The Press. — London, England, 1854-12-23 00:00:00

DECEMBER 23, 1854. of War for the time being in force ; and the restrictions and provisions contained in any act for the time being in force "for punishing mutiny and desertion, and the better payment of the army and their quarters," in relation to Articles of War made thereunder, shall be applicable to such supplemental Articles of War as aforesaid. ft. This set shall continue in force during the present war, and until one year after the ratification of a definitive treaty of peace. The following letters have been received from non commissioned officers:— Since I wrote last the camp has not been attacked, except now and then from a little sortie of the Rus sians. They always get the worst of it. Unluckily we have lost a most capital officer, Tryon, and every one regrets the loss of him. Poor fellow, he died doing his duty right handsomely. But, my dear wife, all that the Russians can do goes for nothing with our sufferings from the bad weather and worse ac commodation. The fellows die very fast from cold and privation, and no wonder, for we seldom or ever have a dry stitch on our backs ; but thank God we keep up our spirits. I only wish to be at the Rim. shins. I ought not to say we, for we can be of little use. All the poor beasts are dying or dead. It is a hard sight to see our horses starving under our eyes and not help them ; but what can we do? Nothing; and it is the most sad of all to me and all our men. Just think, the horses that carried us so well through all these dangers, why they seem like our friends ; and we have been obliged to stand by and see them trying to avoid starvation by eating the tails and manes of the horses that had died first, and then break loose and devour bits of blankets or rags lying about the field. I don't suppose any one is in fault, but it seems so cruel like. Don't be afraid for me. lam doing well. Providence has mercifully pre served me safe through great dangers. lam thank ful from my heart, and trust He may spare me to see you and the dear little Willie once again. —Yours, Sze. lam sorry I have no brilliant news to tell. Since I wrote lass, the enemy has been quiet, and prudently abstained from rousing the British lion. Our con dition is most miserable; not that I wish to complain, for I suppose it is all right and can't be helped, but you have no idea what our sufferings are. Worked and overworked day and night—no shelter—the rain pouring and the wind blowing—shirtless, and nothing but rags by way of covering —very short ra tions, and no fires to cook them with—God knows how long this state of things may las►; but it is quite clear that if it lasts long the army will be re duced to a fraction. Deaths from cold, wet, and privations, are occurring every hour ; 01 died yes terday in one regiment. The last batches suffer the most, for we are getting quite seasoned. One ship load of clothes has been landed, but it was found to be so bad and rotten that the men soon returned to their rags. The reason why our rations are so scant is, I am told, because of the state of the road be tween this and Balaklava, from the effect of the rains and the heavy siege-trains. Then we are all so hard worked up here that it is difficult to find men to send to Balaklava. The French are fine fellows, gay and cheery birds. General Canrobert don't seem to mind about the weather, for he is always on horseback, riding about among his men. He is very popular, too, with all of us. tortign and Colonial FRANCE. The British Ambassador in Paris, Lord Cowley, addressed a note on Sunday last to the French Minister of Foreign Affairs informing him that both Houses of Parliament had passed a vote of thanks to General Canrobert and the French army, and Admiral Hamelin and the French navy, for their gallant co-operation in the Crimea. His Excellency appended to his letter the text of the votes as agreed to unanimously in the English Legislature. This communication was fittingly acknowledged by the Moniteur, which published the following article: — All France will be deeply affected by the thanks which England has just voted by acclamation to General Cann). bert and our army, to Admiral Hamelin and our navy, for their valiant co-operation and their cordial assistance in the war of the East. To this important and hitherto unexampled manifesta tion of the sentiments entertained by a great people towards its loyal ally, France has already replied by its ad miration of the brilliant valour of the English army and fleet. France has warmly applauded the eulogiums which our generals-in-chief, after the battles of Alma, Balaklava, and Inkerrnann, bestowed on the intrepidity of Lord Raglan and his troops. The two nations, like the two armies, have done each other the most frank, the most cordial justice. While their soldiers and seamen vie with each other in courage and devotion, the two nations appear to rival each other in generosity, each giving the other this greatest share of the glory acquired in common. Nothing is better calculated to cement their alliance than the inching. of these noble sentiments—nothing pan __ THE PRESS. better assure to them the sympathies and concurrence of all civilised nations, nor more speedily effect the tinal triumph of the sacred cause they defend. The section of the Imperial Guard about to be detached for service in the Crimea will form the neucleus of a distinct corps on the field, to be augmented successively by soldiers taken from the army under General Canrobert, who have roost dis tinguished themselves during the present operations. It will be commanded by a general cheer. The Emperor has granted from his private purse a pension of o,ooof. a year to Madame Marrast, widow of Armand Marrast, the Republican President of the Constituent Assembly. His Mikjesty accom panied the grant with a letter stating that he enter tained a great esteem for her late husband. M. Achille Marrast, his brother, has lately obtained a lucrative 'in the management of a railway The post Emperor has also from his privy purse doubled the pension of 20,0(l0f. granted to the widow of Marshal de St. Arnaud. It is stated on good authority that a new loan, to be raised by national subscription, is shortly to be Issued. The amount of the loan is said to be S(K) millions of francs. A bill on the subject has been laid before the Council of State, and will be sub mitted to the Legislative Corps immediately after its meeting. GERMANY. The Austrian, English, and French envoys sepa rately presented to Baron Manteutfel, at Berlin, on Saturday, the ratified treaty of the 2nd December, with iarate nt - inviting the adhesion of Prussia sept .totes, thereto. Herr von Usedom, lately Prussian Minister at Rome, left Berlin on Tuesday, on a special mission to London, to sound the English Cabinet with reference to Prussia's joining the treaty of Decem ber 2nd. In the Berlin Second Chamber on Wednesday it was unanimously resolved to throw open the Prus sian coasting trade to English vessels. A Vienna despatch of Tuesday states that" Prussia desires to avoid acceding to the treaty of the 2nd inst., by endeavouring to conclude a special treaty with France." The Cologne Gazette gives the following letter from Vienna, dated the 15th : Prime Gortachakoff has declared plainly that his mis sion as ambassador at this Court is terminated, and that for the future he would only act as mediator. It is not easy to see how Russia can act as mediatrix, when in reality she Is one of the belligerent parties, and when she has to decide whether she will accept or not the conditions pro posed to her. The Emperor of Austria has nominated the Em- , peror Napoleon Grand Cross of the Order of St. Stephen. It is affirmed that his Austrian Majesty has ceased to wear any Russian decoration—an example which will be followed by the whole army and Court. The Vienna Lloyd has been suddenly and peremp torily suspended on account of an article published in its number of the 10th, in which the last note of Count Nesselrode to Baron de Budberg was com mented on with considerable warmth. Advises from Munich of the 15th announce that King Louis of Bavaria had been seized with an apoplectic tit at Darmstadt. Later advices state that the condition of his Majesty was improving. DENMARK. The Danish Parliament was opened on Monday, the Prime Minister reading the Royal Message. On the following day the Ministry published the pro gramme of their policy. SAXE COBI7RG. At the sitting of the Saxe Coburg Gotha Par liament on the 7th instant, under the presidency of Count Chancellor Becher, besides the proposition of various alterations which concern the constitution of the State and the royal household, other propositions of importance proceeded from the Government. It demanded a credit of 100,000 thalers for the mobili sation of the contingent, and also 56,000 thalers for furnishing more effective fire and side arms. The Government has already caused its army estimates to be prepared, and will account for the amount de manded with the Parliament. These propositions of the Government were to be considered in the whole house at its ricxt sitting. Sl'AlN. M. Collado, the Minister of Finance, has renewed the tender of his resignation, iu consequence of the opposition which his financial measures have met with in the Cortes. Queen Isabella 11. (says the Madrid correspondent . . of La Prow) presents the Pope with a magnificent however, infinitely against their . ___ tiara worth 200,000 francs, in honour of his decision stance, as Baden, Nassau, Homburg, and _ respecting the Immaculate Conception. The tiara is Hesse—will eventually comply, and that the now exposed to public view at Madrid. tractors for the grand and gilded hells will not re- RUSSIA. ceive renewals of their existing leases. A private letter from St. Petersburg, dated Deeem- CONSIDERABLE purchases of sheepskins for the ber k, states that from the moment when the news of troops in the Crimea have been made in the different the battle of Inkermann arrived , the E m p ress ' s p rovinces of Prussia, es p ecially in Silesia. Orders health became worse. It is said th at Prince Men- have been given in Berlin for the mainfacturs of I aohikoffs despatch was brought to the C zar in his 80,000 woollen waisteoats. I I I I 1119 wife's bed-room. On reading it au angry exclama tion escaped him which frightened the Czarina. She fancied that some misfortune had happened to her sons, and fainted away. It was very long before she recovered her senses, and ever since that she has suffered from constantly-increasing fever. The latest telegraphic advices from St. Petersburg bring a more favourable report of the health of the Empress. The fetes usually given to celebrate the anniversary of the Emperor's accession were reduced this year to a religious service. A proposal made by the Minister of Finance to raise the price of salt from '2B to 44 copecks has been accepted by the Czar as a profitable financial measure. Accounts from St. Petersburg state that great ',orations were making to fortify Finland, and r Nainst any attack of the allies next season. pre pi epare any Besides forts, there was to be an intrenched camp. The entrance to the port of Riga is stated to have been blocked up by the sinking of vessels laden with granite. A despatoli from Odessa says that a perfect panic reigns in that city. The garrison is weak from the repeated drafts to the Crimea. All the trading establishments are closed. Some tainilies have departed for the interior of Bessarabia ' • others to the Ukraine. The troops which Omer Paella has embarked at Varna are expected, as well as a bom Larding squadron from the allied fleets. Several of the enemy's steamers are in sight, The Morgen Post of Vienna states, tinder Odessa, the 14th, that the Russians are ' . date .e transporting their treasures and archives from the Pruth into gm interior. General Liprandi has been deprived of bia command for a fault committed at Inkermann on the iith of November. The roads in the Crimea are impassable. UNITED STATES. President Pierce delivered his annual message to the Senate at Washington on the 4th inst. The document presents the usual minuteness and ampli tude of dimensions, occupying several columns' in the journals, but is chiefly to the detail of domestic: results and prosperity of administration. In re ferring to the treaty between the United. States, s$ Great Britain relative to the coasting lisherise, And reciprocal trade with the British North Anierienn colonies, the President mentions the steps that biuve been taken on both sides to hasten and anticipate the operation of that treaty, and asps pf,,tlierg the sanction of the Legislature. Respecting the pending contest in rurepe i le message enforces the principle of neutrality add *- intervention. It proceeds : Leaving the transatlantic nations to adjust their poli tical system in the way they may think best Sir their com mon welfare, the independent powers of this cootinent may well assert the right to be exempt from all annoying interference on their part. Systematic abstinence from intimate political connection with distant foreign nations does not conflict with giving the widest range to our foreign commerce. This distinction, so clearly marked in history, seems to have been overlooked, or disregarded, by some leading foreign States. Our refusal to be brought within and subjected to their peculiar system, has, I fear created a jealous distrust of our conduct, and induced, on their part, occasional acts of disturbing effect upon our foreign relations. Our present attitude and past course give assurances, which should not be questioned, that our purposes are not aggressive, nor threatening to Cita eiiLty and welfare of other nations. The subsequent proceedings in Congress were of little interest, the only motion of consequence being one for repealing the impost duty on coals, which was carried, on the dth, by a large majority. CANADA. Lord Elgin gave his farewell assembly on the lst at Spencer Wood, to upwards of (lOU persons, including every member of both Houses of the Legislature. THE USUAL WARDMOTES for the election of mem bent to represent the inhabitants of each ward in the Court or Common Council, took place on Thursday, being St.. Thomas's-day. The business was of an almost formal character, and in most wards the former representatives were re-elected. 'the speeches generally were in support of the present war, and the increase of exertions in aid of the Patriotic Fund. 'the only wards in which any change or contest took place were Castle Ilaynard, Coleman-street, Farringdon Within and Without, the Touts, and Queenhithe. THE PRUSSIAN GOVERNMENT has made a demand upon the Germanic Diet, to abolish all public gamb ling-houses. It is believed that all States—some, will—such, for in ' Electoral con-