The Press.
London, England, 1854-01-21 00:00:00

Yljt 21 ritgg.

LONDON, SATURDAY, JANUARY 21, 1854.

roSTSCRIPT.

THE EASTERN QUESTION.

THE instructions to the admirals of the French and
English vessels are :—To salute Russian vessels ; to
warn them to return to a Russian port; to accom-
pany Turkish vessels to different Turkish ports ; to
cruise off the Turkish coasts ; to avoid all collision
with Russian vessels, and to prevent the same be-
tween the belligerents; not to approach the Russian
coast ; and, if attacked by Russians, to act simply on
the defensive. _ _

Rumours have prevailed respecting the alleged
receipt of orders from St. l'etersburg to the Russian
admiral enjoining him to put to sea with his whole
fleet, amounting, it is stated, to forty vessels of war,
from Sebastopol. Incredible as the report appears
under the circumstances, Admiral I)undas is said to
have so tar believed in the posibility of such a mes-
sage as to keep his ships together instead of scat-
tering them, as he previously intended, on various
services. Among other reports from the Black Sea
is one to the effect that a Russian squadron was occu-
pying the harbour of Batoum.
Full details are still wanting of the battles at
Kalafat. It is known that the conflict which coin
menced on the 6th was resumed on the two following
days. Accounts received from Belgrade, and through
southern routes of communication, assign a consi-
derable advantage to the Turks, who had repulsed for
three days successively a large Russian force arrayed
for the attack of Kale.fat, killing 3,000 men, wound-
ing many more, with General Aurep among the
number, taken several cannon, and carrying off the ho-
nours and advantages of an actual victory. Despatches
from Vienna and elsewhere, giving the Russian nar-
rative of the events, tell a different story. They
reproduce, with slight variations, the statements,
evidently fallacious, contained in Prince Gortscha-
koff's official bulletin, which ran as follows :
" On the Ath of January the Turks, to the number o
niece than 18,000 men, with twenty-four pieces of cannon,f
attacked at Tchetate the right flank of General Count
Aurep's detachment. Three battalions, with six guns that
were at hand, heroically sustained the attack of the Turks
until the arrival of General Bellegarde with four battalions
upo i the right flank of the enemy. At the approach of
this reinforcement a part of the Turks turned towards
hint. The combat was very hot at first, but the enemy was
soon compelled to retreat upon Kalafat. In this glorious
affair, in which seven Russian battalions repulsed an
enemy of three times stronger force, the Turks lost six
guns and two beiraks, left a large quantity of arms and
more than :1,000 dead upon the field of battle. Among the
dead was found a Pasha."
The known result of the whole affair is that the
Russians retired to Krajowa, and the Turks to
Kalafat. This looks like a drawn battle; but it must
be remembered that the consequence is the total
discomfiture of a grand attack which the Russian
generals had planned against Kalafat for the 12th
inst., New Year's-day according to the old style.
Advice's have reached Paris from St. Petersburg,
of the 12th of January, which describe the position
of affairs as affording little hope for the maintenance
of peace. The Emperor is described as living in a
state of religious exaltation, regarding himself as
the chosen instrument, under the hand of God, to
drive the Moslem from Europe, and only regretting
that he should have allowed so many years to pass
by without fulfilling his destiny. 'l'he populace at
St. Petersburg have worked themselves up to the
highest pitch of fanaticism, cheering the Emperor
whenever he appears in public with the wildest en-
thusiasm, and denouncing as traitors all who dare to
speak of peace. The only Minister who is supposed

THE PRESS.

to advocate a peaceful course is Count Nesselrode,
and he has entirely lost his influence with his Impe-
rial master. Count Orloff, on the other band, who is
the Emperor's dearest friend, is eager for war.
Rumours of the immediate recal of M. do Kisse •
left have obtained currency in Paris almost daily,
with daily versions of cause and pretext. All these
reports, however, are traced to the Bourse, and no
further.
Letters from the shores of the Black Sea state
that the Russians are establishing at different points,
and mote especially in the Crimea, defensive en-
trenchments and coast batteries. They have changed
the direction of the fires and lighthouses constructed
to protect vessels arriving from the offing, and have
also reinforced the garrisons of the towns beyond
the maximum of war.
It is rumoured in the diplomatic circles of Paris
that the Emperor of Austria has made another strong
appeal to the Emperor of Russia, and that hopes are
entertained of its being successful.
A Vienna letter of the 15th mentions a report that
M. Buol Schauenstein, the Austrian Minister of
Foreign Affairs, was about to leave for Warsaw on
a special mission. It was said that Count Nesselrode
was at Warsaw waiting to receive him.'

ROYAL VISIT TO HATFIELD-HOUSE.
THE Marquis and Marchioness of Salisbury have,
during the week, given a succession of princely en-
tertainments at their seat in Herts, in compliment
to their Royal Highnesses the Duchess of Cambridge
and the Princess Mary, who have been sojourning
there for four days. The Earl and Countess Dela.
warr and Lady Arabella West, the Earl and Countess
of Derby and Lady Emma Stanley, the Earl of
Malmesbury, the Earl and Countess of Hardwicko
and Lady Elizabeth Yorke and Lord Royston, Vis-
count Chelsea, Viscount Anson, Lord and Lady
Rokeby and the Hon. Misses Montagu (2), Lord
Robert Grosvenor and Miss Grosvenor, Lord Bing-
ham, Lord Grey de Wilke, Lord Somerton, the Hon.
Captain Egerton, the Hon. P. Talbot, the Hon. H.
Drummond, the Hon. William Wellesley, the Hon.
and Rev. W. and Mrs. Talbot, Mr. Grosvenor, Mr.
Vivian, and Mr. Norman Macdonald, arrived on
Monday, to have the honour of meeting the Royal
Duchess and the Princess, who travelled from Lon-
don by special train, on the Great Northern Railway,
to the Hatfield station. That (Monday) evening
there was a grand dinner party, covers being laid
for forty persons. At the conclusion of the dinner
the party adjourned to the saloon, where a carpet
dance, brought to a close soon after midnight, termi-
nated the festivities.
• The Marquis of Salisbury, the Earl of Derby, the
Earl of Malmesbury, the Earl of Hardwicke, Lord
Robert Grosvenor, Viscount Anson, the lion. P.
Talbot, and a party of gentlemen, went out on
Tuesday morning shooting in the preserves within
the park. In the evening there was another grand
dinner, followed as on the night previous by a carpet
dance. On Wednesday morning another shooting
expedition was arranged. Above 1,000 head of game
was killed in the two mornings' sport.
The Marchioness of Salisbury having sent out
invitations for a grand ball this (Wednesday)
evening in honour of her royal visitors, the banquet
took place at an earlier hour than customary.
Afterwards the ball commenced, and was attended by
a brilliant party of more than 504) guests, comprising
nearly the whole of the nobility, gentry, and clergy
connected with the county of Hertford. The
majority of the visitors haying been introduced to
their Royal Highnesses, the Duchess of Cambridge
and Princess Mary passed into the gallery, at the
north end of which splendid apartment a dais had
been prepared for the royal party. The ball was
opened at half-past nine o'clock with a quadrille, the
Princess Mary of Cambridge dancing with Lord
Robert Grosvenor, the Marchioness of Salisbury and
Viscount Anson dancing vis-a-vis. Shortly after
midnight a magnificent supper was prepared in the
winter dining-room, after partaking of which the
company returned to the gallery, where dancing was
resumed, and the ball proceeded until nearly three
o'clock, when it terminated with the old English
country dance of Sir Roger de Coverley.
Their Royal Highnesses, who during their stay at
Hatfield have occupied the suite of rooms set apart
for the Queen when her Majesty and the Prince
Consort paid their visit to the noble marquis in
1546, after taking leave of the noble marquis and
marchioness, left yesterday by railway for town, cn
route to the royal cottage at Kew.

THE BANE OF FRANCE raised its rate of discount to
5 per cent. on Thursday.
THE COUNCIL OF MINISTERS, held at the Tuileries
on Thursday, resolved on several measures necessary

for the embarkation of troops for the East; but the
details are not known.

TILE authenticity of the letter said to have been
addressed by the Duchess of Orleans to the Due de
Nemours, repudiating the "fusion," is somewhat
faintly questioned by the Paris journals.