The Press. — London, England, 1856-06-21 00:00:00

584 THE CAMP IN THE CRIMEA. LORD Gouon has at length arrived in the Crimea, and distributed the insignia of the Bath to the French and English generals and other officers upon whom the honour was conferred by her Majesty the Queen. The 34th and 79th Regiments, with strong bodies of the Artillery and Army Works Corps, passed through the Bosphorus on the 14th and 17th inst. The staff of the Turkish Contingent has arrived at Constantinople with the main body of that force. Her Majesty's ship Leopard, with some 1,500 on board, on rounding the Golden Horn, ran into several ves , els, and was much injured. The Argc steam transport, en route home, had been run down in the Bosphorus by a French liner, and so severely damaged that she was compelled to tranship the troops on board and lay up for repair. The Grenadiers, Rifle Brigade, and light division have all embarked by this time, and in a few days possibly the entire British army will have left the Crimea, the line-of-battle ships and steam frigates being ordered up from Malta to embark the army at once. This sudden change of intention on the part of the Government is attributable to Sir William Codrington having telegraphed home to hasten the embarkation of the army, in consequence of the heat and the likelihood of cholera and typhus fever break ing out. The following vessels are placed at the dis posal of the commander-in-chief for transport pur poses. The numbers attached to each ship show the total number of troops that each is to carry : Belleisle, 900; Apollo, 800 ; London, 1,200 ; Rodney, 1,200; King Philip, 800; Terrible, 1,000; Resistance, 800; Queen, 1,500; Agamemnon, 1,000; St. Jean d'Acre, 1,000; Sidon, 700; Princess Royal, 1,000; Leopard, 800 ; Odin, 700; Furious, 500; Valorous, 500; Firebrand, 200; total, 14,600. The intelligence (writes the Times correspondent) that the eleven ships of war are corning out—some, indeed, have actually arrived--to convey part of the army to Eng land, was received with a sensible pleasure, and gives us hope of escaping the heat of the middle August. If it could have been at all managed, the embarkation and transport of this army in large masses would have pro duced a greater effect in many high places than might be imagined. England has, as it were, dribbled out her strength and her resources as apothecaries pour out strong potions—drop by drop. It would have been a grand and significant eight—a greater proof of power and might than even the Spithead review—to behold Great Britain col lecting her army and sailing off with it in two or three great armadas. But we have lost the opportunity now—if ever we could have grasped it.—Times eorr , June 3. The French appear to have been beforehand with us in perpetuating the scenes of all their glories and sufferings by a munificent Government commission to artists of eminence : Our painters have lost opportunities they never can again enjoy, and the British artist has certainly sh own b u t little " pluck " this war. One or two gentlemen have come out as correspondents and artists for the illustrated jour nals; but, as a general rule, the remark I have made as to the want of enterprise among the painters is more than justified. The French have taken care to perpetuate as far as possible the glories and the scenes of the campaign by engaging painters of eminence to execute historical pic tures fur the nation, in which the. English will be repre sented as one melodramatic Highlander helped out of by a Zouave ; but, of course, we are such an eminently practical and economical people we could not afford such luxuries, and after some time we shall be con tent, perhaps, with a portfolio full of water-colour sketches, which may be found, after energetic researches, in some quaint corner of the British Museum—lb. What the country will not possess may be obtained, however, by private individuals. Mr. Robertson, Superintendent of thu Mint at Constantinople, is taking a series of carelul views, and ho would appear to he the last likely to get a view of the old blood-stained Relds and trenches:— The Russian sentries even now will not permit any one to sketch the northern forts. If one is to judge by what one hears, Sebsstopnl will be erected, not perhaps into an arsenal maritime militaire, but into the centre of a series of most formid tble fortresses The greatest abuse is lavished on Prince Woronzoff by some Russians for ne glecting the formation of a military road between Sebas topol and the south of Russia. That defect will be speedily remedied. The allied fleet must soon leave the Black Sea, and it will be strange indeed if the Russians do not manage to keep strangers, whether in Turkish men of•war or not, out of the roads of Sebastopol for the next two years.—M. Some valuable experiments have been conducted by the field and horse artillery on the effect of dif ferent charges in ricochet and direct firing, and on the relative merits of 61b. and 91b. guns:— The most curious, if not the most satisfactory, of all were made last Saturday, on which occasion a party of the 4th Regiment and a number of guns were pitted minis against cannon, to ascertain the relative rapidity of fire and execution done on targets at distances varying from 1100 to 1,M)0 yards. The results satisfies infantrymen that they can " shut up " guns with smart riflemen. The ar tillerymen are equally assured that they wild sweep away any number of skirmishers with ewe and *lmpel, par- THE PRESS. titularly in good positions, where a careful officer could screen his guns. Official reports have been made on thece experiments, and General nacres deserves credit for the pr ictice he has given to officers and men in the working of this great arm of the service. The infantry have fired away immense quantities of ammunition in practising; and their expense papers must be very heavy; however, it gets rid of powder and ball, and improves the men in the use of the rifle.—lb. Sintiga 6.ortrspnnbtnkt. BRUSSELS, June 18. THE Belgian elections have terminated in favour of the clerical party by a majority of five. This will bring the number of the Catholic section in the Chamber of R •preventatives to sixty-six out of 108, reducing the Liberal minority to forty two. In this minority, however, are comprised the most intelligent and influential men in the country. MM. Henri de Brouckere and Charles ltogier are party leaders, too independent to be swayed by other than the highest motives, and both their accessories and antecedents are of a nature well calculated to increase the weight that must of necessity adhere to the political action of honest and talented energy. The Catholic or priest party is divided into two sections, moderate and ultramontane, rational and irrational, " blanc et noir." The ultramontanes are Gallican. This term is adopted to conceal a "virus " of Orleanism that would lend itself to the extreme of anti Imperialism. The defeat of M. Norhomb, the Minister of Justice, at Thuin, has been accompanied by circumstances little creditable to the successful candidate. M. Norhomb and his adversary, M. Licot, both belong to the Roman Catholic faction. An election council was held at Brussels, where it was decided that M. Licot should receive the support of the Romanist party ; but, in the event of his ultimately being higher on the poll than the Minister, and presuming the Liberal candidate to be returned, then and in that case M. Licot should retire in favour of• M. Norhomb. M. Licot, brother-in law of M. Dumon, the Minister of Public Works, pledged his word to that effect, and got elected. But having once become an " honourable " deputy, the moral intelligence of the new member became of a sober and reflective character. He and his father had paid, the one 8001., and the other 1,2001., for elec tioneering, expenses. In fact, they had bought the seat, and were unwilling, according to the slang terms occasionally used by the Radicals in the House of Commons, " to shell out," without receiv ing a corresponding advantage. It was money versus honour. The "supreme lei "of Belgium held good, and M. Norhomb remains unelected. The manly conduct of M. Vilain XIV., on a late occasion, would appear to he distasteful to the clerical and Gallicau partisans ; for, flushed with success, they have already designated M. Meulenaere as his successor in office. Considerable dissatisfaction exists among the re sident English at the appointment of a chaplain by the Bishop of London, in the place of the Bev. Mr. Blacker, who has lately resigned. A petition, nu m, rously signed by the English of long standing in this capital, in favour of a young clergyman—born here—of irreproachable conduct, highly esteemed by the Court—a pupil of Mr. Butler of Shrewsbury, and afterwards distinguished at Cambridge, has been of no avail. The Bishop of London steps forth, condemns the petition itself, sets aside the powers and rightful privileges of the Foreign office, and claims the appointment. If the Foreign office has yielded the point, heretofore so s'outly and so bravely combated, that is another affair. Since the return of Prince Windischgratz to Vienna there have been frequent Cabinet meetings. It was stated b; the Gazette Autrichienne that the visit of the Prince to Berlin was unconnected with politics. The same thing might be said of M. de Seebach, who passed through Brussels on his way to Paris a few days ago. The manifold and rapid journeys of Princes and Ministers at the time of a European crisis, cannot be concealed or their objects be misunderstood. Prussia and the Confederation summarily reject the Austrian pro posal for a consolidation of Germanic interests. They are fully aware that an amalgamation with un- specified objects, under the hypocrisy of a " Fader land " union, would commit them to support Austria against Russia, and to guarantee the Italian pro• vinces. There is a pervading irritation in Central and Southern Europe. Even the Bohemian nobles are demanding reform. They have petitioned the Emperor for a constitutional change in the several departments of local government. To judge by the organs of Austria and Russia, the relations of the two Courts are not likely to become more amicable, The Gazette durrichienne ►SATURDAY, makes an hyperbolical vaunt of the powerful attitude of Austria, and deprecates Russian influence. An acrimonious attack upon the Nord furnishes the op portunity. The Gazette announces that " Austria is proud of her old reputation," that " she com mands respect," and " that, flourishing in her ex ternal relations, she remains firm and united at home, with overflowing coffers and happy govern ment:' Russia is accused of" being without friends," of having been "humiliated at Paris," of having been "politically baffled" and "forced to 'tenir Ia chan delle,' whilst her masters signed the treaty of the 15th of April." Then !willing itself into an incon tinent fury, and menacing to "montrer les dents la nouvelle Russie," the organ sums up, " La politique Autrichienne est la seule sure, Is politique Autrichienne est la seule honoree, la politique Autrichienne est In seule feconde." Upon which the Nord observes, that despair often gives a courage denied to juster motives, that fecundity does not always warrant the legitimacy of its procreative acts, that the most cunning are sometimes entrapped in their own snares, and that the intentional " coup de journal diplomatique " of the 15th of April fettered the conspirators by the very bond invented for another. " Pauvre politique Autrichienne," where does it dare show its teeth except in Lombardy? " Allons done, montrer les dents c'est de la politique du lion, et co n'est pas de Ia politique Autrichienne." In spite of polite expression and studied courtesies, such are the unvarnished sentiments of Prince Gortschakoff and M. de Buol. A continued rancour is exhibited in the Danubian principalities betwixt the Ilotimani population and the Austrians. No opportunity is lost to testify t h e national hatred against the German race, which is not less intense there than in Italy. On the 2nd of June a quarrel took place betwixt a detachment of Austrian Uhlaus and some Wallachian militia at Buzeo, on the road from Fokhani to Bucharest. The officer in command of the Austrian troops seized some waggons belonging to, and in actual use by, the Wallachian troops. Their officer remonstrated, and then the Uhlaus made a regular charge. A. serious encounter was the result, which remained long doubtful, but the Wallachians retained posses sion of their waggons, that were now used to convey the wounded of both parties to the hospital. General Dabormida, the Sardinian envoy, WWI re ceived with marked attention by the Emperor Alex. ander at Warsaw. On his return through Vienna he had frequent interviews with M. de Buol, without any satisfactory result. M. de Buol accuses M. Cavour of arraigning the Austrian policy in order to secure a parliamentary majority in the Chambers, and of being influenced by personal hostility to Aus tria in courting an alliance with Russia. He also denies the right of Russia to form an "entente cor diale" with Sardinia, assuming that country to have no pretext for forming relations of intimacy with an Italian State, that cannot have a legitimate object. In disproof of the disparagement of M. Cavour, and to evidence the high estimation in which he is held, it may be mentioned that a subscription has been secretly made in Tuscany for his bust, which is to he presented to him in the name of the Liberals of Italy, and at Rome a medal is about to be privately struck to commemorate his energetic defence of Italy at the Conferences of Paris. It was agreed upon in a private meeting at the Castle of Pollenzo, at which the King was present, that General de la Marrnora should proceed to England before being officially appointed to the Ministry of War. At Parma Court Seragna has resigned the presi dency of the extraordinary commission. He refused, upon the demand of the Austrian General, to con demn without the proof of crime, and the Director of Police has followed his example. The Go vernment of the Duchess Regent has likewise quar relled with the Austrian General, and Count Thuu has been despatched to inquire into the cause of dis satisfaction, and to provide a remedy. A fray has lately taken place between some Italian and German soldiers. Although the Austrians were the ags gressors, a dozen or more of the Parmesan soldiers have b_en condemned to he shot, and a large number have been sent t t the galleys. Not an Austrian his been arrested. The greatest secrecy has been pre served in relation to this affair. It was at. first denied, but the particulars became known, and a private press that has been established in Tuscany quickly conveyed the intelligence throughout the country. The Duchess Regent and her Government disavow all participation in the acts of the Austrian General. The want of English and French representatives re sident at Parma is felt to be a serious disadvantage. Florence was lately the scene of much commotion. On the 29th of May the Villa PietrA, outside the Porta San Gallo, belonging to the English Minister, Lord Normanhy, was decorated with Briti-h Hags . interspersed with the Italian tricolor and the cross of Savoy. The display was accompanied by loud firing and other clamorous demonstrations of rejoicing. As it was the anniversary of Curtatone—which might have reminded the Grand Duke of his oath to the constitution of 1848—it was supposed to be the work ■