The Press.
London, England, 1855-03-17 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

SATURDAY,

Garden, and Barrack Batteriea, have all been daily more or less
strengthened, and there is every feeling in the allied camp that the
defence will be as desperate as the means promise. The English
troops appear to be daily recovering their health, the number of sick
having fallen to 400 a week. The huts are being gradually erected,
and we may fairly estimate that by the time the warm weather comes
round they will be all up. The Guards have returned to Balaklava,
and, relieved from fatigue duty, the men are slowly recovering their
strength and health. The wretched remains of our cavalry and horse
artillery are once more employed in carrying up shot and shell for the
supply of the batteries. The attack is not expected to open until the
end of this month or the beginning of April,—scarcely earlier, if any
inference may be drawn from the French Emperor having deferred
his visit to the Crimea during the past week.

The Baltic fleet is gradually collecting from the various ports at
the general rendezvous at Spithead. So magnificent a fleet has never
in the history of the world been seen gathered together before.
The plan of the campaign is as yet in any other but the positive state.
A flying squadron of light steam frigates is, we believe, to be de-
spatched to the edge of the ice the moment the weather breaks; but
for the ulterior operations of the campaign nothing is yet decided, and
in a week or two more the fleet must be at sea!

From the Cape and Australia we learn that the fears for a renewal
of the Kaffir war have subsided, and that the eme►ute on the Victoria
gold fields had been put down, the ringleaders captured, and quiet
restored. In connection with the news from the Cape is the intelli-
gence that a razzia had been undertaken by the Dutch General PRE •
TORIUS against some Kaffir tribes who had committed depredation and
murder upon some of the extreme outstations of the Dutch settlers.
The details of the Dutch General's operations are very horrible. The
Kaffirs, it appears, had taken refuge in some extensive subterraneous
caverns, in which the Dutch closely besieged them, and, after having
failed to destroy them by blasting the rocks, literally starved them to
death, after a strict blockade of some three weeks. Nine hundred dead
Kaffirs were counted outside, and it was computed from the frightful
effluvia which issued from every part of these vast caverns that the
number of bodies within was far greater.

The parliamentary proceedings of the week have not been impor-
tant. In both Houses Ministers have been called to account for the
neglect of the Colonial Department during Lord JOHN'S absence, and
have had nothing better to urge than that they believe it will not be
long protracted. The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER has begun his
career by abandoning the Newspaper Stamp Act of his predecessor.
He promises an entirely new meaelire, as it seems that in his opinion Mr.
GLADSTONE'S bill was too bad to admit of modification. The measure
for allowing marriage with a deceased wife's sister gave rise to some
amusing discussion on Monday. One hit was made by Mr. DRUMMOND
which produced more boisterous merriment than has yet been heard
in the new building. He exhorted Mr. SPOONER, who supported the
bill, to carry his principle further, and come forth like aman and marry
his grandmother. Inextinguishable laughter followed this sally for
some minutes. In the same debate Lord PALMERSTON made one of the
escapades now common with him. The law of GOD, he said, had been
previously settled by Act of Parliament. He was not successful in sub-
sequently endeavouring to explain this strange expression. Last
night Sir JOHN PAKINOTON introduced his educational measure, which
was cordially received by the House. It is intended to refer this bill,
together with that already introduced by Lord Joux RUSSELL, to a
Select Committee, with the hope of producing an amalgamated
measure, combining the merits of both. Later in the evening Sir.
B. HALL produced his often promised bill for the Better Local Manage-
ment of the Metropolis. He spent two hours in describing its details;
the second reading is fixed for 16th April, when a strong opposition
to it is anticipated.

The evidence of Lord LUCAN on Thursday was given in great detail,
and, at least apparently, without any strong animus against the
authorities ; but the Noble Earl's statements bore heavily upon the
Quartermaster-Generals department, and with great force against
Commissary-General FILDER. Of this last official, it was positively
stated by Lord LUCAS, "Representations to Mr. FILDER were never
" attended to at any time whatever• ;" and the Noble Earl's evidence
exemplified in extenso that assertion. The Commissariat, from first
to last, according to him, was scandalously unequal to its duties.
No stores of forage were made with forethought, and when winter
set in the cavalry horses had to do double work, besides being badly
fed. Overwork completely destroyed the horses. Between the Bth of
October and the 31st of January 1,100 horses were lost, and, calculat-
ing at 751. each animal, there would be a loss on this head of 82,5001.
The most flagrant blunder of all as indicative of the stupidity of
the subordinate officials was the circumstance relative to the horse
medicines on board the Medway, " which had taken out a large quantity,
" that never was discovered till the month of January, though it had
" been on board since the month of June preceding " During all that
time the horses were in want of medicine, and it had often been
asked for !
On feeding the men, most of the witnesses ar•e tolerably unani-
mous that there were provisions enough. The overwork destroyed
the army ; there were not troops enough ; they had to act as trans-
ports and dig the trenches, and were left in rags; and the tremendous
results can be described only by BURKE'S designation of Lord Noaru's
misthanagement, " Au Iliad of bluadeta;"

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