The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-31 00:00:00

F OREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FRANCE. PARIS, MONDAY EVENING. Colonel Barmann, Charge d'Affaires of the Swiss AJO rifederation in Paris, left on Saturday for Berne, kith the object of conferring personally with the i\tederal Council on the great question of the day. cl a y Bar mann had an audience of the Emperor the 4 of his departure. His Majesty is said to have ex p r essed l .. his earnest desire that an arrangement . sh ould p be effected between the Confederation and G r , ll "ia• I believe that the English and French I ,•" 7 .erement s are agreed on this head, and . are 111 lag to co operate together towards a pacific solution, The Emperor wishes to be made acquai nted with the exact state of the question, "ad h e t c o precise nature of the demands of the af ederation, as he evidently is well aware of Ir e Pretensio ns o f P russ i a . A t e l egra phic despatch of °re Be rne of this day ' s date announces the arr i va l th l \ l . Bar mann, who, in all probab ili ty, h as b e f ore i l ! conf erre d w i th the Council. The concess i ons tOl i Switzerland has agree d t o ma ke are these :-- ;: ) , r nerati on of tho Neuchatel prisoners in exchange i n the form a l renunciations of the King ' s aut h or i ty ofthat canton ; the preservation to the King t a i i title of Prince of Neuchatel, without, of ae r : 3s . 4 e ; any real authority annexed thereto; pre est ,7 4 an of the property b e l ong i n g to charitable of I kelishments of Prussian origin, and restitution T L PrePerty b e l ong i ng to the Pruss i an govern ment. p' e vote on t h e authorization deman d e d b y th e The demand Council w as expecte d to ta k e place t o day, to " demand i s th a t th e C ounc i l s h e ll b e au th or i se d l L e gociate th e p ac ifi c so l ut i on o f t h e thiTerenees n"le bases hitherto observed ; approbation of the p e e : su res of defence, and in course of execution ; ; e rt employ all the efforts necessary to c . om• fie e ,, - : t he defence of the territory ; an unlimited 0 -ueial credit, and authority to contract a loan of d t o Z il liensof francs. A committee of 11 was name b e up a report ; of what nature that vote will w "'S not difficult to say. The accounts from the itol ' e s Cantons describe the unanimitywhich prevails res ° m ilg all parties and classes, and their united f th,tve to defend to the last the independence of at The Swiss Government will not be •` 13 , 88 for money to carry on the war, if war hav: r O n atelY break out. Sums to any amount kn v ir be en offered by the Swiss bankers in Paris ati, elsewhere, and indeed seldom has a question looli eri which has called a nobler or more unani -17, Manifestation. than this. That unanimity h not be ers still more vigorously displayed since the Swisttlinste article in the Moniteur, in which t te lt : w ere treated so cavalierly. This is all the h eere r has gained by that ungracious lecture. h I) i . o r excited indignation in Switzerland, and as lett o ,, lie ,ed no good impression at home. A Paris to elle of the Brusselsaers, Napoleon having withdrawnsays that the his " pro slices.- from the Swiss, they must infallibly "ell in the quarrel with Prussia. Itwould t he e lerei n , t he Government hinted to its writers of the Too 64 Press to abstain from irritating language. tre, ra lich has been excited against the • eere r addi tio here and abroad to inflame it by 4 A nal gratuitous contumely. sad from Berne, of yesterday's date,_ : t h'e t th at "the proposition of the Emperor. re d la „ Id o t he mediation, has not yet been received . " the no t think that matters have gone so far yet a s clee i b t ej of mediation. The Emperor will, no e l east exactly informed of the state of the d c t a h s e 'east % ," 111 eat which Switzerland will grant, an 'Wet. W r uteh Prussia will accept—before a formal Said,"4,Mediation is made. As I have already Sh oal Emperor is anxious that the question wittibe settled by France and England. of recallesPect to the power the Confederation . ha; tti infing all Swiss citizens in foreign serv i i n ce ;he tay el lned that three of the re °Ni le - Pill • 158. a t iont i o n f g of Naples are sti g ll im u e n n d t e s r . those which the term does not expire till 0 14 Co nsequently the power of recall exists.. 'rov an n ",, ea se I have little doubt that the Swiss 2e etis el' O - f . 4 .„, e nt would make an appeal to all its cit rR da 'me and abroad, that the country being d fen ce their services are required for its o th, ; Attempts have been frequently made by 'ivhi e b w . i ss Government to put a stop to recruiting. hood the carried on in the neighbour YeA rs tee Lake of Como, and within the last two Sons Yarn informed that not less than 200 per have b b "th Neap o li tan cr i mps as we ll as recruits, ofr eoce e en tried, conv i cted, and pun i s h e d f or the It i s said that the answer of the Cabinet of St. ri t_er s b arg, with reference to the Paris Confe or 8 has bee n rece i ved, and that the Emperor ssi a assents to all th a t h as b een proposed. be the case the Conferences will, after all, e elv e there f ormality. )° . ii follo w i ng yea telegraph despatch has been " MADRID, DEC 27, EVENING. 111.0 ' Th e representative of the house of MM. Mires i' l4 „ , ! Co. h as j ust paid into the treasury the oult0110)?,000 o f rea l s, the first instalment of the new „The Persiat Envoy was to l eave Constant i nop l e 221, on his way to Pafis. A:private letter s th a t h e had written to the Shah on account of demands made by Lord Stratford de Redcliffe. o p!! t'nvoy is the bearer of letters for the Emperor I;_,,lte French and the Queen of England. The deuilavourable weather is alleged as the cause of the Thehich has already taken place. qtriL Emperor yesterday received Count Kisseleff, kac.eassador of Russia, who presented to his 1 1 ,42tY a letter from the Emperor Alexander, an- G rn ' e ,ing the birth of Prince Nicholas, son of the ,inuke Nicholas. in ere . el ,e has been but little movement in the corn- Thealsal quarters of Paris during the last week. at tf: ° Pa have in general been deserted, although Nver e - „ no t of the shopkeepers, the hawkers Low " c ' t Permitted to erect their booths on the . whielelvards until Saturday last. These booths, in tirtio ar e exhibited a grea t var i e ty o f cheap pith ea calculat e d f or new year ' s g if ts , h ave been N tr e rto opened on the 16th of Decem b er. The Pear a to t imposed on t h em t hi s year d oe s not ap: ler h ave been o f muc h a d van t age to the regu I vere ealer a• On S a t ur d ay afternoon the Boulevards at eve r ,. e , rowded with pedestrians, who stopped f or 8 •Y Dootb. where new year's giftsexposed were fm th e a le, but made few purchases. Letters from Plaints districts are filled with f c cl l%e 13 1 c l the scarcity of money, and the s hopedlitti: of obtaining discounts. It o i f gat the last decision of the Bank il avin Fi'an- r e ,',admitti ng for discount commercialt bills the exte n t '5 days to run, though not going flatiti,;:xPected, will tend to diminish the exi o s h t a in v g a 'iltelviViSarnentes, The Christmas holidays. la , an - ;: e caused a stagnation of business in the o he ti l l l ' act uring towns. Of these Lyons appears r aw .Beilinleat flourishing, The fall in the price of , th eir has enabled the manufacturers to renew e► Nre El i t :i ck and to set to work many frames that ins ; - 'e• The price of wheat continues tocrdael %er,,an all the markets of France, and in general ' the bortf, ar e more sellers than buyers, except et oe c The farmers who had held over their a rio w " s . k e xpecting a demand from the sou h d at ; r 4 i nina them to market, being alarme ''cin t quan b tities of wheat arriving at Marseilles recur t Lie Black Sea. The following is the official mar- l(N` 11 of the price of wheat in the different ro r ., o f France by which the price ofbread is sled ; - in ,), The highest price is 30f. 97c. per hectolitre . 1 81 p, -le Markets of Toulouse, Gray, Lyons, an t d , t.; r aeill os . ; and the lowest 24f. 58c. in those N of St, Th',, 1 % 41 p01, Quimper, Hennebon, and Nantes. loty average for the whole of France is 27f. , than the last return. 1.1 the Paris flour market during the past week In a -ea have been constantly declining, and the 1 fa 5 1 7 1 kih., Y be estimated at about 2f. the sack of at 7if• - g r arnines. The four marks were offered for 7ef a nd excellent samples could be obtained The reserve I ' l '4 • Ti at the Hille is about 1.0,000 rleal quintals (the quintal is 2211 lb.)" state that from Varna, of the 7th December,. at the arrival of wheat from the Interior was impeded by heavy snow, which had rendered the roads impassable. An immense quantity of new wine has arrived at Berey within the present month, partidularly from the Loire and the Cher. These wines are of good quality, and have Met a ready sale at high prices. New wine from Lower Burgundy is not saleable, in consequence of its inferior quality. It appears there is no great stock on hands in the wine growing districts, and that no decrease in price is expected. Spirits of wine are in had de mand in the south, but spirits distilled from beet root are eagerly sought for in the north. Accounts from Cambrai state that two thirds of the last crop of beetroot is exhausted, and that the distillers have been barely able to supply the demands MARSEILLES, DEC. 28. Accounts have been received from Constantino ple to the 18th. The Turkish government has contracted a loan of 35.000,000 of piastres (about 350,00014 Feruk Khan has sent off a despatch to Teheran, in which he declares that negociations with Lord Stratford de Radcliffe had been broken off. Despatches had been received from Teheran to the 17th of November. A decree of the Shah of Persia had invested the Grand Vizier with unli mited power for life. The same decree, adding that serious events had arisen, calls on the people to show themselves energetic in defence of their honour. All the chiefs of tribes who occupy the neighbourhood of Herat have made their submis sion. The Persian columns, sent in pursuit of Dost Mahommed, were advancing towards Can dahar. THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, WEDNESDAY. SWITZERLAND. The following are the proceedings of the first sitting of the Federal Assembly at Berne, Saturday, 27th D?cember. The Session was opened by a speech from M. Martin, the President, in the following terms : .‘ Three months have scarcely elapsed since you declared that the Republicans of Neufchatel had deserved well of the country, for having alone triumphed over the royalist revolt of the 3rd Sep tember. Since then events have marched, the position has become worse ; it is no longer Neuf chatel, it is all Switzerland that is in question. The Federal Council thought it necessary to convoke you again, to take measures demanded by the circumstances in which the country is placed. Justice followed its course tranquilly to discover not only the authors but the instigators of the rebellion of September, and to apply the punishment laid down by law for factions, who in arms by night disturbed the public peace, and endeavoured to overthrow the constitution of the country. A foreign prince, the King of Prussia, has demanded of Switzerland the liberation of the prisoners—consequently the acknowledgment of his rights over the principality of Neufchatel. This demand could not be admitted without abdicating our rights as a sovereign state—as a free and independent nation. That which the King of Prussia could not obtain he wishes to impose on us by force of arms. Under this menace the opinion of Switzerland could not be doubtful. At the first news a single cry escaped from the heart of all the children of the country—a unanimous burst of enthusiasm showed that the Swiss people has not degenerated, that they are worthy of their ancestors and of their liberty. We may joyfully affirm that throughout, the people and the government are animated by the most ardent patriotism, and are ready to make every sacrifice for the defence of our independence. Whatever their public opinion, they aro all united in the same feeling, that of the danger of the country. Happy the country which can thus count on her children. Moreover, the cause for which we are to fight is a holy cause, that of liberty; it is the principle of the sovereignty of the people upon which rests our Con stitution, fighting against the worn out principle of divine right supported by the treaties of 1815, a thousand times torn by our adversary who invokes them to-day. Let us know how to maintain in our deliberations the calm and dignity which become an assembly of the representatives of a free people, and avoid even the semblance of fanfaronade. What the country wants is acts. Lot our decisions bear the impress of republican energy. Let us not recoil before any sacrifice—that is the surest way of guaranteeing our liberty, of maintaining our i n d epe ndence, and saving our country. We know that the entire people are with us. We have reached a crisis when the national existence of Switzerland is at stake. May the God of our fathers enable us to issue from it with honour ; and if the danger pass away, may this crisis con tribute to still more strengthen concord among all the sons of our country, and the patriotism of her children. God protect Switzerland ! God bless Switzerland ! " The assemblage then proceeded to the election of a new President, and afterwards to the nomination of the Commission on the Neufchatel question. g telegraphic despatch has been The followin received at Paris : "BERNE, Dee. 28. " Conformably to a decision of the Federal Assembly, a commission of 11 members has been appointed to prepare a report on the situation of affairs. " The Federal Assembly adjourned without dis solving itself definitively. "The proposition of the Emperor of the French relative to a mediation which was spoken of , ha s not yet been received. " The Federal Council has given orders for the speedy organisation of the Landwehr. Councillor Furrer has left for Frankfort, and Councillor Frey for Basle. The missions with which they are charged probably contain a common proposition. I\l. BarMatill, the Swiss Envoy at the Court of the Tuileries, has arrived hero. Hopes are enter tained of peace." A letter from Constance, in the Swabian Mercury, says : " The Prusso-Swiss difficulty has placed us all a e t onc e in a very disagreeable position ; for sinc yesterday, measures have been taken to fortify the town on the side of Switzerland, and to construct redoubts. The military authorities have borrowed from the municipal administration the necessary tools, while awaiting supplies from Carlsruhe. The military posts have been augmented, and patrols are stationed along the frontier. On the other hand, a Swiss corps has arrived at Kreuz li n gen and Emisdorf , opposite the town of Con stance." Under date of 26th December, the Federal Council of Switzerland addressed a message to the High Federal Assembly, concerning the Neufchatel Question. After stating that it had intimated its willingness to effect an amicable settlement through the bons offices of France or England, but that it had de clined to liberate the prisoners though asked to do so by France, by Austria, and by Russia, the mes sage says : "In the course of October the affair seemed about to enter a phasis favourable to Switzerland, thanks to the benevolent efforts of the English Government. On the 25th of the said month the British Legation asked whether the Federal Coun cil would consent to the immediate liberation of the Neufchatel prisoners in ease the King of Prussia would give to France and England the confidential assurance that he would renounce his claims to the sovereignty of Neufchatel on the ollowing conditions : " 1. That he should continue to bear the title of Prince of Neufchatel. " 2. That he should remain in possession of all his private property in the canton of Neufchatel. "3. That certain religious and charitable establishments, in which the King took a lively interest, should be placed beyond all harm. " The reply which we made to that verbal note is dated 29th October. " We commenced by expressing our thanks to the British Government for the kind interest it had manifested in the Neufchatel question, as well as for the friendly disposition it had displayed. We declared ourselves disposed, so much as it depended upon us, after having received the adhe sion of the Government of Neufchatel to the over tures which bad been made, to accept the points indicated by the nglish Government as the basis Of a negociation and settlement with the King of Prussia. " With a vie* to provide the British Govern ment with niot•e ample information, we thought fit to and the following observations:— " 1. According to the positive declaration of the Government of Neufchatel the latter is not aware that the King of Prussia has any private property in the Canton of Neufchatel. Supposing, how ever, that such were the case, that property should be respected the same as any other private pro perty. " As regards the revenues which the King pos sessed in his quality of sovereign of the country, they could not come under the head of private property. In case of an arrangement, to prevent all misunderstanding, it would be necessary to specify what private property belonged to the King. A special arrangement should also be made respecting the religious and charitable institutions. " These proposals (says the message) fell to the groan They were not even proposed to the Berlin Cabinet, as, in the opinion of the English Government itself, their refusal could only lead to greater complications." The message then treats of General Dufour's mission to Paris. On the 24th Oct. the Emperor had addressed himself directly to General Dufour, offering to aid in the settlement of the point in dispute. The Emperor asked Switzerland to liberate the prisoners at the formal request of the Emperor, thus placing, so to say, the fate of Neuf chatel in his hands, and thus, in his opinion, saving the national amour-propre. Should Switzerland refuse this overture, the Emperor would allow matters to take their course, and make no opposition to the concentration of a Prussian army in the Grand Duchy of Baden. It was thought advisable to send General Dufour to Paris to give a verbal answer to the Emperor. The General's instructions were-1. To thank the Emperor for the interest he took in Switzerland. 2. To express the regret of the Federal Council that it could not comply with the request of the Emperor to liberate the prisoners at once ; on the contrary, that it must adhere to the basis which, on the initiative of England, had been communicated to the English and French Governments. The message explains the ground of this refusal, namely, that unless the King of Prussia simultane ously with the liberation of the prisoners made a declaration of compensation, Switzerland would by complying compromise her rights, and it would be regarded as an act caused by fear. The message then enters into detail respecting the formal demand made by the Prussian repre sentative for the unconditional liberation of the prisoners, and the refusal of the Federal Council on the 19th of November. On the 26th of November the French Govern ment addressed a note to that of Switzerland, urging the immediate liberation of the prisoners. Meantime the English Government had taken an attitude which differed essentially from that of the Government of France. The message then describes the state of the question at the present moment. ITALY. TURIN, DEC. 2). For some days past it has been reported from Parma and Modena that the Emperor of Austria was expected to visit those cities in the course of next month, and persons about the Court at the former place asserted that the object of his going there was to honour the sister of the legitimate Sovereign of France. I hear to-day, from Florence, that His Imperial and Royal Majesty is positively expected there also, and that the Municipality had in anticipation already invited the householders to make prepara tions for illuminations and other festivities. Tho invitation, as you may conceive, was not received with much cordiality, and my informant, hims:;lf a householder, appears anything rather than inclined to comply with the request. The Grand Duke of Tuscany has appointed the Cavaliere Lenzoni, now Minister Plenipotentiary for Tuscany at the Court of Vienna, to the post of Minister for Foreign Affairs, the duties of which office have been fulfilled by M. Baldasseroni ever since the retirement of the Prince Corsini. There is nothing remarkable in this nomination, it is sail. M. Lenzoni is reputed to be more a man of society than of business, and his political opinions, what ever they may be, aro supposed to be completely Austrian, from his long residence at Vienna. I mentioned the other day the numerous and severe sentences continually published by the official paper of Modena as having been passed by the Per manent Court-martial sitting at Carrara. The same authority sow announces that the Duke of Modena has raised the state of siege in that city and com mune. The ordinary laws were originally suspended in that district in consequence of disturbances between the masters and workmen connected with the quarries (which are unfortunately frequent occurrences there), and which were believed to have been quite free from anything political, but the military commission was expressly appointed to deal summarily with the offenders against the law, and thought it right forthwith to treat the whole affair as the effect of a political conspiracy, and thence came the great number of sentences on persons for belonging to secret societies which have appeared of late. The Piedmontese Gazette records the arrival of the Prince Carignano at Nice on the 23rd inst., and thither his Majesty Victor Emanuel, who is now in Turin for the Christmas holidays, will also repair early in January, it is said, to pay a visit to the Dowager Empress of Russia. The chief members of the Corps Diplomatique accredited to this Court will likewise visit N►ce next month, probably in order to pay their respects to the Empress. SPAIN. Our accounts from Madrid are of the 25th inst. The Madrid Gazette publishes a royal decree authorising the free importation of wheat, barley, maize, and flour into the ports of the Asturias at the request of the Governor of Oviedo. The religious monarchial party aro organising themselves in the provinces in order to take part in the forthcoming municipal elections. The growing crops in Andalusia promise a most abundant harvest. MILITARY AND NAVAL INTELLIGENCE. Lieutenant-Colonel H. Anderson, in command of the troops of the invalid establishment, Chatham, has received an order for the whole of those troops belonging to various cavalry and infantry regiments, to the number of 252 men, who have been medi cally inspected by the Board of Commissioners from Chelsea Hospital to be discharged from Chatham on Thursday morning. In addition to this number, 29 non-commissioned officers and men belonging to the sth Fusileers and the 71st Highlanders were yesterday inspected at Fort Pitt Hospital and pronounced unfit for further service. A handsomely chased silver cup, with an address expressive of esteem and affection, has been pre• sented to Brevet Major W. P. Collingwood, 21st Fusileers, by the officers of the 14th battalion Land Transport Corps. The officers in this address express their regret at the removal of Captain Coi ling .vood from the corps, which regret, they say, is only lessened by the recollection that it tends to his benefit. Capt. Collingwood in acknowledging the testimonial, after thanking the officers, says ho receives it as a gratifying proof that the mainten ance of strict order is not incompatible with the object of securing at the same time the respect and affection of those subject to its rules. The Stromboli, 6, paddlewheel sloop, Commander Burgess, arrived at Portsmouth on Monday from the Mediterranean with a few invalids, v%ho were landed by the tug Pigmy. The Clinker, 2, steam gunboat, Lieutenant Hud son, arrived at Portsmouth yesterday morning from the Mediterranean. Her Majesty's screw block-ship Pembroke, 60, Captain Fraser, fitting out at Portsmouth for Coastguard service, had her compasses adjusted yesterday. Her Majesty's ship Shannon, 61, Captain W. Peel, C. 8., left Spithead yesterday at noon for Lisbon, tou..hing at Plymouth. Her Majesty's screw steamship Victor Emmanuel, 91, got up her steam yesterday at Portsmouth, to try her engines again. The Prussian frigate Thetis, 40, Captain Sun denal, went into Portsmouth harbour yesterday afternoon to have a refit. The accoustic system of communicating from deck to deck, or from or to aloft on board ship, having answered so well in the British navy, the Admiralty have ordered all ships to be supplied with the tubes, and the patentee, Mr. William Wolfe Bonney, has just returned from Cronstadt, where lie has been fitting his tubes to the new 84- gun steamship Retuizan. All the other ships of the Russian navy at Cronstadt are also ordered to be fitted in the spring with the like means of Com municating, in any weather or circumstances, orders from and to any part of the ship. Captain R. Farmer, late in command of the Royal Marines serving on board the Nile, 90, Captain G. R. Mundy, attached to the West India fleet, has been relieved by Captain G. M. Mansell, and has joined his division at Chatham on account of ill health. An experimental trial having been suggested to test the depth of water required to float the Cale donia in Woolwich dock, the caisson was again withdrawn yesterday, and, the tide flowing in with rapidity, soon after 2 p.m the vessel was perceived to be afloat. Ropes were readily adjusted, and the warping apparatus put in motion, and she was conveyed in safety to the river and steered across to her moorings alongside the Salsette. In doing this the stern part of the Caledonia, drifted by the force of the current, caught the rigging of one of the dockyard craft at anchor, when it was feared no seamanship could prevent her from grounding. However, by dint of skilful management she was towed to her berth and made safe without damage. Her Majesty's iron paddle-wheel steam vessel Oberon, 3, Lieutenant Commander John M. Jack son (late of the Blenheim), has arrived at Wool wich from the Mediterranean. She has been two years in her present commission, during which period she was employed, first, in the Dardanelles and the Black Sea. In June she returned to Malta, and was engaged in the mail packet service between Malta and the lonian Islands, until the line was abolished. She left Malta on the 28th of November, and experienced a boisterous passage, in which her rudder was washed away. She was consequently obliged to bear up for Port Mahon, and refit to carry her home. After ship ping a temporary rudder she returned to Gibraltar, and baying encountered a succession of severe gales she cracked the entablature of her engines On the 18th inst. she made shelter under Cape Finisterre, where she lay at anchor until the 21st, when she again put to sea, and reached Ports mouth at 230 p.m. on the 24th of December. She left on the following day for Woolwich, but, owing to the dense fog which obstructed the navigation, she was obliged to anchor several times. She arrived at Woolwich at 3 p.m. on Sunday. The Oberon has bronght home seven invalid seamen, and landed several passengers at Portsmouth. Appointments :—Rear Admiral Sir Houston Stewart, K.C.8., is appointed Commander in Chief on the North American and West India statio❑ ; Captain Frederick Warden is appointed Naval Officer at Gibraltar; Captain Robert Craigie is appointed Superintendant of the Royal William Victualling Yard and the Naval Hospital, Ply mouth ; Captain George Elliot, and Captain Robt. Smart, K.II , are appointed paid Aides de Camps to the Queen; Captain Hastings, Captain R. Yel verton, C.B , and Captain G. St. Vincent King, C.B , are appointed Aides de Camp to the Queen. The following appointments were made on Mon day at the Admiralty :—Lieutenant F. W. Bennett, to the Tortoise ; Joshua Cole, Naval Cadet, to the Indus. NOTES OF A TOUR FROG NiOSCOW TO THE CRIMEA AND ODESSA. (Continued from the Northern Times of Dec. 27.) Ocr. 5 —The only thing which occurred to annoy us last night, in addition to the behaviour of the tarantasse, was the constant interruptions occasioned by the trains of country carts on the road, with sleepy or careless drivers and erratic propensities. Here we are really on a high way, and there ought to be a right and a left hand side, but the distinction is only to be established by the immi nent danger of collision, or by the application of the whip to the population generally. The wild yells, the strange objurgations, and the savage dialogue which arose as our yamschik trundled down on a string of those carts, was quite enough to banish sleep for the time. By the dim light of our lamps as the tarantasse jllted past them we could just catch a glimpse of the half awakened carrier through the driving rain, and see him tugging manfully at his horses, to drag them out of our line of tire. Tho lot of the poor creatures who conduct the internal carrying trade of Russia is scarcely to be borne by even the most resigned of serfs, and it may be considered that they are the most miserable class of all the miserables whose fate it is to live under the wing of the double-headed eagle. It is, nevertheless, true that many serfs envy the carriers, for their life is free. That is, it frt quently happens that the man who is a sort of fluctuating, uncertain property, always on the move, and shifting his position from place to place, is practically out of the reach of the superintend ent, and is sometimes liberated from serfdom altogether in consideration of a certain sum paid down to his master. Through the summer heats and in the winter's cold the carrier drives on night and day, and accomplishes by the endurance of every privation and by the most stolid, ox-like persistence the most enormous distances. The frozen lake, the great inland sea. the turbid mountain torrent, the pathless steppe, the dull, dead, straight high road,—he plods over or along them all with equal indif ference, prepared for so many copecks per pood, to carry a load as far round the world as Russia extends. Clad in a high-smelling sheepskin coat, with the skin turned outwards and " the woolly side in," a sheepskin cap, a surcoat of cotton, a red shirt, loose linen trousers, drawn over a wonderful series of cloth cuisses, and great jack boots, made of most unmistakeable Russia leather, with his own little particular saint fastened round his neck, a loaf of black bread somewhere in his cart. a co peck or two for the purchase of corn whisky in his pocket and a store of onions and cabbages for his humble meal, the carrier will start from Moscow to Tartary, Odessa, or to Tiflis with equal indifference. The cart is a light framework of wood, with sides of birch bark, and a tilt roof of coarse canvas or oilcloth stretched over hoops. The wheels are not always provided with iron tires —indeed, never in the south of Russia, and the rim is com. posed of pieces which form very imperfect circles, and seem very slightly connected with each other. The axles project far beyond the naves, and curious gye ropes and stays of rope springing out of these parts are connected with the shafts, and aid in holding the fabric together. The harness is of leather and rope, the horses are hardy and hairy, and will make an honest and ample livelihood by pickings of bits of wood-shavings, thistles, and weeds along the borders of the highway or on the stony steppe. The load of a cart rarely exceeds I# cwt, and the cost of carriage is so much increased by the greatness of the dis tances to be traversed, thkt notwithstanding the absolute cheapness of transport considered per se, as so much per pood per verst, the prices are very much affected as the traveller approaches or recedes from the sea. Thus the transport of a bottle of wine from Odessa to Kharkoff adds a shilling to its price, and the rate increases in pro portion with the weight rather than with the bulk of the article to be carried. These men suffered most dreadfully during the war. They were pressed for service wherever they could be found, and forced at the point of the lance to carry loads which often proved destructive to the carts and fatal to the horses, if, indeed, the proprietors sur vived to witness the loss- In snowdrifts and in lakes of mud these wretched men sank to rise no more, or staggered on, fever-stricken, over the parched 'steppe till they lay down to die in the blazing sunshine. The number of men and animals used up in this way exceeds belief, and, although, after my personal experience of the route which they followed, I can believe what was stated to me. I dare not tax the credulity of your readers by repeating the figures to them. I have a kind of sleepy consciousness that we changed horses several times during the night, and that an immense deal of time was generally lost in getting out the quadrupeds, waking up the yamschiks, and fighting the postmasters, and a good deal of grumbling took place whenever the purse-bearer was roused up to pay for greasing the wheels, or to give the drivers their na vodka or na tchai (literally " for brandy or " for tea ")—drink money. With the morning light came no very pleasant prospect ; rain still fell at intervals, the country smoked with a kind of misty dew, and the poor villages of wooden houses by the roadside looked ultra uncomfortable in their environs of thick black mud. The country, however, seemed fer tile, and was not destitute of marks of cultivation. The surface lay on either side of us in a series of easy undula tions studded with clumps of trees or patches of forest, and marked out into fields by hedges which were preparing themselves by looking as dry, as spiky, and as rough as possible, to do battle with the coming winter. As the day drew on, the mujiks issued forth from their huts, and rubbed their eyes as the tarantasse drove past, or with the calm dignity of command superintended the operations of their wives and daughters, who were busied in driving forth the pigs and cattle, drawing water from the wells, or beating up maize and rye in small mortars for the morn ing meal. Every one has described the ronjik, whom we Call sett, but Whom the polite Russian—in order not to hurt one's feelings, possibly—always speaks of as " paysan," and who is, according to his master's account of him, possessed of many most admirable qualities—to wit, faith and charity (but, alas ! no hope), patience, courage. submissiveness, loyalty, and patriotism• But they dare not for their lives say that. he is honest, intelligent, sober, industrious, truthful, or moral. The Russian soldiers and "peasants" have a saying which is to this effect—" That he who sees drink, food, money. or clothes unguarded and does not take them is a fool who ought never to get the chance again;" and I believe they act very much on that principle. Their faith, indeed, is great, but it would be dif ficult to draw the line which separates it from gross super stition and ignorant fanaticism; their charity is undoubted, and each may well say, "miser ego miseris succurere disco." As to patienge i it is sometimes a forced virtue imposed on us by the inutility and danger of impatience, and in the Russian it is allied closely to an Oriental fatalism. Ills courage is undoubted ; it is counceted with his patience, religious faith, and habits of submission, and is quite destitute of brilliancy or dash. In doggedness and indifference to suffering, in the mute endurance of p ►in, and in fearlessness of death the Russian is courageous, but in the higher qualities of bravery he is dencient. On his submissiveness rests the whole structure 01 Russian Govern- meet and Russian society, but I much doubt whether he is loyal, as among no people hare there been more plots against the throne, more revolts, more resistance to the sovereign, till the cannon came in to decide the contro versy, on the revival of which he has since kept his eye steadily fixed and very wide open. Granting that he is possessed of patriotism, we shall find, nevertheless, that it is rarely if ever strong enough to resist tho voice of avarice, and that his dishonesty is stronger than his love of country. Thus, one universal system of plunder and robbery of the national property took place during the late war. None too great —none too small to share in it, and the commission which is now spread abroad over the empire enquiring into the thefts and peeulations of public servants, civil and military, is said to be appalled by the disclosures which have been made, and to hesitate in continuing Its labours. In spite of all that reason urges against the Russian and his morals, one cannot help pitying the poor fellow and magnifying the virtues which he undoubtedly possesses. How much or how many of his vices may arise from his profound ignorance, his hopeless mental darkness, the degredation of his position, and the form of government under which he lives, it is impossible for me to say, but their master's claim for them the possession of a spaniel's "good qualities," and too often give them a spaniel's treatment. Where is the peasant in all broad Russia who dare resent a kick, a knockdown blow, a bleeding mouth, or a black eye, received at the hands of the meanest official with a Government button on his cap? A complaint to a local magistrate for such an offence would, I am assured, be regarded as a proof of some dangerous conspiracy, and a demonstration of stupendous audacity which would expose the mujik to suspicion or punishment. However, we shall see and talk more of him as we get on. It is now a quarter to eight in the morning, and we are entering the town of Serpuchoff, a town of about 7,000 inhabitants, 93 versts, or 62 miles, south of Moscow. The natives aro obviously influenced by their proximity to the ancient capital, and have " run up " an infinity of little churches, with the usual cupolas and spires, all over the town, so that, from a distance, it looks like a city. I counted more than a dozen edifices of the kind, the clean white steeples and green and gilt cupolas of which presented a marked contrast to the filth profound of the streets. We lumbered along in a foot of mud, through straggling wooden houses, now and then interspersed with larger mansions of stone, and, passing a small beloi gorod, or white city, a sort of little Kremlin, surrounded with white walls, with bat•lemented tops pulled up at the inn in a square of some 300 yards broad, which was like a lake of liquid n ud, with dunghills rising island like above the surface. Through this delectable slough there tum• bled about, like porpoises in a tideway, shoals of the wildest looking pigs, the very aspect of which was enough to drive into a state of mental aberration the strongest minded member of the Smithfield Club. Very tall, long in the leg, and thin in the flank as greyhounds, with huge heads armed with great tusks and garnished with ponde rous ears, these animals seemed utterly unsuited for the purpose of the ham or bacon producer, and to be valuable only for their bristles, of which a mane ran down their sharp backs, and a plentiful flock depended from their scraggy sides. There was nothing very pleasant to regale any of the senses on at Serpuchoff. The inn itself was a mean-looking building, two stories high, with narrow, dirty windows. The town, as far as it was visible, in spite of its minarets, cupolas, and spires, seemed the very castle and capital of indolence. Silent groups of serfs propped up the walls of the houses a i'lrlandaise, waiting till the chapels were open, or till they were tired of resting themselves, all clad alike in sheepskin coats and long boots, the women being only distinguishable from the men by their caps, the absence of beards, and greater bulk—l had almost said stature. The townspeople splattered along the narrow and irregular pave in those wonderful long-skirted frock coats the notion of which they seem to have borrowed from the Jewish gaberdine, and in those fist and ugly caps with huge peaks, their fondness for which is characteristic of the Russian race. Standing by the kerbstones, over the ankles in mud, were several of the most miserable " objects" of charity one could find in all the ragged realm of mendicancy, who kept up a low monotonous whining for alms, tteiroughly professional, and so irritating as to drive the hardest-hearted of men to throw his last copeck away to escape its infliction. Beggars of beggars they were indeed ; old met► and women, in rags of undistinguishable fabric, their heads covered with the folds of the coarse sackcloth which descended over their shoulders as a substitute for a coat, and their feet, as we could see whenever they moved, thrust into rude sandals made of birch bark, plaited together. Two prisoners in chains were with their con sort, crossing the mud of the square, almost as miserable in aspect—God knows how far they differed—as the unclean animals whom they displaced on their weary way. Their guards differed in no respect th it we could see from the common soldiers of the line. As they passed the door one of the poor beggars who was standing by the way fumbled amid her rags, and, drawing forth some small copper coin, gave it to the younger of the men, who seemed to take it without either surprise or gratitude. Indeed, one of the peculiar sights of Russia is the number of prisoners who may be seen marching through the streets of the large towns early in the morning. It is so common in Moscow that at first one might suppose the population was in a very depraved and criminal condition, but on enquiry he will find that the city is the centre of concen tration for the offenders of all European Russia, and that they are collected hence from all parts and sent into Siberia. It is almost a novel, and, under any circum stances, it is no pleasing spectacle in any capital to look at parties of men laden with heavy chains, and guarded by soldiers with fixed bayonets parading through the thoroughfares, but when - you recollect that these - whom you see here are indeed exiles of Siberia; that they are doomed to travel on foot for many, many months over desert steppes, over mountain and river, through flood and storm, through wastes of snow and parched plains; that they will be exposed to every vicissitude of climate; that after they have performed this terrible journey and have passed such a tremendous ordeal, they begin that punish ment which never ceases till the Great Comforter comes to their release, a flood of pity overwhelms all sugg-stions that reason could offer to dam t he charity of the heart, and these miserable criminals for the moment are almost ennobled in your imagination by the sufferings they will have to undergo, and are considered for the moment as martyrs rather than the objects of just and condign punishment. These prisoners are of all classes of the lower people; soldiers, militiamen, and sheepskin-clad peasants formed the bulk of those sad caravans I saw these last two mornings. One I was peculiarly struck with—a very old man, with a white beard, chained to a yonnger man, dragged his limbs along with pain and difficulty, his ragged clothes were covered with dust, and his broken boots bore the marks of travel. His cap was slouched over his face as if to conceal his features, and he turned as far as possible his head from his companion. The younger man, sullen and downcast, strode along with all the vigour of youth, and at times dragged the old man by the wrist as he quickened his steps to keep up with the quick march of the guard. Behind the soldiers there came a woman holding by the hand a boy of nine or ten years of age, the eyes of both were swollen and red with tears. On which of the prisoners their affections were fixed it was impossible to say—whether it was the wife's or the mother's heart that was wrung by such bitter sorrow I knew not, but that fidelity and affection and love animated that poor woman, footsore and haggard, and that boy, whose shoeless feet were trailed heavily after him in their pilgrimage, was certain, and the crime and law and justice were forgotten in the spectacle of so much suffering. Entering the hotel with an undecipherable name, we clambered up a greasy stone staircase which led to the long corridor of many doors usual in such establishments, all white as limewash could make it, but pervaded by that dreadful and sickening odour so common in Russian interiors and with which we became only too familiar as our journey was extended, without, however, ever becoming accustomed or reconciled to it. The cause of this smell, which strikes one's nostril as if palpably, and which gives the idea of some horrible atmosphere of cloggy, flabby, fat soup, is beyond my knowledge or powers of investigation. It is a national curse. Without exaggeration it may be said to be a national evil, and how the population survive it is more than a man with an ordinary sense of smell can imagine. Wo found it at the Katcha, at the Belbek, in some of the houses of Balaklava, in the casemates of the Redan and Malakhoff, at Kertch, at Yenikale, at Kinburn, but I never encountered it in a Greek hut or a Tartar cabin. Our guide was the tchelevek, or waiter of the house—a white haired, white eyed, white but not clean faced, round headed Russian in jackboots, loose Oriental trousers over. flowing the tops thereof in festoons of threadbare grey cloth, and a tight tunic which had once been white also, and which resembled a collarless cotton shirt fastened round the waist by a pocket handkerchief. To be on good terms with your tchelevek in Russia is as important to your comfort as it is for you to be a favourite of the steward or butler in your club in London. " Tehelevek," or waiter, indeed, you may call him when desiring his services. but when he comes you must, if you expect much attention, address him affectionately as " brat " (brother), or " little brother," otherwise he will keep the literal meaning of his " si'chasse' to the very letter. These two words, which you will hear everywhere in Russia, mean " t his hour," like the French tout a rheure, and colloquially signify " immediately," but practically, in the mouths of postmasters, butlers, and waiters, they may be understood to he what they are, unless you employ copecks and roubles to give them a different meaning. Our " little brother " showed us into a small room with one card table therein, a picture of th e E mperor , another of a b att l e representing one Coss ac k caper i ng o v e r the b o di es o f many Turks, said •' si' chase '' shut the door, and left us to our meditations for mor e th an h a lf an h our b e f ore h e returned with the tea urn, and so we looked out of the dirty windows. A small body o f C avalry h appene d t o b e passing while we were waiting, and it was curious to con_ trast the appearance of these men with that of the bril liant cavaliers we had seen at Moscow. Their thin bony steeds, with draggled tails and rusty bits, seemed scarcely able to bear their riders, who were laden with bags of brown bread, and sat heavily on their coarse saddles. They were dressed in the grey military great coat, and wore high and ugly shakoes, covered with oilskin. Their trousers were tucked into their muddy boots, and the metal portions of their arms and dress were foul and dis coloured. Like all the Russian cavalry, however, they had their long carbines, which were slung behind their hacks carefully covered with leather cases; their scab bards are of leather, se as to keep the edge of the blade keen and fit for use. Their appearance caused as much attention as a party of cavalry would have done in a country town in the united kingdom. After a long delay the tea urn made its appearance, and in came with it a dish full of boiled eggs and some fresh white bread ; the tea was excellent, and so we had a capital breakfast off a very dirty tablecloth, with very jagged knives and quaint forks, served up on a service of coarse Russian blue and white &if, of which the pattern was the most hideously grotesque kind of desiga in that way that could be fancied. It was nearly nine o'clock ere we got off again. In fine weather Serpuchoff may look neat and even pretty. Now, with the streets full of mud and a drizzling rain falling, it was dismal and dirty to ;aahold It is said to have a good trade with Moscow and e manufactures, and the ,?Tla waiter told us that there had beef. many English employed there before the war, and that a few ;:f them were still in the place. However, we did not mee t or ace any the of our countrypeople. At the distance of three miles C'itside town, which is built in the wide straight streets, c.l'tting each o• her at right angles, so much affected by the Ruel sians, flows the river Oka—a flee stream, which is about. as broad as the Thames at Richmond, with high and steep banks. The rivulet on which Serpuchoff is situated flows into the Oka. There is no bridge, but a swinging line of boats or pontoons does duty for one, and the tarantasse crossed over by means of it without any difficulty. The river was full of very long and very narrow boats, all filled with coarse hay. The rain began to fall heavily towards noon, and almost hid the country from view. The road was crowded for the whole of this journey with disbanded soldiers, dismissed from their service In compliance with the recent ukase ordering the reduction of the late levies which were made in anticipation of a continuation of the struggle. Poor fellows ! theirs seemed to be a hard fate indeed—to travel thousands of versts, footsore and miserable, through the chill autumn and the approaching winter toitheir cheerless villages. and there to resume the occupations and toils of the mujik, after their gallant and devoted services. They were clad in gray old greatcoats, and had been permitted to wear their military caps, trousers, and boots. Many of thorn were quite footsore, and crept along the muddy reads heavily leaning on their staves and walking sticks. They generally kept in little parties of a dozen or twenty, for the sake of society and mutual aid most probably, and of such parties we passed, probably, ten or twelve every hour. After a most tedious, uninteresting, and weary day of jolting, rain, and mud, we arrived at the Russian Birmingham, the town of Tula, at 11.30 p.m. ARCTIC DISCOVERIES,—The sum of £lO,OOO was expended in the year ended the 31st March, on account of Arctic discoveries. COUNTY COURT TREASURERS.—The salaries of ! the treasurers of county courts last year, paid out of the revenue amounted to £15,083. IMPORTATION OP POTATOES —By a return jest published, it is shown that in the last eleven months 90,043 cwts. of potatoes were imported duty free. CONSUMPTION or Eoos.--As mlny as 110,362,200 eggs were imported in the eleven mouths °vied the 30th ultimo, and all for " home consumption." . _ _ PIRATES.--..FAYAL, DEC. 9.—The master (Lesant), of the Adonis (French brig), reports that three days after leav'ng Port all Prince, he seer three small schooners at anchor under the land, one of which got under weigh and stood out to intercept h'tn, and lowered a boat with six men, but by carrying a s press of sail, he succeeded in escaping. The schooner had about twenty men men on board, apparently of different colours and nations. She was a fore and aft schooner, seemingly American built, of between fifteen and twenty tons, painted black with a yellow streak. THE " CONSERVATIVE' . CANDIDATE P3R TEWKESBURY. —The Hon. F. Lygon, who is to be brought forward by the Conservatives for the seat which it is presumed that Mr. Hum - " ey Brown will vacate ehnrtly, is seaend son of the Earl .t°, t u 'ecamp, and brother of Viscount Elmley, M.P. for Woreershire. Mr. Lygon was born in 1830. was educated se Eton school, and at Cbrist Church, Oxford, where he took an ordinary degree in 1852, being better known for his general informanon and social qualities than for his proficiency in the classics. Subsequently he became a Fellow of All Souls' College, and still retains that nosition. He is a great speaker at the Oxford Ucion Debating Society. and has there advocated the admission of Dissenters to the University, and other liberal measures of that sort, although he is a " Conservative" and a high church man. MISERABLE DESTITUTION AND DEATH.—On Sunday evening, whilst police constable Kelly, 130 K, was on duty in the neighbourhood of Whi , echapel, London, his atten• tion was directed to the archway of the Blackwell Railway, at the back of Cable street, where he found the corpse of s middle aged woman lying upon some rubbish under one of the arches. A woman who had called him to the place informed him that for the last four or five years they and several others had been in the habit of sleeping there, hav ing no other house or habitation, and no settled means of subsistence ; and she said that between three and four o'clock that morning the deceased came to her and another woman. and complained that she was sick. At a late hour of the morning the informant went out, as she said, to seek for something to eat, and afterwards returned as the church bells were ringing for divine service, when she found the deceased apparently dead. She was, upon this discovery, removed by the police to the Whitecapel Workhouse, and examined by the house surgeon, who, however, found that life had been for a considerable time extinct. A SUNDERLAND ROMANCE.—A romantic adventure oc curred in this town during the past week, the hero being an artisan from London, who had obtained employment here, and the heroine is a young lady recently residing in Camberwell, London, to whom he was devotedly attached. The wedding day having been fixed, and a house furnished, the lady made her appearance in Sunderland, and was last week united to the object of her choice. The wedding festivities took place at the young man's lodgings, and in the evening the hapny couple retired to their new residence. They had not been in the house half an hour when a quarrel took place, which resulted in the precipitate retreat of the bridegroom to his former lodgings. There he found the friends he had so lately left, and they expressed great sur prise at his singular behaviour. He was urged to return, but he strongly persisted in his refusal to do an, solemnly protesting that he would never pass another day with her whom he had made his wife. On the following day the furniture was all packed up by the lady and forwarded to her husband, the disconsolate bride returning by the first available train to London. The cause of this unexpected denouement is involved in mystery.—The Sunderland Times. THE CA.IISB OP ENGLISH CRIMES.—We stated last week, as we have stated before, that the bulk of the crimes committed in England are violations of the right of pro. perty. Crimes of personal violence are remarkably few, and most of them arise from the desire of gain. The furious passions —anger and revenge —which in other countries lead to murder, are little known hera. Nationally speaking, we are not Evsassins but pilferers. Oar crime results from an insane desire of gain. Can nothing he done to lessen it? The Cases of Redpath and Robson, of the British Bank, and of the Messrs. Cole, of Gordon and Davidson, of Paul and Strahan, of the Messrs. Sadleir. with other similar cases, such as those of a Baron of the Exchequer and a King's Counsel, alluded to by Lord Brougham in his letter to Lord Radnor—many known, many hushed up, and more dreaded —convince us that the criminal insanity of the desire is not peculiar to a class It pervades the community, and is a remarkable feature of the national mini. Is not this susceptible of being modified, assuaged, and reduced to a sane proportion ? Is it an unalterable law of nature, that the English mind must unrighteously desire gain, which we can no more influence than we can melt the Polar ice ? Economist. DISTRESSING OCCURRENCE AT T OTTENHAM.—On Sun day afternoon, bet ween two an d three o ' clock. an accident of a very distressin g an d di sastrous character occurred to two youths, named Edwa r d Wil es, aged 17, and his brother 'William Wil e s, age d 15 . It appears that they procure d a gun. and proceed e d on a shooting excurs i on b y a tra i n on the Eastern C ount i es Ra i lway, to a sec l u d e d s p ot a t Totten ham, East Middlesex, where they went in search of some small birds. Th e gun was di sc h arge d severa l ti mes , w h en one of them proposed taking some refreshment at the tavern adjoining the field where theyhad been amusing themselves, wh-sn the elder youth of the two imprudently placed the loaded gun in an upright position against the wall of the inn, and while they were walking into the house, the gun suddenly fell upon the ground, and discharged the contents into the legs of the two youths, who were moat fearfully injured. They were conveyed as speedily as possible to the accident ward of the London Hospital, where it was deemed necessary to amputate the right leg of the former youth just below the knee joint. The other lad, whose injuries were not so severe, is still much injured by the shot, and the whole of the charge passed through the legs of the elder youth into the legs and feet of his brother. Last evening they were progressing favourably.