The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-01 00:00:00

TUESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1856.

THE PAST YEAR.

TrEE year just passed will long occupy a most
prominent position in the history not only of this
country but of the civilised world. During the course
of it many doubts have been satisfied, some problems
have been solved, and though it cannot be said that
all has been gained which have been the objects of
desire, the world has far more reason to be satisfied
at the end of the year than it had at the beginning.
The year 1855 commenced with many reasons for
distrust and dissatisfaction, and relief was only looked
for in changes of great moment. The Coalition
Cabinet had proved itself utterly unequal to the
responsibilities which it had assumed, and was on the
verge of dissolution ; a committee of the House of
Commons had reported it deserving of very great
blame ; Lord JOHN RUSSELL precipitated the catas-
trophe by a premature resignation ; and on the 30th
of January his example was followed by all his
colleagues of the coalition, to the great relief of the
nation. The siege of Sebastopol, which had been
three months in hand, appeared to be as remote as
ever from accomplishment ; the army before it was
suffering bitter privations, owing to the culpable
inefficiency of the arrangements for their winter
quarters ; and the return of the Baltic fleet, with no
more glorious achievement than the destruction of
Bomarsund, afforded abundant room for discontent
with the management of the war ; while at home we
had the accumulate,' disagreeables to contend with of
high prices, increased taxation, and one of the severest
frosts ever remembered for intensity and duration.
The ministerial resignation led to a crisis in which
the coveted distinction of Prime Minister was offered
in succession to several presumed leaders of political
parties, and finally resulted in Lord PALMERSTON
assuming the responsibility in combination with some
of the more prominent Peelites, who however
shortly afterwards deserted him, and their places
were filled by certain obscurities who, after the
experience of a session, have not shown their capa-
bility to take advantage of their unexpected elevation.
The most important event, however, was the adhesion

of the KING of SARDINIA to the western alliance,
to which practical effect was given by his sending an
expedition to the Crimea of fifteen thousand men,
who did good service in the business of the siege. On
the second day of March, Europe was electrified by
the startling intelligence that he, whose ambition had
lighted the flames of war, was himself removed from
the world with all its hopes and fears. The Emperor
.NICHOLAS of Russia died almost suddenly, and for
a time it was believed that this mysterious dispen-
sation of Providence would have an important
influence on the war, but such hopes have not since
been realised. During this time conferences were
being held at Vienna with a view to arrange condi-
tions of peace, Lord JOHN RUSSELL being the
plenipotentiary for England, but they ended in
nothing ; and shortly afterwards the English repre-
sentative was compelled to resign his place in the
ministry, owing to the public indignation which the
exposure of his treachery had excited.
The Baltic fleet set sail, for the second time, to
attack the naval fortresses of Russia, on the fourth day
of April, and has only just returned, without having
effected anything more important than the destruc-
tion of some stores and merchant vessels, and a bom-
bardment of Sweaborg, which led to no result. The
Black Sea fleet, however, was more efficient, for,
towards the close of May, Kertch was attacked, and
the Russians compelled to evacuate it. A few days
afterwards, Captain LYONS bombarded Genitchi, and
followed up his success by the destruction of an
immense quantity of stores, designed for the defenders
of Sebastopol, and clearing the Sea of Azoff of all the
Russian vessels found within it. At the end of June
the British army in the Crimea lost the services of its
Commander-in-Chief by the death of Lord RAGLAN,
which occurred on the 28th ; and the veteran soldier,
in his death, received that credit for his devoted
patriotism which was denied to him in his life-time.
As the Session of Parliament drew near its close,
much interest was excited by the proceedings of a
Committee of the House of Commons on the Liver-
pool Dock Bills, in which the Chairman, the present
Secretary-of-State for the Colonies, took great interest,
and which ended in a bill being passed, authorising
the purchase of the Birkenhead Dock property by the
Corporation of Liverpool. This measure has since
been carried into effect, and the payment made by
bonds for the amount of the purchase-money agreed
upon ; and steps are being taken to make the Birken-
head Docks available for the commerce of Liverpool
by embodying the requisite powers in a bill to be sub-
mitted to Parliament in the approaching session. On
the second day of August the Earl of SEFTON died ;
and on the fifteenth of the same month the Russians
made that effort of despair in the attack on the allied
army which resulted in their complete defeat at the
battle on the Tchernaya Hopes now begun to be con-
fidently entertained that something decisive was at
hand, as the preparations for a renewed bombardment
of Sebastopol were almost complete, and the cutting
off the supplies by the way of the Sea of Azoff had
materially contributed to weaken the besieged. These
hopes were not disappointed, for on Saturday, the Bth
of September, the French captured the Malakhoff after
a most desperate assault ; and, as this had long been
confidently predicted to be the key of the fortress, the
possession of Sebastopol was anxiously expected. It
was close at hand ; for scarcely had the news of the
first event been spread by the lightning rapidity of the
electric telegraph, than it was followed, in a few hours,
by the welcome intelligence that Sebastopol had fallen,
the Russians having evacuated the southern side of
the harbour immediately after the loss of the Malak-
hoff, and retreated to the barren forts on the north
side. The victory was complete, for the Russians
destroyed their own fleet, which had long been the
bone of contention ; and, although they boasted that
they had left nothing to the victors but ruined walls,
an immense accumulation of military stores was sub-
sequently found, which the retreating Russians had
been unable, in their rapid flight, to remove or
destroy. The further annals of the war present but
little to record, except the attack on Taman and Fana-
goria, the capture of Kinburn, the expedition to Eupa-
toria, the resignation of General SI3IPSON, who suc-
ceeded Lord RAGLAN, and the appointment of Sir
WILLIAM CODRINGTON—a much younger man—as
Commander of the British forces.

At the close of the month of September, Liverpool
lost one of her Rectors by the death of the Ven.
Archdeacon BROOKS, which took place on the
anniversary of that of Marshal ST. ARNAUD, the
French General, the year preceding. The loss of
Rector BROOKS was deeply felt by all classes, to
whom he was endeared by a long life spent amongst
them ; and an influential public meeting was after-
wards held, to agree upon a fitting memorial of his
worth. The commencement of the following month
presented a far different scene, for his Royal Highness
the Duke of CAMBRIDGE paid a visit to the capital of
commerce, and all Liverpool united in doing him
honour and showing the heartiness of his welcome.
By day the streets were gaily decorated with flags
and banners, bearing loyal and patriotic devices, and
at night the public buildings and most of the houses
were brilliantly illuminated, while bonfires and fire-
works jointly celebrated the visit of the Royal Duke,
and the general rejoicing at the capture of Sebastopol.
On the 22nd of October, Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTH
died while filling the office of Colonial Secretary; and
the Premier had some difficulty in filling the vacancy,
which, after numerous offers to men of all parties, was
supplied by Mr. LABOUCHERE, a Whig, and nothing
more. Some other ministerial changes also took
place by the appointment of Viscount CANNING as
Governor-General of India, the removal of the Duke
of ARGYLE, from the Privy Seal, to be Postmaster
General, the appointment of the Earl of HARROWBY,
once M.P. for Liverpool, as Lord Privy Seal, and
that of the Right Hon. M. T. BAINES, as Chancellor
of the Duchy of Lancaster.

We have but briefly alluded to the more prominent
events which have marked the past year ; but it will
not be denied that they have been of considerable
importance, and not only of general but of local in-
terest. While, however, there are many causes of
dissatisfaction at the aspect of political affairs, which
may be considered almost in the same unsettled state
at the close as they were at the commencement of the
year, we have also many causes for thankfulness.
The war, though not concluded, has made sensible
progress, for Russia is no longer in possession of her
stronghold in the Black Sea; the army in the Crimea,
so far from suffering those bitter privations which
excited popular indignation the previous winter, is in
a state at least of comparative comfort, with nothing
to apprehend from the operations of the enemy ;
Russia, reduced by successive defeats to a state of
physical weakness, is more inclined to concede such
terms as may be deemed acceptable by the allies ;
the German Powers, though still maintaining their
questionable neutrality, are beginning to discover the
impracticable nature of their position ; and the pros-
pects of peace upon a durable foundation are certainly
nearer realisation, though it may require more hard
fighting and further sacrifices before the desired object
will be fully obtained. The position of affairs is in
many respects more satisfactory, and we commence
the new year with, something like a feeling of hope
that the events yet in futurity will, under the blessing
of Providence, conduce more and more to the safety,
honour, and welfare of our Sovereign and her
dominions.