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

THE PRESS.

THE BALTIC FLEET.
(From our Own Correspondent.)
NAIIOEN, Nov. 1.
WE have had very heavy gales since I last
wrote, so that the admiral has thought it advis-
able to send a large part of his fleet to Kiel (Nile,
Cressy, Royal George, Edinburgh, Blenheim, Cesar,
Arrogant, unders orders of Captain Codrington), and
will, in all probability, follow with the remainder
(excepting, of course, the flying or blockading
squadron, who are to be under the orders of Admiral
Baynes) in about ten days time. The squadron
from Seskar, under Admiral Seymour, have left that
place. They encountered a very heavy gale on the
way from there to this anchorage, only two of them
being able to stem the gale. These were the Orion
and Eurya/us ; the others took shelter under the
island of Hogland. The Cossack has arrived here
from Wormsoe ; her officers have been most hospi-
tably entertained by Baron and Baroness Stackle-
berg, the owners of that island. Provisions are to be
got there In great abundance, and at very low prices,
which is an important fact when it is taken into
consideration that this place is to be the head-
quarters of our blockading ships. They can procure,
it appears, bullocks at 41. a piece, thereby over-
coming the great difficulty of obtaining bullocks
from Elsinore, which at this season of the year be-
comes so very serious and precarious an undertaking.
Geese, turkeys, and fowls are only one shilling each,
so that our poor fellows, who have the arduous work
of cruising during the heavy snow storms and long
dark nights, will, at all events, be well off in the
food line. The Blenheim put back here, having
found it impossible to make headway against the
south-western gales she encountered. Dining her
stay at Hango she has found eighteen long 421 b.
guns, which bad been thrown into the sea when the
Russians destroyed their fortifications there last
year. She first hit upon them when sounding, and
persevering she fished up the aforesaid eighteen
guns and two splendid mortars, all of which she is
taking borne. The weather having moderated, she
started again on Sunday. Lightning left the same
day for Dantsic, at which place she is to remain for
the purpose of taking the mails to Kiel, when the
commander-in-chief makes a move in that direction.
This little vessel and the French steamer Pelican
—a vessel much of the same class—are the
last of the small fry that leave these waters ;
and, indeed, it is high time they were out of them.
The weather sometimes is perfectly fearful, and the
sudden changes make it most dangerous. The
Eurya/us was the last vessel that left the waters of
Cronstadt. She made a final effort to induce the
Russians to take advantage of her isolated position
as regards the allied fleets, no vessel being within
fifteen miles of her. A vessel laden with charcoal
was lying under protection of the batteries on the
north side of Cronstadt. The Euryalus deliberately
steamed in and cut her out with her boats. The
Russian gun boats made a move, and great bustle
was apparent in the harbour ; but the firm determi-
nation which appears to have existed on the part of
the Russian authorities during this campaign in the
Baltic to act entirely on the defensive appears to have
prevailed, and no attempt was made to dispute our
proceedings; the Eurraus accordingly secured, and
steamed away with, her prize, whose large cargo of
charcoal has been of great service in the fleet for
culinary purposes, and has proved a useful acquisi-
tion.
The Geyser has been ashore, but was got off with
very little damage. The Cesar and Arrogant have
broken the main shafts of their screws, and are sent
home vii Kiel under sail. Admiral Baynes is ex-
pected here in a day or two, and will receive his
orders relative to the proceedings of the blockading
fleet. Let us trust that this season we shall not
hear that all our work of blockade for the year has
been nullified by the bad look-out, to say the least of
it, that was kept, permitting very many cargoes of the
greatest importance to the enemy to escape our
cruisers, and arrive in Russian forts. The Amphion
and Magicienne have been on a strict cruise, visiting
every hole and corner II the east Gulf of Finland.
They found that in &lithe fishing villages the coasting
vessels were hauled upon the beach, all wood and
other trades being entirely stopped. All hands
are well and happy in the prospect of soon going
home.

THE OLD NOBILITY OF PRUSSIA refuse to take their
seats in the First Chamber on the opening of the
approaching session, unless the Government shall
consent to restore the privileges (exemption from
taxation and military service, (Sze.), of which they
were deprived in 1848. Negotiation; were recently
undertaken between them and the Government on
the subject, but they led to no result; the King, how.
ever, has ordered that they shall be resumed.

1069

tortign Corrtsponbtatt.

FRANKFORT, Nov. 5.
THE elections of Prussia, in their popular manifes-
tations, have been singularly in disfavour of the
Government. A very general disapproval has been
evinced at the conduct of Ministers, and the ribald
abuse that M. de Gerlach, the Minister of the King,
has been authorised, by consent, to lavish against the
English nation, the Queen of England and her
army, has been most distasteful alike to the Prussian
people of till classes and to the military. Both the
"Croix" and "Gotha" parties have been numerically
strengthened at the expense of the extreme
"gauche" ; there remain, however, 110 new mem-
bers whose opinions are yet to be declared to their
full extent, the majority of them having been
returned by the Liberal interest. Every possible
mode of violence, intimidation, and corruption has
been put in operation by the Government to swell
their ranks, without meeting the extent of success
which they had hoped. The Rhenish provinces held
firm, as usual, to the Prince Royal. Many of the
more distinguished among the party, M. de Bunsen,
De Wincke, and others, have declined to take their
seats. Satisfied with the hearing of public opinion
in Prussia and Protestant Germany, they do not care
to anticipate uselessly that change in the Royal
Government of Prussia which the law of nature will
accomplish.
In the Duchies, the firm conduct of the Duke of
Saxe Gotha has very materially assisted the "pattl
Gotha." It is well known that the Prince is not of a
temper to give way upon a principle of right, and
there is an English daring about him that is brave
surety of not being wanting in nerve when placed in
a position requiring determination of purpose and
action. That the Gotha party consider the gauntlet
to have been thrown down, and are prepared to rally
round the Duke in a liberal and Protestant sense,
does not admit of a question, and they will and do
make common cause with the Prince Royal adherents
in Prussia.

A political spy, rather than a common swindler,
has been arrested lately at Berlin. This personage
styled himself "Monseigneur Leon VII. de Lusignan
Rougenian, Prince d'Armenie et de Korikos." His
arrival in the capital was pompously announced in
the Nouvelle Gazette de Prune, and he took up his
residence in the Beyrenstrasse, placing the princely
arms of Armenia above the gateway of his hotel.
His Highness had been a resident at Constantinople,
Paris, and London. In the latter capital an action
of crim. con. had been brought against him, and
damages found to the extent of 7501., which not
being able to pay he quitted the country in time, anal
says the Berlin Chronicle,
Le noble libertin, spree avoir lance de foudroyantos pro-
clamations coutre la Russie dana le Afm n ing A &wavy et le
Times, s'esquiva et alla prendre sa residence A Paris puts i
Turin.

It needs a sharp fellow to "do" the Times, yet it
was a " fait accompli." Circumstances induced the
Prince to hasten his departure from Turin, some say
from want of money—the more probable cause was
that he had seen or heard that which ho wanted ot
had been commissioned to observe. He afterwards
proceeded to Berlin, and was affectionately hailed by
the organ of the " parti de la Croix." Anti-Russian
" quand memo" at London, Paris, and Turin, he
quaffed " Clicquot" in Prussia in honour of the
King and his Muscovite nephew:—
line manqua pas d'être souvent recu par le Ministre de
la Runic, et nikne d'obtenir et de Bien toucher une forth
pension de M. De Benkendorf. Foils un fait bien eon,
state.
M. Steiber, the Minister of Police, had secret in-
formation given him, and, according to the Steiber
police account, the Prince being backward in paying
the rent of his hotel to the landlady, "son West*
iinpatientee et femme curieuse avant tout"—Steiber
is a wag•—" commit l'indiscretion d'ouvrir un paquet
avec force cachets que le factenr lui avait remits, et
qu'elle supposait devoir contenir de l'argent"—the
Steiber " indiscretion" was a gross " eserocquerie " or
a secret police act—"main qni, a sa grande surprise,
contenait des papiers forts compromettants pour le
Prince." These papers were written in cipher, of
which most assuredly the lady had not the key. This
is a Steiber slip. " L'hotesse, femme svelte et age'
Tante," much to the annoyance of the Frau Steiber,
had an interview " a quatre yetis" with the amiable
and gallant Minister of Police,
et les revelations de l'hetesse amenerent nne descents
domieiliere dans l'eppartement du Prince, on l'on censtata
avec toutes les prt•nces les escrocquenes ',lessees et pre-
sentes do pretendu Prince Leon VII. e'Armenie et de
Korikos, qui n'etait entre chose qu'un Juif Hollastdius,
s'appellant " Joseph Joannis."
This tale is given according to the version of M.
Steiber, Minister of Police. A few omissions, how-
ever, have been made—viz., that a quantity of gold
and notes was found in the desk of Leon Joseph,

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