The Press. — London, England, 1856-04-19 00:00:00

dwell on the blessings to be anticipated from the tranquillity of his empire. He prays that, with the aid of the ALMIGHTY, its internal or ganisation may be consolidated and perfected, and that the advancement of civilisation and all useful activity may spread with renewed force. These are sentiments, if they mean anything, proving a departure from the policy of the late Emperor, which from the beginning to the end of his reign was for vat•. His idea seems to have been that, by sacrificing every other interest of the country to the maintenance of a vast military force, he should he in a position, when the Eastern difficulty came to a crisis, to dictate its settlement to the rest of Europe. Had he been enabled to do so, he would have more than defrayed the cost of his experiment But fortune was against him. The sick man still showed no signs of dissolution NICHO LAS had strained the endurance of his empire to the very highest pitch. He must either relinquish at once the object of his whole career, or begin the enterprise before the situation was ripe. With characteristic bold ness he chose the latter alternative, and, though inevitably beaten, he fought his losing game with skill and resolution. Russia has now, therefore, learned that the path of foreign development is for the pre sent, and let us hope for very much longer, blockaded against her The lesson has been a sharp one, but we think she has no reason to repine at it. Foreign conquests arc a poor substitute, or rather no substitute at all, for internal civilisation. If the acquisition of Turkey had repaid the cost of its conquest, Russia would still have been left as before. The prince who would add army to army and province to province, while his own subjects are sunk in degradation, and his native soil scarcely half cultivated, may be a great genius and a great conqueror, but lie is neither a wise nor a benevolent ruler. No form of ruin is more familiar to us in this country than that which our landed proprietors so fre quently bring upon themselves. Too often everything is sacrificed to the desire of ag grandisement, a course not unlike the policy so systematically pursued by the late Emperor of Rossiit ; and if the recent war has opened the eyes of his family to its ruinous tenden cies, they will have no reason for regret It is not too much to say that the fall of Sebas topol may have prevented the fall of St. Peters burg, and the house of Romanoff be indebted for its future existence to the destruction of its own long-cherished policy. Russia may, therefore, fairly be expected during the next half century to devote her principal energies to the development of her internal resources. Such a system will not only benefit herself, but all the nations of the world as well. Were her vast tracts of terri t ary as highly cultivated and as densely peo p'ed as many parts of Etn ope, what an incal culable stimulus would be given to commerce ! And what a potent additional security should we obtain against the recurrence of war ! If the attention of Russian statesmen be once permanently turned in this direction, we may anticipate great modifications in their tariff. which is at present strictly what may be called a governmental tariff—that is to say, one framed solely with a view to the convenience of Government. Articles which they require from foreign countuies, such, for instance, as steel and saltpetre, are at present admitted either duty free or with a very slight impost, while articles of general consumption are heavily taxed. This is, of course, the natural conse(inence of a purely military regime. But now that this has been found a failure, we may confidently hope for a change. Should the present Emperor show any pur pose (and we believe he has shown it) of adopting the policy we have indicated, it will be the ditty of every European Government to give him the sincerest encouragement lAA bygones be bygones. If Russia really turn to the work of social improvement with hearty good-will—if she seek to strengthen herself by those means which Western Europe has recognised as the only true path to THE PREFI& national greatness, it will ill-become us to look sullenly on, and grumble to ourselves about the policy of the past. We must refuse no coadjutor in the great work of human pro. gress—least of all one who is so well able to combine the advancement of society with the maintenance of order. CLOSE OF THE CONFERENCE. THE Plenipotentiaries held their final sitting on Wednesday, and have at length concluded their sptcial labours. On Monday a sitting was held, at which the Plenipotentiaries, informed by telegraph of the ratification of the treaty by their respective Governments, proceeded to sign the protocol. On Wednesday a second sitting; was held, and the Moniteur officilaly announced the close of the Con gress:— The closing meeting took place on Wednesday at the hotel of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. After the signa ture of the treaty the plenipotentiaries had to occupy themselves with different questions, calculated to consult. date and complete the work of peace. The ratifications will be exchanged at the end of the month. Immediately after the publication of the treaty, the pro• toc .1s will be published, and will show in detail the labours of the Congress. Lord Clarendon, Count Buol, Count Cavour, and M. Manteuffel leave Paris at once. Count Orloff remains, In order, as soon as the ratifications of Peace are exchanged, to announce to the French Em peror the accession to the throne of Alexander 11. Aali Paella it is believed will also remain in Paris fur some time longer. " The different questions " mentioned by the Moniteur in it , official announcement of Wednesday, are be ieved to relate to : I. The free navigation of the Danube. 2. The interior re.iime of the principalities, and the arrangement of the f--ntiArs; and 3. The situation of the Christians in Turkey. For these purposes three Commissions are said to be appointed : 1. A Commission named by all the powers represented at the Congress, on the subject of the Danube. 2. A Commission, named by all the powers. except Piedmont, on the frontier quo-lion S. A Commission, named by all the powers, with the addition of de'egates from the Divan, to consider the position of the Christians. The Italian question, it has been authoritatively stated by the Drbats, was discussed before the Con • Kress, but non-officially ; and that although the plenipotentiaries were almost unanimous upon the leading points, that the revolutionary fire beyond the Alps could not be quenched by sanguinary exe cutions and a cruel system of oppression —that an urgent necessity for Europe to investigate the State of Italy, and apply a remedy with sincerity—that great reforms are indispensable, as the ready sub missiveness of peoples can no longer be de pended on, yet it was held that the present organisation of Italy was fixed by the Congress of Vienna, and there were no motives for proceeding to the redistribution of the Italian territory, so that any practical interference in tbo affairs of Italy may not be considered imminent. The evacuation of the principalities is said to have been fixed to take place forty days after the exchange of ratifications. The Oat Deutchae Post, in dis cussing this question, is of opinion that the presence of the Austrian troops is the sole guarantee for the peace and safety of the principalities, and anticipates nothing but anarchy and barbarism upon their retirement of General Coronini. The Resident Ambassadors will be left to attend to the formality of the exchange of the Ratifications and to execute the decisions of the Congress in detail. A LETTER FROM PARMA gives the following sketch of the conduct of the Austrians in that duchy : During the last few days dozens of persons, arrested for supposed political opinions, have been sent off to Mantua. Military law is applied with the utmost severity. The Austrians say there will be no long trials—" The guilty will be shot, and the innocent set at liberty." The whole male population wearing beards have been shaved by authority! It is almost impossible either to receive com munications or to send letters out of the town. If, there fore, this reaches you, you may probably receive no further communications. It seems to be the object of the Austrian soldiery to create terror, as the arrests are accompanied with great brutality. Several applications have been made by wives, vho have ventured to demand what offences their husliarols have committed, but they get no reply. The authorities of the Government are even looked upon with suspicion, and I think it will end by every responsible office being held by an Austrian. THE ABDICATION OF KING LEOPOLD is a prominent rumour just now in Belgium. The Duke de Bra bent, heir apparent, is as zealous a Roman Catholic as his father is Protestant. SATURDAY, MEETING OF CONVOCATION. THE prelates and clergy of the province of Canter bury met on Tuesday morning for the despatch of business. There was a full attendance at the Upper House, under the presidency of the Arch bishop, held in Queen Anne's Bounty Office, Dean's yard ; and a large attendance of members of the Lower House, under the Presidency of the Dean of Ely, were assembled in Jerusalem Chamber. The report of the committee of the Lower House on the state of the law affecting the discipline of the clergy was brought up before the Upper House, and ordered back to be reconsidered. A petition from the clergy and laity in favour of the removal of the existing difficulties between the Established f'in'ch and the Wesleyans was presented by the Bishop of Lichfield, and after some opposition, and some warm remarks from the Bishops of St. David's and Exeter, ordered to lie on the table. A simil, r petition to the Lower House was presented by the Rev. Dr. M'Caul, and ordered to lie on the table. A schedule of gravamina upon the con Lion of the Welch clergy, and recommending steps for their relief and efficient maintenance, was read by Dr. Wordsworth. Both houses met age n on Wednesday and Thursday. The proceedings in the Upper House were mostly formal, and in cluded the reception of a report by the Committee of Gravamina upon Church rates, the committee recommending that nothing be done till the Bill now before the Legislature be decided on. In the Lower House the report on Church discipline was reconsidered, and notice given by Dean Milman of a motion to consider the propriety of presenting an address to her Majesty for the discontinuance of the order requiring the use of the occasional services For the sth of November, the 30th of January, and the 20th of May ; and by the Bishop of Norwich for a petition to the Queen to appoint a commission to revise the Rubric. A discussion of some length then followed upon final appeals in matters of doctrine and on the trial of offences against doctrine. For the settlement of the latter point it was decided that a court, presided over by the district bishop, assisted by inferior clerical Pfficers, shout(' he instituted; while the former ques ti,n remains still undecided, the proposition of the Archdeacon of Berkshire to bring the case before the Privy Council being rejected by Convocation. THE GOVERNOR OF ODESSA learned the conclusion of peace on the 30th ult. The next day two English steamers, cruising off the coast, hoisted a flag of truce and stood in towards the port for fresh provi sions. A Russian boat was sent off without delay, and returned with the messaio that, as peace was conclude', 'he British captains were willing to salute the Russian flag. Genets! Adjutant Suchozanett replied that he should be happy to return the com pliment, and on the 2nd the ceremoily took place. The two steamers anchored within 500 yards from the shore, and each fired twenty-one guns. The Russian batteries answered gun for gun. The ships hoisted the Russian as well as the English flag, and the red flag of England floated ever the strand bat teries, near the white one of Russia. A FRENCH OPINION OF ENGLISH SOIDIERS is worth hearing. A Paris correspondent of a contem porary says the French solders wear their Victoria medal with great pride. On being spoken to on the subject, one man said, " Oh, Monsieur, les Anglais sont nos freres a present. II faut oublier le passe. Et, voyez vous, c'est hien distinuee cette Victoria?" As to our army, a Crimean officer, a general in the French service, said, "Believe me, that your army Is the finest in the world. You have little to learn from us. Imitate us as little as possible. All you have to do is to give your officers a better educa tion militaire,' and to teach your men in peace time to study the shifts and expedients of war. Assurez vous' you have done wonders with your small army. Alma, Inkermann, and the repulse of sorties speak for you." THE DITC DE BROGUE was received by the Em peror Napoleon on Monday. After the Due's bitter sarcasms upon the existing state of things in France, in his late address to the Academy, the audience was looked forward to with some curiosity. The interview was short, and after the usual com pliments were over the Emperor observed : M. le Due, J have read with much interest and pleasure your address to the Academy on your reception. Permit me to thank you for the very flattering manner in which yin have alluded to my uncle the Emperor Nopoleon t. Allow me also to express the hope that your grandson will find reason to speak as favoialde of the . ..nd of December as you, M. le Due, have spoken of the 18th Brumaire. The Duke and his friends bowed, and soon after took their leave. ler of the ch. l's- the of 'he on the se, ion val ied the and Id's h r the the on ing vas an I in in- tee tee low the vas I of an the ces and fur to pon rial of led ical ars- the ore iota lish of nvi- lay, was ute sett nn- ace. rds I'he lips and mat- is rm- n la the leis a?" the hrn fon Ica. ,11 . 103 reZ