The Express. — London, England, 1855-04-24 00:00:00

gbe Cotirt. The Qom sad Priam Albert took a drive in an oasis landau mad four yesterday afternoon. Lord Charles Flimsy aid Colonel Seymour attaadod oa horseback. Priam Albert redo os ►oresbssk i• the (enema, seem pealed by tk. Priam of Wales sad Prises Alfred, mad atteaded by his Equerry in Waiting. Her Majesty sad Prima Albert, assompaand ►y the Prima of Wales, Prises Alfred, and the Priam of lottaie- V/. !spawned the Prisease's Theatre with then presume Is the evening. The ►oyal suits ooncisted of the Vissountess Ceasing, lard Rivers, Lord Charles Fiisßoy. and Colonel Seymour. The Duchess of Kent went to Frogmen yesterday morn ieg, *Model by Lady Aims Maria Dawson, Baroness do Speth, sad Cassel Btephena. Her Royal Highness re. bawd to bar rimedsase, Clams'►hoses, 8t James'o, la the aftsrama. A deputation from the Church of Seetland en the subject of the Lord Advocate's lidocation Bill, had an interview with Viscount Palmerston yesterday, at his oßcial resi due', in Daseents-street. The deputation eouisud of the 11ev. Dr. Cook (St. Andrew's), the Rev. Dr. Simpson ti l Lirksiewton), Sir George Clerk, But., Mr. John Tait Shwa of Claelnaliaanshire), Mr. David Smith, and r. Alexander Pringle, of Whytbank. A deputation ea the subject of the Great Northern London Cemetery Bill bad ao interview yesterday with the President of the General Board of Health, at hie office, The deputation from the Burial Board for St. Pancras consisted of the Rev. T. Dahl (chairmen), Megan Jobe Flather sad Henry Ferrer (churchwardens), Meters. D. Cooper, Tympeon, Fenno", Mr. Greene (clerk), and Mr. &adding (solicitor). The Maryiebosie Burial Board was represeated by Dr. Sayer, Merin. 8. H. Barlow., sad J. Ressell, and Mr. W. B. Offenwell (clerk); sod the Burial &fordo( fit. Mary, Weems, by Messrs James Wagstaff end John Savage (elsessfurerdeas), and Messes. John Nichol!, Wis. Aulenen. Joke Leyte& (Meek), sad Mr. Jobs Her nett Hires of Messes. Barnett and Birch, the architects of the cemetery of the three parishes). The following gentlemen ales attended on behalf of the Great Northern Leaden Cemetery Bill .—Mesers. Burke., last, Hakewill and Bowles. • depstatioa from 'shores also had an interview with the Prendest of the General Board of Health on the sub., jest of the Metropolis Ll4llll Mansgemeot Bill, consisting of Mesas. Jen. Wagstaff and Juba Suggs (eburchosrdeee), . Moms. Jobe Voesley sad Jobs Yount (overseen), and Messrs. Charles Hoary Bit, Juba Faller, Coruna., West, Thomas James, sod Thomas Lewis. Despatehes were received at the Colonial-rfles yesterday from the Governor of Cued& and tie ()overawes of the other North American Provinces. Despatches were lent yesterday I. the Governor of the West Cout of Afr:ca. Yesterday, at two o'clock, it was announced to the City authorities that her Majesty had been graciously pleased to confer the dignity of a batonetcy upon the Lord Mayor of London, now Sir Francis Graham Moon, But. We regret to learn the eyesight of Lord Charles Wellesley it considered irretrievably toot. The Provost of Eton and Mule Hawtrey have arrived at the Clarendon, from Eton. The Duchess of Sillierlaud and family have re tuned to Staiforsi-house, St. Jenne's, from Clitfden House, Birks, for the season. _ _ . The Count de Monteinolin and Don Sebastian have arrived at Naples Irma Trieste. _ _ Among the guests at a dinner given on Saturday by Sir Benjamin Hall, at his mansion in Mayfair, were the Archbishop of Canterbury, the Duke of Wellington, the Marquis of Lowdown', Marniais of Londonderry, Muquis of Breadalbane, Viscount Mucilage, Lord Waterparli, the Spaaker of the Home of Commons, Right Hon. Sir Ramp rep, lisp. W. Cowper, Hos. sad Ilea. Mr. Pillion (the sew rector of Mary Whose), de. The Besot= Academic= of Matioheal College, Aberdeen, have conferred the degree of LL.D. on Hugh Barclay, , one of the sheriffi of Perh,hire, author of " A Digest of the Law of Ssotland," and other law works. At the tame time, the degree of LL D. was conferred on the Rev. James A. Wylie, Edinburgh, author of "The Modern Judea compared with Ansiest Prophecy," &o. . . .. Castle Menzies and shooting have (says the Gloa low Deity Mail.) hein let to an Indian nines for two us soar. Him saws as Mold Sang, and hs is s unveil to the Carinthia religion. The College Committee of the Edinburgh Town Council have made gement& with Professor Treill for the teaching of the Natural History Clue (the chair of which has been vacant by the death of Professor Forbes) during the summer elision. The Salut Public of Lyons says that her Majesty has postponed her visit to Paris to the end of September, in order to be premed at the distribution of Exhibition prises, which is to take place at the commencement of October. The Emperor of the French left 4001. for the relief of the poor at Windsor, and 104.4 for trio poor of Dover. He also presented ROI. to the &unite Frangthis de &tours, of which the French Ambassador is President. The Load Mayor of London and the Mayor of Dover have reosived valuable sonvecin. The Precursor of Antwerp has a story to the effect that after a Conference at Windsor last week which (mum the peals)) resulted in the concession of tie command of the Allied Armies to the Emperor of the French, ler Msjeety approached the Emperor and said, " Well, Bin, you me more than as ally to as, for oar army Is plaited utter your command." A Paris correspondent of the Independance Beige, serrates that at the diplomatic reception ;last week, the Isaperor of the Presoak observed to Mr. Boatsmen, the American Misister at cur Court, that the return of the latter to the United States need not prevent him from visiting the Paris Ilzbibition, for steam now made distance Immaterial. " Tree," replied the Minister, "and it is not so far, perhaps, from Paris to Washington as from Paris to the Crimea, whither your Majesty, as report says, is going." To this direct remark, the Emperor contented himself with the reply, " That is my business, and no one knows any. thing about it." Earl Duodonald is so positive that he mold destroy Cronstadt, Sireaborp, Holsingfon, and Sebastopol, at the moderato ezpossis of 1,000,00 W., that be is ready, with the sanction of the Government, to plass his plans before spirited individasla in the City, nadir whom superintend ent**, many may be disbursed. - 1 Min Peto, daughter of Sir S. M. Peto, Bart., named a mew steals vessel, the European, numbed a few days ago from the bend* yard of Moen. Scott sad Co., Greenock. la June a small iron steamer will commence to ply oa Look Tay. It will parterre two tripe from either end of the lake in the day. A singular result of the cheap fuse between' Glasgow and Edinburgh wu insphfied last week, when a erns at the former city received a considerable multilane by the bands of a clerk, whose fare, first class, was con siderably less than the commission charged by a hanker. In the House of Commons, oo the Bth of May, Yr. Bounds will kits in a bill to amend the law of part turnip ; also a bill to alter and amend the act for the 'regis tration of joint-stock ompaniee. In committee on the Education Bill, Mr. Biggs will propose " That every parent who shall wilfully, eon 'innately, and systematically neglect the educatioa of his children, or who shall employ them, er allow thou to be employed, is any profitable or remunerative oesepetise, so 10 to interfere with their daily 'destine, before they are eleven years of se, shall, ors aeuvietion before twojutioes of the mew, forfeit for the first offence, arum sot smearing twenty shillings, or ens month ; for the second effete', a sum not exceeding five pounds, or three months; and for the third offence, a nun sot exceeding tea pounds, or sin months." Oa the Bth of May Mr. Locke Bing will ask the Roues of COMM/CS to authorise the issue of a new, ocei pieta, and systsmaUe edition of the statutes now in farce. From the provincial jouraals we learn that swal lows ►ave bola area daring the last few days, sad that the valiance sere of the cuckoo is heard. M. Billault, Minister of the Laterior, has refossd to authorise the intredastlea of ball lights into Paris daring the tine of the Inhibition. Such spectacles, he legs, are repugnant to Preach ideas. Admiral Hamelin, the new Minister of Marine in 141111011, Y 69 pears of op. Count Potocky has had an interview with the Pope, to seem the °Eclat notification of the death of the Empe ror Nicholas. The diplomatic relations between the Court of Naples satin Bardlona government an bosom* less sad for amisabla. Tbo Neapolitan polies refund, the other day, to allow roar Sardinian alms who an bound foe the Bast to land at Naples for • fay boon. Ms Sardlalas govern stint bas not failed to maks known to Lag Pardinand it. displosson at this set of discourtesy. THE BOMBARDMENT OF • SEBASTOPOL. ("Lox Tax SPECIAL 11111111.) OF TI DAILY CAMP ABOVE SEBASTOPOL, Aran. 9. The loog-expected cannonade opened this morning before daybreak, and is still continuing. Hoary rain has been falling the last twenty-four hours, and the atmosphere: is so obscured by mist and clouds that the effects of the fire are not visible. The fire is pro ceeding chiefly from the centre and right attacks ; there does not appear to be more than the usual tire on the left. The Russians are net returning the can naiads with their former vigour. Scarcely one shot is returned from the Rosman batteries for every twelve from the English batteries. Oar fire is directed principally against the advanced line of Russian defences around the arsenal and Karabelnaia suburb; commencing from the two new redoubts on the right of Careening Bay, and following the line of the works to the south, or Admiralty Harbour. This comprehends the Lunette battery imme diately above Careening Bay, on the left or west side; a new redoubt thrown up lately on the cliff above the roadstead, and still further to the lett than] the last-named work; the Mamelon redoubt; and the Malakhoff, Roden, and Barrack batteries. The atmosphere becomes less overcast from time to time, but so dense a veil of smoke and vapour still hangs about the batteries that no details are distinguish. able. The wind is blowing strongly from the south west, so that the smoke is carried from the English towards the RUM/illll batteries. It is also an advan tage that the rain, which is sweeping by in heavy gusts, is beating against the backs of our gunners in the batteries, while the Russian artillerymen are compelled to face the storm. It was only last evening known that the bombard ment was to be actively renewed this day. The troops detached to guard the trenches were ordered to take their rations cooked with them, to save the ex posure which would otherwise be incurred by men be carrying them in the daytime. They will less exposed than they were at the first attack on the fortifications, as the covered ways are now both more extensive, and, by being cut deeper, afford better protection. The ambulance cars have been ordered to wait for wounded in the several ravines; but the rain is now Bow ing down the ravines in torrents, and it is doubt hl whether these heavy waggons will be able to make way along them. The quantity of rain fallen must have been very great, for the ground was deeply cleft and fissured front the long-continued drought, and must have absorbed • large quantity of moisture before allowing an overfluw sufficient to form the deep streams now flowing down the narrow valleys leading to the south hirbour and Careening Bay. It is iotended, in case the number of wounded should exceed the limits of the accommodation afforded by the regimental field hospitals, to form • general hospital to receive them. The huts occupied by the 39th and 14th Regiments, in rear of the 4th Division, will be vacated for this purpose. There was a thick fog on the nights of the Bth and 7th instant, and the troops in front were kept for some hours each night under arms. A body of Rus- sian troops had been observed in the Tchernaya Valley, near to the opening in the mountains leading to Tchorgnua, and it appeared as if a force were assembling in that neighbourhood. A rumour was spread abroad that au attack on Balaklava was con templated, but nothing unusual transpired. The working parties of the several armies bad con tinued busily employed up to the time of the re-open ing of the tire from the batteries. The Russians had on one side, our left, of the Mamelon redoubt con verted the rifle pits flanking the hoe of the middle ravine into a deep trench, and completed a communi cation between it and the advanced trench close in front of the French line. The other end of this work was brought into communication with the covered way leading from the Mamelon redoubt towards the Redan batteries. On the other side, our right, of the Mamelon redoubt, they had deepened and extended the covered way towards the redoubts on the right above the Careening Bay ravine; and they were also completing the communication between this covered way and the right extremity of the advanced trench in front of the French line. The rifle pits thrown up at the foot of the Mamelon hitl, and along its sides, in succession, and at first view independent of each other, had thus been nearly completed into a regular advanced work, with connecting covered ways leading ap to tl e redoubt on the summit. To a casual observer these rifle pits, or ambuscades, so constantly employed by the enemy, appear to be put at isolated spots without any particular relation to each other. A little farther observation will show that this is not the case. They are constructed on scientific principles, and aro platted in such a way as mutually to support each other. Thus on taking an advanced ambuscade, the captors generally find them selves exposed to a flanking fire from another on one side, or to a direct fire from one above ; nor can the one in front be rendered tenable until its parapet is turned or possession is gained of all the rest. The Russians use these ambuscades very extensively, and their sharpshooters show themselves particularly quick and adroit in throwing them up. In the course of a few hours, on a favourable night, fresh ground will become covered over with what seem to be at a distance small hillocks. Behind each of these how- ever is an excavation deep enough, with the aid of the earth thrown out, to cover one man, who generally contrives so to arrange an opening that he can use his rifle without himself being seen or exposed. If the ground is bad, or be is likely to be marked down while making his pit, be will carry with him as a protection a bag of earth or even straw. Perhaps a foams is excavated large enough to protect a dozen or fifty men; it is then made with gabions, and edged and stren gthened by sandbags, and hes all the cha racter of a miniature redoubt. The aim of the Russian shshosters is remarkably accurate, and a very small object, seen through the opening of an embra sure, or 'above a parapet, is almost a sore hit, with their needle rifles, up to four hundred yards or up wards. The Ottoman artillerymen at the late attack upon Enpatoria are said to have suffered very severely from the fire of the Russian sharpshooters. The obscurity of the night preceding the assault, and the absence of videttes or advanced sentries, enabled the Russian riflemen to throw up their ambuicades within a distance varying from fifty to &hundred yards from the batteries. The Russians had thrown up several of these ambuscades of large size to most the sew works in course of extension from the advanced parallel on Frenchman's-hill. They have bad for some time past two stone walls, one on the left, the other to the right of the verge of the bill overhanging the ravine, where it winds round between the Redan-hill and Frenchman's-hill, to connect itself with the valley of the south harbour. Behind these walls riflemen were constantly esta blished. The walls themselves are strong and thick, with openings between the stones sufficiently wide to permit the riflemen both to watch our works in front, and to use their weapous, but without risk to them. selves. It is in advent* of these walls that the Russians have lately thrown up a certain number of ambuscades, five or six, to oppose our advance. From the right of the advanced work on Frenchman's-hill, not far from the bend where it tarns to connect itself across the middle ravine with the French line, a branch trench had been worked forward as an approach to the third parallel, but the progress of the parallel itself at this end was for the present inter rupted bI the flanking fire from the enemy's riflemen on the From near the centre of the advanced work had also been thrown for ward another covered branch, or hope, leading to a small mound, which, for the present, was employed to keep the Russian riflemen in check. From the left of this mound a part of the parallel was being extended towards the left ravine, and immediately in front of this line the Russian rifle men threw up some ambuscades, with a view to impede its progress. At the same time a aig-sag approach MI forwarded from the extreme left of the advanced work, to meet the parallel when sufficiently prolonged. But to effect thle union it wee necessary to occupy one of the Russian ambuscades which had been thrown up almost in the line of the intended , work. This was undertaken in the course of the night, a short time prior to the re-opening of the fire THE EXPRESS, 'TUESDAY of the heavy goes, and, after a sharp conflict of mus ketry, the dislodgment - of the enemy was effected. The expulsion of the sharpshooters from this pit was an advantage gained, inasmuch u it protected the artillerymen in a new eight-gun battery, opened for the drat time, and situated in rear of this end of the advanced work, from the annoyance to which they would otherwise have been exposed. While the English were thus advancing their position towards the Baden battery on the left, the French were sapping up in several directions towards the Ma:Delon and Malakhoff works. They had carded on a zig-sag along the middle ravine, extend ing it from that part where their advanced trench wu connected with the advanced work on French ' man's-bill. This zig-zag would shortly have enabled them to take the Russian advanced trench in reverse, and would moreover be made to communicate with our new parallel. They had also extended their sap con siderably on the height above the Careening Bay ravine, in a direction toward the more advanced, of the two Russian redoubts in that position. The works on Greenhill bad also been considerably advanced, and a new battery constructed close to the site of the ambuscades which were known under the name, from their shape, of the "Ovens." Both on Greenhill and Frenchman's-hill the old batteries had been strengthened by the addition of powerful mortar batteries, and guns of heavier metal than had pre viously been employed in them. Some of the 13-inch mortars had also been placed in convenient positions, above the old batteries, on each attack. Should it be considered advisable for a combined bombardment to be made by both the French and English batteries, it is calculated that no less than one hundred and twenty mortars of large calibre, twenty-eight being 13 inch, could be brought into action, and very little short of five hundred powerful guns. Such was the general condition of the siege works at the opening of the fire this morning. The regimen!. of the Light Division held a race meeting on the 7th instant. An excellent course was prepared on some unoccupied ground about a mile in rear of the encampment, between the head-quarters of General Bouquet and the Woronzoff-rosd. The day was fine and bright, and the assemblage of French and English officers very numerous. Two ladies also graced the scene with their presence, re presentatives of the fair sex from each side of " La Manche," and each, of course, the object of marked attention. Everything would have gone off favour ably but for an accident in one race, which threatened to be attended with very serious results to two officers— Captain Shifter, of the 34th Regiment, and Captain Thomas, of the Royal Artillery. In taking a leap at a stone wall their horses moved, and horses and riders fell confusedly together. The occurrence caused much alarm, for it was at first reported that both officers had received internal injuries that were likely to prove fatal. This turns out, happily, not to be the case ; although very considerably contused, they are not likely to suffer from the effects of the accident beyond a few days. Commissary-General Sir George Maclean has joined the army, and has been directed to take charge, under Commissary-General Filder, of the duties at Constantinople. Ile is also to have general superintendence of the stations on the Bosphorus and Dardanelles, and also at Smyrna. 10 p.m.—The night is dark and tempestuous ; the wind continues to blow strongly from the south west, and the rain, though less continuous, passes by in heavy fitful showers. No stars are visible. The tire from the batteries continues. Flashes of light from the guns, and the reflected glare in the sky, burst through the darkness at frequent intervals, and appear among the mists and clouds with the sudden effect and vividness of lightning; while the roar of the gets and the roll of the echoes among the mountains, not ineptly complete the illusion of an Alpine storm, by their close resem blance to the crash and stunning sound of thunder. The horizontal flight through the air of some of the larger shot and shell, with their peculiar shrill rush ing noise, contrasts strongly with the deep boom ing of the guns, and adds to the confusion of sounds which strike the ear. The report from each piece at the instant of explosion is so modified by the weight of metal, amount of charge, position, and distance, that ne two sounds appear alike either in tone or in tensity. Sometimes the explosion and discharge are made with such force that even at a considerable distance the concussion of the air strikes the spectator forcibly, and he experiences the sensation of having received a blow on the chest. The noise would be much increased if the wind blew from an opposite direction, even on these open heights: what must be the roar in the streets and buildings of the town below ! The shells rise thickly and brightly from the English batteries, and in less number trout the French works on the right, but become dimmer as they travel through the misty atmosphere towards the Russian side. The Russians are replying comparatively feebly. From the reporth of the covering parties who have returned from their damp and dreary places of shelter In the trenches during the last 24 hours., our casualties as yet have been ve7 few, while our lire has bees very effective, especially against the Malakhoff and Mamelou works. It is also said that the French have gained possession of the Russian trench immediately in front of their advanced We shall know more of this to-morrow. Report says, with what truth I am not aware, that our allies are to open a number of their new works to-morrow, and in turn relieve us of part of the fire against the enemy's works. Aran. 10. The battering is continuing. New works have been opened by the French. The rain ceased early in the course of the night, and there is promise of a dry day. Our casualties are very few. (I'loll ♦tt Or TIM DAILY CAMP BEFORE SEBASTOPOL, APRIL 6. A very amusing scene, I understand, took place at the camp of the Royal Naval Brigade on Saturday morning last. An officer of the commissariat de r4tint arrived there with an order from Lord l n an to have all the horses mustered for inspection, as many had died, and otherwise disappeared of late, off the strtngth of his establishment. The good natured brigadier who commands the maritime camp, Capt. Stephen Lushington, immediately issued orders for sounding " the general assembly" of the cavalry of the naval brigade. In a moment the whole camp became filled with equine life, from the snorting steed who sniffed the keen morning air, and the hardy, enduring mock, to the drooping chargers, some of whom probably belonged to the tun artil lery who fought at lokermann, or to the six hundred who rode into and out of " the jaws of hell " at Balaklava. Some were claimed and taken away ; others were not. But how came the men by all those horses P The different questions and answers were, I am told, very amusing. Sailors are fond of pets, and naturally kind-hearted. Some stated that they had rushed forward and arrested the farrier's up lifted arm, as he was about to terminate the lives of some. They led them to camp, where they succeeded in restoring suspended animation ! Others had bought theirs for a bottle of grog, and some foe a quid of tobacco ' • while some, finding the hones straying about, h ad led them home to take care of them. While on this subject, I cannot help observing that everyone remarks that the seamen, in their camp, are better off than the soldiers. Why should this be ? simply because the men are handy and try to shift for themselves, and their officers of all grades—not trusting to the system of "reports"—loot well after thew. The seamen build cosy little cook-houses, get fires ready, and make pots boil; while oar poor men, who sever have been accustomed to do anything for tkennislres, seam listless and indifferent. They are now seising teem this system. Oar seamen much mantis Plemskana in their vivacity of manner and dieposkite, and in making the best of their situation. The esesequence is, they are not suffering like the troops. A Frenchman will stroll out of his tent, and in a few minutes will pick up a handful et herbs, with which he can make a very palata ble and savoury dish. Those fellows can get a delicious repeat ready, when our men would actual)'' starve. It was ally two days since I saw aes of FINIWIENS piked a delicious salad. It was dose thus. They piked up the young dandelion plants. The vinegar waspepared by exposing their Missal vin oration to the sun, which converted it labels*. gar; the Tplaiets were out up, andthe vinegar WI a little oil, wh ich is part of their Mane/ were Puma over all. Thin eaten with a little breed at wait matte& was most refreshing—ex sets Ass mess. When our poor fellows try to shift this he them- EVENING, APRIL 24, 1855. selves it will be advantageous to the army in general. Every morning French soldiers are going through oar camp selling bread as whits and as light es any you purchase in the metropolis. Fancy the French •. troops not only enjoying the luxury of white soft broad, bat even having it to spare, so as to sell it to oar fellows ! The price is enormous. They charge us two shillings for a threepenny loaf. Lord Raglan has been out a good deal of late through the camp, and seems to dive more than hitherto into affairs in general. He has been to see the suspension bridge, constructed by the seamen gunners, over the ravine and stream which mines along the southern side of their camp. It is ad mirably contrived out of very simple means. It is about 100 feet long. The sides of suspension are thrown over capstan bar pillars, and composed of four-inch rope, which are made fart at both ends to a sleeper, made out of the crosspiece of a gun carriage, sunk in the groond. The flooring is composed of staves, or stakes, laid across and fastened to three three-inch ropes. The whole apparatus is hauled tight by blocks. It is a most useful and ingenious contrivance, and is another proof how handy naval officers and seamen are in shifting for themselves. The French have arranged several very wily strata gems lately for embarrassing as well as receiving the enemy at night, when making their usual sorties upon their lines (French): those are tripping lines of wire. Pegs have been driven down on top of the parapets, to which were made fast strong wire lines. They have also been placed in the parallels, and in all imaginable places where cunning and artifice pointed out. The consequence was and is that the enemy, in jumping into the trenches, have fallen and fall headlong, by compa nies, into the traps prepared to receive them. Thus many of them become either prioners or an easy prey to the bayonet. Besides, such accidents so completely contuse the whole party that the manceuvre fails, with serious loss to them. Such plans, of course, soon become known to them; but even then, the uncertainty of their whereabouts, with the full knowledge of their existence, must tend to create great alarm in the minds of ail employed on 'such dangerous enterprises in the dark. THE BALTIC FLEET. (11LOX 11 OP TWO DAILY NZWII.) KIEL, Aran. 19. The noble fleet, which occupied the greater part of the anchorage in the Downs at the beginning of the month, got under weigh at 6.30 on the morning of the 9ch, and proceeded to the N.H. through the Gull stream; the wind was favourable, but the wea ther very thick. When the Admiral passed the North Sand Head Light Vessel, he hove to to get the fleet into two lines, and then proceeded in regular order, passing the Kentish Knock at 11.40., when the fog and theft weather cleared away; the starboard divi sion was led by the Exmouth, bearing the flag of Rear-Admiral Seymour; and the port by the Com mander-in-Chief ; the Vulture on the weather beam of the Admiral; and the remaining five paddle steamers on either side of the lines: and in this order the fleet proceeded up the North Sea, passing Orford nese at 3.62 in the afternoon, the rendezvous made being the Skew. Abuut 11 p.m. the sky became very cloudy, and at a quarter to 12 the whole fleet were hid from each other in a very heavy squall, which lasted until 1 o'clock on the morning of the 10th, during which time the barometer fell consider ably, and it blew very strong during the day from the W.N.W. After this rough weather had ceased, the only vessel missing was the Basilisk, which ship has no doubt gone to the rendezvous off the Skaw. The weather has been very changeable since we left the Downs; on the morning of the 12th, it blowing a gale of wind from the eastward, which is very nuts vourable going through the Belt. April 13, at 2.30 in the afternoon, the land was seen a-head, and the fleet stood in between the Naze of Norway and Tutted, bat stood off during the night, the weather still continuing very bad, with a strong breeze from the S.E. On the afternoon of the 14th the wind hauled to the southward, and the fleet went round and stood to the eastward through the Sleeve, the Admiral having made the signal to steer E.S.E., which is a fair wind through. On Sunday the 15th the fleet passed the Skaw, and anchored in the Kat tegat about five miles to the N.E. of Frederickshaven. On passing the land to the westward of the Skew, several vessels were high and dry on the beech, and N 0.17 transport passed through the lines. The Basilisk was lying at anchor, but got under weigh and joined the fleet. She was ordered to keep under weigh when the fleet anchored, and was despatched for pilots to take the vessels through the Kattegat, and returned about 1 o'clock. On the morning of the 16th, at 10 a.m., the Dragon and Basilisk were sent to anchor off the shoals. On the 17th the fleet got under weigh, and in the evening anchored under Foresees. On the 19th the Vulture and Bulldog, under the orders of Captain Bellew, proceeded to anchor—the Vulture off the Island of Sprogo, and the Bulldog on the Vengeance Shoal, at the entrance of the Great Belt, the fleet on the 19th got under weigh for Kiel. During the passage they passed several bodies of ice floating down, and close to Kiel there were many masses of ice close to the shore. The beach was crowded to welcome the Baltic Fleet, and the universal wish here is, that they may greet um on our return for having taken Cronstadt. THE SMYENA HOSPITAL. (PROM • 111011ZEPSNDINT OP THE DAILY NEWS.) SMYRNA, Aram 14. Out of 800 patients landed here in February, 160 have died. Some are ready to return to the Crimea, but not enough to make it worth while to send a transport down for them. Can anything show more strongly the gross blunder the Aberdeen administra tion committed in fixing upon Smyrna u the site for a large hospital P Five days' steaming from the seat of action would be of itself a sufficient objection to it; but if this long voyage is to be undertaken, surely a healthy spot should be found at the end. sot a filthy towa saturated with fever, the natural product of the marsh oa which the town is built and the undrained pollution of its 130,000 inhabitants. Yet a large and efficient medical staff—a staff Napalm probably to that of any hospital in the world, if we regard the reputation of its members—has been sent, under the auspices of Mr. Sidney Herbert. to contend against the evil sanitary conditions of the place. A number of lady nurses were also sent. One is already dying, if not dead a Mies Acton or Atkins; several others are ill:: and half the paid female nurses have been ill already. Dr. Suther land, when he inspected the hospital, ordered nearly a third of the building to be abandoned, so that no more than 600 men can be accommodated. The medical staff is large enough foe three times this number, and it is actually proposed, therefore, not to move on the medical officers to a healthy sits near the seat of war, as most common sense men would expect, but to send out wooden huts to afford in creased accommodation for the victims of fever. Why in the name of all that is rational should not the huts be sent to Sinope, or to some spot oa the Bosphorus, or in the Sea of Marmon, and the medi cal staff, who are either fretting at their inaction in Smyrna, or cursing the stupidity of government for expecting them to cure dimese in a hotbed of fever, be sent on to a more congenial sphere of action near the seat of war? A shock of an earthquake was felt here on the 1 lth ;no damage done. The robbers have reappeared in the interior in some force, particularly on the Ephesus road. Au expedition of hospital conva lescents is talked of, in pursuit of these worthies. Pm' es Alexander of Hesse has been appointed colonel of a Russian regiment of Leann, which is to boar his name. ----• Prim Peter Dolgorooky has jot insect at St. Petersburg, two colones eshibiting the gesealogy of the entire body sf the Ranieri nobility, with authentic per timbre es to the aright of th 4 families, the pert they hare woookoll he hiarn. sod the services they have rendered to the anew owl is Pwfrie. The imperial government favours this work, its policy just now being to humour the noble &nom _ (lateral Aenenkoff has bees appointed Clover sse•General of New Rawls asd ➢warabia. TVs metal itesbasesit Slis duties of tit. peat man lately sada Prises Wateasall. _ TM Great Dukes Nicholas said Michael, brothers et the utgeirg Cur, an admitted misolisie et the Conseil et the limply*. The tined Dub Chteatemdse yea a mesa• bet UMW tin late reign. FRANCE. OF WIZ DAILY inws.) PARIS, MONDAY EVENING. While many people are yet doubting of a fact which hu never from the first been a moment doubtful—the (TROY TiLl Emperor's fixed intention to go to the Crimea—there appears in the Conatifidionnel of this morning the following very conclusive annonnoement : The amp equipage of the Emperor wu sent off yester day to the south by the Lyons railway, in charge of several employes of the Menus Plai•irs, who, before their departure, IMO provided with a complete uniform, and an ample cloak. These men, selected from the best upholsterers of , the gsrde•meuble, will have the care of the Emperor's tent as all its accessories during his Majesty's progress, and it will be their duty to see that the Emperor is properly lodged wherever ►e may be. This is the first positive intimation that has ap peared in any French paper that the Emperor was going to take the field in person. For a long time the journals were prohibited from alluding to the subject, and later they were only permitted to speak of the project as a contingency. I believe it to be not doubtful that the Emperor will leave Paris on the 10th (a day already frequently mentioned), if not—which is very probable —sooner. I understand that his Majesty, as Generalissimo of the Allied Forces, will have a staff composed of officers of the four armies, English, French, Turkish, and Pied montese. With regard to the subject which transcends in interest every other—news from Sebastopol—l feel it almost useless to speak, it being next to certain that before this letter arrives you will have im portant intelligence in much more detail than we have here. It is beyond all doubt that the govern. ment keeps back information which it has received, and it is equally certain that the system of ermcealing bad news, which must come oat in a few hours, does no good in any point of view whatever. To-day the public mind is tho roughly alarmed—more so (I indulge the hope) than it would be if it knew the whole truth. The despatch attributed to General Canrobert by the Moniker, dated Sebastopol, the 17th, is construed most unfavourably. The expression that the army is " not prodigal of its ammunition," is understood to mean that ammunition is some, and for " hitherto the attack has been chiefly made by the artillery ; but now the engineers combiee their efforts and make trenches, which bring us nearer to the place," the public road, the bombardment is over without success, and we are forced to resume our slow siege operations. The death of General Bizot, which I reported yesterday, is universally believed, and, although no journal publithes the fact in Paris, it appeared in the departmental edition of a leading government paper. I believe the rumour which cir culated on the Boulevard yesterday, of the death of General Baguet, was twine. His name was, 1 have little doubt, mentioned by mistake instead of Bizot. There is a report, which I merely mention as snob, that General Peliesier will be immediately ap pointed to succeed General Csnrobert, who will re turn to France as a Field-Marshal. At the Bourse a feeling of the utmost depression prevailed throughout the day. The ltente fell nearly 2fr., closing at 68fr. 30c. Credit Mobilier fell 32fr. 50c. Several railways declined from 17fr. to 23fr. Austrian lines, 2•;1r. 75c. RUSSIA. RIGA, APRIL 15. As far as the eye can reach out to sea nothing is visible but ice, so that we have nothing to rear from the British cruisers for at least a week or ten days. Yesterday a regiment of Bsachkirs, about 800 mcn strong, marched into this city, but will he sent on in a few days to watch the coast near the Prussian frontiers , . Their head-quarters will be at Lieber'. This is the first detachment of Asiatic troops that we have yet seen; others are to follow. They come from Orenburg, a distance of 2,000 miles, and have been nearly six months on the march. They are fine looking men, with small scrubby horses, long haired but active. The men are armed with a lance, gun, sabre, and pistol, like the Cossacks, and wear a white caftan, embroidered with red, and lined with sheepskin. Their head-dress consists of a high fur cap with a red tuft on the top. The officers wear an uniform of blue and white, and their sabres, of the real Damascus manufacture, are richly ornamented and inlaid with gold. The movements of troops in this neighbourhood are going on with great activity. Sites have been selected for four different entrenched camps, which will shortly be commenced. The ice in the Dila& has broken up, in consequence of which the waters of the river rushed down with such violence as to destroy the great dyke and inundate a large tract of land. The suburbs or Riga on the other side of the river are under water, and the communication is completely cut off, and must remain so till all the lee has passed down. The ' inundation has caused a good deal of damage. Among others, the imperial garden has suffered largely, many stately trees being washed up by the mote, and the hothouses and costly collections of exotics perfectly destroyed. We now see the practical consequences of the steps taken by the government last year for the defence of our port from the sea approach. The immense quan tities of rock sunk in the channel to prevent the in gress of foreign ships of war, operate now in hinder ing the accumulation of ice and water from being freely carried out to sea. The poorer classes of our inhabitants are suffering greatly from the high prices of all descriptions of food; and salt is now one of the greatest luxuries, and is scarcely to be had for love or money. SHOPICEEPING IN THE CRIMEA. The following is an extract from a private letter written by a commercial gentlemen at Baskin. in April : " Yen can form no Ides of the difficulties I have had to contend with in getting a house built, end the goods re moved from the ship. The ezpense has been heavy, as hones are not to be obtained, and ail the eases had to be car ded on the backs of the Greeks end Turks. It bee cost altogether, for hens and marriage, 1601., burl shall be able, I Wises, to re-sell the house sad land for more than the amount. You can only sell goods here in small quantities. Ale and porter go off at 16e. per doses, sherry 36e., and port 48e. Of cbsmpegne little is sold at present, nor is there any demand for brandy, bet, as the cholera is getting bad, the latter may yet go off. You may bay food hams at 10d. per lb., butter Is. 211. I ►ave sold the admiral 48 tons of coals at 708., the highest price I could obtain. Any quantity of sic and porter would sell ►ere at the price named above, should the war continue ; but it will not fetch more, as the dealers are only allowed to retail it at a maximum of Is. 6d. per bottle. My house is built at Hadikoi, as no store Is allowed in Balaclava. On the hill behind are two guns, whisk are over the house repeatedly when the Russians advance too far, and, as you may suppose, give me a pretty good shaking. Sir Can Campbell's tent is about 200 yards off. Ile very often pays me a visit. The Russians are about two miles off. I can see them very plainly from my window. They have tried to shell us once, but they found it too hot to remain. I have been dreadfully robbed on board ship ; scarcely a am was found without ene or more bottles Wag deadest, and in many instances whole cases were abstracted." intention. So that they were appointed without the consent or knowledge of the administration ?—Yes. And they continued in command ?—Yes ; 7 but I have rea son to know that it was all done through inedvertence, and not intentionally, but ae the question has been put to me in Havana advice§ to the 3rd of April have been general urine, I thought it was necessary to mention these received in New York. Estranspes was garotted on the Slit „ m o m , ult., and died, exclaiming with his last breath, " Death to B General Peel—Wu it usual to submit to the Wat the tyrants! Long life to liberty !" The island was tranquil. Minister The fate of Felix, Picelo, and Cadalso, has been decided. the names of all officers to be appointed to sack The liresnamad is coaderened to the chain gang for ten regiment I—Entirely. That has been the practice in times of yurs ; the othtes are by this time manacled to malefactors peace,and following out the analogy in times cf war,the proper practice was for the Commander-in-Chief to eabmit to the :eors oneo tary off w o l f S g ta ohn te etar f ais ar to the bo o l p s is ofp io pob n ri ir at f edde th onr e yd p giio v il e o r ocrn nm 7t e he n noug t t th inh e in th e galleys. The arrival of reinforcements of troops . from Spain was dilly expected. COLLISION AT BE/L.—Advice@ from Malta, dates the 18th of April, date that the Arabia, Stone, which ___. in ousel 0 war. W e er genets 0 arrived then oa the 170, from Kilifetciwilr. was contact on the amnia( of the 18th April with the Fortuna Mardi- the names having been approved by her Majesty, the War aka brig), Affiane, from Baal sad Gibraltar to Lisbon, Minister weld not afterwards object. ... d th e a p t ar y te on d o f i rr nin l gi th vo ln in k e it nnin is oo. the — r n ito o n n o o f o th ni e eo co tion ; ' ma ttes with Indian eors ; the latter soon afterwards went down, but The Chairman—As th e usual coarse appears to have been the crew were fortunately rescued by the Arabia , and landed at Malta. ' I have no objection beyond what I contains a minute momint of th e " Investiture of Ilia , of or th of e garter." e F r. r ' e ' lleb, have stated, and from fear of zahapprehension arising from A supplement to the Gazette, issued last night , , let sconirrdbothßatedues ... ! 4 assurance that it was an inadyer. reirttithalleassigjeatyasNofatP°heleoninostlnlolbleEormleerr THE ARMY BEFORE SEBASTOPOL. MR. ROEBUCK'S COMMITTEE. EXAMINATION OF THE DUKE OF NEWCASTLE. Yesterday hie Grace the Duke of Newcastle (t►e Ron. Mr. Sidney Herbert being also in attendasos) was examined before the committee, the room being rovaarnably crowded. The Chairman, addressing him, said—l believe your grace was War Minister from the breakieg out of the war with Rallis until your retirement from often, when the (Earl of Aberdeen ceased to hold office ?—I was. And that wu in consequence of you being Colonial Mi nister when the war broke out 7—Yes. Will you shortly state to the committee what the powers and the duties of War Minister were when conjoined with the colonial secretaryship ?—They were of a general directory character. The whole of the details at th►t time were al most entirely conducted at the Horse-Guards and other military departments, and; with the exception of those matters that appertains' more immediately to that portion of the army that was in the colonies, the occuiou 1 for the interference of the Secretary of State for the Colonies were not very frequent, and they were principally °outland to matters like the following, for instance, the Se cretary of State would reoommend the amount of the esti mates and forces that should be voted by parliament ha the coming year, and other leading points of that description, but the whole of the details were at that time managed by the military departments. Was the scheme of the war within the duty of the Wer Minister, or did he share it generally with the administra tion ?—I understand your question to apply to a state of peace, but as regards a state of war of course my answer was not correct. If I reeollect right yon said you were War Minister preview to the change f—Quite so. Then if the war broke out previous to the change, you were War Minister and Minister of the Colonies at one and the same time during a state of war I—Quite so ; but what I imagined you wished to know was what were the functions of the Secretary fur War conjointly with the inlietiol2ll of Secretary for the Colonies in time of peace. No, in time of war I—Then the whole of my answers are inapplicable. Will you then shortly state what the powers end duties of War Minister were during a state of war conjointly with the powers and duties of Minister of the Colonies I—The general direction of the war, of course; the number and amount of the forces to be sent ; but it is difficult to define it, because at the moment the Secretary for War became re sponsible for the whole conduct of the war, and had in fact to direct everything, I am at a loss really to say what did not come within his scope and aut►ority at that juncture. Did he determine the quantum of the troops to form the expedition to the Crimea I—Certainly. Was that entirely left to his discretion, or did he share it frith the administration I—Of course every order at that time wu given after deliberation by the cabinet; but he wee the responsible minister, the person frau whom all these orders emanated. And suggestions ?—Yes, and suggestions. Now, were these powers changed when the offices of War Minister and of Colonial Minister were separated ?—No, there was no change made by that separation beyond this feet that of course the Secretary for War being relieved of the duties attaching to the taco of Secretary for the Cola nice was enabled to devote his sole and undivided attention to the duties of the war department ; but beyond that, no increased powers were given to him by that separation. Can you explain to the committee what relationship ex isted between the War Minister, the Commander-in-Chief, and the Seeratary-at-War ?—As I have said, the general direction of the war was, of coney', in the hands of the Secretary for War. The duties of the Commander-in-Chief applied more especially to the discipline of the army. In that the Secretary for War interfered ; at any rate I may say I might have had conversations, or have made sug gestions to the Commander-in Chief, but I did not °onsider that it came within the immediate scope of the Secretary-at- War. Had the Secretary-at-War the anea,— finance department of the army I—He bad.: By Lord Seymour—Occupying the official position of Secretary-at-War and for the Colonies, was it your duty to give directions for the movement of troops to the bleffiter ranean ?—Certainly. Now, that being your duty, what course did you take to perform that duty—with what department aid you com municate ?—As regards the movement of cavalry and infantry, I communicated with the Commander-In•Chief. As regards the movement of the artillery, the ambulance coil el, end the sappers and miners, I communicated with the Muter-General of the Ordnance. Did you also communicate with the Treasury as to the commissariat 1-4 Did you communicate with the Director-Geneve' medical department ?—No, not immediately. My commu nications with reference to the medical department, gene rally speaking, until the division el the two secretaryship', were generally conducted through the Secretary-at-War, to whom up to the time of the separation the medical depart ment had been considered to be more immediately subser visat. You stated you commusicatei on matters generally with the Board of Ordnance with regard to the movements of artillery, cavalry, and engineers. Now, did you communi cate with the Board of Ordnance as to the military supplies that were requisite for the army did. Did you communicate with the Quartermaster-General as regards the class and character of the store. that were to be placed under the Quartermaster-General?—No; I never had any Immediate communication with the Quartermaster- General. I communicated always with the heads of the department. Did you submit for her Majesty's approval the names of the °Olean selected to command I—No. That was done by the Commander-in-Chief ?—Yes. Not by the Administration P—No. By Lord Raglan. Of course they were invariably submitted time as Secretary of State. Submitted by whom? By the Commander-in-Chief before he made the recommendation to the Sovereign ; the form being for the Commander-in-Chief to recommend to the Sovereign the appointment of g le in command. The Chairman—Suppose the adesiot --• of of the of the different opinion to the occur then ?—The Corn ' defer to that opinion, Were any steps taken to obtain the consent of the admi nistration t—Generally speaking. By Lord Seymour—Did you submit far her Majesty's ap proval the names of the officers appointed to command ? No; the names were submitted to the Queen by the Cosa mander-in-Chlef. The Chairman—After consultation through you with the administration? Yes. I say It was generally done. There were exceptions. You say generally done—there has been only one Com mender-in-Chief to make the appointments ?—But I con sidered that the question put by Lord Seymour applied to other generals in command of divisions and brigades, and my answer referred to them. As regards the appointment of Lord Bights, it was mentioned to me privately by Lord Harding. fire, and in a more public manner afterwards. Will yen state the exceptions 3—lf the committee think it desirable, I have no objection ; but inasmuch as I consider the cases in which these ntosee were not submitted was a departure from the general practice, and that it arose through inadvertence, I would rather net name the indi viduals, unless the committee particularly desire it. The Chairman—l fear we ought to have them. When you speak of exceptions, what I understand you to mean is, that persons were appointed without the suggestion having been made to the administration I—There were three gene rals who were submitted to the Sovereign by the Com mander-in-Chief before I was made acquainted with the tr•tion were . • Chief, what would f would of course J •