The Press. — London, England, 1856-12-27 00:00:00

DECEMBtR 27, 1856. Wo r kflow that the organs of the retrograde party have taken advantage of the note in the Monileur to represent it otherwise than what it is, viz., a simple declaration of neutrality. They have professed to see in it a declaration of war, and one journal has gone so far as to insinuate that no arrangement can be made so long sa the present political organisation subsists in Switzerland. We suspect that the principal object of the Conaliirdionnel is to throw a little cold water upon this exultation. But its article appears to us to be open to more than one tbjection, and we shall return to the subject, contenting ourselves with observing now that the distinction drawn between Switzer- land and its Government appears to be utterly unfounded. The Assentblie demands that, whatAV,er solution of the question takes place, England be hot permitted to mediate ; bnt it is generally believed in {'aril that the Federal Council of Switzerland has accepted the mediation of England. The Moniteur of Monday contained a report of M. Would, the Minister of Finance, upon the budget of the civil list for the year 1857. He comments upon the extraordinary circumstances of the past year, which occasioned the disbursement of large sums in charity and acts of munificence; and ob• serving that this unforeseen expenditure has absorbed the whole of the surplus which remained from the civil list of the previous year, he recommends the Emperor to restrain his liberality within the limits of prudence for the future. The Pays explains that the publication in the Moniteur of M. Fould's report is called for by " false assertions," repeatedly made in foreign jour nals, to the effect that the Emperor's civil list was burdened with debt, and that he had even called upon the public treasury to provide for his liber alities. _ _ There is a rumour of an approaching visit of the Grand Duke Constantine to Paris, on his return from Nice, to which place he is to conduct his Imperial Consort on a visit to the Empress Mother. Count de Morny is expected in Paris from St. Petersburg next week. Preparations are making for his reception at his official residence of the Corps lagislat if. The two Government candidates—M. delgesie and M. de Guillanmin—hive been returned for the vacant seats in the Corps Legislatif. AUSTRIA. The Emperor and Empress were to leave Vienna for Milan on the 27th. The Cardinal Archbishop of 'Vienna has consti tuted the ecclesiastical tribunal, authorised by the Concordat, for the matrimonial affairs a his see. It consists of a president, who is Mgr. Zenner; of a vice-president, the mitred Abbot Columbus; six effective councillors, two substitutes, and three other officials. The tribunal is to enter on its functions on the Ist January. A semi-official article in the Augsburg Gazette of the 17th takes up the question of the continued occupation of the Principalities. The writer plainly says that the army of occupation was left in Moldavia and Wallachia because Russia displayed a disincli nation to fulfil some of the conditions of the treaty of Peace. When the St. Petersburg Cabinet has ceded BAgrad and the Isle of Serpents there will no longer be a motive for occupying any part of the Turkish territory, " and consequently the battalions of Austria and the vessels of England will be with drawn." RUSSIA. The Emperor on the 12th of November last con• firmed the regulations laid before him by the Grand Duke Constantine for the future management of the flotilla of Siberia and the harbours of the Eastern Ocean, and the rules to be observed by the marine troops at Eastern Siberia in the performance of their duties. A French Cabinet Minister's courier arrived on the 11th inst. in St. Petersburg with very important despatches for the ambassador, and another took his departure immediately after for Paris. The Duke of Ossuno, Ambassador Extraordinary from the Queen of Spain, arrived ou the same day in the Russian capital, with the whole of his suite. SPAIN. The appointment of M. A. Mon a.s Minister at the Court of Rome has been gazetted. GREECE. The Chambers were opened at Athens on the 19th. The Royal Speech alluded to the approaching evacuation of the territory by the allied troops. Letters of the 17th state that the English Govern • meat had proposed sending commissioners to Greece, for the purpose of examining into the financial con dition of the country, but that Russia hal opposed such a step, as offending the dignity of the Govern ment of King Otho. ITALY. The King hay rema►ned at Naples since the attempt upon his life. On the 17th the powder-magazine on the mole exploded. From fifteen to twenty persons were killed, and several severely injured, and much damage dune to the shipping and town. A Vienna letter of the 18th, in the Bourse Gazette of Berlin, states that since She insanestioaary THE PRESS. movement in Sicily and the attempt upon the King's life, the latter is more than ever determined not to make any concessions, and has requested the Cabinet of Vienna to inform the Western powers of his reso lution to maintain the status quo. TURKEY. Redschid Pacha is carrying out reforms in the Administration with vigour. An Audit Board is to be an once constituted to regulate the State expendi ture, while the State forests, now devastated at will, and which would yield a large revenue if properly managed, are to be protected and subjected to special administration according to the forest laws of Europe. Kibrisii Mehmed Pacha, late Ambassador Extra ordinary in Russia, returned on the 11th, and had immediately an audience of the Sultan. He left behind him a Charge d'Affaires and the necessary personnel at St. Petersburg. Salik Bey left on the 11th for Paris, with special instructions for the ambassador at Paris with reference to the Conferences. A letter from Bucharest announces that the Cai macans have received orders to convoke the Divans ad hoc, to deliberate on the future organisation and government of Wallachia and Moldavia. The palace of the Caimacan at that place was being arranged for the sittings of the international commission. AMERICA. Intelligence from New York to the 10th states that in the Senate on the Bth Mr. Bigler entered upon a defence of President Pierce. His speech has been accepted by the Free Soil party as confirming the in dications afforded by movements elsewhere, that the incoming administration will not be quietly surren dered to the pro-slavery influences which have con trolled the action of the late President. In a speech which had been carefully prepared Mr. Bigler took the ground that the northern democracy desired to see Kansas a free State. In answer to a question relative to the policy of Mr. Buchanan, Mr. Bigler stated that the people of Kansas must settle the question of slavery for them selves. In the House of Representatives the debate was on the same subject, and was extremely animated. The new York Herald describes the provision' re garding Cubs, in " the new British treaty." It has refer enc•,it understands, to Cuba and the Spanish posses sions,as well as Central America, and its object is the consolidation of the present political condition of these colonies, islands, and states, with a view to the gene ral pacification of that part of the world and the ex tension of trade. From Kansas we learn that Colonel Titus and the most desperate of his fellow border ruffians have left Kansas for Central America. Large sums of monf.y and clothing were flowing in to aid the Free State settlers, and emigrants were arriving in large num bers. All apprehensions of further difficulties had disappeared, and the universal conviction was that Kansas would become a free State. ANOTHER FRANKLIN EXPEDITION wag discussed at a public meeting held on Tuesday evening at the London Mechanics Institution, Southampton • buildings. Mr. "Mutton, a member of the Metro politan Board of Works, occupied the chair, and, having introduced Dr. King, that gentleman gave some further explanation of the manner in which they proposed, by the Great Fish River route, to carry out the search, which he said must end suc cessfully. Lieutenant Pim next addressed the meeting in a speech which was loudly applauded, observing that they bad no desire that any one should hold up his hand in favour of the project unless convinced of the necessity of a further search on the grounds of humanity, consistency, and a desire to preserve our national honour and maritime supre macy from the smallest stain. He described that part of the plan referring to himself, enlarging upon the use of dogs for sledging purposes ; and, pointing out the proposed route to Montreal Island and the north of the Fish River, he said difficulties, no doubt, would have to be encountered, but long experience in the polar regions had considerably lessened the dangers, which could, many of them, be avoided by common foresight. He himself was of opinion that it would be only necessary to approach the Esquimaux with a little circumspection to extract from them the thrilling story of our countrymen's sufferings, and to induce them to tell at what village the survivors would be found. There could be no doubt the natives in the vicinity of the magnetic pole knew every particular about the missing ships. Lieutenant. Pim then spoke of the large, cumbersome expeditions hitherto sent out, citing the abandonment of the five vessels, and the return of tne Resolute. Two more ships were floating about in the ice—and if we were not quickly in the field, he should not oe surprised to hear of the French bringing one to England and perhaps the Danes the other. He did not hesitate to say that such an event would make us the laughing-stock of Europe. Resolutions approving the projeot ware carried unanimously. 1229 SIR HOUSTON STEWART UPON THE CON DUCT OF THE WAR. ADMIRAL SIR HOUSTON STEWART, K.C.8., was enter tained last week at a grand public dinner, at Greenock, in approbation of his gallant and patriotic ser vices during the late war. Upwards of two hun dred gentlemen assembled to do honour to the gallant admiral. The toast of" Her Majesty's Minis ters" was replied to by the Duke of ARGYLL. Alluding to the great support the Government had received from the people of England, and the patience with which the burdens of war had been borne, his Grace observed in conclusion :-- And now, gentlemen, T believe we shall have to thank you yet again for the support you will give when the time of reckoning, which is not far distant, comes—l mean when Parliament meets. I believe we shall have to thank you again for the support you will give to those exertions which have been mule by my noble friend at the head of the Government, and by my noble friend Lord Clarendon, to carry out the conditions of the treaty of peace in their entirety and integrity. I can only say, gentlemen, that it is my sincere belief that, struggling as we have been throughout this war, for objects which are not selfish, for objects in which England had no primary concern, which affected almost more the interests of other States, we have thought it our duty to be strenuous in support of the literal terms and obligations of that treaty, and I cannot doubt that these exerti ins will be crowned with success. I believe that they have been conducted in that spirit at once of conciliation and cf firmness in which the foreign affairs of this country have been unifornly conducted by my noble friend Lord Clarendon. And now, gentlemen, I do trust that, whether the Government of this country is to he in the present or any other hands, Government will still have the support of its people in times of profound peace. I hope those times are coming, for great as may be the triumphs of war, they are costly triumphs, and we look, as I am sure the people of this country look, forward with anxiety and hope to the time when we may be the rivals of other nations in nothing else than in the arts of pace. And I would say, in conclusion, that I hope we shall be able in future, when the transactions connected with this war are wound up end closed—l hope we shall be able to resume terms of amity and friendship with that brave and gallant people with which we have lately been at war. The toast of the evening was then proposed and drank witi tremendous enthusiasm. Sir FICIRSTON STEWART, on rising, detailed briefly the different ap pointments he bad held during the ear. He then came to the siege of Sebastopol, the bombardment of the 17th of October, and the question between batteries and ships : It had been said we could not get our enemy out to meet us in the Black Sea. That was quite true, and be thought they were very wise. But it should be recollected that they had no screw ships—no ships with two decks and steam. Steam had made a vast, an enormous dd• ference in the art of war, especially of naval war. They might talk as long as they pleased about ships and stone walls, the one versus the other, but be had lived long enough to know that, considering the combustibles and the immense increase of weight of metal with which ships would he met if they came in contact, they would have little chance. Unless they could place a ship of war within thirty yards of a stone battery the wooden walls would not have the best of it. They might probably allude to Acre and Algiers, but they mast recollect the sage re mark of the Duke of Wellington after the bombardment of Acre, in which he bore a humble part. At Algiers they allowed the ships to take no their position. The Queen Charlotte, with Lord Exmouth, was actually within yard's length of the quay, and Lord Exmouth, before he would drop anchor, actually waved to the people to get out of the way. No doubt they would in such a case make precious work with the battery. At Acre we put buoys upon the shoals in the night time to show where they were. The Egyp tians thought these were the soots on which we meant to anchor our ships ; they lowered ali their guns for these buoys, and blocked up the embrasures with sandbags to prevent our shot touching them. What was the conse quence ? They let us pass the shoals and then opened tire, but not till we were past them : and three times their batteries were manned and destroyed. That was taking up a vsition before they began. With respect to ships and stone walls, then, it was very easy to talk of the Baltic Bret and say it ought to have sent Cronstadt to the devil, but they should, after all, consider that it was mach more easy said than done. Now, with regard to the bom bardment of Sebastopol--he was not present on the 17th of October—the same argument was illustrated there. A gallant attack was made, and it was intended to suppoit the assault. The siege batteries were opened at daylight, and they succeeded so well that Lord Region had left rte parapet where he had been observing our fire, and was going to communicate with the French general in order to arrange the assault when the French magazine blew up, and, to use the expressive phrase at the time, " their fire was snuffed out." The assault, of course, could not be made. The bombardment was ordered for one o'clock, and then lied been countermanded. But that was a very difficult thing to do with an allied fleet—with every man burning for distinction it. was almost impossible—so they went at it, and they behaved admirably. But what was the consequence? We showed every weak point the enemy had, only to enable them to repair the errors and add to the strength of their fortress. In fine, without the assault by land the bombard ment by sea was futile. The gallant admiral then alluded to the conduct and character of Lord Rag lan. He considered that his position was mammies. stood in England A