The Press. — London, England, 1855-05-19 00:00:00

MAY 19, 1855 disembark at Balaklava. These troops will raise the English army up to about 45,000 men. A letter from Alexandria of the Bth states that the passage of English troops continued, and that about 16,000 of the Egyptian army had arrived there to embark for Turkey. Letters from the camp to the 2nd instant have reached London, and are published by our daily contemporaries. They are filled, however, chiefly with accounts of the preparations and anticipations of a renewed assault, which we know, by telegraph, has not yet taken place. The correspondent of the Daily News writes on that day:—" The last two days we have had constant mists and rain, accompanied with a chilling degree of temperature, which went a long way to contradict the announcement in general orders on the 21th ult. that summer had come, and there was therefore no further need of winter clothing. The rain which has fallen has not been heavy, nor sufficient to impede the transport of stores or other operations in the field. We are progressing fast with our batteries on both attacks, and hope, when we open fire next time, we shall in a few hours silence the Russians' lire, although they have made a battery within 140 yards of the trenches; but, as we now have 8 and 10 inch mortars and 68-pounder guns, we hope to be able to do wonders. We have about 140 guns and mortars ready, and all of them heavy." The working of the railway is said to have sur passed all expectations. The use of the submarine electric telegraph is restricted to the following individuals, viz. :—The Commander of the Forces of the British Army, the Commander of the Forces of the French Army, the Commander-in-Chief of the English Fleet, the Com mander-in-Chief of the French Fleet. The signature of any one of the above officers is required to give authority for the transmission of any message by the telegraph. The telegraph arrange ments are not yet in so complete a state as to admit of the transmission of any communications except those which are upon public service. THE LIFE OF A PRISONER IN SEBASTOPOL. The following letters from Captain lilalafayes, of the 82nd (French) Regiment, who was made prisoner by the Russians on the 24th of March, during a sortie in front of the Malakoff Tower, have been published in Paris : Hospital of Sebastopol, March SI. I presented my letters of introduction yesterday to Prince Vasilehikoff, Colonel of the Imperial Guard and Aide-de•Camp of the Emperor. My strength is recover ing, as I am relieved from the difficulty of breathing, caused by a wound under the left arm. I took advantage of the time I was in the hospital to visit Captain Pierre, of the 2nd Zouaves, made prisoner during the night of the 23rd of February. I had likewise the pleasure to afford relief to some of my poor wounded comrades. I shall en deavour to remain with one of them, an officer, whose wounds are mortal, until he shall have rendered his soul to God. Prince Zalifkine is likewise very humane. Having heard that Captain Kern, of the navy, ha 1 been kind to me the prince invited him to meet me at dinner. Those officers afterwards showed me the harbour of Sebastopol and the batteries which form the left of their defence. My position as prisoner does not permit me to say what I think of them, but I may repeat what the French troops already know, that the defence of Sebastopol reflects the greatest honour on the Russians. The defenders of the town on their part feel the most profound respect for the brave allied armies. Prince Vasilchikoff has to•day allotted me an apartment, in which I am writing. It is I,kewise occupied by a British colonel and a captain, cap tared the same day that I was. I have already taken tea with them, and find them very agreeable. I shall mess with them ; and we are to be supplied from General Osten-Sacken's kitchen. You are, however, aware how little I regard my food ; and I would willingly live on bread and water the remainder of my life,if I could by that sacrifice recover my sabre. My poor sabre !—T had carried it during fifteen campaigns, and every soldier can conceive what pain I suffered on being deprived of it. General Zalifkine made several efforts to recover it, but ineffectually. The Russians have a great desire for all articles coming from France. Everybody wishes to exchange my money, and I was offered a valuable watch for mine, which is old sad out of repair. APRIL 2.—General Osten-Sacken's aide-de-camp has brought me the St. Petersburg Journal printed in French. You can have no idea with what avidity I read it. While reading the articles dated Paris I forgot J was a prisoner in the hands of the Russians. Prince Vasilchikoff hearing that I had not received my clothes, and fearing that I should suffer from cold, has sent me a magnificent cloak which belonged to a French officer, no doubt dead. Since I have been here I have not received any letter either from France or the camp. My greatest anxiety is to learn whether my boldness on the 2'lnd of March did not com promise my company. I shall thank God if I alone have suffered. The English colonel with whom lam lodged is married and the father of four children. The captain plays draughts, a game with which I was not acquainted, .but which quickly learned. The game of chess is more interesting, and when I receive my chessboard we shall be the better able to pass the time. APRIL 4.—Baron Captain Krudner has just called to invite me to dine with him at three o'clock. I have omit. ted to describe to you how I pass my time. I rise at eight o'clock, as late as possible, in order that the day may not appear too long. NN e then take tea, which is the &is m= breakfast, and which they drink with a little bread. THE PRESS. But, as they know that the French and English are scene tomed to something more substantial, they give us a dish of meat. We make a very comfortable dinner at three o'clock, and at eight tea is again served with some excel lent white bread. We are offered a fourth repast at ten o'clock, but we prefer to go to bed. 1 have already told you that our provisions are supplied from the kitchen of Baron Osten•Sacken, Commander•in•Chief of the troops in Sebastopol. THE BALTIC FLEET. (From a Correspondent.) AT 4 a.m. on May 3 signal made to unmoor and get up steam. At seven the whole fleet weighed anchor and steamed out of the bay in line of battle, leaving Kiel harbour in its tranquillity of a fortnight since, and the hospitable inhabitants of the town to regret (at least we will hope such to he the case) the de parture of a very jolly set of fellows. On being clear of shoals and narrow waters the fleet formed into two lines, and steamed or sailed, according to wind and weather, through the Funen Belt. MAY 4.—Fine weather, with fresh breeze, hardly air enough to admit of sail being carried. H.M.S. Conflict joined us with despatches from flying squadron : news that ice is melting fast, the ships having got as far as Port Baltic, some twenty-five miles inside Dager' Ort (the south-west limit of the Gulf of Finland. Exercised to-day at general gun drill, all the ships firing blank cartridges, and per forming various warlike evolutions. Conflict left for Copenhagen : had not time to send letters. Speed of fleet about 51 knots, to allow of all vessels keeping their station. The Merlin (Captain Sullivan, sur veyor) acts as a pioneer to the fleet, taking her station ahead of the admiral about one mile. The Dragon is gone on with gunboats in her charge to Faro Sound. MAY s.—Weather cloudy, wind fresh from the northward, and very cold. The curious phenomena of nature usually to be found in these latitudes at this season begin to show themselves, and are mat ters of great amusement and interest, puzzling the look-out men beyond anything. For example, a man at the masthead reports a fleet ahead (no unim portant report in these times). Immense excitement accordingly. Officers and men are soon in an elevated position on the masts. "By Jove!" say one, "it is a fleet! Let me see : sixteen sail." "No mistake," says another. Down they go to report; up goes a general signal, "Prepare for action" ; but, strange to say, this enemy don't approach, or rather we, who are steaming six knots an hour, don't approach them ; and, to finish all, the officers and men aloft are per fectly flabergasted at seeing their visions of glory (or broken heads) vanish as suddenly as they appeared, which proceeding is not to be accounted for till some eight hours afterwards, when in the extreme distance is seen a shoal of Swedish fishing-boats ; and it was suggested (as proved to be the fact) that the mirage and our over-sanguine imagination had magnified those little vessels into a Russian fleet. As anothtr example, a sail is reported which turns out to be an inverted lighthouse—rather puzzling to navigators. MAY O.—Arrived at and anchored off Faro, in Island of Gottland. Found here Arrogant (who, I am sorry to say, has smallpox on board to an alarm ing extent) ; Magicienne, who has several gun-boats in charge ; and Princess Alice, who has been, by some mismanagement or misfortune, run .m shore, going into Faro, and is very materially damaged, so much so that she will have to go to some Swedish dock to be put to rights: at the present moment she can't float, one of her compartments being full of water. She is in Faro harbour, in a deplorable at ite. The first lieutenant of the Duke of Wellington is appointed to command her, and has already taken charge. Driver has arrived to-day from the Gulf of Finland. Ice has melted as far as Revel, and is fast disappearing. Fleet will probably start for one of the old anchorages in those waters to-day or to-morrow. Geyser has sent on two small prizes, about twenty tons each, partly loaded with hemp. She took them off Riga. Though small they are worth taking, from the value of their car goes. The mail leaves fleet in time to save the Saturday mornings' mail for London. A Dantzic mail arrives at Dantzic on Friday evening, leaving London on Tuesday night. Fleet arc employed completing coaling. The blockade is now declared. There are many reports as to what has been done during the absence of English men-of-war ; but rely on it the ice has pretty effectually blockaded our friends in our absence. It is said that the Russians have three screw liners. I wish we may get them. The flying squadron is cruising near the edge of the ice. All well. Colliers are daily arriving at this place. Gun-boats remain here until their services are required. MAY B.—This morning, at nine o'clock, the signal was made to weigh, and all the ships excepting the Blenheim and Ajax weighed and stood towards the Gulf of Finland, under easy sail. The mad leaves 467 this afternoon, so I must close this. lam glad to say that the sickness on board the Arrogant is de creasing ; but it is a remarkable fact that this climate always disagrees with English people, influenza, swelled eyes, hands, and feet being unpleasantly common. We expect, after a few days' cruising, to anchor somewhere in the Gulf of Finland, for it is not safe to risk the fleet in these unmarked and un lighted waters by much cruizing. There is a brag ging Yankee cruising about here who declares he will break the blockade. I have a "notion" he " calculates " wrong. Admiral Dundas left Parosund on the Bth inst.. in the Duke of Wellington, and with twenty four sail proceeded for Elfsnabben. The Ajax and Blenheim remained at Farosund. A French squadron, consisting of the Tourville, carrying the flag of Admiral l'enauil Duquesne, and Austerlitz, line•of battle ships, and the corvette d'Assass, passed the Belt on Sunday morning. The Driver steamer, Captain Gardner, arrived at Dantsic on the 11th, Having been up with the fleet as far as the Aland Isles. She reports that the Gulf of Finland is packed with ice right across from Revel to Aland, and that all communication with the shore is impracticable. A despatch from Hamburg, dated Thursday, states that the English fleet has penetrated into the Gulf of Bothnia. SEBASTOPOL INQUIRY COMMITTEE. Tins committee closed their long protracted labours, so far as relates to the examination of witnesses and collection of evidence, upon Tuesday last, being the thirty-ninth day of sitting. The late Premier, the Earl of Aberdeen, was the last witness callod before them, and his examination formed the sole business of the final days' proceedings. The following are the chief particulars elicited from the noble earl : Mr. LAYARD.—WiII your lordship be good enough to state when the Government first made any preparations upon the conviction that war with Russia was imminent ? I should think about three months before the declaration of war preparations were made in contemplation of that event. It had been more or less apprehended, but there had been, of course, differences of opinion upon the subject. To what extent did those preparations go ? To placing the army upon an effective footing '—Certainly, and in Feb ruary a large force was sent to Malta with a view to being forwarded to Turkey in case of a declaration of war, which did not happen for more than a month afterwards. Then, previous to January, the Government was under the impression that hostilities would not ensue ?—As I said before, there were differences of opinion. Perhaps I was more sanguine than any other member of the Government as to the possibility of maintaining peace, but it was a matter of opinion. Were any steps taken during the previous year to obtain information relating to the countries in which war might be carried on ?-oh, yes ; we endeavoured to procure inform. ation, but it was very difficult to obtain correct informa- tion in the East of the state of the Russian forces, and other things it was desirable to know. I should say, the most correct information we procured was from a gentle man in this country. After the declaration of war were all matters connected with the war and the army in the East submitted to the Cabinet ?—All matters of importance. Of course the de partments having the management of the war did not sub mit details to the Cabinet. It was consulted upon all im portant operations certainly. Were Cabinet Councils continually summoned until Par liament was prorogued ?—Yes. It has been said that, after the prorogation, until late in the autumn, no Cabinet Councils were held ?—1 think from the prorogation in the middle of August, until the middle. of October, none were held. After the prorogation the various members of the Cabinet dispersed in various direc tions. The Duke of Newcastle remained constantly in town. I remained until the end of September, and, not having left London for a single day in the year preceding, I then went home fora week, and afterwards I was for a week in attendance on her Majesty. Other members were fre quently in town—Mr. S. Herbert almost constantly, but the greater part of the Cabinet was dispersed. During that period the expedition had sailed from Varna to the Crimea, the landing took place, the battle of Alma was fought, and the siege of Sebastopol was commenced ? Yes. The order for the expedition was sent as early as June, but a greater delay than was anticipated occurred before the army started. Did not your lordship think it was necessary during that period to submit any question to the Cabinet ?—I am not sure that the nature of these meetings is well understood. I apprehend it is no part of the duty of a Government to hold those n eetings at any stated time, but only according to the necessities of the public service. It is true that during the sitting of Parliament I desired the Cabinet to be summoned every Saturday. That was for the progress of legislation and the current business of the week , and did not render difficult any meeting of the Cabinet upon other days when the public service required it. Any Minister may summon a Cabinet Council whenever he pleases, and for any object either connected with his own department or any thing else, although it is usual to mention the matter first to the l'remier, who, of course, calls a Cabinet together. Did you not think that an emergency might arise which would require a meeting of the Cabinet 7—Yes ; and when the Cabinet dispersed after the prorogation, it was with the full understanding that a Cabinet meeting might be called at the shortest notice, and, had any occasion required it,