The Press. — London, England, 1857-04-18 00:00:00

APRIL 18, 1857. swept province after province with a speed at which official orders never fly. The magistrates were powerless, and the chupatties at this moment are flying westward. Nobody has the least idea what it all means. Some officers fancy it is a ceremony intended to avert the cholera; others hint at treason—a view encouraged by the native officials ; others talk of it as a trifle—a joke. For myself, I believe it to be the act of some wealthy fool in pursuance of a vow • but its significance is this :—There are some 00,006 policemen in these provinces. If they should perchance imbibe dangerous ideas, how perfect is their organisation. Some slight disturbances were reported in Oude and a trifling rebellion in Pegu. Goolab Singh was increasing the burdens of his people in Cashmere to such an extent that the inhabitants of the villages were emigrating and taking refuge in the British territories. AUSTRALIA. The Royal Charter arrived in the Mersey on Sun day night from Melbourne, after a rather protracted voyage, having left Port Philip Heads on the 17th of January. She had on board a heavy mail, above 200 passengers, and 128,000 ounces of gold, with 13,000 sovereigns, making in all 525,0001., iu addi tion to a large quantity in the hands of passengers. The Royal Charter reports meeting nothing hut light and contrary winds from Cape Horn to the Western Islands, and for the remainder strong north-east winds. One of her passengers, Mr. G. Sparrow, had a nugget weighing 323 ounces of solid gold without the least alloy. THE COUNT DE MONTEHOLIN, says a private letter from Naples, continues to reside, for the present, in that city. "His winter apartments are in the Palace Royal, and he passes the summer months in the royal residence at Capo di M6nte. He expresses great respect, and I might say attachment, for Eng land and English institutions. He pointed out to us, with much perspicuity and precision, the singu lar analogy existing between these institutions and the ancient constitution of Spain, which, according to him, was the cause and foundation of that king dom's former prosperity. To restore that free con stitution, virtually abolished by the predecessors of the house of Bourbon, would seem to be his most ardent wish and the principal aim of his policy. Having been asked in my presence about his family, he answered with much apropos, ' Spain is my family ; my children are Spaniards without distinc tion of party or class.' His favourite study at this moment is, I understand, political economy, and he appears to have a decided leaning towards the prin ciples of free trade. While we were conversing, we heard the sound of a harp in the adjoining room, and one of the visitors having involuntarily expressed his delight at the masterly execution, the Prince, with a smile on his countenance, immediately opened the door, and introduced us to the presence of the Countess de Montemolin, whose remarkable talent we had just admired. The countess received us with much goodness, and conversed for some time with the utmost ease in the French language." ROME at. this moment is crowded with royalty. But of all the royal personages honouring the monastic city, the Princess Olga, daughter of the late Emperor of Russia, and wife of the Prince Royal of Wurtemburg, attracts the most attention. A letter from Rome says :—" The lion, or rather the lioness, of the season is decidedly the Princess Olga, to obtain a sight of whom, as a reigning beauty, the Romans literally besiege the palace of the Russian embassy, watching the out goings and in-comings of her Imperial Highness, and gazing upon the splen did equipages prepared for her service with almost childi 4h delight. The royal boxes in St. Peter's and the Sixtine Chapel have been arranged with all fitting regard to precedence and etiquette, to accommodate King Maximilian 11. of Bavaria. Queen Christina of Spain, the Prince Royal of Wurtemburg and his wile, the Grand Duchess Olga, Prince Charles of Prussia, and the Princess Anna of Portugal, who, with their respective suites, occupy, as may be well imagined, a considerable portion of the space set apart for the convenience of such dignitaries. The arrival of the Emp:ess of Russia is positively an nounced for Tuesday, the 14th instant, exactly when the pomps and ceremonies of the Easter week will be concluded. The royal visitors have been inde• fatigably employed this morning in going through the series of solemnities proper to Holy Thursday. The grand and severe beauty of the Princess Olga, her figure contrasting powerfully with that of Queen Christina, is well adapted to grace an ecclesiastical procession. On the present occasion she only ap peared, of course, as a spectator. Her mien, whilst walking with her husband and court down the church, was most dignified ; but her features, presenting a softened resemblance to the late Emperor, her father, showed traces either of ill health or dejection." THE REGISTRAR-GENERAL'S RETURNS exhibit a mortality of 1,059, a number less by 155 than the average rate of mortality would have produced. The births of 1,808 children were also registtred. THE PRESS. THE WAR IN CHINA. THE Moniteur de la Flotte this week publishes some interesting details relative to the war in China : The Chinese, it is said, are at present making formi• dable military preparations, which are not to be despised. Since the attack on Canton the Chinese have executed enormous works on the Pei-ho, a river which falls into the Yellow Sea, and by which a communication is maintained with Pekin. That river is now barred in twenty-two different places by dams built of stone, which completely intercept the navigation. These works are regarded as a curiosity, Moreover, the three branches of the Pei•ho canalised by the Emperor Kia•liang in 1817 are cut, and the course of one of them, the Hu-ho, has been turned off into the Lake of Koho•tchi. When an army invades the Chinese empire. the principal means of defence is to let the waters of this lake overflow the country. This system of defence, efficacious against an enemy but mast disas trous for the country, was first used against the insurgents in 18.52. The city of Pekin is consequently perfectly safe front an attack either by land or sea, and the Emperor will in any desperate circumstance be protected by the fana ticism of the people, who will st3p at no means to destroy foreigners. A circumstance has lately demoistrated the truth of this fact. The British ships proceeding to Canton have been in the custom of taking fresh water at Whanipoa from a small river which falls into the Tchou•kiang. It was remarked that the sailors using this water lately have been attacked with colic, and, after a careful investigation, it was discovered that the water was poisoned by the Chinese. They employed for this purpose the trunk of certain trees, which, after being prepared for the occasion, impart a deadly poison to the water. The Chinese are naturally malignant, and their wickedness is still increased by their fanaticism, which is beyond description. There is but one way to subdue them, and that is to act on their senses, and to terrify them by a display of force and by a maritime demonstration on a grand scale, such as is about to be accomplished by the British Government. It ap pears, moreover, that some of the wealthiest mandarins in the empire propose to revive the great commercial corn parry founded in 1759 by Tsong-Too. These great dig nitaries, through personal interest, are highly favourable to an arrangement with the English, notwithstanding their warlike manifestations, and as they are in direct commu nication with the members of the Nuy.Ko or Cabinet Council at I'ekin, they can bring their influence to bear directly on the Emperor's advisers. The revival of Ithe company founded in 1759 will render it impossible in future for the Chinese Government to violate at will its treaties with foreigners. The Moniteur de la Flotte concludes that au ar rangement of the difficulties at present existing between the Chinese and English is perfectly pos sible. Fur this purpose the British Government have merely to adopt the only means efficacious with the Chinese character, which is to make a formidable demonstration on the coast of the Chinese empire. THE PERSIAN EXPEDITION. INTELLIGENCE of the probable conclusion of peace with Persia reached Calcutta early in March, and a telegraphic despatch to Bombay at once suspended the embarkation of troops and put a stop to all far ther warlike preparations. The Paris Pays also states, on the authority of private correspondence from the Persian Gulf, that the intelligence was announced on the 9th of March to the general com manding the British expedition at Bushire. How ever, the latest dates received by the overland mail were only to the Ist of March, and at that moment preparations were being hurried forward for the embarkation of the troops destined to form the expe dition against Mohammerah, a strongly-fortified frontier town situated at the junction of the Maroon, near to the Tigris, about seventy miles from the head of the Persian Gulf. By the occupation of Mohammerah an advance upon Shuster, and thence into Persia, would be practicable. The Persians were again collecting in force at Burazjoon, and General Outram was waiting for further reinforce ments of , :avalry. The Scinde Horse, under Brigadier- General Jacobs, were en route trom India. Our troops were healthy at Bushire. The town was beinglstrongly fortified : _ - - Fortifications are being constructed at the posts most open to attack. Two half-moon batteries, to be mounted with 56-pounder guns, are being thrown up south of the camp, whilst at the northern approach a malakoff is making its appearance on the spot modestly called masonry tower by General Stalker. A good deal of forage has been allowed to pass into our camp during the last two or three days, notwithstanding it is well known that the enemy have again collected in great force at Burazjoon. A move ment in that direction is again whispered, but no one knows the general's intentions—he is no babbler. His thoughts he keeps to himself till he has matured his projects, and gives his orders sufficient time to be executed and no more. • Provisions were dear in camp. for supplies from Bussorah were intercepted by the Persian force at Mohammerah. In connection with the late cavalry action at Kooshab, the charge of the :ird Cavalry upon that occasion has called forth the admiration of a Bengal officer in a letter to one of the Calcutta papers. After describing the formation of the Persian square as excellent, steady, and untouched by artillery, he proceeds with a vivid description of the charge:— When Forbes, who commanded this regiment, gave the order to charge, he and his adjutant, young Moore, placed themselves in front of the 11th troop, which was the one directly opposite the nearest face of the square. The other Moore, Malcolmson, and Spens came the least thing behind, riding knee to knee, with spurs in their homes' flanks, as if racing after a hog. In rear of them rushed the dark troopers of the 3rd, mad to avenge the death of poor Malet at Bushire. I n spite of steel, tire, and bullets they tore down upon the nearest face of the devoted square. As they approached Forbes was shot through the thigh and Spens' horse was w ounded, but unheeding they swept onward. Daunted by the flashes and the fire and the noise and crackle of the musketry, the younger Moore's horse swerved as they came up. Dropping his sword from his hand and letting it hang by the knot at his wrist, he caught up the reins in both hands, screwed his bead straight, and then coolly, as if riding at a fence, leapt him at the square. If, therefore, any man can be said to have been first, the younger Moore is that man. Of course the horse fell stone dead upon the bayonets ; so did his brother's, ridden with equal courage and determination. The elder Moore—lB stone in weight, and 6 ft. 7, or thereabnuti, in height—cut his way out on foot. Malcolmson took one foot out of his stirrup when he saw his brother officer down and un armed (for his sword had been broken to pieces by the fall j, and, holding on to that, the younger Moore escaped. The barrier once broken, and the entrance once made, in and through it pourel the avenging troopers. On and over everything they rode, till, getting clear out, they re formed on the other side, wheeled and swept back—a second wave of ruin. Out of five hundred Persian soldiers of the Ist Regular Regiment of Fars, who composed that fated square, only twenty escaped to tell the tale of its de. struction. Thus the :3rd Light Cavalry, to use their own phrase, gave our enemies " &jewel) (answer) for the death of Malet Sakib Bahadur." SPANISH ELOQUENCE. M. OLOZAGA (late Ambassador from the Queen of Spain to the Court of the Tuileries), and the Erskine of the Spanish bar, was lately engaged in the defence of the Iberia, Liberal paper, against a State prosecution. The trial came on on the 7th, and ez• cited greater interest with the Madrid publio than any similar event for some time past. To the elo quence and skill of the advocate it is indebted for the signal triumph it has obtained in its complete acquittal. In the course of his speech M. Olozaga alluded in these words to the efforts made to estab lish a representative government in his country : We desire—and I speak in the name of my political friends of the Iberia, and of the whole Liberal press ( said the orator)—we desire to see representative government in all its force and in all its truth. We have indeed passed through many unhappy circumstances ; but in the conduct we have pursued he who would say that misfortune and suffering have turned us aside from that cause, or disgusted us with it, would be greatly in error. The husbandman who sees his fields laid waste by the tempest, desolated by storms of hail, or parched up by the heat, accepts the visitations of Heaven, and with pious resignation says to himself, " My sins, perhaps, have brought on me these disasters." But the patience he shows under suffering does not affect his philosophic and Christian courage ; and with renewed energy he returns to his labours, though with the conviction that the produce of that year is lost to him. 'We, gentlemen, are those resigned husbandmen, and we believe that, whether we have or have not contri buted ourselves to our disappointments and our reverses, we become not only worthy of a better fate by our resigna tion, our perseverance, and our firmness for the future, but we render an essential service to our country by combining together all the means which the law places at our dis posal to constitute a legitimate electoral body, of which our Parliaments are to be the issue, and by so enlightening public opinion that future Cortes shall be the genuine ex pression of the will, the wishes, and the necessities of the Spanish people. Gentlemen, representative government is a magnificent compromise between ancient institutions and modern re quirements. It is useful to the people in their social and political progress, in elevating their dignity, in improving their education, in securing their welfare, and in teaching them the difficult science of selfgovernment. To the Throne it is indispensable as a safeguard against revolu: tionary shocks, and even against those other dangers which are less violent and less apparent but more to be dreaded; and to which it is exposed by certain tendencies it may not be able to resist openly, but which merit careful atten tion, as the complications they involve would affect all Europe if prudence did not conciliate the conflicting inte rests and opinions which divide it. Representative govern ment, moreover, enables the Throne to disembarrass itself of its treacherous friends; of men whose only ambition is wealth; of men who impoverish it; of men who corrupt because they adulate it, and of those who are at the same time ambitious and cowardly; of those creatures who first bring danger around it, and then basely abandon it in the hour of peril ! Such is the system of government that some persons are now pleased to calumniate, but which we defend with all the force the law gives us; and which, con fident in the purity and excellence of our doctrines, we shall continue to defend with perseverance and courage; and to obtain the triumph of such a cause we will employ all the legal means that are still left us, whatever be the attempts to cheat us of them.