The Sun. — London, England, 1854-04-19 00:00:00

THEATRE ROYAL DRURY LANE. Liksiee;,. Mr. E. T. Smith. THIS EVENIITG, APIEL 19, WM be perfbrmed NORMA- Principal characters by Madame Caradorl, Madame Sedatzek, arid Madame Sondhelm ; Signor Pa ♦eel, Signer Sant', mut Signor Arnold!. THE.A.TRE ROYAL HAYMARKET. Under the management of Mr. Enokatont.s. THIS EVENING, Arm 19, Will be performed A CURE FOR LOVE. Characters by Messrs. OdraPendale and Buckstene ; Miss Chaplin, &c. After which, an entirely new and original extravaganza. entitled MR. BUCKSTONE'S VOYAGE ROUND THE GLOBE (IN LEI CESTER-SQUARZ), written by J. R. Planche, ESQ. Principal characters 17 Mr. Buckatone, Mr. W. Farrell, Mr. Clark, Mr. J. Marshall, Mr. H. Marshall; Mrs. Fitzwilliam, Mrs. Caulfield, Miss E. Grey, Mlita Lydia Thompson, Miss Laura Morris, and Miss Featherstone. To conclude with MRS. WHITE. aoTkL PRINCESS'S THEATRE, OXFORD-STREET. Undit the Management of Mr. CuAltus Kwc. THIS EVENING, APart, 19, Will be performed T FIE MARRIED UNMARRIED. Characters by Messrs. W. Lacy. Ryder, and Cathcart ; and Misses Heath and Murray. Followed by FAUST AND MARGUERITE. Characters by Messrs. C. Kean and David Fisher ; Mrs. Winstanley and Mies O. Leclercq. To conclude with A STORM IN A TEA-CUP. Principal cha racters by Mr. and Mrs. W. Lacy. THEATRE ROYAL ADELPHI. Proprietor, Mr. B. Webster.—Directress, Madame Celeste. THIS EVENING, Arse. 19, Will be performed TWO LOVES AND A LIFE. Supported by Miurs. C. Selby ' 1414 h Murray, Benjamin Webster, Keeley, and 0. Smith ; Miss Woolgar and Madame Celeste. Followed by THE OVERLAND JOURNEY TO CONSTANTI NOPLE, AS UNDERTAKEN BY LORD BATEKAN, WITH INTERESTING PARTICULARS or THE FAIR !SOPHIA. LYCEUM THEATRE. Under. the Bf Ai:moment of Madame Ventri9. THIS EVENING. APEIL 19, Will be performed A CHARMING WIDOW. Principal charac. tere by Mr. C. Mathews ; Miss Talbot and Miss Oliver. To be followed by GIVE A DOG AN ILL NAME. Principal characters by Messrs. C. Mathews and F. Matthews. Alter which. NUMBER ONE ROUND THE CORNER. c onc luding with A HOUSE OUT OF WINDOW S. ROYAL OLYMPIC THEATRE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. A. Wigan. THIS EVENING. Aran. 19, Will be performed THE HAPPIEST DAY OF MY LIFE. To be followed by TO OBLIGE BENSON. Supported by Messrs. E m ery, Robson, and Leslie; Mrs. Stirling and Miss Wyndham. To conclude with the Farce of THE WANDERING MINSTREL. jem Baggs, Ur. F. Robson. STRAND THEATRE. So'e Lessee Mr. F. W. Allcroft.—Directress, Miss Rebecca Is&39'. THIS EVENING, APRIL 19, Will be PerfOnned THE ENCHANTED LAKE. Followed by AN AND HUSBANDS." ADVERTISEMENT—" WANTED, WIVES Concluding with a new burlesque on RICHARD THE THIRD. 5a,; Boxes, 35.; Pit, Is. 6d; Gallery, 6 d. ; Privat e B oxes , £1 lbw. 6d., to be bad of Mr. Allcroft, 15, New Bond-street. • ASTLEY'S EUROPE'S NATIONAL AMPHITHEATRE. Lessee and Manager, Mr. William Cooke. Great attraction and powerful Novelties for the Easter Holidays, THIS EVENING, APRIL 19, And during the week, anew grand Nautical and Equestrian spec tacle, embodying novel and extraordinary effects (written by Mr. Nelson Lee), entitled A TALE OF THE SPANISH WAR; or, The Horse of the Wreck. The horses expressly trained by Mr. W. Cooke. Followed by an entire change of the Scenes of the CIRCLE, intro ducing Miss Kate Cooke, Miss Emily Cooke, Mr. Alfred Cooke, and the most talented Equestrian and Gymnastic Artistes in Europe. Concluding with the new Farce of DALRYMPLE versus TUBBS. Box-offlce open from Eleven till Four. Stage Manager, Mr. W West. HIGH WATER AT LONDON BRIDGE. Tina DAY —Morning 58 min.after 5 Evening 24 min.ai. 6 Tahlonaow—Morning 57 min.after 6 1 Evening 32 min.ait. 7 THE WEATHER.--Bms Opium, Arzm 19. THERMOMETER, IN THE SHADE. 62—highest since noon yesterday. 49 lowest this merning and during the night. 68—this day at noon. BAROME'TEB, 30.03—falling gradually. WIND, S. to S.W.—Light breeze, and fine summer weather. fee t' b .pi, , g c 4 .r,.', 41a -Aini4 ,§14310 ~..„„,,,,,,,.......„ LONDON, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 19, 1854. It is 'discovered this morning by some of our contemporaries that England and. France have been. rather slow in sending assistance to their Turkish ally in the Principalities. The Idea would seem never before to have presented. itself to their imaginations. They recognise at last, however, the existence of the evil, and are, con sequently, sufficiently vociferous in denouncing it. Why, the fact of these delays we ourselves have been insisting upon, more or less earnestly, day after day, during the last fortnight. We have pro tested against them as most detrimental to the cause which we have so much at heart, as injurious to the interests of Turkey, and as derogatory to our own reputation. We have enveighed against the folly of these protracted festivities and reiterated compliments, against these balls, and routs, and banquets of farewell by which, first of all, our sol diers, and then their chieftains, have been com pelled to tarry overmuch on their way towards the seat of war beyond Constantinople. We have, again and , again, in these columns, evening after evening, ,charged the authorities with the heinous culpability of either causing or tolerating this systematic procrastination. And, at last, to day, upon this nineteenth of April, 1854—not earlier !—the guilt of this dawdling policy is [wonderful to relate] dimly perceived by some among our more enlightened contemporaries. It is suddenly discovered by these contemporaries of ours—nobody in all the world dreamt of it before, of course!--that our troops have been - very dila tory in their movements eastward, and that they ought long before now to have energetically be stirred themselves. Well—the pother made about this same as tounding discovery of theirs, by our morning con t4m/Praries, is, to say the least of it, sufficiently amusing. It will be found sufficiently amusing by those of our readers who r jiave for some time past marked, upon this identical subject, the course of our own arguments. It betrays on the part of the discoverers a, wonderful amount of exhilaration of spirits at the recognition by them of this sur prising evidence of their own sagacity. . _ Altogether, it recalls to our mind a memorable incident in the life of Mr. WILLET, of the May pole. That gentleman, it may be remembered, being rather slow of apprehension, had remained for a long while impervious to the light of a fact perfectly obvious to the understanding of every body else, but altogether somewh invisible to his "mi n d' s eye".—an ey e at lacking at most times in speculation. c , It chanced, however, that sitting over the fire on thi s particular occa sion"—relates Mr. WILLre s h i storia n —" per haps because he was , as it were, done t o a turn ; perhaps b ecause he was in an , perhaps unusu ally bright state of m i n d • because he had considered the subject so long ; Perhaps b eca pse of all these favouring circumsta nces take n toget h er --it chanced that, sitting over the fire - o this particular occasion, Mr. WILLET did, afar off and in the remotest depths of his intellect, per ceive a kind of lurking hint or faint sugge s ti on that "--things were really what his associates had. all along been insisting, but such as he himself had previously failed to recog nise. " And this dim ray of light," conti nues our author, " did 3o diffuse itself within him, and did so kindle up and shine, that at last he had it as plainly and visibly before him as the blase by which he sat : and fully persuaded that he was the first to make the discovery, and that he had I ("lea 4 24 ed CIOWM, fallen upon, and knocked on the head allieffectbiorig i nal idea,whichhadneverpresent ecl itself to any other man, alive or dead, he laid down hi s pipe, rubbed, his hands, and chuckled audibly." Don't we hear to-day just such another audible chuckle. of self-satisfaction ? Is not Mr. WILLET one of a genus . And have we not among us, yet, some of leis lineal descendants ? Her© is the enormous and perfectly obvious . . evil of the delay of the allied troops sent from and England to their rendezvous in the Dardanelles. Everybody else had long ago recognised it. The thing, in fact, was as plain as a pikestaff. But lo ! and behold ! this morn ing it is suddenly, and for the first time, perceived, and, of course, immediately thereupon loudly denounced, by one or two of our contemporaries. Why, the reality of this deplorable system of delay has been for a considerable time past noto rious.* In these columns, we repeat, we our selves have denounced it again and again, until we have become absolutely tired of the monotony of the repetition. We have addressed our com plaints in the matter to those in office almost in the form of direct accusation. Yet in this, as unhap pily in other instances relating to the war entered upon by the Earl of ABERDEEN and some among his colleagues with such obvious reluctance—in per tusurn ingerimus dicta dolium—the promptings of ordinary prudence and the suggestions of common sense would appear to have no influence in guid ing the councils of a still hesitating and still (to a certain extent) timorous Government. Nothing, however, can alter the fact—the fact of the evil against which we have so often pro tested. The Western Powers have been sadly wanting in promptitude in sending out troops to the scene of action in the Principalities. They have been wasting inestimable time in talking about their intended achievements. They have been—there is no other word for it—dawdling over their preparations. The extent of the military aid offered by them to the Sublime Porte is, up to this moment, altogether inadequate for the emergency. And even that, com paratively speaking, insignificant assistance has been so delayed and delayed, in and compliments, at Paris a n d Lon ( Maltadinner -giving and Marseilles, that even now the I foremost of them—those already debarked at Gal lipoli—are only on their way to the seat of actual war, to the scene of action among the belligerents. England and France expect better things from their united Governments. Few cases of late years have excited greater interest than that of Dr. WILLIAM SMITH, who was last week tried before the High Court of Justiciary in Edinburgh, charged with the wilful and deliberate murder of a farm-servant named WILLIAM M`DONALD, at Kirkton, or St. Fergus, iu Aberdeenshire, during the month of November last. It was not merely the respectability of the accused, who occupied a position in society supe rior to most common-place murderers—it was not the strange and mysterious circumstances of the melancholy transaction that excited such intense anxiety as to the result of the investigation. The extraordinary character of the motive ascribed, the manner in which the valuable principle of Life Assurance was turned from its origi nal Purpose, and made to act the part of the Lancashire death clubs for the Purpose of gambling in human life invested the case with a fearful importance, and rendered it—if the suspicions entertained should have been confirmed by evidence—one of thb most atrocious ever brought under the consideration of a crimi ' nal tribunal. It may be observed, too, that the matter which directed the current of suspicion against Dr. SMITH was, that he had speculated in the life of the deceased man, and would have been entitled to receive a sum of nearly 2,0001. in the event of his death; one-half of which would be altogether lost if WDONALD had survived another fortnight. The large interest which the prisoner held in this life at once made him the object of doubt ; and, when it was found that he might have committed the murder, these suspicions were so greatly strengthened that he was taken into custody, and exposed to the harms sing anxiety of a public trial for mur der, when, in the event of a hostile verdict, he would have expiated the awful crime by an ignominious death on the scaffold. The jury, however, gave the prisoner the benefit of the doubt, and by a majority returned a verdict of " Not proven"—one allowed by the laws of Scot land (although not in the other parts of the United Kingdom), and which does not discharge the party from the penal consequences of his crime in the event of additional evidence being obtained at some future time. The minority were desirous of finding the accused " guilty ;" so that it may be seen how narrow was the escape, and if the prisoner was indeed innocent, as we are bound to believe after the verdict, he has suffered very severely for his tampering with " gambling policies," and his peril may serve as a salutary caution to persons to abstain from any connec tion with matters which may expose them to such grave imputation and serious annoyances. The trial lasted three entire days. The most eminent professional' talent in North Britain was engaged in the inquiry. The Solicitor-General led for the Crown, while the Dean of Faculty was senior for the defence. Three learned Judges presided on the bench. Everything, therefore, calculated to elicit truth was available ; and yet, we regret to say, that the mists are by no means dispelled. The doubts have acquired more pain ful intensity, and public justice and the character of Dr. SMITH alike remain without adequate vin dication. It is not even known with certainty whether a murder has at all been committed. And a dark cloud hangs over the fair fame of the medical practitioner, that must darken all his future prospects, and which he will find it difficult, if not altogether impossible, to dispel; and this has all arisen from the circumstance of Dr. SMITH hav ing speculated on the life of a person with whom he was in daily communication, and by whose early death he would receive large pecuniary ad vantages. We say advisedly that w a s th e on l y circumstance which warranted the trial, or his being called on to answer a charge involving his life and honour. The evidence was purely circumstantial. It was shown that the deceased, who was cheerful and good tempered, not at all subject to depres sions, or likely to be guilty of violence against himself, was engaged to be married, whenever he could succeed in getting a farm. He was on the best terms with his intended, and there had not been any dispute or subject of jealousy between them. He went out on Saturday evening, the 10th November, at four o'clock p.m., stating that h© was going to the wheelwright's, and th a t he had a " tryst" (or appointment) with Dr. SMITH about six o'clock. A farmer named STEW ART deposed to having been at the wheelwright's and seen a strange young man supposed to be the deceased, there before 7 o'clock. He went back a little be fore half-past 7 for a few minutes, and the young man was not there. On going home witness heard a shot fired when he was about five minutes walk from the wheelwright's shop. The shot was also heard by WM. FRASER, bell-man of St. Fer gus, and was probably the one by which the death of M`DONALD was occasioned. FRASER proved that he left his own house a little after half-past 7 o'clock, to go to the church to ring the 8 o'clock bell. When about forty or fifty yards on the way he heard a shot, and saw a flash in the direction of Dr. SMITH'S field. This took place between 20 and 25 minutes to 8 o'clock. Every person of any experience in criminal cases knows the extraordinary difficulty in obtaining accurate information as to time. Since the celebrated case of ABRAHAM THORNTON, to the present day, the most conflicting evidencehasbeen obtained on such points from persons really desirous o f t e lli ng the truth. Here, however, the exact time was ascertained with more than ordinary accuracy. There was the agreement, in point of time, between the wit nesses STEWART and. FRASER; the latter, too, from his duty of ringing the bells for particular times, was not easily to be deceived as to the hour. was thus fixed—at about 20 or 25 te to 8 o'clock. Now the prisoner proved minutes t I lye e time 8 had been on a professional visit to the Manse up to 7. He afterwards was at the house of a Miss ANDERSON at 25 minutes before 8, by her clock--but that she states it to have been " about quarter of an hour slow." From this it would not have been impossible, if Miss ANDERSON was perfectly accurate as to the slowness of her clock, for - the prisoner to have fired the fatal shot ; - bUt there was nothing remarkable in his man ner or appearance. He subsequently went to Mrs. PIRIE'S, and thence to Mrs. MA.Nsores, but no person remarked anything strange; and it Is difficult to conceive such a state of nerves as would have enabled a person who had committed an awful murder within ten minutes previously to divest himself of any appearance of flurry or agitation. It was shown that Dr. SMITH had purchased a pistol of the same description as that found by the dead body, and with which it was alleged he had committed suicide ; but another witness proved that the deceased himself had.pur chased a similar pistol some time previously. It was by no means satisfactorily proved that the case was not one of suicide, though the medical gentlemen thought it not probable that it was so. Dr. COURIE, however, declared that " the appear ances did not present materials to form an opinion as to whether it was or was not a case of suicide." Under such circumstances a conviction was clearly impossible. Dr. SMITH would not have been tried for his life, or suspected, but for his dealing in gambling policies that supplied the motives, and has occasioned all the doubt and difficulty. After the fear ful revelations respecting burial clubs—when we see men and women sacrificing their own chil dren for the sake of a few paltry pounds—we cannot wonder at any imputation cast on a stranger, who had so large an interest as 2,0001. in the event. The fact of a medical man being the gambler enhanced the grave suspicions. • About ten years since, Lord ST. LEONARDS— then Sir EDWARD SUGDEN—declared such a pro ceeding, as permitting a medical man to be in terested in the life of a patient, to be contrary to public policy, and as gambling insurances are not forbidden in Ireland, and the Insurance Com panies did not resist payment, he declared the Doctor a trustee for the personal representatives of the deceased, and ordered him to pay all the costs of the suit. Care must be taken against such practices being introduced, or permitting our valuable Life Assurance Companies to dege nerate into mere burial clubs, where strangers. might have " motives of the most extraordinary and tremendous character" for dealing foully towards persons in whose lives they have no real interest. The subject is one of exceeding in terest, and well worthy of mature and attentive lvnsidera tion. TILE SUN, LONDON, WEDNESDAY EVENING, APRIL 19, 1854. MONEY MARKET AND COMMERCIAL INTELLIGENCE. CITY, TWO O'CLOCK. The sales of cotton at Liverpool yesterday were estimated at 5,000 bales, including 1,000 American taken for export. The market closed with a hard ening tendency for solid American and Surat, and, compared with Friday's prices of all kinds, are quite as high. The sales comprised 4,500 American; 50 Pernam and Maranham at 6d., 20 Bahia at 6d., and 400 Surat at 3d. to 3d. Railway shares are quiet. The communications received yesterday from the United States were of an interesting character, as showing the first sensible influence of the state of war in Europe, and we expect that this will be still more manifest ere long. Money will probably be come dearer, and specie will have to be sent to England, and already this year, up to the latest date, nearly four millions of dollars were shipped to Europe. The letters and papers by the Harbinger steamer, being of an earlier date than those per Overland Mail, supply only a few items of intelligence not previously noticed. A river, twenty miles long, had been discovered in Van Diemen's Land. The agents of the Sovereign of the Seas, which left Melbourne after the Harbinger, and has per formed the passage in 83 days, had advertised that the vessel would make the voyage home in 65 days, or return part of the passage money. To the numerous parties who hold scrip in abor tive schemes, or even in undertakings which have legislative sanction, but, from the present adverse condition of the money market, are unable to pro ceed, it will afford great satisfaction that the share holders, about two-thirds in number, of the Char tered Bank of India, Australia, and China, have filed a bill. in Chancery to restrain the directors from making the call of 2/. per share, as advertised. It is quite true that the directors have had considerable trouble in obtaining a charter, but un fortunately this charter is of but little intrinsic value, and after all would not be much respected in the Colonies which assume now the fair right to exercise a greater 'tontro/ over their own resources. Moreover, several of the new banks having already commenced business, it is most prudent that a new competitor should retire from the field and avoid the risks inseparable from an undue extension of banking facilities. Another Banking Company, the Melbourne, Sydney, and Adelaide, we believe is the name, have a local charter for Sydney, and a virtual official recognition at Adelaide, but the capital not being entirely subscribed, it would offer a reasonable opening for amalgamation. Un less some measure of the kind be adopted, the wiser course will be to wind up both, and to this complexion the obstruction thrown in the way of the proprietors seems to be tending. There are many other companies which must be vigorously dealt with, unless the directors recognise forthwith the altered state of the money market. The Aus tralian Coal Mining Company is an honourable exception, having already announced a meeting early next month for the purpose of taking the sense of the shareholders in favour of a dissolution. The Carson's Creek, which has not purchased the mine for which it was formed, is loudly complained of, not the slightest explanation being given, while is suffered to " drag its slow length along." There can be no pretence for continuing a Cali fornian scheme that has not become so far involved in engagements and leases as to make retreat costly and undesirable, and many large shareholders are resolved to agitate the subject, and we expect the same will be the case with many other concerns. Yesterday afternoon there was a decline in the rate for Bills of Exchange on Trieste .; and on other places, except Hamburgh, the quotations were feeble. The demand for gold to be shipped to the Con tinent continues, and all the amount per Ellen borough was taken yesterday, besides a small sum withdrawn from the Bank of England. The So vereign of the Seas brings 37,334 ounces from Melbourne. The English Stock Market has been firm, with less doing, however, this being "pay-day" after the settlement of the Account. Consols have been 871 to 88k for transfer, and 87i to for the 11th of. May. The scarcity of Stock has been partially got over by borrowing the amounts required, and it now remains to be seen whether speculators for a fall will venture upot renewed Bear opera tions. Bank Stock is heavy at 212. Exchequer Bills have remained at par to 4s. premium, and East India Bonds at 3s. discount to par. The New Three-and-a-Quarter per Cents. have been' .871 to Foreign Securities continue very inactive. Mexi can Bonds are dull at 24, and Brazilian small have been supported at 944. Grpek Reduced Bonds have been done at 6. Russian Four-and-a-Half per Cents. are 79/. There has been very little doing in railway shares, but the prices are maintained at the advance which occurred yesterday afternoon, viz., to 4 per cent. upon the previous rates. French Shares have been nominal. The Gold Mining Shares have been inactive, the banks are firm, and the Land Companies' without alteration. BRITISH FUNDS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK. (Brom the Official List.) Rtudness done. Sank Stock _ _ _ 3 per Cent. Reduced Annuities' ' B6i g 7 6i 7 3 per Cent. Console Annuities ' BB 7 iii i New 31 per Cent. Annuities B7 Long Annuities, Expire sth Jan., 1860 India Bonds, £lOOO 3 d u par Ditto-01114er £lOOO 2 p Consols for Account 11th May Exchequer Bills, 2d. 8711 i £lOOO ... par 4 p 2500 Pox 4 P .Small par 4 p PRICE OF FORBIGN FUNDS AT ONE O'CLOCK. nrazilian Bonds, 5 per Cent. _ Ditto Small Greek Bonds, Red Mexican 3 per Cent. • 24 Russian Bonds, 1822, 5 per Cent. £ St Ditto 4i per Cent. 791 Dividenla on the above Payable in London. HALF-PAST TWO. Consols BB Ditto May Account MALTA, APRIL 13.—The Colombo, with Commissary- General Filder and spite, has arrived. COURT OF BANKRUPTCY—OFFICIAL NOTlCE.—Notice was this morning posted at the Court of Bankruptcy, in lieu of one previously issued, stating that, in conse quence of the order of Privy Council for the observance of Wednesday, the 26th inst., as a day for religious pur poses, the court will be closed. The meetings appointed for that day, before Mr. Commissioner Fonblanque, will be taken on the Ist of May, and those before 14r. Com missioner Goulburn On the 3d May. ARRIVALS OF GOLD.—The Harbinger steamer from Australia has brought 73,000 ounces of gold, and the Sovereign of the Seas, from Port Philip, 37,300, making a total of 110,300 ounces, valued at 441,200/. With the 40,000/. brought from New York by the Africa the arrivals yesterday reach an aggregate of 481,200/. THE SEASON.—About sixteen years since, such a season as the present was known in the south of Eng land. A very severe winter was succeeded by a beau tiful but rainless spring. A very thin crop of hay was got in very early in the summer. THE LONDON DOCKS.—The new premises erected by direction of the Lords of the Treasury for the wine and spirit department of the Customs establishment at the London Docks are entirely completed, and were occupied yesterday for the first time. An important feature in the new arrangements consequent upon the removal of the wine and spirit establishment to this new building will be, that the accounts and deliveries of spirits will be kept entirely separate from wines, instead of being together, as before. This will simplify business, and facilitate deliveries. HANDSOME PRESENT.—The Ordre et la Liberte of Caen says :—Lord J. Russell has just made a handsome present to one of the churches in this neighbourhood. His lordship is of Norman origin ; his family having before the Conquest been in possession of the estate of Rosel. The curd of the place having applied to his lord asi commune, lesub h sc is ription, lordship h replied, that shin i t n o psulabesecroifbseesnodminegthing towards the purchase of a bell for th e c h urc h o f the pay for the bell itself, and that he wished it to be of the weight of at least 1,2001b5. WARLIKE ALARMS. -- On the appearance of her Majesty's ship Tartarus in the Bay of Cromarty, a short time ago, the good peoplelof Balintraid and Barbaraville , taking it into their heads that they were to be " im pressed" to fight the Russians, took to their heels, and concealed th emse l ves in the neighbouring woods for several days, till the disappearance of the suspicious craft. It is said that many passed the night in the old church of Kilmuir. The fishermen of Tarbat also, a few days ago, were-greatly frightened by a sudden re port that the Russians were just landed at the light house. The utmost alarm prevailed, and hurried pre parations were made. for the hills (or to face the enemy?) - when some bold man Ventured to approach the cause of terror, and fetind it to be a delusion. The hoax had been traced to an elderly gentleman - in the neighbour hood, whose joking propensities spre inveterate.—btrer ness Courier. A WICKED WAG.—Some wag lately consigned to voluntary imprisonment a respectable elderly gentleman of Exmouth, who labours under an asthmatic complaint. In the garden, fronting the invalid's house, a flag-staff is erected, with a vane - on the top, a view of which he commands from hi s s itti n g- ro om w i n dow. During the prevalence of easterly winds he avoids getting out of doors as much as possible. Our wicked hero took an opportunity one night to climb up the flag-staff, and, with a hammer and nail, fastened the vane due east. The consequence ws, the old gsntlomsn, rcf rri•:g to his vane every morning, as was his custom, to see what quarter the wind was in, and not suspecting anything wrong, was kept in doors tbiirteets days after it had changed, —Cic4fo4o44 (46fron • IS THERE TREASON IN THE CAMP The soldiers of England would go to the war, But some folks at home keep them back from the Czar. ROYAL ITALIAN OPERA. Rossini's opera, Matilda di Shabran, one of the revi vals promised by the management in the present season, was brought out here last night. This opera was com posed for the carnival at Rome, in 1821, and the opinion then formed of it, according to a biographer of Rossini, was, that " the libretto was execrable, and the music charming"—a verdict which we are inclined to think will be confirmed, after the lapse of thirty years. Shortly after its production at Rome, it was given at the Italian Opera in the Haymarket, but made very little impres sion, and subsequent revivals have not been more suc cessful, though on one occasion the renowned Persiani, when.in,tliut height of her, popularity, selected it for her benefit. Matilda di Shabran possesses little dra matic interest, its chief merit consisting in its gay and sparkling music, which last night was bril-j liantiy executed. The principal character (Corra dino) is a most inexplicable hero. The owner of a Gothic castle, situated wherever the imagination of the audience may decide, has a hatred for women, and j is regarded as a ruthless tyrant by his neighbours. Nevertheless, Matilda, daughter of the "illustre Shabran," who, dying on the field of battle, recom mends his child to Corradino's care, resolves to gain his affections, falls in love with him herself, and ultimately succeeds in riveting the woman-hater to her chains. Meanwhile a Contessa d'Arco, to whom Corra dino had been pledged, and whom it appears he had jilted, is infuriated with. jealousy at the triumph of Matilda, and vows to effect' her ruin. Edoardo, the son of Corradino's greatest enemy, is a prisoner in his castle; and, to further her designs, the Contessa procures the liberation of the captive, making it appear that his flight has- been contrived by Matilda. Corradino, in an explosion of rage, condemns Matilda to death, and in trusts the execution of his will to Isidoro, a wandering poet, whom he has taken under his protection. Isi doro, however, having a tender heart, allows Matilda to escape, and, Edoardo himself becoming the means of enlightening Corradino as to the fact of who is really the guilty party, the latter relents ; his de spair at the supposed death of Matilda is turned into joy on finding that she is still alive, and, a reunion taking place, the delight of the lovers reaches its culminating point in a brilliant rondo finale for the heroine. The puerility of this story could hardly suggest music of any real worth, but there are nevertheless some concerted pieces which have great merit, betraying, as they do, the variety of Rossini and the delicate taste of his orchestration. The performance last night was on the whole highly effi cient and, interesting. Mdlle. B os i o h as never appeare d to greater advantage than in the part of Matilda. She is a perfect mistress of the Italian school of florid vo calization, and in most instances her singing was admi rable, in some parts magnificent. M i lli e . bl ara i, w h o re presented Edoardo, made another step in public favour. The tenor part of Corradino is one of extraordinary difficulty; and whatever may .be said of the voice of Signor Lucchesi, which is defective in many respects, those who are acquainted with the peculiarities of the school to which this music belongs must in justice accord him unqualified praise for the masterly ease with which he executed it from first to last. Signor Roncoui, as the poor poet, was irresistible. His was a " wandering minstrel" very different from Mr. Robson's, but quite as rich and graphic in its way. In his first air, a kind of spurious edition of " Largo al factotum," the whole character of the charlatan was developed with wonderful humour. Isidore is a capital example of the real bu f fo of the old Italian carnival—a kind of mountebank of whom modern opera knows little or nothing, but so droll, so fantastic, original and amusing, that, while such a representation of the genus exists as Signor Ronconi, it would be in deed a pity to lose him altogether. Signor Ronconi's singing was "quite as .good as his acting ; it was the essence of the buffo parlance style —more declamatory than -- meal - yet never , so much so as to deprive the music of its effect. The part of the Contessa which is rather insignificant, was allotted' to Made moiselle Albini,, and that of Aliprando, (Corradino's physician and confidant), though hardly worthy of the talent of Signor Tagliafico, was represented by that con scientious artist with a care and finish which give it real importance. The music of the opera made a decided impression. The singing of Mdlle. Bosio was unanimously applauded ; more than one of the conceited pieces made a furore, and especially the septet in the finale to Act 1., which was encored, and Signor Ronconi, when ever he was on the stage, kept the audience in a roar of laughter. At the conclusion, Mdlle. Bosio, Mdlle. Marai, Signors 'Lucchesi, Ronconi, and T ag li a fi co , were recalled before the curtain._ Too much praise can scarcely be given to Mr. A. Harris, for the great ability apparent in the arrangement of the raise en scene of the opera. The pretty ballet of Fleurette followed, in which Mdlle. Quineux made a successful debut. The assistance the debutante received from the talented corps de ballet—one of the best, if not the best, that has appeared at this theatre—was to her of immense importance. The group ing, scenery, and decorations were exceedingly beautiful, and here again was the master hand of Mr. Harris visi ble. The house was well filled. Lady and the Misses Graham leave the Admiralty to-day for Netherby. Lord and Lady Seaton and the Hon. Miss Colborne have leftSarrance'a Hotel, for Deer Park, Devon. Lord and Lady Monteagle have left their residence in Park-street,.oa a visit to the Lady Marian Alford, at Ashridge Park, Herts. The first new character in which Mdlle. Rachel will appear in Paris is that of Medee, in a tragedy of that name, by M. Legouv4, which is highly spoken of by connoisseurs. WINDFALL TO THE PRINCE OF WALES.—Mr. ford, the rich merchant, who long resided in the Regent's-parki died on the 9th of April, and has left his large fortune tr. the Prince of Wales. LETTERS FOR THE ARCTIC SHlPS.—Letters for officers, seamen, and marines serving in the under mentioned ships will be in time to be forwarded if sent to the Admiralty on or before the 26th of this month : for Majesty's ships Assistance, Resolute, Intrepid, oneer, North Star, Enterprise, and Investigator. Loss OF LIFE ON THE RlVER.—Yesterday the body of a man unknown was found in the Thames, at Shad well. The deceased was removed to Shadwell dead house to be owned, and for an inquest. A fine young man, named David Watson, fell overboard from the schooner Clunie, near the London-dock buoy, and be fore the boats that put off to his rescue could reach him, he sank, and was drowned. The body was not re covered. ACCIDENT TO AN EMIGRANT • SHIP.--PLYMOUTH, TUESDAY EVENING. The Government emigrant-ship Maria Hay, Captain Brown, 1,007 tons, which left Southampton on Monday morning, with a full general cargo and 401 passeng,ers, came in contact at 9 o'clock in the evening with a strange steamer (probably the Harbinger), which carried away her bowsprit close to the stem. She entered the Sound this evening at six o'clock, and to-morrow (Wednesday) morning will be towed up to Catwater. Her repairs will occupy several days. The stranger gasa large and powerful ship / probably mail .pael se t b ound to Sout h ampton . • h. . LATEST FOREIGN NEWS. THE WAR. RESUMPTION OF THE VIENNA CONFERENCE. According to Voss Gazette of Berlin, of the 14th, the' conferences of Vienna have recommenced, and the protocol of the 9th forms the basis of the dis cussions. The Greek insurrection has also been a subject of discussion, and it has been stated that the Western Powers have resolved to employ coercive measures, as the remonstrances addressed by them to the Greek Government have remained without effect. It was not believed that the Ger man Powers,will make any objection to this. THE BALTIC. COPENHAGEN, April 18.—Seven merchant prizes are in Kioge Bay. The Ministerial crisis is over. The Cabinet re mains. The Parliamentary leaders will be dis missed. A letter from Stockholm of the sth says :—" At last our coasts are free from ice, and navigation is opened. All our lines of steamers have been re established. The day before yesterday the convey ance of mails between Sweden, the Continent of Europe, and England, by steamers established between Ystad and Stralsund, Linkoeping and Lubeck, and Gothenburg and Hall, commenced." THE WEATHER IN THE BALTIC. Subjoined are the latest advices relative to the state of the navigation in the Baltic : GEFLE, April 3.—Advices from Oregrund report the waters open to the southward as far as the town ; but to the north the ice was firm as far as Soderboda ; from thence there was no ice to be seen, and the waters already open. HIIDICKSWALL, April I.—The sea is open to about one mile from hence, and the opening of the navigation may consequently shortly be expected. IJMEA, April I.—The weather has been fine and mild for some weeks past. The E. Quarken was free of ice in the beginning of the week. BOLDERAA, April 9.—The ice in the Gulf has loosened frOm 'the coast, and the whole mass is apparently in motion, and drifting away from the land. - The vessels are still inclosed in the ice, but should the wind continue at S.S.W., they will be soon in open water. The ice in the mouth of the river has loosened, but the sea-channel remains firm. April 10 —lt has blown a heavy gale at N.W., with snow since 3 o'clock this morning. The roadstead is again nearly full of ice, which will place the vessels there in a very dangerous position ; eight only are now to be seen, and are very near the shore. The water is uncommonly high, and the ice in the river has here, completely de tached itself from the banks. The sea channel still con tinues firm. Wind N.W. Temperature 0 deg.-11 o'clock, a.m. : The weather has cleared, and 15 vessels are in sight, several of them within about two wersts of the land. The Whole Gulf is again covered with masses of ice, and there is no open water as far as the eye can reach. The mouth of - the river, as far as the White Church, is perfectly free of ice. MEMEL, April 14.—Weather fine and settled. Wind N.W. ST. PETERSBURG. The Grand Duke Constantine has personally as sumed the command of the Russian fleet at Hel singfors. He hoisted his flag on the Ist inst. "It is known," says the Constitutionnel " from the words used by the Emperor Nicholas himself to the English Government, what that Sovereign thinks of the re-establishment of the Byzantine empire for the benefit of the Greeks. If we may have felt some surprise at the opinion expressed on this subject by the Czar, our astonishment will have ceased on reading the following article pub lished by the .Northern Bee, of St. Petersburg, of the 7th : "'The Emperor of all the Russias had at heart the unhappy fate of ten millions of orthodox Christians groaning under the infamous yoke of Islamism, and our great Czar, in his quality of legitimate Sovereign and guardian of orthodoxy, demanded a guarantee for the welfare of the orthodox Christians subjected to his rule. The rights of our Emperor date back several centuries ; ,at the fall of Byzantium under the yoke of Maho medans, when the reigning dynasty of the empire of the East was extinct, all the Greek authorities confirmed the solemn charter of the Patriarch of Constantinople, Josaphat, who called to the throne John IV., Grand Duke of Russia, and recognised him as their legitimate and hereditary sovereign. The original of the said charter, which is written in the Greek language, and signed by the Patriarch Josaphat, thirty-four metropo litans, two bishops, and two archbishop, is carefully preserved at Choscou, in the archives of the Minister of Foreign Affairs. It was drawn up in 1851.' In presence of such conclusive proofs," adds the Constitutionnel, " who will still dare to dispute that the Czar is the legitimate successor of the By iantine Emperors, and that, while waiting for the right of conguest, Constantinople already belongs to him byright of birth ?" ' THE DANUBE. VIENNA, TUESDAY MORNING. An Austrian paper has the following telegraphic despatch : . The important frontier town of Fokshan, in Wallachia which had just been fortified, has been destroyed by fire. All the Russian stores, provisions, arms, clothing, ammunition, and all the military hos pitals, have fallen a prey to the flames. The-Russians occupy Kostendje. A communication from Orsorva, of the 16th, states that on the 14th the Russians, occupied Turnu Severin. On the 15th the Cossacks crossed the Danube at New Orsova, a Turkish fortress on one 61 - the Danubian islands, and occupied Wart sierova. The Turks bombarded the place. Ac cording to these accounts it is not clear whether a regular passage of the Danube is intended at that spot. It is also affirmed that all the Russian ports in the Black Sea ar© declared in a state of blockade. A part of the fleets has anchored before Odessa. A Berlin journal - of the 14th states that the Russian ambassador had received'despatches from the Lower Danube, and that, as he had not al lowed their contents to transpire, it was assumed that they were not favourable to the cause of the Czar. _ _ Accounts from Bucharest, down to the 9th, say :—A great part of the corps of Luders is being marched towards the coast of the Black Sea, which is being fortified. The greatest calm prevails to wards Trojan's Wall. The excursions of the Rus sians have not been renewed since the 2d.. Forts are being built near the mouth of the St. George. Between the Kustendjee and the lake of Ramsin a camp of 20,000 men is to be formed. Omer Pacha received on the Ist a reinforcement of 3,000 men, and 30 guns \I ere sent from Constantinople. The letters froM Orsowa of the Bth do not say a word of the entrance of the Russians into Servia. It is true, however, that the advanced posts of the Russians have occupied for the last three weeks all the line of the Danube along the Servian frontier. The Vienna Presse gives some particulars of a sharp battle which took place on the 4th inst., at Giditsch, near Kalafat, and which ended in the de feat of the Russians. Achmet Pacha, the comman dant of Kalafat, thinking the opportunity for at tacking the Russians too favourable to be missed, marched out upon them with a strong force, and attacked them in their position at Giditsch. The struggle was long and bloody, but was at length de cided in favour of the Ottomans by a brilliant charge of the Turkish cavalry under Iskender Bey (Count Kinsky), at 4 p.m., on which, after great exertion, the Russians were driven from the place with im mense loss. The 'captors at once occupied the vil lagein force, and have since thrown into it astrong garrison from Widdin. The following is extracted from a Jassy letter of the 3d instant : 66 General Salla, who had been charged to orga nise a Greco-Sclavonian legion, arrived here on the 30th to complete the formation of it. On the 2d he assembled the volunteers to the "lumber of about 120 at the Greek convent of the Three Saints. After the religious service, which was celebrated with great pomp, General Salla passed them in review. Their chief, the Monk Constandinos, made himself remarkable by the richness of his costume, embroi dered in gold ; the soldiers wore a white cross at tached, to their fez caps. The legion, which - left on the 3d, to join the head-quarters of Prince Gott schakoff, is - Composed of Greeks or of Bulgarians ; as to the. Moldavians who had inscribed themselves in great numbers, their names were all struck out by order of General _Salla. _ Since the - theatre of war has been removed to the right bank of the Da nube, it ahnost impossible to receive at Jassyany precise details of the operations of the two armies. Private letters, however, which have - arrived from Galatz, announce that the Russian army; which was completely in the midst of marshes,: was in a very critical position, and that the regiment' of Hillanfi 01 the Grand Duke Constantine had been surrounded in a swamp, and compelled to lay down ; their arms. There is evidently some truth in this tumour, for if the Russians had gained th e sli g htest advantage they Would not fail to have had Te Dewm, sting, and to publish pompous bulletins, but they now observe the most complete silence. 7 The'. following is from a letter, dated Shumla, April 2 the 27th ult. the number of Russians then across the Danube was estimated at 15,000 men ;.they have since succeeded in bringing over about 30,000 more, making altogether a total of 45,000 or 50,000 men, a s near as can be ascertained. The Russians have ready advanced to Babadagh, and hold all the country of the Dobrudvha as far ._ • . • - as the Kara-su, whence a niur d'orillon and an old Roman wall extend to Kostendjee on the Black Sea. Many officers here (French and English) are • of opinion that the Russians are concentrating a very large force in this district, and it is also ex pected that another passage will he attempted above Rustchuk, betwe en w hi c h and Widdin little opposi tion could be offered by the Turks, and we know that the Russians have already made large prepara tions of boats and pontoons on the Wallachian sine. Omer Pasha seems perfectly aware of his great defi ciency in cavalry, and the disadvantage of risking an engagement on the open plains of Bulgaria. He is therefore concentrating as many troops as possi ble, principally infantry, in the neighbourhood of Shumla. There are now here upwards of 20,000 men, and reinforcements are hourly arriving from the reserve at Adrianople and some of the posts on the Danube. It'is expected in the course of four or five days more that 50,000 men will be assembled, and ample preparations both in provisions and tents have already been made for them on the hills around this place. Ismail Pasha, the hero of Citate, arrived on the 30th, with five battalions, from Turtu kai. He is one of the ablest Generals the Turks have, and at the present moment is a great acqui sition, as there is an urgent demand for good staff officers. Yesterday there was a current report of 40,000 French troops having arrived at Galli poli, but it is much to be hoped that it is not yet too late for changing their destination to Varna; where there is tolerable accommodation, and supplies procurable as easily, if not more so, than at Enos or Gallipoli. They would thus hold the Russians in check, and be spared a tedious march through the • plains of Thrace and across the difficult passes of the Balkan, at all times harassing, but especially so at this early season of the year. A severe battle is certain within a very short period, and it is the earnest wish of the Turks that the English and French may be present to help them, otherwise the issue is very doubtful. Even at this critical period the Turks are not so alert as they might be, and their laxity of system and indolence . of character are too apparent. A short time ago, two English gentlemen arrived at Silistria at three o'clock in the morning, and proceeded to the very gate without being challenged or even ob served, and after violently knocking, they suc ceeded in rousing the guard and gaining admit tance: Provisions and forage,- although plentiful, are doubled in price, and the town bears rather the appearance of an intrenched camp than that of the most flourishing town in Bulgaria. There are a French, an English, and a Sardinian officer of engineers here, who have rendered Omer Pasha considerable assistance in the disposition of the batteries which are now in the course of con struction. Besides these, three English officers who have joined the Turkish army arrived last night. . A letter from Varna, dated 31st March, gives I the following particulars : "The Russians, of er waiting a few days at Galatz, advanced on Matschin with 26,000 men, a large force of artillery, but with few cavalry. The Turks had only two battalions at Matschin, and retired before the enemy towards Silistria, where they are in force. The Rus sians have also thrown a considerable force over the Danube at Hirsova. 3 p.m.—An officer has just arrived direct from Silistria, who states that an action has been fought there, but I doubt the truth of the state ment. All the Turkish troops in the Dobrudscha, to the number of several thousand have been concentrated upon Kara-su, with the intention of falling back on Shumla and Varna. Three steamers were despatched from the fleet at Kostendje to intercept and bring to Varna any Russian transports or provision vessels they in;ght fall in with. Not finding any at Kostendje they have proceeded• to the Danube. The Pasha of Varna has made application for more troops. He has only 3,000 with him at present. The works are so extensive that he would require 12,000 men to defend the place, as he could get but little assistance from the fleets. There are many thousand quarters of grain in Varna, and mire daily arriving. Omar Pasha has withdrawn 10,000 men from Widd'n to reinforce his troops i❑ the Dobrudscha, and has applied to the Porte for further assistance." CONSTANTINOPLE. Advices to the 10th April have been received by telegraph from Constantinople. Varna, which was only defended by 6,000 men, had asked for reinforcements from the combined fleets. The English and French troops which have arrived at Gallipoli will, it is said, be ordered there. There is a great concentration of troops near Badalshik. At Matschin the combat was sanguinary ; three Russian and three Egyptian battalions remained dead upon the field. The Sulina mouths of the Danube are still blocked up. • Snow has fallen at Gallipoli: GALLIPOLI, APRIL 11. 7 —The Kangaroo is in port. A French steamer, with French troops on board, is in the offing. ' GALLIYOLI, APRIL B.—General Broconi and suite have arrived, with two companies of sappers, seven companies of rifles, and 2,810 Frenchmen. Total of the allied forces arrived, 5,000. Four chiefs and 150 Greek prisoners have been brought in from Vol°. THE GERMAN POWERS. The Russian Government has proposed to Prus sia a new treaty of commerce, on terms very ad vantageous to the latter. The Austrian. Lloyd of the 14th says " Russian agents in the small States of the Con federation, make all the efforts in their power to prevent the adoption of a federal resolution in the Eastern affair. The treaty between Austria and Prussia may be considered as concluded. The conclusion was chiefly delayed by the influence which Baron de Bud berg, Ambassador at Berlin, exercised in favour of the Czar. The Ministers Manteuffel and Bonin have energetically declared for the conclusion of the treaty, but they were un able to obtain the assent of the King until after long hesitation. At Vienna M. de Meyendorff, the Russian Minister, has completely ceased to make efforts to attach Austi is to Russia. One of the points of the treaty, on which delibe rations are at this moment going on at Berlin, is that Prussia shall occupy all the Russian and Polish frontier, if Austria be obliged to intervene actively to protect the integrity of the Ottoman Porte ; but this eventuality will only arise in case the Russian army shall march towards the Balkans, before the arrival of the French and English auxiliaries." The Austrian Correspondence, in its number of the 12th, announces a fact which demonstrates to what a point had reached the perturbation in the financial relations, even with neutral countries, in consequence of the Eastern crisis. The Russian Government having to repay to the Austrian Go vernment 150,000 florins for salt purchased in Aus tria was not able to reimburse the sum by means of a bill of exchange, but was obliged to send the whole sum in specie. The Correspondence of Berlin states that the Duke of Saxe Coburg Gotha has declared himself ready to take the command of a Prussian division in the event of Prussia deciding on taking an ac tive interference in the war. THE GREEK INSURRECTION. TRIESTE, April 17.--=lt is said that, upon the expulsion of the Greeks from Constantinople, Prince Danielo, Vladika, of Montenegro, published a proclamation calling upon the people to take up arms. PREVESA, April 15.—The Prometheus and other steamers have arrived here. By the latest accounts Janina and Arta still held out against the insur gent& Skirmishes took place every day, but -with out results. ATHENS, April 13.—Volunteers continue to ar rive in Greece from the lonian Islands and. the Peloponessus, and. numerous fugitives to quit Thessaly. Numerous well-armed Greek volun teers are passing through Missolonghi to join *the insurgents. Thousands of Thessalia families have fled to Greece. - The Pays publishes the following from Athens, dated the 6th :—"The insurrection in Epi rus and Thessaly has made very little progress. The chiefs are more disunited than ever, and, consequently, there is but little unity in their acts. Tzavellas gives himself up to drink, and Negri, -a rich and respectable Greek, has abandoned him. Victim of his confidence in the sanctity of the Greek cause, after having given a part of his fortune tO - -insure its triumph, not being able any longer- to tolerate what he seen passing before him, he haiquitted his companions.' , The acts of- brigandage com mitted - by .th 6 Greek *Olunteers on the Ottoman territory canto the: most: ardent defenders of the great idea - to reflect seriously. The Turks, on their side, have been perhaps in the wrong to employ, for the repression of the-insurrection, Albanians, who commit great excesses and whO merit" to be treated with- seVerity. Not s n aki ng any distinction between villages which were in insurrection and those which remained faithful to Turkey, they pillaged and burnt everything on their passage. Lately, in Thessaly, some Greek volunteers, endeavouring to induce a village to take up arms, killed an old rayati who resisted them. Some days alter, some Greek dealers who are in the habit each year of proceedin g to Thessaly. to purchase cattle, pre sented th emselves in that "'Pr T illa g e ; the 41" habitants of which seemed inclined to menace them. The Turks took to flight ; but in repassing the frontier to return to their o•wn country, they were robbed and murdered by their countrymen. The Government continues to follow the same course as before. This day was the anniversary of the commencement of the war of independence. Usually, was to be.seen on the ti inn - Thal•arch under which . the King and Queen of Greece passed on their way to the church of St. Irene to hear the 'Pc Denn - t, the inscription " The three protecting Powers for ever !" but this year the following words were put up, " The Powers, our allies, for ever !" in allusion to the aid promised by Russia. The Ministers of the four Powers abstained from being present at the Te _Dewm, to mark in a pub lic manner their disapproval of the course pur sued by the Government. They have this year shown no sympathy for an independence of Which, so bad a use has been made for the last two years. M. Necludoff, first secretary of the Russian Lega tion in Greece, arrived here yesterday with de spatches from St. Petersburg. He announces with great emphasis that the Russians have crossed the Danube on three points, and that millions of men are marchirg on Turkey ! He is making great promises for Greece, and notwithstanding the de clarations of_the Emperor Nicholas in his secret overtures to England when speaking of the Hellenic Kingdom, a greater inclination is felt to place con fidence in what he says, because his language is identical with that employed at another period by Admiaat Koniloff. I will terminate my letter by a fact which will give you an idea of the amount of affection which the Government of Athens bears us. An individual sent to the Government a plan for making fire-ships, destined to set fire to our fleets. The Government took the proposition into consi deration, and sent it to a committee for examina tion. The committee declared that to carry the plan into practice was impossible, but that still the in ventor was entitled to a recompence for the idea." A letter from Patras, of the sth, states that on the Ist the French man-of-war brig Mercure, of 18 guns, arrived there from Nauplia to observe the movements of the Greeks and to prevent their going over into Epirus. On the 3d, 500 Pelopo nesians, under the orders of Calamogdatti, Londo, and Petimezas, attempted to embark for Misso lungi and penetrate into the insurgent districts, but the Mercure thwarted their design. They then resolved to embark at Rio, about an hour's march from Patrae, but even there the Mercure was be forehand with them. Nevertheless, another body, under Panaghioti Calamogdarti, that had not gone to Rio, managed to embark during the absence of the French vessel ; but to little purpose, for their craft fell in with the Mercure on her return and was forced to put back. They succeeded, how ever, in re-embarking and making off during the night, and upwards of 800 left by land. Twelve hundred more were expected at Patras for Epirus. The Journal de Constantinople, of the sth, pub lishes two interesting documents. The first is a reply from Reschid Paella dated the Ist, to a note of M. Metaxa, the Greek ambassador. It is as follows : " I have read the note of the 26th ult., in which you communicated to me your intention to quit this city. As the Government of the Sublime Porte has not ob tained from that of Greece a sufficient satisfaction. for its just claims, and as the Chaig4 d'Affaires of the Porte must have quitted Athens according to his in structions, it is natural that you should quit this capital. I send your passports therefore as you request. As from this day the diplomatic and commercial relations between the,two Governments have ceased, it has been decided that the pc , rsons connected with the Greek Embassy residing here, and also the Greek Consuls in the different provinces of the empire, shall immediately return to their own country. Ihe merchants and other subjects of the Greek Government established in Turkey are also to leave Constantinople ; but in order that their inter , sts may not suffer, a delay of 15 days from the present day is accorded to them. As to those who reside in the provinces of the empire, the delay of 15 days will reckon from the day on which they receive notice to leave. It results from positive proofs that it is not in consequence of negligence, but through the tole ration of the Greek Government, that the Turkish provinces bord-aing on Greece have been invaded. Al though the imperial Government has incontestably the • right to stop and coufisc ite all the Greek vessels in its ports as a guarantee for the rep..yment of the expense to which it has been pat, his Imperial Majesty the Sul- • tan, my august sovereign, does not think it wilLbe con si.tent with his feelings of justice and moderation to • make the owners of these vessels suffer for a question which regards the Greek Government. When the latter shall have returned to more just sentiments, and have taken into consideration international rights and tbe laws of nations, the claims for these expenses will be ex amined. All Greek vessels, therefore, may, without hindrance, leave for Greece within the delay specified. Orders have been given to all functionaries to facilitate the departure of those Greek subjects who are poor and destitute, and, as much as possible, to exercise indul gence towards those who are sick and infirm. I think it my duty to repeat once more that it is the Greek go _vernment alone which has given rise to this decision, and that the entire responsibility of it must fall upon Greece. In making this communication by order of his Majesty the Sultan, I take the opportunity of renewing to you the assurance of my distinguished consideration. " REEICHID." The other document is a circular addressed by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe : " Sir,—l have earned that the Hellenists who have invaded the fron ier provinces of Turkey excite the Greek subjects of the Sultan to revolt, in declaring that the Government of her Britannic Majesty and that of France are ready to aid them in overthrowing the autho rity of the Sultan. I am informed also that similar manoeuvres are employed to inspire a belief that the French and Englieh emb issies will give protection to all the subjects of Greece in Turkey as soon as the Porte, in consequence of the rupture of diplomatic and com mercial re'ations with Greece, shall have signified its intention to expel them from the States of the Sultan. As suppositions of this nature have for object to ens cot r ige false hopes, delude the, minds of the ;wells dispos A, and aggravate criminally the evils insiepars ali e Tram a state of war, I hasten to assure you , that these assertions are utteily destitute of foundation. 'rouse persons, indeed, must be very credulous and 'very ignorant who, even for a single moment,' found ;their hopes upon falsehoods alike incompatible with common sense and with filets. Such persons, however, them are, u:Strtunately, everywhere. and particulariy, perhaps,in a country which has, as yet, only imperfect means of publicity. You know as well as Ido that England and France are entirely with the Sultan in the noble resistance which he opposes to a violent and unjust aggres,•ion. It follows necessarily that the two allied governments must see with a painful sentiment of indignation and reprobStion a tu.ivenient can 41.1 y have a ti ndency favouralhie to Russia, without having even the merited !Ring-spontaneous • which might in its progress embarrass_the Porte and its allies, and which offers no other perspective than disaster to those who expose their lives for such a chimeripal illu &on. Pity ruu,t be felt for the innocent families 1111. - lia,ppi'y involved in the am , equences of a brutal and unprinc pled policy ; but there can be no relation on our part with agitators, and no dissimulation of the senti ments which the conduct of an / insensate party has not failed to inspire. I have to recommend to you to neg. neglect no } roper occasion to make known the contents " of this circular to all those persons who might be dis posed to allow themselves to be led astray by the false assertions which it denounces.—l am, sir, with sincerity and respect, your obedient servant, " STRAEFORD . DE REDOLIFFE." RUSSIAN PASSAGE OF THE DANUBE. (From the Supplement Lztraordinary of the Journal St. Petersburg. ) This Journal of the 6th of April contains a long report to the Emperor from' General Prince Gort schakoff, commanding the 3d, 4th, and sth corps of Infantry, giving the details of the occupation of the right bank of the Danube by th e R uss i an troops. The report commences by enumerating the troops employed in the operation. It states that 'the passage, before Galatz was intrusted to Aide-de-Camp General Luders, *ho had at his dis posal 241 battalions, 8 squadrons, 6 sotnias, and 64 pieces of artillery. Prince Gortschakoff gives the following as the total of the troops under his com mand :-14 battalions, 16 squadrons, 6 sotnias, and 44 pieces of artillery. He then proceeds to state as follows :--. " Lieutenant-G-eneral Ouschakoff had orders to force the passage of the Danube a little above the promontory of Tchetal, to carry the Turkish batteries established opposite that promontory, and, after having securely established himself on the right bank, to assist, by demonstrations against Tultseha and Isaktcha, the operations of the troops to be directed upon Galatz and Brailow. " The time for the passage before Galatz, Brailow, and Ismail, was fixed for the night of the 10th of March. The order was given to proceed to the construction of bridges as soon as the landing of troops upon these three points had been effected. " In order still more to - draw away the attention of the enemy, - Colonel Zouroff received orders to make, on the 9th, a strong, demonstration against Hirsova, with a de tachment of two , battalions of infantiy, two pieces a can non, six pieces of Warlachian artillery, two sonadroxis of. the Regiment or Lancers of Ol v i opo l , and two p i eces o f light - horse artillery. Thisdemonstration was attended. with full-stiec.ess, part of the Turkish - pos tion was destroyed by the fire of our artillery, which disabled - t]rree oftbiir pieces of cannon/ and they removed the rest. ' , - " The storm raged so heavily upon these three poin ill - that it Was necessary to defer the passage of 'the river till - the Ilth. - _ Lastly, in Order to lead the Turks into error Upon the precise poit.t of the passage of our troops, I gave orders on the 10th, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, for our batteries, established on th e l e ft b an k o f the Danube and the Diana of Vyndoi a to open a strong fire along the arm of Mat,scbint Thee batteries had been erected wsli remarkable talenb byAide-de:Canap General Schilders. ' In addition to the cross.firing, the igun-sloop ifu• Was 'brought on the 10th to the . , point of the Island of Vyndoia, in order to fire against the right bank of the Danube, above the arm of Matschin. " The united action of these two batteries was success; fel. The batteries of the enemy opposite the aru: , Itai,schin were much injured; but, although their fire Was diminished, it was maintained until nightfall. " On the 11th of March, at daybreak, General Lude r : , began the passage before Galatz. The Turks did not exlt.: - ta in that direction, so that upon thio , Poio the DOM' did mei to i gna hor Gal but ma wit tro( visi obs of t Mai coni pro< to t : of t' Reg 3d] No. sad emb ami, cool en et that plot 4C F . Afajc of tb tim e ;c r. tions direc hatt( Poss of th r 4 r i n ad th e i, batte men -- ~ Plete ei l before clear be eff across bridg 11.0 "A bM ti g, rrt ri ' dg, contri battai .Panel bank