The Press. — London, England, 1854-06-17 00:00:00

560 The English ships are said to have appeared again off Libau, and taken away ton ships from the harbour, which were regarded as good prizes. letter from Rostock states that the squadron of Vice-Admiral Parseval-Deschenes anchored on the oth off the Isle of Gothland, in Sweden. It was ex pected that they would join Admiral Napier about the 12th. A letter from an officer of the fleet, dated Hango Bay, June 1, says:— " I have no doubt the good people in England are ex pecting to hear of our doing something in the shape of a bombardment, but they do not know the difficulties we have to meet. if the Russian ships were all at Helsingfors our Work would be plain. Suppose we have to attack Hel singfors, and destroy the fleet there, in doing so several of our ships would probably be disabled, and it would be known in St. Petersburg in a few hours. The fleet at Cronstadt (20 sail of the line, several 50-gun frigates, and smaller ships) would then come out and attack us with great advantage ; and although skill and bravery would counteract a great deal, still we might lose some of our best ships, and leave the Russians masters of the Baltic for at least this year. Sir C. Napier appears to see all these probabilities, or something would have been done ere this ; besides, the Baltic fleet is not yet complete ; we have other ships to join. if it is possible to attack Helsingfors without disabling too many of the ships, I am of opinion Sir Charles will do it. Our chiefs are men of bravery and experience, as also are the chiefs of the French fleet, and will not allow the Russian ships to lie quietly at their anchors if it is possible to destroy them, It will, no doubt, be said, Why not destroy the forts at Hango Bay ? What, I ask, should we gain by it? If we killed 1,000 of their men, they could soon replace them, but the destruction of their fleet would be a severe blow." THE RUSSIAN FLEET. The Oat-see, a Mecklenburg brig, which left Cronstadt on the 30thlof May, was taken and detained at Riga by an English vessel for having broken the blockade. Her captaln has communicated some in teresting details touching the Russian fleet and the condition of the harbour of Cronstadt:— " He reports that when the Ost-see left Cronstadt there were twenty-four Russian ships-of-war, one of which is a three-decker, ready for sea. They were all outside the than-of-war harbour and in the St. Petersburg Channel, the three-decker being moored broadside on to the opening, which had been narrowed by throwing in large stones and rocks, so that not more than one vessel could pass through it at a time. Seven hundred guns were brought to bear upon this narrow passage, in which the submarine mines of Jacobi were deposited, covered with stones and marked by very small buoys. Heavy chains, supported by large buoys, were laid across the channel about four feet below the surface of the water. All the channel buoys had been removed, and the ships so placed that their fire supported and crossed that of the detached forts, in which 20,000 soldiers were stationed. The Russian fleet is fully manned, the three-decker having 1,100 men on board, and the other liners 700 each. The Russians express the fullest confi dence in their power to destroy any force that shall venture to attack them. The inhabitants of St. Petersburg are not allowed to visit Cronstadt, and the people of Cronstadt are not suffered to go to St. Petersburg." CIRCASSIA. Official accounts of the proceedings of the com bined squadrons detached from the Black Sea fleet to the coast of Circassia have been transmitted to their respective Governments by Admirals Dundas and Hamelin. The instructions to the captains were to capture the Russian forts on the coast when practi cable, to take possession of such as had been aban doned, and to do everything possible for the assistance and encouragement of the Circassians in their attacks upon the Russian forces. These directions appear to have been carried out with promptitude and success, and at the date of the despatches Anape and Soujah were the only forts in the country still occupied by the enemy. The detachment comprised the Aga memnon, Charlemagne, Ajax, andHighflyer,under Sir E. Lyons and the Viscount de Chabennes. DEATH OF CAPTAIN GIFFARD. Intelligence has been received of the death of Captain Giffard, who was severely wounded on board the Tiger, while endeavouring to save his ship at once from the sandbank at Odessa and the tire of the Russian batteries. He died a prisoner at Odessa, having received most honourable treatment from the Russian commander. General Osten-Sacken, with his staff, two battalions, and two guns, attended his funeral, which took place on the 2nd inst. The de ceased officer was a Devonshire man, holding rela tions with some leading English and Irish families. His name may be familiar as an active mover in the late Chinese war. The despatches of Lord Gough and Sir Hyde Parker bore testimony to his profes sional talent. Of late years he was under the flag of Sir Charles Hotham on the African coast. He entered the service in 1824. THE WAR ON THE DANUBE. Our last intelligence from Silistria is of the Bth inst. The siege still continued, but the Russians were making very slow progress by way of blockade and mining operations, while all the events of the siege redounded to the credit and advantage of the Turks. There was a report received via Bucharest that the brave Turkish commander of the fortress, Mussa ]'ache, had been killed by a cannon-shot, but the statement has since received authoritative con- Ibbl. THE PRESS. tradiction. It would appear also that relief is not far off. Letters from Orsova; of the Bth inst. bring us the intelligence that the Ottoman troops which have lately been withdrawn from Lesser Wallachia are marching to Rutschuk, vid Nicopoli and Sis. towa, and reinforce themselves by all the disposable forces which they meet on their road. It is further stated that Said Pacha, the commandant of Ruts chuk, has received orders from Sebumla to concen trate at that fortress a body of at least 40,000 troops, who are destined to break through the first investing line of the Russians at Turtukai, and then to come to the succour of Silistria. It is expected that Omar Pacha will also simultaneously make a diversion in favour of this fortress ; but the main attack of the Russian positions is to be confided to the troops now assembling at Rutschuk. This combined movement for the relief of the fortress was expected to be ac complished by the 18th or2oth inst. It is reported that the Grand Duke Constantine is present among the besieging forces before Silistria, and that the St. Petersburg narratives of his visits to Cronstadt and elsewhere are also used for the purpose of misleading the enemy as to his real proceedings. The Presse states that during the night of the Bth the Turks made a sally, destroyed the approaches of the besiegers, and filled up mines before Silistria. The confidence of the Russians was visibly de creasing. The Russians are said to have suffered serious loss on the 3rd by the springing of a Turkish countermine. THE RUSSIAN ARMY. Prince Paskiewitsch, who is very ill, according to some accounts, has to withdraw his forces from the southern districts over which they had been pushed, and concentrated them in or towards Moldavia and Silicia. His own head-quarters have also been transferred to Jassy, the capital of Moldavia, whither the Prince himself was expected to arrive by the 12th inst. These movements are believed to indicate a strong apprehension of Austria, and hostility on the Silician frontier, where it is known that a power ful Austrian force is being gradually concentrated, and shows, at all events, the necessity felt by the Russian commander to be prepared against all con tingencies from that quarter. It is stated that Prince Gortschakoff will retain the command in chief of all the troops on the right bank of the Danube. Private letters from Kalarasch disclose, in a guarded manner, the demoralisation which the re treat from Little Wallachia, the want of success not only before Silistria but generally in engagements with the Turks, the full hospitals, and the loses in actual warfare, have produced in the Russian army, and among the officers as well as men. The religious stimulus is resorted to more than ever. Holy Sergius is carried about incessantly, and the priests promise eternal bliss to every man who falls in fight with the pagans. According to letters from Krajova, the Russians lost in the affair at Karakal, on the 30th ult., 1,0(X) killed, 100 wounded, 500 horses taken, and as many killed. They also lost 1,000 muskets, six pieces of cannon, and 115 prisoners. CITY OF LONDON ELECTION. LORD JOHN RUSSELL was re-elected member for the city of London on Wednesday last. The proceed ings took place in the Guildhall, and, as there was no opposition, were duly transacted in a brief space of time and occasioned very little excitement. Mr. David Urquhart, once member for Stafford, had issued announcements cf his candidateship and had commenced a canvass, but the attempt was aban doned as altogether hopeless, and, though present on the platform during the election, Mr. Urquhart did not put himself forward for nomination. At ftwo o'clock Lord J. Russell appeared upon the platform, accompanied by the Lord Mayor, Sheriffs, and other civic dignitaries, in their robes of office. The formal preliminaries were duly executed by Mr. Sheriff Wire and the town-crier. Mr. Prescott after wards nominated the noLle lord as a fit and proper representative for the City in Parliament. In his brief address he eulogised the personal qualities and political career of the noble lord, and dilated upon the importance of new ministerial functions which he had just undertaken, and which " rendered it his peculiar duty and province to attend to the educe• tional wants of the people," In alluding to the war, Mr. Prescott commenced a panegyrical sentence upon the " energy displayed by the allied powers and the vigorous measures taken," but was stopped half way by shouts of " Oh, oh !" from the audience in the hall. The nomination having been duly se conded by Mr. Dillon, and no rival candidate appearing, Mr. Sheriff Wire, after a brief pause, put the question to the electors and took a show of hands, after which he declared Lord John Russell duly elected. The noble member then stood forth to address his constituents. He began by inviting and answering a question from an elector named Potter touching the Metropolitan Burial Act; and then proceeded:— SATURDAY, your suffra ges as on the aii ` th ' I thatmvee, afterh ha on v o m ur g to reee stan ivea d before you n ow f years past at l i yt y mrde o us ur ; r t e si p mo r et e ha ae th n ta tati wt ithl ves hr ; aevg an earhad d d tol thattmhea y say honour also a provision enacting annual Parliam en t s would have given east, - me rather fewer ele c ti ons th an I h ave really undergone. (Laughter.) I have app ea l e d to you at this election, having - g been without o ffi ce duri ng th e greater part of the existe nce teee sotwos within nat these is seet) t.i4 w :: of the present Administ ra ti on , b ut h av i ng again accepted an office which connects me more closely than before wi th that Administration. I do not me an to d eta i n you wth any reference to measures of a domestic character to which I have had frequently to recur on former occasions have . stated to you before now th at, h av i ng been long in public life—having, during that public life, had occasion to form and mature my opini ons -1 cou l d only vote ac cording to those opinions; that they might be wrong in some instances and right in others, but that I trusted to your generous confidence to appreciate the motives with which I have acted. (Hear, hear.) And now, gentlemen, I shall proceed to that which Is the absorbing question of the present day, so absorbing that measures which I had hoped to forw ard for increasing and promoti ng t h e c i v i l and religious rights of large portions of oar coun tryman have been rather neglected than considered—have been withdrawn in deference to public opinion, rather than op posed by parliamentary resistance. But th a t great ques tion to which 1 wish to refer is the war in which we are engaged. (Hear t hear.) I will not now refer to that which has been discussed iu debates with which you are all, no doubt, familiar—namely, the origin of that war. The present Government endeavoured as long as they could to seek for terms of pacific arrangement; and I be lieve tha t . in so doing we were actin g i u accor d ance with the opinions of the people of this country. (Hear, hear.) The blessings of peace, which we had enjoyed fur nearly forty years, were not of such trifling value that they were to be lightly thrown away or precipitately abandoned. (Cheers.) It was not, therefore, until we found that the ambition of the Emperor of Russia was not to be satisfied with any moderate concessions which the Sultan of Turkey was prepared to make—that the Czar was determined, in opposition to remonstrance, in opposition to proposals of every kind, to retain and keep in his power the territory of his neighbour—that we advised the Queen to declare that she was obliged to take up arms in defence of the ally thus unjustly attacked. (Cheers.) In that declaration we had the co-operation and concert of her Majesty's ally, thd Emperor of the French. (Cheers.) A n d I trust that this concert upon a great question will lead to a permanen alliance with that great people, crdr neighbours, who, with% ourselves, form the most civilised and the most enlightened nations of Europe. Gentlemen, we know by experience the courage and the skill of the French nation, and they know ours ; and, as brethren in arms, I trust we shall display those qualities which we have hitherto displayed in conflict with each other. (Cheers.) But there were others who were as much interested as England and France in preserving the independence of Europe against an am bitious power—l mean the great States of Germany. I believe that while the success of Russia—that while her conquest of Turkey and her occupation of Constantinople —would have been dangerous to England and to France, it would have been absolute oppression to the people of tier many ; and accordingly the people of Germany have felt that this is a question which would not be indifferent to them. The principal Sovereigns of Europe, the Emperor of Austria and the King of Prussia, have sympathised with our people; and I trust that the war that we are about to carry on will be a war, not of two powers but of five powers of Europe, against the Emperor of Russia. (Cheers.)• know there were those who said, ' Do not give assist ance to the Turks.' They said so on various reasons and various pretences. Some said the Turks were a people so barbarous and their Government so bad that we ought not to aid them. I have heard such an argument used in former times, and I believe that the intention of that argument was, not to blame the Turks, not to amend their Govern ment, bat to abet the designs of the Emperor of Russia. It is easy to say, and it is not for me to deny, the faults — nay, the maladministration—and, in many instances, the cruelties which exist under the Turkish rule. But this was not a time to discuss any improvement in those mat ters. The question was to resist the aggression of Russia, and I have no doubt, if that aggression is successfully re sisted, that the improvement of Turkish institutions and the happiness of the Christian people living under the Sultan of Turkey will follow from that resistance, and that success. (Cheers.) On the other hand, if the Emperor of Russia were to succeed in his attack, we must recollectthat it would be the success of a Government which endeavours to suppress all freedom of thought—(cheers)—to which neither political, nor religious, nor any kind of liberty an look for encouragement, and that there would he a deadly power hanging over Europe, and at length attac ki ng even our own institutions as incompatible with the existence of the monstrous tyranny which at present prevails in that country. (Cheers.) It has been said that if the Turks had been left alone it would have been better for them. This is the very argument used by the Emperor of Russia; he has constantly said, This is no business of yours ;do not you interfere ; only let the Sultan settle his own affa irs with me ; let us have a friendly conference together,..and we shall no doubt come to a very amicable determination.'_ (Laughter and cheers.) But we thought—the Emperor of Russia being much the stronger of the two—that that amicable determination could not but be injurious to the Turks ; and we now find that the Turkish Govern me nt has most willingly accepted our aid, and that, in instanc es which I could quote, that aid has been most e ffi cient for that purpose. Gentlemen, I now proceed to the mode in which this war is to be carried on. And let me remark, in the first place, that it was observed by a member of t he House of Commons, and most truly, when we were e mbar k ' ing on this war, that it was not a war from which we nut expect those advantages which had attended other was,