The Press. — London, England, 1856-12-13 00:00:00

DECEMBER 13, 1856. than even one thirteenth of that sum ; that a native servant cannot buy a house, a horse, a carriage, or any other thing cheaper than a European servant can in India; and that it is as natural for a native to wish to live well and comfortably as it is for a Euro pean. Perhaps Mr. Maclecd's Indian career has impressed him with a notion that a European ser vant in India must lay out a portion of his salary in champagne and hock and ham. If so, I beg to remind Mr. Macleod that a native servant has extra expenses to defray as well as a European. The ex penses attending the marriage of a respectable native are much greater than those of a European ; and I am persuaded that if inquiries were made, it would he found that almost every native servant, receiving 1201. a year or more, has a host of needy relatives and connections to provide for, a misfortune from which the generality of European civil servants are happily free. The distinctions which are made between European civil servants and native em ployees, and which Mr. Macleod appears desirous of perpetuating for no valid reason whatever, are not only invidious and unjust, but disgraceful to a Government under the British nation, whom Mr. Macleod places " in the foremost rank of the most highly civilised and most enlightened nations upon earth." A European civil judge is allowed a salary of 2,500 rupees a month. A native principal suddermeen, who is invested with the same powers as the judge, and who does more work than the judge, as may be readily perceived by reference to the printed annual reports of the Sadder Dewanee Adawluts, is permitted to draw an average salary of only 450 rupees a month. A European magistrate and collector receives 2,250 rupees a month. A native deputy magistrate and deputy collector, who possesses powers almost equal to those of the other, and who works much harder than he does, gets only, on an average, 350 or 400 rupees a month. A Euro pean civil servant, who enters the service generally at twenty years of age, and who is scarcely qualified for any office until he has been three years in the service, is allowed to retire, on a handsome pension, after twenty-five years of service. A native servant, who scarcely ever enters the service before he is twenty three years of age, and perfectly qualified for performing his official duties, is not allowed to retire, on a pension however small, till he has served thirty five years. A European servant is allowed furlough to England after serving a certain numher of yee.rs. A native servant is never allowed a furlough to Eng land, however anxious he may be to see that country, and improve his mind by doing so. A European servant is allowed leave of absence, on sick certificate or otherwise, on terms both just and liberal. A native servant is allowed leave on terms far less favorable than those alluded to. Can Mr. Macleod say that the perpetuation of such dis tinctions is becoming the Government of the " most highly civilised and enlightened nation of the earth "? I intended commenting on other opinions and remarks expressed by Mr. Macleod in his minute ; but I must refrain from doing so, as I fear this letter bas already become too long. Hoping you will kindly publish it in your invaluable journal, I remain, sir, your obedient servant, A NATIVE IN THE SERVICE OF IN INDIA. India, North-Western Provinces, Oct. 10, 1850. JUDGES AND LAW OFFICERS. TO THE EDITOR OF " THE PRESS." Sir,—Several appointments have lately been made of judges and law officers, and, so far as legal know ledge and standing is considered, no one could com plain. All I would suggest is, that every man appointed to any of the high legal offices should not only be known as a man of high legal autho rity, but also as one of high moral character. If any of the bishops lately appointed had at any time done anything to cast a slur on their moral character, what would have been said of Lord Pal merston's selection ? and should not the same judg ment he used in appointing those high legal func tionaries who represent her Majesty? It is time that moral worth and character should be made the stepping stone to honour as well as political abilities.--I am, sir, yours obediently, A Souctron. Lincoln's-inn -fields, Dec. 2, 1856. A RELIC OF BOTHWELL was sold at a book sale in Edinburgh lately to Mr. Gibson Craig. It is a 'npy of a mathematical work printed at Paris in 1338—'' L'Arithmetique et Geometrie de Maistre Estienne de la Roche." The book is in the original binding, and has the sides stamped with a well-cut die, showing the arms of Bothwell, with the motto "Kiip Treat " — that is, k eep t r y s t, an d the inscrip tion " lacobvs Hepbvrn Comes Bcthv. D. Hailles Cncthonre et Leddes. et Magn. Admiral. Scotise." There is only another volume known to exist of the fain3us earl's once magnificent library, and that is in possession of the Faculty of Advocates. THE PRESS. THE RUSSIAN NOTE. A DOCUMENT was addressed by the Russian Govern ment at the latter end of October to all the powers that signed the treaty of Paris. It was accompanied by a circular requesting the reconvocatiou of the Paris Conferences. This memorandum is an expose of the steps taken by the Cabinet of St. Petersburg with a view to the fulfilment of Articles 20 and 21 of the treaty of the 30th of March. As regards the Isle of Serpents, the note ob serves:— It will suffice to read carefully the text of the stipula tions to be convinced that they refer to a demarcation on the mainland, and do not apply to the possession of an island situate in the open sea. . . . In fact, no ex press stipulation of the treaty has either annexed to Moldavia or adjudged to Turkey that island, which was incontestably iu the possession of Russia before the rupture. The note then maintains that, " in matter of right, if there is to be a transfer of any territory from one possessor to another, it is necessary that the treaty of peace should authorise this change by a stipula tion clearly expressed ;" that " the seizure by a single party, without the consent of the last pos sessor, does not constitute a legal claim, as the treaty is completely silent on the subject ;" and, finally, "that to remedy this mistake it was requisite that the representatives of the contracting powers should meet, reserving for their decision a question which had not acquired the authority of a thing decided by the acts of the Congress." The note then refers to the question of the Bes. sarabian frontier, and quoting Art. 20 of the treaty, which defines the new frontier as follows—" It will start from the Black Sea at one kilometre east of the Lake of Bouvna Sola, will rejoin perpendicularly the Akermann road, will follow that road to the Valley of rrajan, will pass south of Bolgrad, will run along side the River Yalpuck as far as the heights of Saraszika, and will terminate at Katamori, on the Pruth ; above this point the old frontier between the two countries remains unchanged ;" insists that the good faith of Russia was evident in the part she took to secure a satisfactory and prompt conclu• sion of the question. In support of this truth it will suffice to mention two facts : According to Art. 20 the new frontier, starting at one kilometre from the Lake of Bouvna Sola, aas to rejoin perpendicularly the Akermann road. That line cut in two Lake Hadji•lbra' , im, and left Lake Basiriam entirely to Russia. An inspection of the localities showed the defect of such a boundary. The Imperial Cabinet allowed its delegates to remedy this inconvenience, so as to include the two lakes in the Moldavian territory. Again, the 20th Article made the frontier end at Kata mori, on the Pruth. The text of the treaty did not express whether that place was to belong to Russia or to be given to Malaria. The Imperial Cabinet obviated that difficulty by allowing Ratamori to be joined to the Princi pality. Under these circumstances the frontier line was for more than three parts of its extent completed by the commissioners assembled on the spot. Two gaps remained to be filled up, and the commissioners drew up a convention fur the final decision of the contracting powers : This convention submits to the judgment of the Cabi• nets four alternatives left to their choice. This plan is founded upon a system of compensation so cleverly com bined that each of the two parties interested obtains geographically the same aortae. of ground, whatever may be the alternative selected by the Cabinets. The note Caen discusses the terms of the conven tion, regarding the course of the Upper Yalpuck and Bolgrad, as follows : As regards the first point, the text of the treaty indicated the river Yalpuck as the frontier line. In its course, at a place called Andreeska, the river splits into two arms, one bearing the natoe of Yalpuck, the other that of Yalpuckhel. The letter of the treaty implies the former; the other arm would give a more enlarged frontier to Moldavia. The delegates have reserved this question for the solution of the Cabinets. As regards the second point in dispute, that of the town of Bolgrad, a consideration of good faith seems to deter mine this question. It is this :—When the Congress came to discuss and decree in principle the new frontier line, the Russians frankly declared the importance of not taking away the town of Bolgrad from the Bulgarian colonies of which it is the capital. This administrative consideration, so frankly expressed, received the unanimous votes of all the representatives, given in a spirit of concord and con ciliation. Consequently it was resolved, by common accord, that the frontier line should pass south of Bolgrad, as is clearly and precisely stated in the text of Art. 20. This resolution was not taken on the inspection of maps produced at the Conferences by the Plenipotentiaries of Russia; printed in Russian they might not have appeared sufficiently intelligible to all the representatives at the Congress. They therefore formed their conclusions from the examination of a map placed at their disposal by the care of the French Government. 1181 This fact is worthy of mention. It shows that if the maps were faulty the responsibility does not rest with the Russian Plenipotentiaries. Moreover, their frank speech had set aside any misunderstanding. They had d'clared that the town of Bolgrad, which it was important should be preserved to Russia, was the capital of the Bulgarian colonies. in this avowal there was neither concealment. misunder standing, nor deceit. The Congress, in adhering to the desire expressed by the Russian Plenipotentiaries, per formed an act of equity and wisdom. In fact, its decision upon the question of Bo'grad brought the discussion to a close. Art. 20 was drawn up conformably to the resolution taken at the sitting of the 10th March. The Russian Plenipotentiaries thought right, however, to make a re serve of the approbation of their Court. That approbation was announced by Count Orloff in the sitting of the 14th March, Prot. IX. In this grave deliberation it may be said the unanimity of opinion of the plenipotentiaries at the Conference was complete. Doubtless, the Cabinets, by ratifying the acts of their plenipotentiaries, had no intention of questioning or disavowing the spirit of equity and harmony which pre. sided over their labours. The first motive of dissent arose when the delegates had visited the localities; they then found that the town of Rolgrad, instead of being situate at some distance from Lake Yalpuck, as was indicated upon all the maps. touched the northern extremity of the lake. The position thus ascertained on the spot gave rise to a difference of opinion between the respective delegates as regarded the crossing of the frontier line intrusted to their care. The Russian delegates proposed to take as a boundary the valley line (Thalweg). leaving the left shore of the lake to Russia, the right shore to Moldavia. _ _ This combination was deemed inadmissible by the other commissioners. In their opinion, access to the lake open on the left bank to Russia might engender the fear of the Imperial Government forming a flotilla upon the lake, the presence of which might some day be an impediment to the free navigation of the Danube. This supposition, we may be allowed to say, did not tally in reality with the nature of the locality. Moreover, if the project of the Russian Commissioners had been ad mitted, all subject of anxiety would have been removed beforehand by the express condition that a single brand teach/ (boat) should he allowed for the use of the Russian authorities, to be kept at a fixed station, for the use of the Customs and sanitary officers. Such a condition would surely have excluded the slightest anxiety respecting the free navigation of the Danube. Nevertheless, the proposal of the Russian delegates met with decided opposition. The French Commissioner, with a view to conciliate conflicting opinions, suggested a new plan—to make a high road (chaessie) along the shore of the lake, and thus to separate the town of Bolgrad from the shores of Lake Yalpuck, with Jbe exception of permis sion to the inhabitants to have access to the borders of the lake for their daily wants. By this combination the whole lake would remain Moldavian, while the town of Bolgrad, the capital of the colonies, would remain in the possession of Russia. The Imperial Cabinet of Russia did not hesitate to give its consent to this proposal, which conciliated all interests and all mutual considerations. The Austrian, English, and Turkish delegates were not authorised to adopt this compromise. In their opinion, the frontier line, instead of passing south of Bolgrad, the capital, as understood by the Congress, and as stated in Art. 20 of the treaty, ought to be drawn south of the place named Tabak (see map annexed to the preliminary convention of 30th August). A much•to•be-regretted controversy has arisen on this point. A few words will suffice to elucidate the question by placing it in its true light. The place called Tabak is not the central point of the administration of the Bulgarian colonies. For many years the town of Bolgrad has been the capital. Church, school, government, population, are all concentrated in Bolgrad. Tabak, as all the delegates were able to ascertain, does not, therefore, in any manner respond to the intention avowed openly, in which the Rus sian Plenipotentiaries asked, and which the other plenipo tentiaries united at the Congress granted, that Bolgrad should remain in the possession of Russia. This is a simple question of good faith. If the line should be drawn south of Tabak it would he drawn con trary to the spirit and to the letter of the text. Bolgrad would be separated from the colonies, while it was agreed that that town should remain annexed to them. In a word, the treaty of the 30th of March would not be carried out conformably to the idea which presided over that trans- In this state of affairs the Emperor is of opinion that the most honourable part to take is to appeal to the consciences of the Cabinets that signed the treaty of Paris. Consequently, by order of his Majesty, the Russian Envoy ou a mission extraordinary to his Majesty the Em peror of the French had the honour of addressing to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, under date of September IP, an official note, reiterating a request for the convocation of a Conference, consisting of the representatives of all the contracting powers. Agreeing to this request, the Minister of Foreign Aftltirs, in the name of his Government, has invited the other Cabinets to decide by common accord all the points which have hitherto remained in suspense. So as to give to this diplomatic meeting the character and the merit of a final solution of all the questions in dis- pute, Count Wslewski asked Baron Brunow whether the Court of Russia, participating in this deliberation, was de• tided to abide by a majority of votes. To this question, transmitted by telegraph to St. Petersburg, the Imperial Cabinet seat back an immediate reply in the qffirmative. A