The Press. — London, England, 1855-02-17 00:00:00

/ FEBRUARY 17, 1855. some magazines of provisions were destroyed. The fire was quickly extinguished. Kosrew Paella, ex grand-vizier, chief of the Rus sian party in Turkey, had died at the age of ninety. M. Bourre, ex-consul in Syria, has left Constan tinople for Persia, charged, in concert with the Eng lish ambassador at Teheran, to induce the Shah to send troops into Asia against the Russians. The firman prohibiting slave-dealing has caused much discontent in Circassia. The Kars correspondent of the Danube writes that Schamyl has made another bold and successful stroke. The Russians had lodged nearly all their prisoners in Tiflis, and during the course of lest month they were sent thence into the interior of Georgia; but Schamyl attacked the convoy on the way and released the whole of the prisoners. Despatches fr3m Damascus of the 25th ult. men tion a report that the Kurds had taken Zakku and massacred the inhabitants. The Pacha of Bagdad was preparing to put down the revolt. RUSSIA. A new manifesto of the Emperor Nicholas, pub lished at St. Petersburg on the 11th instant, orders a general arming of the people throughout the whole extent of the Russian empire. An additicnal force of 300,000 men would thus be obtained and sent to the Crimea. The Government had also ordered an extraordinary recruitment of Cossacks in Lesser Russia. The Warsaw correspondent of the Journal de Francfort writes that it will be next to impossible for the Czar to levy a war contribution, as the resources of the proprietors cf land have been all but cut off by the prohibition to export grain. Deprived of their natural market, the corn producers have been compelled to sell their wheat for the use of the army at prices far below its value. --.. Accounts from Odessa state that 60,000 Russians are concentrating on the Pruth. The bead-quarters will be transferred from Kischeneff to that town. .. By direct order of the Emperor, Prince Paskie witsch has forbidden the export of brandy and other spirituous liquors to Austria. The Russian Government has published and rati fied the convention for telegraphic communications between Russia and Prussia, and the following States which belong to the Austro-German telegraph union :—Bavaria, Saxony, Wurtemberg, Hanover, Baden, and Mecklenburg Schwerin. UNITED STATES. • The Swiss Government has effected a compromise with Mr. Philipps, a citizen of the United States, who was arrested some time since in mistake for Mazzini, to whom he is said to bear a very close resemblance. Mr. Philipps demanded 25,000 f. for his live days' detention. The United States envoy reduced this claim considerably, by striking off the last figure ; and the authorities finally managed to settle the matter for 2,0001., so that Mr. Philipps gets 400 f. for each day that he was a detenu. COAST OF AFRICA. The mail steam-ship Candace arrived at Ply mouth on Monday with mails from the west coast of Africa. Matters on the coast still continue satisfactory. Trade was improving, and the dif ferent native tribes quiet. The Candace brought on freight two thousand ounces of gold, five hundred casks of palm oil, and other African produce. Among her passengers was Lieut.-Colonel Hall, the Governor of Sierra Leone. INDIA AND CHINA. The first overland mail ,of the year has arrived with dates from Calcutta to the 10th, Madras 14th, and Bombay 17th of January. The mission of the Burmese envoy to Calcutta bas terminated in rather an unexpected manner. The following account is given by the Hurkaru : On Saturday the ;th of January the Burmese envoys had an interview with the governor-general to take place pre vious to their departure for Ava. The scene was remarkable, and will be long remembered in the annals of the Indian Foreign-office. We believe we may assert without exag geration that both the governor•gcneral and Major Phayre were completely taken by surprise by the unexpected turn which the conversation took. It is often at parting that people's real feelings and affections are displayed, and it was completely so in the farewell interview between the Burmese ambassador and Lord Dalhousie. After a little of the usual complimentary language had passed that is stereotyped for state interviews, the Burmese envoy pro claimed that he had coma by commanl of the King of Ave to seek restitution of the whole of the captured pro vinces in Burmah ! Such a startling climax to the conversation filled the commissioner with amazement. Here was an issue to the embassy of which no one had ever remotely dreamt. We are informed that despite this unforeseen explosion the governor-general stood calm and collected, and at once desired Major Phayre to make the following reply, or words to this effect : " Tell them that as long as the sun shines in the heavens, the British flag shall wave over those possessions." If the Burmese are capable of being embarrassed, we should imagine they must have been so on receiving this reply ; after which the interview, we are informed, was brought to a speedy termination. Among other things, the ambassador suggested that it was not well to make war THE PRESS. on the present King ; that the reigning King had not been our enemy ; and it was the last King who had created the war. To which he was informed, in reply, that it is not against the person of one king or another that the British have been engaged, but against a country that has pro voked hostilities. With these uncomfortable assurances the Burmese envoy can now return whence he came. The grand finale, we confess, does not at all take us by surprise, though we have an impression that the ambassador was quite conscious how futile and absurd it would be. We have little doubt that an obligation was laid upon him to make this demand, and that he dared not to return to Ave without having made it ; but, with a discretion for which we give him every credit, he reserved the demand until the last moment, and only brought it forth when everything else was concluded. He will return to Ave having seen enough to convince him that, while the British power exists in the East, Pegu is for ever lost to the throne of Ave. The Khan of Kohan has been permitted to bor row native officers to drill his troops against the Russians. The intelligence from Bombay states that an insurrection had broken out in Cabul and Candahar. The rebels had acknowledged the suzerainty of Persia. Twelve thousand Persians besieged Benderabas, in the territory of the Imaum of Muscat, and had sustained a murderous conflict with the besieged, who still continued their resistance. From China we learn only that in Canton affairs were still ominous, and trade quite depressed. Admiral Stirling was watching Caaton and im peding the progress of the insurrectionists. EGYPT. Accounts from Alexandria have arrived to the sth inst. The Viceroy of Egypt has abolished the customs duty hitherto received. He has only excepted Suez from the measure. The Duke and Duchess of Brabant had arrived at Alexandria. Sir George Anderson, ex-Governor of Ceylon, arrived at Suez by the Bengal on the Ist inst., and is to remain at Cairo for some time to recruit his health. _ The first detachment of the 10th Hussars, from Bombay, was hourly expected to arrive at Suez, and every arrangement has been made by Said Pacha for their transit through Egypt. The scheme of the canal across the Isthmus of Suez is no longer talked of, and it is believed that Said Pacha has received from Constantinople a very unfavourable answer to his communication about it. _ _ . The railway between Alexandria and Cairo, a dis tance of 130 miles, is now complete, with the excep tion of the three bridges on the two branches of the Nile and the Delta Canal. The communication between the two towns may be kept up by the line of railroad by crossing the river in boats, but it will not be available for traffic and passengers until after the bridges are completed—five or six months hence. The most important bridge is the tubular one which crosses the Damietta branch of the Nile at Benha, and which is well advanced towards com pletion. Although, when ➢ir. R. Stephenson made his arrangements with the Viceroy for the construction of the railroad, he stipulated that the native work men should be regularly paid, they are, and always have been, very grossly ill-treated and neglected. They are taken away by force from their villages, conveyed to a distance to work, and not only are they not paid, but it happens often that not even bread is provided for them, so that they are fre quently seen eating the thistles by the roadside, or clover_ from the fields to appease their hunger. To be prevented from running away, they are kept under the strictest vigilance, their chiefs are re sponsible for their number, and at night they are closely penned together, or huddled into barges moored in the middle of the river. SANDWICH ISLANDS. His Majesty King Kamehameha, alarmed at ru mours of filibuster invasions, issued a proclamation on the Bth of December, proclaiming that he accepted the proffered aid of the United States, Great Britain, and France, in support of his sovereignty. THE BOARD OF TRADE has hired an extensive and convenient house at No. 14, Rue de Cirque, in Paris, for the offices of the British section of the Universal Exhibition. _ _ _ THE winter is very severe in Switzerland. On the Alps of the Valais, on Mount St. Gotherd, at the Luk manier, on the Splugen, in the Tyrol, and even at Milan, the snow has fallen to a depth rarely seen in the most rigorous seasons. Nevertheless, the traffic on the road from Mount St. Gothard has not been interrupted for a single day. Owing to the great cold and the fall of snow, birds of prey approach the habi tations of man. In the canton of Appenzell, a few days ago, a vulture of the Alps seized a dog in a farm yard, and the owner of it had to best the bird with a stick to drive it away. Court anb Sa4iott. 155 Her Majesty, with the Court, arrived from Windsor at Buckingham Palace on Thursday afternoon, for the season. Saturday lart being the anniversary of the royal marriage, the day was celeorated at Windsor with the customary observances. On Wednesday Lord John Russell arrived at Windsor, and had a lengthened audience with the Queen. The Court mournings which would have terminated on Thursday, has been prolonged another week for his late Royal Highness the Duke of Genoa, brother of his Majesty the King of Sardinia. The Court will go out of mourning on Thursday next. The marriage of Viscount Ingestre, the eldest son and heir of Lord Talbot and Miss Cockerel!, the eldest daughter of the late Countess of Eglinton by a former marriage, was solemnised in London on Thursday last. Viscount Palmerston gave a dinner to the Cabinet Ministers on Wednesday evening, at his residence in Piccadilly. A Cabinet Council was held on Saturday last at the Foreign-office. The Ministers again assembled in Council on Monday and Wednesday at the residence of Sir James Graham in the Admiralty. The right hon. baronet is now convalescent, and re sumed his place in Parliament last night. Lord Stratford de Redcliffe has given a farewell dinner to Baron Bruck, who leaves Constantinople for Vienna. It is reported in Paris, that Prince Napoleon is about to be married to one of the princesses of the royal family of Wurtemberg. The Indipendance of Brussels states that a marriage is in coutemplation between the second son of Prince Czartoryski and the eldest daughter of Queen Maria Christina and the Duke de Rianzares. M. Usedom has so far recovered from his recent indisposition as to be able to leave Brussels. He arrived in Paris last week. _ _ M. Soule, late American Minister at the Spanish Court, has passed through London on his way to the United States. BALL AT THE TUILERIES. THE second grand ball for the season was given at the Tuileries on Thursday, the Bth inst. All the arrangements were on a most magnificent scale, and the whole range of splendid apartments along the l'lace du Carrousel were thrown open on the occasion. The guests began to arrive about nine o'clock. At ten the imperial party made their appearance in the Salle ded Alarechaux, the Emperor having Queen Maria Christina leaning on his arm, and the Empress being escorted by Prince Jerome. The Princess Mathilde and Prince Napoleon followed, with the principal officers and ladies of the imperial households bringing up the rear. The orchestra, conducted by Strauss, played " Permit pour la Syne " as the Emperor and his party entered. Immediately after a quadrille was formed, in which the Empress danced with Prince Napoleon, their vis-a-vis being the Princess Mathilde and Lord Cowley, Marshal Msgnan and M. de Hubner, the Austrian Minister, being amongst the other persons admitted to the quadrille. The Emperor did not dance, but remained conversing with some members of the diplomatic corps. The Empress was dressed with great simplicity in white, and wore a mag nificent diamond necklace, interspersed with large emeralds. The Emperor had on a general's uniform, but with silk stockings and shoes. It is impossible to conceive a spec tacle of more gorgeous magnificence than this fete dis played as the imperial party went through some of the rooms. The wonderful display of diamonds and the rich dresses of the ladies, the decotations and splendid uni forms of the superior officers, and the official costumes of the ministers, senators, and members of the Council of State and Legislative Body, presented a coup•d'edl of daz zling brilliancy. It is supposed that about 4,000 persons were present, and yet so ample were the apartments that no unpleasant crowding was perceptible. Their Majesties proceeded at one o'clock to the Salle de Diane, where supper, consisting of every delicacy, was laid out ; and after partaking of some refreshment, returned again to the Salle des Marechaux, from which they finally withdrew about two o'clock. Dancing was, however, kept up with great spirit for an hour longer, at which time the fete terminated. It was remarked, as a proof of the coldness existing between the French and Prussian Governments, that at the ball the Emperor, in making his rounds, merely bowed to the Prussian Minister, without speaking; while he continued for a considerable time in conversation with M. de Hubner and General de Crenneville. AMONGST the English Catholics who bore tapers before his Holiness at St. I'eter's on the 2nd inst., being Candlemas-day, were Lord Lovat, Sir James Fitzgerald, and Mr. Stonrton. Sir J ames's sister wok the veil at the Convent of the Sagro Cuore, the same morning. I N consequence of the numerous attacks on Prussia in the columns of Punch, it is in serious contempla tion to prohibit its circulation in the whole of the Prussian monarchy.