The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-02-16 00:00:00

FURTHER PAPERS ON TURKEY.

Two fresh Parliamentary papers, forming numbers
12 and 13 of the series entitled " Further Correspon-
dence respecting the Affairs of Turkey," were issued on
Tuesday. The first opens with a telegraphic despatch
from Lord Derby to Lord A. Loftus, dated Feb. 7,
1878, forwarding a telegram received from Mr. Layard,
informing his Government that the Turks had been
compelled to retire from the Tchekmedje lines, and
that the Russians were consolidating their advance
on Constantinople. Lord A. Loftus is directed to
communicate the substance of this information to
Prince Gortschakoff, and to remind the Russian
Government of the assurance given by the Emperor
to Colonel Wellesley to the effect that "the Emperor
will not occupy Constantinople for the sake of mili-
tary honour, but only if such a step is rendered
necessary by the march of events."
In reply to this despatch Lord A. Loftus tele-
graphed Lord Derby:
St. Petersburg, Feb. 7, 1878.
Count Schouvaloff has been instructed to assure your
lordship that the Russian troops have not advanced since
the signature of the armistice. I have received similar
assurances. I learn that no limit of time is fixed for the
armistice, but the terms of it are not yet known here.

On the Bth inst. Mr. Layard telegraphed to Lord
Derby

With reference to your telegram of yesterday, making
further inquiry as to the occupation of the Tchataldja lines
by the Russians, I have the honour to confirm my report of
the 6th inst. that the Russians have occupied Tchataldja
and have insisted upon the withdrawal of the Turkish
troops from the Tchekmedj,) Ines. The guns have for the
most part been removed, but the lines themselves are in
the neutral zone and have not yet been occupied by the
Russians.

The first series concludes with the following tele-
gram from Lord A. Loftus to Lord Derby

St. Petersburg, Feb. 9, 1878.

On the receipt of your lordship's telegram of the 7th inst.,
instructing me to communicate to Prince Gortschakoff the
substance of Mr. Layard's telegram of the 6th inst., respect-
ing the occupation of Tchataldja by the P,ussians and the re-
tirement of the Turks from the ichekmedje lines, I addressed
a note to his Ilighness embodying your instructions. I
have now received the following answer from him
"In answer to your Excellency's note of Feb. 8. respect-
ing occupation of certain strategical points in neighbour-
hood of Constantinople by the Russian troops in con-
sequence of armistice, it is my duty to inform you that we
are notyet in possession of positive information as to details of
convention of armistice and as to its application. I should
add that the military line of demarcation traced previously
to the armistice has been agreed upon between the Rffssian
and Turkish authorities, and that it is a question which ex-
clusively concerns the belligerents.'"
The second series contains documents relating
solely to the affairs of the Conference, in special
relation to the rearrangement of the Province of
Bulgaria, the proposed boundaries of which were
laid down on maps prepared at the Russian and
Austrian Embassies, and forwarded by Lord Salisbury
to Lord Derby,

A DAY OF INTERCESSION FOR THE

LONDON CLERGY.
The Bishop of London has addressed a letter,to the
clergy of his diocese, in concurrence with the Bishop
of Rochester, inviting them to set apart for public
and private prayer and intercession as large a
portion of Tuesday, the 251 h inst., as they can spare
from other duties. For this purpose St. Paul's
Cathedral will, by the arrangements of the Dean
and Chapter, be open from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. "We
shall then," the Bishop says, "be preparing
for the duties and absorbing interests of Lent, and
it is well to secure a few
.quiet hours to commune
with our own hearts, as in God's presence, and be
still." Dr. Jackson dwells on the necessity of prayer
and mutual intercession in face of "the immenre
importance and the appalling difficulties of the work
in which we are enraged in the midst of the teeming
masses of this metropolis," and "the special da.nge:s
of our time arising from dissension within and from
political hostility, heresy, and infidelity without."

The Mark Lane Express remarks that the autumn
sown wheat continues to show a satisfactory appearance,
and tlud favourable advice abso come from Bootland.

..04. 1+4;4