The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-10 00:00:00

1072 THE WEEK. LORD MAYORS' DAYS, from time immemorial, have furnished rheto rical Prime Ministers with an opportunity to let off their official fireworks. Yesterday Lord PALMERSTON improved the occasion with his wonted adroitness. Rising beside the new King of the City, with Sir G. GREY and FRED. PEEL (or, according to a Liberal contemporary, the "thin Blue-Book in Breeches ") for his stalwart supporters, he commenced his advertised display of pyrotechnics. His first sparkles were somewhat damaged by smoke, in which nothing but some hazy coruscations about " commercial enterprise," " hospitable boards," and " our splendid metropolis," were visible. Afterwards the war furnished its proper quantum of " golden rain." Allusions to our gallant Allies, our heroic soldiers, and our brilliant victories, supplied each a flash, and elicited a round of applause. In conclusion, the Noble Viscount, waxing valiant, courageously proclaimed that England, France, Sardinia, and Turkey, were not afraid to encounter Russia, without seeking further auxiliaries. Other speakers followed, and others, again, who only attempted a speech. Among the latter was Lord Jon RUSSELL, who endeavoured to address his constituents, but was literally stunned into silence by the storm of disapprobation which broke round him, and made his exit from Guildhall in a manner scarcely more triumphant than from Vienna tself. Among the more prominent changes connected with the army in the East, we may mention the retirement of Sir COLIN CAMPBELL from his command in the Crimea as a severe loss to the army. The " urgency " of the private affairs which is stated as the cause of the Gallant General's return to England has a. questionable appearance at the present moment. We believe that this gallant and distinguished General, much hurt at the appointment of his junior officer to the the command-in-chief, has preferred retirement to service under those conditions. General AIREY, as we previously announced, will also certainly return home very shortly. Colonel LEEROY has been com missioned to proceed to Smyrna for the purpose of breaking up the Civil Hospital Establishment at that station. The Hospital, we understand, is to be converted into barracks for the accommoda tion during the winter months of various drafts of the army in the Crimea. Lady CRANWORTH has been appointed to succeed Lady CANNING as the Directress•in•Chief of the establishment for supplying the army in the East with nurses. Mr. MoNsELL's friends state that he is for certain to have charge of the Army Estimates in the House of Commons—a change which will much diminish the importance and utility of the Under-Secretary for War. It has at length been decided that a Polish Legion shall be organised. T he campaign is undeniably over for the year. Marshal PELISSIER has withdrawn his divisions from their advanced positions on the heights of the Belbeck into the valley of Baidar, and relinquished his ground to the Russians, who, following closely on his heels, have taken such precautions as will effectually prevent him from re gaining tho position without a struggle. That " slow," but " sure,' advance of the French Marshal—which we have been told for weeks was but!the prelude to the attack, capture, and destruction of the Rus sian army—has ended precisely as we anticipated—in failure. A central position like that held by the Russians is not easily to be forced. A line of country full of ravines and gorges, and penetrable only by the merest mountain-paths, is not the country through which heavy artillery can be moved with ease. Tho French Marshal lost a month in Sebastopol, and the few weeks he had left t him then for a rapid advance were scarcely sufficient for him to make roads for his artillery. Like a prudent general, he has retired from an impossibility, and wisely contents himself with the shelter of the Valley of Baidar and the banks of the Tschernaya, to the bleak heights of the Belbeck. His operations, as far as the Allies were concerned, failed, but they were successful in exposing to the Russians the weak points of their line of defence. Bals.klava, as the basis of opera tions against the Russian position, is clearly of no avail. The position of the Russians upon that side is impregnable, or at least so far so that any decided advantage can only be gained by the most patient labour, the most untiring effort, and the most unequal contest at every point If a third campaign be commenced in the Crimea, it is clear that Eupatoria must be the basis of the allied operations. Balaklava and Kamiesch, in that case, would be probably garrisoned by a power ful division of the army, and the main body opei ate from Eupatoria as its basis. The operations of General D'ALLONVILLE from that point can at present scarcely be regarded of much importance. As yet they bear the character of mere reconnaissances en force. He appears to be feeling his way, but, after the cavalry affair, he will not again easily entice the Russians into action. As ho advances, they retire to some strong position which ho is unable to force. If ever a country was adapted solely for defence, the Crimea appears to be the one. Im pregnable positions abound on every rJad, and we imagine that 11N1ft....... THE PRESS. SATURDAY, General D'AttorivittE's range will be very limited. Towards Sim feropol he is already stopped by the defile of Tchobata; moreover, he is held in check by the army at Perekop, and with the comparatively small force at his command he dare not advance too far from Eupa toria. The want of water also in the neighbourhood is a serious drawback to any effectual operations. At Kinburn the allied Chiefs appear to be so contented with their easy success over that unfortunate little fort, that nothing further seems contemplated this year. In the despatch received on Thursday, General SPENCER states that the English force was about to re-embark for head-quarters, and Kinburn to be loft in possession of the French. In this expedition ihe secondary part which we appear to have played throughout is rather remarkable. From Admiral BRUAT'S despatch to the French Minister of Marine the presence of an English squadron would hardly be conceived. The French Admiral attributes the suc cess of the bombardment to the complete investment of the place, which rendered relief hopeless, and to the fire of the French floating batteries ! How was it that none of those pet models of naval archi tecture, the pride of our dockyards last spring, were not present to take their share in the trial? Although the land forces employed in this expedition will perhaps be no further use' this year, it is probable that a naval attack upon Nicolaieff will be attempted before the winter sets in, but with what success it is difficult to say. Every day let slip is taken advantage of by the Russians to strengthen their defences ; and, from our experience of them at Sebastopol, we ought to know how rapidly they can throw up earthworks. TODTLEBEN, too, that genius of the pick and spade, is now at Nico laieff, and, under his eye, what lines of vallation and circumvallation, batteries, and redoubts, will not arise in a few days ! An artillery corps and two brigades of infantry from the Crimea, besides the Grenadiers and a division of the Guards from Poland, have arrived for the defence of the coast, and reinforcements are daily coming ; so that, unless any attack is rapidly carried out, the passage of the river may possibly be found too strong for us, without a powerful land force in support. At our head-quarters camp the preparations for wintering are being carried out with energy by the men and officers themselves; for the Government, with its usual indifference, or over-eagerness to snatch at any straw which should save trouble—depending too much upon the "comfortable quarters" which the south side of Sebastopol were to supply—have neglected to send out a sufficient quantity of hutting so that three-fourths of the army is at ',present without hut ting, at all and possibly about the end of the winter, and not earlier, may look forward to obtain their due proportion of shelter. The official cliques are in high dudgeon at Sir CHARLES NAPIER having been proclaimed a popular favorite in Southwark. They dread the Admiral's frankness of speech, and seek to cry down one whom they were the first to cry up. There is much to criticise in Sir C. NAPIER'S public life, but there is also much honest English feeling in the adhesion of the Southwark electors to an old popular favorites whose laurels had been somewhat dimmed. The instinct which rallie, men to struggle for an " ill-used " person, is a corrective of much of the evils produced by a servile compliance with the opinions of con ventional society. For his own sake, and on public grounds, we hope Sir CHARLES NAPIER will act with dignity in his political victory, but we apprehend the Sebastopol blowing up every night at the Surrey Gardens, will symbolise his Parliamentary displays. He has, certainly had much to annoy him, but there is much to cheer in the rally made for him by his friends in Southwark. One of the Ministerial organs in its disappointment has attacked him with great bitterness, and has sneered at him as being likely to be " more formidable in the House of " Commons than in the Baltic." That is an unworthy style of com ment on the proceedings of an ex officer, who had been selected to command by the present Ministry. It is a style of writing which its promoters mighthavo reason to regret in the case of one who is now as rough a customer with his pen as he proved himself with his sword in other times. The visit of the King of SARDINIA to this country has been definitively settled. His Majesty, attended by Counts CAvoUR and D'AzEoLIo, will arrive in London early in December. As the chief of those brave soldiers who fought so heroically at the DlChelllaYat VICTOR EMANUEL will receive an earnest welcome from the English people, who appreciate ithe character of the sole constitutional Sove reign of Italy. His visit to the Queen will be an event of consider able interest. The noble conduct of Sardinia throughout this war, the upright policy of the Sardinian Government, and the heroic spirit which her troops have displayed, will insure her Sovereign the warmest reception upon his visit to our shores. The Government, it appears, considers that the West India fleet is nut yet sufficiently reinforced to withstand successfully the projected buccaneering expeditions of the Yankees. Three line-of battle ships and a steam-sloop have within the last month reinforced this fleet. On Wednesday an 18-gun sloop, the Malacca, sailed for that station. The Sanspareil, screw-liner, 70, is preparing for sea with great haste, also, for the West Indies; while a steam frigate and two steam-sloops are mentioned as fitting for that destination. The collection of such a powerful squadron off the coasts of America can have but one result, to irritate the Americans to the highest pitch. As to the buccaneering expeditions, if any are fitting out, it is impossible that the vessels intended to be used c an he line of-battle ships or heavy armed steam-frigates. Is I ord PALMERSTO . N afraid that we are going to have peace in the East, and so , to keep his hand in, begins to prepare a pretty little quarrel in the West? So pugnacious a Premier, dressed in a little brief authority, will play tricks that will make more than angels weep.