The Press. — London, England, 1855-06-23 00:00:00

586 IRELAND TENANTS' COMPENSATION BILL. This bill was carried into committee on Tuesday, after some strenuous opposition. Mr. PEACOCKE ob jected to it as preventing the introduction of capital into Ireland when capital was most wanted, creating a class of encumbered proprietors just as we were getting rid of them, and reinforcing the army of middlemen, when we had declared those men to be the curse of the country. Some such experiment, in the shape of inventories, had been tried in England, and failed miserably. Sir J. WALSH likewise opposed the bill, as putting arms into the tenant's hands wherewith he would at any time be able to fight his landlord, and as assu ming that the landlord himself had neither interest nor control over the improvers. The supporters of the bill confined themselves mainly to the argument that its principle had already been fully discusssed and adopted, and carried the committal by 129 to 46. The committee on the bill occupied several hours of the Commons sitting on Thursday. The only noticeable point was a long discussion on the pro priety of allowing tenants to demand compensation for reclaiming waste lands. It was urged that such a provision was in former Government bills, but Lord Palmerston resisted its restriction in the pre sent, as besides being, in his opinion, impolitic, it would endanger the passing of the bill. A clause proposing to enact such a provision was negatived. OXFORD COMMEMORATION. DURING the past week the various ceremonials and festivities attending Commemoration-week have been celebrated at Oxford. The chief interest, however, centred in the performance of the " En ccenia," which took place on Wednesday as usual in the Sheldonian Theatre. On the ar ival of the Chancellor, the Earl of Derby, accom rpanied by the Vice-Chancellor, heads of houses, doctors of divinity, law, medicine, and music, tbe con vocation was opened. A decree received the approval of the house, accepting from the Earl Stanhope, who has, during the last tt rrn, undertaken the office of senior examiner in the law and modern history schools, an annual donation of 201. during his life and to be bequeathed at his death, for the purpose of founding a prize for the best composition on a modern history subject. The Chancellor then read over the names of the distinguished individuals on whom it was proposed to confer the honorary degree of doctor of civil law, and as each name was mentioned more or less cheer ing followed. After the list wag gone through, the bedels retired to the divinity schools to usher in the proposed doctors, who, headed by the deputy-professor of civil law (Dr. Somerset), walked in procession across the court leading from the divinity schools to the theatre. The cheering on their entrance was most enthusiastic. The Chancellor put the names seriatim for the approval of the house in the follow ing order, viz. : The Hon. James Buchanan, Minister of the United States—Le Comte de Montalernbert, a Member of the French Academy—Sir John Beverley Robinson, Bart., Chief Justice of Upper Canada, and Chancellor of Trinity College, Toronto—Lieut.-General Sir John Fox Burgoyne, G.C.B.—Lieut.-General Sir De Lacy Evans, K William Gore Ouseley, K.O B.—Sir Charles Lyell, Knight, F.R.S., M.A., Exeter—Richard Monckton Milnes, Esq., M.P.— Colonel Sabine, F.R.S., of the Engineers— Thomas Graham, Esq., F.R.S., Master of the Mint —The Rev. Humphrey Lloyd, D.D., Trinity College, Dublin—Philip Bury Duncan, Esq., M A., late Fellow of New College—The Rev. Frederick William Hope, M.A., F.R.S., Christ Church—Alfred Tennyson, Esq., Poet Laureate—George Gabriel Stokes, M.A., F.R.S., Lucasian professor. and Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge— John Couch Adams, M.A., F R.S., Fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge—John Muir, Esq. There was scarcely a dissentient voice, but as the veterans Burgoyne and De Lacy Evans mounted the platform to take their seats as doctors, they were greeted with the most vociferous and enthusiastic applause, which lasted several minutes. The recep tion of the Poet Laureate, Alfred Tennyson, was scarcely less enthusiastic. WESTBOURNE COLLEGE,' situate in Porchester• terrace, Bayswater, was publicly inaugurated on Tuesrlay in the presence of a number of the clergy and gentry resident i n the vicinity. This institution de,tiued for the education of the sons of gentle men, under the management of a committee, and having for its patrons the Archbishop of Canterbury and the Bishops of London, Winchester, and Lincoln. The principal and head master is the Rev. Charles Mackenzie, prebendary of St. Paul's, and recently head master of St. Olave's Grammar School, South. wark. The education to be given includes classics, mathematics, French, German, drawing, vocal mu , ic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, English history, and litera ture, chronology, elements of physics, fencing, and gynnostioi. it portion of each day in the week is to be devote l to religious instruction in harmony with the Church of England. TIIE PRESS. THE WAR. Subsequently to the arrival of the despatches an nouncing the successful attacks on the Mamelon and the Quarries sevtral days passed in which no tidings were received, or at all events acknowledged, either by the English or French Governments. The telegraphic wires, it was said, were out of order. Afterwards the public were informed that the communications were re-established, but that no news of importance had been transmitted. The advises received were, how ever, dated four days back. Finally, there arrived early yesterday (Friday) morning advises, still three days old, announcing the first serious check which tie allies had received at the hands of the enemy since the commencement of the siege. The event is thus stated by the Secretary for War : Lord Panmurc regrets to announce that he has received information that the English troops attacked the Redan and the French the Malakoff Tower at daylight on the morning of the 18th instant, but without the success which has heretofore attended our efforts. Both the French and ourselves have suffered considerably. The names of the officers who have fallen will be forwarded immediately ; but it will be impossible to receive complete returns of all the casualties before the 30th instant at soonest. A corresponding account from General Pelissier was published in yesterday's Moniteur, as follows : June 17. The combined movements agreed upon with our allies are being carried out. To-day the Turks and the brigade of Chasseurs made a reconnaissance towards Akhtiar. _ _ General Bosquet occupies the Tschernaya. To-morrow, at daybreak, in concert with the English, I attack the Grand Redan, the Malakoff Tower, and the bat teries connected with them. June 18. The attack of today was not successful, although our troops, who showed very great intrepidity, gained a partial footing in the Malakoff works. I was - obliged to order a retreat in the parallels. The retreat took place in order, without our being harassed. It is not possible for me to-day to state our precise loss. Prince Gortschakoff sends to St. Petersburg an account of bur operations in the Sea of Azoff. He says : The inglorious devastation of the coasts and the de struction of a few corn magazines. But it has had in no respect the influence they anticipated on the general pro gress of our operations in the Crimea. Among the corn magazines and the ships burned by the enemy along the coasts of the Sea of Azoff, there was hut a small number of those intended for carrying provisions for the troops. The Journal of St. Petersburg gives the report of Lieut.-General Krasnoff on the bombardment of Taganrog. He describes it 11.9 " infernal cannonade kept up for six hours and a half." The town was set on fire at the Bourse, in Greek•street, and at the Gostinoi•road ; and at half-past three the assail ants landed about 300 men, whom they sent towards the height near the church of the Czar Constantine. This de tachment commenced a rifle fire behind some bushes, but at the critical moment Count Tolstoi, confiding a com pany to Lieut.-Colonel Matcedonsky, ordered him to repulse the enemy. This distinguished officer placed his men in an inclosure protected by an orchard, instantly forced the enemy's infantry to retire, then charging them vigorously with the bayonet, routed and drove them down to their boats. The squadron then opened a terrible fire, which however only lasted a quarter of an hour. It is almost unnecessary to quote the concluding sentence : By the most special favour of God our loss during this bombardment was inconsiderable; a Cossack was killed. MASSACRE OF ENGLISH SAILORS UNDER A FLAG OF TRUCE. A despatch from Admiral Dundas announcing the particulars of the outrage committed upon the boat's crew of H.M.S. Cossack, as briefly announced in the telegraphic advises published in our last paper, was received at the Admiralty on Monday. The admiral states : A short time ago her Majesty's ship Cossack took and destroyed some coasting vessels near Hango, and three persons—the captain of one of the vessels, his son, and another Finnish sailor—were taken prisoners. Admiral Dundas, anxious not unnecessarily to injure the trade of the country, directed the Cossack to hear up to Hango, in order to put on shore the persons who had been so cap- tured, who had requested to be put on shore there, and four other persons, who had also been taken prisoners near St. Petersburg, and who had also requested that they might be put on shore there. The Cossack ventured to Hango in order to put these persons on shore, and at some distance from the place she anchored, and sent the cutter on shore with the seven prisoners and the ordinary, boat's crew. A flag of truce was displayed for at least half an hour before she reached the jetty. Nobody was per ceived but one person, who ran away at once. The boat arrived at the jetty, and landed the prisoners and their baggage. Every man remained in the boat. A body of Russians, who are reported to have amounted to from 300 to 400, came down to the jetty. Lieutenant Geneste, the officer, waved his flag of truce, and explained why they came on shore. The Finnish captain also took the flag of truce, and tried to explain, both in Finnish and English, the reason why they came on shore. The officer in command of the Russians not only understood English, SATURDAY, but spoke it. He said, " They did not care in the least for a flag of truce, and they would show how the Russians would fight," whereupon some 100 Russian soldiers imme- diately tired upon the officer and the prisoners on the je:ty, and killed them all. They then fired into the boat till every man in the boat fell. The Russians rushed into the boat, and threw some of the bodies overboard, dragged one wounded man out, threw him on the jetty, and bayoneted him, and left five bodies for dead in the boat. The cutter not returning later in the day, the gig was sent in, and it was ascertained from a distance that the cutter was moored to the jetty, and that there were some dead bodies in it. In the night, a black man, wounded with two balls through the arm and one through his shoulder, cut the fastening, and tried to scull the cutter from the jetty to the ship. In the meantime the Cossack, standing in in order to ascertain what had become of the men in the cutter, sent in a boat, and brought off the single survivor, on whose evidence it is that the whole story rests. Some additional particulars are stated in letters from the fleet. One writer gives the following nan a tive of the disgraceful affair:— Captain Fanshawe having received orders from Admiral Dundee to land three (7 ?) Russian prisoners —taken out of different prizes, and to whom he had given liberty —on any convenient point of the coast of Finland, this officer des.. patched an eight-oared cutter, under the command of Lieut. Louis Geneste—lt. T. Easton, surgeon, and Sullivan, master's assistant, accompanying him—under a flag of truce flying in the bows, towards Hango, the Cossack in the meantime standing off and on outside. The cutter not being met by any boatfrom the enemy, and not seeing a soul on the beach, pulled in ; but just as Lieut. Geneste and the surgeon landed, flag of truce in hand, a body of Russian infantry rushed out of the neigh bouring wood, headed by an officer who spoke English, but who declared he knew nothing of our flags of truce, stepped back, and ordered his men to "fire." This was at once obeyed, and the noble Geneste, as promising an officer as ever lived, fell mortally wounded by the side of the surgeon, who speedily shared his comrade's fate; then followed volley after volley of musketry into the cutter, murdering our unarmed crew, sparing none, not even the three prisoners, their own countrymen, who held op th. flag after Lieneste had fallen. Such a wholesale, dastardly, and cruel murder, and violation of every law of civilised nations, deserves no comment; the fact is one of unre deemed blackness, and can bear no justification. Even supposing they had no business to land in a hostile country without having the flag of truce responded to, the boat's crew might have been detained or made prisoners, though that would be stretching the point rather far, considering the errand they were on ; but to allow 500 or more armed infantry to fire into an unarmed boat and seventeen men, is an exploit alone worthy of a Russian. The soldiery, having 'completed this cowardly action, retired, believing every soul dead, not however before the bodies had been rifled of everything that had any value in the eyes of these ruffians, when seeing the boat perfectly riddled with shot, they decamped, leaving it to its fate. One man, however, of the boat's crew, who had three shots through his arm, and had been left for dead, revived during the night, and at last after several ineffectual at- tempts succeeded in getting the cutter off, and drifted out to sea, where in the course of the following morning he was picked up by the Cossack. Thus ends - tins - melancholy catastrophe, unequalled in cruelty to any in modern history, which has naturally thrown a dampness over our spirits, and increased our desire to come to close quarters with the enemy, in order to revenge the blood of our brave comrades. The following is a list of the killed : L. Geneste, Lieutenant, age 25 ; R. T. Easton, surgeon, age 39; Charles Sullivan, Master's Assistant, age 21 ; •Edward Thomp son, leading seaman, age 24; •William Linn, Captain's Steward, age 32; John Lorton, Midshipmen's Steward, age 22; William H. Banks, Gun-room Steward, age 84 ; •Benjamin Smith, A. 8., age 23; •James Cornwall, ordinary, age 21; J. Gliddon, A. 8., age 27; George Boyle, ordinary, age 21; William Roskelly, age 20, ordinary; Thomas Stokes, age 23, ordinary; John Haughey, age 24, stoker ; Francis George, age 20, ordinary ; Owen Francis, age 24, A.B. _ _ . _ Liberated Prisoners.—John Lunatronn, age 50 ' • Theodore Lunstronn, boy about 11; A. F. Loonberg, age 21 ; and four other Russian prisoners,names unknown. The man who escaped is a man of colour, named John Brown. • Thus/ were found deed in the cutter, and buried at sea. Another account states:— The Cossack, Captain E. G. Fanshawe, was cruising off Hango-head on the fith ofJune, and, being ordered to laud ten Russians she had on board, who had been taken from some wood boats which the Merlin and herself had cap tured and burnt, she attempted to do so by sending them in a boat carrying a flag of truce. In that boat was the crew of nine men, Lieutenant Geneste in command, Mr. R. Easton, the surgeon, Mr. Sullivan, master's assistant, three stewards (who went in hopes of buying some provi sions), and the ten prisoners. On nearing the shore they found about lAA) or UOO soldiers on the beach, and as the boat ran alongside a sort of jetty the three officers jumped upon it from her, when the officer in command of the soldiers called out in English, " that he would have nothing to do with the 1— flag of truce," and imme diately ordered his men to fire. Mr. Geneste, Mr. Easton, and Mr. Sullivan fell at the first volley. One of the prisoners then held up the flag, which Mr. Geneste had when he fell, but he was instantly shot; some of the men then jumped ashore to assist the others, but only to meet the same fate, for volley after volley was mercilessly poured upon them and the boat, until it was supposed all were killed, when the Russians came down and robbed them of everything worth taking away. The Cossack, after waiting some time for the boat, sent another in search of it, which picked it up a short distance from the land, with one poor fellow in it struggling with one arm to scull the boat, while the other dangled at his side with three bullets in it. When wounded he had fallen to the bottom of the boot, and as the water came in through the shot holes it