The Press. — London, England, 1857-09-05 00:00:00

THE PRESS, SEPTEMBER 5,1857. lortiga 6ortzspoubcnct. PARIS, September 3rd. You will in all probability have seen, in the Ina pendance Beige of the 28th of August, a long article on Italian affairs, and signed "Litabi Ruffoni." This gentleman is secretary to Prince Murat, and therefore anything published by him carries with it at this moment a certain weight of political impor tance. The article of M. Ruffoni has been consi dered by many persons as a manifesto issued by Prince Murat, as pretender to the throne of the Two Sicilies. This is not so. This so called manifesto is in reality a protest by the prince against any im putation of participation in the plots which have re cently broken out in Italy. There can be no doubt that a Murat party, con• sisting principally of noblemen and tradesmen, exists in Naples, but it is a great mistake to suppose that Prince Murat has either placed himself at the head of this party, or that it acts under any orders ema nating from him. Same zealous friends of the dynasty of the former King of Naples, Joachim Murat, bitter enemies to the present reigning sove reign, have taken on themselves, without the slightest authority, not only to make use of the name of the Prince Murat, but to publicly declare him to be a pretender to the Sicilian Throne. Such conduct has greatly annoyed the prince, and, through his secretary, he openly denies any participation in the intrigues of his would -be friends. As to the Impe rial Government, I speak advisedly when I say that it neither sanctioned nor had any previous knowledge of the manifesto of M. Ruffoni, and, further, it in no way countenances a Muratist party in Naples. The Imperial Government, in conjunction with that of England, interfered in the affairs of Naples in so much only as concerned the outraged rights of humanity, and, although called on by necessity to cease all diplomatic relations with the King of the Two Sicilies, it neither meant by so doing to fa:our any pretender, and, least of all, to countenance a pretender to his throne. I have received the following letter from Trieste. It gives some curious details of what is actually passing in Constantinople. As exhibiting the rela tive position at Constantinople of England and France, the letter will be found interesting : The Sultan has accepted the arrangements entered into at Osborne. This is positive; and the Turkish Ministers now estimate at its full value the influence that Lord Red. eh& and M. de Prokesch possess in London and in Vienna. M. de Thouvenel has assumed an imposing and deter. mined attitude. His ability and moderation has gained the good opinion, not only of most of his colleagues, but of the high Turkish functionaries. I'revious to the decision come to by the Porte an active correspondence was carried on between the Divan and the English and Austrian Am. bassadors, without any practical result. The Sultan at length determined to put an end to all these diplomatic intrigues, and accepted the decision of the Osborne conference. The approaching elections in the Danubian provinces offer subject fur much speculation in our political world and many sheets of paper might be filled with the details of intrigues now carrying on. Lord Redcliffe, notwith-, standing Lord Palmerston's promise to the Emperor at Osborne, is intriguing. Prokeseh is intriguing. The Divan is intriguing. Vogorides is intriguing. In short, intrigue is the order of the day. And to such an extent are electioneering manwuvres of all descriptions put into motion that it would be now very hazardous to say which will be the winning horse, Union or Disunion. Both are well ridden, and by experienced jockeys. A serious misunderstanding has arisen between Lord Redcliffe and M. de Prokesch relative to the Island of Priam. The Austrian Ambassador strongly advised the Sultan not to consent to the English taking possession of that island, and for some time the Divan hesitated. Lord Redcliffe got very angry, and on one occasion made use of such strong language to M. de Prokeseh that the latter gentleman quitted the hotel of the former, declaring he would no longer interfere with the Island of Priam. Thus stands the friendly relations between the English and Austrian Ambassadors. An immense concourse of people were present at the inauguration of the Imperial Asylum at 'Vin cennes. M. Billault, the Minister of the Interior, delivered on the occasion a most eloquent address. The M inister, with that tact and judgment for which he is pre-eminent, explained the object of the insti tution, which is to receive sick and disabled workmen, entered into details of great interest, and finally, amid loud cheers, concluded his address with happy effect. Altogether the ceremony was most success ful, and went off with eclat. M. Billault, we need barely say, carried out the views of the Emperor, and I believe most completely, to the great satistaction of his Majesty. M. Billsult has left Paris for a short time, in order to seek repose from his arduous duties. M. Abbatucci replaces him at the Home-office during his absence. Political news is just now at a low ebb, and that, perhaps, will account for the stoppage of the Inde pendanee Belge on Monday last, owing to some false political intelligence manufactured by its Paris correspondent. . . . _ The Emperor has conferred, in proof of his high satisfaction, the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour on M. Fould and Count Walewski. The verdict of the court of assizes at Oran, con demning to death Captain Doineau, has created a great sensation, and the strongest efforts are being made to obtain a commutation of the sentence. The camp at Chalons is fast filling with tourists of all descriptions, military and civil. The tent of the Emperor is in reality a palace, and excites gene ral admiration. The great attraction to strangers are those fine military fellows the Imperial Guard. I inclose you the order of the day issued by the Emperor to the troops. When read at the head of each regiment the men cried out as with one voice, " Five l'Empereur !" " five le Prince Imperiale Great preparations are making at the camp to receive royalemeut the Pnnce Consort and the Duke of Cambridge. It is said, but I cannot give it you as certain, that Prince Frederick William of Prussia in tends visiting the camp. Several Conseils Generaux have already expressed a favourable opinion of M. de Lesseps' scheme for the Suez Canal. The Consul General of the Depart ment of La Nievre voted an address to the Emperor on this important subject. The address was drawn up by Barun Dupin, and contains many statistical tables of importance. The weather has been most favourable for the grapes throughout the south. In all probability the vendange will commence in the Languedoc and the neighbourhood of Montpellier about the 10th of the present month, and in the Beaujolais, Macon, and Lyons about the 15th. It is now certain that the new wine will be of a most excellent quality and very abundant. ment in that year. Without the aid of 'WEL LINGTON could PEEL ever I►nve played the part he did? The essayist in the New Quarterly forcibly presses this point against the degree of magnitude which ought to be assigned to PEEL. It is true that neither WALPOLE nor CHATHAM had a Wellington behind them. " Had PEEL.," says the Saturday Review, " not lived to repeal the Corn Laws, he would " have left behind him the reputation of a con " summate debater, a masterly financier, and a " sound constitutional statesman, but he would "never have held a place in the heart of the Eng " lish people." This latter assertion is too strong. Sir It. PEEL brought the Funds up to par, and repaired the gross blunders of the Whig Government; and, in eventful times, he was the first debater in Parliament. His lead ership of the Conservatives from 1833 to 1841 deserves all that the New Quarterly says of it, and Sir ItoBERT PEEL deserves particular praise on this head, as many public characters (including the late Lord TENTERDEN and Mr WmsoN CHOKER) were panientricken. " The heart of the English " people " is a big phrase. Has it no emotions for the long, secret, and un cheered toil of WILLIAM HUSKISSON—for Pou• LETT THOMSON'S early and eloquent advocacy of Free Trade—for the writings of General THOMSON, and the triumphant energies of Mr. COBDEN and Mr. BRIGHT? " Did any one," continues the Saturday Re view, " ever think that PEEL was a man who " anticipated and promoted sweeping and " grave changes?" That is giving up the whole case. A statesman of the first order should contemplate and foresee changes. He should be prescient, and not he a waiter upon events. In this, and some other issues, the .:.iaturday Review rather confirms than confutes the argument of the New Quarterly. But we shall not act as moderators between the respective writers. They are both, doubt less, able to fence cleverly. For ourselves wo feel high respect for much of Sir ROBERT PEEL'S career; and his private character was most estimable, though his manner was rather stiff and ungracious. We do not blame him, or any other man, for changing his opinions, or altering his line of con duct. We only deeply disapprove of the peculiar mode in which he thought proper to deport himself towards his party and sup porters. He was a great Englishman, with all his errors ; and the best part of the essay in the New Quarterly ( which certainly well de serves perusal) is the effective way in which the extent of Sir R. PEEL'S unrivalled attain ments is impressed on the reader. There is one point, however, in connection with the memory of PEEL which deserves notice. Between Pirr and CANNING there was much personal and political identification. Both were " anti-Jacobins " abroad, and " anti- Whigs " at home, while in domestic policy they were pro-Catholics and anti-Reformers. Pirr brought CANNING into Parliament, and in the first instance helped to make his fortune. No analogous relations existed between Sir ROBERT PEEL and Mr. GLADSTONE. The latter made his own way and his own course. On the Maynooth Bill of the Peel Cabinet, the Right Hon Member for the University actually resigned. Between the tastes, habits, and aspirations of those two eminent persons there was great dissimilarity. Sir R. PEEL never could find his way in a theological maze. We can imagine Sir R. PEEL thinking of school divines in the same fashion as SCALIGER did of the people of the Basque provinces. " It is said that they understand each other, " but I do not believe it." CANNING was bound, almost in honour, to call himself a " Pittite," and during his too frequent misunderstand ings with his party (in 1810, 1812, and 1819) the designation was a shield for him. But Mr. GLADSTONE'S individualism, his cast of character, his love of reasoning a priori, his indifference to mere precedents, and the Greek subtlety of his electric temperament, so broadly distinguish him from " Peelism " in any intelligible sense, as to justify the em phatic apostrophe which winds up the curious essay in the New Quarterly Review. gabal aab The Times on Thursday announced that additional regiments had, since the Cabinet Council on Mon day last, been placed under orders for India. We are enabled to add the following authentic details: — Cavalry :-7th Dragoon Guards Bth Hussars 17th Lancers Infantry:—The 18th, 94th, 31st, and 98th Regiments Artillery : One Troop Horse Artillery Three Field Batteries Royal Engineers :—Four Companies MOVEMENTS OF HOUSEHOLD TROOPS.--The 2nd Battalion of Scotch Fusiliers, under the command of Colonel Walker, have left St. George's Barracks, and proceeded to Haslar Barracks, Gosport; this battalion is appointed for garrison duty at Ports mouth. The Ist Battalion has also left for Windsor to relieve the 3rd Battalion of Grenadiers, who will perform duty at the Tower. The Ist Battalion of Grenadiers 'have left Wellington Barracks for St. George's Barracks, to make room for the 2nd Batta lion of Grenadiers, who have come from Dublin, having been relieved by the 2nd Battalion of Cold stream Guards, which left Liverpool on Tuesday. MAJOR-GENERAL GOUGH, C. 8., at the Curragh camp, is to command a brigade in Dublin. It is rumoured that Lieutenant• General Sir Richard Eng land, G.C.8., will be succeeded by a major general. Major Nasmyth will accompany General Gough as brigade-major. ON THE EMBARKATION OF THE ROYAL ARTILLERY FOR INDIA at Woolwich, on Monday, the whole line of march was crowded with thousands of spectators, who continuously cheered the troops, and the excite ment of the scene was enhanced by the number of handkerchiefs waved from various windows in token of the approbation of the fair sex. On arriving at the Royal Arsenal Pier the band took up a position at the pier -head, and performed the National Anthem, during which the troops embarked in excellent order on board. The artillery force now at Woolwich awaiting embarkation for Calcutta, comprises the II troop of Royal Horse Artillery, the 3rd company of 9th Battalion, sth company of 12th Battalion, and various detachments, making a total of 007 rank and file. The field batteries will take out the whole of their guns, carriages, and materiel, but the horses will not be forwarded.