The Press.
London, England, 1856-01-12 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

ME publication of the text of the Allied Propositions is the
most significant item in the political intelligence of the week. The
important document first appeared in the Independance Beige, and there
seems no reason to doubt its perfect accuracy. It differs on many
points from the representations which have been published in the
Ministerial journals. Not a word is said respecting the Aland Islands,
while the new condition respecting the boundary line between Russia
and the Principalities turns out to be more important, and more likely
to lead to complications, than was at first anticipated. These Propo-
sitions are most important, however, as showing that the Allies and
Russia are nearly agreed on the great point respecting the neutralisa-
tion of the Black Sea. When conditions have been agreed to, which
are deemed necessary for the security of Turkey, and which solve the
original cause of quarrel, it scarcely appears probably that the War will
be continued for an ulterior object, never contemplated till suggested by
Austria, and in itself of minor European importance. If the freedom
of the Danube be fully secured, petty details as to boundary lines
between Russia and the Provinces can never, one would suppose,
become of such magnitude as to justify an obstinate struggle between
the mightiest nations of the world. It has been re►►►arked as singular
that no allusion is made in the Proposals to the Russian occupation
of Kars. the explanation must be, that the fall of that fortress was
not known until after the Proposals were settled As the rectification
of the Russian frontier is demanded in exchange for the strong places
held by the Allies, the ground won by the Russians in Asia Minor may
lead to argument on this point.
The Propositions have been received by our journals with some
reserve. The Times seems disposed to view them favorably. They
are described as " reasonable and moderate." It is fairly urged that
" the settlement, if settlement there is to be, must be prompt and
" definite." This must be the universal wish, but it would be vain to
expect speed from the forms of diplomacy. The Daily News is impa-
tient of further negotiation, and desires that the Gordian knot should
be cut by the sword; the Herald and Post of yesterday are silent.
The Standard, though lately so favorable to Lord PALMERBToN.B
management, thinks the Proposals unsatisfactory, as they " scarcely
" present a stipulation which Russia may not., in the first instance,
"violate at pleasure, and which must not, therefore, it' enforced at all,
" be enforced by a war, for which we shall, of course, be as ill-prepared
" as three years ago we were for the war in which we are now engaged."
The Globe, faithful to its Ministerial patrons, regards the Proposals as
altogether admirable. The Sun views them as a hash of the old four
points, and calls for war.
A turning-point on the great question of the day is evidently at
hand. The principal Courts of Europe appear to he nearly in agree-
ment on the main points at issue, and there seems a strong pro-
bability that they will, by conciliatory counsels, find some way of
a'commodating minor differences, and of bringing about a Treaty of
Peace.

Some interesting information hasreached us at a late hour from

Paris, particularly as regards the state of feeling in that capital. We
are assured that the prospects of peace are not there regarded with
much confidence ; but it is anticipated that, if the war is to continue,
its locale, and the manner in which it is conducted, will be totally
changed. Great results are looked for from the Council of War. The
Duke of CAMBRIDGE, with Generals AIREY and JONES, and Admirals
LYONS and DUNDAS, represented England in this Council; General LA
MARMORA, Sardinia ; and General BOSQUET, and five distinguished
unerals, three admirals, with Prince NAPOLEON, Prince JEROME, and
Count WALEWSKI, France ; the whole under " ptesidence de l'Em-
pereur." It was believed iu Paris that, as the result of the Council,
the allied troops would be drawn from the south side of Sebastopol ;
that garrisons would be left at Kinburn and Balaklava; that English
• and Sardinian troops would invade the Transcaucasian provinces ; and
that the French army would find employment nearer home. The
French Emperor, in declaring in his memorable speech at the closing
of the Exposition that he ardently desired peace, but that to obtain it
Europe must speak out, is understood to have implied that Russia,
with her enormous natural resources, could not be brought to reason
while her trade, and especially her English trade, was carried on by
itoi-disant neutrals. We need not inquire what neutral particularly
suggests itself to the French mind. It is not supposed, in well-
informed circles, that Baron SEEBACH bore any mission from the Em-
peror of the FRENCH. The inspiration of the pamphlet on a European
k.;ongress, written by
111. DUVENRYER, is supposed to have come from
the Saxon Minister. who is anxious that his country should bear a
prominent part in European councils

The Bishop of EXETER'S letter to Dr. LIISHINGTON is the first of
those learned and critical examinations of the late ecclesiastical judg-
ment which we may expect to follow one another in close succession.
That the High church party would submit to a rule which, while for
bidding many of their cherished and traditional practices, was, at the
same time, laid down by the judge himself with considerable Mis-
givings, was not to be anticipated for a moment. The question at
issue between Dr. Lt squNuToN and the Bishop in regard to the ere•

SATURDAY,

dente-table is, be it observed, simply one of fact. Of what nature was
the table, against the use .)f which Sir HE RBERT JENNER Fun decided?
If this was not essentially the seine, and objected to on the same
grounds as Mr. LIDDELL'S, of course there is an end of the precedent.
This, of course, is susceptible of easy proof. In regard to the coverings
of the communion-table, the Bishop certainly adducer very strong
arguments in favour of his own view of the question. But, as it turns
on the meaning of the Latin word tapes, it is a matter for the con-
sideration of antiquaries rather than theologians. The rest of his
communication is based very much upon presumptive evidence—
which no two men will ever construe alike—but, in our own minds, we
have not the shadow of a doubt that there has never been any inter-
mission in the use of crosses in the Church of England from the
Reformation downwards. To judge from mere style, the Bishop cer-
tainly writes more like one who is master of his subject than Dr.
LusuisoToN ; and, indeed, seeing the attention which for many years
he has devoted no this subject, it is probable that ho would under-
stand it better than one who, however shrewd and learned, approached
the consideration of this particular point without much more previous
acquaintance with it than common men.

The destruction of the Sebastopol docks appears at length to be
finally resolved on. The first of the five docks has been blown in,
and the preparations feu• destroying the rest are being pushed on
with vigour. At least, this indicates one of two things : either the
Allies feel that the harbour of Sebastopol is not likely to be theirs for
some little time to come—a period possibly too long to be waited for
—or there is a covert intention of retiring at early spring from the
lines of the Tschernaya within those of Kamiesch and Balaklava,
and re-embarking at leisure. " Gest le commencement du fin,"
there is little doubt. That Crimea, which Sir ROBERT PEEL has so
often apostrophised as the sacrifice to be wrung out of Russia in her
agony, for the crimes of CATHERINE, will, despite the Honourable
Baronet's poetic appeals to the shades of slaughtered Khans, remain,
we apprehend, much under its old masters. if the Kar be contin led,
it will be continued on some other field than on the barren steppes
or in the rugged defiles of the Crimea. This destruction of the
docks, though silently passed over almost unnoticed, is no trifling india
cation of the future policy of the war.

The Administrative Reform Association has recommenced its per-
formances, and presents us with a pleasing variation to the Christmas
pantomimes. We almost fancy we hear the " How are you to-morrow'
from Mr. S. MORLEY, and " Hot Codlins" from Sir CHARLES NAPIER.
The curtain rises or. a Mr. CORDEROY, whose remarks by a singular
coincidence are strongly redolent of fustian, and who modestly avows
the fact that the Association is too good for this world. The world
certainly found this out for itself; but that does not detract from the
merit of Mr. CORDEROY. The public will be delighted to know that Mr.
NiORLEY'S attention has been turned to the recent fall of Kars ; and
Members of Parliament will doubtless be happy to hear that he thinks
they ought to be paid. This highly respectable proposition is doubt-
less gratifying when we consider that Mr. MORLEY represents an asso-
ciation so celebrated for its wealth, and which could doubtless buy up
the whole of that degenerate aristocracy which he regards so favor-
ably. The whole affair wound up with its usual success, and the
announcement of an unflinching determination to carry the thing on.