The Press. — London, England, 1855-10-06 00:00:00

OCTOBFR 6, 1855. energy, and not the less pursue the object which they have proposed to themselves, and concludes with a threat that to insure success it is very cer tain they will break down all obstacles, whenever they may present themselves, and will not interdict themselves the right of carrying their victorious arms on any point where Russia is vulnerable. The Gazette du Midi, speaking of the operations of the war, shoes in what light our pitifully small army is regarded by the French : The vigour and rapidity lately displayed in the operations of the allies must be specially attributed to the. unity of command of which Marshal Pelissier unhesitatingly assumed the initiative. Although the British army con tinues to be under the orders of General Simpson, the Piedmontese under those ofGeneral dela Marmora, and the Turks under those of Osman Pacha, these superior offi cers have the greatest deference in council for the opinion of the General-in-Chief of the French army, which alone counts more than two thirds of the whole number of com batants ; they also follow his directions in the execution of the operations agreed upon. The recent appointment of General Pelissier to the rank of Marshal of France, a just recompense for his energetic bravery, will increase the moral ascendancy which he has obtained. Preparations are being made at the Invalides to receive the cannons taken at Sebastopol and the Russian flags, which latter are to be placed by the aide of those of Austerlitz, Wagram, Jena, Al giers, &c. The French Government have this week estab lished a tariff for butcher's meat, such as already exists for bread, in Paris. The butcher's trade is a monopoly in the bands of five hundred master but chers, who hitherto have fixed the price of their meat themselves. The decree of the Prefect of Police has changed that, and henceforth meat will be sold according to a tariff settled every fortnight by competent authorities. The Emperor is expected at Boulogne in a few days. It is said that he will be accompanied by Abd-el•Kader, and several other distinguished per sonages. Great military operations are to take place under his Majesty's inspection. Prince Carini, the Neapolitan Ambassador at the Court of St. James's, is still in Paris. His Excel lency is desirous of proceeding to Naples, with a view of placing before the King the state of the position in which his Majesty is placed by the recent conduct of the Neapolitan Government towards France and England. But his Excellency has re ceived orders from home to remain in Paris for the present. BERLIN. The King and Queen of Prussia continue at Stol zenfels incognito. The stay of the Court at Stolzenfels will last over the birthday of the Princess of Prussia (the 30th), which will be celebrated at Cohlentz, the residence of the Prince, as Governor of the Rhine provinces. It had been expected that the fiancaillet of the Princess Louisa, daughter of the Prince and Princess of Prussia, with the Prince Re gent of Baden, would have taken place before this ; but a cloud appears suddenly to have overshadowed the prospects of the would-be bridegroom. Count Bernsdorff and Count Hatzfeld, Prussian Ambassadors to the Courts of London and I'aris, have arrived at Coblentz, summoned, it is said, by the King of Prussia, in order to inform him verbally of the actual state of affairs, and the present intentions of the Cabinets of Paris and London. It is rumoured that the French and British 4mbassadoi a to foreign Courts have received from their respective Cabinets a circular respecting the present political position of the allies since the taking of Sebastopol. RUSSIA. It is confidently affirmed that the Czar Alexander would positively visit the Crimea in person. Before the Emperor left his capital a Council of the Empire was held, at which it was resolved to continue the war. The Emperor was to go to Kieff after having visited Nicolaieff and Odessa. It is believed that the Grand Duke Constantine will remain with the army for a time. The recal of Prince Gortschakoff has been resolved on, and be will be made Minister of War. General Mouravieff, who now commands in Russian Armenia, is to be his successor. Owing to the scarcity of brandy, required for the use of the army, the Government has ordered its admission free of import duty to the Governments of Ekaterinoslav, Kherson, Taurida, and Bessarabia. In contradiction to the news that Prince Menschi koff had entered a monastery at Moscow, and be come a monk, it is stated that the Prince has been summoned to meet the Emperor Alexander at Nicolaieff. AUSTRIA. There is no political news of any importance. The Vienna journals are filled with fruitless speculations upon the war. The Augsberg Gazette writes:— The Western powers are well aware how great must be the influence of Austria when there is again a question of peace, and they will therefore consider twice and thrice tlfor, clic)/ kill forward a probratuhio to which it would THE PRESB. be impossible for Austria to agree. With respect to the question of indemnification for the expenses of the war, it has natural limits which cannot be overstepped. If once the question of indemnification is brought into the fore ground there is no saying when peace will be restored. If the Governments are to be indemnified, individuals must also have some compensation for their losses, which are as enormous as they are unmerited. The young officer, Baron Meyendorff, who was re cently killed at the aide of Prince Gortschakoff, was the son of the statesman who was Minister here be fore Prince Gortschakoff came, and consequently nephew to Count Buol, the Austrian Minister. The cholera had been very severe in Croatia, and is rapidly extending. In certain parts of the military frontier it has carried off nearly a fifth of the population. TURKEY. The Sultan has decided on sending a high func tionary of the Porto to the Crimea to deliver to each of the general officers of the English and French armies the decoration of the Medjidie. Six will also be given to Sardinian officers. Rifaat Paella, formerly ambassador at Vienna, has been designated as Imperial Commissioner for that mission. It is, moreover, reported that the Sultan intends to present swords of value to the allied general officers who dis tinguished themselves at the siege of Sebastopol. The swords intended for the commanders•in-chief are covered with diamonds, and of the value each of 7,0001. The Contingent is preparing to start for Schumla to act in conjunction with the Turkish army that is stationed at Silistria and Rutschuk. General Vivian will be independent of Ismail Pacha, who commands the corps d'armie. In the spring the war will be carried on on Russian ground, and there is no doubt that Ismael will be taken from the enemy. The revolt in Tripoli is by no means suppressed. Mustapha Pacha, the Governor,is removed from that office, and Osman Pacba is appointed in his place. NAPLES. The Neapolitan Government still continues its petty annoyances to the allied powers. On the 19th ult. H.M.S. Medusa arrived at Messina with some Sicilian muleteers, whose period of service in the allied army had expired. Upon landing, the men were seized and thrown into gaol. Captain Heath, of the Medusa, being informed of this pro ceeding, instantly demanded the liberation of the men for reconveyance to Malta, on the plea that the British Government would never permit one of her Majesty's ships to be used as a vehicle for conveying harmless men to the prisons of the Neapolitan Go vernment. After some delay the men were libe rated, and Captain Heath pacified ; but no sooner had the Medusa sailed from Messina than, it is asserted,'the whole of these men were re-arrested, on some frivolous pretext or the other, and thrown into prison. At Naples, though a change in the Ministry has taken place, yet, with the exception of Mazza's signature, everything remains just as it was. He has been employed by the King to organise the armed lazzaroni. As far as his dismissal is concerned, the fact has never yet been officially communicated to the British Mission as a satisfaction ; so that, in point of fact, our ambassador's complaints remain unanswered. Letters of the 26th state that the King visits St. Elmo and other places of defence, and orders shot and shell, &c., into depot. The ships are placed after the Russian plan, snug in the military harbour, and a chain has been thrown across quite in the Se• bastopol style. The army is to defend the " south side," and a sort of toy-shop preparation for a siege is got up by the hero of Valletri. Another letter of the 21st states that the news of the fall of Sebastopol had caused the greatest excitement in the city . The Royalists are terrified. Banquets have been hell at the English, French, and Sardmian Embassies with great pomp. On last Monday the King was presented with a very strong diplomatic note, brought by a special courier from London. Massa, the well-known Director of Police has apparently resigned, but he is always consulted by the King, with whom he has lately had several private inter-' views. The Prince of lschiteUi, Minister of War, has also resigned, and it is expected that Troia, another member of the Ministry, will follow his example. Batteries level with the sea are in course of construction at various points of the coast near Naples. Another letter informs us that on the night of the ambassadorial banquets the police had marked all the street•loungers, and the next day arrested and imprisoned them on the plea of taking part in those festivities contrary to the royal will and pleasure. SPAIN. Letters from Madrid, of the 29th, state that the Queen was recovering rapidly from her late mishap. The Duke de la Victoria had an interview with her Majesty at the Escurial, and it was reported was completely satisfied with the result. The possibility of Spain, observes the correspon dent of the Morning Post, adding an army contingent to the forces of the allies is a rumour, but not with out some fomidat4on. ' 949 Reports were current of Ministerial changes. General Prim had been appointed Captain• General of Granada. PORTUGAL. The Iberia arrived at Southampton on Thursday. The young King of Portugal since his accession has displayed great activity in personally examining into the state of the public institutions of the country, unexpectedly visiting hospitals, barracks, and rendering himself thoroughly acquainted with every thing connected with their regime. The diplomatic gossip communicated iu a letter is amusing Two disagreeable incidents occurred at the state dinner given by the King on the 18th, at the Adjuda Palace. N. Ozoroff, the Russian Id Mister, could not find the place which had been destined fur him at the royal table, and being probably out of temper with news of th e f a ll o f S e b astopo l , his excellency took the matter up rather warmly, but was prevented leaving the room by a Portuguese noble man, who gave up his own place. At the same time the Duke de Sablatiha, in arranging the guests, requested Sir Sir Richard Pakeuharu to escort Madame Ozoroff; but the British representative pleaded the impropriety of the de mand, as the dinner was a public and state event, and his conduct would consequently be open to criticism as her Ma jesty's envoy. Just as the horns of a very awkward dilemma were appearing, one of the lords in wuting effected a com promise, by suggesting the American Minister as cavalier to the Russian lady in the room of Sir Richard. BELcaug. The Duke and Duchess de Nemours and their three children arrived on Monday morning at Ant werp, and were received by General Prisse, aide de camp of the King of the Belgians. The ex-Queen of the French, accompanied by the Duke and Duchess of Montpensier and their four children, arrived at Ostend in the afternoon of Monday. lie: Majesty and their royal highnesses were received by his Royal Highness the Duke de Brabant, who arrived from Brussels in the morning. ITALY. Despatches from Turin to the 30th announce that the health of the King of Sardinia was slowly im proving. Seven large English steamers had arrived at Genoa to embark Sardinian troops for the Crimea. The Sardinian steamer Corriere di Genova was con sumed by fire off Castiglione. Heinforcementswbiai will amount to about 3,000 men were to be cipspeteUe4 on or before the 10th of October. • GREECE. Intelligence from Athens to the 23rd ult. affirms that the King still insisted on the retirement of Kalergi. MM. Mercier and Wyse have referred home for instructions. They demand guarantees from the King. EGYPT. Said Pacha, who on the Bth ult. left in his new steam-yacht for France, unexpectedly returned on the 10th. His Highness bad met with a strong foul wind, had been very sea-sick, and, disgusted with him condition, gave up at once his visit to Europe, and returned, vowing that so long as he could possibly help it he would never again tempt the sea. A mis understanding is gradually growing up between Said Pacha and the Porte. The Sultan wishes to bring down Egypt to a level with any cf the other pachalics of the Ottoman empire, such as Beyrouty Damascus, (Lc.; while Said Pacha is endeavouring to make him self too independent of the Porte, and flatters himself into the belief that, after paying his tribute, Egypt and its resources ate completely at his command. AMERICA. The mail steamer Atlantic arrived on Sunday at Liverpool, with dates from New York to the 18th ult. There was little news of any importance. The New York Herald states that General Houston would suc ceed Mr. Buchanan as U. S. Minister at the English Court. Dates to the Bth bad been received from Havannab, and intelligence bad arrived of the assassination of Mr. G. C. Backhouse, the British Commissioner lit the Mixed Commission Court for the Suppression of the Slave Trade. The correspondent of the Neap York Herald gives the following account of this de plorable affair : JMr. Backhouse was sitting in his room after dinner with a friend, Mr. Callaghan, with him, on the evening of the 81st of last month, when a gang of negro ruffians, accom panied by ten white men, entered the premisee.and secured the servants of the outer apHotnients. They then burst into the room where Mr. Blockhouse and his friend were sitting, seised them, and attempted to gag and bind them. In the ateuggle which ensned the unfortunate Mr. Back house, who attempted to throw his assailant, was stabbed in the left side, the knife splintering one of his ribs and passing entirely through his spleen. After this the as. andante became alarmed and Escaped ; an alarm was raised and assistance procured, but the unfortunate gentleman expired in great agony after a few hours. The murder had created a great sensation in the town, and the funeral was attended by all the authorities and foreign consuls. The murderers had been captured and were to undergo trial. INDIA AND CHINA. The letters and papers of the overland mail, with dates from Bombay of the 20th August, and Cal9ut* `,42nd, arrived on Tae=day