The Press. — London, England, 1855-09-08 00:00:00

%a THE WEEK. IN the absence of any intelligence of moment from either the Crimea or the Baltic, attention is directed to the change which seems steadily creeping over our foreign policy. So far as we can judge by appear ances, it is not unlikely that we shall soon have to encounter the hostility of Austria. In the first place, it is distinctly intimated by the leading journal, that Austria must be called on to evacuate the Principalities. "Is it "not time," asks that journal, yesterday, "to relieve Austria from the "burden of a prolonged occupation, and to invite her concurrence in " some plan of government which is consistent with the integrity of " the Sultan's empire and that First Point to which all the Powers " have assented ?" We need be in no doubt of what answer Austria will return to such a request. Austrian advocates say plainly that she will continue to occupy the Principalities, to counterbalance that influence which the Allies have acquired by their occupation of parts t..f Turkey, including its capital. Our Goverment took great pains to place an Austrian army of occupation in the Principalities ; much greater pains will be required to get that army out again. The request to Austria to evacuate will, however politely made, be certain to create a new phase of the Eastern question. The probabilities that Austria and Russia will be drawn together, through the action of our Government, daily increase. On the side of Italy, the chance of disagreement with Austria is still nearer. After some delay and change of plan, the head-quarters of the recruiting-staff of our Foreign Italian Legion have been fixed at Chiavasso, a town about an hours journey from Turin, on the Turin and Novara Railway. That the original design of having Novara as the head-quarters has been abandoned, is due, most probably, to the urgent remonstrances of the Austrian Government; but it is to the Lombard provinces that the recruiting-staff must still look for a supply of men; and Austria regards the whole proceeding with undis guised dislike and jealousy. The boasts of some of our Government organs that the Italian Legion is designed as an instrument for the emancipation of Italy, will not be lost to the sensitive ears of the Vienna Court. . On the probability of a rising in Italy, statements are conflicting. In the Paris correspondence of the Times this week we fiud it stated : Letters from various parts of Italy corcur in stating the probability of serious events soon taking place there ; and accounts from Austria speak of a feeling of appro. hension on the same subject, as also of the preparation of the Government for all emer• gencies. Whether the war with Russia will continue limited to the theatre of its present operations, or whether by the force of circumstances, independent of her will or of that of the Allies, it will assume greater proportions and extend over Europe, no one can say ; but it is on the latter eventuality that the hopes of the Italian, and, I doubt not, of the Hungarian and Polish emigrants, are chiefly founded. The Italians at home and abroad anticipate that the hour for the deliverance of their country is fast approaching. The signs and presages are numerous; the appearances are, they think, too promising to be again deceitful. On the other hand, the Austrian Government is stated to feel so secure on the side of Italy, that Count GYULAI, the Military Governor of Milan, and Commander of the Fifth Army Corps, has received a prolonged leave of absence, and some days ago passed through the Tyrol on his way to Bohemia. It does not appear that our recruiting for the Italian Legion has yet commenced. It is calculated to increase the mistrust of Austria that the men on attestation will be engaged to serve in any part of the world, without designating the particular enemy they are to be employed against, so that possibly Austria may have her own subjects arrayed against her in the field. There is mischief a-foot, and in Vienna we find that a marked distinction is drawn between the conduct of France and England. The policy of our Ally is regarded as honest and dignified, while that of Lord PAL• MERSTON is stigmatised as mischievous, intriguing, and mean. The following extract from the Vienna letter in the Times of yesterday is worth serious reflection : VIENNA, Sept. 2. It has for some time past been the fashion here, and that in high non-military circles, to sneer at England, her institutions and Government. Up to the time the propositions of the Imperial Cabinet were rejected by the Western Powers the Austrian and British Governments managed to get on pretty well together; but such can hardly be said to be the case at present ln order that you may fully understand what is meant it is necessary to state, that the Austrian propositions would have been accepted by the allied Governments, had it not been for the firmness of a part of the British r.'abinet. To use the words of a representative of one of the first-rate Powers, "M. Drouyn de Lhuys was sacrificed to the English alliance by his master." Since the negotiations for peace have been interrupted, England has been almost as much "besmirched" by a part of the Austrian press as she was two or three years ago, and Lord Palmerston naturally comes in for his share of the abuse. Prudence forbids my saying much about the Anglo•ltalian Legion and the state of things in Italy; but you may be sure that the second leader in the Times of the 28th of August will be wormwood and gall to people here. Yes, the wormwood of Lord PALMERSTON'S policy, and of the articles of his organs, is making a strong impression on the Austrian Government. Our Premier has now got his full swing, and all the faults which characterised his administration of Foreign Affairs in times past are reappearing with aggravated force. The probability of a Muratist movement in Naples is much dis cussed, and the insult to Mr. FAOAN is opportunely put forward to ex cite the indignation of our public, and to justify interference on the part of our Government. It is marvellous how frequent are such in sults when Lord PALMERSTON directs our foreign policy. Yet foreign Courts, one would think, would scarcely care to heap gratuitous a. , -4• . ~' THE PRESS. SATURDAY, insult on our diplomatic servants for the mere pleasure of the thing. People ask what has become of Lord CLARENDON lately? How is our present attitude towards Austria to be reconciled with that held previous to the last six months? Is his Lordship content to become a mere agent for the transmission of Lord PALMERSTON'S senti• ments? The " timid ambition" for which our Foreign Secretary is celebrated seems to have reduced him to the level of a Foreign-office messenger. Lord PANMUEE during the week has enjoyed his habitual taciturnity, and not indulged us with any very striking telegraphic messages from the camp, a solitary one on Monday morning announcing the re pulse of a sortie, and the publication on Thursday of a despatch dated the 25th ult., being all the information which his Lordship has vouch safed the public. This laconic despatch of General SIMPSON intimates the probability of the Russians renewing their attack at an early day. Vast masses of men were seen concentrating on the Mackenzie heights and towards the village of Makoul ; reinforcements of two divisions of grenadiers were known to have arrived, and a great battle wasfalt to be imminent. At Constantinople it is believed that some expedition up the Danube is in contemplation. The collection of vast stores of materiel, the concentration of all the available Turkish forces, and, above all, the appearance of a squadron of allied gun-boats off the Sulina mouth, and the daily-expected arrival of several floating batteries from both the English and French ports—vessels certainly adapted above all others for river service—give colour to the rumour. In the Baltic the fleet are beginning to shift their cruisiug-ground. The bad weather has commenced, the blockading squadron before Cronstadt has already experienced a heavy gale of wind, and has shifted its berth. The vacillation of the Government, and the imbecile management of Sir CHARLES WOOD and his Board, seem to have meta morphosed all our fighting Admirals into the meekest and most timid of men. " Impossible," a word unknown in the vocabulary of the last war, appears to be imprinted on the mind of every Admiral in this. The Government have spent millions on this Baltic fleet ; they had all the vast resources of the country at their disposal, and all the experience of '54 to guide them, and yet, in a whole summer, they can only achieve a single bombardment of an arsenal and capture a few paltry vessels ! Mr. HlNcxs, of Canadian notoriety, has been appointed by Sir WILLIAM MOLEBWORTH to be Governor of Barbadoes. Sanguine hopes are entertained by the Colonial-office that his Excellency, after having been a fiery politician in frozen Canada, will become a cool ruler in hot Barbadoes. If the temperament of Mr. HINCKS could be " iced," his undeniable abilities would appear to more advantage. A native of the north of Ireland, his propensities are rather Hibernian, for he is formidable in a row. For years his name has been fami liarised in Canadian agitation, and the Peace at-any-Price party in that colony will be glad that they have been relieved by his promotion from his belligerent politics. We think of " coals to Newcastle " when we read of a gentleman with such a superabundance of caloric being sent to an Indian clime. His public life has hitherto been conducted on a system as if he wished to travesty the early aspiration of GEORGE CANNING, _ _ To live in a blaze, and in a blaze expire. But flaming patriots and agitators often burn into ashes when placed in office, as Mr. HINCKS may yet exemplify. Sir CHARLIS WOOD and his Board seem bent upon blunders. No sooner do they discover, in the last week of the season for active operations in the Baltic, that the contemptible supply of mortars which they originally sent out to demolish all the Russian fortresses have been used up in a partial bombardment of the first, than they immediately order a ship round to Woolwich, load her with mortars, and despatch her to the station. Very admirable energy, under ordinary circumstances, but, in face of their Admiral's declaration that the season was too far advanced for any further operations, and that the mortar-boats were en route for England, very questionable management. Arrived at Kiel, this ship, the Sanspareil, lay there for some days with the mortars in her hold, when, as might have been expected, came an order from Admiral DIINDAS for her to return home at once, as the mortar-boats had left the station, and the weather was too boisterous for further operations. So, home comes the Sanspareil, no market for their mortars being found in the Baltic. This playing at cross purposes between Admiralty and Admiral betrays a want of unanimity of action and conformity of plan disgraceful to the admi nistrative ability of "My Lords." The official " cat," in this case, clearly resides at Whitehall. Admiral DUNDAS, some weeks before, had stated that the season was over for operations ; but the Admiralty hoped, by this display of unwonted energy, to cover their primary discreditable mismanagement in not having supplied the fleet with an ample reserve of mortars in the first instance. This very " weak invention " is seen through at a glance. We never had a very high opinion of the administrative talents of the present Board of Admiralty; but their management of the home resources for the supply of the Baltic fleet this year inflicts more disgrace upon them than any of the previous many maladministrations they have bees guilty of in their official career. T 856