The Press. — London, England, 1856-04-05 00:00:00

APRIL 5, 1856. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, on Tuesday, moved a resolution, preliminary to the introduction of a biil, by which he proposed to render the inci dence of the stamp duty levied on fire insurance more strict and extensive. The object, as explained by Sir G. C. Lewis, was to include the policies at p r esent granted at agency offices on behalf of foreign companies, so as to protect the English companies from the unfair competition to which they were now exposed. The motion was agreed to after a short conversa tion, and leave given to introduce a measure on the subject. A T nun of a dens mor by pre:: corn fron expl tion subj T Mr. pray oil ratil bee•! ban nriu d iti Al brio proflrisl ship with fur I Seul to b Si Len for the Bigl into 61ec AI Athl tho also Fitz 319 j T dun Si the Bin TI aei Si sine dal( TI Pool Cunt TI read TI brio ] eons banl thru app( l'arl T I.aw thin Si the aloe 31 sine the tree esti bon serf T th« T thr( brie per On on Tu del da his thi MALT DlrY. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER, in reply to Mr. Spooner, on Monday, observed, that under the present act the war duties on malt would terminate on the sth of July next after the exchange of the ratifications for a definitive treaty of peace. It had been customary to allow a drawback for the stock on band at the time the duty ceased, and from this practice there would be no deviation when the war d sties expired. REMOVAL OF IRISH AND SCOTCH PAUPERS. Mr. BOUVERIE, on Tuesday, moved for leave to bring in a hill to amend the laws for the removal of Irish and Scotch paupers. He described the hard ships and cruelties of the present system, which lie proposed to remedy by assimilating the procedure with respect to Scotch and Irish paupers with that fur the removal of English paupers. After sumo remarks from Mr. Williams, Nlr. Scully, Sir W. Julliffe, and others, leave was given to bring iu the bill. THE RECENT EXECUTION. Sir G. GREY, OR Tuesday, in reply to Lord Henry Lennox, stated that the sheriffs had been called upon for a report upon the circumstances connected with the execution of Bousfield. Further, in reply to Mr. Biggs, Sir George Grey said the Government had no intention whatever of substituting private for public executions. 'NEW WRITS. Mr. H.trrEn, on Wednesday, moved a new writ for Athlone, in the room of Mr. Keogh, who has accepted tho office of one of her Majesty's judges in Ireland ; also a new writ for Enn's, in the room of Mr. J. I). Fitzgerald, who has accepted the Office of her 3lajeAy's Attorney General for Ireland. The following arrangements have taken place during the week : MONDAY. Sir G. GREY, in reply to Sir John Pakington, stated that the Government meant to proceed with the Counties and Biroughs Police'Bill on the 14th inst. The Bankruptcy and Insolvency (Ireland,' Bill was read a second time. Sir S NORTIICOTE obtained leave to introduce a bill to amend the mode of committing criminal and vagrant children to reformatory and industrial schools. TUESDAY. The Delamere Forest Bill, and the Secretary to the Poor Law Commissioners ( Ireland) Bill, passed through committee. The Out• Pensioners (Greenwich and Chelsea) Bill was read a second time. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER obtained leave to bring in a bill to contiuue for a limited period certain compositions payable to bankers who hare ceased to issue bank notes. The Courts of Common Law (Ireland) Bill passed through committee. Mr. Hrrouss, member for Lyrnington, took the oaths appointed to be taken by Roman Catholic members of Parliament. THURSDAY. The Delamere Forest. 11iiia;dtho Secretary to the Poor- Law Commission ( Ireland) 11111 were respectively read a third time and passed in the House of Lords. Sir J. SHELLEY obtained leave to bring in a bill to modify the law relating to the election of directors of joint stock bauks Mr. liot•veute obtained leave to introduce a bill to amend thr law relating to the relief of the poor. Mr. MALINS obtained leave to bring in a bill to abolish the legal distinction between a specialty and a simple con tract debt. The measure, he explained, was intended to extinguish the preferences now assigned to the holders of bonds and other special securities, which often resulted in serious injustice to the general body of cre litors. The Drafts on Bankersi Bill was read a second time, on the motion of Mr. A. PELLATT. The Married Women's Reversionary Interests Bill went through committee on the motion of Mr. 3IALINS, after a brief conversation. THE attention paid by Count Orloff to the Em peror of the French is remarked very much in Paris. One on dit is that the count remained up all night on the 18th , dre sse d, an d rea d y to rus h to t h e Tuileries the moment he heard of the Empress's delivery. He was the first at the Tuileries on Sun day morning to pay his respects to the Emperor and his first-born; and the compliments be expressed on the occasion might have excited the admiration aid envy of the most consummate courtier. THE PRESS. THE CAMP IN THE CRIMEA. The conclusion of peace and the further prolonea tion of the armistice will afford ample time for the armies in the Crimea to carry out all those reciprocal civilities already contemplated. Dinners and balls, with fetes and races, are anticipated—the first dis appointment of peace has been survived—and Russ, Englishman, and Zouave will soon meet upon more amicable terms than has hitherto characterised their encounters. Intelligence up to the 22nd states that the best feeling existed bf;tween the allied and Russian armies. The health of the English army continued excellent, while that of the French bad considerably improved. A terrible accident happened in the Eng lish camp, by which twenty-two men are believed to have been burnt to death. Two huts and storehouses belonging to the Army Works Corps at Balaklava caught fire on the night of the 17th, and first suffo cated, then burnt, the inmates, who are supposed to have been keeping St. Patrick's Eve rather freely. Seventeen bodies had been taken out of the ruins burnt literally to a cinder, and presenting a horrible appearance. The removal of stores from Sebastopol, and the complete destruction of the barrack, docks, &c., still continues. The birth of the Imperial Prince in Paris is stated to have been celebrated with grand illuminations and royal salutes from the batteries, allied and Russian, in the Crimea. The Highlanders for some time previous had been engaged in preparing vast bonfires in anticipation of the event. Front Asia Minor the news is not of much im portance. Omer Pacha was expected back at Trebi zond to reassume the command over the army of Asia. Accounts from Krrtch state that an expedition against Arabat had been postponed. General de la Marmora arrived in the camp on the 10th. Letters from Tiflis announce the gradual rectora• tion to health of General Williams, and anticipate his speedy exchange. From the Baltic we learn that the ice has partially broken up. The immediate return to Spithead of our advanced squadron is now settled. DESPATCH FROM MARSHAL PELISSIER. The Moniteur of Saturday contained the following despatch from Marshal Pelu,sier, dated Sebastopol, March 23 . This morning the French, English, and Sardinian armies and the fleets fired salutes of 101 guns each, in honour of the birth of the Prince Imperial. During the day the commanders-in-chief of the Eng. lish and Sardinian armies came officially to offer me their congratulations. There have been illuminations in the camps, and the Russians illuminated their line on the Inkertuann. CAMP OCCURRENCES. The anxiety of the Russian soldiers to obtain a memento of their English enemies by a friendly ex change of whips is so great, that not even the com mander-in-chief appears to have been held exempt. At the conclusion of the armistice on the 14th : After the generals had parted from each other General Codrington rode for some distance over the plain, attended only by an aide-de-camp anti an orderly. When at some distance from the lines of the allies, he was overtaken by a Russian cavalry soldier, who attempted by signs and gesticulations to make him comprehend a request on his part, the meaning of which neither General Codrington nor his aide-de-ca.np could for a long time understand. At last the soldier practically explained his desire by taking the General's whip, and, in exchange, giving him his own. No opposition being made to the bargain, the soldier soon afterwards went away with his vize. Pre sently a Russian officer came up, and a few words being interchanged, General Codrington's aide-de camp men tioned the story of the whip, adding that it was to be pre sumed the soldier little supposed he had gut the whip of the British Commander-in-Chief. This announcement seemed to make no little impression on the Russian officer, and as, on leaving, he was seen to gallop after the soldier allnded to in the conversation, the whip, there is very little doubt, was not long before it again changed its owner.— D. Seers eor., March 18. Since the conclusion of the armistice, nothing but good feeling appears to exists on both sides. Rus sian soldiers come down to the Tschernaya, and throw over crosses and amulets for money, while whips and even swords are constantly exchanged. Not only do men figure on these ocsasions :—• On Friday last three carriages, crammed full of ladies, drove down to the chapel built in the rock opposite the field of Inkermann, and on Sunday afternoon the valley was like a fair—not only did many of the Russian officers and soldiers cross to our side of the Tschernaya, although it is stated that their boundary is the Mackenzie Heights and the north side ; but our soldiers and the French actually invited them up to our heights and showed them through Canrobert's Redoubt. One of these gentlemen, an officer of the '24th Regiment, stated that they had 319 thrashed the 38th Regiment right well on the 18th of June, and that he, although wounded by a bayonet in the ltedan on the Bth of September, remembered perfectly well coming into contact with the 90th Regiment in that work. One of their priests, who WAR dressed much like a woman, and wore long hair, had on his breast three medals. Their Silistria medal is very similar to their Sebastopol one, and resembles much our Cape medal, only that the orange and blue are equally divided. Leave has been asked by the Russian °dicers of their commander-in-chief to be allowed to give a ball at Simferopol to the allied armies, and the French are actually going to construct a ball room 100 feet by 50 feet, where they hope to get many Russian ladies to attend. Orders have already been given to our engineers to provide as much timber as possible for the purpose.—D. News eor., March 18. The commander-in-chief is not disposed to let his army rust for want of proper exercise, and we see has already commenced to break them into actual campaigning work in a manner highly desirable On Saturday afternoon orders were issued for the first, second, and fourth divisions to parade complete, with their artillery, sappers, and land transport, at eight o'clock yesterday morning. A sort of military picnic was in tended. The troops took with them their rations ready cooked, also wood for fuel. It was proposed to light fires, boil coffee or tea, and make a meal bivouac fashion. Then there were to be review, inspection, and field movements, and the troops were to be back in camp before dark. Koreas interfered and upset General Codrincton's calcula tions. It blew sharply from the north on Friday at Trac• tir-bridge ; on Saturday the wind was still from the same quarter, and yesterday it whistled and piped and growled with increased earnestness. It was severe work turning out at five or six in the morning, as all were obliged to do in order to he on the general parade at the time appointed. The three divisions, mustering from 18,000 to 20,000 men, were marched off to the heights between Karani and the Convent of St. George. But it was soon discovered that it would never do to pass the day there. The exposition was bleak, much more so even than that of the camp, and incessant exercise hardly sufficed to maintain the circula tion. So the programme was changed, or rather aban doned. No fires were lighted, a luncheon was made off cold rations, the troops marched past General Codrington, and returned to camp at one o'clock. Had the weather been mild and genial, as it was during the early part of last week, the little expedition would have been pleasant enough. As it was, its principal object was fulfilled, this being to see how the troops, and especially the newly orga nised Land Transport., would turn out at short notice. The Transport had been hard worked all the week, and it must have been sharp work for them to get everything cleaned and to turn out in a creditable manner. This they, nevertheless, did ; and, considering the short time that has elapsed slim their new organisation commenced, the bad quality of a large portion of their animals, and the inexperience of many of their men, who are recent draughts from infantry regiments, knowing but little of carts, mules, horses, harness, ttc., the good appearance they made was really surprising. The best turned out regiment was that attached to the fourth division of the army, and Major Dick, who has commanded it from its formation, was com• plimented by the general•in•chief and by other superior officers on the efficient state of his corps. The troops of all arms turned out extremely well, and 1 understand that General Codrington was highly satisfied with the appear ance of this moiety of his army. The parade was com mended by General Barnard. On Friday General Eyre reviewed the third division.—Times cor., March 17. Sortign Corrlsponbttut. FRANKFORT, March 31. THE telegraph has announced that peace is signed, leaving the German and Italian questions open for future chances. A general satisfaction prevails ; yet even amidst the first impulses of gratulation it is easy to perceive that the Germans look with mis giving to the future, and not without reason. Their hour is not come, either for good or evil. War, that is to say internecine destruction by sabre and by ball, is thus at an end; whilst that other species of con tention which is carried on with doubtful meaning aid in diplomatic word is about to commence. Strictly speaking, the be'ligerents alone have con sented to a termination of hostilities upon specified terms arranged betwixt them. The object of the war, therefore, has been gained by England and France. With the fall of Sebastopol the battle -oe twist the nations was decided. France has been the greatest gainer by the war, and the advantages that the peace has confirmed and strengthened may be traced to the early recognition of Imperialism by England. Bat the Imperial throne, firm in the regard of the friends of order, and al though surrounded by the faithful eagles of old, had its dynastic cares. Nicholas of Russia qualified his re cognition of the Napoleonic rigime; Austria yielded to the "force majeure"; and Prussia obeyed the mandate of St. Petersburg. The Minister of Eug• land, Lord Aberdeen, with some of his colleagues, bad spoken discourteously, and not as gentlemen, of the person and throne of the Emperor ; but they were overpowered by the Conservatives, and, together with the Whigs, were coerced by the force of circum stance into an unwilling and ungracious submission. " Lempire c'est la pail." This expression, coupled with the fact of Lord Aberdeen being the Minister of England, led to the Oriental war.