The Press.
London, England, 1855-05-12 00:00:00

SCOTCH MARRIAGES.

Wednesday was devoted to marriage questions.
Mr. HEADL&M moved the second reading of his
bill, which went to declare illegal all Scotch mar-
riages contracted by mere interchange of consent in
presence of witnesses, and to impose penalties on all
blacksmiths, innkeepers, and others, who should
celebrate the same. _

The bill, supported by Lord Lovaine, Mr. Dunlop,
and Mr. Howard, was opposed by the Lord Advocate,
Sir G. Grey, Mr. Walpole, and others, who agreed
in the principle of the bill, but said that the means
of remedy proposed would be quite ineffectual ; that
it was dealing in a petty manner with a question of
vast importance, would introduce confusion into the
whole marriage law, and was only directed against
the marriages of the poor. The second reading was
lost by 143 to 40.
EDUCATION (SCOTLAND) BILL
The motion for going into committee on this bill
was resisted on Thursday evening by Mr. CUMMING
BRUCE, who pleaded the lateness of the hour as a
reason for postponing further progress. This was
opposed by Lord Palmerston, and after some debating
the house decided, upon division, to go on with the
bill that evening by a majority of 165 to 118.
Mr. C. BRUCE then moved, as an amendment, that
the committee should be instructed to divide the mea•
sure into two bilis—one relating to the parochial
schools, the other to the new schools contemplated
by the bill. The amendment, he explained, was de
signed to enable the Legislature to adopt the useful
provisions of the Lord Advocate's measure, without
sweeping away the existing system of parochial
schools in connection with the Church of Scotland.
The hon. member proceeded at considerable length
to defend and eulogise the present educational estab-
lishments in that section of the United Kingdom.
Lord DALICEITH moved the adjournment of the
discussion, to which the Lord Advocate consented ;
and, after some remarks from Mr. John M‘Gregor
and Mr. Dunlop, the debate was adjourned to Mon •
day next.

THE number of men employed and the sums of
money expended in the following years in the payment
of foreign troops employed in the service of the
United Kingdom, is shown in a return obtained by
Mr. Bentinck, M.P. The number and charges were,
as follows :—ln 1800, 13,976 men, and 471,1'28/. voted;
in 1801, 13,015 men, and 303,3911. voted; in 1802,
41,352 men, and 515,2811. voted; in 1803, 5,168 men,
and 159,6721. voted ; in 1804, 12,559 men, and
582,262/. voted; in 1805, 17,386 men, and 851,3501.
voted ; in 1806, 22,939 men, and 985, 9091. voted ; in
18J7, 21,473 men, and 832,4501. voted ; in 1808,
22,125 men, and 866,5581. voted ; in 1809, 22,978 men,
and 933,654/. voted ; in 1810, 23,953 men and
968,4251. voted ; in 1811, 24,989 men, and 966,2251.
voted ; in 1812, 30,741 men, and 1,148,6521. voted ;
in 1813, 31,259 men, and 1,205,6421. voted ; in 1814,
32,216 men, and 1,206,8011. voted ; and in 1815,
21,314 men, and 586,7151. voted. The foreign troops
employed included several German battalions, the
Bourbon Regiment formed from natives of Bourbon,
De Roll's Regiment, the Chasseurs Britanniques,
Meuron and Watteville's Swiss, the Corsican Rangers,
Dillon's Regiment, the Greek Light Infantry, the
Sicilian Light Infantry, three Italian bands, the
Maltese Provincials, independent companies of fo-
reigners, deserters from the French army, the King's
German Legion, the Duke of Brunswick's Infantry,
the Brunswick Hussars, and Freberg's Levy.
THE Borsenhalte of Hamburg is instructed by
letters from St. Petersburg that from the opening to
the close of the navigation in 1854 only seven foreign
ships entered the port of St. Petersburg, and there
were only twenty-seven departures. The coasting
trade was not interrupted. In consequence of the
advance in the rates of carriage, 10,000 oukops of
tallow remained unsold, and prices have fallen
greatly. The advance on imports is most felt in the
article of cotton. Instead of some millions of poods,
the importation of ordinary years, in 1864 only
900,000 poods were imported, and many nulls are
tending still for want of raw material.

THE PRESS.

THE WAR.

Yesterday afternoon a despatch, dated on Thursday
last, from Lord Raglan was received at the War-office
to the following effect:--
The Russians made a sortie with a large body of troops
on our right advanced trench this morning, but were driven
back immediately. A second and similar attempt shared
the same fate. Nothing could be better than the conduct
of the troops who took part in the affair. The loss of the
enemy was serious.
On the 6th (Sunday) Lord Raglan had previously
telegraphed as follows :
The enemy assaulted the advanced trench of our right
attack last night, but were repulsed promptly. Our loss
was three killed and twenty wounded.

Thursday's Maniteur says that advices from the
Crimea, dated the oth of May, at ten o'clock, a.m.,
announce the arrival at Kamisch Bay of General
della Marmora, with 4,000 men, the first detachment
of the Piedmontese troops.
A despatch from St. Petersburg, dated the 7th
instant, received in Berlin, states :

On the night between the Ist and 2nd the enemy (the
allies), having concentrated 10,000 men, took possession of
the lodgments in front of Bastion No. 5, and captured nine
small cohorn mortars. On the 2nd the enemy opened a
heavy cannonade on Bastions Nos. 4 and 5, and on the
adjoining lines. Tne damage which they did was repaired
during the night. We (Russians) fired with success five
mines against the enemy's approaches.
- - •

Detailed accounts of the proceedings in the Crimea
to the 30th ult. have arrived at Marseilles.

—....—,
Omer Pacha had made a reconnaissance from
Eupatoria as far as the lake and village of Sazik.
The Russians declined an action, but an attack was
nevertheless expected.
On the 25th, 26th, and 27th the fire on both sides
was suspended, but on the night of the 27th the tire,
both of artillery and small arms, was resumed with
great energy.
On the 28th there was a shap fire of musketry
before Sebastopol. Two batteries had been established
in the 4th parallel. Some engineer officers had gone
to reconnoitre Kaffa. Thirty thousand men were
preparing to set out from the French camp at Maslak.
The Journal de Constantinople says that arrange-
ments were in progress for an encampment of 2,500
French artillery and cavalry horses at Varna. From
that it was interred that a strong force would be
assembled in Bulgaria.
General Canrobert writes to the Emperor on the
28th ult. as follows :

I announce with happiness to your Majesty that the
English army, always so reliable, has now become as fine,
as numerous, and as healthy as when it arrived in the
East ; and that it is daily receiving reinforcements of in-
fantry, cavalry, and the means of transport. I continue to
live on the most cordial terms with Lord Raglan ; and the
two armies are closely united. _

The following is the latest written despatch from
Lord Raglan published by the Secretary of War:

Before Sebastopol, April 24.

. .
Nothing material has occurred since 1 made my report
to your lordship on the 21st instant
The Russian rifle-pit, immediately in front of that which
was taken on the night of the 19th, was destroyed by a
party of volunteers on the morning of the 21st instant.
These were headed by Lieutenant and Adjutant Walker, of
the 30th Regiment, who is stated to be an excellent officer,
and to have conducted himself on the occasion in the most
spirited manner.
The pit was found to be empty, and, being useless, was
immediately levelled and filled in. The enemy did not
interrupt the work.
I inclose the list of casualties, which, I regret to say, is
heavy. The nearer we approach the place the more loss is
to be apprehended. Hitherto it hr.s been less than might
have been expected. RkOLAN.