The Press.
London, England, 1853-12-24 00:00:00

An ordinance was published in St. Petersburg on
the 10th, with the signature of the Finance Minister,
declaring all merchant vessels laden with or carrying
munitions of war to be lawful prizes, although sail-
ing under a neutral flag.

In the principalities, Mr. Gardner, the British
Consul at Jassy, has received Lord Redcliffe's in
struction to leave. M. .Pouillade, French Consul in
Wallachia, left Galax on the 4th, on board a Lloyd
steamer, for Constantinople.
M. de lonian, late Russian Consul-General in
Servia, ham gone to St. Petersburg. Ile will pro-
bably be sent on a special mission to Persia.
According to the Jmsr►ual de Constantinople, se-
veral Turkish merchants have been compelled to
leave Ibraila without being permitted to convey their
property with them. Only twenty-four hours were
given them to leave Wallachia, and they wore com-
pelled to leave behind several million piastres worth
of property.
The extended delay accorded by the Porte to Rus-
sian commercial ships is forty-five days for the Black
Sea and the Mediterranean, and three mouths for the
ocean.

The commandants of the Russian forces in the
Black Sea have given orders that the foreign mer-
chant vessels going to ports of the Ottoman empire
shall be subjected to search.
A great many Russian ships are cruising off Varna.
The Turkish vessels find great difficulties on their
passage from Constatinople to Varna. Two Russian
steamers are stationed ow Galati, and watch the
movements of the Turkish ships. The Russian
cruisers advance almost daily to the mouth of the
Bosphorus.
Ali Kiza Pacha, whose corps is in the vicinity of
the fortress of Akiska, has occupied six districts in
those parts—viz., Kupban, Abastoman, Ashour,
ls-
venda, ichetcheziket, and Kahirtz. The inhabitants
of these districts have readily and with the greatest
enthusiasm submitted to the authority of the Sultan.
Turkish governors have been appointed, and the new
subjects of Turkey display the greatest eagerness in
supplying victuals and stores to the Paeha's army.
A Hebrew journal of Adrianople says :—" In all
the mosques, churches, and synagogues of this city
public prayers are offered up for the success of the
troops of the Sultan, who combat for the defence of
a just right, and in the most noble cause. In addi-
tion lathe voluntary gifts made by the Mussulmans,
the bishops and primates of the different Christian
communities have offered to our Governor-General
their own horses for the service of the army. A
magnificent pair of horses was offered by the Jewish
rabbi of this city."
The Journal de Francfort, in a letter from Con-
stantinople, states :—" M. IBaltazzi, who some time
since made an advance to the Porte of thirty-five
millions of piastres on the tribute to be received from
Egypt, has also furnished ten thousand pieces of
cloth, and all the wives of the employes in the war
department have been set to work to convert it into
cloaks for the troops. A large building has been
converted into a workshop for the purpose. The fe-
males of the harem are similarly occupied, although
they are not very expert at needlework.
Letters from Constantinople of the tith instant, say
that the Porte has refused to accede to an armistice,
but was willing to join the conference.
The Constantinople correspondent of the Dtbats
says that the rupture of diplomatic relations between
Persia and England is officially confirmed, and that.
Persia has concluded a treaty of alliance offensive
and defensive with Russia against Turkey. Advises
received in Vienna from Bucharest of the lith state
that Persia has offered, through Prince Woronzoff,
30,000 troops to Russia, and demanded a Russian
general.
The Hamburg News, under date of St. Petersburg,
oth, says :

" Accounts from the Buisian squadron in the l'ltina
seas state that on the 6th of August all the vessels of
which it Is composed (the Palma, frigate, Oliwara corvette,
Westok schooner, and the Prince de 3fensehikojr, belonging
to the Russo. American Company) assembled in the port
of Loid, and sailed on the 16th of August for Nangazaki.
On the 22nd they anchored there, and the crews were re•
ceived by the Japanese with cordiality. On the Ist of
September the commanding officer of the squadron sent
the Niece a Mensehilete to Shanghae, to obtain inform.
don as to the state of affairs in China. She arrived there
on the Nth September, the day after the place had been
taken by the rebels. On the 15th the .I(easeitikt(9 sailed
to rejoin the squadron at Nangazaki."
The Agamemnon arrived at Malta on the 14th
inst. Two British merchantmen, the property of a
Maltese house, which sailed with cargoes of coals to
the Black Sea, were very roughly dealt with in the
battle of Sinope.
UNITED STATES.
TILE PRESIDENT'S stEssmte.
- - -

The session of Congress opened on the sth inst.,
when the President delivered an address of the
voluminous character usual to such manifestoes.
The followinidis a brief summary of the document,
the text of which eitende over five closely-I►riutod
eolwuus:—.