The Press. — London, England, 1858-03-20 00:00:00

THE PRES'S, MARCH 20, 1858. 274 your lordship the conversation to which I have adverted above, that such construction was put upon certain portions of his despatch of January 20th, he would have had no difficulty in adding to the assurance then given the further assurance that nothing could have been farther from his intention than to convey an imputation injurious alike to the morality and the honour of the British nation. All the offences which his Excellency enumerates, on being proved to the satisfaction of a jury, subject the per son convicted to the infliction of penalties more or less severe; and if cases have been brought to the notice of the Government of his Imperial Majesty, which may appear to have been overlooked by her Majesty's Govern ment, it is not to be doubted but that the advisers of her Majesty, in abstaining to prosecute, have been influenced by motives of discretion quite consistent with an earnest desire to repress such offences. Subsequently, however, to the late atrocious attempt, proceedings have been instituted in two cases—one for eomplicity in the late murderous attempt, another for a publication " elevating assassination to doctrine," and another similar cue is now under the consideration of the law officers of the Crown. It is hoped that these considerations will satisfy Count Walewski that either his expressions have been greatly misunderstood, or that they have been made under an erroneous apprehension of the state of the law in this country, and that, in either case, his Excellency will not hesitate, with that frankness which has characterised his conduct, to offer an explanation which cannot fail to remove any existing misconception. Your lordship will read this despatch to Count Walewski, and leave a copy with his Excellency.—l am, &z., ( Signed) MALMESBURT. In a despatch dated March Bth Lord Cowley reports that Count Walewski had received very favourably Lord Malmesbury's assurances, and said that nothing could have been further from his inten tion than to convey any imputation on the morality or honour of the British nation. He promises to send a formal reply through the French Ambassador in London. That reply is as follows : COUNT WALE WSEI TO COUNT FERSIGNY.---(COMMUNI. CATED TO THE EARL OF MALMESBURY BY COUNT PERSIONY, MARCH 12.) Paris, March 11, 18.i8. M. le Comte,--Lord Cowley has delivered to me a de spatch which has been addressed to him by her Britannic Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs, dated the 4th of March, and of which you will find a copy annexed hereto. The Government of the Emperor congratulates itself on the friendly dispositions of the new Cabinet, and sees, with sincere satisfoction, that the present Ministers of the Queen, like their predecessors, are under no misapprehen sion either as to our intentions, or as to the grave nature of the facts which we have signalised to the Government of her Britannic Majesty. The Government of the Emperor, M. le Comte, flatters itself that, for six years, its whole conduct has precluded the suspicion of its wishing, in any way, to wound the dignity of the English nation; and his Majesty thinks that he has seized every opportunity during peace, as well as during war, of drawing closer the bonds between the two people. The Emperor, as you are aware, has always enter tained this profound conviction, that the reconciliation of two great nations, after ages of antagonism, could be sincere and lasting only on one condition—namely, that the honour of one should never be sacrificed to the honour of the other. Such sentiments, attested by the constant acts of the Government of his Majesty, are a sufficient answer to the erroneous interpretations of which our communication of the 20th of January has been the object. Besides, what has happened! I begged you to signalise to the Govern ment of her Britannic Majesty the existence in London of a sect of foreigners which, in its publications and its meetings, elevates assassination to doctrine, and which, in the space of six years, has sent into France not less than eight assassins to strike a blow at the Emperor, as is proved by the declarations of the jury. All these attempts, like that of the 14th January, have found the Emperor impassive ; putting his trust in the protection of Heaven, his Majesty views with profound disdain the attacks which are directed only at his person : but the country has shown Itself to be deeply moved by them, and as, at the time when I addressed my despatch to you, no repressive measure had been taken i n L on d on, public opinion in France, without taking into account the nature of the institutions of England, nor the motives of discretion of which Lord Malmeabury's communication speaks, was astonished that so much audacity should have remained unpunished. Moreover, the character of our proceedings was laid down to you in the clearest manner by the Emperor him• self, who wrote to you towards the end of January:—" I do not deceive myself as to the little efficacy of the measures which could be taken, but it will still be a friendly act, which will calm much irritation here. Explain our position clearly to the Ministers of the Queen. It is not now a question of saving my life ; it is a question of saving the alliance." The Emperor, M. le Comte. has never intended to de mand the support of foreign Governments Ito increase his personal security. A more elevated sentiment, an interest greater in his eyes, have guided him—namely, the main tenance of the good relations existing with the neighbour. ing States. My despatches of the 20th of January had no other object than to signalise a state of things which was to be regretted; but I carefully abstained from expressing any opinion as to the measures calculated to remedy it ; and I have been unable to understand how certain expressions of that despatch have been so misinterpreted. It is, be sides, unnecessary for me to tell you that it never entered my thought to consider English legislation as designedly sheltering the offender, and, to borrow Lord Malmeseury's own words, as screening him hom punishment. In giving these assurances to the Principal Secretary of State, you will be so good as to add that, as the intentions of the Emperor have been misapprehended, his Majesty's Government will abstain from continuing a discussion which, by being prolonged, might prejudice the dignity and the good understanding of the two countries; and that it appeals, purely and simply, to the loyalty of the English people. 1 request you to read this despatch to Lord Malmes. bury, and to leave with him a copy of it.—lieceive, (Signed) A. WitLEWSK I. Ili.. INDIA. TIIE BOMBAY MAIL. The steam-ship Valetta, with the Bombay mails, arrived at Marseilles at ten on Thursday night. The mails left for London at half•past ten. The following telegram of the news of the Bombay mail was received at the East India House at 9.30 a.m. on Tuesday, March 16 : TO JOHN D. DICKINSON, ESQ., INDIA HOUSE. intelligence from the commander•in•chiefs camp is anxiously expected. He arrived at Cawnpore on the Bth of February, bad an interview with the Governor• General at Allahahad, and returned to Cas npore. One &vision of his army arrived at Cawnpore on the 7th of February, and active preparations were in progress for crossing the Ganges. No further attack had been made on Sir James Oatrarn up to the 7th of February. It is reported from Futtyghur that Nana Sahib had crossed the Ganges with a strong force between Bithoor ■nd Sheorajpore, with the intention of entering Handel cund. On the 3rd of February the Gwalior troops from Calpee attacked the post at Bhogulpore, near Acbarpore, bat were promptly repulsed. Lieutenant Thompson, who com mandeti the post, was severely wounded. The Ghoorkas attacked and defeated the rebels at Gondah on the 4th. Jung Bahadoor was to cross the Gogra, near Tends, on February 14th, on his march to Lucknow. The ex-King of Delhi is to be transported for life to the Andaman Islands. All quiet in the Punjaub. The arrival of European troops has enabled Sir J. Lawrence to send several Sikh regiments to Rohilcund. Sir Hugh Rose moved on Garakotah on the 11th of February, and the enemy evacuated it. In the pursuit the rebels lost 100 men, mostly sepoys. The Rajah of Singheera was hanged at Indore on the 10th of February. Troops from Gujerat and Scinde are rapidly concen trating for a combined attack on Kotab. The Madras Column and Hyderabad Contingent attacked the Shorapoor Rajah's troops at Hingasagool on the Nth of February, and defeated them. Captain Newbury, of the Bth Madras Cavalry, was killed, and Lieutenant Stewart, of the same regiment, wounded. On the same day a Bombay force, under Colonel Mal colm, occupied Shorapoor itself without opposition. The Rajah himself was captured in Hyderabad on February 12. The sons of Phond Nawunt, who took refuge in Goa after the insurrection of 1844, have commenced depreda tions on the southern frontier and the Canara districts. They have burnt three custom-houses, and are endeavour ing to raise the country. Careful arrangements have been made both above and below the Gbauts for the protection of the country, and for the prevention of any general out break in these turbulent districts. Captain Pottinger attacked and dispersed a strong body of Ilheels on the 19th of February. The jungle will be cleared, and decisive operations commenced by the end of February. H. ANDEFOION, Secretary to Government. Bombay Castle, Feb. 24, 1858. V. G. . Malta, March 15, 1658, 31 minutes pa s t 9 p.m. MONTANAB,O A telegram to the same effect has been also re• ceived at the Foreign-office. THE CHINA MAILS. LOSS OF THE CALCUTTA STEAMER AND MAILS. A telegram received from Trieste, dated 5.30 Fri day morning, states that the passengers, crew, and hart of the mails of the vessel have been saved. The following despatch was received on Wednesday from Alexandria, dated March 13 The Colombo leaves this afternoon with the China mails. The Peninsular Company's steamer Granada arrived at Suez yesterday with intelligence of the wreck of the Ara near Trincomalee on the llith of February. The cargo and mails were totally lost, but the crew and passengers all saved. Intelligence from Canton was to Jan. '!`4. Canton remains tranquil under the rule of the allies. Order has been completely maintained in the city. Lord Elgin and Baron Gros are still in the Canton River. Nu additional troops had yet arrived. Two hundred and fiftpthree thousand pounds treasure fur the Bombay Government were on board the Ara. Twenty-eight thousand five hundred pounds have been recovered. The passengers included several of the Lucknow refugees. Yeh continued a close prisoner on board the Inflexible, in the Canton River. The total wreck of the Ava, and th e reported los s of the Calcutta mails and the treasure on board, has engrossed much attention. The Peninsular and Oriental Company are without any intelligence of the loss, except that which appeared in the public journals, and by a telegram which was received on Wednesday afternoon at Lloyd's from their agent at Malta. It appears that the information came by Corfu. The Ara was a fine iron screw-steamer, o f 1,600 tons, and 600-horse power. She had lately returned to Calcutta after conveying the Earl of Elgin to Hong Kong, and was on a passage from Calcutta to Bombay with the English mails and passengers, and, it is reported, 253,000/. of treasure belonging to the East India Company. The wreck is described to have occurred on the 16th of February, in long. 81 23 E., tat 8 31 N., off Trin comalee, on the north-east portion of the Island of Ceylon. Fortunately, the passengers (some from Lucknow) and crew were saved, but the ship is stated to have sunk with the mails and treasure, 28,300/. of which had been recovered. The intelligence of the wreck was brought to Suez by the Granada steamer, also belonging to the Peninsular and Orien tal Company, which bad the China and Ceylon mails on board. She arrived at Ceylon shortly after the wreck of the Ava, and would doubtless have brought on the Calcutta mail had it been saved. The Ara was not insured, the company having a fund to meet exigencies of this unfortunate description. The treasure was for the Bombay Government, and, on inquiry at Lloyd's, we could not hear that any of it was insured. Some doubts, however, have been expressed as to the amount that was really on board the ship. Tt is thought that there might be sonic error in the transmission of the message, and that the amount, instead of pounds, was rupees. The loss of the Ava will not, we understand, occasion any interruption in the company's Indian service, another steamer being in readiness to take up the line of traffic. The Ava was n e ar ly a new ship, and was built at Greenock, and, with her equipment, cost nearly 50,0001. The next Indian telegram will be due on the 25th inst. It will contain news from Calcutta up to the 24th nit. The Colombo, with the China mails and the Lucknow refugees, is expected at Southampton on the 20th inst. jortign anb (Colonial 3ntetligutte. FhANCE. EXECUTION OF THE Orsini and Pierri were beheaded in front of their prison in the Rue de la Roquette on Saturday last. The Court of Cassation rejected their appeal on Thursday ; in the course of Friday a Privy Council, at which the Emperor was present, declared unanimously against the pardon of Orsini and Pierri, but acceded in favour of a commutation of the sentence upon De Rudio to penal servitude for life; and on Saturday morning the execution took place At six o'clock on Saturday morning the Almoner of the prison, the Abbe Hugon, who had been all along assiduous in visiting Orsini, and who had received his confession on the previousevening, entered Orsini's cell, while the Almoner of the prison of the Jeunes Detenue, which is in front of the prison of La Roquette, entered the cell of Pierri. Both were accompanied by some of the directors of the prison. Orsini received the terrible announcement with the most perfect calmness, and replied that he was ready. Pierri, on the contrary, flew into a violent rage; he broke out into the most indecent vituperation of his enemies, and even uttered impotent threats, which would be ridiculous, if ridicule could find a place on so tragic an occasion. The director and the Almoner at length succeeded in lessening his agitation, and in bringing him to a calmer state. He promised not to break out again into violence, but he announced his intention of singing a patriotic hymn. The two convicts were then conducted separately into the chapel of the prison, where the Almoners ad dressed to them a final exhortation. They were then con ducted to the Salle du Greffe, where they had a last oppor tunity of speaking to each other—it being the only time they had been allowed to do so since their condemnation by the Court of Assizes. Pierri, who was still in a state of great excitement, exclaimed on seeing Orsini, "Ell bien ! mon vieux." Orsini merely replied in a soft voice, "Du calme, du calme. ' Pierri then called for breakfast, and wished to be served with coffee and rum. Orsini refused to cat, but ended by accepting a small glass of rum. After this, the terrible ceremony was proceeded with, which, in the language of the prisons, is called " la toilette des condamnes." When they brought the black veil to Pieni, and placed it upon his head, lie said, "They are decking me out lake an old coquette." When, pursuant to his sentence, his shoes were taken off.