The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-02-19 00:00:00

THE WAR.

THE intelligence furnished from the Crimea by the or-
respondents of the London daily journals reaches to the 2nt of
February, inclusive. The news so communicated is of a charater
similar to what has formed the staple of the recent despattes.
The weather has continued variable, with occasionally 'ery
severe frosts, which, although not entirely dispelled, lave
nevertheless been so broken in upon by falls of rain and liter-
vals of thaw, as to render the camp very disagreeable, aid in
many instances equestrianism, from various causes, has been
greatly interrupted. The health of the British army contnues
excellent; and even the new levies of recruits lately selt out
appear not only to agree with the place and the climati, but
are represented as in the enjoyment of robust, indeedrude
health. The destruction of the docks has been competed;
but the tale of military exploits and adventure continues pith-
out interest, and to be devoid of incident. The prospeo of
peace afford a fertile theme of speculation to both officers and
men, and, as might have been expected, the subject is largely
dwelt upon by the correspondents of the journals.
The Times' correspondent, writing from the Camp Jefore
Sebastopol, on the 28th of January, says, in reference tothe
PROSPECTS OF PEACE—THE WITHDRAWAL
OF THE ARMY :

Coming from Sebastopol, over Picket-hoase-hill, the camp
had quite a homely and snug appearance, as it lay btsking
lazily in the Sabbath sunshine, its numerous smokingcbim-
neys telling of Sunday dinners in preparation ; and one could
hardly fancy that, if all we hear be true, in a few weeks' or
months' time, this extensive military city will have disap►eared
from the earth's surface, leaving a blackened and ashes-trewn
desert. Although the news of Russia's acceptance If the
ultimatum appears positive, and is confirmed by recent etters
received in camp from Constantinople, a reaction has taken
place in the military mind, and doubt is cast upon that phich,
a very few days ago, obtained almost universal credence. In
many cases the wish, perhaps, is father to the doubt, forthere
are many here to whom peace is unwelcome. That them is a
strong probability of its being made is evident from tl'e fact
of a commissariat officer having been sent off to suspenc con-
tracts, and stop supplies, in Constantinople, Malta, and Italy,
and to make such arrangements as plainly indicate an eipeet-
ation that hostilities are drawing to a close. If peace be zade,
how long shall we be getting away from this is a quistion
onelhears continually asked, and replied to by various con-
jectures. A great deal will, of course, depend on the anount
of shipping that can be supplied. I understand Om the
Quartermaster-General's people say it would take a ytr to
get men, materiel, and stores of all kinds away, and to clear
the English army and its appurtenances entirely out of the
Crimea and Turkey. Probably this is rather an exaggerated
estimate of the time really necessary, and yet, bearing inmind
the immense quantity of things that will have to be remind,
one can hardly pronounce it so. The horses alone will 'squire
a vast deal of shipping. Officers whose rank and positim in
the service entitle them to horses can hardly be refused per-
mission to take them home, or be fairly compelled ( tuless
compensation be given) to sell the animals here, when the
glut would render them unsaleable. It is to be expectedthat
huts, furniture, and all sorts of household property wil be
condemned to the flames. I should not suppose that nany
persons will be very solicitous to take home Crimean beds.
But, however much baggage may be cut down, and fiver-
fluities not worth the carriage consigned to the flames, tla de-
parture of the British army from the East will be such Mitt-
ting as has rarely, if ever, been witnessed.
Writing on the Ist of February, the same correspondent,
after intimating that the weather had been fine at the end of
the preceding month, and that the Russians had fired briikly
during the night of the 28th, states the following relatin to