The Press.
London, England, 1855-08-11 00:00:00

THE HANOO MASSACRE.

THE letter of Lieutenant GENESTE is conclusive.
His evidence was alone wanting to decide the truth
or falsity of the Seaman 3;taowN's tale, and in every
important particular Lieutenant GENESTE fully cor-
roborates the statements of the wounded sailor, and
controverts the assertions of the Russian officers.
The boat, carrying a flag of truce, approached the
pier, upon which one or two women only were seen—
the three prisoners were landed—and Lieutenant
GENESTE and Dr. EASTON, accompanied by the
stewards, one of whom carried the flag of truce,
approached the telegraph-house in order to commu-

SATURDAY,

'nicate with the officer of the station, if he were
there—when suddenly Russian soldiers, concealed
behind the rocks and houses, rose and fired or them
and on the boat, killing and wounding several of the
crew, and bayoneting one. Surrounded on all sides,
and seeing the utter inutility of resistance, not a
shot was fired in return ; the remainder of the boat's
crew surrendered at discretion, and were imme.
diately packed off to Eckness in carriages ready at
band. Such is a summary of Lieutenant GENESTE'S

lefter.

But one inference can be drawn from this state-
ment—that the act was deliberately planned by the
Russians. The concealment of the troops, the car-
riages ready at hand, the sudden and hasty fireng
upon the boat's crew without giving them one moment
to parley, bespeak a premeditated plan to capture or
kill the party at all hazards.
Prince DOLGOROIMI contends, in his letter to
Admiral Dusnas, that it was the duty of Lieutenant
GENESTE to avoid approaching within gunshot until
the flag of truce had been recognised or refused.
Upon this point there does not appear to be any clear
understanding between Admiral DONDAS and Prince
DoLoosouxt. The question to be decided is,
whether a belligerent is compelled to ackno,lledge a
flag of truce either by refusal or acceptance. such
flag is a sign of amity. Has an enemy the right, if
he pleases, to pay no attention to it, and thus, by
giving the party who bear it 'reason to think that
there is no armed force at hand, lead them into an
ambuscade and insure their destruction? Prince
DoLooftotrar appears to argue that a flag of truce is
to be no protection unless it be in some way recog-
nised. To recognise it is not necessarily to allow
it; and is it not utterly barbarous and contrary to
usage among civilised natilms to refuse to recognise
it? If the position of the Russian Minister of War
be correct we may not be able to claim the release of
the prisoners as a right. But be seems afraid to
urge this defence boldly ; he will not allow that the
flag of truce was intentionally fired on, though he
must know that it is vain to contend it was not seen.
Prince Doicionouxf observes that there must be a
limit to the stratagems of war. He is right. We
desire only to know whether that limit is to include
ambuscades for flags of truce. If such stratagems
are to be deemed lawful our commanders will be on
their guard; but' that no question of the kind has
previously been mooted, so far as we can recollect, is
some kind of presumption that a flag of truce has
ever heretofore been deemed inviolable except when
warning has' been 'given that it would not he
received. •

A Pears correspondint of the Indipendence Belge
says, that as the moment of Queen Victoria's visit to
Paris draws near, crowds of English from all parts
of the globe are pouring into Paris. " The streets,
gardens, cafes, squares, museums, are thronged with
Englishmen. Englishmen take possession of the
orchestra stalls and the restaurants, and it is almost
impossible to find any one you can speak to in the
inidst of this frightful dash of English, Scotch, and Irish
patois ; the jargon or the Welsh mixing with the
broken gibberish of the people from London. Upon
the walls you see nothing bat English bills posted
up English spoken here ;' there's not a shop
where you don't read this charitable notice. You
enter, and find that they speak English by signs!
London is no longer in Hyde-park, in Regent-street,
in Belgrave-square, nor Greenwich, but at the
Tuileries, upon the boulevards, and at the Champs
Elysees."
THE PERIODICAL REPORT OF THE COMMISSIONERS
OF PATENTS has l 4 n issued, from which it appeiLti
that the number o: aptilications for provisional regis-
tration recorded within the year 1854 was 2,784,
the number of patents passed thereon was 1,876,
the number of specifications filed in pursuance
thereof was 1,828, and-the number of applications
lapsed or forfeited, the applicants having neglected
to proceed for their patents within the six months
of provisional protection, was 888. The balance-
sheet of the commissioners shows an expenditure
of 42,2021. 6s. 9d. on acccount of printing and
lithographic drawing, as compared to 10,831/. 10s. 2d.
in 1853. he expenditure for the current year
is estimated at 30,0001., of which sum it is calm':
lated not more than 12,0001. will be expended
in printing the specifications, indexes, &c., of the
Tear, leaving 18,030/. to be expended in printing tt.B
specifications enrolled previous to the act of 1852:
The salaries paid in the year amounted to 3,8,864
the fees to law officers to 8,849/., the compensating
to 4 5371.. and the current and incidental expenat 8
to 3,3421. The stamp duties paid upon pa tl g
patents in the year amounted to 53,0301. in, le
was a surplus of 10,6721. on the expenditure of the
year.

AUG. 11, 1855.

Vpatbings arlianunt.