The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-03-04 00:00:00

THE WAR IN ASIA.

Ewzwizor If, Jew. 29.—A French merchant has just arrived
here from Tiflis, by the way of Alexandropol and Kars. It
appears certain that the Russians are preparing to invest our
city in the spring. They are already occupied in disciplining
the Armenian and Georgian levies. The regular army of the
Caucasus consists at present of about 80,000 men. Of these,
10,000 are stationed so as to serve as a protection against
Schamyl, 10,000 watch the army of Omar Pacha, and the re-
maining 50,000 are close to our frontier, under the command
of General Mouravieff. In addition to these forces, they will
have in the spring 20,000 new troops, more or less disciplined.
We hear at least that we are to have here an English army of
30,000 foot and 10,000 horse. It is reported that this force
will be under the command of Sir Colin Campbell. It is toler-
ably certain that the Egyptian troops to be sent here will
amount to 30,000 men. We hear that for some days past
strong Russian detachments were seen in the neighbourhood
of Olte, sixteen hours' journey distant from here. Their inten-
tion is, perhaps, to get possession of the stores of corn in the
district.

THE BALTIC.
Athices from Copenhagen of Sunday last state that the
Great Belt is free from ice.

KIEL, Feb. 23.
Intelligence has been received by telegraph this morning that
the English fleet may be immediately expected herb. Already
considerable activity is displayed in getting ready for their re-
ception; and as we have now fine spring weather, with the
thermometer at 40, all is in their favour. The jetties for land-
ing along the shore of the bay, which had been removed while
the ice rendered them of little service, are now being replaced,
and the inhabitants are looking forward with pleasure to a
renewal of their intercourse with the fleet, from which many
derive much pleasure and satisfaction, and not a few consider-
able profit and advantage. There is a degree of intimacy
between the English and the people of Holstein which is quite
unknown in their connexion with their fellow-subjects,
there.

COURT AND FASHION.

0

THE LEVEE.—The Queen held a levee (the second this
season) on Wednesday, in St. James's Palace. Her Majesty
wore a train of white poplin embroidered in gold and flowers,
trimmed with fringe to correspond. The petticoat was white
satin, trimmed with white satin ribbon. Her Majesty's head
dress was formed of emeralds and diamonds. The presentations
were not very numerous, and consisted principally of military
and naval officers.—Her Majesty's dinner party in the even-
ing included the Princess Royal, the Duke and Duchess of
Argyle, Mr. Buchanan, the United States minister; Count
Titzthum, the Saxon minister; the Earl.of Eglinton, the Earl
and Countess of Mount Charles, Viscount Monek, Lord Ernest
Bruce, Lord and Lady Robert Grosvenor, the Right Hon. B.
and Mrs, Disraeli, and Sir Benjamin Hawes.

THE SHIPPING DUES BILL.

( PROM TILE PRESS.
Tao' we're patching up Peace with the Russians,
Mid ourselves we are quarrelling still,
And we've had some amusing discussions
On Bobby Lowe's Shipping Dues Bill.
In vain Robin droned in the Senate,
In the Times Robin scribbled in vain—
For a leader more dull, who could pen it ?
Who could speak in less logical strain ?
Bob thought that his Bushranging pleadings
Had grounded him well in the law;
But Thesiger followed his leadings,
And proved in each statement a flaw.
The Commons were sore discontented
With the shallow pretensions of Bobby,
And Pam, driven nearly demented,

Called the culprit out into the lobby :
" Why the deuce need you meddle with shipping,
With law, corporation, or due ?
My Ministry's surely caught tripping
Enough without succour from you.
" I deserve to be kicked for believing
You could father a measure of worth ;
My dulness is quite past conceiving,
But I'll strangle your whelp in its birth."
So on Tuesday Pam told us quite gaily
" The bill had been carefully weighed,
That the Cabinet sat on it daily,
But, ahem ! he was rather afraid—
" And thought the most dignified course
For the Government now to adopt,
In fact, they would not now enforce
This bill, which had better be dropped."
Disraeli withered with scorn
The imbecile holders of place,
Who sat there and writhed so forlorn,
Without honesty, genius, or grace :
Without genius to govern the realm,
Or grace for their faults to atone,
Or honour to give up the helm,
Into manlier hands than their own.
While the House with approval gave ear
To the eloquent leader's harangue,
A creature they called Labouchere,
With the look of a dog you would hang,
Bose, and froth'd up his syllabub spite,

So trashy, so sour, and so weak,
Pam groaned that " the shame of that night
Was as nought till his sub rose to speak,
" With that wonderful instinct of hate
For the genius which dullards must feel,
As the rusts which foul vapours create
Ever seek the most glistening steel.
" Alas ! but my Cabinet's full
Of men whom the people well know
Are as Labouchere, spiteful and dull,
And as vain and as empty as Lowe."

MB churchwardens of Chelmsford have adopted the plan
of a voluntary rate. It is now in the course of collection, and
though the amount is Cd. in the pound, it is met with the
utmost good feeling, not one, we believe, of those who dissent
from the Church having yet refused to pay it.—Essex Herald.

TIIE LATE RAILWAY COMPETITION.—The London and
North-western, Midland, Manchester, Sheffield, and Lincoln-
shire, and Great Northern Railway Companies have issued a
joint notice, intimating that the reduced fares between Lon-
don and the various towns in the Midland and Yorkshire dis-
tricts have been withdrawn on and after the Ist of March.
ENTERTAINMENT AT THE MANSICN-ITOUSE, LONDON: The
Eight Hon. the Lord Mayor entertained a very numerous
party on Wednesday night, consisting chiefly of merchants
connected with Canada and the United States. The dinner
was chiefly in honour of Mr. Buchanan, the American minister ;
but, in consequence of a command of Her Majesty to dine at
the palace, he was unable to attend. The Lord Mayor gave
"Prosperity to the trade of Bristol, Liverpool, Birmingham,
Newcastle, and Manchester." The toast was acknowledged by
Mr. H. Berkeley, Mr. Ewart, Mr. Muntz, and Mr. Headlam,
respectively.

PARLIAMENTARY INTELLIGENCE.

HOUSE OF LORDS.

TUESDAY.

Their lordships met at five o'clock.
NATIONAL GALLERY OF PORTRAITS.—EarI STANHOPE
gave notice that on this day (Tuesday) he should move an
address to her Majesty, praying that her Majesty will gra-
ciously be pleased to take into her royal consideration, in con-
nexion with the site for the present National Gallery, the
practicability and expediency of forming by degrees a gallery
of original portraits ; such portraits to consist, as far as possi-
ble, of those persons who are most honourably commemorated
in British history, as warriors or as statesmen, or in arts, in
literature, and in science.
MERCANTILE Liws.—The LORD CHANCELLOR called atten-
tion to the second report of the Commissioners appointed to
inquire into the Mercantile Laws of the United Kingdom, and
moved the first reading of two bills on the subject, with the
understanding that they should be referred to a select com-
mittee.—Lords BROUGHAM and CAMPBELL expressed their
approbation of the course pursued by the Lord Chancellor,
and the bills were then read a first time.

TICKETS OF LEAVE.—A discussion then arose upon the
ticket-of-leave system, in the course of which Lord HAR-
ROWBY said that, naturally, if no transportation were allowed,
criminals, after a certain term of imprisonment, must be
turned loose on society.—This declaration excited great alarm
in the mind of Lord MALMESBURY, who understood Lord
HARROWBY to say that it was impossible to return to trans-
portation, and that the country must be given over to the
present intolerable ticket-of-leave system.—After some ex-
planation from the Duke of ARGYLL, the matter dropped.—
Their Lordships adjourned at half-past six.