The Express. — London, England, 1855-08-25 00:00:00

r etc expreflpi. RIO CO RISPONDENTS. IMllfter ter M Itayr.r,' lArbin Emig your, 10, Doembiralost. by Two estait at tie RION WATIR AT LONDON BRIDGI. MI DAT —ikeSIDC. Oa. Oa .Akfamoos. Si. 2s. To.sismaow—Yoralms. Oti. Ska Altmemess, lb. ion. LONDON, 8.4177RD47, AUGUST 25. IT would be too much to expect that Sir CHARLES NAPIER should be in a very good humour just at present. Sir JAM'S O ILMAN is alive and well. The present Lords of the Admiralty are beginning to feel as if they were popular. Bir Cruituts's euesseor, DV DAs—whose former exploits were performed only in the Chinese war, where he assisted at the taking of a town with an unproaounceable name and ludicrous defences—has due a good stroke of business at Sweaborg. The country feels a little thrill of its old naval enthusiasm, and assumes a jaunty air at its watering-places. So, Sir Clis.aine resolves to give all parties a little setting to right. We most =Crate ear exultation. We must know why we did not perform this exploit before—we mut not forget t'aat it is not thoroughly finished off yet— and we or.ast prepare ourselves for hideous revels toes of the fog ratite& with which ens of mar leading statesmen trer.eld Sir CHARLES lest year. Certainly. Orem Eritai a he. a peculiarity of her own in this war. She by le wars going on at home, es well as the one abroad. Her Lords of the Admiralty have to combat the Haien admirals, and their own admirals into the br There i r no doubt that such letters as those of Sir CHARLES WM./Ilea, which we published yesterday, an open be all kinds of criticism. Steady-going pro hssional men disapprove of them extremely. The Russian a like them. They are irregular and scoen tine. S° sr Quatis has a palpable relish for agitation —a lik hag for the kind of thing. In vain he may tell us that the eountry'e good requires it all. Perhaps it does. But at beet the union of a dashing Admiral and . touter for the applause of Finsbury is an odd come Autism. Sir ClueLis unites qualities appa rent ly quite inharmonious. He is a mixture of awe moo 'in.. &unman and a vestry orator. He blends in I "is Nature some of the characteristics of WILKIII en , .h some of the characteristics of Ilunow. All this makes Sir (luau's es eccentric as he is certainly p fleet; but nevertheless everybody relishes a is' ter el his as far as its mere readability gses. And with regard to this last one, we , are inclined to think that —apart from the egotism and the querulous tone, which, after all, are natural in the Cue—it is entitled to more attentive consideration than people who carelessly applaud all present successes are likely to give to it. At all events, let us begin by extracting what information we can get at, from it, about the history of the war. What Sweaborg is, in position and general fortifications, our readers now pretty well know. There was a wild anxiety last summer that something should be done there, and Sir CHARLES had certainly left England with a popularity which pointed him out as the man to do it. The Admiralty seem to have got anxious about the affair GS the summer waned, and ordered a council of war to ex amine plan after plan for active operations. Mean while the squadron " had neither gun nor mortar vessels." Now, should Sir CusaLts have attacked the place without these advantages P If we are to judge by what DUNDAS has since done, we should say "No." What that Admiral has just achieved has been entirely by the employment of gun boats and mortar vessels. The tires, which fill so large a portion of the descriptions we receive of the proceed ing', were obviously caused by the shells from the mortars. The "sea defences in general," says the despatch explicitly, " were little injured;" in fact, but for the ousels in question there is no reason to believe that HONDAS would have attacked the place- The action was not a naval battle in the familiar old sense at all, but a bombardment, with which the ships had nothing todo. It is impossible to lay down rules u to what is and what is not possible in the way of attacks. The ap parition of a very great man in the Baltic might set said* precedents, for each a man's business is to make precedents. But certainly scientific opinion is against ships, in the question of " Ships versus stone walls," at present. Of course, if ships "be permitted to approach"--as Sir HOWARD DOUOLAS observes—and to take up their position at fifty yards off, as Lord Elsours did in the Queen Charlotte at Al giers, great things may be expected from their tremendous weight of metal. But these Algiers, Navarino, and Acre precedents are quite unsafe ones. The resist..nce was feeble. Batteries are different things in these scientific days. Besides, to do any thing effectually against walls, ships must be able to get pretty close to them—which the draught of water doer huge vessels will not permit. There is a fashion Is the public notice about these matters. After the Aces 'triumph, the Duke of WiLuotoros, in Parlia ment, thought it necessary to caution their lordships not to suppose that ships were capable, as a matter of course, of contending successfully with stone walls. Why the gun and mortar boats now proved so useful were not supplied in Sir CHARLES Nurse's time, it would be vain to inquire. The utility of both gun boats and mortars was often experienced in the list war. A want of mall vessels was a constant source of annoyanos—sometimes a cause of such com paradee failures is those in the Basque Roads in 1809, which led to the complaints of COCHRANE tied the trial off:Written. We frequently had tough work to do with the gunboats of our enemies. Mortar ves sels, again, are infinitely important, and have always been found so. In 1801 Nzisoze had seven bomb ships with him when he attacked Copenhagen. Sir HOWARD DOUGLAS remarks that, even on that great occasion, "the land batteries were comparatively little damaged," and that it was the fear of a bom bardment from the bomb-ships which induced the Crown Prince of Denmark to order the firing to 011140. Sir CHARLES Nan= recalls, in a paragraph of this letter, the taking of Martinique —at which time, by the way, he commanded the Recruit. On that occasion, Fort Demi: was bombarded with 28 mortars and howitzers for nearly five days; the French surrendered entirely from fear of the explo sions to be expected from the shells falling on the roof of the magazine. These facts one would think would have induced our Admiralty to make the proper preparations in good time. But they were not made. It would be too bad to blame Sir CHARLES NAPIER for not doing without them what his successor would not have attempted but for them. This seem* to us the rea sonable part of his defence. At the same time his professions were so obtrusively magnificent that he had no right to wonder that people laughed at his coming back from his °ruin with as little result as the commodore of a Cockney Yacht Club. "Difficul ties," at best, ars an ungracious plea for a British AdsairaL The glimpses we of the outer public pt of the THE IMPRESS, SATURDAY Maims betimes Admiralties and Admirals in 0 ja , is allowed . betweenits I.th of December sap. 16th letter are untsing. Sir CHARLes wea eitee: io d - W i i t em i Ziw aild . ' e l' las t eipmeetils Is ,iasi km ' leaving Whir Sound—in obedience te 14 . I thich 4 ...., i. raeuita, Om habits of &Aka- ' DON'S orders, which he bad been die*.a to f o li o able lir mill interfere•with cub an alterati on o f correspondence of Sir Jszits 4 J3 cooled ilatawaimes ea I seam& But what is celled "My dear Sir CHARLES " 1 . 6 11 My dear A iral," - at at " "is regal:4'Mo by the segos, not the am se "Peel" were kcooming dissatiefied." These session by the e seeeeer It is to the augmented 6 . a assiduity of modern parliaments, not to any change in little t"th r of ,_ aa . "'de ere the P ee p er t h ereete;jet 7:: the habits of the pleasure-loving part of the public, comedy. &t •• tali isettwee with which he States Buvu that we owe the lengthening out of London radii things that constitutes OM charm of the Admiral's ties i n t o the middle of summer. Fifty years ago lucubration& "Though he returned to ,My dear the session began nearly when it does now, but it Sir enselza,' I saw he was no longer to be trusted." ended in June. The social nuisance of which we There lis a tinge of melancholy in this last hit— me.Pleie — the he i ug. cooped up between walls of Ascend by the humorous vision one naturally brick and mortar during nearly all the fine part of the year—is one of quite modem origin. W o w h o kerne of the cold chuckle of the Admiralty 1 10 1 44 * seek to abolish it are restorers, not innovators. %Asia—which, give to the whule passage a The conduct of parliamentary business will be as dramatic reality. easy under the old u the new system. Even the m g. production of the budget at an earlWr period than is Sir Cluauts cannot deny that something now usual would canoe no inconvenience or derange &table has been done: and that more would have meat, except perhaps during the first year. It is not been done with more means is a conclusion too among working politicians, whether in office or oppo. obvious to demand our thanks. When he mentions sition, that the present arrangements . will find sup. that DUNDAI was one of a Board who oensursd him p Niers. I have conversed on the sub ject with many for not attacking Sweaborg last year, he plants a hitmem bers . doubt exp resse d of all either es , asaatdolthhir h eard of .he at that Admiral, not wales . ., perhaps, but which existing practice or the possibility of amending it. gees home to its mark. Undoubtedly, DUSDAS has Some argue that though in times of emergency or' achieved his success by possessing means which when any question of interest presses an autumn Sir Crisman did not. The reflection which a reader session has frequently been held, yet that the earlier commencement of parliamentary proceedings with no partiality one way or other forms is likely to be the stale one that the war preparations has not caused them to end earlier. They instance the session just closed, which began in December last, are so managed that men are at the mercy of apps- and also that of 1862.3. I reply—That the practice rates, instead dapparates being at the service of men, of meeting in autumn in, as matters now stand, ex iled the mortars been supplied earlier, the Russians ceptional and irregular. The object is to pass some could never have strengthened their position so much particular measure, or to take the sense of the as they have—under our very rya—these many national , sal repr e sentatives on the continassleolOmeme et sush wille maws months back. Sir CHARLES NAPIER'S letter, indeed, i ltusiness inet o . f the a y e ear i ' the m budret p , the setates, the though not entirely satisfactory am regards himself, votes o f onpp l y on taken a the end time; and has an effect which in his present temper he will pro- generally the whole period gained in advance is bably vales more—it discredits the system which he occupied by debates on some one or two topies. When we separated last year for the Christmas MB. ' wishes to expose, but in spite of which a greater man than himself would perhaps have succeeded. days, nothing had been done except to alumni the conduct of the war, and to pass the Militia Bill and the Foreign Enlistment Bill. Lastly—and this is the only objection to which I can assign any validity whatever—it may be ors tended that there is in the house a numerous awl valuable body of men whose love of sport leads them to prefer a winter recess, and who must either sacri fice their favourite pursuits or neglect their public duties. If this were so, it would be an argument 91 weight, and I therefore go into the question a little in detail. I pass by noidentally, and not as laying stress upon it, the obvious fact that by keeping country gentlemen away from their homes in summer, and thereby almost compelling them to reside them in winter, the Legislature directly encourages that partition. kind of sport which is most injurious both to agriculture and to rural morality—l mean the preserving of hares and pheasants in large numbers for bateau. But is it true that the amusements of sport ing M.P.'s will be interfered with to any consider able extent by a November meeting ? Let us see how the case stands. Scotch moors, with their pecu liar pursuits of deer-stalking and grouse-shooting, are out of the question long before November. The lovers of those amusements will not be interfered with. Partridge shooting begins on the Ist of Sep tember, and the best time for it is over before the proposed day of parliament meeting, not to mention the month's recess at Christmas. Even for the slaughter of hares and pheasants two fall months are allowed—October, half December, and half January. Surely one sixth of the year is enough foe the pastime of a legislator. But, in practice, it is well known that very many M.P.'s now reside in the country until near Easter, only coming up at intervals for an important debate or division. In this slack perform ance of duty by individuals, though not abstractedly justifiable, there is less harm to the public than many might incline to suppose. Most of the business transacted by the House of Commons is business of Business of detail cannot, without a degree of a▪ l Imam and patience, which in no parliamentary *tenthly can one reasonably expect to find, be trans and by 650 persons. If, u in old times has been aomatissa done, every member of the house were compelled to attend, and to remain present in his place, I greatly doubt whether much of the work which parliament now gets through would not re main altogether unperformed. But in this I am rather palliating than vindicating a custom of which it is enough for my purpose to say that it exists at the present time, and that it is not likely to be materially increased by the change proposed. The question at issue is, in one concluding sen tence, this: Shall the apathy which makes men un willing to depart from established custom, and the risk of some slight interference with the amusement of a few individuals, stand in the way of a reform recommended by nature, by common sense, by the prattle° of all other countries, by the wish of a large majority in parliament itself, and of a far larger number of persons not in parliament, whose habits are indirectly, but powerfully, influenced by those of the members of the Legislature ? The matter no doubt is not one of national import ance, but nothing is small that concerns the conve nience and comfort of some thousand persons, and that tends to improve the conduct of public busioesa—l remain your obedient servant, Knowsley, Aug. 24. STANLEY. J. T. Bedborougb, Esq., the Treasurer of the Perry Defense sad Testimonial Fund, informsjhe subscribers that an arrangement has been made for the investment, in Aus tralia (to which country Mr. Perry is about to proceed), of the balance remaining of the subscription received on his amount, amoaatisg to 2,0101. 3s. 3d. Mr. Bedborough also publishes the following letter, which he has received from Mr. Parry:—" London, August 21, 1866.—My dear sir,—The conclusion of my Windsor mitten has errived. sad, although the end is neither such as you desired to effect for me, or that the kind aid of the people of England evinced their desire to see oossummated, I have the eouselatiou to reflect ea having been bone up by the generous sympathy of my thaatrymea at a period of great perplexity. I cannot find wade to express my sense of the goodness shown to me in my troubles, and without which I must have sank under them, but I hope to show by my future career in another land, that the sympathy sad kindness I have received will ewe tees. bee thrown sway. My father's efforts for me in a military capacity have bees, by an safortaaste combination of sir asustaness, rendered abortive, sad my greatest mortifica tion is, that his thence ,from his native country—if not • considerable extension of his already long military ler vios—will ►e the result of my lose of positioa in the army. To yourself and the other kind Moods who gave me aid sad countenance, I shall ever retain feelings of the deepest gratitude. Believe me, my dear Sir, with great respect sad esteem, yours sincerely, J. B. Perry.—J. T. Bed borough, lip." _ - The Atheneum remarks that when this Yankees marched into Mexico they carried with them a printing. press, and published a newspaper along the line of invasion. Across prairies, through dangerous panes, over mountain ranges, sometimes on males, oftener on men'. shoulders, occasionally in waggons,—travelled press, paper, type, and ink,—editors, contributors, and pressmen, fighting, tong ing, writing, working onward. Infinite were the uses of the press. It serried orders through the camp. Every 111031110( the soldier read in it the story of the previous day. llt anticipated gazettes. It disseminated orders of the day. It perpetuated the pulp of the camp ; reflected public opt sloe in the army ; made known every want; supplied 'Tay informatin ; clucked, inspired, and animated every heart. Had the Almeria's. been M the Crimea, they would have had daily papers at Basilan, Enamels, Tenikali, sad Constantinople; and these papers—reflecting the humours, I Incidents, sad life of the amp—would have ranked among the best historical documents os the war. Military officers returning wounded, or di sa bl e d,' es• provided, at the public Gummi ' both with lodgi o p sad medical attendance. Many oMesn of oar army us in a position to deollas eneh aid, bat all km a right to it : and for all who Mahn it, them accommodations me instantly provided. The Gardeners' Chronicle states, with reference to , the slectioet of four finerys of the Berlinllama fleshly of Loudon to be eerresposdiag members of the society at Path, that the Conseil of the Lauda' Society hare ordered a si milar eoutpllareat to be paid to our Preach horticultural friends as see* as the formalities required by the lifailish shut*: sea be complied with after the mama new. \ re, AUGUST u, 1114 \ 'jc court. DESPATCH FROM LORD CLARENDON. (iao LAST 3uests •Assrri.) WHITEHALL, Avon: 24. 1666. The Right Hon. Sir George Grey, Bart., has re ceived the following despatch from the Earl of Clarendon K.G., dated Bt. Cloud, the 22nd of August, 1143: Si. CLotn), AvaosT 22, 1856. Sir,—The Queen, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, and the Princess Boys], arrived on the 18th instant, in the Victoria and Albert yacht, at Bou logne, where her Majesty was received by the Em peror of the French, amidst the salutes of the Army of Boulogne, posted on the heights, and the acclama tions of a vast °mourn o( people assembled for the occasion. At Amiens, where the Queen stopped for a short time, and along the whole line of railway, her Ma jesty was received with every demonstration of re spect and kind feeling. At Paris, from the station to St. Cloud, these feel ings were manifested in the strongest manner; and I can convey no better idea of the reception of her Ma jesty by the people of Paris than by stating that the enthusiasm was quite as great as that which greeted the Emperor and Empreas on their arrival in London. The same cordial welcome has been given to the Queen at the various places where her Majesty has since appeared in public ; and her Majesty is profoundly sensible of the spontaneous and universal kindness which has been displayed towards her by the people of France. It is impossible to doubt that the Queen's visit will still more Comely cement the alliance which now so happily subsists between the Sovereigns and the people of England and France. I am happy to inform you, that the Queen, Prince Albert, the Prince of Wales, and the Princess Royal, are in perfect health.—l have, &a, CLARENDON. Right Ron. Sir George Grey, 0.C.8., &c., LORD STANLEY ON THE BEST TIME FOR HOLDING A PARLIAMENT. --4,-- TO MI =MOO OP TIM =PRINS. Sin.,—The class of a parliamentary session fur nishes the fittest opportunity for offering a few suggestions as to the time of year when such sessions ought to begin and end. I have no sympathy with that very constitutional school of politicians which thinks that the House of Commons ought to sit all the year round, or nearly so, as a check upon the Executive. On the contrary, I believe that public interest, are on the whole very sufficiently represented by the press during the usual and necessary suspension of legislative bootees'. An increase in the number or days during which parlia ment should sit would add little to the amount of work done, and osrtainly would have no tendency to improve the manner of doing it. The fatigue incident to a nine or ten months' session would exclude many members too conscientious to leave their duty unper formed, or half performed, and who, either from other occupation or physical weakness, could not devote the full amount of time and attention in that case required. We err already in this country in the way of demanding too much from the bodily strength of public men, and in doing so 1060 some otherwise available talent. I do not think that to advance further in that direction would be recommended by any reasonable person. Besides which, if ministers are to have seats in parliament, and direct the proceedings of the legislature in addition to the performance of their own mote immediate functions of administration, a recess of several months is indispensable, to prevent one of two evils—either that of the work of public offices falling hopelessly into arrear, or of its being handed over, in reality though not in name, by the responsible minister to the irresponsible clerk. I assume, therefore, that there exists no general or well-grounded desire to lengthen the session. To shorten it, on the other hand, seems difficult, if not impossible. I suggest neither course, but strept its present duration—seven months on an average—as that which custom and convenience sanction. The question which I would raise is—Do we choose our time of sitting so as to suit either the public conve nience or our own ? England is, to the beet of my knowledge, the only nation in the world whose most civilised inhabitants pass their summer in towns and retire to winter in the provinces. Every other community adopt. • different arrangement. Nature and common nose tell us to enjoy the pleasures of out-door life, of rural residence, or of travel, at the time of year when days are long, when the weather is warm, when trees and flowers are in full beauty, and when the heated atmo sphere of a populous city becomes at onee unwhole some and disagreeable. On the other hand, frost, snow, interrupted communications, long nights, and short, gloomy days, naturally suggest sedentary and social habits, the assemblage of friends and acquaint ances in a place where they may meet without trouble, and the substitution of artificial enjoyments for those which nature has ceased to afford us. A day of Lon don—l write as an M.P.—divided between clubs and committees, debates and drawing-rooms, may be en joyed almost as much, and employed to as good pur pose, in November as in July. But no one, unless his tastes be very decidedly and exclusively those of a sportsman, will compare the pleasures of the coun try in January with those of the country in Jane. The question is one chiefly of taste—it does not bear much argument ; but if it were to be settled now for the first time, apart from the influence of previous custom. I believe that by three-fourths of the classes affected, it would be decided in favour of the change which I venture to suggest. Briefly, what I propose is this,—That Par liament should meet regularly, as nearly as possible, on the Ist of November ; that it should sit for six weeks, adjourning about Dec. 16 for three weeks or a month; that it should resume its sittings not later than Jan.l6, by which two clear months would have been gained at the time when our present session usually commences, namely, the Ist of Febru ary. Deduct those two months from the other end of the session, and parliament might be prorogued by the first or second week in June, instead of the first or second week in August. I have treated this mainly as a matter of social convenience; but it may be looked at in another light. Of the jobs and blunders which escape the vigils:ice of parliament, the great balk are perpetrated during the last month or six weeks of the session, when heat, weariness, and the attractions of our brief summer have driven or drawn away all exoept some seventy or eighty members, a clear majority of whom are often official persons. That this state of things is an abuse no one can doubt: it is admitted on all hands. Ido not say that it can be entirely remedied, for human energies will fail, and human seal will flag, after a certain amount of con tinuous labour, at whatever season performed; bat the attendance would be far larger, the excuse for absence feebler, and business therefore better done, if every M.P. had before him the certainty of release before the middle of June. As matters stand, very few constituencies will find serious fault with their representative, especially if he be an old or middle aged man, because, on the plea of health, he has "paired off" in July. Moreover, the intervention of a month's holidays, as suggested, between the first and mooed sets of the session, will give • longer in terval of rest than is now enjoyed. The Easter boll days, in the plan proposed, would remain undisturbed : at Whitsuntide none would be necessary. I may be told, "The subject is one which ought to be left in the hands of Minister., party leaders, and those who are entrusted with the management of parliamentary business." To such a criticism I reply that leaders of parties are precisely the last persons who can venture to originate an alteration of this hied. They cannot afford to provoke opposition, or to lose support by throwing out ideas that may chance to be unpopular among any of their political friends. A question not in any large sense nationally important, and not advantageous in a party point of view, must be taken op by private end independent members, if meant to be carried through at all. I may be met with an objection to disturb the universal and most laudable practice of family gatherings at Christmas. Bat for these, ample leisure PETITION OF FRENCH WORKMEN TO THE QUEEN. Our Perim correspondent writes: _ . . I lately seat to you a Somewhat lengthened detail of the trial and condemnation of the browse moulders, who struck work because their masters insisted on their acing charcoal dust instead of Aide. (See Repress of Tuesday last.) The case seemed to me one of great public interest, as baring epos the general question of the relations between master and workman, but I little thought that I should bare to recur to the subject in direct connexion with the Queen's viait. Thee* men, in whom favour, as you may have ga thered from my report of their trial, the sympathise, net only of the public, but also of the public prosecutor and of the judges who tried them were enlisted, were sentenced on the very day of her „ Neje/tea triumphal entry late Paris. The eloquent Creaks:, who defended some of them, said that no new truth is ever forced upon the world bat at the pries of Inflates. He (mild not deny but that as the law stood these men were guilty of the misdemeanour termed a "coalition,' bat they Ilk their humble sphere were martyrs to progress. They, confessedly, among the most respectable and intelligent workmen In Paris, might go to prison; and their wives and children, who wore depeadest on them, might be redacted to piwa le= ; but the sufferings of these men and of their families would be the death-blow to the charcoal faction in the bronze manufacturing trade. Ho stated that not only was the use of charcoal unhealthy, but that the bronzes made with find* were bettor. In proof of this, it was said that out of fourteen brans*. which had obtained prises in the Great Exhibition, thirteen came out of factories where Mule was employed. M. Bob, who is the leader of the charcoal fac tion, bad indeed obtained more prises than anybody, but it was positively averred that, although he habitually used charcoal, the particular bronzes exhibited by him were made with fertile. The masters who battled for charcoal were now in a great minority in the trade, and, although the comparative cheapness of the substance Ins one mum why they preferred it, the great reason was that they could not shake off the spirit of routine. After the trial, it occurred to M. Crensienz and M. Tripet (one of the other counsel for the prisoners) that the case of these workmen was so exemptions' that it might not be impoedble to induce the Queen of England to think that it would not be an undue interference with the prerogative if another Sovereign, if she were to my a good wore for them to the Emperor. A petition to her Majesty was:accordingly drawn up on their behalf, and taken to Lord Cowley, through whom alone, according to the regulations laid down, any petition to the Queen while she is in Paris on be:presented. Lord Cowley felt a great deal of difficulty on the subject, which it must be admitted is a very delicate one, but lam given to understand that, under the very peculiar eirestastenoss of the case, his Ezmileeey consented to receive the petition sad lay it before the Queen. The idea of the originators of the petition was that an appropriate occasion ter its presentation would be the moment when the Queen was inspecting the beautiful French bronzes in the great Exhibition. I have not learned whether this was dose, or what was the result of the unprecedented step taken. Of coarse the Queen could not accept anything which the Emperor would refuse, sad, therefore, U the workmen are to be pardoned at her Majesty's suit, it can only be by a The Haytian Minister had an interview with Viscount Palsnerstos yesterday. M. Trieoupi, the Greek Kiniater, had also an interview with the noble Viaooant. A deputation from the Niatley Local Board of Health had an interview yeaterday with the Right Hoe. William Cowper, IILP., President of the General Board of Health, at his °Mee, Whitehall. The deputation consisted of Mr. Charles Samuel Basta'', Mr. Henry Bigsley, and Mr. David Mustard. Despatches were sent yesterday from the Colonial• office to the Governors of the North American provinces._ Lady John Russell is still indisposed at Pembroke Lodge, in Btehmaad•psrk. Lord John received visite yes torday from Viaeauntese Palmerston, Lady George Grey, Mrs. L. Fox, the Right Ron. Charles Villiers, Mr. Bulkeley, tto. The Hon. Mrs. G. Villiers (mother to the Earl of Clarendon) hive' LOWS this week for Hertfordshire. Mr. Alfred Montgomery hat arrived in town to attend his office at the Custom house. Mr. Beaumont, M.P., has left London for the Crimes. His bsautifid yacht waits for him at Marseilles. The Duke and Duchess of Beaufort, with the Marquis of Worcester and family, have arrived at Liao (attach, Monmouthshire, and will shortly visit Troy House, one of the ancient family seats, for the first tiros since the noble duke's 10P1114011 to the dukedom. The Duke and Duchess of Northumberland hare left Ainwick Castle for Kitlder Castle, to remain there for the shooting same, when the dolts and duchess return to Alowick, to rosette company. The Lake of Argyll will leave town next week for Inures, Code, N. 8., and to attend the meeting of the British Aseoclation at Glasgow. ----- The Marchioness (Dowager) of Londonderry, pre vious to leaving Wynyard Park for her seat In Inland, laid the foundation-atone of a new church at New &ahem, In affectionate remembrance of the late gallant lairqiis, her hatband. Lieatenant•General Sir George Brown is still re. aiding, with Lady Brown and family, at Leamington Spa. Captain William Peel, third son of the late Sir Robert Peel, lets in the command of the Diamond, and of the Leander, in the Black See, hu arrived in London from Malta, having bun compelled to 'stun to his native wan• try from ill health. Lord and Lady Monteagle are on a visit with Robert O'Brien, Lily., at his villa, near Limerick. _ It is now confidently stated (Herold) that the Mantels of Chaska:de will be the new Posunaster.Osseral. In addition to the annual opening of the Arundel Cutle gardens and grounds to the inhabitants of the tows and their fends, the Doke of Norfolk has kindly granted this emson another privilege of a novel character, viz , the Illumination of the lower gardens, now is great perfection. Nearly 3,000 lamp were in use ea the eseasion, esti Wag disposed in straight and drapery lianas the terraces with festmes, wreaths, and arches oa the arcades and walls, together with a liberal sdasiztere in the inset beds and by the fountain, the effect of the whole was very striking. Up wards of 3,000 visitors promenaded in the gardens from half past Bto haltpastlO o'clock. The Deke's brass head was stationed as the tension. It is gratifying to add that cot the slightest injury was done. •_ .. z , LATEST FROM ABROAD. DESPATCH FROM OF,;;ERAL pmsslEß. The Monikow of tktis morning states that the Minister of War has received the following despatch from General PePaler : "CRIMEA, Ave. 23, 10 P.Y. " Closely ineased by our miners in front of the battery to:sabered 63, the enemy decided to fire lut night flu mines against that battery. "They did not produce any effect against our battery, and did us no harm." LETTER FROM ST. The Press. of yesterday evening contains a very interesting letter from its correspondent at St. Peters burg, dated Aug. 16, describing the effects of the recent events in the Baltic and the Crimes. We quote a portion : - Two ibises of news, one from the Baltic and the other Item the Crimes, are at this moment disturbing and alarm- log our population. I rater to the ternbardm;nt of Seas hore, and the battle near the Tchernays, in the Crimea. The bombardment of fieeaborg has not by itself pro duced a very lively impression, for it is well known that all the exterior works ;of defense are carved in the rock, sad that it is impossible to annihilate them, but we hear that the allied fleets have destroyed all that it was possible to destroy, and Seashore is the key to the pass which leads to Helaingfors, the capital or, at least, the most important city of Fial►nd. It is to Helsingfors that the Remise aristocracy go for sea bathing ; and, this year, in spite of the war, the baths have preserved their usual popu larity. The noblesse were there in as great crowds al ever at the moment when the firs commenced at Sweaters. Hence you may well understand the uneasiness produced by the attack. At St. Petersburg we have seen nothing bat people hurrying to the poet to lean the news from Helaine fors, sad trembling every inetaat to learn that the enemy's vessels bad been brought to bear upon that city, and were prepared to open Are. . . Thu it is the consequences which might have followed the attack upon Sweaborg which have caused anxiety, bat in the case of the Crimea it is very different. There Prince Gortchakoff does not seek to conceal the extent of the defeat which a aumerous corps of the Russian army his ;expe rienced, aid to which news the death of General Read is added. The bombardment of Sweaborg, and the success upon the Tehernaya, show to every one beyond the possibility of doubt, the obstinacy with which the Western Powers intend' to push the war against Ramie, cud they commence at lest to undentand at Bt. Petersburg the necessity of bringing together the troops and ceacentreting them in mimes upon the points most menaced, and this gives rise to another necessity—that of moving the troops which form the principal garrisons. Thu., to prepare the army in Poland, it Yea been decided that it shall be replaced in the service of the garrisons by some mobile militia, and. already the militia of the governments of Koursk, Tanta, and Pol tava have received orders to move towards Poland, where they will replace a number of troops bound for Bessarabia. The situation of Runde to-day may be summed up in two words—misery and general discontent. , Sugar, tea, and coffee are very dear even at St. Patera burg. I can well uaderstand the dearness of tea and coffee from the blockade in the Baltic and the occupation of the Black Sea, and as to the high price of sugar there are, it is true, numerous manufactories of beet root sugar in Russia, but the manufacturers are shoo- lately without hands. The discontent of the nobles has reached an extreme point in every province. The war hat struck a fatal blow to commerce, to produc tion, and to industry. There has, in fact, been raised, by successive recruitments, more than a quarter of the able bodied labouren, and it is impossible to find a sufficient number for tilling the ground, or for working in the factory. PANIC OF THE ROMAN GOVERNMENT. (FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.) ROME, Auo. 20. Tho significant observations of Lord Palmerston and Lord John Russell in Parliament, with respect to the despotic misrule which pervades a great part of Italy, and especially the Roman States, have pro duced a sort of political ague in the minds of his Holiness's ministers, who are now in a continual tremble lest the threatened interference of France and England should place some limit to their hitherto unbounded power, or the encouragement of some Republican conspiracy menace the ecclesiastical do minions with total annihilation. This latter source of alarm hu been the bugbear of the restored government ever since 1849, and levery year has furnished, in greater or less numbers, ootspirators against the Papal throne, and victims on the Papal scaffold. The discontent of its subjects is, in fact, the sword of Damocles which hangs over the olerical government. The police authorities just now fancy that they (have got hold of the clue to a fresh conspiracy, for I the correctness of which they trust to their numerous spies in London, Paris, and bar" whose duty it is to keep the movements of Italian refugees in surveil lance, and report their plans to head-quarters. The peril is apprehended from abroad, and perhaps the circumstance of Claribeldes navigating the Mediter ranean once more, in command of a ves sel bearing the Sardinian flag, is not uncon nected with the anxiety displayed by the Papal go vernment to place the sea coast from Civita Vecchia to Terracina in a state of defence. For this purpose a strong foroe of gendarmes, in whom the government places more reliance than in the troops of the line, was despatched last night, partly by land and partly on board the Tiber steamer, to occupy the coast sta tions of Palo, Fiumicino, Ostia, Castel Pagano, and the neigbourhood, and keep a bright look out for any suspicious sail that may be observed approach ing too near the sacred shores of St. Peter's patri mony. At the present season of the year, when these localities are proverbially unwholesome, it is only in consequence of information which the govern ment deems quite positive, that it has resolved to expose four or five hundred picked men to the ravages of ague and malaria, probably deeming the health of the State a paramount consideration. A great number of active young men are con tinually applying at the British Consulate to be forwarded to the dep6t in Piedmont, for the forma tion of the Italian Legion in the British service. It is much to be regretted that instructions are not sent to the Consul here to pay the passages of recruits from Civita Vecchia to Genoa, as, in the present disposition of the inhabitants of the Roman States, a valuable addition might thus be made to the effici iency of the Legion. The French general having given permission, ac cording to instructions received from the Minister of War, to the troops under his command here to vo lunteer for service in the Crimea, so many men stepped out of the ranks, on the invitation of their several commanding officers, that the chief difficulty was which to select, the number of volunteers to be ac cepted being limited to fifteen men per company. About 500 men thus chosen, left Rome for the neat of war last week, and their places will be filled up by recruits from France. MURATIST PROCLAMATION IN SICILY. A Mnratist proclamation is said to be extensively circulating in Sicily. It is added that one phrase used in it by Prince Murat is, "The hoer is come for the people to rise. I will not impose myself upon them, but I declare myself ready to answer their cag," EXPRESS FROM PARIS. (PROW OUR OWN CORNISPONDEIVE). PARIS, FRIDAY EVENING. The new programne of the day's arrangements has been followed to the letter. At an early hour, the Emperor, accompanied by the Prince Albert and the Prince of Wales, left St. Cloud for Vincennes. The experiments performed in their presence I must notice to-morrow. They returned to Paris through the Faubourg St. Antoine, where the inhabitants, though greatly disappointed at not seeing the Queen, received them admirably. The Queen and the whole Royal and Imperial party went at half-past 2to pay their second visit to the Exhibition. The Queen inspected the upper galleries and the machinery, which she did not visit on Wednesday. The grand review this afternoon at the Champ de Mare was a most impressive scene. All Paris was there, notwithstanding the rain. The Queen, the Empress, the Emperor, Prince Albert, Prince Napo. leon, and Prince Adelbert of Bavaria, arrived at five o'clock, accompanied by a brilliant staff. As the troop paraded and filed off before the Imperial and Royal party, they raised the most enthusiastic cheers. - The Emperor wore the Riband of the Garter, - and Prince Albert that of the Legion of Honour. Both looked remarkably well. The men under arms numbered from 40,000 to 43,000. While the troop defiled, the Queen and the Empress left the carriage l and occupied seats on the balcony of the Ecole MI& taire. The Zottaves were complimented by the especial attention of their Majesties. The Queen, the Emperor, and Prince Albert after wards visited Napoleon's tomb in the Hotel des In validee, and eventually rejoined the rest of the august party at the Tuileries. The Sovereigns, after dining at the Palace, went to the Opera Comique, where they now are. M. Bach, the Austrian Minister of the Interior, is expected in Paris this evening. The Bourse was excessively agitated. At first orders to sell crowded in upon the brokers, and a fail of 66fr. 10c. for account was the consequence. There was afterwards an upward reaction, but at half-past 2 sales were again pressed. Towards the close of busi ness there was an improvement. The last price was 66fr. 20c. for money, and 66fr. 10e. for account, the fall on the day in the first case being 30c., and on the other 10c. Credit Mobilier, which has for a Jong time been in such extraordinary favour, fell 35fr. This fall, which at first was thought unaccountable, was subsequently explained as attributable to the "execution" of a heavy speculation for the rise. Railways again fell considerably, some lines as much as 12fr. and 15fr. A prosecution has been commenced against the Sleets for an article by M. Louis Jourdain, which ap. peered in that paper of the 21st, in answer to a stay set on foot by some ultra-republicans, that the Simla had sold itself to the government. A note to the article, signed by M. Havin, the political director, affirmed proudly that the government, with all its vast resources, was not rich enough to buy the Sleek. The protestations of virtue made by the Siecle are so worded that the public prosecutor sees in them as insinuation that the government would not stick at bribery if it found an opportunity; and both M. Jourdain and M. Havin have to answer charges-Ist, for insulting the government; and 2nd, for exciting citizens to hatred of each other, &c. PARIS, SATVRDLT. The Queen will leave St. Cloud on Monday at 10 and the Tuileries at 11. On her departure she will pus along the Boule vards on her way to the Strasbourg Station. The departure from the Strasbourg Station will take place at noon. ADVANCE OF A RUSSIAN DIVISION ON ERZEROUM. The Moniteur of yesterday contains the following note : " TREBIZONDE, Avner 7. "According to our latest information, the Rossi= division which is between Kars and Erzeronm, after marching to Deli-Baba, where it was reinforced by a corps of 8,000 men, advanced on the let or 2nd instant upon Kespri-Kent. Some Turkish troops which were stationed here, giving way before sepa tier numbers, had to retreat. The Russians, pursuing their march, have encamped at three leagues from Erzeroum, at a place called Korutchouk." GENITCIII AND THE SEA OF AZOF. publishes the following letter " YENIKALB, AvousT 3. " The Straits of Genitchi, impracticable for gunboats drawing six feet water, are equally so ler lighter boats, owing to the difficulty of finding a channel and ether obstacles attending its navigation. Some days ago an Eng glish gunboat arrived at Yenikale from Genitelti, the officers of which stated that the moment any vessel at tempted to enter the Putrid Sea field batteries imme diately descended to the shore, and by their firs obliged her to retire. The idea of operating with rafts has been altogether abandoned. Three English gunboats ars stationed along the Arabat Spit, at a distance of 1,200 yards from each other, for the purpose of watching the move ments of the enemy, and opposing them if' necessary. OUR steamers continually cruise in the Sea of Aiofi, and come days ago the Caton arrived at Kertch to reinforce the flotilla. The French have now seven steamers in that sea and In the Straits. The position of the corps of occupation continues the same. The works at Yenikale are progressing satisfactorily, and the covered way connecting our line of defence with the sea is nearly terminated. The health of, our men is excellent, and our brave ma rines are now quite recovered from their sufferings, thanks to the rest which they have of late enjoyed, and the good nourishment our razasas procured them. After being ea gaged in active operations ever since their landing in the Crimea, they are now employed in more peaceable labours. Two companies have left Kertch, under the orders of Capt. d'Arbaud, and are at this moment four leagues to the wall of the town, protecting our reaper. We expect from Kamiesch a number of transports, which are to ship the grain The Pomone and Eglantine are still at their post, awaiting the arrival of the Russians, who probably will present themselves." The Geyser arrived at Daatzig yesterday. She brioire the news that all the mortar-vessels went home OA the 18th. Admiral Seymour has relieved Admiral Baynes off Cronstadt. The Alexandre, which left Constantinople on the 16th instant, has arrived at Dianeilles with advice@ from the Crimea to the 14th instant. The Savoy Gazette publishes a letter from one of the Genevess colonists settled at Setif in Algeria, doted 9th We arrived here," It says, "in good health, and are every day more and more delighted with the country. The town is admirably laid out, and has quite the appear* mice of a European one. With the exception of Chamber/ and Annecy, there Is no town in Savoy to equal it. Am to .the country, its fertility is remarkable. From Constantin& to Setif, it is impossible to see a finer country, and, although it is not very woody, it would only requires very short time to make it so. On some farms bellaging to some Europeans, some peach trees are now full of fruit, which were planted from kernels three years ago; some vines, only two yeas eld, are now in full bearing, and walnut trete, only Sh years old, are a, large round as one's leg." The Journal de St. Petersbourg of Aug. 17 says: "The St. Petersburg poet-office authorities inform the pub lic that in consequence of the interruption by the enemy of the communication between the Aland Islands and Sweden, the postal communications by sea with Sweden are for tits moment suspended; and that correspondence will only he sent to Sweden by way of Tornio and Remands. :The esr• respondence addressed to the Aland Islands will not be re• eeived at all . by the P ost-ottlee."