The Press.
London, England, 1854-05-27 00:00:00

THE AUSTRO-PRUSSIAN TREATY.

THE text of the offensive and defensive treaty
lately concluded between Austria and Prussia
has now obtained publicity, with the exception
of the military and secret stipulations which are al-
luded to in the final article of the convention, and
are to take effect under the contingencies there
spoken of. By this treaty they profess themselves
to be " penetrated with profound regret at the fruit-
lessness of their efforts to avert the outbreak of war,"
and recognising the " moral obligations imposed upon
them by their having signed the last Vienna protocol,"
and moreover being " persuaded of the high mission
which is allotted to them and to Germany is for the
interests of European well-being," resolve to unite in
an alliance, offensive and defensive, " during the ex-
istence of the war that has broken out between Russia
on one side, and Turkey, England, and France on the
other." The successive articles of this convention set
forth :

" Art. 1. His Majesty the King of Prussia and his Im-
perial Apostolical Majesty reciprocally guarantee to each
other the possession of their German and non-Ger-
man territories, so that any attack made upon the territory
of the one, no matter whence it may come, shall be re-
garded as a hostile attack on the territory of the other.
" Art. 2. In the same manner the high contracting par-
ties hold themselves bound to safeguard the interests of
Germany from all and every inroad, and regard themselves,
consequently, as bound to resist every attack upon any
portion of their territory, in case that one of them should,
in accord with the author, find itself required to move in
defence of German interests. Agreement as to the initia-
tive of the eventuality just mentioned, as well also as to
the extent of assistance to be afforded, shall form the
subject of special arrangements, which are to be considered
as integral portions of the present treaty.
" Art. S. In order to give the necessary weight and
strength to the offensive and defensive treaty concluded
by them, the two great German powers bind themselves,
in case of need, to hold a portion of their military force
fully prepared for war, at given epochs and at given
points to be determined between them. Special resolutions
shall also ensue as regards the time, extent, and mode of
employing this military force.
" Art. 4. The high contracting parties will invite all
German States to adhere to this alliance in such measure
as is provided for by Art. 47 of the Vienna concluding acts,
so that the legal federal obligations shall receive such
extension by adhering States as the present treaty points
out.
" Art. 5. Neither of the high contracting parties will,
during the existence of this alliance, conclude any separate
treaty whatever with other States which does not fully har-
monise with the principles of the present treaty."
In an additional article it is declared that
" Their Majesties have not been able to overlook the con-
sideration that the indefinite prolongation of the occupa-
tion of his Highness the Sultan's territory on the Lower
Danube by Russian troops will endanger the political, moral,
and material interests of the whole German Confederation,
as well as of their own States, and this in so much higher
degree the further Russia extends her war operations over
Turkish territory. The august Courts of Austria and
Prussia are united in the wish to avoid, if possible, all par-
ticipation in the war that has broken out between Russia
on the one side, and England, France, and Turkey on the
other ; and at the same time to aid in the re-establishment
of general peace. They specially consider the explanations
recently given by the Court of St. Petersburg at Berlin,

SATURDAY,

whereby Russia appears to consider the original cause d
occupying the principalities as setaside by the concessions
now made to, and in many respects carried out in favour
of, the Porte's Christian subjects, as a powerful element of
pacification, which they could only deeply deplore were
they to see it deprived of further practical influence. They
therefore hope that the expected replies of the St. Peters-
burg Cabinet to the Prussian propositions, transmitted to
it under date of the Bth inst., will offer the required
security for the speedy withdrawal of the Russian troops
from the Turkish territory."
In the event, however, of this hope being disz
appointed, the two powers are to make a further
effort to bring about a peace on the ,onditions sit
forth in a supplemental or, as it is termed, " single"
article, as follows :
" The Imperial Austrian Legation will, on its pait,
address to the Imperial Russian Court propositions having
for object to procure from his Majesty the Emperor of
Russia the requisite orders forthe suspension of all further
advance of his army into the Turkish territory, as well as
to obtain from his Majesty complete securities for the
speedy evacuation of the Danubian principalities. The
Prussian Government will, with reference to its repre.
sentations already transmitted to St. Petersburg, again
energetically support these propositions.
" Should the replies of the Imperial Russian Court,
contrary to all hope, be of such kind that they should not
afford complete tranquillity as regards the two points afore.
mentioned, then will one of the contracting parties, in
order to obtain the same, adopt measures, under the stipu.
lations of Art. '2 of the offensive and defensive treaty con-
cluded this day, to the effect that every hostile attack upon
the territory of one or both high contracting parties shall
be repulsed by the other by all the military force at its
disposal."
Then comes the point and conclusion of the whole
compact, viz.
"An offensive action on the part of both would be
first occasioned by the incorporation of the principalities,
or through an attack or passage of the Balkan on the part
of Russia."
The treaty is signed by Baron Manteuffel, Baron
Hess, and Count Thun, and dated Berlin, April 20,
1854.

ANGLO-FRENCH TREATY WITH THE
PORTE.
A NEW convention between England, France, and
Turkey was ratified at Constantinople a few days
since, and has been published in extenso by the
Moniteur. This treaty adopts and confirms the
former compact between the three countries which
was published in the PEERS on the 28th ult., and adds
a variety of conditions and agreements respecting
the details of the armed intervention which England
and France have organised for the defence of Turkey.
As before, all parties bind themselves "to communi-
cate reciprocally to each other, without loss of time,
every proposition that one of them might receive
from the Emperor of Russia, whether directly or in-
directly, with a view to the cessation of hostilities, of
an armistice or peace ; and the Sultan engages,
moreover, to conclude no armistice, and to enter into
no negotiation with the Emperor of Russia, without
the knowledge and consent of the high contracting
parties." But the most important clause is that by
which the intervening powers engage that as soon as
these objects shall be attained " by the conclusion of
a treaty of peace " the auxiliary armies shall be with-
drawn from the Ottoman territory within a period of
forty days, or sooner, if possible. Another clause
sets forth that property is everywhere to be respected.
Respecting the conduct of the war, the convention
states :—" It is understood on either side that the
general plan of the campaign shall be discussed and
agreed on between the commanders-in•chief of the
three armies, and that if a considerable part of the
allied troops should be in line with the Ottoman
troops no operation can be executed against the
enemy without having been previously concerted
with the commanders of the allied forces. Lastly,
due attention shall be paid to every requirement,
relative to the wants of the service, addressed by the
commanders-in-chief of the auxiliary troops, whether
to the Ottoman Government through the medium of
their respective embassies, or, in case of urgency, to
the local authorities, unless paramount objections,
distinctly explained, may prever.t its execution."

A COURT MARTIAL was held On Monday on board
the Victory upon the commander and officers of the
Jasper, which blew up last week off Beachy Head.
Captain Sir T. Maitland, of the Excellent, presided.
After hearing evidence the court gave the defendant
an honourable acquittal. Sir T. Maitland, on return-
ing his sword to Commander Crawley, announced their
conviction that he " had done his duty as an officer
and a gentleman."
SEVERAL RUSSIAN DIPLOMATISTS AND NOBLEMEN
in the Russian service are connected by marriage
with English and German families. Thus the sister
of Count Woronzoff is Lady Pembroke;
the youngest
daughter of Count Nesselrode is Wife of the Saxon
Ambassador in Paris, Von Scebach ; and the Baron
ess of Meyendorff, wife of the Russian Ambassador
at Vienna, is the sister of Count Buol Von Schauen-
stein, the present Prime Minister and confidant of
the Emperor of Austria.

My 27, 1854.

THE WAR.

TILE war intelligence of the week, so far as the allied
forces are concerned, is absolutely blank. There are
no movements anywhere, and nothing done either
by fleets or armies. Every one is waiting. The
English and French troops in Turkey remain at
Gallipoli and Scutari for (it is said) their artillery,
of which the English have received some, and the
French only a little. Their leaders are waiting for
the troops to be ready, and, meanwhile, kill time
with fetes and compliments in Constantinople.
Marshal St. Arnaud passed through Gallipoli, and
had a review of his forces, whom he counselled to
have patience, adding, " It shall not be long before
I lead you where bullets whistle." But no sooner
was the review over than the marshal set off kr
Constantinople, whither, he said, " matters of im-
portance called him."
The fleets are likewise waiting. In the Black Sea
they wait to attack Sebastopol, towards which, it
seems, they have hitherto directed only a few ex•
peritnental shells, until a combined attack by land
and sea can be organised. However, it appears that
the blockade of the Russian ports is strictly main-
tained, with the result of setting into increased
activity the Circassian followers of Schamyl, and
compelling the Russians to evacuate more forts on
that coast. Sir C. Napier, in the Baltic, waited
during several days off the coasts of Sweden for the
fog to clear away. He has since sailed to the east-
ward, but still forbears to strike a blow, waiting
(according to the last explanations) for the French
squadren to join. That fleet on its part is reported
to have gone into Kiel harbour, with symptoms of an
intention to wait there for some days. This was on
Saturday last. The last dates from Sir C. Napier are
of the 16th inst., brought by the Holyrood transport.
His fleetiwas then cruising near the Isle of Aland. A
report that the Hang° fort on that island had been bom-
barded and captured obtained currency early in the
week, but has been since contradicted. The rumour
was based, it would seem, merely upon some confused
statements that a heavy cannonading had been
heard in that direction. In the absence of im-
portant news we subjoin such stray items of in-
telligence as appear of sufficient interest to be
gathered from the voluminous despatches that till
the columns of our daily contemporaries, whose cor-
respondents appear bound to write always a certain
quantity, whether they have anything to say or no.
Among these the Times correspondent, dating from
Gallipoli on the 9th, contrasts in lively though no
doubt exaggerated fashion the appearance of the
French and English troops in marching order:—
" Let us climb up one of the hills, near the scene of the
review, and watch the march of our regiments. They
came on solid and compact as blocks of marble, the sun
dancing on their polished bayonets and scarlet coats with
• congenial fierceness. The gallant `—th ' halt close by—
all the men are as red in the face as turkeycocks—they
seem gasping for breath—they are indeed sorely dis-
tressed, for a rigid band of leather rendered quite relent•
less by fibres and buckles of brass is fixed tightly round
their throats, and their knapsacks are filled to the pitch
of mortal endurance, so that it requires the aid of a
comrade for each man to get his on his back ; while the
Frenchman, unassisted, puts his knapsack on in an instant.
The coat is buttonod tightly up also to aid the work of I
suffocation, and belts and buckles compress the unhappy
soldier where most he requires ease and the unrestricted
play of the muscle. Regiment after regiment reaches the
parade-ground, and falls into its place with admirable
precision. The lines of these red and blue blocks seem
regulated by plummet, and scarce a bayonet wavers in
the long streaks of light above the shakos. The rifles,
too, stand compact and steady as a piece of iron. Thus
they stand under the rays of the morning sun, till at
nine o'clock Sir George Brown aid staff, accompanied by
the French general, and a number of officers, ride along
the lines, and, after a brief inspection, dismiss them. If
one follows the men, he will see how many drop out,
exhausted and half smothered, and at what a vast amount
of physical inconvenience all this solidity and rigidity of
aspect are required. Take one fact:—ln a single com-
pany which left Bulair forty-five file strong—ninety men—
so many men fell out on the march to Soulari, a distance of
six miles, or thereabouts, that the captain reached the
camping-ground with only twenty men—the rest straggled
in during the forenoon. The halts were frequent for so
short a march, and the rush to every well and fountain
showed how the men suffered from thirst."
As the companion picture we have the following
description of the French Zouaves :
" Presently the shrill trumpets of the Zonaves are
heard sounding a wild and eccentric march, and these
fierce-looking soldiers of Africa, burnt brown by constant
exposure to the sun, with beards which easily distinguish
them from the native Arabs, come rushing past, for their
pace is so quick that it fully justifies the term. The open
collars of their coats allow free play to the lungs ; the easy
jacket, the loose trouser, and the well-supported ankle,
constitute the beau-ideal of a soldier's dress; their firelocks
and the brasses of their swords and bayonets are polished
to a nicety. Each man is fully equipped for the field, with
great-coat strapped over his knapsack, canteen byhis side,