The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-03-02 00:00:00

(From a Special Edition of Tuesday's Daily Telegraph.)

" PERA, Monday afternoon. - The Russians are still 'en-
deavouring to prevail upon the Porte to permit their troops
to enter the city, but the Porte refuses. The terms of peace
are precisely what I have telegraphed to you, and still in-
clude the demand for Turkish vessels. These terms have
nut yet been signed.

THE FRENCH PRESS ON THE TERMS OF PEACE.
The Paris Correspondent of the Standard, writirg on
Monday, says :---" You will not be surprised to hear that the
last edition of the terms of peace supplied by the Havas
Agency, and believed to be perfectly correct, has entirely
destroyed the pacific hopes which the forbearance of Eng-
land and the prudence of Austria had created. There are
not two opinions in the press on the subject. The
Interests and honour of England and Austria are so
openly defied that it is not thought possible that war
can be avoided, and the meeting of the Congress or
Conference is now regarded as very doubtful. The Temps,
which uses very circumspect language, calls attention to
the stipulation respecting the Straits and states that the
Interests of Austria do not appear to have been considered
in the drafting of this treaty to the same extent as those of
England.—The National says it may be that the Sultan,
brought to bay in Constantinople, may sign such
conditions; but if the Russians contrive to obtain
for them the sanction of England and Austria at a Confer-
ence it will not henceforth be possible to wonder at any-
thing.—The Bien Public notes the free and easy way in
which the Treaty appropriates to Russia Turkish revenues
already mortgaged to other Powers, and adds :—' With such
a programme it appears to us difficult, if not impossible,
that peace should be the issue of the future diplomatic
deliberations, and more than that, we do not think the Con-
ference will meet. War is more probable than ever,'—
The Defense states that these are not conditions of peace;
they are the starting-point of fresh hostilities
The Pays remarks that these conditions virtually
amount to the consfleaticn of Turkey for the benefit
of Russia, give the Czar a mortgage upon Egypt, and pave
the way for his making himself at no distant date master of
the States of the Khedive, It then proceeds It re-
mains to be seen how England and Austria will take it.
But England single-handed has not the strength necessary
to act, and Austria appears by no means disposed to adopt
extreme measures.'—The 3loniteur thinks that, hard as
these terms are, the Turks had better accept them lest
more stringent conditions should- be imposed, and the
presence of the Grand Duke and his army at San Stefano
shows the determination of the Russian Government to act
with the greatest energy to achieve the end it has proposed
to itself.'.

PARIS, Wednesday morning.—The Debats expresses its
conviction that as Russia could not resist the combined
action of England and Austria, she will make concessions
to England and abandon her pretensions respecting the
Turkish fleet. The English will then withdraw with the
easy conscience of men who have been successful. England
will wrap herself up in her selfish interests, and Austria will
find herself alone face to face with Russia.—The .Republique
Francaise has at last come to the conclusion that a war
between England and Russia is not so impossible as is gene-
rally supposed, and points out that by means of her fleet,
England could attack Russia simultaneously on widely
distant points. The article admits our wealth and huge
population, but it Ls conceived in a very unfriendly spirit,
and hints that money would, perhaps, not enable England
to find men, and that after all men do not constitute an
army.

A Berlin telegram states that several Governments are re
ported to be wavering in their support of the proposal of a
Conference or Congress, having expressed themselves in
favour of separate negotiations respecting the points which
more particularly concern them.

Under date Gallipoli, Feb. 25, the Correspondent of The
Times telegraphs :'A messenger just arrived from
Sharkid reports the withdrawal of a large portion of the
Russian forces thence to Rodosto and from Silviri towards
Constantinople. A meeting was arranged to-day between
Sabit Pasha, commanding here in place of Suleiman,
and a Russian officer at Examili, eight miles beyond
the Bulair lines, to settle the limits of the neutral
zone. The Russians having advanced some fourteen
miles on this side of Charkoi, the limit prescribed by the
armistice, alarmed the population. Five kilometres will
divide the outposts of ei:lier army. Since Sabit took com-
mand the defence works have bean strengthened and im-
proved, ancl.a chatiss,je parallel to the lines made from sea
to sea. A strong force occupies the lines. The health of
the camp is good, but smallpox rages among the refugees in
the town, numbering 500—The Agincourt, Hotspur, and
Cygnet are here, Admiral Commerell in command. The
Swiftsure is in the Gulf of Xeros.

A St. Petersburg letter talking of the Dardanelles, and re-
marking that Russia, unopposed by Turkey, could take pos.-
session of the forts before the British fleet gives some
details of their strength, and asks what the ships could do
against them. Khanek-Kalessi has 102 guns, and ills flanked•
by two redoubts. Then come Kilid-Bar opposite, N
24 guns; Kiousso-Kalesid, 44 guns; Nagara-Kalesst, 84 guns ;
Derma-Bournou, Kam-Kalessi, and Bokala•Kalessi, 56 guns;
Gallipoli, and at the Archipelago entrance, Koum-Kalessi,
64 guns; Sedel-Bar, 63 guns.

Further official despatches respecting the affairs of Turkey
have been laid before Parliament. On the 18th Prince
Gortschakoff informed Lord Derby that the Russian Govern-
ment maintained jts promise not to occupy Gallipoli nor to
enter the lines of Boulair, and that it expected in return
that no English troops would be landed on the Asiatic or
European coast. This engagement was entered into, the
Bvitish Government at the same time stating that it was
prep ared to extend the engagement to the Asiatic side of
the Straits upon receiving an assurance from the Russian
Government that it also would not occupy that side of the
Straits. The assurance was given on the 21st.

The Khedive has offered to purchase a portion of the
Turkish fleet, and Consul-General Vivian has, it is said,
been commissioned to conclude the bargain.— Vanity Fair.

The Russian Government is said to be making strenuous
efforts to accumulate large stocks of coal at Odessa and
Nicolaeff, in order to prevent, if hostilities should he re-
newed, a recurrence of the dearth which impeded the
uerations of the Black .•,ea fleet during the late campaign.
for this purpose large purchases of coal have been made in
this country, and officials appointed to buy up the foreign
coal that arrives at the South Russian ports. The Russian
Government is desirous of obtaining a quantity sufficient to
last the requirements of the fitet for at least Lye years.

The Pera Correspondent of TIA 3 Time states that Enssitio
racers and soldiers are forbidden, under penalty of death,
to enter Conatantinapks without *Mini permission from the
luta Wadinarterv.

It is stated is a despatch from Belgrade that Penne Milan,
with the obj.ot of calming the excited state of public+ feel-
ing. intends to issue a proclamation stating that the first
milliard of the Turkish indenviity will be divided between
Roumania, Mervia, and Montenegro.

A telegram from St. Petersburg states that in order to
hasten the peace negoti itlons the Grand Duke Nicholas, by
an agreement with the Ottoman Government, has removed
his headquarters to San Stephan°, as Adrianople was found
to be too far from Constantinople. On Sunday morning he
arrived at San Stephan°, accompanied by the Turk sh pleni-
potentiaries. It is thought that the Grand Duke will pay a
visit to the Sultan at Constantinople, and that the treaty of
peace is on the point of being signed.

It is announced from Madrid that the Blasco Garray, a
Spanish man-of-war, has started for Besika Bay, where it
will wait tor a firman of the Porte authorizing it to pass the
Dardanelles.

An itnportant Council of Ministers of Austria and Hungary
was held on Sunday at Vienna in the presence of the Em-
peror. After hearing the views of Count Andrassy, the
Ministers empowered him to apply to the Delegations for a
credit of sixty millions of florins. Both he and the Emperor
declared that they earnestly desired peace, but they re-
garded certain of the Russian conditions of peace as inad-
missible.

The report that Prince Charles of Roumania, rather than
consent to the dismemberment of the principality, has
decided to abdicate, is repeated, with the statement that
he has consented to suspend the proce'edings until events in
the East are further developed.

Great excitement has been caused at Belgrade by the
Russian occupation of Ak Palanka and Pirot, and the con-
sequent retirement of the Servians to Mach, which they have
been assured shall remain in their possession.

. ---
Russian newspapers state that the campaign of the S,-Jr-
vians ar.iitiost tiie Turks lasted 52 days, and cost the former
during that time 5,00 d men hors de combat; including two
generals and 200 otlicm's. On the other hand, they captured
233 cannon, 10,000 rifles, 37 flags, and munitions valued at
upwards of a million ducats.

"The possibility of Austria joining us in the event of
affairs in the East not being satisfactorily settled has
naturally drawn attention to the state of her army. Au
officer of war service has just paid a visit to Austria to have
a look romp!, and reports that everyone there believes the
Austrian army to be in perfect order and ready for any-
thing. Ile remarks that the soldiers are wonderfully smart
and clean in appearance, and far better clothed than the
Germans. But he entertains some slight doubt as to the
extreme readiness of the Austrian army for a campaign.—
Whitehall Review.

It is telegraphed from Constantinople that a caravan of
Circassians who were crossing the Itussian lines at Tcha-
taldja, on their way to Constantinople, having refused to
lay down their arms, the Russians attacked them and
forcibly deprived them of 11, \; same.

With regard to a statement published by some Berlin
newspapers, that it is intended to despatch a German
squadron to Turkish waters, it is semi-offioially declared that
no preparations have been made or are contemplated for an
expedition of the fleet beyond those which always take. place
in the spring for the formation of a squadron of evolution.

The Vossische Zeitung remarks that if Austria-Hungary
were to declare war, Austria could mobilize in a few weeks
400,000 infantry, 35,000 cavalry, and 2,000 cannon, and
Hungary 100,000 infantry and 10,000 cavalry; in all 500,000
Infantry and 45,000 cavalry to oppose the Russian army in
Europe, 415,000 strong, of whom 275,000 are south of the
Danube.