The Press.
London, England, 1854-02-11 00:00:00

ITALY.

last.

Reports from Milan of the Ist inst. state that
30,000 Croats were expected in Lombardy. The for-
tresses were being filled with stores.
In its sitting of the 31st ult. the Piedmontese
Chamber of Deputies passed the bill for the aboli-
tion of the lottery, by a majority of 98 votes to 6.

SPAIN.
The Queen took a drive on the 28th ult. for the
first time since her confinement. Her Majesty
was in an open carriage, and was accompanied by
the King.
Another commission of seven professional mem-
bers had been appointed by the Government to re-
port definitively on the question whether the pro-
jected railway from Madrid to Valladolid ought to go
by way of Avila or Segovia.

GREECE.
Athens letters of the 3rd report that an insurrec-
tion had taken place in the province of Arta and the
adjoining districts. The notables have issued a pro-
clamation. Four hundred insurgents have sworn to
die in defence of the cross and of the Greek
Church.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.'
The rejection of the last Vienna proposition by
the Czar is now officially confirmed. The French
Government land, doubtless, also that of England)
has received the notification that the Emperor
Nicholas does not accept the terms agreed to by the
Porte, by the note of Redschid Pacha, dated Dec. 31,
and pronounced satisfactory by the Vienna Con-
ference, as certified in the protocol of Jan. 13.
This intelligence has not yet been formally com-
municated to the members of the Vienna Conference,
nor would it be until Count Orloff had reached St.
Petersburg on his return from his mission to the
Austrian capital.

THE PRESS.

Letters from St. Petersburg published in the
Berlin National Gazette state that the war party
was losing ground, and that Count de Nesselrode
has resumed his former influence. it is also said

that the Czar was about to write an autograph letter
to the Queen of England, in which he would endea-

your to prove that he had not been the aggressor.
An imperial ukase confirms the summoning to
arms of all the reserves, as well as the soldiers on

furlough.
The Russian army amounts at the present mo-
ment, both in the principalities and in Bessarabia,
to a total force of 156,328 men, and 520 cannon, of

which 72 are of large calibre. According to General
Schilders' report, the army of occupation is in a
pitiable condition, the original corps being 35,000
men weaker than when it crossed the Pruth in July

According to reports from Orsova of the 26th ult.
the left bank of the Danube is flooded at Kalafat,

and at Rahova. The country adjacent to the banks
is mostly overflowed. The islands near Giurgevo,
Oltenitza, and Sirtow, which hitherto formed a basis
of operations for the Ottoman troops crossing the
river, were quite inundated. The floods rendered
the reconnoitring expeditions of the Turks impos-
sible. On the 21st those Russian regiments which
were engaged from the sth to the 15th, and suffered
such heavy losses, were withdrawn to Kra.jova, having
been relieved by fresh troops. On the 23rd the who!e
staff of the Commander-in-Chief arrived at Boleshtie,

as a grand reconnoissance was very shortly to take
place against Kalafat. On the '2sth the Russian
troops still occupied their old position in and about
Radovan.
Advices from Bucharest of the 31st ult. state that
the Russians have completely destroyed the Turkish
battery opposite the Ismael Channel. Floating
bridges were being constructed at Galatz.
On the Turkish side considerable reinforcements
were on march from Sophia for Kalafat, where there
WAS already assembled an army of 25,000 men,
provided with a numerous and excellent train of
artillery.
Omer Pacha has completely recovered his health.
The Patrie states that, having crossed the Danube
with 50,000 men, he had divided the Russian army,
the right wing of which was at Krajova, the left at
Galatz, and the centre at Bucharest. He was only
two days' march from the latter town.
A change of Ministry is announced to have taken
place in Constantinople. The Seraskier and Kapudan
Pacha have left the Cabinet. Riza and Achmed
Pacha have succeeded them. The new ministers are
said to be in favour of a compromise with Russia.
Lord Dudley Stuart and Mr. Colquhoun, her
Britannic Majesty's political agent in the principali-
ties of Wallachia and Moldavia, had an interview on
the 17th with the Sultan, at his palace of Tcheragan,
on the Bosphorus. They were accompanied by
Count Pisani, of the British embassy, who under-
took to [act as interpreter on this occasion. Abdul
Medjid honoured them by a most gracious reception,
and discoursed for a considerable time with Mr.
Colquhoun about the unfortunate state of the pro-
vinces of his empire actually in the occupation of a
Russian army. Lord Dudley Stuart left Constanti-
nople for England on the 25th, on board the Osiris.
A great many arrests have been made in Constan-
tinople by the Turkish police, owing to a wide-spread
conspiracy having been discovered. The two prin-
cipal persons arrested are Baron Oesler, who was a
captain in the Russian service, and once aide-de-
camp to General Liiders ; and M. Paolo Cassich.
The object of this conspiracy was to cause an insur-
rection among the Greeks, and a great many persons
are compromised, some being of high station. The
papers found in their houses are highly important ;
the full particulars, however, have not yet transpired.
The Turk seems gradually accustoming himself
to the idea of accepting Christians in his army. The
army in Asia is now commanded by a Christian, se-
conded by two others. This is acquiesced in by the
Porte and hailed by the soldiers. In Europe a small
Cossack force, officered by Christians, is slowly col-
lecting at Shumla ; it is even said that Bulgarian
Christians are being enlisted.
General llaraguay d'Hilliers was to have set out on
the 20th c n his tour of military inspection.
Military operations in Asia are suspended.
The firmans issued by the Sultan with referen

to Servia have been read in the presence of the
Pachas at Belgrade.

THE COMBINED FLEET.

The return of the fleets to Beycos on the 22nd
occasioned much surprise and consternation in
Constantinople. The Porte was quite confounded at
the intelligence, and addressed a note on the subject
to the representatives of England and France. The
ambassadors held a conference in consequence of
this communication, and the Samson started for the
Black Sea with their reply to the admirals, which
was to the following effect
" The ambassadors cannot but express their astonish-
ment at learning the sudden resolution of the admirals,

127

particularly at the present moment, when a Tuikish
flotilla is on the point of setting out with stores and am-
munition for the army of Anatolia.
" The orders of the French and English Governments,
which arrived here ten days back by the Caton, were for
mal and precise as to the protection which the combined
fleets ought to accord to the Turkish flag and territory ;
and the two admirals are again requested to make them•
selves perfectly alive to the peremptory nature of these
instructions which have already been communicated to
them.

" It would seem that the admirals are of opinion that
the measures, the execution of which is entrusted to
them, may be as well effected whilst the fleets are at
Beycoe Bay as if they were at Sinope. In that matter the
admirals can only consult their own opinion, and the re-
sponsibility will remain with them.
The ambassadors abstain from all intervention in what
relates to matters of nautical interference. The wishes
and intentions of their Governments having been duly
notified to the two admirals, it is for them to conform to
them, and to find means of taking them more clearly into
consideration to carry them into execution."

According to the latest accounts, the rrason as-
signed for this return was that the admirals declined
the responsibility of navigating with sailing-vessels
in the Black Sea during the present most dangerous

ason.

On the 27th ult. the fleets were still at Beycos,
but a semi-official notification was given that they
would sail again on the following day. The Vesuvius,
Captain I'owell, the Highjtyer, Captain Moore, and
the Sidon, Captain Goldsmith, had lately arrived to
join the fleet.
The squadrons had not been altogether unem-
ployed. Six ships bad again convoyed a Turkish
steamer, with troops, into the Black Sea; and on the
28th another Turkish convoy, intended to carry men
and ammunition to Batoum, was to sail under the
escort of a part of the Turkish fleet and the French
and English frigates.
Before the entry of the fleets into the Black Sea
the Russian cruisers were constantly in observation
upon the Turkish coast. They have since entirely
disappeared, and the Turks have complete possession
of the Euxine.
The Russian fleet was reported to be keeping close
at Sebastopol.
Mr. Purdie, Queen's messenger, arrived at Con-
stantinople on the 22nd, in H.M.S. Spitfire, from
Malta, bearing despatches from England (9th) for
Lord Stratford de Redcliffe.