The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-05 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN ARMY AT THE FALL OF
SEBASTOPOL.

The Vienna correspondent of the Times gives the following
account of the state of the Russian army, at the time of the
surrender of Sebastopol:—
"After the fall of South Sebastopol the Russian army was
in such a terrible state of demoralisation and distress, that the
whole of the Crimea must have inevitably fallen into the hands
of the allies if they had followed up their advantage. The
state of things was so alarming, that it was at first resolved to
evacuate the Crimea immediately, but the allies remained inac-
tive, and two divisions of the Grenadier corps had time to
make their way to the theatre of war. On the arrival of these
prime troops the Russians again took courage, and, in a coun-
cil of war, at which the Emperor was present, it was resolved
to maintain possession of the Crimea. The world is much sur-
prised that Russia is willing to conclude peace on such terms,
but it will perhaps be less so when it has read the following
singular intelligence, which has the merit of being perfectly
authentic. No language can describe the sufferings of a part
of that Russian army to which was entrusted the defence of
the coasts of the Baltic. The gros of it was composed of
militiamen, who were not only miserably clothed and equipped,
but literally half starved. The poor wretches were affected by
a singular malady. Vast numbers of them had the tobusucht,
(raving madness or, perhaps, delirium- tremens is meant,) and
they were not relieved from their sufferings until the cruisers
cif the enemy had ditlarreared, ' The allies; who axe the great-

est blunderers on the face of the earth, raised the blockade too
soon, and the consequence was that vast, quantities of stores
and provisions arrived from Memel and Dantzic as soon as
their backs were turned.' While the unfortunate militia was
left to suffer the pangs of hunger, the greatest care was taken
to supply the Imperial Guard with everything it could desire.
It was further positively stated, that the Grand Duke Con-
stantine, ' far from tyrannising over the Emperor, was anxious
to obey his orders to the very letter.'"
If we are to believe the Independance Belge, since the allied
squadrons have withdrawn from the Gulf of Finland, and thanks
to the unusual mildness of the winter, about a hundred vessels
of all nations'have succeeded in landing their cargoes at Riga,
from whence foreign goods are conveyed into the interior of
the country. Salt, especially, which was in great demand, has
fallen seventy-five per cent., and great stores of Russian mer-
chandise, unable to find a market, have been let loose.

TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCHES.

THE FIRST PEACE PRELIMINARY.
BERLIN, Thursday.

It is understood that a mere Protocol acknowledging the
willingness of the belligerent Powers to treat on the con-
ditions proposed is all that will be signed at Vienna.
The formal preliminaries of peace will not be signed till the
representatives of the various Powers meet at Paris.
Neither Sardinia nor Prussia will be parties to the Protocol.
Both will be admitted to the after negotiations.
PAR IS, Thursday.
The Ambassadors of the Allies are expected to sign the
Protocol to-morrow, at Vienna.

THE EAST.
PARIS, Thursday.
Official despatches from Constantinople state that the war
preparations are carried on with the utmost activity.
Omar Pasha's suggestions have been approved of.
The same activity prevails at Stockholm.
Sweden will be prepared for offensive operations, if neces-

sary.
THE ANCHORAGE AT NARGEN.
BERLIN, Thursday.

We have received intelligence here, that the Russians fiave
taken advantage of the late temporary thaw to sink immense
blocks of stone, at the anchorage off the Isle of Nargen.
Care will be taken, before the navigation re-opens to render
the ground utterly impracticable, as an anchorage for ships of
the line.

The accounts we receive here of the commercial activity in
the Gulfs of Bothnia and Finland since there has been a
prospect of peace are almost incredible.
- TRIESTE, Jan. 30.

Accounts from Constantinople, of the 21st, state that, in
spite of the pacific news, General Shirley has sent orders to
Shumla to prepare quarters for the troops which are to proceed
there in the spring.
Ministerial changes are considered imminent at Constanti-
nople. Mehemed Ali will, it is said, benamed minister of
war.
VIENNA, Jan. 30.

The Ost-Deutsche Post announces that Austria, in the
interest of Germany, will present a proposition to the Ger-
manic Diet, in order that the latter may adopt the points of
guarantee which are to serve as the preliminaries of peace,
and thus take an important part in the approaching con-
ferences.

VIENNA, Jan. 31.
The Turkish Embassy in this city has been empowered to
sign the protocol, if necessary.

THE PEACE CONFERENCES.

The Grand Vizier Aali Pasha has been appointed the Otto-
man Plenipotentiary to the conferences at Paris. He is to
embark at Constantinople on the 6th instant, and will arrive
by Marseilles on the 16th. It is thought that the conferences
will open on the 21st of February.
The Moniteur, of Saturday, contains the following announce-
ment :—" Russia has assented to the five propositions which
are to serve as preliminaries of peace, and which were presented
for her acceptance by Austria, with the assent of France and
England. This adhesion, without reserve, was formally stated
in a note addressed by Count Esterhazy, the Austrian mini-
ster at St. Petersburg, and also in a despatch communicated.
to Count Buol by Prince Gortschakoff, Russian minister at Vi-
enna. In consequence of this the Russian Government proposed
the signature of a protocol at Vienna to record the adhesion of
the contracting parties to the propositions destined to serve
as bases of negotiation, and to settle that the plenipotentiaries
shall meet in three weeks, or sooner, if possible, for the object
of proceeding successively to the signature of the preliminaries,
the conclusion of an armistice, and the opening of general
negotiations. The British Government had already expressed
its desire that the negotiations should take place in Paris, and
the Austrian Government having, on its side, warmly acceded
to this arrangement, it is in the capital of this empire that the
plenipotentiaries, summoned to deliberate on the conditions of
peace, will meet. The protocol, stating the acceptance by all
parties, was signed at Vienna on Friday, February 1, at twelve
o'clock ; and it has been settled that the plenipotentiaries of
the Powers who are to take part in the negotiations are to
come to Paris before the 20th of February."

AMERICA.

ARRIVAL OF THE ATLANTIC.

By the United States mail steam-ship Atlantic, Captain
West, which arrived on Thursday, we have intelligence from
New York to the 19th ult. She brought 79 passengers.
The royal mail steam-ship America, hence at Boston 18th
ult. Up to the hour of the departure of the Atlantic, the
prospect of an organisation of the House of Representatives
appeared as distant as ever. On the 17th ult., the 11t6h ballot
for Speaker was taken, which resulted as follows :—Banks,
94 ; Richardson, 68 ; Fullen, 32 ; Pennington, 6 ; scattering,
3 ; necessary to a choice, 102. A proposition to elect a
Speaker by plurality vote, and one declaring Banks, (Repub-
lican), Speaker ; William Cullum (American), Clerk ; A. J.
Grosshenner, Sergeant-at-Arms ; Mr. John M. Johnston,
Postmaster, (both Democrats), offered on the 18th as a com-
promise, were both negatived.
The New York Legislature had at length been organised.
Mr. Orville Robinson, of Oswego (Democrat), having on the
15th tilt.. (ballot N0:49), been elected Speaker by a combina-
tion of Republicans and Democrats.
The emigrant ship St. Denis, from New York to Havre,
foundered at sea on the 6th ult., and the captain, second
mate, 20 of the crew, and 11 passengers drowned. The first
and third mates and 11 of the crew were picked up, after
drifting about in an open boat for 30 hours.