The Press.
London, England, 1855-12-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

THE KING OF PsusslA is said, in his late auto-
graph correspondence with the Emperor of Austria
with reference to supporting the Austrian proposi-
tions at St. Petersburg, to have reserved to himself
the right hereafter of making representations against
the " excessive rigour" of the conditions proposed.
A special envoy will not be sent by the King to St.
Petersburg, the Prussian Ambassador at that Court
being considered equal to the task of supporting the
propositions borne by Count Esterhazy.
COUNT ESTERHAZY left Warsaw for St. Petersburg
on the 22nd instant, and was expected to reach that
capital on the 24th, but the delicate state of the
count's health compels him to make his journey by
easy stages.
GENERAL MOURAVIEFF, it is not improbable, will
shortly be appointed to the supreme command of the
Russian armies in the Crimea. The ultra-war party
at St. Petersburg, of which the Grand Duke Con
stantine and Prince Menschikoff hold the lead,
accuse Prince Gortschakoff of indecision and want of
energy, while they use every intrigue to get Moura-
vieff appointed in his place. The late decision of the
Emperor to relieve Prince Gortschakoff of all respon-
sibility, and to give him freedom to retain or
evacuate the Crimea at will, is regarded as the pre-
liminary step to the retirement of the prince from
the command.
A GRAND COUNCIL OF WAR, it is rumoured, will
shortly he held at Paris. The Duke of Cambridge,
Sir Edmund Lyons, Sir R. Airey, and several French
and other generals of high distinction, will attend.
The object of this meeting is stated to be to weigh
several plans for the next campaign, and, when a
decision is formed, to carry out combined operations
with energy and completeness. It is stated that
Marshal Pelissier has affirmed that no successful
operations can be carried out in the Crimea upon
the present basis.
GENERAL WILLIAMS AND HIS STAFF, it is believed,
will be ta ansferred at once to St. Petersburg. A
letter in Le Nord asserts that the gallant general's
life was so far in danger in Kars that during the
days of negotiation his only place of safety was the
Russian camp.
M. FLourtess, the eminent physiologist, at the last
sitting of the Paris Academy of Sciences, speaking
on the subject of chloroform, remarked that its use
in the field hospitals of the army doubled the strength
and power of the surgeons, as they are more masters
of their action when operating on an inert mass, and
are no longer disturbed by the cries or movements of
the patient. In the campaign in the Crimea chloro.
form was employed, he stated, more than 23,0(X)
times, and always with success.

THE SOUND DUES CONGRESS AT COPENHAGEN
appears to have been a failure. The German States
have refused to have anything to do with it ; Russia
has objected to the capitalisation of the dues ; and
the English Government have fully explained to
Denmark that if she permits the American or any
other flag to pass the Sound or the Belts without
payment of the customary dues, she must be pre-
pared to concede the same advantages to the British
flag.
THE ENGLISH AND FRENCH CONSULS-GENERAL AT
BELORADEADd A ziaPacha, the militarygovernor, lately
threatened to strike their flags and close the fortress
if satisfaction were not given for an insulting article
against the allies in the Brbske Notine. The Cloven-
ment at once submitted, an apologetic declaration
appeared the next day, and the editor and censor,
both Russian agents, were dismissed.
SERIF - OUL-MOULK • M URI - PIRI- ABBAS - KHOULI-
KHAN, the Extraordinary Ambassador from Persia,
arrived at St. Petersburg on the 9th, after having
stopped a week at, Moscow. He was received in a
most princely manner. The ordinary resident am-
bassador went to meet him as far as Moscow, and
returned with him to St. Petersburg.
THE COLLAR OF THE GOLDEN FLEECE OF NAPLES,
vacant by the death of the Emperor Nicholas, is
said to be intended by King Bomba for Prince
Jerome Bonaparte, the ex-King of Westphalia.
THE Allgenteine Zeitung, in a late number,
speaking of the disinclination of the English Govern•
meet to enter into negotiations with Russia, asserts
that the Emperor of the French, upon finding Lord
Palmerston so averse to entertain the idea of peace,
wrote to the following effect:—
I wish for the restoration of peace ; I am resolved
hereon ; I regret that we differ in opinion. The war is
fruitless, and we earn by it nothing but laurels, but of these
we have enough. I do not wish to 'Moe my much es-
teemed ally to conclude a peace against her will, but he
who wishes to secure the object iu view must also desire
to adopt the necessary means thereto. If the war should
be continued, the conditions under which it was begun
must undergo a change.
This language, adds the writer, had the desired effect,
and the English Government consented to entertain
the said peace propositions.
THE PoPE, it was remarked, paid express attention
to the Austrian Archdukes, Albert and Reynier,
during their late visit to Rome. Their interview
with the Holy Father is described as " highly affec-
tionate,"

SATURDAY,

TILE Parma DE PLEss, (President of the Berlin
Chamber of Nobles, died very suddenly, after a slight
illness, last week at Berlin.
M. GUIZOT was lately asked whether he thought it
probable that peace would soon be made. The
reply was laconic, " Monsieur, pour qui me prenez
wills." _ _ _

THE LOUVRE IN PARIS, last week, had a narrow
escape from being burnt down. In one of the newly-
constructed buildings, where workmen are still em-
ployed, a fire suddenly broke out about 11. a.m., and
was only suppressed by the greatest exertions of the
workmen. So much alarm was excited at one time,
that the Emperor, accompanied by Marshal Valliant
and M. Foul d, hurried from the Tuileries to satisfy
himself that the palace was not in any immediate
danger.
COUNT MUNSTER, lately returned to Berlin from
St. Petersburg, it is now stated by the Berlin papers,
was not the bearer of any autograph letter, nor of
propositions of any kind, from the Czar to the King.
THE COURT OF AUSTR/A is said to have called upon
the Prussian Government to support the propositions
borne by Count Esterhazy to St. Petersburg.
laMAIL PACHA, commander-in-chief of the Turkish
Danubian army, has been recalled, by special order
of the Sultan, to Constantinople, to fully explain the
cause of the energetic protests he has lately made
against the conduct of the Austrians in the Princi-
palities, particularly with respect to their attempting
to establish a heavy battery of sixty guns at Giurgevo.
Tim FIRST PRESIDENT of the Volksthing of Den.
mark, M. Bang, in reply to a question from M. Rime-
stad, stated on the 12th, that the Danish Govern-
ment intended provisionally to suppress all the im
port duties on flour, cattle, meat, and other articles of
consumption.
Tux BANQUET intended to be given by the National
Guard of Paris to the Imperial Guard, on their
return from the Crimea, on the 29th, will not take
place.
Tux WAR BUDGET OF SARDINIA, just presented to
the Piedmontese Chambers, fixes the expenses of
the Eastern war during 1855 and 1856 at 74,239,532 f.,
including 11,376,401 f. for the navy.
THE Kreuz Zeitung denies that the demolition of
the Russian fortresses in the Black Sea is one of the
conditions of peace put forward by the allies.
GENERAL MOURAVIEFF, when causing the garrison
of Kars to defile before him, requested the English
officers not to take part in the movement.
THE PATERNAL GOVERNMENT OF AUSTRIA regards
she morals of its people with considerate care. At
an evening party at Vienna last week it is related
that one of the guests, sitting down to the piano,
played a quadrille, and the 'Viennese, who never lose
an opportunity of dancing, immediately indulged in
their favourite amusement. A gendarme, who
chanced to be passing, went up to the apartment in
which the dancing was going and, to the horror
of the assembled guests, walked the virtuoso off to
the police-prison. It was Advent, and music for
dancing is prohibited by the Archbishop of Vienna!
PRINCE PASKIEWIICH, it is now stated, will recover,
Dr. Oppolzer having written to one of his colleagues
that be is not without hopes of saving the prince's
life. What he understands by a " perforirendes "
ulcer is a sore that destroys some of the coats of the
stomach, but which an effort of nature, assisted by
art, may heal.

THE• ACCOUCHEMENT OF THE EMPRESS OF THE
FRENCH, is expected to take place between the 15th
and the 25th of Marc'n. Her Majesty's health con-
tinues to be excellent.
THE PREPARATIONS FOR THE MILITARY SOLEMNITY
AT PARIS, this day, are on a very grand scale. At
the entrance of the Boulevard, at the Bastile, a
triumphal arch is erected, while others are con-
structed on the line of march. Trophies, flagstaffs,
and wreaths of foliage are placed at intervals. In
the evening, it is said, there will be a general illumi-
nation ; while each soldier of the army of Paris will
receive an extra day's pay, in order to be able to treat
a comrade amongst the new arrivals.
THE INSTALMENTS OF THE TURKISH LOAN lately
paid over to the War Ministry caused a rapid rise in
the Exchange at Constantinople. Five millions of
piastres are to be expended upon improving the
pavement in the streets of Pere.
THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH has bestowed the
Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour in diamonds
upon the Sultan. This is the first time that his
Highness has received a decoration from a Christian
power.
SECRET CONSPIRACIES are Still much talked of in
Spain. The abduction of the Princess of Asttuias
is one of the leading objects of the conspirators, but
the Government have taken such precautions as
render such an attempt impossible of success.
THE NEW RUSSIAN LOAN has been pressed at
Berlin with great vigour. The high rate of interest
and the low price of stock obtained for it many sub-
scribers.
THE REPORT THAT FORDED COUPONS Of immense
amounts on the Spanish public debt had been die
covered at Madrid, is now denied by the Spanish
rapers,