The Northern Daily Times. — Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-12-27 00:00:00

POREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FRANCE. PARIS, THURSDAY EVENING. The Neufchatel question imparts some interest to the following details, taken from a Paris military journal, on the organisation of the Prussian military force :—The elements of that force, it says, consists of,-Ist, the permanent or standing p r my , properly so called, and in which en ter, In dependently of volunteers, the young men raised by conscription, according to a proportion fixed by the necessities of the service : 2nd, the Landwehr : • of the first ban, in which enter all young men from the age of 20 to 25 years who do not form part of the active army, the soldiers who have served the _th ree years prescr ib e d b y t h e l aw , and able bodied m en f rom 20 . to 30 years ; 3rd, the L andwehr of the second • ban, which is consi . lj evecl as a reserve.; this comprises the elite of all able-bodied men to 40 years of age, who have served in the active army or in the first ban ; its staff is not permanent, and it is this body which In war time furnishes the garrisons in fortified Plac es . n, Ir=dependently of those elements, there is the a. andsturm er. , the levy en masse of all men from the hoof 17 . t:peso, but which exists only in na me. Landweh r of the first ban is, like the active 1- b t ruST, destined to serve in war time at home and , 4 ro ad. In time of peace the staff and a small . c.eiet on f rom each b atta li on , are on ly permanent ; • aIJ the others forming part of the first ban, remain at .their occupations, and only r eceive pay and sub sistence during the period of manoeuvres, which is ne ver very long. Volu n t ary engagements f orm a considerable 7 1e rneut of the standing army The time of service 8 for th_ree.yeara . ,_ancl, they can only bP—.contracted f r ° l ll the age of 17 to 20, so that the Prussian th e are generally regarded as too young. At expiration of their service, the volunteers form during two years part of the reserve, and conse ' then depend on the active army. T he y are th e drafted f or seve n years into the Landwehr o f v u • e first b an , an d again for seven years more in th at of .the second ban. The re cru iti ng f or th e active army is effected by 4, n e lne of a Commission established in each district, (ill" p comosed of civil d s. The of the districts i n s such tary as, in pr memb opo er rtion to (h e Population, to furnish at the same time the men t r the regiments of the line and those destined to b : r cf-liments of the Landwehr who bear the same The —lllloers. Prussian army, consisting in time of peace of ,t;:),)ut 80,000 men, comprises the Guard and the • of the line. The Guard is composed of two • .f o , 4s ' °llB . The troops of the line are divided into T p -r sections, each subdivided into two corps ei rnee. Each corps d'armee comprises two divi• t en n i s ' and each division three brigades. The Bl l _"` r oents do not consist of more than two or three attalions. The effective strength of the divisions T "sequently inferior to that of the Fre nch. • of - irt war time the ordinary active army consists 150 16 2,000 men ; the fi r st ban gives a total of •• f o ?" men. The grand total of the mil itar y Ih e ' e of which Prussia can dispose, including all g . r esources of the active army, special cor p s, ar • . I .4th r , l is on troops, the first and second ban o f the w ehr, exclusive of the Landsturm, amounts to men and 93,850 horses. • the owes to the mechanism which reg ulates taalte o rganization of her army the rank she has Sufn.arnong the great military powers of Europe. this organization, has been said of her special aptitude, but °rganization, which bears no resemblance to ha t • °f other a r mies was, perhaps, dese rvin g of else Val notice. ,% I• fo Casirnirsky, a Pole, who has b een em p lo y ed r ", me time in the Archives Depar t m ent of the - wb re-sign office,and who is said to be w ell ac q uainted sent the Persian language an d customs, is to be IC' to Marseilles to meet and accompany to Paris fro Persian Ambassador , who is soon expected Constantino le, M. Casimirsky was employe d In t he mission sent to Persia by the French Go. " rl ament in 1839. despatch received here last night from Naples Irl ; !, e l etions that the e x plosion of the powder maga -111(-)1t. near the King' s palace was the result of a ih A letter from Rome of the 16th inst. announces l a t the state of siege has been removed in the e g a tions and the Marc s, with the excepti on of hil e o two provinces of Bologna and Ancona. It Lot ween that a serious difference is said to have on arisen the ` s Cardinals Alfieri and Antonelli, ch,,, ent high price of provisions. The for mer • „, the latter with permitting corn to be exportedbig tally from Terraoina for the benefit of ,oeived :following T '. a e rn_ilY who reside th. private ere d es p a tches have been re- GRAND CAIRO, DEC. 11. Iviol.,rd,ers have been given to collect on the banks of the fie- 7 411 the materials necessary for the execution of the ,zirater canal. ~tentie Works are to commence when the waters are anffi zi:b /- I °w to permit them, that is, towards tha month of Nary. 4 The nn DRESDEN, DEC. 21. p, . Crui journey of the Grand Duke Constantine on spoken of.. This journey will be performed visi t lB r e,turn from Nice, where he is to escort his wife on a 1 ° tne Empress Mother. stated that the /l proj ec ted expedition to IC_a- Pr o has been postponed for another year by the A ela Government. Co ntract has b een s igned between an eminent I, ier,- sia ,, tl Publisher and M. Arthur de la Guerron 'of t h 2 "°rnter editor sf the Pays, and now mem ber .Ivo rlt Council o f S tate , f or t he production of a -P arl 4l Bi l Volumes, to be entitled History of t h e 1g52/a nze ntary Monarchy of France front 1815 0 t o „, Th e sum to be paid to the writer is 13,00 f. 'ft-tlie volume. tbe "0" -P refect of the Seine has, with the advice of all Persons of State, published a decree by which 3tit - 0 7 8 T c 'ne entering the stock exchange from the 'er t "anuary next will pay lf. during the hours theho urs sale of public securities, and 50a. during 4 , 1 11 b e cllr i for the sale of merchandise. Ticketsf t , issued to annual subscribers at 1.50 f. mercantile 15 kel a " e 4 exchange, and 75f. for the mercan • an rt e ' ' 4 ("id, - f ie il of ministers, at which the . Emperor Pr e —' was held yesterday at the Tuileries. re- Rid en Parations are making at the hotel of the . p _ e ntit i t e3 i n f the legislative body for the reception of ec)tu rr ; Morny, who is expected in Paris at the A °fleet/lent of the new year. tietw4ecree +, in the Moniteur container tome further th e nati ons and promotions in the upper ranks of Th - agietra cY• -4° "ing Christmas Day, the Bours e and all Pilblic offices are closed, PRUSSIA. The h BERLIN, DEC. 23. ile -e Pes to which the telegra . phic . news from us ed gave rise yesterday evening, just before a ,‘, 4 °V letter, of an approach to something . like the 't'angement between the King of Prussia and A b tld b lv „ is , B Confederation, have been crushed in the m a fty. the result of the enquiries I have made to -441t.,0 diplomatic mediation, no overtures, no nothing of the kind is known of the e is 1 r e d here ; the matter remains as it did in '44l l .„i'art of l as t wee k, w h en H er r von Sydow was With-,eted to break off all diplomatic relations ( 1 (3 (Calle Federal Government. This, by the by, 'lle by note from Sigmaringen, in Holien -1 i where he is residing, and not orally, as 14 '14 e°l. l ,rectly reported to you four or five days A °C 1 , - . 110 present situation, as between the King i'''fin r- ' s ia and the Swiss Confederation, may be ed thus :—All diplomatic relations having been att b n off between them, no direct communication b - n irli ade on either side, nor does there appear I,*" . , ti::" ° Y intention on either side of making any. , ev er -sia is ready to admit the mediation of any who may undertake the office, either at Ad l, land's request or otherwise, but the indis `l•v,,,.le conition of all negociations with that `' n rctent d remains still—the liberation of the prisoners previous to trial. As this is made the indispensable preliminary to negociation, it follows that the liberation must also be unconditional; so that, in the absence of any particular concessional feeling on the part of Switzerland, we are in a fair way of seeing warlike operations commenced against the latter immediately after the turn of the year. For some days past it has been whispered about in diplomatic circles here, that our Government has lately appointed the Hon. Henry Howard, our Minister at Lisbon, to be our representative at Frankfort. We do not, however, hear anywhere of our present representative, Sir Alexander Mallet, having retired from the service, or received any other appointment, so that for the moment it must be presumed that there is a hitch in the arrange' meats somewhere. THE NORTHERN TIMES.---LIVERPOOL, SATURDAY. SWITZERLAND. A letter from Geneva, of the 13th inst, gives the particulars of a patriotic dinner in that town the previous day. The old General Dufour was present, together with the Councillor of State Tourte, and the new Citizen of Geneva, General Klapka. Among the numerous toasts proposed was ono to General Dufour, whose speech was listened to in religious silence. The illustrious veteran, visibly affected, appeared young again, such was the energy of his language. He said that he had worn the uniform of officer during 50 years, and that of federal officer for 40 years, " but on all occasions like the present," said he — "My heart grows young notwithstanding my age, of which I begin to feel the weight. lam old and declining, but if the country calls me I will not for an instant hesitate to enter on a campaign with my fellow citims —perhaps we may meet again very soon on the field of battle." He then alluded to the threats used against the Helvetic Confederation, and he added, " but we shall not be discouraged ; on the contrary, we will face them.' He then spoke of the Federal troops and of the patriotic spirit which animates the Swiss people. In conclusion, he repeated,— lam at their orders. lam entirely at the disposal of my country, and I know and feel: that the day is not far off when my career will terminate. M. Empleyaz proposed a toast to General Klapka, who replied by bowing to the Federal flag. The Ticino Gazette publishes the following tele graphic despatch, dated Berne, 20th December : The Federal Council haS commanded that the entire federal active army of reserve shall be called out. Two divisions, under Colonels Bourgeois and Ziegler, are called into immediate service. Colonels Dufour, Ziegler, Esloff, Kurtz, Bourgeois, Voillon, Salis, Fisher, Sthelig, Dola ragsaz, and Linden, are summoned to compose a council of war. Lieutenant Colonel Philippin and Major Hen riod are organising a civic guard at Neufchatel A letter from Bellinzona, of the 10th inst., states that the threats of the King of Prussia instead of intimidating the Swiss bad exasperated them. The citizens are agitating, the old Helvetic blood is boiling, and the descendants of those who put to flight Charles Duke of Burgundy are not dis posed to be dictated to by anybody. " The King of Prussia," adds the writer of the letter, " will find no sympathy among the Swiss. When the day of danger arrives, the people will have but one heart and one determination." The following is a report of the debate which took place in the Grand Council of Berne, previous to that body having unanimously voted a credit for completing the military preparations of their canton : M. Migy. Vice-President of the Executive Council.— I do not believe it necessary to narrate on this occasion the events of September at Neuchatel. At present things have arrived at such a point that diplomatic relations between Switzerland and Prussia have been broken off, and that the Federal Council has already taken measures of the highest importance. It is not for this assembly—it is not for the canton of Berne to decide the question of peace or war; the right to do so belongs to the Federal Assembly, which will meet within a few days. Whatever it may decide, we will adhere to; Berne will stand by the whole Confederation. It is on acconnt of war being possible that I come in the name of the Executive Council to apply for an unlimited credit, in order to complete the effective force and stores of our army. In granting this credit, the Grand Council of the canton of Berne will give the Confederation the best proof of the active participation which it is determined to take in this question, which is of general interest for all Switzerland ; it will show that it is firmly decided to maintain the rights of the Confederation against any external encroachment. The Federal Assem bly has unanimously approved of the measures taken and to be taken by the Federal Council in the affair of Neufchatel; let us also be unanimous, and let no false ideas of economy influence us. 11. Steiner, Military Director.—The question which we discuss ; is of urgent importance. Prusia has interrupted her diplomatic relations with us, and the news of each day iuforms us that she is actively carrying on her warlike pre parations against Switzerland. The Federal Council has directed all the CantonQ to keep the three divisions ready to march. I believe that we may await the dec;sions of the Federal Assembly with full confidence. We shall soon learn all the steps that the Federal Council has taken to maintain peace. We shall even see that it has gone so far as to offer to abandon the trial of the prisoners, if the King on his part will consent to the sacrifices which Switzerland must necessarily demand. But the King requires that Switzerland shall release the prisoners without any sort of conditions, and thereby admit herself to be in the wrong ; bnt Switzerland cannot consent to that course. In reading the history of our country we see that the situation is not new; it has more than once arisen in the course of our history, and our ancestors have traced out to us the path we have to follow. As long as it was possible, they preferred peace to war, but when war was necessary they never flinched from it. That is why I also support the application for an unlimited credit. M. Feuter, Director of Finances.—l must admit here that in the deliberations of the Executive Council I wished the amount of the credit to be fixed, but on seeing the unani mity of the Couacil, I, without hesitation, withdraw my motion. It is true that the greater part of the Swiss popu lation would see with pleasure the affair peaceably arranged, as soon as peace can be obtained honourably, but only on that condition. During eight years the new Federal Con stitution has existed in peace and quietness ; partial reforms, and even complete changes in the governments of different cantons have been peaceably effected. All at once a man, who long resided in the canton of Neufchatel, and who by his character is most estimable and most noble—a man who was the providence of the whole country in which he resided—came, like a thunderbolt in a serene sky, and precipitated us and himself into incalculable woe. But we are not now called on to discuss political opinions— we have to obey the appeal of the Confederation. I declare, therefore, that I am in favour of the unanimous adoption of the proposition of the Government. The , Paris papers publish the following tele graphic despatches : " FRANKFORT, DEc. 24. The Journal de Frankfort of this day has received the following from Berne, dated the 23d : The project of accommodation between Switzerland and Prussia by diplomatic intervention has failed. The situation is serious. Switzerland is perfectly calm. The government of Berne has issued a proclamation. The preparations for war are going on throughout the whole of Switzerland.' Another despatch, dated Frankfort, 23rd inst., says : Prussia has asked permission for the passage of her troops on the 15th Febivary.'" [The despatch omits to say through whose territory.] THE BALTIC. HAMBURG, DEC. 24. The city of Copenhagen was visited by a very extensive conflagration on the night of the 20th instant, originating in the manufactory for the pre. paration of chicory, situate in the immediate vicinity of the exchange. It extended to several contiguous buildings, and even threatened the safety of some government offices, and the palace of Christiansborg ; but, fortunately, notwithstand ing the lateness of the hour when the fire broke out, and the strong wind prevailing at the time increasing the flames to an awful extent, the whole of the city fire brigade was promptly in attendance and succeeded in subduing its ravages. Several large stores of goods and an extensive porcelain warehouse have been completely destroyed, amounting, it is thought, to several hundred thousands of thalers r.m. ; and the death of a fire man is also reported. There is no political news of importance. Stockholm intelligence up to the 17th instant mentions that the Royal order relative to the per mission granted during the present year, and terminating at the expiration of the same, for the free importation of sundry cereals, ground or otherwise, as well as provisions for general con sumption throughout Sweden, has been renewed for the year 1857, and further articles added tO those already well known, on payment of very moderate duties. The King has. named Mr. Hildebrandt, Court painter at Berlin, a Knight of the Vasa Ordor of Sweden. . The committee appointed some time ago in the affair of the fortifications of Stockholm, have, it is said, sent in their estimate of cost of the plan, which if carried out will amount to between 3,000,000 and 4,000,000 ; besides this, the arming of the works of defence will require a further sum of between 1,500,000 and 2,000,000 more. St. Petersburg accounts to the latest date state that the mild temperature of 1 to 3 degrees, which had prevailed for some days past, was by no means welcome to people in business. The thaw had caused the transport of goods over the ice to become very difficult and dangerous; 31 ships had been enabled to return into the harbours from various parts of the Neva, in consequence of the channel cut through the ice for their passage. The ice had commenced breaking up and float ing down the river Duna at Rig I, and the communications for carriages and foot passengers had consequently been interrupted across the water. I have to notice from this city that the Hamburg Brazilian Steam Navigation Company, recently set afloat, have, like the Hamburg New York Company. decided upon ordering two additional new steamers to be built for their line in Glasgow, and to be ready early in the ensuing year. ITALY. TURIN, DEC. 20. The Monitore Toscano gives a florid description of the fetes in honour of the arrival of the Heredi tary Prince and his bride at Florence, and the consequent gratuitous distribution of counterpanes and blankets, and other pledges from the Monte di Pieta, as a mark of Royal benificence. My own correspondence from there states that tho Prince and Princess passed through the town in dead silence on the day of their entry (the 15th), but that the illumination in the evening was more successful, and, on the whole, brilliant. I have received to day from Tuscany two circulars, emanating from secret presses, both repudiating the idea of rejoicing on the Hereditary Prince's marriage, as the writers consider all attempts to perpetuate the rule of the House of Hapsburg- Bourbon as a misfortune for the country, and stigmatise by very hard names all who shall pre sume to make merry on this occasion. Further dissensions are said to have occurred lately in the Tuscan Cabinet, arising from the over solicitude of M. Landucci to justify the excessive rigour of his police measures towards persons of liberal politics, and an attempt on his part to prove M. Baldassaroni wrong in advocating milder means. It seems that some months ago a petition was forwarded to the Government through the Minister of the Interior, signed by Baron Ricasoli, and several other large proprietors, many of whom be long to the Liberal party, calling its attention to the frequency of agrarian offences, and pointing out the inefficiency of the magistracy and police in the agricultural districts. This petition brought forward so many incontrovertible facts, that M. Landucci dared not suppress it, thongh they told against his own administration. So he at length laid it before the Council of Ministers, and tried to make it appear as a proof of the audacity of the Liberal party, and his own prudence in tie sting them with severity. But M. Baldassaroni and the other Ministers recognised the perfect legality of the remonstance, as well as its justness, and M. Lan dueci had further to bear the reproaches of M. Lami, the Minister of Grace and Justice, who indignantly denied any blame being attributable to the magistracy, but said it was all due to M. Lan ducci's police. The report of these differences caused people at Florence to say that there was even less gladness at the Palazzo Vecchio than elsewhere. The Gazzetta di Modena continues to furnish evi deuce from time to time of the state of the Govern ment of that little Duchy in relation to the popu lation. In its number of the 15th the Gazzetta publishes several sentences pronounced lately by the Imperial and Royal military commission for the state of seise of the city and commune of Carrara, whereby Carlo Guerra, Battista Giusti, and Gui seppe Carassali, were found guilty of participation in secret societies, and condemned, the first to the Ergastola (imprisonment with hard labour) for life, the second to the same for twenty years, and the third for five, and all three to pay the expenses of their trial. Guiseppe Ginesi was declared a maniac, and therefore ordered to be placed in a Govern ment madhouse, and ten other persons were acquitted for want of evidence. The above severe sentences, which are only a fair specimen of what has been occurring every week almost for some time past, are passed, it must be recollected, by a permanent court martial, named by the Duke of Modena of his own officers, assisted by a remark ably smart Austrian officer, of great experience in the office of advocate general, and who is lent to the Duke by Marshal Radetzsky on account of this special qualification. A letter from Palermo of the 18th states that a Royal rescript had just been received from Naples relative to the system to be adopted for the more complete lighting of the coasts of Sicily -14 new lighthouses are to be erected without delay, which will increase the total number to 28. The Parma Gazette of the 20th announces that the Duchess Regent, who had been for some days slightly indisposed, was then perfectly recovered THE PAPAL STATES. A letter from Bologna, of the 13th inst., states that an attempt to assassinate Major Zambelli, of the Carabiners, had been made at Imola. He was walking with a brother officer when he was fired at, and the ball struck his cloak. The two officers pursued the assassin, but he escaped. The individuals accused of the murder of Count Lovatelli had arrived at Bologna, and were to be tried by an Austrian court martial. NAVAL AND MILITARY INTELLIGENCE. Her Majesty's steam vessel Oberon, 3, Lieut Jackson commanding, arrived at Spithead on Wednesday evening from the Mediterranean. She made a long passage, having left Malta on Nov. 26, Gibraltar, Dec. 15, and Cape Finisterre on the 21st. She experienced heavy weather from Gibraltar to Cape Finisterre, where she put in for shelter from a hard gale on the 16th, and sailed on the 21st. Her voyage from Malta to the Rock was extremely boisterous. After leaving Cape Finisterre she had fine weather, She brought home seven naval invalids from Malta, eight naval supernumeraries, 17 discharged men from various ships on the Mediterranean station, and one pri vate of the 46th regiment. She will now be paid off and refitted. Her Majesty . .. , screw blockship Pembroke, 60, commissioned for coastguard service, was tal:en out of Portsmouth harbour to Spithead on Wed nesday, and out to the Nab Light to try her engines, after which she returned to moorings off Gosport. Her Majesty's screw steam corvette Satellite, 21, Captain Prevost, sailed from Plymouth on Tuesday for the Pacific. She conveys Dean Howard to the island of Madeira, and takes to the Straits of Magellan a quantity of flour for the missionary station there. The crew of the screw steamship Cornwallis, 60, nt Devonport, got up lower yards and topmasts on Wednesday. _ _ The African mail steamship Niger, Commander Corbett, sailed from Plymouth on Wednesday for Sierra Leone and the West Coast of Afria. NOTES OF A TOUR FROM MOSCOW TO THE CRIMEA AND oDESSA. The Russians complain that the books of travels which have been written concerning the vast empire they inhabit abound with misrepresenta• tions and falsehoods, and are deeply imbued with prejudice, ignorance, .and conceit. In order to prevent sticn charges being preferred against the notes made by me during an excursion of nearly three months' duration in the southern part of Russia, I beg at once to s'ate that I do not pretend more than to record what I saw, and that whatever is advanced on hearsay was reported to me by persons of respectability and character, on whom the responsibility of these statements must depend; that I do not venture to offer an philosophic re flections on the habits, institutions, or social cons dition of the people, or propound any theories con cerning the governmeni and administration of the country, but that simply writing what I believe to be true on the evidence of my own eyesight or hearing; I leave to others the task of drawing such conclusions and deductions as they please. The friends whom I have left behind me in Russia, must be well aware that I sot out from Mosoo. without any disposition to regard their countrymen and institutions with an unfavourable eye, and they must not be offended if my impressions are recorded as they were formed, and are expressed with sincerity and candour. These impressions may be erroneous, but, at all events, they are honest, and I must own that, had I gone no further than Moscow, I should have had a very dif ferent notion of the condition of Russian society from that which I now entertain after a short tour " off the rail." The grand spectacles of the coro nation, the glare of the ballroom, the glitter of monster reviews, and all the civilized pomp of Moscow—its French and German shops, its gay equipages, and orderly streets, dazzled and per plexed the judgment. The Russian post-house, the serf villages, the roads, the soldier on the march, the post-cart, the country town, the hotel —these presented another and a very different aspect of Russian life and manners. One of the objects I had in view in making the journey was to judge, as far as the time and means of observation at my disposal would enable me, of the condition of the country and of the effects of the late war upon the mass of the population ; another was to follow the route of the main body of the Russian reinforcements as they approached the Crimea; and a third was to get home as speedily as possible by a new route,which also afforded oppor tunities of becoming acquainted,superficially indeed, but still to some extent accurately, with the physical aspects and social state of a vast tract which few strangers have occasion to traverse, and still fewer think it worth while to describe. In addition to these motives for undertaking, as it proved, a long ann not very agreeable journey, an inducement presented itself, the force of which moved me powerfully, and which I am sure would exercise equal influence with any one who had lived so long with a British army as I had, and who had passed so many months of mingled joy and sorrows in the society of friends whose voices are silent for ever. I wished to revisit our cemeteries and the scattered monuments and resting-places of our noble dead, to see with my own eyes that the Russians had kept their promise, and to ascertain the present state of Sebastopol. The prospect of beholding the plateau on which I have lived for nearly two years with very little interruption, and which was the scene of so many events, to be remembered for ever by all who in the smallest degree participated in them ; of going over the old ground once more, of mounting from Balaklava to the front, tracing the lines of the trenches now fast crumbling away, and peering about the city of the dead and its sunken navies, exercised over me a fascination which, if not strange, is certainly indescribable; and the chance of doing this might, in all probability, never come again. And so I decided that I should proceed home by the Crimea and Odessa, for we had reason to believe very confidently that we could find steamers plying between the ports of the former province and the latter city, from which three or four routes to England lay open to the choice of the visitor. The " we" is a pleasant t eality, and net a newspaper phrase, for I was fortunate enough to find that my two companions during the coronation month at Moscow were willing and anxious to accompany me and to make the same journey—the one inspired by a desire to revisit the Crimea, theother actuated by the natural wish of a young Englishman to behold the ground which the brilliant valour and the suffer ings of his countrymen hive consecrated to the end of all time. As it would not be possible to procure permission from the police authorities of Moscow for such an expedition, undertaken as it was for pleasure, and not business connected with service of the State, I applied to our Minister, Lord \\rode house, to move the officers of Government to assist me, and his Lordship, with his usual kindness and courtesy, at once complied with my request, and begged M. Tolstoy, adjoint of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, to give me permission to proceed into the Crimea. M. Tolstoy, to whom I was per sonally known, promised to do what was asked of him, and in a few days after the first application forwarded to the Hon Julian Fane, First Secretary of our Embassy, an "office" which he addressed to the Governor of the Crimea in our behalf, and of which we were bearers It was a formidable looking missive, directed to the " General Major Jokoffsky, Civil Governor of the Crimea," and was about a foot square, with a tremendous seal full of distorted eagles and Cyrillic letters, which is pos sibly familiar as being the seal of the Russian Foreign Office to a good many of our statesmen. Armed with this we proceeded to the passport office, a large barracky looking building full of clerks, all as busy in describing the eyes, noses, and chins of their fellowmen as Audu bon ever was over a rara avis, or Guy'sr on a new bone. In a few days our passports would be ready for Simpheropol, the civil head clerk told us, and he kept his word. The passports which had been given at the St. Petersburg Chancellerte of the Minister Dolgorouki were taken from us, and in their place we received documents quite illegible to the general, in which "Alexander Nikolaevitch, Gosondar and Emperator of All the Russias, in the form of a ukase," ordered all his subjects to take care of a gentleman with a stout figure, middling nose, eyes, mouth, &e., and to let him go, and aid him in going to Simpheropol. For each of these the charge was about ,the same as that for our own Foreign office passport—or a little less. So far we were all right, but the next thing to be done was to find out some means of locomotion. There was a diligence going south to Kharkofl, but all the places were engaged in this for many days, and, judging from the company we saw starting in it, and the outward appearance of the vehicle itself, we were rather pleased than otherwise at finding that it would be impossible to get places. It was necessary, therefore, to buy a carriage of some kind, and all our Russian friends said, " By all means purchase a tar antasse don't get a spring carriage, for if anything happens to it on the road you will never get it repaired, whereas any country smith can mend a tarantasse " And so to buy a tarantosse we sallied forth, and visited the quarter of long bearded • coach manufacturers, whom wo discovered to be quite as advanced in their ideas as to the cost of their work, and as to hard bargains, as if they had lived in Long acre all their lives. A tarantasse to look at is a decent, commodious, quiet sort of family coach, secured on three long perches, so that the body, which is placed amidships, so to speak, is balanced between the fore and hind wheels at some distance from them, owing to the length of these perches. I say to look at, but to travel in ! Ah, when the time comes that horror will be revealed. They are of all shapes, however—like gigs, cabriolets, sociables, broughams, watchboxes, soup tureens, all alike springless, and in that absence of springs, pod sessing the occult virtues which recommend them to Russian travellers. The Moscow Long acre is a long line of wooden coach sheds of ono story in height, about half a mile from the Kremlin, fronting a branch of the Moskau river. It is unusually infested with saints and pigeons. Of the former there is always one in each shed, and it is no wonder that he is generally black and wrinkled from assisting at so much cheating and rogitery as is being constantly practised before hie very eyes by his votaries, We were asked invari ably about a third more than the proper price except in one instance, where the long-bearded proprietor demanded for a tarantasse about as much as one would give for a good secondhand carriage in London. The agonies of bargaining were insup portable to us, but what must have they been to our kind friend who translated French into Russian, and Russian into French, for one long hour? And all to no purpose. The longobarbi thought we must give in, and we were determined not to be done, and the contest ended several days afterwards in our purchasing a tarantasse with room for three inside, two outside and a i driver, in a remote part of the city, to which we had penetrated in seardh of less extortionate coach .manufacturers, for about £5O, including alterations and repairs. The next thing was to get an inter , preter and servant, and in this matter another excellent friend, M. de Mottchanoff, assisted us by obtaining from the Postmaster-general a post office courieri who was popularly believed to speak German and to be versed in other lan guages. Our good Walter however, on presenting himself to us, was found to be rather weak in Teutonic, and to be quite ignorant of any other language but his vernacular. The sight of his uniform however (a smart green frock with black facings and braid on the shoulders) was calculated to produce a great effect on the postmasters, and so we looked on him as a great acquisition, and set him to work at once to get horses. Butthis was no easy matter. The Emperor had gone to Tula the day before, and was expected back the day after that on which we intended to start; and, to make a long story short, it was six o'clock on the evening of the second day after we intended to start before four very miserable, lame, limp, little ponies were sent to our hotel to be fastened to the huge taran tasse, which we were gravely assured they would whirl away at the rate of 10 or 12 versts an hour. A verst, be it understood, is about the same measure of distance as the French kilometre—and may be practically considered as two-thirds of an English - mile. Leaving the courier, the valet de place (one Antonio Bellini, an honest Italian who had come to Moscow as a wild beast proprietor, and had been rendered bankrupt by the obstinate way in which his lions and tigers persisted in dying)— and the English courier to pack up our luggage, we sallied out to the Hotel de Labardie to dinner, and gave orders to the driver to call for us as soon as the operation was completed. It should be• promised that we laid in a stock of provisions for the road, as our friendshad counselled us to do—tea, the great Russian vade mecum, which is certainly more refreshing and delicious in Russia than anywhere else—white bread, sugar, sherry, ham, sausages, cheese, sardines, potted game, all foreign except the bread, and in that Moscow can challenge the bakers of any city—not excepting Vienna—in the world. And here, before leaving Moscow most probably for ever, let me, in antici pation of the more general remarks I shall here after have occasion to make, and of the description of the great establishments connected with charity and philanthropy in which that strange city abounds, give some data as to the prices, such as we fouriti them, at least, during the coronation. The impossibility of travelling uninterruptedly, the annoyances of the passport system in its most rigid form, and the exaggerated statements respecting the difficulties of obtaining accom modation, which were industriously circulated, prevented any great influx of foreigners to those fetes. It was imagined that the circulation of those stories would justify the shopkeepers and lodging house proprietors in the exorbitant charges they have made on those who fell within their grasp A. rouble, or 3s 21d, scarcely goes as far as a shilling in the dearest parts of London. For example, the hire of an ordinary brougham, with a pair of sorry horses, for the month is from 65/ to 701, and the driver expects to be paid besides. The common drosky-drivers ask a rouble and a half an hour, and a rouble for the shortest drive. The price of a bedroom and sitting-room for the month has been about 55/, and the most grubby and dingy boarding-houses charged . 10 roubles, or about 1/ 15s a day, for bed, dinner, and breakfast, without wine or beer. For washing shirts 12 roubles a dozen was asked at the outset, and the price was with difficulty reduced to about Is each. The price of a pair of white kid gloves is 5s 6d or Os. There was a fish soup, very excellent indeed, and of peculiar flavour and rich ness, served up at the Russian restaurant at which we dined the other day which costs 25 roubles, or about four guineas for three persons, and the same description of soup is sometimes made so extravagantly that it costs 51 or 6/ sterling a head ! The common price of champagne is 15s a bottle, and the quantity the Russian officers consume is very great. In fact, the luxuries of life, which are here regarded almost as necessaries, are of enor mous cost. The whole price of food was raised very little, so that these excesses must be regarded as extortions for the most part, and as the involun tary contributions which all strangers and travellers are required to pay to the maintenance of trade and commerce when they go to see sights beyond their own country. But what is this roar of distant thunder ? Oh, the " ekipadge" (the Russians are obliged to borrow many words from foreign languages to express those things with which civilisation has made them ac quainted)—the " ekipadge" is at the door ! My two friends and myself got inside ; Walter and our English courier got into a huge dicky, or rumble, in front ; poor Bellini made us a warm speech in Italian ; the driver cracked his whip, and we were immed'ately eent with our heads into each other's stomachs with a lunge so violent and so sharp that we really should have been justified in thinking the carriage had blown up. But it was nothing ; our tarantasse was merely under way, and this was the first roll over the stones. Before we could utter an exclamation we were pitched violently hack with our heads rap against the hard cushions, while the noise, the creaking, the rattling of glass, the screaming of tortured timber, rose high above our cries of dis tress. Any one who has ever been buffeting a , gale head to wind in a short sea, and in a short elderly steamer, will ba able to form some notion of the motion of our tarantasse over the ill-paved i streets of Moscow and across the huge blocks of stone of the chaussee. The lights in the shops danced like wildfire before our eyes ; and as the camphine lamps which illuminate the street shone in through the ports of our driving land-ship, the features of each seemed to the other hideously distorted, now pulled out to an unnatural length, and in an instant flattened, and then extended to twice their breadth. No one had the moral courage to say it. Each, was waiting for the other to pronounce the fatal word, but it is my belief that if any of the party has said, " I really can't stand this ; we must stop !" the expedi tion would have been at an end, to the great joy at that time of the whole societe. It was at 6.30 p.m., in the dark of a cold wet and blowing night, that the tarantasse weighed and stood for Tula, driving through the streets of Moscow like a two-decker rushing through the downs for her moorings in a winter breeze. For nearly half an hour the noise, the clatter, the pitching was most annoying and sickening, for so long were we in working through the enormous city, which revealed itself to us for the last time shining with rain, and at last died out in a dim glow which lighted up the heavens far and wide. Then we got off the pavement, and the motion was easier ; the perch began to play a little, and we settled down more readily into our places. Out of the windows we could see nothing ; all was dark. The rocking and shaking had set us all into a hazy unpleasant sleep, which was broken by a sudden cessation of sound or motion. We bad pulled up at Berliova, our first stage, 17 versts from Moscow. It was 8.15 p.m. The chausse had been so far very good, and the pace re spectable. The posthouse, a staring white build ing with a double headed eagle emblazoned over the door, and a large post with much unintelligible information engraved tkereonrespecting places and distances in black letter of the most ancient type at the side of the entrance, invited us to enter, and in distant apartments w e h ear d Walter bat tling' with the Spirit of Evil, or the postmaster, as we crossed the threshold. The post for four horses had been paid to Tula,—a distance of 180 versts. It was not very great-21 roubles silver, and 5 roubles and 46 copecks for turnpikes, for there are said• to be turnpikes in Russia, on to Orel: Pass'ng through a long and cheerless room, -in which a high smelling and dingy-looking piny of natives were waiting, we en t ere d a smaller room, warmed by a stove and provided with two chairs, and a most uncompromising leather covered sofa and a card table, by way of furniture, and in this we remained worshipping the goddess Tchai till the horses were put to, and we rushed forth into the darkness once more. For the somovar, or hot water urn, the charge was about 10d. To the yainschtk, or driver, the fee was thirty copecks, or a shilling, for which trifling consideration he performed a humiliating series of genuflexions. As the horses were announced Walter came forth, looking flushed and red in the face and guilty in the eyes. We knew he had been telling an awful number of lies on our account; but we forgave him in the most generous manner, as they had not been told to us, and so we set forth upon our journey from Berliova. LATEST INTELLIGENCE. A telegraphic dispatch received at an early hour this morning, informs us that the Swiss police have a slim p look out in several quarters of the Cantons. It has been ascertained that Prussian officers have proceeded to the Svciss territory for surveying purposes, and to inspect the banks of the Rhine. The day for the Debates in the Federal Council have not yet been fixed. The prisoners have to the 27th inst. (this (lay), for the choice of their counsel. Their trial will take place at Neufchatel. Accounts from Dromstadt state that the Grand Duke had opened the Parliamentary Session on the previous day. The Paris Three per Cents closed yesterday evening at 66f. 80c. • AMERICA. The steam-ship Arago has arrived at South ampton, from New York, with dates to the 13th inst. She brings 32 passengers, and 337,000 dole. in specie. The City of Manchester has arrived at • Phila delphia after a most boisterous passage. Walker has defeated the Costa Ricans with great slaughter. He afterwards removed the seat of govern ment to Rivas and burnt Grenada. A Costa Rican brig of war was blown up in battle by a Nicaraguan schooner. ALLEGED SUICIDE.—On Christmas day a vessel put back into port, in consequence of a sailor having been found with his throat cut. An inquest will be held this day on the body. THE SUFFOCATION OP THE CHILDREN IN SAINT MAR. TIN'S STREET.—The inquest in this case was resumed yesterday, when it was ascertained that the death of one of the children was caused by suffocation, and the inquest was further adjourned to Monday next, and, as already stated, we forbear saying more about it until the enquiry is closed. NEW BRIGHTON COLLEGE, CHEgRIEE.—The half yearly private examination of the pupils of New Brighton College was conducted by the Rev. A. Harne,D.C.L.,L.L.D., F.S.A., &c., and by the Rev. R. D. Fowell. M.A., inclun.• bent of New Brighton, and prizes were awarded to the' undermentioned pupils :—lst class prize, John Fry ; 2nd do., Henry Seddon ; Ist divinity prize, Thomas Albert; 2nd do., George Fagan. SAINT FRANCIS XAVIER'S COLLEGIATE SCHOOLS, SA IS. BURT STREET.—These schools, which have been recently erected, have become very favourite with Roman Catholic families, and are at present largely attended by respectable students. The buildings aro handsome in exterior, and admirably arranged in the interior—great care having been bestowed, so as to leave nothing wanting. On Tuesday, the students broke up for the holidays, previous to which there was a public examination in the theatre (a very handsome one) of the institution. There was a large and respectable audience present. The proceedings were opened with a beautiful chorus—" The Angels Sing"—accompanied by the professor of music on a magnificent harmonium, both having fine effect. The examination was then proceeded with, and, beside the usual branches of classifal education, the pupils seemed to have been most carefully attended to history, geometry, geography, arithmetic, Frerch, &c. There were pieces of composition on several subjects, written by the academicians, that reflected much credit on the composers, and proved how well they had been attended to in this respect. The declamation, too, was admirable. There were some recitations from Shakspere end other favourite authors, the reading of which was correct, and would have done credit to a professor, also a capital scene (translated by the pupils) from " L'Avare,"—Moliere—in which Masters T. Charnock and G, Smith drew forth loud applause. After some dialogues, the whole closed with an exquisite chorus—" Christmas Carol'—when the prizes were distributed, and the company separated, highly grati fied with the proceedings. A vein of ironstone, 13k feet thick and of excellent quality, has been discovered near Stamford, Lincolnshire. Mr. John Frost, the Chartist, has announced his inten tion of becoming a candidate for the representation of Merthyr at the next election. Several Swiss citizens have beeen arrested in Paris, for having spoken in cafes or other public places against the manifesto in the Ifoniieur. The negotiations for a treaty of commerce between Belgium and Switzerland have been suspended, in conse quence of the state of transition in which the Belgian tariffs are now placed by the projects of modification. POPULATION STATISTICS.—A gentleman who was travel. ling the other day in a first class carriage from West Hartlepool to Stockton accosted a lady as follows :—" Well, Ma'am, and what population may you have at West Hartle• pool ?" " Population, sir," was the ready response, " Oh, there's, let me see, my father, my mother, two brothers, firs little bairns, and myself, sir." MURDER.—At Wiveliscombe, on Tuesday night, between nine and ten o'clock, a horrible murder was committed about half a mile from the town. A man named John Aplin bad been sent by his master, a farmer in the neigh bourhood, to make purchases for him in the town, and while drinking in a public house, had foolishly shown his money. Between eight and nine o'clock he left the town in a state of intoxication, driving his horse and cart in the direction of his home, and about an hour after was found dead in the cart, with his throat fearfully cut, and all hie money stolen. There is a man in custody on suspicion. SUDDEN DEATH OP AN EDITOR —lt is Our melancholy duty to announce this sad event. Mr. Miller had been ill for some time—working hard, and late at night, in com pleting his new work on Geology. Ile had become, in consequence, subject to aggravated attacks of nightmare, which partook of the nature of somnambulism. Some time ago attempts had been made to break into hle museum, and he, in consequence, had always slept with a loaded revolver on the table by his side. Yesterday, on . account of headache and unrefreshing sleep, he had seen his medical advisers, who had warned him of overwork, and prescribed suitably, Last night, according to their request, he had taken a warm sponge bath, and retired early to rest. After having slept some considerable time, be bad apparently awakened in a fit of nightmare, and, taking up the pistol, had reached the bedroom door, as far as the bath, which had been left, after use, in the adjoining apartment. There the pistol had exploded, the bullet pass ing through the chest, and death must have been instan taneous. The sound not having been heard at this hour of the night by any of the household, Mr. Miller's body wa not discovered fill this morning. Under existing circum stances we cannot at present dwell further on this sad calamity.— Edinburgh Witness, of Wednesday. FIRM AS A MARTVH.—The Chester Courant, in describ ing the execution of William Jackson, on Saturday, says: —" As soon as the service was concluded, the mournful procession was formed to the press-room, where Calcraft, the London hangman, having been introduced, the culprit was pinioned in the mariner employed at Marley's execu tion last week. Not a muscle did the prisoner move during the Operation, and although turnkeys and others-- unused to the melting mood —were shedding tears around him, he remained intent on his own destiny, and paid the greatest attention to the exhortations of Mr. Kilner, whose utterance was entirely choked by his emotions. With a firm step he ascended the drop, and in an instant the executioner drew down the cap, and adjusted the rope. The chaplain commended his soul to God, and the prisoner, in earnest and beseeching tones. begged the Lord to have mercy on his soul. When on the scaffold, the chaplain asked the prisoner, " Do you die acknowleding the justice iof your sentence, and trusting in the mercy or God through Christ ?" He replied, " Yes, sir." " Have you anything more that you wish to say to me ?" inquired the chaplain. "No, I thank you, sir," was the culprit's reply. The chaplain then prayed " May the Lord Jesus receive your spirit ;" and, shaking hands with him, retired. Jackson cried three times " May the Lord have mercy upon me." A rope was tied round his lop, and the bolt being drawn, the drop fell, and after the usual convulsion, which was scarcely perceptible, the soul of the murderer had passed into eternity.