The Press. — London, England, 1855-03-31 00:00:00

MARCH 31, 1855. donee in the people of the country, and had no fears that the anticipated evils from the existence of a cheap press would be realised. At all events, the question, in its present anomalous state, should be finally arranged one way or the other. The second reading was carried by 215 to 161. CHURCH RATES. On Thursday Mr. CLAY moved for leave to intro duce a bill for the total abolition of church rates. The simple abolition proposed last year was some what modified this, by a clause regulating the ma nagement of voluntary contributions by churchmen towards the support of churches, and authorising the churchwardens to let a certain portion of the pews. As before, the bill provided for the main- tenance of church rates, when there were charges on them under acts of Parliament. Mr. WinnAm opposed the bill. It was a bill, he said, pressed forward by the middle classes, who had bought house property, subject to church rates, and now wished to get rid of them. The discussiOn which followed was of a desultory kind. Mr. Drummond and Colonel Sibthorp argued that the churches were national property, subject to national care as much as any other public building; while Mr. Muntz and Mr. S. Ball contended that the law was in so unsatisfactory a state that it brought the Church into contempt. Lord Stanley on the one side of the house, and Lord Palmerston on the other, both agreed on the necessity of putting the subject on a proper footing. On the interest of the Established Church itself, Lord Palmerston said that he should oppose the introduction of the bill. Leave was given, by 155 to 76. EDUCATION. On Thursday Mr. M. Gmsow brought in, as he had promised, the third educational measure, founded altogether on the sectarian principle. It was read the first time without opposition, and almost without discussion. BILLS OF EXCHANGE BILL. This bill, which provides for the registration of bills of exchange, and gives power to the creditor to proceed at once to judgment on a dishonored bill on rejection, was read a second time on Wednesday. It was opposed by Mr. Vance, Mr. Muntz, and some others, as giving an undue preference to a certain class of creditors, and especially injurious to small traders; and supported by the Attorney-General, Mr. Napier, Mr. Glyn, and others, on the ground that the bills formed the currency of the country— that the debts they involved were acknowledged— that the system proposed worked well in Scotland, and the present English system was a disgrace to the country, and the only wonder was, that com merce could flourish at all under it. Another bill on the same subject was read a second time shortly after. AUSTRALIAN POSTAL COMMUNICATION. The Earl of HARDWICKE on Monday complained that our postal communication with our Australian colonies was as good as stopped; that, instead of being sent by steamers and twice a month, as had been promised and performed for some time, it was now despatched in sailing vessels at intervals of three or four months. He admitted the difficulties arising out of the war, but said that in the colonies compa nies existed who were ready to undertake the service, and all that the colonists required was that they should be permitted to do so. Viscount CANNING said that be had certainly re ceived a communication from a company in Australia, who had offered to construct vessels if the Govern ment would give them a contract ; but he could not accede to so uncertain a proposition. There were but two or three steamers in Australia fit for the long voyage. He detailed the successive requirements of the war, which had led to the employment elsewhere of the vessels of the great steam companies one after another. Australia, from its distance, had suffered more than any other colony ; but, so convinced were the Government of the importance of the matter, that, notwithstanding the exigencies of the war, they were then in treaty with the Peninsular and Oriental Company for the establishment of a postal service with Australia, through Singapore and Point de Galle. THE IMPORTS OF WHEAT in 1854 amounted to 3,431,227 quarters, against 4,915,430 quarters in 1858. In 1840, only 1,993,383 quarters were im ported ; in 1843, only 940,120; in 1845, 871,710 ; in 1846 (the repeal year), 1,432,591 qnarters ; in 1847, 2,656,455 qnarters ; in 1849, 3,845,378 quarters ; and in 1853, 4,915.430 quarters. Of the wheat imported in 1854, 506,830 quarters came from Russia, 672,842 quarters from Prussia, 248,451 quarters from Den mark, 315,386 quarters from the Ilanse Town, 143,078 quarters from France, 119,504 quarters from Moldavia and Wallachia, 163,294 quarters from the Turkish dominions, 302,905 quarters from Egypt, and 417,907 quarters from the United States or America. The total quantities of all kinds of grain imported in 1854 amounted to 8,850,500 quarters t sad of all kinds a meal and Sou to 8 ) 705,160 cwts THE PRESS. THE WAR. Intelligence from the Crimea to the 24th inst. is said to have been received in St. Petersburg. It states that the bombardment had not recommenced, although the batteries had been finished on the 16th. Prince Gortschakoff arrived in Sebastopol on the 20th. The death of Menschikoff has been reported and contradicted. Advices to the 17th have reached the British and French Governments. Despatches from Lord Raglan, dated successively on the 10th, 13th, and 17th inst., have appeared in the Gazette during the week. The two last letters from the commander-in chief are as follows : Before Sebastopol, March 13. The enemy commenced working upon the mamelon in front of the tower of Malakoff in the night of Friday, but the nature of the work, from the thickness of the atmo sphere, could not be distinguished. tireat progress, however, had been perceived on Sunday, and that night a strong working party of the British troops was occupied in commencing a parallel from the advanced point of our tight attack, with a view to form a junction with the corresponding parallel to be made on their side by the French, who began it on the following evening; and much was done to forward the operation before day light this morning, and it is hoped that the object will be completed to-night. The weather is generally fine in the early part of the day, but towards evening heavy sea fogs come rolling in, and wholly obscure the view of the place. The enemy have shown a battalion and some Cossacks on the heights above lialaklava and towards Namara, pro bably with the view to interrupt the French and English wood-cutting parties, for the construction of gabions,in the immediate neighbourhood, but the allied detachments have not been obliged to discontinue their work. March 17. The progress of the parallel, which T reported to your lordship in my despatch of the 13th inst., has not been as rapid as was anticipated, the ground being extremely rocky, and the difficulty of procuring cover consequently excessive, and rendering it almost impossible to carry on the operation during the day. Both the English and the French have now, however, succeeded in establishing the communication between them. Her Majesty's troops have not been assailed ; but our allies have been kept constantly in action, and they have succeeded in driving the enemy from the rifle pits, in which they had established themselves in their imme• diate front, with distinguished gallantry and great persee veranoe. They, however, have sustained some loss, though not equal to that which they have inflicted upon their op ponent. A steady fire has been maintained upon the mamelon in the occupation of the enemy, from the guns in our right attack ; and the practice of both the navy and the artillery has been conspicuously good, and reflects the highest credit on those branches of her Majesty's service. Although no positive attack has been directed against our works, our approaches are carried so close to the enemy that the casualties are greater than they have lately been, as your lordship will be concerned to remark in ex *mining the returns 1 have the honour to inclose ; and it is my painful duty to announce to your lordship the death of Captain ,Craigie, of the Royal Engineers, whose zeal and devotion to the service could not be surpassed, and who was killed on the 13th, after he had been relieved from the trenches, and was on his way to the Engineer park, by a splinter from a shell, which burst close to him. I have the honour to report the arrival of Lieutenant- General Simpson, who joined my head-quartet-a y eaten' ay, and that of Sir John M'Neill and Colonel Tulloch, who reached Balaklava a few days before. RAGLAN. The Moniteur publishes the following despatch from Constantinople, dated the 19th inst.:— _ _ In the night between the 15th and 16th inst. the French troops carried a hue of ambuscades occupied by the enemy's sharpshooters; at the same time the Russians made a sortie on our extreme left, which was vigorously repulsed. They had fifty men put hurt de combat, and withdrew in disorder. A despatch from General Canrobert dated the 17th inst., and describing the same events alluded to in Lord Raglan's letters, has also appeared in the Mottiteur. Letters!of the 15th from the camp state that Lord Raglan had been indisposed, but was much better, and was able to go to Balaklava on horseback. The numbers actually under arms, including sergeants, on the 3rd inst., were 17,740. This was exclusive of those on guard, pickets, &c. The number sick in camp was 5,210, and the number of sick absent 12,477, making a total of 17,693 sick. The deaths reported on that day were 59,17 of which occurred at Scutari. On the 10th, the number actually under arms, not employed on any duty whatever, amounted to 20,600 men. The effectives, including rank and file and sergeants, amounted to 26,000 men. The health and appearance of the troops continued to improve daily. Several officers of our Indian army had arrived at Balaklava. The Scots Fusilier Guards have established a sort of canteen, at which articles of almost every de scription are sold,—good cheese, Od.; baton, ditto 1 299 butter, &c., equally as cheap ; sherry at 2s. 3d., and port wine at 2s. Bd. The Rev. Mr. Sheahan, one of the most devoted of the Roman Catholic chaplains with the army, died in camp on the 14th. He had not very long returned from the hospital at Scutari, to which ho had gone, aster suffering from a very severe illness in the early part of the winter. Russian deserters report immense loss of life on the part of the enemy during the winter. The late Czar had himself directed the construction of the defence, according to the assertions of one of the deserters (an officer), and plans were still sent off to St. Petersburg of the most trilling operations. The garrison of Sebastopol, according to this authority, was not more than 60,000—scarcely enough to occupy their extensive works. All the marine force had been long engaged at the batteries. Some steamers only were still manned. CHRONICLE OF THE SIEGE. Letters from the camp to the pith inst. reached London on Wednesday. The following are extracts from the correspondence of the Herald MARCH 12.—SirJohn M'Neill and General Simpson, who are to superintend the working of the staff and commissariat departments, arrived to-day. But for the positive obstacles thrown in hie way, Mr. Filder would have kept the troops on ample rations. Yesterday evening Omer Pacha arrived at Kamiach, and, accompanied by Admirals Lyons, Bruit, and Stewart, immediately proceeded to Lord Raglan's bead-quarters. Shortly afterwards Generals Caarobert, Boaquet, and Sir George Brown arrived, and a long council of war was held. It is generally believed that the Turkish Commander-in-Chief came to ask for reinforce ments, and also to represent the impossibility of defending Eupatoria against a regular siege. The council lasted four hours, and Omer Pacha returned to le upatoria this morning. Neither English nor French troops can bo spared at present for the defence of that place. During the whole of to-day the church Lolls in Sebasto pol have been tolling heavily, it is presumed for some reli gious service for the departed Emperor. For the first time our tramway was used today for the conveyance of shot and shell to the general depilt in course of formation about a mile and a half from head quarters. For some time past the line has been used for the conveyance of rations of all kinds • but hitherto no very heavy traffic has been attempted. A bout 6,000 shot and shell were to-day sent up to the heights over Komi, and thence forwarded in our own and the French waggons to the trenches. None of the stationary engines are yet at work. Mutat 13,—A demonstration was made by the enemy in front of Balaklava this !ironing, but not of any great force, It wax, I think, brought on by our wood parties, who go out from Balaklava beyond our lines to cut wood to make gabions with. Three battalions of infantry coming in sight, and a few Coassoks, the French cavalry were ordered down, but the affair came to nothing. They had a few shrllathrown into their columns from our position, which burst amongst them. Our cavalry (what remains of them) were all saddled up in readiness to turn out. MARCH 14.—Twice during last night the whole camp was disturbed by a tremendous fire from the enemy's works. All the pickets and outposts were kept continually on the alert, and twice the light and second divisions were turned out under arms. The firing was caused by our allies making attempts to dislodge the riflemen, who, hidden in front of the enemy's lines, have lately inflicted considerable mischief. The first attempt was only made by a party of about 100 Chasseurs, who, after skirmishing with the Russian marksmen for some time, were, in the end, overpowered and driven back by vastly superior numbers. The second attempt was made by a strong body of Chasseurs, supported by 200 of the covering party from the trenches. lint, during this time, the enemy had re ceived large reinforcements, and the second attack was re pulsed with a loss to the French of fifty killed and wounded. The firing completely alarmed the whole camp, and within five minutes after the second attack had failed, two French regiments, one of Zouitycs and one of the line, advanced upon the contested point. Before this force the linsiians, though still superior, or at least equal in num bers, Instantly gave ground, and commenced a rapid re treat upon their batteries. During this retreat they suffered heavily from the musketry of our allies. An if they apprehended an immediate storm, the whole of the Russian lines opened fire. Their batteries discharged in regular volleys, which rent the air and shook the earth, as if some terrible convulsion of nature was taking place. The shower of shot and shell literally fell like bail, and, from the state of the ground on the following morning, it is calculated that 100 tons of ammunition were fired during the half-hour the alarm lasted. Mere chance shots, fired in the dark, almost completely destroyed one of the Eng lish advanced works, and the whole of the remainder of the night was occupied in repairing it. In these encounters the French lost in killed and wounded nearly 200 men. The lose of the enemy, who fought unt'er cover, was probably much less. During today our right attack has fired some ten or twelve rounds, to which the enemy have not attempted to reply. This unusual quietness has ex cited much speculation, as the Russians generally give us twenty guns for one. The Emperor steam-ship starts from Balaklava this even ing for Genoa, to bring up the Piedmontese troops. MARCH 16.—A heavy fire was kept o r by the enemy's batteries during the whole of halt night, so as to com pletely shelter their riflemen from any fresh attack from the French. Ilevoird this nothing worthy of note oc curred, except that, for the first time since the siege has z i n h m t a e g n al ce n d i , t t o h ur e balintteiesr.es All the e i r r ai s a b o o n fired t fell sb d o u rt ri . ng T t h he e woodier evittinali in. and hot, and btu Ismael Wet I