The Press. — London, England, 1855-02-24 00:00:00

FEBRUARY 24, 1855. public prosecutor. At present everything was left to chance: even after the depositions had been taken before the magistrate, there was no one to look after the case, which was left to the police, amongst whom were some of the most profligate of mankind. He proposed to give the accused power to call wit nesses at the public expense, with a judge's cer tificate. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, Mr. EWART, and some other members, admitted the great necessity of a measure on the subject, and offered no opposition to the introduction of the bill. The arguments so often urged were repeated—that it was beset with difficulties—it would be necessary to compensate those who now had the management of these affairs — that our system was repugnant to the notion of a public prosecutor—that the system would be very expensive, and place an undue amount of patronage in the hands of the Crown—and that the time was not ripe for definite legislation. The system, as it existed already in Ireland, was condemned by Mr. lif‘Matos, and defended by Mr. J. D. FITZGERALD. After some strong recommendation that the subject should be referred to a select committee, leave was given to bring in the bill. EAST AND WEST INDIA DOCKS. A bill was introduced under this title into the Com mons of Monday by Mr. Gazosox. Its object was to permit the dock companies to charge toll on the lighters now using the docks. The lighters, under previous acts, were especially exempted, but their business with the ships bad greatly increased. They formerly only carried provisions and water, they now discharged entire cargoes even of vessels in dock, and it was not fair to the dock companies that they should keep their wharves in repair for the lighters for nothing. The bill was strenuously opposed by Sir J. Duke, Mr. Mitchell, Mr. Cardwell, Mr. Muntz, and others, on the ground that the dock companies, who had been created and protected by the Legislature on this condition, had no right to seek to remove it. Their business was increasing, they were building new warehouses, and would by this act be placed in unfair competition with their rivals. Mr. BouvEure and Mr. BARING recommended that the bill should be referred to a committee. It was lost by 249 to 28. NEWSPAPER &c., POSTAGE AND STAMP- • • -- "DUTIES. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER moved in committee the following resolutions : That it is expedient to repeal the exemption of news papers from postage duty; and to charge on newspapers and printed books and papers transmitted by post rates of postage not exceeding one penny for every four ounces in weight, and for any fractional part of four ounces ; that it is expedient to alter and amend the laws relating to stamp duties on newspapers,the printing and publishing of news papers, and registration and giving securities in connec tion therewith, and the regulation of the duties of postage on printed papers. The resolutions were agreed to without remark. THE FAST-DAY. Earl GRANVILLE stated on Thursday, in reply to an urgent appeal from the Earl of Roden, that the Government a fortnight since had advised the Queeu to issue a proclamation for the appointment of a day of fasting and humiliation. SALARY OF LORD J. RUSSELL. On Monday Colonel SIBTRORP inquired of the Prime Minister what salary Lord J. Russell was to receive for the performance of his duties as Plenipotentiary at the Vienna Congress? Lord PALIMRSTON : I can relieve the mind of the hon. and gallant gentleman. My noble friend will receive no salary. From the nature of a special mission, its bare expenses only are paid, and there is no salary. Colonel Burnam.: I hope the expenses will be very smell. THE NEW SWISS PROTESTANT CHURCH, recently erected in Endell-Street, Long-acre, by voluntary contributions from the Swiss Protestants resident in England, has been opened for divine service. This is the second church erected by the Swiss in Eng land. The collection on the opening-day amounted to 761. in aid of the building fund, but there still remains a deficit of 6501. The style of the new church resembles that of the Italian Renaissance. Mr. George Vulliamy is the architect. RESPECTING the high prices commanded by Rus sian Stock on the English market the Globe gives the following statement by way of solution to what it calls a " mystery."—" A certain firm in London is commissioned by the Russian Government to buy a few thousands of Russian Five per Cents. from time to time in our market. A fancy price for the commo dity no objection ! And these imperial purchases furnish forth the quotations which figure so respect ably from day to day amongst the prices of foreign stocks." THE LORD CHANCELLOR has appointed Mr. J. J. Lonsdale, secretary to the Criminal Law Commis sioners to the vacant county-court judgship. THE FIRST LORD OF THE Aniciumax has conferred upon his deserving and hard• working colleague, Captain Milne, the good-service pension relinquished on the promotion of Rear-Admiral Baynes, C.B. THE PRESS. THE WAR. The latest intelligence from the Crimea received in Paris is of the 12th inst. It states that the Russians continued their sorties, which were con stantly repulsed. The allied fleet was prepared to co-operate in an attack with the army. The English had placed eighteen guns of heavy calibre in position. The general health of the troops had improved. On the night of the 9th the French cannonaded the town. Omer Pacha had returned to Balaklava on the 9th, when a council of war was held. That general leaves for Eupatoria without delay. Liprandi, at the head of 30,000 men, had returned to his former position on the heights of Balaklava. The weather was fine, and both armies were pre pared for a general action. Up to the 10th the com munications continued to be much easier, but a thaw set in at that date which considerably interrupted the means of transport. Fresh reinforcements had arrived from France. The position of the English army had improved. Hutting, warm clothing, and provisions were in abundance. The railway from Balaklava to the English camp was far advanced. Despatches from Berlin state that, under date of the 19th inst., Prince Menschikoff had sent the fol lowing despatch to his Government : On the 21.)th we succeeded in discovering subterraneous works of the French leading towards the fortifications. With the aid of artillery we destroyed on the 2nd a portion of the enemy's gallery. On the 6th the French, trying the same means, attempted oar countermines. The attempt turned to their own dis advantage. On the Bth the play of a new mine enabled us still more to destroy the enemy's works. Meantime our artillery successfully replied to the fire of the besiegers. At night detachments of volunteers continually harass the enemy in that trenches, and, by obliging them to beat to arms, compefthem to suspend their works. The Vienna Prase, a Russian organ, publishes the following, dated Constantinople, February 15 : It is reported that Lord Raglan has tendered his resig nation. On the 12th General Pelissier sent a message to Paris stating that no successful attempt could be made on Se bastopol for a month to come. The British War Minister has published the fol lowing despatch from Lord Raglan : Before Sebastopol, Feb. o.—l mentioned on Saturday that the weather had broken. The frost was very severe on that night, the thermometer down at 13, and the wind very high and piercingly cold. Sunday was rather milder, and yesterday was fine. To day the glass has fallen, and there is every appearance of rain. I am happy to say that the medical officers consider that the general condition of the men has improved, al though apparently there is no diminution in the number of the sick. The enemy has made no movement of importance, but great convoys of waggons have been observed to go into Sebastopol laden either with ammunition or provisions. A despatch from Varna, dated the 18th instant, states that the Turkish troops at Eupatoria amounted to more than 30,000 men, with only 900 sick. Four teen fresh battalions were about to embark at Baits. chick. The Russians have tried in vain to disturb the allied forces at Eupatoria. The position of the Turks was made stronger every day. The Danube reports from Kars, on the 20th De. comber, that Schamyl had intercepted a convoy of 1,500 Turkish prisoners, whom the Russians were carrying off into the interior. SIEGE OPERATIONS. Further letters from the camp bring news to the Bth inst. The following extracts contain the principal details of any interest. The Morning Herald corre spondent writes : FEB. s.—To the astonishment, and not a little to the disappointment, of the allies, the enemy have made no demonstration towards renewing the offensive. Each night the pickets have been strengthened and advanced, sod each night orders have been given for the exercise of the strictest vigilance, and for all to hold themselves in readiness to turn out at a moment's notice, but beyond the excitement and speculation caused by such injunc tions nothing has occurred to disturb our quiet monotony. We still jog on in the same dull routine from day to day, and, as far as our own efforts are concerned, without much prospect of immediate action. That the enemy have received reinforcements is now beyond a doubt, but whether they intend to abide our attack inside Sebastopol, or make an attempt upon our lines, none can tell. The majority are still of opinion that many days will not pass over without their making some desperate effort to compel us to raise the siege Any severe, well•planned assault, such as at Inkennann, and one which would give the enemy possession of our advanced works for merely half an hour, would throw back the progress of the allies a whole month or more ; and for such a result the enemy would think no amount of loss too great. Our preparations for the final attack are progressing but very slowly. Each day we make some advance, but so small that each day only serves to show the truth of the assertion T made some time since, that it would be months before Sebastopol was captured. Now we have about fifty new guns placed, which leaves fiftpthree still to be got 179 into position. This work, in the way it goes forward, might be completed in a fortnight or ten days , but it has lately been determined to erect an additional mortar battery on the Inkermann heights, which it is expected will command the careening bay, and every part of the harbour. Until this battery is completed, the allies will certainly not attempt to open fire, and at least three weeks must elapse before all its ordnance is placed. It is by no means the placing of the guns which occupies most time, but supplying those guns with sufficient quantities of powder and shot form the chief difficulty. The English linee alone will fire away 420 tons of shot in twelve hours, and the French lines nearly 800 tons. The English have already about 1,400 tons of shot and shell at camp, and when about 600 tons more are added to that we shall com mence firing. The new battery at Inkermann is evidently much dis approved of by the Russians. A small steamer of theirs, called the Spiiiire, and mounting five or six heavy guns, comes from under the shelter of the land every two or three minutes, and gives the working party the whole benefit of the well directed broadside, and then returns close in shore the instant she has fired. In the careening creek, which is immediately under the intended battery, the enemy have also constructed two large rafts of solid timber, and mounted each with two titteen-inch mortars. These are in turn rapidly hauled round into the centre of the creek by means of warps, and throw their shells with terrible accuracy upon the lnkernisnn heights. As yet they have done little mischief beyond rendering the progress of the work slower, by compelling the men to throw themselves on their face the instant the shell falls near. Both the shot and shell practice of the enemy in this direction is described as beautiful, and as quite equal ling the best of the kind at Woolwich. All this time the Russians continue daily to strengthen their defences by all the arts known to modern warfare. Moat of the batteries now bristle with stockades and abbattis, and are all protected in front with wide and deep ditches. What their resources are inside their lines we can only guess; but if they at all resemble the exteriors in any manner, the storming of the place will, beyond all doubt, prove one of the bloodiest on record. On the afternoon of the 3rd a considerable force of Rus sians appeared again in the old position at the Turkish redoubts on the Balaklava road. They remained on the hills some time, evidently reconnoitering the strength of our defences at that place. Towards noon on Saturday the wind went round to the north, and an intense frost set in. At no time since we have been here has the cold ever been more severe than during the night of the 3rd. Two of our sentries at camp, though warmly clad, were frozen to death while sitting down or sleeping on their posts. All that night the Russian reconnoitering force, probably about 8,000 strong, bivouacked on the Woronxoti road which overlooks the plain of Balaklava. Their sufferings must have been severe; for on the morning of the 4th, as the frost still continued, the enemy fell back and recrossed the Tschernaya at Tcherzoum, leaving only a few Cossack§ to watch our movements. On Sunday (yesterday) Lord Raglan, accompanied by his staff, again visited Balaklava for the greater part of the day. It has been remarked as a curious coincidence, that in each of the three last days in which Lord Raglan visited our harbour one of the ships were on fire ; and on Sunday last, while his lordship was still in the town, one of the houses took fire. The fire fortunately was soon put out, and of no consequence. FEB. 6.—The actual condition of lialaklava has much im proved lately in every respect. The most muddy of the tho roughfares are now well covered with broken stones iu such a manlier as to make walking along them perfectly practi cable in all weathers, though not very easy at any time. The navvies also are hard at work filling up some of the most unsightly holes about the town, and levelling and laying down the sleepers for the trionroad. This latter work is progressing with the most praiseworthy rapidity, and be fore another week is over the part most wanted along the wharves will probably be laid down, and in actual use. A considerable number of the huts have also been erected at the head of the harbour for the use of the sick, who still are sent in daily in large numbers. These wooden huts are fitted up with comfortable beds, and form altogether most conve nient and airy places for the treatment of the sick. Had we only had fifty such at camp a month ago the country would not now have to deplore the lamentable loss which our forces have sustained. Before the Sanspareil started for England she landed six of her long fifty-six cwt. thirty-two pounders. Three of these have been sent up to camp for service in the trenches. and the other three are mounted on an elevated plateau to the north of the harbour of lialaklava. The range of these guns is very great, and the admirable way in which the three last mentioned are placed, so as to cross fire with the marine batteries, and sweep the plain out to Kamera, makes a formidable addition to the defensive strength of our shipping depOt. The condition of our soldiers in camp is much better in every respect than it was a short time ago. Still the sick ness continues almat unabated. A slight change for the better has taken place during the last two days, though even now we are invaliding to Scutari at the rate of 120 per day. This number is, of course, ex clusive of those in hospital at Balaklava and at camp. The general opinion of all our army surgeons seems to be, that the comforts and warm clothing for the men have come too late to be of any real service to t he great majority of our troops now out here. To men who must succeed our pre sent army they will undoubtedly be of great benefit, but the constitutions of those who were exposed to the awful tai pri n v ed atio to n o s osefvNereoveamsbheore,kUtoecbeemrsbelhreadndbyJ a an ny u t a tu % , g h i a e Le tshanus quiet comfort and nursing, which of course are all out of the question. Now our men are dying fri:om tl . ie effects of s are a what they underwent two mou ths a g o. . Tne itu mere name. Lord Rokeby , in assuming the comman . d, two or three days ago , read a letter from the Queen, in which she commanded his lor dshi p to express her heartfelt e