mufti refuse to grant the fetva for the emancipation of the Christians. The Sultan went himself to request it, but without success. Redschid Pacha has demanded the keys of the Russian palaces at Pera and Buyukdere. They are in the hands of the Austrian Ambassador, who has refused to part with them. This demand has been made in order to lodge Prince Napoleon, the Duke of Cambridge, and the other personages and command ing officers of the Anglo-French forces expected in Constantinople. The Russian Ambassador's palace has been assigned to Lord Raglan as a residence. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe has addressed a circular to the British and lonian merchants resident at Constantinople, announcing to them that the Rus sians have stopped up both mouths of the Danube, at Salina and San Giorgio. The former has been closed by throwing a chain across it, and sinking bags of sand and other heavy substances into the river, only leaving a small passage in the centre to per mit the entry of Russian gun-boats and small craft. The latter has been completely closed by a similar process. This can only have been effected by sea. The merchants at Constantinople are suffering se verely in consequence of the obstruction of navigation, their ships and property being locked up in the river. The Retribution found the Salina mouth of the Danube impassable. The fleet were still at Beicos on the 20th ult. Omer Pacha is reported to be advancing in force from Shumla, to hold in check the Russian corps of 70,000 opposite Rustchuk. It is calculated that four thousand French troops must have arrived by this time at Gallipoli, and fifteen thousand have sailed from Algeria to join them. Fifty thousand will be assembled at Gallipoli before the beginning of May, and measures have been taken to reinforce them if necessary. EGYPT. Several Turkish steamers have arrived at Alexan dria with a very pressing demand for Egyptian troops, to assist the Sultan in quelling the insurrec• tion of the Greeks in Macedonia and Albania. Abbas Pacha has been obliged to leave his place of retreat in the desert, and come to Cairo to meet the Sultan's envoy, to arrange the preliminaries of the marriage of his son, who is sixteen years old, with the Sultan's daughter, six years old. Abbas Pacha's expenditure on this-occasion will be enor mous. The sums his Highness has already presented to the envoy amount to upwards of 20,0001. sterling, and he is to send to his son's bride a diadem of the value of 200,0001. sterling. This marriage has appa rently been proposed by the Sultan in order to recruit his finances for the war he is carrying on with Russia. The removal of so many men from Egypt does immense harm to the country, which is in want of an increase of population. Under ordinary circumstances the army of Egypt does not exceed 30,000 men, while now there are 25,000 men on the banks of the Danube and 75,000 men in Egypt, of whom 12,000 to 15,000 more are to be sent to fight the Greeks. GREECE. The Turkish Ambassador at Athens demanded his passports and quitted that city on the 24th ult. According to advices from Epirus of the 24th, the insurrection was spreading, but the Turks still held the fortresses. Letters from Athens of the 24th say that Turkish troops had reached Arta vii Salaora, on the Gulf. They had as yet only had one or two unimportant rencontres with the enemy in Epirus and Thessaly. The Gomer and two English steamers have been sent to Athens. King Otho has again been called upon to prevent collections and levies for the insur rection THE PRESS. THE lONIAN ISLANDS. The Lord High Commissioner at Corfu has pub lished a decree strictly prohibiting all assemblages, the purchase of arms, ammunition, &c. Passports are delivered very scantily there. The lonian Parliament was prorogued on the 18th ult. W that day month. UNITED STATES. Several arrivals from North America have taken place during the week. The latest New York dates are of the 18th ult., brought by the Arctic. The outrage by the Cuban authorities upon the steam ship Black Warrior had caused another pro tracted session of the Cabinet at Washington. Pre• sident Pearce had sent a message to the Senate on the affair. The President intimates that the outrage is so clear that he shall expect full indemnity as soon as the matter shall be made known to her Catholic Majesty's Government. In anticipation of contingencies, he suggests to Congress the propriety of adopting such provisional measures as the exi gency may seem to demand. The message was received in Congress with great satisfaction by all parties. A Government messenger was despatched by the Arctic to convey to Mr. Soule, United States envoy at Madrid, instructions to offer serious representa tions to the Spanish Ministers on the subject. The outrage has infused fresh courage into the Cuban exiles, and a million of dollars has been raised for another filibustering expedition to Cuba. The ice on the Hudson had broken up, and the navigation was open. The boilers of the steamer Reindeer, trading on the Ohio, had exploded, killing upwards of forty persons. Fifty persons bad lost their lives by the sinking of the steamer J. L. Avery in the Mississippi river. The steamer Caroline was burped on the Tennessee river ; forty persons were burned and drowned. A fire had raged at Rochester, which had done twenty thousand dollars' worth of damage. INDIA. The February overland mail reached London on Tuesday. The political news is of little interest. Bassein, in Burmah, was in a disturbed state. Captain d'Orgoney, the French officer in the service of the King of Ava, is on his way to France. Shanghai is still in possession of the rebels, and the rebel army is wintering at Fech Liu, 100 miles from Peking. AUSTRALIA. The overland mail from Sydney has been re ceived to Jan. O. The Constitution Act for New South Wales had passed through committee, and was read a third time on the 21st of December. The plan of a nominee Upper House for life had been modified to one appointed by the Clown for five years. The Council was prorogued on the 22nd of December till the 7th of February. The revenue in all its branches continued to be highly productive. Notwithstanding the increased expenditure, and the loss incurred by the reduction of the gold licence fee, there was reason to hope that the receipts would prove equal to the demands of the public service. The value of the gold exported from Victoria during the year 1853 was about 14,000,0001. ster ling; from New South Wales, 6,000,0001., part of which, it was supposed, had been received from Victoria. 6 out tinb lotion. HER MAJESTY held the first Drawing-room of the season at St. James's Palace on Thursday. The presentations were numerous, and the attendance exceedingly brilliant. The Queen wore a train of white poplin, brocaded in gold. The petticoat was white satin, trimmed with white tulle, gold blonde, and sweet peas. Her Majesty's headdress was an opal and diamond diadem, and feathers. The following presentations took place in the diplomatic circle: — By the French Ambassadress—Countess Helene Kiel mansegge, daughter of the Hanoverian Minister at this Court. By the Countess de Lavradio—Mademoiselle de Macedo, daughter of the Brizilian Minister at this Court; Madame de Lamare, wife of an officer in the Brazilian navy. By the Countess of Clarendon—Mrs. Daniel E. Sickles, wife of the Secretary of the American Legation ; Madame Antonio Bagioli, mother of the above lady; Mrs. Upham, wife of the American Commissioner on Claims; Miss Caroline Denny and Miss Amelia Denny. By the Sardinian Minister—The Marquis Louis Calabrini, a Roman nobleman. By the Brazilian Minister—Le Capi taine de fregate de Lamare. By the Mexican Minister — Don J. M. Gutierrez de Estrada, ex• Minister for Foreign Affairs in Mexico. By the Spanish Chargé d'Affaires — Don Josi Manez, Lieutenant in the Spanish Royal Marine. By the Turkish Minister—Fahri-Beg, Secretaire Ministe riel to the Sublime Porte. THE QUEEN held a Court and Privy Council on Wednesday. At the latter the several notifications respecting embargoes, reprisals, and prizes, ren dered necessary by the declaration of war, were . drawn up and ordered to issue. 297 Has MAJESTY has signified her intention to be present at the opening of the Crystal Palace, which, as at present contemplated, will take place on or about the 24th oflili. Prince Albert rode over to Sydenham on S aturday, and spent some time in viewing the progress of the works at this edifice. THE QUEEN AND PRINCE ALBERT, accompanied by the Princess Alice, visited Marlborough house yester day week, for the purpose of inspecting the Gherar dini models, which are now on exhibition in the museum of the department of science and art, pend ing a negotiation for their purchase by the Govern• ment. THE MASTER OF THE ROYAL HOUSEHOLD has, at her Majesty's commend, presented the Royal Free Hospital, Gray's-inn-road, with a large quantity of linen from Windsor Cantle. HER ROYAL HIGHNESS THE DUCHESS OF GLOU CESTER was able on Tuesday to leave her chamber for the drawing-room. The Queen and Royal Family are daily visitants to the Duchess. THE COUNTESS OF CLARENDON bad an assembly on Tuesday evening at the official residence of the Foreign Secretary in Dowing-street. Their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge and Princess Mary honoured the Countess with their presence. The Orientalists, Meer Jassur Ally Khan Bahadoor, of Surat, and Meer Ally Ackbar Khan, attended the reunion, attired in their superb Eastern costumes. LADY BEAVUONT had an assembly at her mansion, Bruton-street, Berkeley-square, on Wednesday even ing. It was honoured with the presence of a select party. THE COUNTESS COLLOREDO, wife of the Austrian Minister, gave an assembly at the official residence of the Legation, Clarendon-street, Cavendish-square. The Duke of Cambridge was amongst the visitors. Her Highness Princess Anna of Portugal, accoin pealed by the Portuguese Minister and the Countess Lavradio, also honoured the a.aetnbly with her pre sence. . ----- LADY MARY WOOD bad an assembly on Thursday evening, which was numerously and fashionably attended. THE COUNTESS 01 , ZETLAND'S assembly took place last evening in Arlington-street. A COMPLIMENTARY DINNER is to be given to the Earl of Elgin on Thursday next by gentlemen con nected with our Canadian dependencies. It is ex pected that the entertainment will be very brilliant. Lord John Russell has consented to take the chair. LORD AND LADY FALKLAND have returned from their trip to Upper Egypt, and intended proceeding to Jaffa and Jerusalem in a French steamer towards the end of last mouth. Volitual anD foural. RUSSIAN CAW:WEL—The following important des patch has been received from Lord Clarendon, in further reply to the representations of the parties in terested in cargoes of Russian produce : " Foreign-office, March 2.11, 1854. " am directed by the Earl of Clarendori to state to you that his lordship has further considered the quer. tion whether Russian produce brought over the frontier by land to Prussian ports and shipped from thence by British or neutral vessels will be subject to seizure by her Majesty's cruisers, and to subsequent oonliscation in the High Court of Admiralty. " Lord Clarendon conceives that the question will turn upon the true ownership of, or the interest or risk in, and the destination of the property which may be seized or captured; and that neither the place of its origin nor the manner of its conveyance to the port from whence it was shipped will be decisive, or even in must cases of any real importance. s l / 4 " Such property, if shipped at neutral risk, or after it has become bond fide neutral property, will not be liable to con demnation, whatever may be its destination. If it should still remain enemy's property, notwithstanding it is shipped from a neutral port, and in a neutral ship, it will be con demned, whatever may be its destination ; if it be British property, or shipped at British risk, or on British account, it will be condemned if it is proved to be really , engaged in a trade with the enemy, but not otherwise. '1 he place of its origin will be immaterial, and, if there has been a bond )lde and complete transfer of ownership to a neutral (as by purchase in the neutral market), the goods will not be liable to condemnation, notwithstanding they may have come to that neutral market from the enemy's country, either overland or by sea. " Lord Clarendon has, however, to observe that circum stances of reasonable suspicion will justify capture, although release and nut condemnation may follow; and that the ships with cargoes of Russian produce may not improbably be considered, under certain circumstances, as liable to capture, even though not liable to condemnation. (Signed) "H. U. ADDINGTON." Tn PUBLIC DEPOSITS in the Bank of England (which include funds that ought not to be touched for any purpose whatever except their proper use) amounted, according to last week's returns, to some thing less than 3,750,(X)01. With perhaps a third of this amount, and what may be added up to the sth inst., the Chancellor of the Exchequer has to pay the =lnii 11 ,