The Express.
London, England, 1855-05-01 00:00:00

THE PRINCIPALITIES.

The Austrian government has commenced prepare-
tioos for making &military y of the Principality
of Wallachia. Austrian engineers will execute the
work under the superintendence of Count Coronini.
The Austrian government has concluded a conven-
tion directly with Prince Stirbey, respecting the aid
which the local authorities are to render for this
purpose.—Daily News.

'RUSSIA.

The session of the Prussian Chambers will be pro-
rogued on Thursday next, the 3rd inst.—Deily Nem.

THE USELESS NEGOTIATIONS.

Tin account given by Lord JOHN Rtruatx last
night, in the Hones of Commons, of the proceedings
at Vienna, up to the day of his departure from that
city, adds nothing to what the public already know.
Lord PALMERSTON'S answer to Mr. Doscoune, brief
though it was, placed, perhaps, in a more distinct light
what has occurred since Lord Joint's departure. No
sooner was the back of the British Minister turned
than the Russian Plenipotentiaries came forward with
a proposition. It was, however, of each a nature
that even the Plenipotentiary of Austria was
obliged to allow that it was inadmissible; and Lord
Joint Russ= subsequently stated that the Turkish,
French, English, and Austrian Plenipotentiaries were
all done mind. With regard to the three first named
we place entire confideace in this statement. With
regard to the fourth, we must be allowed to remain
sceptical for the present. The exact nature of the
negotiations at Vienna cannot be known till the
papers promised by Government are laid on the table.
The language used by Lord PALMERSTON appears to
imply that, in the first instance at least, only the
protocols will be precasted to Parliament. From
them very little can be learned; other documents will
be required to throw light on their oracular ambi-
guity. This slow distilling of information by instal-
ments has an awkward appearance ; it looks like an
attempt to postpone a hill confession as long as pos-
sible, and necessarily leads to the inference that
Ministers have something to tell which they would
fain keep concealed.
What has happened, or is about to happen at
Vienna, is, however, of very secondary importance to
the progress of events in the Crimes. And with
respect to them the obstinate retiassee of Ministers
is pregnant with meaning. Sir CHARLES WOOD took
upon him last night to deny that the siege has been
need. We will not cavil about words; it is ow to;

say that a siege has not been raised when no siege
has ever been commenced in regular form, in the shift
technical sense of the word. Sir CHARLES admitted
that the fire of the batteries has been temporarily die.
continued. Can he say that it will be resumed, or
when ? It is clear that no siege operations wens
going on when the last despatches were sent of
Without. regarding the information we have received.
from sources entitled to the highest credit, that an
entire change is about to take place in the
plan of military operations in the East, we
will take up our ground upon these acknow-
ledged facts. Ministers admit that the bombards
meat is discontinued. They do not venture to affirm
' that it will be renewed. Their 'ileum leads to the
inference that some modification of the original plan
'of campaign, if not absolutely decided upon, is
in contemplation. The review of the campaign of
1854, which appeared some time ago in the ...Wei-
-1 true unequivocally expresses the conviction of
the French Government that the plan of operations
in the Crimea, originally contemplated by the En.
PEROR, ought to be resumed as far as circumstances
admit. We maintain that these facts—apart from.
all other information—warrant something very
closely approaching to belief that the bombardment
of Sebastopol is not to be renewed, that no imme-
diate assault will be given, and that an effort will be
made to beat the Russians in the field, as preparatory
to a complete investment of Sebastopol. We go
farther, and say that if this is not the
plan of operations now contemplated by the
Allis, it ought to be. To reduce Sebastopol
by any means short of a complete investment appears
to be now a demonstrated impossibility. To waste
time and money in a partial bombardment of that
stronghold, and many valuable lives in an assault
without ensuring its ultimate reduction, would be
highly culpable. In war the current of events must
in a great measure dictate the operations that are to
be undertaken. The one great object of the Crimean
campaign is to wrest the province and its fortress
from Russia, as the only means of permanently
destroying the dangerous preponderanso of that
Power in the Black Sea. If that object can
be more easily and effectually attained by
first beating the Russians in the field, and then in-
vesting Sebastopol, the change in the plan of cam-
paign ought to be made at once. The hesitation and
uncertainty indicated by the obstinate silence of Go-
vernment give rise to painful suspicions that they
are still disposed to lean on the broken reed of diplo
macy—to waste more precious time in idle and aim-
lege negotiations at Vienna.—Deily News.