The Press. — London, England, 1854-07-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS. 708 THE WEEK. Tux explanations given in Parlia ment this week throw some light on the continued inactivity of our fleets and armies. So much time was considerately given Russia for preparation before hostilities com menced, that she has been able to secure herself from attack on all points. The expectations held out of the triumph of our arms in the Baltic are now acknowledged to have been delusive, and au avowal is made that as regards the great fortresses of Cronstadt and Sweaborg, and the squadrons they protect, no operations can be undertaken against them without exposing the allied fleet to almost certain destruction. The latest intelligence from the Baltic is, that the fleet had left Baro Sound, and had arrived off the Aland Isles. It was supposed that it would attack Bomarsund on the arrival of the French troops. General BARAGUAY D'HlLLizas, with his division, having embarked at Calais, passed the Great Belt on Saturday last, and entered the Baltic. The General, with his staff, landed at Copenhagen on Monday, and sailed, it is presumed, for the Aland Isles on Wednesday. Should the contemplated attack prove successful, will the troops occupy these islands through the winter? Their station would be dreary, and without the support of Sweden might prove dangerous. Mention is made of the probability of our fleet, or a portion of it, wintering in the Baltic, though it does not seem what advantage would result • from the adoption of such a measure. In the East our inactivity has not been unmarked by disaster. Captain HYDE PARKER, with a few of his gallant men, have been shot down at Sulina. He went with several boats to attack some works of the enemy, and was received by a fire in ambush. He landed with his men, dashed forward with a hearty cheer, and was shot through the heart. Captain PowELL continued the attack, and the stockade was gallantly carried. Captain PARKER was killed on the 9th, and buried with military honours on the 12th. His fate, while it dims the success, will heighten the fame of " the fortunate PARKERS." A. more serious loss has been sustained at Rutschuk. A detach =lent of engineers was sent to the Danube on special service. On the 7th the Turks resolved to attack the Russian position on the oppo site shore Mr. BURKE, of the Royal Engineers, Mr. MEYNELL, of the 75th Regiment, and Mr. ARNOLD, of the Indian army, joined the expe dition, which was received with so murderous a fire that the Turks fell back. Our countrymen sprang forward to rally the troops, and were shot down as they advanced to the assault. With the exception of these skirmishes, the allied armies have remained motionless at Varna, though evidently desiring a forward movement. The men were g etting tired of reviews, parades, and drills, and desired more active service. Reports were circulated, and eagerly received, that Sebastopol was to be attacked; but there were no indications to show whether the troops were really to be transported to the Crimea, or whether they would advance to the Danube, or whether they would remain at their present stations. Means of transport were being collected, but greater activity did not prevail in this respect than had been manifested for some weeks previously. The concentration of the Russian troops in the Principalities has ecatinued uninterruptedly. Prince GORTSCHAKOFF had assembled 100,000 men before Bucharest, and had declared his intention to hold the provinces with double that force. He had received an autograph letter from the Czar approving his course. " Protector of the Princi palities" is to be added to the other titles of the Emperor NICHOLAS, a fact supplying some presumption that he does not mean to loose his hold on them. As the allies now occupy the mouths of the Danube, it becomes an important object to remove the obstructions to the navi gation of the river, and the consideration that this may soon be effected is likely to have some influence in inducing GORTSCHAKOFF to retreat. The allied commanders are reported to have ordered the the cons t r uction of some large barks proper for the navigation of river. One telegraphic despatch of the week states that General HESS had actually crossed the frontier of Wallachia. It is certain that Austria is very largely increasing her army. The reserve, consisting of the militia, who have already served eight years, is ordered to be called out, and this force is estimated to amount to 120,000 men. But the part Austria will take, should the war be protracted, is perhaps not yet known even to her own Government. ~,..1 Circassia SCHAMYL has declined the aid we have proffered him, nv rp r ilsr ttrust to the " native arms and native ranks " which ..,,3ggr., t 4 „43. :ars past enabled him to resist the whole power of t- .41.v..:(i;:".- „.. • --,.%.• ..,.... ------- til,i ,taxi;; , 4ommons on Monday witnessed a most extraordi *parY seen .• • • 6 declaration of Lord Jour; RUSSELL, that it was the . li*eclvilicyot that overnm ent never to take peace with R ussia on t .l;brie psassak tg tits treaty of Adrianople wit h res p ect to the principa- Q: litiess,:ar iqn Oliditions allowing Russia to reassume that attitude of menace to irdrda Turkey which she had previously maintained by the stablishment of an impregnable fortress, and a large fleet of line-of ships, was received but in one sense by the House. In was as i that the conquest of the Crimea and the destruction of Sebas had been decided on. Speaker after speaker proceeded on this SATURDAY, position, and it was not till Mr. DISRAELI gave expression to the ge neral understanding of the House on this point, that Lord Joss Res- SELL explained that all he had meant was that Russia should not 120 suffered to maintain so considerable a fleet in the Black Sea 'as for merly ! This impotent conclusion was so strongly resented by the Pal merstonian section of the House—a section rapidly taking a dis tinct shape—that a decision on the vote of credit was postponed till the following day. One sentence in the speech of Lord Jong 'RUSSELL was significant. He spoke of the Emperor of RUSSIA as a Sovereign of immense power, of great influence and of great talent, and stated that we could not hope for an early termination of the contest in which we were engaged. Another important intimation was thrown out. The old system of subsidies, against which the Whig party in times past so vehemently declaimed, is to be revived under a new form. Turkey is not to be directly subsidised, but her forces are to be taken into our pay, and the burden of maintaining them be transferred from the exchequer of the Sultan to that of England. Mr. LAYARD on the first night's de. bate delivered the speech he had prepared against Lord ABERDEEN, and that extract from a despatch of Prince LIEYEN to Prince NEssELEODE (June Ist, 1829) was especially important, as showing that throughout the last war between Russia and Turkey, Lord ABERDEEN, notwithstanding his Adrianople despatch, wished Russia " success " prompt and decisive," and desire d that " the war should be termi " nated for the honour and advantage of Russia!" The other parliamentary proceedings of the week have stilt indi cated the deplorable weakness and disunion of the Ministry, though never was a firm and united Government more imperatively de manded. Its difficulties arise much rather from internal than exter nal causes. Indeed, were there no opposition to keep its differences in check they would long since have exploded .the Cabinet. The cholera is among us, threatening to renew its ravages in their most fearful shape, and Lord PALMERSTON withdraws the Nuisances Removi 1 Bill intended to enforce sanitary regulations. From the drain i f regular troops for foreign service, the militia establishment 11 become of much greater importance than formerly, and yesterday fl e Government was defeated on a material clause of the Militia Bill 1 y a majority of 25, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER intimatii g that the Government must consider whether it would proceed with the bill or not. On the measure introduced for rendering dealings in Russian stock illegal, the Home Secretary, and the Secretary to the Treasury, not only took opposite sides, but exprdieled without re serve their contempt for each other's sentiments. Mr. Wm:3os said the bill was calculated " to br in g the • House into dissieepect, and was " discreditable to the Legislature," while Lord PALMERSTON treated the arguments of " the Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary of the Tree " sury " as " sheer nonsense." The Solicitor-General declared that" the " bill had been prepared with a most laudable disregard of everything " which ought to have been attended to ;" Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTII, though in the lobby during the division, managed to escape voting, and was called to account for violating the rules of the House ; and Mr. LOWE " bolted out " of the House to avoid recording his vote. The Bribery Bill, last night, narrowly escaped defeat, the question that the bill do pass being carried only by a majority of 9. On the decla ration clause, an amendment was carried against the Ministry by a majority of 40. ' The insurrection in Spain has spread with suprising celerity, and has now become a great national rising. The whole of Catalonia " pronounced," with the Captain-General at its head, and on the evening of the 17th inst. barricades were thrown up in the capital. Some desperate fighting to6ok place between the troops and the populace. The palace of. Queen CawBTINA and the house of SALAMANCA were sacked. CHRISTINA. herselAllad to fly from the fury of the insurgents, and is now in hiding. To . secure a truce, the executive proclaimed that Marshal ESPARTERO had bean sent over, and hison name was shouted out as the " Pacificator of Spain." The people o side, and the soldiery on the other, rested on their arms in Madrid, awaiting his arrival. NARVAEZ does not yek appear to have taken part in the movement. O'Dowszt.t., at the head of 215,000 men, is ad vancing c n the capital, and speculation is now busy whether he will co-operate cordially with ESPARTERO, or make a bold effort to become himself master of the situation. Wild schemes are said to be in contemplation by the Spanish Liberals • ' among others, one for offe tworing the crown of Spain to the King of PORTUGAL, and unitiag the kingdoms under one rule. The ferment of the -Peninsula has induced the French Govern ment to adopt precautionary measurea. An army of observation has been concentrated on the frontier, which, should the throne of ISABELLA seem seriously endangered, might possibly be ordered to ad vance to its support. The Emperor of FRANCE is at Biarritz, with his Empress, where they are joyfully received by the people. To complete the picture of 'European disorder, insurrectional movements have broken out ir.t Parma, Genoa, and Modena. They are stated to have been suppressed without difficulty ; but they denote a feverish state of public feeliak. Italy is said to be disquieted, and the French garrison at Rome is to be reinforced. The splendid weather of the past week has raised the most favourable hopes as to the results of the harvest. The high prices of the last year have caused a mush greater breadth of land to be brought under wheat cultivation than usual, and this circumstance, together with the promising aspect of the crops, has already led to a considerable decline in the price of corn. Another favourable circumstance of our social or commercial conditiOn •is the continued arrival of heavy parcels of gold from A.ustralii. The production does not decline, and, the shipments from Victoria alone seem to be at the rata of nine or ten milhoqs i 4 sterling eslue yearly. . r . . • .• estabits battle s mated ' topol