The Press. — London, England, 1854-04-08 00:00:00

318 Mr. KEOGH in energetic terms assailed the measure, describing it as insulting to the creed which was pro fessed by those at whom it was aimed. Mr. NAPIER defended the bill, and asserted the truth of the statements in its preamble. His only ob jection to the bill, which he should nevertheless support, was that it did not go far enough. Mr. R. PHILLIMORE opposed it because its opera tion was confined to Roman Catholics, whereas there was a much larger sphere in which such ope ration was requisite. Mr. MALINS regretted the course Lord Palmerston had taken, having relied upon him as one who de sired to check the power of the priests. He advo cated the measure at considerable length, but at a quarter to six was, in accordance with a standing order, stopped by the SPEAKER, who announced the debate to be adjourned. The resumption of the dis cussion stands formally for Wednesday next. CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS. Leave to bring in a bill for amending the law re • lating to certain classes of criminal prosecutions was moved for on Tuesday by Mr. AGLIONBY. The mea sure was designed to extend the power of summary conviction to justices of the peace and magistrates in cases of larceny when the prisoner pleaded guilty, thus saving much trouble to prosecutors, witnesses, and defendants, in a great number of trifling charges, saving at the same time many thousands a year to the county rate. Lord PALMERSTON consented to the introduction of the bill, of whose object be highly approved. Mr. Napier, Mr. J. S. Wortley, Mr. Henley, the Lord Advocate, and other members having offered some comments and suggestions, leave was given to bring in the bill. ACTIONS FOR CRIMINAL CONVERSATION. Mr. BOWYER obtained leave on Tuesday to bring in a bill "to amend the law regarding actions from criminal conversation, and the protection of women in such actions." In introducing his measure he re marked upon the disgraceful distinction which air. pertained to the English law of considering adultery a marketable crime, and upon the total absence of any protection for the unfortunate women whose characters were being pulled to pieces between plain tiff and defendant in actions for crim. con. He pro posed accordingly to abolish the verdicts for damages in such actions, and to render the crime penal, while subjecting the defendant to a fine at the discretion of the court. Counsel were also to be allowed to ap pear on behalf of the wife. Mr. FITZROY ' as a member of the Government, gave a cordial consent to the introduction of the measure. • THE ARCTIC EXPEDITION. Sir T. D. ACLAND having questioned the First Lord of the Admiralty regarding the instructions lately sent, or which it might be intended to send, to the commanders engaged in the search for Sir J. Franklin, Sir J. GRAHAM detailed the efforts recently made for the discovery of the missing voyagers, and de scribed the direction in which the search was already comp!eted, or might be pronounced hopeless. Serious apprehensions were now entertained respect ing the safety of Captain Collinson, for whom search was making both on the eastern and western coast of North America. If that officer was rescued, all the vessels were to return to the south. If he still remained undiscovered, there were discretionary orders given to Captains Maguire and M'Clure to continue the search for one more year. THE ARRAN ISLES. L. Mr. BEI . LEW on Tuesday moved an address to the Crown praying for the establishment of a postal corn unication with the isles of Arran, on the west coast Ireland. Three thousand inhabitants, he said, now lived on those isles who might be accommo dated with a weekly post at the cost of less than 201. a year. Sir J. Yourto pleaded that the case of the Arran Isles was not exceptional, and if granted the demand wouldopen a wide field for similar claims from other scattered • islets round the coast. The required service would cost from 201. to 401. annually, of which little more than W. would be repaid by the ac cruing postage. The Post-office authorities were, however, willing to do something for the benefit of the inhabitants, and would take their case into con sideration. Mr. French, Mr. H. Baillie, Mr. F. Baring, and Mr. H. Herbert, contended that the Post-office au thorities had no right to withhold postal accommo dation from any locality simply because the service at that special point would not pay its expenses. The motion, being pressed to a division, was carried, against the Government, by a majority of 92 to 80-12. THE SLAVE TRADE. Returns connected with the slave trade were moved for on Tuesday by Sir G. PECHELL, who commented indignantly upon the continual violation of treaties by the Spanish Government, through whose con nivance the traffic in slaves remained in undiminished THE PRESS. amount and atrocity upon the coast of Cuba. He inquired what the British Ministry intended to do upon the subject? Sir J. GRAHAM stated that, even under all the ne cessities of war, the Admiralty had maintained the slave squadron off both the coasts of Cuba and of Africa in full efficiency. He admitted that an honest co-operation of the Cuban authorities would do more for the suppression of the traffic than the best efforts of our cruisers. The Foreign Secretary had trans mitted urgent representations on the subject to the Spanish Government, and, though these had not yet been fairly responded to, no endeavours would be spared, either by diplomacy or by active interference through the slave squadron, to secure the performance of the engagements which Spain was pledged to carry out. Mr. COBDEN hoped that England would never in terfere to prevent Cuba falling into the hands of the United States, a consummation towards which events seemed to be ripening. The motion was agreed to. Sortign anti Colonial antellipue. FRANCE. The Moniteur announces the departure of the first French contingent to the army of the East. The total force amounts to 20,078 men and 365 horses. Every day a portion of the 200 commercial vessels freighted at Marseilles put to sea, carrying cavalry, artillery, ammunition, provisions, materials for en camping, &c. The troops embarked at Toulon on the 31st ult. ; the squadron immediately left the harbour. A telegraphic despatch from Brest on Tuesday states that Admiral Perseval-Deschenes had just taken the command of the third French naval squad ron amidst loud cries of " Five l'Empereur !" The embarkation of the troops for the East com menced at Algiers on the 23rd ult. The Bulletin des Lois publishes a decree author ising an advance of ten million francs from the French Treasury to the Ottoman Government. This advance will bear interest, and will be repaid either from the produce of the first loan which may be con. tracted by the Ottoman Government, or in supplies. It is said that the departure of Prince Napoleon for Turkey is definitely fixed for Sunday (to morrow). General Prim leaves the same day, as also one of the attaches of the Ottoman Embassy in Paris. Marshal St. Arnaud expects to leave on Monday. Since Napoleon 111. has been head of the State the following line-of-battle ships have been launched from the French dockyards :—The Paris, 120 guns ; the Louis XIV., 120 ; the Fleurus, 100; the Duguay-Trouin, 100; the Annibal, 100; the Aus terlitz, 100; the Bayard, 00; the Donaivorth, 90; and the Tilsit, 00 ; in all nine vessels, with 910 guns. The Central Jewish Consistory of France has pe titioned the Emperor to extend the privileges about to be obtained for the Christians in Turkey to Jews who may be subjects of the Sultan. Late on Tuesday evening the Legislative Assembly granted the authorisation to prosecute M. de Monta lembert for his letter addressed to M. Dupin by 184 votes against 51. M. Berryer has undertaken the defence of his late colleague. The editor of the Journal des Debati was sent for on Monday to the Ministry of the Interior, and was warned officieusenient that the line which he was fol lowing with respect to the Russian question exposed the paper to danger. It has not transpired what article was found fault with. A grand military banquet was given at the Palace of the Tuileries on the 31st ult., the number of guests being 106. Several toasts of a warlike cha racter were given by the Emperor, accompanied by speeches in the same sense, which roused the enthusiasm of the party to the highest pitch. Among the toasts proposed by the Emperor was " Success to the war—a war undertaken for the triumph of liberty against despotism, of humanity against cruelty and oppression, and of civilisation against barbarism." It is decided that a new levy of 80,000 or 100,000 men shall be forthwith made. The decree for this further addition to the army is ready. The Moniteur explains the purport of this decree as follows : " It is true that the Government presents to the Legis lative Assembly a project of law for increasing the con tingent of the class of 1853. Under the present circum stances, such a measure is directed by prudence. But everything leads us to believe that a notable part of this effective force will remain at home, as belonging to the reserve. The only object of the project is, in reality, to give the Government the faculty of disposing of this con tingent in the case, little probable, that the honour and interests of France should imperiously demand it." Preparations are making in the Cirque de l'lmpe ratrice, in the Champs Elysees, for the grand dinner to be given to Lord Raglan and his staff. It is said that 2,000 covers will be laid. The Archbishop of Paris has addressed a long pastoral letter to the clergy and faithful of his diocese SATURDAY, in which he orders that prayers shall be offer 4 for the success of th• French arms in the East. AUSTRIA. Prince George of Mecklenburg Strelitz has brought both to Vienna and Berlin conciliatory propositions from St. Petersburg : they are conveyed in a letter. Its tenor is as follows :—When the Western powers succeed in securing the emancipation of the Christians in Turkey by treaty, the Czar will be willing to evacuate the principalities simultaneously with the evacuation of the Euxine by the combined fleets. The Archduke Albert left Vienna on the Ist for Semlin, as commander-in-chief of the army of obser vation on the Turkish frontier. That army, including the inhabitants who perform a permanent service, is not less than from 120,000 to 150,000 men. Negotiations have been going on between the Aus trian Treasury and the Vienna Bank for an advance on the security of the State domains. The Bank has declined the proposal. Austria has demanded from Russia that her sub jects in the principalities shall not be compelled to take the Russian paper money. On the occasion of the Emperor's marriage four counts will be raised to the lank of princes : the names mentioned are Count Kollowrat, Buol,Radetzky, and Grunne. ITALY. A number of Piedmontese officers have applied to the Minister of War for authorisation to enter the French service in order to proceed to the East. The Minister is said to have given a negative reply to all these demands. Several arrests have taken place at Parma, and among others the supposed assassin of the Duke. SPAIN. The ➢iadrid Government is driven to such ex tremities for cash that they are actually owing the prizes in the last lottery that was drawn. _ _ PORTUGAL. The law fixing the royal allowance at one conto per diem, about 82,000/. per annum, has been pro mulgated. Both Chambers have sanctioned the loans raised for the purpose of making roads throughout the country. Accounts from the country state that the disease in the vines is likely to be very destructive, and more general than it was last year. Brandy is quoted at 451. per pipe, quadruple the average price. SWEDEN. A Christiania journal states that Russia has ac knowledged the neutrality of Sweden only upon the condition, accepted by King Oscar, that no more than four foreign ships of war shall enter any Swedish or Norwegian fortified port at one time. RUSSIA. The statement that the Russians have evacuated the isle of Aland is officially confirmed. This was the first point upon which it was reported that Sir C. Napier would commence operations. The Frankfort Journal learns that the Emperor of Russia intended proceeding to Kief, and taking the Empress into the interior of the empire, as soon as hostilities should have begun in the Baltic. According to accounts from St. Petersburg of the 17th, a second levy for 1854 is expected to take place in August next, when one man out of every hundred will be taken. These men will be im mediately incorporated in the different regiments. The reserves and the demi-invalides of the Cossacks of the Don (about 80,000 in number) will also take the field. THE SEAT OF WAR. It is now beyond all doubt that the mouths of the Danube are completely held by the Russians; the St. George's mouth has been rendered impassable ; the Sulina mouth is barricaded by a chain, in addi tion to the bar of mud or sand which the Russians have allowed to accumulate ; and the forts on the right bank have been occupied with the evident in tention of securing to Russia an absolute command of the river. The angle or delta of the Danube from Czernawoda to Galatz, and along the shore of Bessa rabia to the sea, was defended on the river side by the forts of Hirsova, Matschin, Isaktcha, and Tultscha ; and all these points seem to have been taken or invested by the Russians between the 23rd and the 28th of March. They crossed the Danube in three or four divisions at or opposite Brailow, Galatz, and Ismail, on bridges formed at these different points upon rafts moored in the stream, the whole operation being under the immediate com mand of General Luders, acting under the orders of Prince Gortschakoff and General Schilder. At Matschin the Russians suffered some loss by the fire from the Turkish batteries; but the Turks are stated to have evacuated their intrenchments in the ensuing night. At Galatz General Luders crossed in person without opposition at the head of thirteen battalions. General Outschakoff encountered a more vigorous resistance in his passage from Ismail to Tultscha, where the troops had to land under fire, and the Turkish intrenchments on the right bank mil