The Press.
London, England, 1855-11-10 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

General D'AttorivittE's range will be very limited. Towards Sim-
feropol he is already stopped by the defile of Tchobata; moreover, he
is held in check by the army at Perekop, and with the comparatively
small force at his command he dare not advance too far from Eupa-
toria. The want of water also in the neighbourhood is a serious
drawback to any effectual operations.
At Kinburn the allied Chiefs appear to be so contented with their
easy success over that unfortunate little fort, that nothing further
seems contemplated this year. In the despatch received on Thursday,
General SPENCER states that the English force was about to re-embark
for head-quarters, and Kinburn to be loft in possession of the French.
In this expedition ihe secondary part which we appear to have played
throughout is rather remarkable. From Admiral BRUAT'S despatch to
the French Minister of Marine the presence of an English squadron
would hardly be conceived. The French Admiral attributes the suc-
cess of the bombardment to the complete investment of the place,
which rendered relief hopeless, and to the fire of the French floating
batteries ! How was it that none of those pet models of naval archi-
tecture, the pride of our dockyards last spring, were not present to
take their share in the trial? Although the land forces employed in
this expedition will perhaps be no further use' this year, it is probable
that a naval attack upon Nicolaieff will be attempted before the winter
sets in, but with what success it is difficult to say. Every day let
slip is taken advantage of by the Russians to strengthen
their defences ; and, from our experience of them at Sebastopol,
we ought to know how rapidly they can throw up earthworks.
TODTLEBEN, too, that genius of the pick and spade, is now at Nico-
laieff, and, under his eye, what lines of vallation and circumvallation,
batteries, and redoubts, will not arise in a few days ! An artillery
corps and two brigades of infantry from the Crimea, besides the
Grenadiers and a division of the Guards from Poland, have arrived for
the defence of the coast, and reinforcements are daily coming ; so
that, unless any attack is rapidly carried out, the passage of the river
may possibly be found too strong for us, without a powerful land force
in support.
At our head-quarters camp the preparations for wintering are
being carried out with energy by the men and officers themselves; for
the Government, with its usual indifference, or over-eagerness to
snatch at any straw which should save trouble—depending too much
upon the "comfortable quarters" which the south side of Sebastopol
were to supply—have neglected to send out a sufficient quantity of
hutting so that three-fourths of the army is at ',present without hut-
ting, at all and possibly about the end of the winter, and not earlier,
may look forward to obtain their due proportion of shelter.

The official cliques are in high dudgeon at Sir CHARLES NAPIER
having been proclaimed a popular favorite in Southwark. They dread
the Admiral's frankness of speech, and seek to cry down one whom
they were the first to cry up. There is much to criticise in Sir C.
NAPIER'S public life, but there is also much honest English feeling in
the adhesion of the Southwark electors to an old popular favorites
whose laurels had been somewhat dimmed. The instinct which rallie,
men to struggle for an " ill-used " person, is a corrective of much of
the evils produced by a servile compliance with the opinions of con-
ventional society. For his own sake, and on public grounds, we hope
Sir CHARLES NAPIER will act with dignity in his political victory, but
we apprehend the Sebastopol blowing up every night at the Surrey
Gardens, will symbolise his Parliamentary displays. He has, certainly
had much to annoy him, but there is much to cheer in the rally made
for him by his friends in Southwark. One of the Ministerial organs
in its disappointment has attacked him with great bitterness, and has
sneered at him as being likely to be " more formidable in the House of
" Commons than in the Baltic." That is an unworthy style of com-
ment on the proceedings of an ex officer, who had been selected to
command by the present Ministry. It is a style of writing which its
promoters mighthavo reason to regret in the case of one who is now as
rough a customer with his pen as he proved himself with his sword in
other times.

The visit of the King of SARDINIA to this country has been
definitively settled. His Majesty, attended by Counts CAvoUR and
D'AzEoLIo, will arrive in London early in December. As the chief
of those brave soldiers who fought so heroically at the DlChelllaYat
VICTOR EMANUEL will receive an earnest welcome from the English
people, who appreciate ithe character of the sole constitutional Sove-
reign of Italy. His visit to the Queen will be an event of consider-
able interest. The noble conduct of Sardinia throughout this war,
the upright policy of the Sardinian Government, and the heroic spirit
which her troops have displayed, will insure her Sovereign the
warmest reception upon his visit to our shores.

The Government, it appears, considers that the West India
fleet is nut yet sufficiently reinforced to withstand successfully the
projected buccaneering expeditions of the Yankees. Three line-of-
battle ships and a steam-sloop have within the last month reinforced
this fleet. On Wednesday an 18-gun sloop, the Malacca, sailed for that
station. The Sanspareil, screw-liner, 70, is preparing for sea with
great haste, also, for the West Indies; while a steam frigate and
two steam-sloops are mentioned as fitting for that destination.
The collection of such a powerful squadron off the coasts of
America can have but one result, to irritate the Americans to the
highest pitch. As to the buccaneering expeditions, if any are fitting
out, it is impossible that the vessels intended to be used can he line-
of-battle ships or heavy armed steam-frigates. Is I ord PALMERSTO.N
afraid that we are going to have peace in the East, and so, to keep his
hand in, begins to prepare a pretty little quarrel in the West? So
pugnacious a Premier, dressed in a little brief authority, will play
tricks that will make more than angels weep.