The Press. — London, England, 1856-03-15 00:00:00

(Original setters from tot drintea. Camp before Sebastopol, Feb. 28, 1850. Sir, —Judging from the papers which have arrived in the Crimea by the last mails, it appears that the dearth of news from our camp has almost become a proverb in England; nevertheless, there are some things which I think your readers would be glad to hear. We cannot write of attacks made, or sorties repelled, and we may be thankful that we have no harrowing details of suffering to relate, but we may speak of the striking contrast which our army pre sents now to the sattered relics of the English army in February, 1855. Of this contrast I think no greater proof has been given than that which was afforded on Sunday last, when Sir W. Codrington inspected the infantry of the army on the edge of the plateau overlooking the "plain" of Balaklava. Two brigades were absent from the review, viz., one brigade of the third division, which has been sent to perform the "fatigue duties" at Balaklava, and one brigade of the Highland division, which was left at Kamara. The kilted brigade of that division was, however, pre sent, and very magnificent they looked. There are more old soldiers in their ranks than there are in those of any other regiments which have served through the whole of the Crimean campaign ; for, although Sir Cohn Campbell did not " keep them in lavender" during the last winter, as Colonel Stir ling, in his letter to the Times, in vindication of his general, so ably and triumphantly showed, yet as they were at Balaklava during the winter, and con sequently were near their supplies, and free from the more arduous duties of the trenches before Sebas topol, they were not exposed to the degree of desti tution and misery which so nearly annihilated many other regiments. The troops were all assembled about half past twelve in quarter-distance columns facing the plain, and a splendid sight it was. How many years is it since so large a body of British infantry were seen together ! Soon after the troops had taken up their positions Marshal Pelissier arrived on the ground in his barouche-and-four, with two dragoons in very wide red trousers as postillions. This is the way in which the French commander in chief goes about, having no fear of an "own correspondent" before his eyes. He was received by the British general and his staff, and the brigades were callel to " attention " as he passed. When the men stood at ease, and might therefore enjoy a joke, considerable merriment was caused by the next remarkable personage who appeared —one well known to the whole army, the kind-hearted " Mother Seacoal," a "roloured " lady from Jamaica, who keeps a store half way between the camp and Balaklava, where she not only dispenses such things as men in health require, but is ever ready with a kind word and her own specific for those who suffer from the diseases which have been unhappily so prevalent amongst us ; and I am told that her prac tile has been attended with considerable success. Her portly form was sustained by one of the hardy ponies of the country, and she was followed by a man bearing two enormous bundles of viands, which were no doubt soon disposed of amongst the numerous spectators. An orderly of the 11th Hussars brought up the procession. Why he placed himself in that position I cannot say ; probably he thought it his duty to see that the lady did not place herself in the way of the "swells,' but the effect was that he appeared to form part of her per. sonal staff. This little episode over the ckale commenced in columns at half distance. The brigade of Guards, as the senior regiments, came first, and marched past as they do in Hyde park. I can give no higher praise. What a contrast must their appearance have presented to Lord Rokeby from that which brought tears to his eyes and choked h's utterance when he took command of the brigade rather more than a year ago ! Next followed the second brigade of the first division, and then the Highland Brigade, to whose appearance I have already alluded. Their marching past was Cully answerable to it. But I will not particularise further; I believe no army ever pre sented a more efficient appearance. To this effect the general expressed himself to the different generals of division, and he had inspected the troops as closely and minutely as was possible with such a body of men. The army was now massed in columns of divisions, and it was half past three o'clock. There was no time for more. The general took his station on the left flank as the divisions successively marched off to their respective camps. The day was fine, and the ground dry, but the north wind bitterly cold. Since then we have had a heavy fall of snow, but this by no means puts a stop to the hilarity of the camp. Theatricals are now the order of the day, and each division has its theatre and corps dramatique. The palm appears to be gene rally stcL!orded to the fourth division, but into this question I will not enter, having already written you Tattier too long a letter —I am, sir, yours, &c., M. THE PRESS. Ortign dorrrspoattut. FRANKFORT, March 11. " Mas c'est indigne." It is thus that the revelations of Kars have been received. They have been pub lished "in extenso " by the continental journals. The verdict arrived at from a perusal of the official documents is unanimous. Without circumlocution, it is asserted in Germany that the neglect was wil ful, the fall of Kars premeditated, and the starva tion provided for by passive negation of supply. Le Nord (March 9), without indulging in the acrimo nious satisfaction of the Vienna journals, and without comment, has given an analysis of the affair from the commencement, tracing the course of events, and illustrating them with extracts from the parlia mentary documents, until the final and fatal ter mination. It is a masterly expose, placing denial beyond the power of the guilty, by whose official correspondence the grave charges have been substan tiated. There is somewhat more than a shade of displea sure in Germany at the made in which the Con ferences proceed. It is reported that frequent inter views take place between the Emperor, Lord Clarendon, and Count Orloff, and that the counte nance of the latter radiates in proportion as that of M. de Buol darkens. Austria, it is now known, has been signally defeated in her line of demarcation for the Bessara;)ian frontier, by its impracticability. There were no mountains, as stated, no means of es• tablishing limits in the centre of a trackless and un populated waste ; therefore a mixed commission will probably be nominated to determine the boundaries on the spot. It has been the aim and interest of the Hapsburg dynasty to secure a permanent interest in the Danuhian principalities. Her " military protec tion" of the provinces has been marked by some cases of flagrant abuse. The town of Bucharest is divided into five parishes or districts, named after colours, black, blue, red, yellow, and green. In the suburb of Isvor, belong ing to the green district, lived a small innkeeper, who, associated with others in commercial transac tions, had succeeded in amassing a sum of 20,000 piastres, and this he held in trust for the company. About a month since, in the beginning of February, two Austrian soldiers, in the habit of frequenting the inn, had become acquainted with the affairs of the landlord ; they broke into the house at night, dragged him out of bed, and, stabbing him with their bayonets in the legs and other parts of his body, en deavoured to extort a disclosure of the place where the money was deposited. His cries alarmed the inmates of a neighbouring dwelling, and the thieves decamped. On the following day the innkeeper laid his complaint before the authorities. The culprits wers known, were arrested and confronted with the complainant, who identified them, and proved the facts beyond the possibility of affording a plea of denial. The soldiers were imprisoned for a day or two, and sent to another regiment. A violent storm and hurricane raged at Bucharest on the night of the 13th February, when other soldiers, connected with the same military gang of thieves, took advantage of the streets being deserted, broke into the inn a second time, and found their victim in company of two of his partners, whom he had summoned by way of an extra guard. Again the torture was applied. The first had hot irons applied to the soles of his feet, the second had his tongue pierced by a red hot bayonet, and the third was burnt in the stomach. In the agonies of torture the secret was divulged, and the booty secured. The three men died. Their bodies were found by the police covered with bayonet wounds and otherwise horribly mutilated. After the official depositions had been drawn up, they were laid before the Austrian magistrate, and he, as well as the military commandant, refused to interfere, or to go near the scene of robbery and murder to verify the depositions. But this was not all. A fire had occurred during the night in the cavalry barracks, whereby sixty horses were de- stroyed. By some incomprehensible ratiocination it was sought to prove that the murdered men were the incendiaries; and the authorities, adopting that version of the infamy, proclaimed it to be "constate," and interdicted further investigation. J. E. L. _ PS.—The particulars of the duct betwixt M. Hinckelday, Director-General of Police at Berlin, and M. de Rochow have just been given. A " jockei cloob" bad been established by the officers of the Guards at the Hotel Royal, and under shield of " le sport," high play had been introduced, contrary to the police regulations. Well aware of the stealthy means that the head of the office habitually practised to arrive ats his object, the members of the " jockei cloob" took every precaution to prevent a surprise, but they were foiled. By treason either from within or without, the myrmidons of the police obtained sufficient evidence to authorise the Director-General SATU'RDAY, to take the initiative, and make the members feel the weight of his displeasure. A personal alterca tion ensued, hard words were used, and o n b e i ng accused of having employed spies, the Minister ir.- dignantly denied the truth of the assertion, which, nevertheless, was the strict fact, and thereupon he received a formal but strong "dementi" from M. de Rochow. The Minister had but one way before him. He immediately resigned his office, and, a fortnight having elapsed, he challenged M. de Rochow. The parties fought with pistols at fifteen paces. They were to advance Live paces each, stop, and fire at pleasure. In case of a miss -fire, they were to retina to their places and recommence. M. Hinckelday, on walking up to the line, aimed and missed fire, as M. de Rochow had his finger on the trigger. They returned to their post. The second time M. Hine kelday again fired in advancing ; he missed, and the moment after was shot through the heart by M. de Rochow. He sprang convulsively in the air and dropped down dead. SIENA, March 10. WHEN the Austrian and Italian officers are on active duty they they have been invariably granted an "indulgenza plenaria." This means to say that military duties cannot be zealously performed upon a diet of dried beans, oil, and bread ; that flesh to be potent of muscle, musthave flesh as a substratum; and that war cannot be successful unless the flesh pots of Egypt be liberally tilled. There was strong senso in this Roman view of the case in the olden time ; but " tempora mutantur," and the Archbishops and Bishops, upon their construction of the Austro- Papal Concordat, have insisted that all officers and soldiers of the Austrian and Lombard armies shall fast rigorously, and abstain from meat on every Wednesday and Friday in Lent, and on Fridays throughout the year. The sacerdotal injunction has met with universal execration. " Maledetti i preti." The battle will be between the " cara creatura " and the " prete birbaccio," and the issue not doubtful. There is much opposition on the part of the Cardinals, both to the journey of the Pope to Paris to christen the infant of the Emperor Napoleon, and to his becoming sponsor. The matter is dealt with as of far more consequence than the Conferences at Paris. It is held by the Cardinals that no Pope can of light be called upon to crown a sovereign unless it be the first of a dynasty, as in the case of Charle magne and Napoleon 1., and that the sponsorial position is without precedent. They maintain that Francis 1., Henry 11., Henry IV., Louis XIII., Louis XIV., Louis XV., and Louis XVI., all of them fathers of princes, refrained from petitioning the Pontiff to award them the favour now sought by the French Emperor. These arguments and discussions entirely occupy the Holy College, and the importance of the Roman ceremonial is preached to he essential to the salvation of the world. In religious liberalism the Roman Catholic has not advanced a step. Indeed, throughout Europe, the errors of 1848 are attributed solely and entirely to the laxity of disci pline and the diminution of festal and ritual obser vances in the Roman Church. M. T. A. BRUSSELS, March 12. M. NIEBUHR, with or without a mission, has passed two day at Brussels, paid his respects at Court, and continued his route to Paris. The King is on the eve of his departure for England. The Emancipation Beige affects to reprove THE PRESS for publishing the telegraphic despatch of Brus sels of the Ist March, reporting the signing of the pre liminaries of peace. It is to be presumed that the debates in the House of Commons do not reach the Belgian journal, otherwise the question of Mr. Disraeli on the Monday, and the answer of Lord Palmerston, might have afforded precise information. E. R. 3artign anb (Honig juttiligtat. FR INCE. The continu-d sittings of the Congress their late principal result—the hourly looked-for birth—the Imperial layette at Mlle. Felicie's—and the illness of Prince Jerome, almost the last living contemporary of the giants of former days, have afforded the Pang ans sufficient matter for speculative excitement for the week. On Sunday the Moniteur contained the following announcement:— The expectation of peace gives rise to nnmemus pro jects of enterprise. New companies are in course of formation, and every day send in petitions to the tiovern ment. It is the duty of the Government to resist exagge rated hopes and views, which might endanger affairs all ebdy undertaken and injuriously affect credit. The Emperor has decided, that whatever may be the issue of the pegot