The Press. — London, England, 1855-12-29 00:00:00

1236 system. Such an anomaly ought not to exist any longer, nor indeed can it. Such a state of things is antagonistic to the holy tenets of Christianity, to the principles of humanity, and to the vital interests of the State. It is a social sore, from which we cannot withdraw our regards, for, as we have found even to this hour, it cannot be con cealed, but must be cured by us as soon as possible. With this view, as a prince, and as a Christian, consulting not less the dignity of our country than the native senti ments of our heart, we to-day direct the serious atten tion of our council to this important question. We reckon on their active cooperation to aid us to resolve it in a manner conformable with the great laws of humanity and the rights of those whose interests will be affected by our decisions. The Administrative Council having received this communication, appointed a commission to draw up a law on tho emancipation of slaves. SWEDEN AND DENMARK. The Cabinet of Stockholm has addressed a note to:all its diplomatic agents at foreign Courts, notifjing the treaty just concluded with the Western powers, and declaring its intention of contributing to the solution of the great European question by adopting the views of England and France. Letters from Copenhagen mention the probability of the speedy conclusion of a treaty between Den mark and the Western powers, based upon the prin ciples of territorial guarantee, and containing the same reciprocal obligations stipulated in the treaty with Sweden. HANOVER. The result of the general elections which have taken place gives the re-election of thirty-eight members of the old Chamber. The Chamber is composed of ninety members, of whom only eighty six are elected. Of the thirty-eight members re elected, tour only are ministerial; the others belong to the Stuve party and to the Left- The States will be convoked for the 15th January. SPA 1 N. Rumours of the retirement of General Espartero are still current in Madrid. A proposition containing a censure on the Ministry was to be presented to the Cortes on the 22nd. Marshal O'Donnell still continued ill, and the in terpellations intended to be addressed by the Democrats to the Government were in consequence postponed. AMERICA. The legislative business of the country is com pletely at a standstill, waiting for the election of a Speaker. Forty-five viva-voce votings had taken place, and every new trial seemed to make the attain ment of the necessary majority more difficult than over. The President's Message, anxiously looked for by the country, was necessarily postponed. In this state of affairs the Democrats feel certain of success. The tone of the American press is gradually turning in favour of Mr. Crampton upon the violation of the neutrality-laws question. In the Bosan Inter teatiottal Journal an able article bad appeared quoting the opinion of an American lawyer of high eminence, first taken by Mr. Crampton, and entirely exculpating Mr. Crampton from having violated, or intended to violate, the neutrality laws of the United States. The Governments of San Salvador, Honduras, and Costa Rica bad strongly protested to the United States Government against the recognition of the present Nicaraguan Government., and declared them selves resolved to exterminate foreign adventurers who might invade their soil for revolutionary pur poses. FOREIGN MISCELLANEA. Tun S! E 2 ARTICLE of the treaty between Sweden and the Western powers is believed to be in favour of granting the Western powers leave to establish in Sweden depots of military articles, pro vision stores, and hospitals along the coast, and even in the interior of the conntrj. KING LOUIS OF BAVARIA has forwarded a very valuable present to the Empress of Austria of a picture, representing full-sized portraits of all the brothers and sisters of his Majesty, painted by M. Stieler, the Court painter. THE GERMAN JOURNALS speculate much on the probabilities of peace, but it is worthy of note that the official organs maintain that Austria has not pledged herself to war even if Russia refuses the propositions which Count Esterhary has conveyed to St. Petersburg. THE POPE held a Consistory on the 18th, at which lie proclaimed to the Sacred College the four foreign cardinals lately created, and who, with one excep tion, bill reside at Rome in curia. The cardinals are Mgr. Ranscher, Archbishop of Vienna; Mgr. de Reisach, Archbishop of Munich; Mgr. Villecourt, Bishop of La Rochelle ; and R. P. Gande, Procureur. General of the Dominicians. The Archbishop of Vienna will retain his see and return to Vienna. A TE DRUM was sung at the Russian embassy at Bari* and attended by many high civil and military funeeicsaries, on the receipt of the intelligence of the (opturo of Ears. THE PRESS. THE KING OF PsusslA is said, in his late auto graph correspondence with the Emperor of Austria with reference to supporting the Austrian proposi tions at St. Petersburg, to have reserved to himself the right hereafter of making representations against the " excessive rigour" of the conditions proposed. A special envoy will not be sent by the King to St. Petersburg, the Prussian Ambassador at that Court being considered equal to the task of supporting the propositions borne by Count Esterhazy. COUNT ESTERHAZY left Warsaw for St. Petersburg on the 22nd instant, and was expected to reach that capital on the 24th, but the delicate state of the count's health compels him to make his journey by easy stages. GENERAL MOURAVIEFF, it is not improbable, will shortly be appointed to the supreme command of the Russian armies in the Crimea. The ultra-war party at St. Petersburg, of which the Grand Duke Con stantine and Prince Menschikoff hold the lead, accuse Prince Gortschakoff of indecision and want of energy, while they use every intrigue to get Moura vieff appointed in his place. The late decision of the Emperor to relieve Prince Gortschakoff of all respon sibility, and to give him freedom to retain or evacuate the Crimea at will, is regarded as the pre liminary step to the retirement of the prince from the command. A GRAND COUNCIL OF WAR, it is rumoured, will shortly he held at Paris. The Duke of Cambridge, Sir Edmund Lyons, Sir R. Airey, and several French and other generals of high distinction, will attend. The object of this meeting is stated to be to weigh several plans for the next campaign, and, when a decision is formed, to carry out combined operations with energy and completeness. It is stated that Marshal Pelissier has affirmed that no successful operations can be carried out in the Crimea upon the present basis. GENERAL WILLIAMS AND HIS STAFF, it is believed, will be ta ansferred at once to St. Petersburg. A letter in Le Nord asserts that the gallant general's life was so far in danger in Kars that during the days of negotiation his only place of safety was the Russian camp. M. FLourtess, the eminent physiologist, at the last sitting of the Paris Academy of Sciences, speaking on the subject of chloroform, remarked that its use in the field hospitals of the army doubled the strength and power of the surgeons, as they are more masters of their action when operating on an inert mass, and are no longer disturbed by the cries or movements of the patient. In the campaign in the Crimea chloro. form was employed, he stated, more than 23,0(X) times, and always with success. THE SOUND DUES CONGRESS AT COPENHAGEN appears to have been a failure. The German States have refused to have anything to do with it ; Russia has objected to the capitalisation of the dues ; and the English Government have fully explained to Denmark that if she permits the American or any other flag to pass the Sound or the Belts without payment of the customary dues, she must be pre pared to concede the same advantages to the British flag. THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH CONSULS-GENERAL AT BELORADEADd A ziaPacha, the militarygovernor, lately threatened to strike their flags and close the fortress if satisfaction were not given for an insulting article against the allies in the Brbske Notine. The Cloven ment at once submitted, an apologetic declaration appeared the next day, and the editor and censor, both Russian agents, were dismissed. SERIF - OUL-MOULK • M URI - PIRI- ABBAS - KHOULI KHAN, the Extraordinary Ambassador from Persia, arrived at St. Petersburg on the 9th, after having stopped a week at, Moscow. He was received in a most princely manner. The ordinary resident am bassador went to meet him as far as Moscow, and returned with him to St. Petersburg. THE COLLAR OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE OF NAPLES, vacant by the death of the Emperor Nicholas, is said to be intended by King Bomba for Prince Jerome Bonaparte, the ex-King of Westphalia. THE Allgenteine Zeitung, in a late number, speaking of the disinclination of the English Govern• meet to enter into negotiations with Russia, asserts that the Emperor of the French, upon finding Lord Palmerston so averse to entertain the idea of peace, wrote to the following effect:— I wish for the restoration of peace ; I am resolved hereon ; I regret that we differ in opinion. The war is fruitless, and we earn by it nothing but laurels, but of these we have enough. I do not wish to 'Moe my much es teemed ally to conclude a peace against her will, but he who wishes to secure the object iu view must also desire to adopt the necessary means thereto. If the war should be continued, the conditions under which it was begun must undergo a change. This language, adds the writer, had the desired effect, and the English Government consented to entertain the said peace propositions. THE PoPE, it was remarked, paid express attention to the Austrian Archdukes, Albert and Reynier, during their late visit to Rome. Their interview with the Holy Father is described as " highly affec tionate," SATURDAY, TILE Parma DE PLEss, (President of the Berlin Chamber of Nobles, died very suddenly, after a slight illness, last week at Berlin. M. GUIZOT was lately asked whether he thought it probable that peace would soon be made. The reply was laconic, " Monsieur, pour qui me prenez wills." _ _ _ THE LOUVRE IN PARIS, last week, had a narrow escape from being burnt down. In one of the newly constructed buildings, where workmen are still em ployed, a fire suddenly broke out about 11. a.m., and was only suppressed by the greatest exertions of the workmen. So much alarm was excited at one time, that the Emperor, accompanied by Marshal Valliant and M. Foul d, hurried from the Tuileries to satisfy himself that the palace was not in any immediate danger. COUNT MUNSTER, lately returned to Berlin from St. Petersburg, it is now stated by the Berlin papers, was not the bearer of any autograph letter, nor of propositions of any kind, from the Czar to t he King. THE COURT OF AUSTR/A is said to have called upon the Prussian Government to support the propositions borne by Count Esterhazy to St. Petersburg. laMAIL PACHA, commander-in-chief of the Turkish Danubian army, has been recalled, by special order of the Sultan, to Constantinople, to fully explain the cause of the energetic protests he has lately made against the conduct of the Austrians in the Princi palities, particularly with respect to their attempting to establish a heavy battery of sixty guns at Giurgevo. Tim FIRST PRESIDENT of the Volksthing of Den. mark, M. Bang, in reply to a question from M. Rime stad, stated on the 12th, that the Danish Govern ment intended provisionally to suppress all the im port duties on flour, cattle, meat, and other articles of consumption. Tux BANQUET intended to be given by the National Guard of Paris to the Imperial Guard, on their return from the Crimea, on the 29th, will not take place. Tux WAR BUDGET OF SARDINIA, just presented to the Piedmontese Chambers, fixes the expenses of the Eastern war during 1855 and 1856 at 74,239,532 f., including 11,376,401 f. for the navy. THE Kreuz Zeitung denies that the demolition of the Russian fortresses in the Black Sea is one of the conditions of peace put forward by the allies. GENERAL MOURAVIEFF, when causing the garrison of Kars to defile before him, requested the English officers not to take part in the movement. THE PATERNAL GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRIA regards she morals of its people with considerate care. At an evening party at Vienna last week it is related that one of the guests, sitting down to the piano, played a quadrille, and the 'Viennese, who never lose an opportunity of dancing, immediately indulged in their favourite amusement. A gendarme, who chanced to be passing, went up to the apartment in which the dancing was going and, to the horror of the assembled guests, walked the virtuoso off to the police-prison. It was Advent, and music for dancing is prohibited by the Archbishop of Vienna! PRINCE PASKIEWIICH, it is now stated, will recover, Dr. Oppolzer having written to one of his colleagues that be is not without hopes of saving the prince's life. What he understands by a " perforirendes " ulcer is a sore that destroys some of the coats of the stomach, but which an effort of nature, assisted by art, may heal. THE • ACCOUCHEMENT OF THE EMPRESS OF THE FRENCH, is expected to take place between the 15th and the 25th of Marc'n. Her Majesty's health con tinues to be excellent. THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE MILITARY SOLEMNITY AT PARIS, this day, are on a very grand scale. At the entrance of the Boulevard, at the Bastile, a triumphal arch is erected, while others are con structed on the line of march. Trophies, flagstaffs, and wreaths of foliage are placed at intervals. In the evening, it is said, there will be a general illumi nation ; while each soldier of the army of Paris will receive an extra day's pay, in order to be able to treat a comrade amongst the new arrivals. THE INSTALMENTS OF THE TURKISH LOAN lately paid over to the War Ministry caused a rapid rise in the Exchange at Constantinople. Five millions of piastres are to be expended upon improving the pavement in the streets of Pere. THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH has bestowed the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour in diamonds upon the Sultan. This is the first time that his Highness has received a decoration from a Christian power. SECRET CONSPIRACIES are Still much talked of in Spain. The abduction of the Princess of Asttuias is one of the leading objects of the conspirators, but the Government have taken such precautions as render such an attempt impossible of success. THE NEW RUSSIAN LOAN has been pressed at Berlin with great vigour. The high rate of interest and the low price of stock obtained for it many sub scribers. THE REPORT THAT FORDED COUPONS Of immense amounts on the Spanish public debt had been die covered at Madrid, is now denied by the Spanish rapers,