The Press. — London, England, 1855-06-16 00:00:00

Marinupoi, Gheialt, and Taganrog. close to the mouth of the Don, and filled with all the tratfic which for months has been accumu lating in their ports. Last week we had been informed from the Caucasus of the evacuation of Soujak Kale, and the concentration of the Russian troops in the more important fortress of Anapa. This week we hear of the evacua tion of Anapa itself, and the total abandon ment of the great provinse of Circassia. Last week we had been told front Sebastopol of the advance to the banks of the Tschernaya, and the taking of an outwork which had been thrown up hastily two days before. This week we receive the tidings of the storming of the formidable position of the Mameion, and the capture of seventy-three guns. The great drama is hastening to its develop ment, the plot thickens, the interest becomes more intense, and we await the grander deeds which must form the last acts of the tragedy. Nor will they be delayed. We can hardly expect farther operations in the Sea of Azoff, or in the Caucasus, for the conquest is coin plets. The troops that were destined for Anapa, and the army of the Circassians, will join the struggle in the Crimea, and in all probability will advance by Kai' to attack the Russians in flank. But around Sebastopol must be the great battle-field; every disposa ble man and gun has been concentrated there by the Russians. On the heights above the Tschernaya stand from eighty to a hundred thousand troops, defended by works of enor mous strength, and co-operating by relays of men to the utmost of their power in the defence of the town. In Sebastopol itself the garrison is numerous and determined, and commanded by soldiers who are perfectly acquainted with all the resources of the art of war. It must he remembered that for the last six months, and until the last two weeks, they have been constantly acting on the offensive, and that their sorties have been continual and daring. Up to the present time their spirit has been as high as that of our own Yet there ate symptoms that even their numbers and gallantry will be insufficient, and that before long the allied standards must float over Sebastopol. The allied army, thanks to the immense reinforcements of the French, the arrival of the Sardinian Contin gent, and the best portion of the Turks from liupatoria, is immensely superior in strength to the force immediately opposed to them. Their advance has been gradual and uniform. The bombardment, instead of dying out with out result, has been followed by a vigorous attack, and affords confidence that future operations will be conducted with similar spirit. The important position of the Ma melon has been taken, and its guns turned upon the town. New batteries arc being con structed, whose fire will be far more destruc tive than before. The passage across the harbour is said to be completely commanded by the Allies. On the other hand the re sources of the Russians are diminishing. Their fire in the second bombardment was much weaker than in the first, and it seemed as though their ammunition or their artillery men were failing In the third b)mbardinent the deficiency was, probably, still more marked, if we may judge by the short time that elapsed between the commencement of the cannonade and the assault. It may take some time to construct the new approaches, but as soon as they are made we may be sure that the southern portion of Sebastopol will soon be iu our hands. In these glorious deeds what share will England take ? Will she, as at Alma and In kermann, bear the brunt of the contest, and shall we read that her gallant troops were first in climbing the intrenchments, and gained the chief honour of the day ? If they have the Opportunity we need not fear for their prowess; but their numbers are too small. The prin cipal attacks are in the hands of the French. French troops are posted in front of the Flag staff, and stormed the outwork which will form the basis of the next assault. The French carried and hold the Mamelun, the other point which will determine the struggle for the town. They have acted wisely, pouring in reinforcements, until the whole army appears THE PRESS• to belong to them, and they bid fair to engross the greater portion of the glory of the siege Have not we acted unwisely ? THE BALTIC CAMPAIGN. OUR Baltic Fleet has at length arrived off Cronstadt, and at the last date was lying within a few miles of this famous fortress. After all the explanations which ensued last winter upon the causes of the non-success of the fleet in 1854, it seems highly reprehensible that the short summer season in those seas should be allowed to slip away day by day without any result accruing to our arms. We are now in the middle of June, the fleet has been up the Baltic for some six weeks, and not one single floating battery has yet joined. We were told last year that it was the want of mortar vessels, of gun-boats of light draught, and heavy armament, and of floating batteries, that gave us so little to boast of beyond Bomarsund ; and now, after " eight months' " experience, time, and promise on the part of the Government, we find our fleet with ten small gun-boats, it is true, but with not a single mortar vessel or floating battery ready for service. The first campaign up the Baltic was acknowledged to be a blunder, but the second was to rectify any error, and do some thing more than merely blockade. We fear, however, that the large fleet now up the Baltic will do less than the large fleet that was there last year; but it will be no fault of officers or men. The discipline and efficiency of the fleet are admirable, but the ships of which the fleet is composed are pre cisely those which are unfitted for the peculiar service which is required of them. Line-of battle ships, and leviathans like the Duke, are very well as a covering force to the smaller flotilla which is required; they may be useful as a reserve to keep the Russian fleet in check, but they are utterly useless, with all their steam power, for shoal water or narrow passages. What we want, what Sir CHARLES NAPIER demanded in 18:54, and what the com monest sense would have provided, are gun. boats, and floatin g batteries, and mortar vessels. Precisely the things we have not got, and apparently shall not have until the war is over. In November last the Government, through their organ, stated that orders had been issued for the construction of 120 new gun boats of two guns each, and 40 floating batteries of from 20 to 70 guns each. The Duke of NEWCASTLE accepted Mr. NASMYTH'S offer to make wrought iron guns upon a gigantic scale, and so far everything seemed prosperous, and the public mind was set at rest by paragraphs in the " Naval Intelli gence' continually appearing with accounts of the diligence of the iron manufac turers, the energy of the ship-builders, and the activity of the royal dockyards; but soon a rumour got abroad that the Ordnance and the Treasury had " fallen out " as to which office should bear the expense of Mr. NAsmrrn's guns. The works were stopped, orders and counter-orders were given, and now, after eight months, instead of having a park of this heavy artillery ready to combat the Russian batteries, we find that on Monday last, " a beautiful nine-pounder wrought-iron " gun was carefully inspected by Lord PAN " MUSE and the army authorities in front of " Whitehall, and ordered to be sent to Wool. " wich for trial !" so the result of eight months' devotion, of the energies and resources of this country towards the construction of a fleet of vessels of heavy armament and light draught, and of a park of artillery of colossal range and calibre, is comprised in one beautiful nine pounder and ts o or three unfitted, leaky floating batteries, with an additional score of gun boats, built or armed on such correct princi ples as to be able to fight their guns only in smooth water. Surely as a nation we might not be above taking a lesson from our enemies ; at least let us emulate them in energy and decision, and learn from the vast fortifications which hourly rise upon all sides of their territory, their immense bodies of trained soldiers, their unceasing activity, their stupendous efforts against every mischance, SATURDAY, and their rapid and marvellous appreciation and adaptation of any modern invention in U.. art of war, that something more than flippant phrases befits a great nation engaged in war. The Government appear to be incapable of any comprehensive scheme of operations. If the war is to be carried on successfully in 010 Black Sea, it must be neglected in the Baltic. Until we have an efficient and numerous fleet of floating batteries, and gun and mortar • vessels in the Baltic, we may expect nothing but barren results. Cronstadt and Sweaborg are pronounced impregnable, simply because they are unapproachable to such ships as the Government in their wisdom have alone pro vided ; and Revel, although equally secure in that point, is not worth attacking. For several years past it has ceased to serve as a station for the Russian navy, and its destruction by us could only be attained by the co-operation of a powerful land force. Our trophies this year will not even include a helmet; a few logs of timber and blocks of granite must be all we may reasonably hope for. AGRICULTURE AND MANUFACTURES. A BILL has been prepared by the Government to allow the use of spirits of wine in manufactures free of duty, provision being made against any abuse of the privilege. The bill is a proper one, but why should not the principle be extended to agriculture? It is alleged, we do not pretend to say with what justice, that malted grain might advantageously be used for the fattening of cattle if the Excise reguh.. hone permitted its employment for that purpose. Certainly the revenue would lose nothing were the farmer allowed to feed his animals in the way he judged best, and there would be no difficulty in guarding the privilege from abuse. The cases are nearly parallel, and it seems but fair that the favour granted to one great interest of the country should be accorded to the other. DECIMAL COINAGE. Tax debate on this subject in the Commons, though favorable to the adoption of the decimal system, was not so clear as could be desired. One element of difficulty and objection would be removed were it clearly understood that no new copper coinage would be required, and that the farthing, halfpenny, and penny night remain in their present form and under their present denomination. The only changes absolutely necessary to give full effect to the system would be to enact that henceforth the florin should pass for twenty-five pence instead of twenty-four, and that twelve ponce halfpenny should be the change for a shilling, instead of twelve pence, those coins retaining their present 'elation to the pound. The threepenny, fourpenny, and sixpenny pieces might be called in and replaced by a fivepenny piece. The pound would then be 250 pence, or a thousand farthings ; and the florin a tenth part of a pound. Other coins might be introduced from time to time, but for the complete establishment of the decimal system, the above changes alone would be necessary; Though at first the change might produce some inconvenience, yet it would soon be understood; and if Qovernment were to set the example of making some concession, as by allowing the penny stamp to remain as at present, the public would welcome the alteration as a substantial advantage, inasmuch as it would increase the purchasing power of the existing coinage. THE FOREIGN LEGION. As part of the Foreign Enlistment scheme commu nications have been forwarded to the Canadian Gowernment from the Colonial office suggesting that her Majesty shoul be enabled to make certain grants of land in that colony to the officers and men of the Foreign Legion when their period of service is ex pired. Such grants, it is believed, would tend very much to facilitate enlistment, and the scale proposed in a letter on the subject written by Mr. FREDERICK PEEL is "00 acres to each private, 100 acres to each non commissioned officer, 200 to each subal. tern, and 000 to a few superior officers." As the entire jurisdiction over all waste or unoccupied lands has been given up to the Colonial Legislature, the Imperial Government cannot, of course, tal any step without the sanction of the Canadian Parliament, but Mr. PEEL suggests that about a million acres would suffice for the purpose in view, and could easily be spared out of a new area, just about to be settled containing eleven and a half million acres, in Upper Canada, between the Ottawa River and Lake Huron. He relies on the honour, loyalty, and patriotism of the colonists to obtain this boon. Some propositions on the subject it seems were offered to the Canadian Legislature before the close of the session, but the Assembly was pro rogued on the 28th of May without having come to any definite decision on the matter.