The Press.
London, England, 1855-06-09 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

strategic reasons given both by the French and Eng
lish generals, Admiral Dundas omitted to attack
Odessa. Recurring to the third point, he argued
that the adoption of Turkey into the European
family was wrung from Russia, and that the Russian
proposition for opening the Dardanelles were the
popular terms of peace with ourselves a year ago.
He admitted the objections to it, but argued that
limitation was equally open to objection, and believed
that this mode of determining the question was now
defunct. He alleged, in excuse for Russia, that she
treated Turkey as an uncivilised and Asiatic power,
and only followed our own example and that of
France in so dealing with Eastern nations. In de-
termining what was to be done, he reminded the
house, with various significant hints, that France was
nearer making peace than we were. He did not
think Austria would be frightened out of her present
course by whispering the ominous words to which
Mr. Roebuck had alluded. Turkey was likely to
disappear altogether in the struggle. Under these
circumstances, and believing that the object of the
war had been obtained by success, he was now
favorable to peace.
Mr. DRUMMOND confessed to a change of opinion,
but in the reverse direction to that experienced by
the late Secretary-at-War. Having begun by depre-
cating war, he now felt convinced that we must con-
tinue to prosecute it. Proceeding to criticise the
conduct of Ministers, the professed objects of the
war, and the opinions propounded by different mem-
bers, he found proofs of incompetence, futility, and
inability on all sides. Whatever might be the for-
tunes of the conflict in detail, he believed that the
inevitable result of the war would be to destroy
Mahometanism, and to leave the French masters of
Constantinople.
Mr. SERGEANT SEES having spoken,
Mr. ALcocic followed, objecting to our mode of con-
ducting the war, and our mismanagement of our
relations with Persia.

Sir H. WILT OUGHBY argued that no one proposition
could secure Turkey; it must be done by a variety of
conditions.

Sir W. CLAY said that the limitation provision
would have been useful in itself, but yet more useful
as showing the world that Russia could be con-
trolled.

Lord R. CECIL argued against the limitation plan
as utterly inefficient, observing, besides, that Con-
stantinople was threatened by attacks from land
rather than from sea. He approved of the second
Russian proposition.
Mr. BRIGHT began a laboured peace harangue by
defining from the admissions of the debate what were
now supposed to be the objects of the war. They
had got rid one by one of the question of nationalities.
It was condescendingly allowed that they were yet to
permit Russia to remain a great empire. They were,
then, fighting for the independence of Turkey alone.
No man pretends that the security of Turkey could
be absolute—it must be partial and conditional. He
thought the three propositions—the territorial
guarantees, the Christian protectorate, and the
Black Sea project—gave such securities to Turkey as
the condition of Turkey would permit. It was idle
to talk of destroying the Russian preponderance in
the Black Sea, while it was covered by her commerce.
The limitation proposal could not have been ac-
cepted by Russia; it proposed to give twenty ships to
the allies, and eight only to that power. An inde-
pendent power could not limit its own power of
action in this way. He admitted that the allies
might get better terms—that they might even dis-
mantle Russia : but at what a cost ! He declaimed
with great force, not only on the sacrifices we had
made, but on those we should make in a six-years'
war—the desolation of families, the misery to the poor,
the danger to our own preponderance, when our great
rival, the United States, would be running the race
unweighted, and with an expenditure of 75,000,0001.
a year less than our own. He ridiculed the notion of
our making war for the interests of the world at
large—of our standing forth as the general cham-
pion of Europe and of humanity, adverting espe-
cially to our buying a German legion to fight the
battles of Germany, amidst the indifference and hos-
tility of the German authorities themselves. He
declared that he had no confidence in the Ministry,
and, amidst the amusement of the house, stated his
reason by quoting the precedents, inconsistencies,
and follies of some four or five of them.

The debate was again adjourned on the motion of
Mr. SCOTT, Lord PALMERSTON expressing an earnest
hope that it would be brought to a close the next
(last) night.
MAYNOOTH.

The adjourned debate on Mr. Spooner's motion
was resumed on Wednesday by Mr. SERGEANT
O'BRIEN. Assuming that the grant to Maynooth

was one of restitution, he asseried that even those
who objected to all ecclesiastical endowments had
no right to refuse this. He referred to the late
report of the commissioners to prove that the doc-
trines taught at Maynooth was opposed to the civil
authority of the Pope, and recognised the validity of

SATURDAY,

oaths as between Catholics and Protestants. He
denounced the assertion that the endowment of a
Romanist college was a national see, and asked how
those that made it could consent to Romanist en-
dowments in our colonies. _

Mr. WHITESIDE said that the origin of Maynooth
was Conservatism. The Roman Catholics wanted
an institution where their priests could be educated
without imbibing French revolutionary principles,
and this obtained the royal license for Maynooth, to
which the Irish House of Commons shortly after
voted a sum of money. But it was even then
opposed by a large section of the Roman Catholics,
who thought that it would perpetuate religious
differences. He then proceeded to cite a multitude of
facts to prove that Jesuitism, eitheropen or disguised,
was professed at Maynooth ; that treasonable doc-
trines were taught there; that objectionable books
still continued to be used ; that its professors had
published works containing outrageous sentences
against the Protestant Establishment; and that
since the grant conventual institutions had greatly
increased in Ireland. Amongst others, he quoted
Thomas Moore and O'Connell in condemnation of
Maynooth.
Mr. KEOGH argued that as all religious opinions
paid Parliament, which he denied to be a Protestant
Parliament, it could not consistently refuse this grant.
He defended the report of the commissioners, which
testified to so many points in favour of Maynooth.
The bishops of Ireland had unanimously refused
the proposal of Napoleon to form Irish establish.
ments in France. Could it be supposed that Roman
Catholicism in Ireland, which had survived so many
persecutions, would be extinguished by any parlia-
mentary measures? Should the Government, allied
as it was with a Roman Catholic power, alienate the
affections of six millions of Catholics at home,
when they were most wanted to meet the common
enemy ?
Mr. J. CHAMBERS said that to suppose that the
feelings of the Irish nobles would be altered by any
action on Maynooth was a slanderous imputati'n on
the loyalty of that people. Roman Catholicism was
diminishing every day, and a few years would
destroy all opportunity for such a cry. An institu-
tion supported out of the public funds for the sole
education of a priesthood existed nowhere else ; it
was without a parallel in our history. Maynooth,
based on charity, produced in consequence an in-
ferior class of priests, and the Irish Roman Catholic
Church itself would be benefited by the withdrawal
of the grant. He considered that the conduct of the
priesthood within the last ten years was worse than
it had ever been.

The debate was then adjourned to the 27th inst.
CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY BILL.

The committal of this bill formed the subject of
a prolonged discussion in the House of Lords on
Thursday. Many explanations were given, chiefly
by the Lord Chancellor, touching the purport and
effect of the measure, and some opposition offered to
certain clauses. Finally, however, the bill went
through the pending step without material alteration.

THE annual visitation of the Royal Observatory,
Greenwich, took place on Saturday last. From a re-
port read to the board of visitors by the Astronomer
Royal, detailing the labours of the astronomical staff
during the past year, it app3ars that, in addition to
the ordinary labours of the establishment, which
consist in the regular observation of the sun, moon,
planets, with the transit-circle, and altazimuth, and
the transmission of Greenwich time along the prin-
cipal railways of England, very important extraneous
operations have been undertaken, which tend to add
considerably to the scientific reputation of the Royal
Observatory under its present able director. Besides
determining with great precision the longitude of
l'aris by means of the electric telegraph—a work
which required some weeks to complete—and also
the preparation of a full-size model of the transit-
circle, which has occupied the time of the executive
for a long period, an expedition was formed for the
determination of the difference of gravity at the top
and bottom of a deep mine, by observations of the os-
cillations of a pendulum. The spot selected for these
experiments was Harton Colliery, near South Shields
—a locality suitable from various causes. A band of
observers from the principal observatories in England
was organised, who made the necessary observations
under the immediate superintendence of Mr. Dunkin,
of the Royal Observatory. The result is as successful
as could be desired, and shows that gravity is in-
creased at a depth of 1,260 feet by its 1-19,04)0 part.
After the hoard had officially inspected the various
departments of the establishment, the company
present dined at the Crown and Sceptre, Lord
Wrottesley in the chair.
A CIRCULAR issued by the Board of Health warns
all persons in authority to prepare against the pos-
sible return of cholera this summer. It enumerates
the general laws against nuisances and the modes of
their enforcements, and reminds the authorities also
of their powers for the same purpcses under local
acts.

JUNE 9, 1855.

Original Y,tittrs from itt (rintta.

Heights of Balaklava, May 25tb, 1855.
Dear Sir,—l have just received your very kind
letter of the 9th inst., and avail myself of the signa-
ture to thank you for your kindness to me, an utter
stranger, by sending me so many papers. I receive
one every week. I think there are none of yours but
have reached me, also those sent by Mr. M--,
whose kindness I shall ever remember. A London
newspaper is invaluable out here, both letting us
know what is going on at home and what we have
done here. By this mail you will receive very inte-
resting news of an expedition which left two days
ago, it is said to Kertch, and of a grand movement
made by a strong army this morning towards the
Tschernaya river, not three miles from where I
am writing. " Our own Correspondent" will be
able to give you a more glowing description of it
than I, but as an eyewitness I can convey to you
some idea of its grandeur and extent, being on a hill
200 feet above the splendid plain of Balaklava, where
they assembled this morning before daylight, and as
day broke the whole army could be seen in dense
columns crawling over the rising ground where the
cavalry charge took place. The splendid Sardinians
formed a fine contrast to the filthy bad-clad Turks,
whose music (?) is as detestable to the ear as their
appearance to the eye. The French took the left,
and I hear the brave Zouaves were in advance of the
whole army. There were not many British, troops,
I believe, except the 10th and 12th Light Dragoons.
The Sardinian infantry took the right, and went off
by the village of Kamera, where a Cossack picket is
always to be seen. As they went over the crest of the
hill several Russian batteries opened from the
Inkermann heights, but I hear did little damage.
There was some fighting with small arms on the
right front, where some extensive field-works are
thrown up, and well described by " Our own Corre-
spondent" in the Times of the 9th instant. Several
Zouaves were killed, but we took fifteen prisoners.
This piece of news I have just been told by Lord
Rokeby, who has just (eleven a.m.) returned. By
eight o'clock the heat got so oppressive that it was
considered prudent to halt, in fact retire. The whole
of the cavalry have retired into the plain under the
protection of our batteries on our entrenchments,
and are encamped with the infantry on the crest of
the hill. The (lay is terribly hot, and the sun
shining on this immense army is a tableau which
cannot be conveyed to canvas. I may venture an
opinion on the morning's work, and if wrong it is at
least probable. You no douht heard cf the expedi-
tion which went front here this day fortnight for
Kerte!), and which, when there, returned by an order
from who we cannot imagine, and will only find out
when we receive a London paper eighteen days
hence. The same expedition left two days ago, and
I imagine that this is only a false movement, and
are only waiting for a signal from this expedition to
advance by M ackenzie's Farm and drive the enemy
into Sebastopol or further north. If the place can
be invested we may then hope for a speedy entry
into the town, and, since it is undertaken, it will be
done, although the position is frightful ; but, after
Alma, trifles will not stop us. The Guards are now
the only British troops in Balaklava, and as yet we
have received no order to move with the army; but
we are ready, and two hours after the order may see
us in the plain. War has a terrible eound, but
there is a hope to survive, an excitement to bear one
up, and a firm belief (for the British soldier) that
his services will be appreciated and recompensed, that
makes him fight as he has always done. I expe-
rienced a sensation this morning which I often
wished to feel—that is, to witness a battle, or what
one feels when about to go into action. Not half so
serious, I assure you, as one imagines when sitting
by a comfortable fire in the enjoyment of all the
luxuries you have pictured for me should I return—
viz., good health, tobacco, grog, (tc. The former,
thanks to the giver, I have enjoyed to the full extent
in this country; neither of the latter are necessary
ingredients to my enjoyment.
Yesterday being the Queen's birthday our o r cers
subscribed a considerable amount, which was distri-
buted amongst the men in prizes for wrestling,
racing, dm Several of the races were open to, and
were joined in by, French and Sardinians ; yes, and
even "Johnny Turk " run, and I assure you that is
not a common thing for him to do, and only by the
,grace of our excellent o cers were they allowed to
be so familiar with us. The French sent one band
of music and the Sardinians two. The Cossacks
s tampered about in the plain by fours and fives,
seemingly at a loss what to make of the sport, but
they wisely kept without range of our guns in
position.
Our fresh allies, the Sardinians, are the finest
soldiers I ever saw in every respect. Their clothing
and appointments have been made for service and
imfort, and their gene -al anp( era insp res one
w.th confidence at tee issue of a fire with the enemy
whit, they are with net attity department or their