The Press.
London, England, 1856-01-05 00:00:00

-v-tx 1,! rirxig•

LONDON, SATURDAY, JAN. 5, 1856.

POSTSCRIPT.

PROCLAMATION OF GENERAL
MOURAVIEFF.
THE Invatide Busse publishes a proclamation by
General Mouravietf, calling the entire population of
Imiritia, (ju►iel, and Mingreha to wage a war of
extermination against the enemies of the Cross.
• It is this measure which is supposed to have in-
duced Omer Paella's retreat.

Letters from Berlin state that the old Muscovite
party have a decided ascendancy in the Russian
Cabinet.
The rumour that General Mouravieff would re-
place Prince Gortschakoff in the command of the
Crimea is confirmed. Prince Gortschakoff, it was
reported, would return to his old command in
Bessarabia.
The continued direction of large bodies of troops
towards Bessarabia by Russia is regardei with un-
easiness at Vienna.

An additional article, according to the Weser
Gazette, touching the third point, has been added to
the treaty of beeember 2nd, between Austria, France,
and Fngland. It does not impose on Austria the
obligation of taking part in the war upon the eventual
refusal of Russia to accept the thWid point as inter-
preted by Austria and the allies.

King Otho of Greece, according to advices from
Trieste, has brdered the construction of one war
steamer, and five gun-boats, for the service of the
Greek Government.

The West India Mail has arrived with accounts
from Jamaica of the 11th ult. and 3,150,313 dollars
in specie. The news from that island is unim-
portant. The cholera had broken out at Porto Rico,
and yellow fever at Martinique. The sugar crop at
Trinidad promised more than the usual average.
Gold had been discovered in large quantities in
Southern Chili. The insurrection at Bolivia bad
been suppressed.

---
A CABINET COUNCIL was held on Thursday after•
noon at the Foreign-office. The Ministers present
were—Viscount Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor,
Earl Grenville, Earl of liarrowby, Sir George Grey,
the Earl of Clarendon, Lord Panmure, Mr. Secretary
Labouchere, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir
Charles "Komi, the Right Hon. R. Vernon Smith,
Lord Stanley of Ahlerley, the Right lion. M. T.
Baines, and the Dake of Argyll. The Council sat
two hours and a half.
A MEETING OF CABINET MINISTERS was held on
Friday at the War Department. Lord Palmerstom
Lord Panmure, Lord Clarendon, Lord Granville, Sir
Charles Wood, Sir George Grey, Lord Hardinge,
and Admiral Lyons were present. The meeting sat
three hours.
M. Musunus, Minister Plenipotentiary of the
Porte at this Court, has been raised by the Sultan to
the rank of Ambassador Extriordinari.
11166

V.. •.r*V-..--•.•---•

THE PRESS.

Vtrsonal.

I3AnoN PARKE has not yet been gazetted, from the
refusal of the learned baron to accept the title of
Lord Ampthill. It is believed that he will take his
title from some place in the North of England.
THE HON. PETER CAMPBELL SCARLETT, C. 8., now
Secretary to her Majesty's Legation at Florence, has
been appointed her Majesty's Envoy Extraordinary
and Minister Plenipotentiary to the Emperor of
Brazil.
JOHN FORSTER, Esc., of the Inner Temple, Barris-
ter-at-Law, has been appointed Secretary to the
Commissioners of Lunacy, on the resignation of
It. W. S. Lutwidge, Esq., appointed commissioner.
The salary of the secretary is fixed at SOOI. per
annum. By the act, the secretary of the commis-
sioners, if at the time of his appointment a prac-
tising banister of five years' standing, is eligible to
be appointed a commissioner. It was under this
clause that Mr. Lutwidg-e, the late secretary, was ap
pointed a commissioner on the decease of Mr.
Mylne. Mr. Forster was called to the bar of the
Inner Temple in 1843 ; he has, therefore, the length
of standing requisite to qualify him for promotion
to a commissiouership under the clause of the act.
The salaries of the commissioners, one of whom is
Mr. Proctor (Barry Cornwall) are fixed at 1,500/. a
year.
LORD Lucan intends publishing a statement,
drawn up under his own eye, giving a history of the
English cavalry operations in the East during the
period of his command, as an answer to the gross
misrepresentations and groundless charges" made
against him by General Bacon and others.
AN IMPERIAL HOTEL COMPANY has been pro
jected on the limited liability principle, to occupy
the National Gallery, and establish an hotel similar
to the " Hotel de Louvre "at Paris. The draught of '
the Act has been deposited at the Private Bill Office.
The capital proposed to be raised is 1,000,0001. in
10/. shares.
Lonn Pssimunn, it is stated, has directed that the
title of " Secretary-at-War " will be no longer used,
and that in all future communications and correspon-
dence his lordship is to be addressed as " Secretary
of State for War" ; Mr. Monsell, also, in future
moving the ordnance estimates in the house. The
position of Mr. Frederick Peel may be considered
" singular."
BRIGADIER WILLIAM MAYNE, who returned to India
in September last to resume the command of the
"Hyderabad Contingent," is seriously unwell, and
has been compelled to leave India for Egypt durin°r,
the winter.
SIR GEORGE GREY, BART., while Out with Mr.
Morrell's fox-hounds, at Coleshill, Berks, on Friday
week, got a severe fall with his horse, and broke the
small bone of his arm just above the wrist. The
right lion. baronet had sufficiently recovered on
Thursday to be enabled to return to town, and attend
at the Home office.
The 11ev. Mr. hemming, who incurred some odium
last suniner in consequence of committing two la-
bourolt to Chelmsford Gaol for leaving their work,
has been presented with it handsome piece of plate
by 183 of his sympathising friends and neighbours.
A rense of the acrimony with which the rev. gentle-
man was treated, for the discharge of what he, of
course, considered his duty, has doubtless been the
cause of the testimonial in question. It does not
follow that an action which is unpopular is always
unjust : and, at all events, it seems that Mr. Hem-
ming has a large hand of both friends and acquaint-
, ances who are willing to vindicate his conduct.

THE MARRIAGE OF M. ALEXANDER PHILIPFSCO and
the second daughter of the Princess Enphrosine
•Ghilts, has been declared void by the Bishop of
Bucharest, for the reason that the brother of Alex-
ander had married the elder sister of the lady; the two
brothers thus marrying the two sisters. The priest
who celebrated the second marriage has been de-
graded, and the bishop has called for a criminal pro-
secution against Alexander Philipesco and his wife.
No law exists in Wallachia against such a marriage.
The Emperor Napoleon, at the reception of the
corps diplomatique on Tuesday, expressed him-
self rather strongly to the Neapolitan Ambas-
sador upon the policy of his master. "Se desire,"
concluded the Emperor, " que Is politique du Roi de
Naples soit cette armee plus franche, plus sincere,
dans son interet meme."
Count Nesselt•ode on the 27th ult. received Count
Esterhazy on his return to St. Petersburg, charged
with the special communication from the Court of
Vienna. M. de Nessolrode is reported to have
listened attentively to the propositions of Count
Esterhazy, without showing the slightest emotion or
once interrupting the Austrian Minister. At the
conclusion of Count Esterhazy's address, M. de Nes
selrode confined himself to the simple remark—" I
will take the orders or the Emperor," and boived the
Austrian Minister out,

MP=

SATURDAY,

6lettion citttiligtutt.

HEREFORD.—Thomas Evans, Esq., of Sufton-
court, is about to be solicited to become a candidate
for the representation of this city, should a vacancy
occur.

TAvisTocx.—Mr. S. Carter, elected, but unseated
for the want for qualification, at the last general elec-
tion, will contest the representati. 41 again. Mr. 3. I'.
Trelawney, of Kensington, has issued an address to
the electors, stating that household suffrage, vote by
ballot, economy and efficiency in the administration
of departments, unsectarian education and complete
equality of religious communions in the eye of the
law, are the watchwords of his political creed.

The Austrian army in the principalities is to ho
reduced to a " peace footing." The men of the
Border Battalions have already left Bucharest to re-
turn to their homes.

Baron Seebach's mission to St. Petersburg is re-
garded by the German papers as the result of an un-
derstanding between Vienna, Dresden, and Munich,
that Austria, in making the propositions, should not,
in case of refusal by Russia, be left in so awkl‘ard a
position as to compel her to terminate her friendly
relations with that Court.

The Grand Duke Nicholas has left St. Petersburg
for the south, in his capacity as commander-in•chief
of the engineers. Lieutenant-Colonel Lackner
directs the works of the fortifications at Odessa,
Nicolaieff, Akkermar, Kilia, and the whole of Bessa•
rabic. General Dohn fills the same functions in
Poland; anti General Todtleben is at Cronstadtt
Works of defence are being actively constructed in
Finland, and especially at Warsaw.

M. trehnier, the lately appointed French Minister
at Naples, in his first interview with the King, re-
quested an audience on important business. His
Majesty declined, and bowed M. Brennier out. It is
significant that the Imperial steamer which brought
M. Brennier to Naples lies yet in the Bay awaiting
his orders.

TFIE OBSERVANCE OF MARRIAGE as a sacred bond
by a people to whom Christianity was unknown is
striking. From it was derived the pure and lofty
character of the ancient Roman nation. At Rome,
it was not by clever and fascinating courtesans, such
as Aspasia and Thais, but by wives and mothers
—such as Lucretia and Volumnia of the legends, such
as Cornelia, the mother of the Gracchi, in actual
history—that noble wishes and heroic thought were
inspired into the hearts of the men. The chastity
and frugality of the women found an answer in the
temperance and self•devotion of the men. This is
the more rettatitable, since by Roman law married
women had no personal rights—they were subject to
their husbands as absolutely as if they had been
slaves.—Lidden's History of Rome.

STABILITY OF TREATIES.—The foundation of tho
stability of every treaty is the mutual advantage of
the parties. It is a just remark of the Florentine
Secretary, that even after the most unequal contest,
no peace between nations can ever be solid by which
one gains much more than the other. If the one gains
much real good, and the other only obtains safety
from total ruin, the peace will be broken either by
the former, as soon as her power is recruited
enough to complete the work of conquest, or
by the latter, as soon as she has breathed a little,
and can hope to regain her lost ground. All such
foolish treaties are rather conventions of truce than
of peace. They were one great means of conquest used
by the Romans ; they are rendered less frequent in
modern times by the principles of the balancing
systeM.—Lord Brougham's contributions to the
" Edinburgh Review."
Txtruasti PLuNDERFII9.—A tragedy took place two
nights ago. Some Greeks—two men and two women
—lived in a hut near the railroad, and also within a
couple of hundred yards of a troop of artillery. The
people were honest and quiet enough, taking n
washing and earning money by various kinds cf
work. Two nights since some Turkish soldiers went
down to the hut, murdered the two men after a ve-
hement struggle, and clove the head of one of the
women open to her throat; the other woman they
stabbed in three places, and left for dead. The y
then ransacked the house and found lOU in money
—what enormous sums are made by the hangers-(n
of the camp!—and escaped. All next day the muti-
lated woman lay, the only living thing amidst such
ghastly death, and the day after it occurred to ha
neighbours to inquire why none of them had been
seen on the previous day. The survivor is now in
hospital, and has intimated that the murderers were
Turkish soldiers, and that site conld identify them.—
Mrs. Duberly's Journal.

JANUARY 5, 1856.

sitcraturt.

Cambridge Essays. Contributed by Members
of the University. London : J. W. Parker
and Son.
THE art of ordinary review-writing may be
briefly characterised as the art of saying a
very little in a very large quantity of words :
to speak in the cant of the day, it is the art of
comb►ning the minimum of logic with the
maximum of rhetoric ; in fact, of expanding
over a dozen columns that which might be
advantageously compressed into one or two.
Like Gratiano, the reviewer (we mean, of
course, the Quarterly reviewer) is obliged to
write "an infinite deal of nothing, more than
"any man in Venice "; with too little space to
enter into conclusive details of fact or evi-
dence, he has, as Sydney Smith says, "to
" work with pulp and essence " ; but " pulp
" and essence" take up very little room—it is
their peculiar recommendation ; so that he
finds himself in the position of a man who has
to fill a packing•case with that which would
go lightly and comfortably into the compass
of a hand-basket. As a natural and inevitable
result, a vacuum must exist somewhere; and
to occupy this vacuum, of which he has a
much more heartfelt horror than ever Nature
had, something must be employed for the sole
purpose of " filling up."
"Ay or no never yet answered any ques-
" lion,' says Selden, "we must divide and dis-
"tinguish"; but to divide and distinguish
exhaustively, or to any good purpose, we need
far more space than that usually accorded to a
Quarterly reviewer; while for the merely
ornamental " ay or no " with which the writing
public easily satisfies the reading public,
much less would be amply sufficient. Two
courses lie open to a controversial writer—and
most review-writers in the present day are in
some degree controversialists. He may make fun
of his antagonists if he have neither room nor
inclination to enter into a fair and full discus-
sion of the points at issue between him and
them ; or, if he have space and information,
he can reply to their objections, and es-
tablish his own particular opinions, by the
commonplace but almost forgotten methods
of correct state►nent and logical inference. It
is almost impossible for a reviewer to adopt to
the full extent either of these courses. Not
the first, for who on earth can make effective
fun for a dozen octavo pages ? except, perhaps,
the author of " Aspen Court." Net the second,
for to deal fairly with many of the great open
questions of the day, which the Quarterlies
love to discuss, a writer would very frequently
need the whole review to himself; and if he
knew what to do with it when he had got it, it
is more than probable that not a single reader
would interfere with his monopoly of its
pages.
Compared on the one hand with the un-
fettered investigator, who can wander at " his
own sweet will " through exactly the number
of volumes which his subject may require or
his publisher will permit, the writer of reviews
is unduly brief; compared on the other with
the newspaper critic, who is constrained to
deal only with the leading points of a question,
and to speak in " sum-totals," in all cases pre-
senting results rather than discussing the
processes which lead to them, he is unneces-
sarily lengthy and tiresome. He is like M.
Quetelet's " average man " in a ready-made
clothes-shop, where the coats and trousers
have been constructed only for tall men and
little boys. The full-grown pantaloons are all
a world too wide for his " shrunk shanks," while
the smart little fancy suit in the corner is as
thoroughly unfitted for his mature dimensions
as the " shorts" of a theatrical page for the
legs of Paul Bedford or Signor Lablache.
There is perhaps no study which, exclusively
pursued, so thoroughly unfits the mind for
making the most of a little information as
mathematics: the subject-matter is pre-
sented, in all cases, from the simplest arithme
tical question to the highest investigation of
the most advanced analysis, in almost repul-
sive nakedness ; it is carefully weeded of all
illustrative additions ; there is nothing in the