The Press. — London, England, 1855-11-10 00:00:00

1070 directly contradictory of the pecuniary unpunctuality charged by the landlady, svelte et agacante ;" and further, that the "femme curieuse avant tout," and by no means wanting in wit and discretion, appro priated some of the Russo-Armenian papers as a se curity against any ingratitude of the Police Minister. These documents have found their way into hands of a person or persons not belonging to the " parti de Is Croix," of which M. Steiber shall have due notice. J. E. L. BRUSSELS, Nov. O. Boni foreign and English journals have lately directed their attention to King Leopold, and have expressed themselves in a mode little creditable either to their taste or their discretion. Thi‘ ---- - monarch was placed in his present position by the free choice of a free people, and the selection of a ruler was substantially guaranteed by France and England. The connection with both kingdoms was riveted by matrimonial ties; and at the time he was the consort of the heiress to the throne of Eng land he was aide.de-camp to the Emperor Alexander of Russia, and with a sister married to the Grand Duke Constantine. In the criticism to which the King has been unfairly exposed, an antithetical error has been committed, that places the matter in such a light as to carry with it its own condemna tion, and to elicit the disapproval of every one who claims the right to liberty of thought and expres sion, and who may or should possess a becoming kindliness of disposition. His Majesty of Belgium has been censured—first, for &supposed endeavour to effect an honourable peace betwixt the allies and Russia; secondly, for having sanctioned the visit of Vie Duke and Duchess of Brabant to the Emperor Napoleon. In dealing with the first cause of offence, which supposes a bias in favour of Russia, it cannot be forgotten that the late Duke of Wellington enter tained opinions, to the very letter, similar to those said to be held by King Leopold ; and on the state of Turkey no disparity of judgment existed betwixt the Emperor Nicholas and the same Duke of Wel lington. This was reduced to a certainty in 1844, during the visit of the Czar to England, and the fact has been affirmed by documentary evidence. The sealed letter of the Foreign-office is a matter of his tory. Is England anxious to rise in judgment against the memory of the great Duke? Again, King Leopold bears ever in grateful memory his early connection with England, and loses no occa sion of testifying his regard for the "old country," by courtly civilities to those who may visit his Bel grin capital. Prompt testimony of this will be affirded by all those who have been so often indebted to the official courtesies of the Count de Marnix. Allied to England in a double sense, and collaterally r3lated to Russia, can it be charged against the King, as an offence, the desire to aid in terminating the war by a peace honourable to all? What the t3rms may be that shall be deemed honourable to all p is another affair ; at present it suff_ces to deal strictly with the abstract question in defence of the King. It comes then to this, that the King of the Bel gi Ins, holding views in perfect accordance with those of the late Duke of Wellington on the Eastern question, and considering that the objects of the war have b3en gained, in great measure, by the victories of the allies, which place them in a position of acknow 13dged predominance, would desire, as a monarch and a 4 a man, right honourable in each capacity, to a;sist in solving the European difficulty, and to pre ♦ant further and unnecessary bloodshed. To the a limos of this righteous desire no one would ven t ire to take exception, unless such as might hold a war, " bequeathed from bleeding sire to son," to be the end and aim of civilised life. And now for the se. and count. Those amongst the European journalists who decry the present war in obedience to Russian sym pathies, are displeased with the King on account of the visit of the Duke and Duchess of Brabant to the Emperor Napoleon. They would predicate, as a principle and as a policy, the antagonism of Belgium to Imperial France—that is to say, that in their in considerate espousal of the cause of the Court of Paris, illegitimate soever it be, they would call upon Belgium to take upon itself the task of disen throning the Emperor Napoleon, to seat in his place the young exile of Eisenach. This swash-buckler aspiration is not sane, and, looking at the means, d:spicably ridiculous. The King of the Belgians pos s3ases privileges personal and of right. He has the privilege of having an opinion of his own, and he has the duty to guard against Belgium precipitating itself into a war that, in Ministerial judgment, may entail disaster without a corresponding benefit. A wish for the re establishment of peace cannot be visited as a crime, and the act of courteous amity for which he has been uncoluteously blamed was motived, at the least, by a loyal and amiable intent, bli. THE PRESS. On both counts, proceeding from opposite and extreme sources, the censures of King Leopold have failed in proving their case, and have left him un scathed and scathless in his wonted honour as a gentleman, a politician, and a king. E. R. 3ortign anb Colonial Snitlligtnte. FRANCE. The simultaneous presence in Paris of three German diplomatists—M. de Beust, M. von der Pftorden, and Count Colloredo—has excited a great deal of remark. According to the Austrian Gazette, Count Colloredo was about to sound the delicate point how far Prussian negotiation between the Western powers and Russia would be recognised. The fact that M. de Bourqueney had passed through Berlin en route to Vienna lends colour to the rumour. According to the Pays and Constitutionnel, the in ference to be derived from the presence of the three German diplomatists is, that it signified the disposi tion of the secondary German powers to be no longer in favour of Russia. A powerful article in the Constitutionnel of the 7th elaborately examines into the question of the war, and of the disposition of Russia to make peace. The ability of the Western powers to wage war with vigour is discussed and decided in the affirmative ; their difficulties, as far as a scarcity of corn and want of money, are asserted to have been fully calculated and prepared for, and moreover that fresh alliances may be naturally expected ; while Russia, with the German powers falling from her, can have no hope to sustain herself, except by her own unaided efforts. Her disposition to make peace under such circumstances is then clearly inferred. In conjunction with the presence of the German diplomatists in Paris the tone of the article is remarkable. A commission has been instituted at the Depart ment of Finance charged with examining the posi tion of the Credit Foncier of France, and concerting measures to enable that establishment to carry on its functions in the interest of the agriculturist. The commission is said to be appointed in consequence of the dissatisfaction of the Emperor at the weakness of that financial establishment, especially at a moment when it should more than ever be able to aid the agricultural interest. Rumours are again current that M. d'Argout is likely to be superseded in the government of the Bank of France. In the Paris corn-market during the past week prices ranged somewhat higher. AUSTRIA. The Emperor has ratified the concession of the Commercial and Industrial Bank granted to M. Rothschild, to the Princes Furtenberg, Schwarzen berg, and Anesperg, and Count Ottocbotek, and Louis de Haber ; also to M. Rothschild, of Vienna, to all the banking-houses of Messrs. Rothschild, and to M. von Lamel, of Prague. The capital of the bank is 100,000,000 of florins. The monthly statement of the Austrian National Bank had appeared on the sth. The bullion in hand had slightly increased over the amount of the preceding month. Baron Bourqueney, the French Ambassador at the Austrian Court, has returned to his important post. Sir Hamilton Seymour was expected to arrive in the course of the present month. Baron Bourque ney's stay at Berlin was limited to a few hours. What views his Excellency has brought with him from thence remains to be seen. The Archduke Maximilian, brother to the Em peror, met with a severe accident on Wednesday last, at Trieste, by which his life was endangered. The carriage horses of the Archduke are stated to have ran away, and the Archduke, jumping out of the carriage, fell upon his head and injured the brain. The Emperor left Vienna for Trieste immediately on receipt of the intelligence. The Journal de Francfort states it is considered at Vienna that military events have taken a turn which must soon place in a stronger light than ever the necessity for the Germanic Confederation to act with energy as a collective power in the Eastern question. The Russian Ambassador, Prince Gortachakoff, according to the Oest. Deutche Post of the 2nd, has had several interviews with Count Buol during the last few days. His Excellency the Internuncio, Baron Prokesch, is not expected to arrive at Constantinople before the beginning of December. The baron is stated to have received definite opinions from the French Emperor regarding the Austrian occupation of the principalities. PRUSSIA. By letters from Berlin, of the sth, we learn that the Prussian Government continued exceedingly anxious to discredit the rumour of its being em ployed to offer propositions of peace from Russia. SATURDAY, A high personage is reported to have said of the Emperor of Russia—" He might as well si gn hi s abdication as talk of peace." The Royal Bank of Prussia has raised the rate of discount on commercial paper froin four to four and a half per cent., and the interest on loans upon public funds and other securities from five to five and a half per cent. The difficulties connected with the transfer of the Rhenish provinces to Prussia do not appear to be Set surmounted; the Supreme Tribunal of Berlin having lately rendered an important decision con cerning the contracts concluded by the old French administration of the domains on the left bank of the Rhine. The Supreme Tribunal has decided that debts arising from contracts concluded in the ceded provinces must be regulated by diplomatic means only, according to the terms of Art. 19 of the treaty of May 30, 1814, and of Art. 1 of the private conven. tion with France. RUSSIA. The Emperor of Russia was expected at St. Peters burg direct from Nicolaieff on Friday. The Emperor has issued special instructions rela tive to the new conscription. The commissioners are directed to take recruits between the ages of twenty and thirty six, and are to swell the numbers as much as possible. The Russian populace, ac cording to Berlin letters, were furious for the con tinuance of the war. A new and special levy was about to be issued throughout Poland. The Emperor while at Nicolaieff had lately reviewed the remaining sailors of the Black Sea fleet. The Emperor made them an address in per son, which concluded with the words—" Through your agency Sebastopol was made to be what it was, the graveyard of the blood of Europe's mightiest armies, and the terror of all our enemies ! Exhibit to the world that your presence alone is sufficient to convert a little fishing village into a second Sebas topol !" "Thine, we are thine till death !" was the reply of the Russian seamen, who accompanied their monarch with repeated hurrahs up to the gate of his imperial residence. At St. Petersburg discoveries had lately been made of extensive peculations in several depart. ments, and many perscns occupying high positions were in disgrace. The dismissal of the Governor of Nicolaieff, which is said to have taken place, may possibly have had connection with these circum stances. The Frankfort Journal of the 3rd publishes a letter from Berlin denying the reports of offers having been made by Russia, through Prussia, for the resumption of negotiations. "We can positively affirm," adds the writer, " that, far from making offers of peace, Russia is decided on continuing the war with all possible energy." TURKEY. By letters from Constantinople of the 29th ult. we learn that it is rumoured the Sultan has expressed to his Ministers his desire of visiting Paris and London in the spring of 1850. The Turkish Government has finally come to terms with the loan commissioners, with whom a serious quarrel had arisen relating to the use of the money by the Turkish authorities. The Seraskier has pledged his word of honour that the money will be exclusively expended for the energetic prosecu tion of the war. A letter from Constantinople of the 25th says : The same calm as before continues in diplomatic affairs, yet that does not prevent intrigues from going on as usual. Lord Stratford has received from Lord Chu endon a letter, in which his conduct in recent affairs connected with this Government is severely blamed. People still talk of his renal, and if be is still at Constantinople it is because his Government desired to place him in a position to tender his resignation, and that is precisely what he does not appear disposed to do. He must set great value on his embassy, as all the checks he has recently met with, one following the other quickly, ought to have made him resign. It is a very trying time for a man of his arrogant character to pass through. The Ottoman Government have at length adopted a measure long required, viz., that of erecting on the coasts of Asia and Europe a chain of lighthouses from the Dardanelles to the Black Sea. The in formation lately afforded to the Porte by the Western powers that circumstances might render the march of French and English troops into the prin cipalities necessary, had given rise to a lively and somewhat unpleasant diplomatic correspondence between the Austrian Government and the Porte. In the convention made between Austria and the Sublime Porte on the 14th of June, 1854, it was not stipulated that the imperial troops ehould have an exclusive right to occupy the Danubian principali ties, and there is no other separate agreement be tween the powers in question which in any way inter feres with the conditions of the treaty concluded between England, France, and Turkey, on the 12tb of March, 1854. An announcement in the Austrian Gasettt of Wed. nes* states positively that a French camp of ® in