The Press. — London, England, 1854-05-27 00:00:00

,94 " Until the announcement of the recent protocol, it had not been generally known that the institution called the Vienna Conference still retained its existence. Of course, however, it is not to be supposed that the functions of the leading European Governments are delegated to their representatives at Vienna. The armies and navies whose movements the whole world is watching in breathless expectancy will not be set in motion or stopped by three or four gentlemen who meet for the purpose of reconciling various proceedings which, at first sight, seem to have little in common. • • • • " The fact that the Court which is most strongly devoted to Russia participates in the protocol under consideration is a sufficient proof that it contains nothing definite or substantial. " Whatever opinion may be formed as to the utility of the course pursued by the resuscitated Conference, there can be no sufficient ground for anxiety or alarm in the reference which is made to the last Vienna protocol. The terms which were offered to Russia before the commence ment of the war are no longer in question, except so far as the German Powers are pledged to acquiesce in no additional concession to the Czar. The outbreak of hostilities cancels all restrictions on the demands which the belligerents may hereafter put forward, as circumstances and their own interests may dictate. A series of Russian successes might necessitate, and therefore justify, a recur rence to the statue quo ante bellum ; whilst, on the other hand, the capture of one or two great fortresses, or the destruction of the enemy's fleet, would entitle England and France to impose sacrifices on their antagonist which were never contemplated by the neutral Powers of Central Europe. • • • • • " Those who imagine that a partially unintelligible protocol will hamper the operations of Lord Raglan or Admiral I)undas must also suppose that the Emperor Napoleon, like his celebrated predecessor of mythical re nown, has marched an army for the purpose of letting it march home again. The co-operation of the two Govern ments is the best guarantee for the sincerity of both; and the seeming puerility of any diplomatic formality in which they have concurred must be attributed to a prudent re gard for the susceptibilities of Courts with which negotia tions may be pending." The Morning Post alone adopts the view that the protocol is decidedly adverse to Russian interests : "The Germanic Courts, in fact, have continued to draw nearer to the policy and course of the Western Alliance, in proportion as the action of the latter has been bolder and more open, and they have finally given in their adhesion to the necessity of war, now that that war is assuming a character of uncompromising vigour." The Morning Herald, in a clear and energetic article, concludes that the object of the protocol is to open a door of escape to Russia from her present em barrassing position : "We have never concealed our opinion that the main ob ject of Lord Aberdeen's Government has been from the commencement, and now is, in conjunction with the Powers of Central Europe, to find the means for allowing the great Northern despot to escape from the consequences of his own actions. • • • • " For this purpose it is that the Vienna protocolising has been recommenced, and the system has been adopted of fighting with gloves, so that, with the appearance of car rying on the war, as little injury as possible can be done by our Government to the permanent interests of the Czar. A thousand things concur at the present moment to prove that such is the course of proceeding determined on. The action of our army, now arrived at Scutari, is paralysed by the unnecessary, if not predetermined, delay of the arrival of the artillery and cavalry, whose presence is necessary to enable it to take the field. " Let us turn for a moment from the acts of the Ministry at home to the declarations of their real allies, Austria and Prussia, and it will appear that they are in perfect accord ance with the intentions which we have attributed to the Coalition. . . . None can doubt that any attempt to extract from Russia a renunciation of treaties or a cession of territory will be met by these Powers with the most un compromising opposition—in fact, that they will stand by Russia in the re-establishment (if she can be persuaded to secede to it) of the status qua ante. None can doubt, also, that to this the Coalition Cabinet, led by Lord Aberdeen, would willingly, if not eagerly, give its adhesion, and it is for this purpose that they have 83 steadily refused, daring the whole of the debates in Parliament which have taken place on the subject of the Russian war, to give any expla- nation of what are the ultimate objects of that war or of the terms which they will be prepared to exact." The Herald further conceives it likely that France would stand alone among the four Powers in resist ing such a conclusion, and that it is part of the policy which has dictated this protocol to neutralise the vigorous action of that Power. THE CRYSTAL PALACE. THE approach of the opening day stimulates the working directors of the Sydenham Palace to in. creased exertions, and the preparations are urged forward in every department with unremitting activity. Sir J. Paxton has assumed for the moment a complete dictatorship of the vast enterprise, and his undivided authority, exercised through the hands of several thousand workmen distributed over every department, external and internal, is directed towards the completion of each if not to its anticipated per fection, which is simply impossible, at all events to a very respectable point of excellence and beauty. Months or years must elapse before the gardens will bloom and the fountains play without, or the THE PRESS. innumerable " courts " be filled with their industrial marvels within. But meanwhile there will be plenty to attract and instruct the visitors, who may probably be even better pleased at seeing the great Exhibition grow in some degree beneath their eyes rather than if they were suddenly introduced to it in all its dazzling and bewildering completeness. We have already given from time to time some accounts of the gradual rise of the edifice as certain stages of ad vance were successively reached. There are, how ever, some new arrangements indispensable for the entertainment and accommodation of the soon expected throng of visitors which it may be interest ing to explain to our readers. Among these are the preparations for refreshments and stabling. In the refreshment department Mr. Horne is erecting his ovens and marshalling his forces. Tenders for all sorts of provisions have been called for by advertise ment, and care will be taken that everything edible shall be of the best and purest quality, and furnished on the lowest possible terms. The Board of Trade have enlarged the original charter, so as to permit of the sale of wine and beer in the palace and grounds. The management, in availing themselves of this con cession, have entered into arrangements with eminent wine-merchants and brewers for a supply of pure wine, and unadulterated beer, and the result of the large scale upon which the thing is to be done will be that visitors will be able to obtain a bottle of sound claret for half a crown, and everything else at a similarly moderate rate. No attempt will be made to introduce the sale of spirits. M. Loysel, a French inventor, has contracted for the erection of a large hydraulic-machine for making tea and coffee, by which about 1,0(X) pinta of each will be supplied per hour during the day. Immense pressure will be exercised to extract all the aromatic properties out of the tea and coffee, and the hot water will be supplied from a steam-engine outside. It was a novelty left for the nineteenth century and the Sydenharn Crystal Palace that tea-kettles and coffee pots should be rated, not by the number of pints or quarts they contained, but by the amount of horse power with which they are kept in action. The projector puts up the machinery at his own ex pense, and is satisfied with a royalty of one penny on each pound of tea and coffee consumed for his remuneration. Stabling for three hundred and fifty horses is in course of erection on Westow -hill, from designs fur nished by Messrs. Banks and Barry, and these, to which are attached standings for a considerable num ber of carriages, will be ready for the opening day. Another block of stabling for three hundred horses is in progress, under the superintendence of Sir Joseph Paxton, in Dulwich-wood, also with extended standing-room for carriages ; but even all this ac commodation will fall short of the requirements if private speculators do not step in and establish stalls in the immediate neighbourhood. Amongst the subsidiary projects for rendering the Exhibition instructive as well as attractive, the directors have determined to form a complete gallery of naval architecture, from the coracle of the ancient Celts to the great war-galley of the Romans, and thence by regular gradations down to the screw line of-battle ship of the Baltic fleet. Cleopatra's galley will be constructed from the best authorities, the Bucentaur will be correctly represented, and the Great Harry will show what the British navy was three or four hundred years ago. Application will be made to the Admiralty for the Government models, and the various ship andyacht builders of the United Kingdom will be applied to by circular for illustra tions of their various improvements and inventions. The department will be rendered complete by a series of the various apparatus used in the fisheries of the United Kingdom. The Archbishop of Canterbury will offer a short prayer on the occasion of the inaugural ceremony of the palace, in order to invoke the sanction of religion on this great national undertaking. This will be succeeded by Handel's " Hallelujah " chorus, exe cuted on a scale of magnitude never attempted in this or any other country. In addition to upwards of 1,000 performers (vocal and instrumental) from the Sacred Harmonic and New Philharmonic Societies, who have volunteered their services for the occasion, a movement is in progress among the choral societies of Manchester, Liverpool, Birmingham, Bradford, and other great seats of manufacturing industry, where music has of late years made much progress among the working classes, to send deputations to take part in the performance. The company's hand, under Mr. Schallehn, will co-operate with the above mentioned performers, and it is also proposed to introduce two regimental bands. The whole of the musical arrangements will be under the able direc tion of Mr. Costa, who looks forward to producing effects of a grandeur hitherto unparalleled in the annals of music. THE EFFECTS OF SIR HAMILTON SEYMOI'II, accord ing to a St. Petersburg letter of the 16th instant, have been shipped on board a Prussian vessel. SATURDAY, grtlanb. HER MAJESTY'S BIRTHDAY was celebrated by the military in Cork, Limerick, Belfast, and the other garrisons on Saturday, with field days and feu de joie. MR. COMMISSIONER BALDWIN, who in his judicild capacity has won the esteem both of the profession and of the public, died on Tuesday from an attatic f apoplexy. The appointment of Chief Com_ missioner of the Dublin Insolvent Court is thu s placed at the disposal of the Government. It is worth 2,0001. a year. THE DUBLIN PROTESTANT ASSOCIATION, it their meeting on Tuesday night, adopted a strongly_ worded petition against the proposed admission of Roman Catholic chaplains into the Government In• dustrial Schools of Iliddl6sex. THE REV. La. NEwmAN, president of the Roman Catholic University, according to the Limerick Chronicle, is to be consecrated bishop in partibus in a short time. INFORMATION was yesterday received by the metro politan police of a rubbery from a gentleman near the Amphitheatre, Liverpool, of a light leather pocketbook containing 5001. in notes. SEVEN PERSONS WERE DROWNED in an excursion boat on Sunday week. The boat held seventeen men, principally masons and bricklayers, employed in building a fort near Yarmouth, in the Isle of Wight, and was overset by some larking among its passengers. Only ten of the whole number were saved alive. SUICIDE WAS ATTEMPTED on Wednesday morning by a lodger in the house of Mr. Adams, landlord of the British Stores, in Wells street. The unfortunate man, whose name was Jones, had practised as a surgeon at Abergavenny, in Wales, but for six months had lodged in the house above mentioned. The clime was attempted by his throwing himself from a second-floor window into the street, but, though frightfully hurt, he was picked up and carried to the Middlesex Hospital, where it is not expected he can long survive the injuries be has received. AN INSTANCE OF SUDDEN DEATH, peculiarly shock ing, occurred at Birmingham on Wednesday. One of the postboys from the Royal Hotel was driving a newly-married pair from the church to their own home, when he fell from Lis horse and instantly expired. A DESTRUCTIVE FIRE broke out on Sunday after noon in a spacious building situate in Rose yard, Rose-street, Soho-square, occupied conjointly by Messrs. Bevington, the organ-builders, Mr. Littleton, music-printer, and Messrs. Hopkins and Purvis, wholesale oil and colour men. Nearly two hours elapsed before the conflagration could be extin guished. Messrs. Bevington are serious losers, as the whole of the external fittings and carved case of the great organ for St. Martin's Church have been destroyed. The music.printing-machines of Mr. Lit• tleton, on the second floor, as well as the printed sheets of music, were much damaged by water, as well as a valuable stock of colours belonging to Messrs. Hopkins and Purvis. As to the origin of the fire, not the least information could be obtained. Messrs. Bevington, unfortunately, are not insured. The whole of the men employed in their factory have lost their tools. FROM THE LONDON GAZETTE. Tuesday, May 23. BANKRUPTS.:—Hrom ELDRID, Witney, Oxfordshire, grocer —GEonrim SayanEns,Seymour-street, Euston-square—BictiAßD BOND, Brighton, Sussex, !Milkier—THOMAS HOT BURTON, Win chester, cowkeeper—RonEtir BURR, Gosport, Hampshire. boot- Illaker—THOMAll HOLLAND, Milner-street, Islington, tobacco broker— Wm. Wiliam, Thelford, Norfolk, butcher —JAMES HUNT, Lupus•street, Pimlico, builder—JOSEPH BEST, JUR, Kidderminster, scrivener—Wm. BRADLEY GEOROE, Gloucester, scrivener—Wm. Jonsisow, Bradford, Yorkshire, butcher—JOHN JACKSON, Kingston•upon-Hull, commission agent —CH.sabas FirroN, Newton-lioath, Lancashire, jolter—Tilos. FINCIIETT and Wit.r.tam FINCHET-r, Chorlton-upon-Atedlock, Lancashire, brewers. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS.—JAmna GAY, Falkirk, grocer —Lawn's MILLZB, Glasgow, general outfitter. Friday, May 26. BANKRUPTS.—JOHN CHARLES BRANT, SlloTeditCh, Oil and colour man—Joni Hol.mEs and RonEwr Hotuts, Sheffield buiIders—RICHARDSTRINOP:R, Hertield, draper—JAMES Dußois, Sheffield, tailor—Cnosny LEIGHTON. Lancaster, grocer—JAmEs NUTTAI.I., JAMES YATES, and CHARLES NUTTALL, Rawtenstall, Lancaster. cotton manufacturers—Rh - Haar , LATHAM, Bristol, leather deaIer—SAMUEL CRANE Fox, Liverpool, wine and spirit merchant—Jon!: BATES, West Bromwich, Stafford, blinder -- WILLIAM ACKLAND, LiSSOR-grove, and FREDERICK MASON GOODWIN, High-street, Portland-town, linen-drapers—RlCHAßD CAVE, Bristol, Manchester warehousem an—ROBERT KEMP PHILP and RICHARD PERKINS APPLEFORD, Fleet-street, booksellers — SAMUEL tRAACII,Portsea, hardwareman—WlLLlAM Lomo,Lamb's Conduit-street, baker and grocer—JEßEmiAn BILEINottAu and JESSIE BILLINOHAW, Cradley-heath, Staffordshire, chain makers. SCOTCH SEQUESTRATIONS. WILLIAM LUMADEN MACALASTER. Paisley, yarn merchant—SAmvEL WOOLFIELP, Glasgow, goldsmith—TA Los and RonoEsa, Paisley, dyers-- ALEXANDZA anti ALTEANDiR. Olaagow, tea merchants. 1