The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-01 00:00:00

SEPT. 1, 1855. TURKEY. All the disposable French troops have been shipped from the Bosphorus to the Crimea. Nine hundred Russian prisoners arrived at Constantinople on the 20th. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe left Therapia on the 22nd tilt. for Balaklava, to conduct the Investiture of the Bath. Omer Pacha was still at Constantinople on the 23rd of August. The sound of cannon and the cries of the watch man about ten o'clock on the evening of the 28th ult., announced the breaking out of a great fire in the quarter of Psamatia. A great number of shops and habitations were burnt before the conflagration could be arrested. AUSTRALIA. Advices from Melbourne of the 10th, and Adelaide of the 25th of June have reached Ceylon. The barque Catherine Sharer, from London to Hobart Town, was burnt whilst at anchor off Port Esperance on the Bth of June. She had about nine tons of gunpowder on board, and blew up next morning. All hands saved. The mail was found about two miles distant, torn open by the explosion. For a period of many weeks a most unwonted state of inactivity had prevailed in the mercantile and trading affairs of Australia, the natural consequence of the excitement that existed in the years 1852, 1653, and 1854. But though business transactions have been less active than in those eventful years, the soundness of the commercial community has been severely tested, and it has come out of the ordeal comparatively unscathed. There were nume rous cases before the Insolvent Court, but none of them of any magnitude ; and the colonists were looking forward to a renewal of healthy intercourse with the mother country. Stocks of nearly all kinds had got low, and new consignments, if prudently made, were likely to meet with ready sale at remu nerative prices. The colonial trade would, it was believed, ere long resume a more healthy ap pearance. ' About five miles of the Sydney Railway have been completed (line to Parramatta), and a trial trip took place in the presence of the governor. The rolling plant, manufactured in England, is represented as of the best description, and the works on the line of first rate engineering construction. The new Bishop of Sydney, the Right Rev. Dr. Barker, bad arrived, and been most cordially re ceived by the clergy and laity. The political affairs of the colony were not in a satisfactory state. The budget of the Colonial Secretary for 1855 showed a deficit of 800,0001., and a proposal for additional taxes in the shape of a stamp duty at ten per cent. ad valorem on all im ported goods at present free, had been defeated in the Legislative Council by a resolution that no addi tional taxes should be imposed this session. The re•sult would be the stoppage of a great portion of the public works, although an opinion prevailed that what was needed was not this, but a reduction of lavish Government expenditures. INDIA. The overland mail has brought letters and jour nals from Calcutta to the 17th, Bombay to the 30th, and Hong-Kong to the 10th of July. By this mail intelligence has arrived of a serious insurrection in the heart of Bengal. The Santals and other tribes occupying the Rajmahal hills have suddenly burst upon the plains, carrying tire and sword in every direction. Though it is said to be a general rising of the hill tribes, the Santals ate de scribed as the chief actors in this hostile movement. The Times correspondent at Calcutta thus describes the event: — These men, who are always understood to be one of the aboriginal races of India, were invited by our Government some twenty-five years ago to settle in the valleys of the hills, and cultivate that rich soil. The district occupied by them id usually denominated the Damin-i koh, and has for the last fifteen years Is en under the superinten dence of Mr. Pontet, an uncovenanled officer, a man of the highest administrative ability and the most benevolent disposition. When he took charge of the Derain he found no more than 3,000 Santals settled there. Under his auspices the population increased in thirteen years to 83,000. That such a tribe, who owe all their prosperity to the exertions of Government and its officers, and who were surrounded with plenty, shoal(' have risen in arms, breathing vengeance against us and our institutions, is in comprehensible. The ingurgents are not ruthless plun derers, but a race of hardy, bold, and industrious agricul turista, and this circumstance renders it more difficult to comprehend the movement. Some have asserted that they were pressed into service, and not paid by those who were employed in constructing the railroad through their coun try, and that the immediate occasion of the outbreak is similar to that of the insurrection at Cabul—the violence offered to their women ; but the railway officers, who have been the severest sufferers by the insurrection, most posi tively deny having either oppressed the men or insulted the women. And the fact that the rebellion must have been planned for many months, and presents all the appearance of a complete organisation, is sufficient to contradict the assertion. At present the most probable cause appears to be a spirit of religious and political fanaticism which has broken out among them. It is believed that their god has THE PRESS. taken human form, and that they are commanded by a divine autnority to expel the Europeans from India and seat him upon its throne. The number of the insurgents is variously stated at from 30,000 to 50,000, divided into four of five parties. They have burst upon the three districts of Bhagulpore, Moorshedabad, and Beerbhoom. They are armed with peculiarly formed axes, brightly polished, and bows and arrows (the latter poisoned), and a few muskets. l t iothing was so little expected as such an outbreak; the Hillmen appear suddenly to have spread themselves over a country of more than 100 miles in extent, vowing the death of every European, burning down houses, and destroying property. The Hon. Ashley Eden, the joint magistrate at Aurungabad, has contrived to collect 200 armed men, with whom he is holding out against a large body of the insur gents, said to exceed 10,000 =en, and it is hoped that lie will be able to hold out till relieved by the troops march ing to his aid. Mr. Mudge, employed on the railway, has written to Mr. Eden, that having plenty of guns and ammunition, he intended to make a stand at Pakoar; a subsequent letter stated that the number of insurgents marching on Pakoar exceeded 12,000, but the troops were expected to reach it before the attack. The magistrate of Ilhagulpore, and Mr. Pontet, and the Europeans from the surrounding country, have intrenched themselves at Raj. muhal, where they will doubtless be able to maintain their ground till the arrival of the Hill Rangers from Bhagulpore. The firm attitude maintained by this handful of Europeans appears to have checked the progress of the enemy, and it is therefore conjectured that they will not steed a shock with our regular troops. There can be no doubt that several Europeans have been murdered. Two ladies, Mrs. Thothas and Miss Pell, who were travelling in palanquins, fell into their hands and were barbarously massacred. It is reported that the Santals have surrounded Jung)pore, and vow they will sack Moorshedabad. The most energetic measures have been taken to bring up troops to quell the insurrection. Bengal has been in profound tranquillity for so long a period that there were scarcely more than 1,000 troops within a range of 150 miles of the scene of revolt when it broke out. As soon as information reached Berhampore, Mr. Toogood, the magistrate, made a requisition for troops on the com mandant, and a wing of the regiment started with him, and by the last account was within eight miles of one of the enemy's incampments. There is, therefore, every reason to believe that the insurrection will be speedily quelled, but not without great destruction of property and great loss of life. CHINA. Shanghai advices ere to the 29th ult. The rebels in the northern provinces appear to have been de feated at various points; but these reports, drawn from the Peking Gazette, are not to be relied on. Around Shanghai all was quiet. At Canton affairs have somewhat improved, and inland transit appears to be safer than before. The rebels ar - e . said to have been driven from the towns they lately captured, and the road to Shanghai from the tea districts was thus reopened. INSURRECTION IN SAI3BACIEE. Later accounts from the West Coast of Africa have been received by the mail steamer Candace, which left Lagos on the 22nd of July, Cape Coast Castle on the 25th, and Sierra Leone on the 3rd ult. On the 17th of July the natives of Sabbagee, a town within the territory of the British settlements, on the River Gambia, broke out into open rebellion. The affray arose in consequence of a man of the name of Fodey Ansumana, who was living at Sab. bagee under the British protection, having, accom panied by an armed party of seven or eight men, gone to Jeswong—a village also within the British territory—and there forcibly seized and carried away a man and his wife, and keeping them in irons at Sabbagee. The husband succeeded in making his escape to Bathurst, and lodged his complaint before the magistrates, who issued a warrant for the appre. hcnsion of Fodey. The magistrates, being aware that Fodey was a lawless character, and supported by the Maraboos, wrote to the governor, soliciting a military escort to assist the constables. The governor, on their application, sent a small military force to support the civil power. On their arrival at Sabha gee the constables tried to take Fodey prisoner, when his supporters attacked them, fired upon the soldiers, and drove them back, wounding Lieut. Armstrong seriously in the right arm (which has since been amputed), and making prisoners of two of the soldiers. On the afternoon of the same day the natives of Sabbagee, joined by the Maraboos of Goun jore and Burfort, burned and destroyed the English villages of Jeswong, Cotto, and Baccon-conco. His Excellency the Governor, Lieutenant-Colonel O'Connor, immediately mustered his small forces, which, with the assistance of the militia, numbered only 260 men and officers, and proceeded to Cape St. Mary's, in the hope that by prompt measures the re bellion might be quelled. The natives, however, bad collected in large numbers, and waylaid this small party on their march from the Cape to Sab bagee, in the bush, about a mile from that place, where, after fighting for two hours, the British troops were driven back with a loss of :30 killed and 4:3 wounded. Amongst the former was Cap tain T. Degriney of the Gambia Militia, and of the latter, his Excellency the Governor O'Connor, who received two wounds in the right 111131, and one in the shoulder. The rebels, joined by the Maraboos, and emboldened by their suooess, took possession of the road between Bathurst and the military quarters at Cape St. Mary's, and threat ened to invade Bathurst. Fortunately, the natives of the towns of Baccon, Busainhallah, and Beer Carina re mained faithful to the English. In this state of affairs, the governor applied to the authorities at the French settlement of Goree for assistance, who at once came to his support with a French man-of war, the Entrepennant, and 150 white troops. On the 3rd ult. a second expedition was made by Governor O'Connor against Sabbagee, and after a desperate resistance on the part of the natives, the stockaded town of Sabbagee was carried at the point of the bayonet, the French troops gallantly leading the advance, and the town was totally destroyed. The French lost a non-commissioned officer, and one rank and file killed, and five wounded. The British troops and volunteers thirty five wounded, none killed. The natives lost about 200. This has given temporary security to Bathurst (Lana aitt to ion. HER MAJESTY'S VISIT TO FRANCE. AT a late hour, alter the review, on Friday her Majesty visited the tomb of the Emperor Napoleon I. at the hp/slides. The Moniteur states of this scene : As the review was protracted was no longer expected at the thelesa, notwithstanding the a point to go there. The Queen followed by a flume s staff, of our old wars, w &eke she advanced with home of him wl England ! What and what contrasts glare of the torches, sound of the organ Queen was comb lie the remains immense, the en2otil every one that it a great man, but of the past were two nations then pressive consecration. SATURDAY. The series of public festivities consequentupon the visit of Queen Victoria to Paris appropriately closed on Saturday evening with a fete, more magnificent than any of its predecessors, given at the Palace of Versailles. This fete bad formed the chief topic of conversation among all classes in Paris for days pre viously, and great was the pressure upon the Minis terial functionaries to obtain invitations. The guests invited were necessarily limited to the chief persons of distinction resident in the French capital, the Ministers of State, foreigners, and other eminent in dividuals. But in order to give the fete a national character, a large number of tickets were issued, admitting to the terraces and gardens of the palace, whence an excellent view might be obtained of the illuminations and pyrotechnic display arranged to take place during the evening. The Parisians generally were greatly excited, and vast numbers not provided with tickets crowded the Versailles trains from an early hour in the afternoon, content to witness what they could of the display outside the precincts of the Imperial Palace. The following description of the fate is given by the official Moniteur : On Saturday night the Palace of Louis XIV. recoveted, as if by magic, the splendour and lite which animated it in its best days. In our epoch we are called upon to behold marvels which would have appeared impossible in the greatest ages and under the most glorious reigns. In a short time, when the iclai of the fetes and the noise of the cheering shall have ceased, and when time has been given to reflect upon the bearing and signification of all that has token place in this full and brilliant week, the journey anti visit of her Majesty Queen Victoria to the capital of France will be looked upon as one of those events which appear as a dream until realised. All who witnessed that enthusiastic reception, those manifestations of sincere cordiality and deep sympathy between sovereign and sovereign and nation and nation, will retain a lasting remembrance which they will lose to tell in their old age, and which marks an epoch in the existence of individuals as well as in the history of nations. Versailles bad donned its festive apparel to welcome the august guests of the Fmperor. The grand courtyard of the chateau was as light as day; the imposing and severe profile of this grand and beautiful architecture *toed out in lines of fire, and the marble statues which adorn the double grand staircase appeared astonished at ell this bustle and movement. Their Majesties entered by the nimble stairs, while the invited guests entered by the Prince's staircase. Waiting and reposing rooms, boudoirs hung with blue damask and filled with beautilul flowers, had been prepartd for the Queen of England and Prince Albert in the apartments once occupied by Marie Antoinette. The Emperor and Empress withdrew for a few moments into their private apartments. 'I heir Majesties then crossed the state apartments of Louis XIV.. which were magnificently . i up, and the immense fireplaces of which were turned Intl ilardens of goners or plots of verdure. IN . ~., was protracted till very late, her Majesty xpected at the Hotel des Invalides; never- standing the advanced hour, she made it e. The Queen therefore arrived at dusk, 'wrong staff, surrounded by the veterans , who flocked together on her pamage as ith noble self•rec"llection towards the last who was the most constant adversely of at a spectacle! How many reminiscences, Late were suggested ! But when amid the .hes, the glitter of theinniforms, and the Tan playing " God save the Queen !" the lucted by the Emperor to the chapel where of Napoleon, the effect was thnlllng and =dolt profound; for the thought struck t was pot a simple homage at the tomb of it a solemn act, attesting that the rivalries forgotten, and that the union between the len and thenceforth received a most im-