The Press.
London, England, 1854-12-30 00:00:00

1240

klata are Gironly places wanting reform ? No, we shall
not; so we will proceed. If Lord Raghtfi is the man he is
thought to be—aud nobody doubts his high courage, his
perfect coolness, and his great ability in his former em-
ployment* he wants better instruments. He wants
better ceflutore and staff—men who will supply that
übiquity a ch the,chicf is incapable, tell him every-
thingeonrey Wants of the, army, take ordera, and see
• thit thry iieented. • Wend out men who tall save the
artnY; ntit•fremitlfd rfultitatut, though tltit are 'formidable
is tiodgh, bet ftom despair, Which is hdig-down the
spirits of every one, and an titter aitruiitih the arrittige-
went of the expedition. It will be of little use to send out
reintbroemente by thousands unless we 'take stepb for their
better management. As it is they march to their grarves,
and begm, 4o ,
parish by scores. from the hour they laud.
Misrule -- • them the. beach, and wearies them,
worr2

.............._ receives ....ern on ~.. _.....a. Wiz, . , 1
worries them, drenches them, ehivera a .....
tom, and so destroys
'" them, till a few spectral floras are,all that. remain. The
u:stildiers of the l'eninsula,-'ivheu they saw the Duke of
. Wellington after an absence ivied 6:, iitelstim that his face
&aid them more good than this' *rival of ten regiments.
:),I Such a her* or coadjutors equisittlealo ta it; -is what we
1,. want for the Crimea.
,1,. • e •
' " The ilisappointeil.publie uire ier nueeiratively
• . !vitt yik.. ,
tw that the army be reinforced; net only wins, fresh sinew aud-
-o,lbone, but 'oleo With new heart and mind. It is iiiati—
.l, lIIIDAD--11EAD that is wanted, as' well as the HIM* of the
ierestle helpless soldier. What is the use of Sending regi-
eosuenta perpetually onwards to the seat of war, to perish by
es o Wares from the very day of their arrival, if we do not aend
o,,pat plea who can take care, of them? The regiments ,
ad-
vanced., from ,U,ibraltar,- Malta, Aqa Corfu, and. even the
flif ft.i Mx°4l4' bit.4%l).°li4elPPP , 9ln thi* •telfoP9.lll4 '
1 IC 1). au die, w re 'they hare keC
live, to, wor , tO,rfalk,
."'to sit, to eat atfidrink, and 'steep, in wet clothes and wet .
boots, under wet' tents, on the wet ground, in watery
.- trenches, under rainy skies. The human frame was not
made for this sort of work, and since th 4 work has doubled,
the food beingfristinced to half ratliiiii, 'And the tenth been
blown away, the pest has stalked triumphant through the
camp. What, too, can be she use of seeding for more of
erahe unfortunate Turks whin they bring no food'withithem,
~,pre dependent. ou a very short, allowance of biscuit from
44 „itlie lash•
stores, awl, 4A..l.ritahlaboureris en fourpence a
0, flay, . nothing, for , AlQo4g.? jt . lit ,t4E4I) that bilS been
, Ivan throughout. .There ;a not wing it. A plain
' proof is 'found in the fact that nothing whatever has hap-
p nred in the siege that was nyt known beforehand, and
`,'that could not have been 'provided for. This was not, the
,-!,efibe of a fbrtrvss or IS position in the interior, some
IP lunelreds of Miles from the coast, attacked alter a lohg
nand destructive march, presenting unexpected obstacles,
„Au be encountered by an army diminished beyond compu-
tation., Thie was a tertrosa on the sea, which we call. Our
~ lawn,,Elll*, with our ships, within ftuty.eight hours' sail
of fritießy: eheres and eittes, the besieging army being
ill the tune within sight, and even
.within sound, of
the surge. There was nothing whatever that could
*lnot have been Provided against. We kneW the size and
- Ileidesprettd position of Sebastopol. The very Maps halig.
Sting up on our walls are from plans that existed in this
I country long before the siege began. We knew that the
siege might, be protracted into the heart et 'winter, and
That the latter Mouths of the year would be rainy and
stormy, We *new, that.spaltliera would infallibly perish
without sufficient food, clothing, cud covering over their
heads. We knew the serkof diatances and roads We should
have to traverse in the event of our having to establiah
ourselves ouiside'the walls. e knew perfectly well tie
nature of the sctll r W
round Sebastopol, and that, while we
were hammering in vain at the extetior'defenct?s, it ito'uld
he in the power of the Russians to oronstract an inner line.
,We knew that whatever could be done would he flOrie.
'Yet we had foreseen nothing; and, possessing the mbk.4
ingenious, as well.e.s the richest people in the world, we
bave,really shown no more skill or artifice in the siege of
Sebastepol thau our ancestors would .have done 2,000
.
years ago. All this time we are surpassed by everybody,
and only boast a sorry superiority over the Turks, whom,
accordingly, we abuse very freely. The French surpass
ps in their, roads, in their port, in„theie hots, ip their food
and clothing, hi their hospital's, In ?everything, and are
hegiuningte look on our helplessnesit much as we look on
that of Our 'barbarous allies. The Russians surpass all
three--FMtich; 'British, and Turks—in everything, eXcept
In met* phySieal' strength and conrfige:' .i'hete we come
of the best. Yet how disgraceful that England, so
'wealthy, so mechanical, and with such infinity of resources,
should, after all, depend on the rawest material of War,—
the British soldier—and should be reduced to throw him
away by wholesale in order to make up for our want pf
military science, not to say common sense ! That has been
the case hitherto, though we cannot think that it will last
much longer.
i 1.1-

A NEW Posrxr. TREATY has been entered into
with,France, the principal effect of which will beithe
reduction of the postage upon prepaid letters weigh-
ing not more than one quarter of an ounce (a weight
which includes the great majority), to 4d. instead of
Bd. or held., as heretofore. This reduced postage of
4d.. will carry the letter from any part of the United
Kingdom to any part of France or Algeria. If the
letter be posted unpaid. the charge will be double.
The new treaty will some into operation on Monday
next the Ist of January.
Bssinss decorating Generals Canrobert, Bosquet,
and Forey with the order of the Medjidie Ist class,
the Sultan has decided that she order of Medjidie
shall he given to all the generals, officers, sub-officers,
and soldiers of the allied armies whose names should
be given in to the Sublime Porte by the generals-in-
chief.

THE PRESS.

Sortign nnb &Wig attiligente.

FRANCE.
OPENING OF THE, LEGISIATIV},I SESSION.
On Tuesday ,the legislative session of 185.5 was
opened by the Emperor Napoleon with the following
speech :
Messieurs lee &nestles,
Messieurs les Deputes,
.
Since your last meeting great events have taken place.
The appeal which I made to the country for advances to
deftly the expenses of the war has been so 'Well received
as even to serpass my hopes. Oar arms have been
victorious in the Baltic and in the Black Sea. Two great
battles here shed lustre on our flag. A shining testimony
has been given in proof of the intimacy of our relations
with England. The Parliament has passed votes of
thanks to our generals and our soldiers. A great empire,
renovated by the chivalrous sentiments of its sovereign,
has been detached intim the power which for forty years has
menaced tire independence of Europe. The Etnperqr of
Austria hail concluded' a treaty defensive tbr the prettent
• tithe, offertsfve, perhaps, hereafter; and he theca nnitetilis
cause td that of France and England.
Thus, gentlemen, the more that the war is prolonged,
the more does the number of out allies increase, and 'the
more closely ire the link that bind us drawn together.
What more solid links could be formed than the names of
the .victories eipfed by the two armies, recoiling 4 glory
shared by b, white the sa me disquietudes end -the same
hopes tigitift' It the tweet:AlM:rids, and the wile views and the
same intentiens ordinate the two Go4fernments in every
quartet of the globe ? Thtis the alliance 'with England is
not the effect of a monamititry interest and a policy of Mr-
, owasiterices ; it is the union of two powerful nations asso-
eirited for the trittrispirof one cause, to promote which their
. greatest efforts have been made fur wore than a hundred
rers—the interests of civilisation,. and, at the same time,
the, liberties of Europe. Join, then' with me on this
solemn occasion to thank, in the name of Franc; the Par-
liaineet for its warm and cordial demonstration, and the
English army and its worthy chief for their valiant co-
operation. lam happy to pay ajust tribute of praise to the
army and to the fleet which have, 'by their devotion and
their discipline, in France as in Algeria—in the north and
the south—worthily responded to my wishes. The army
of the East has up to this day endured everything and
overcome everything—epidemics, fire„tempesta, privations ;
before a fortress constantly supplied with every necessary,
defended by formidable artillery by sea and land and two
armies of the enemy, each euperioe An number—nothing
could damp. their courage or arrest them in their gallant
career. Every . one bat nobly done his duty, front the
marshal, who seemed to have compelled death to wait till
he had secured the victory, to the soldier and the sailor, of
whom the last cry in dying was a prayer for the glory of
France—a shout for the elected of his country. Let us,
then, unite in declaring that the army and the fleet have
deserved well- of their country. The war, it is true,
demands caul sacrifices ; nevertheless, everything calls
upon me to push it with vigour, and with this object I
count on your concurreoce.
The army Is composed at present of 5811443.0 soldiers,
with 113,000 horses; and the marine, of ()2000 sailors
afloat. Te maintain this force in an effective state, and
to fill up the vacancies occasioned by the annual discharges
and by the war, I mast demand front you, as I did last year,
a levy of 140,000 men, and a law will be presented to you
which will have for its object to ameliorate, without sag-
mending the charges on the Treasury, the position of the
soldiers who will be re-engaged ; it will confer immense
advantages, and increase the number of veteran seldiers
in our army, and will eventually permit the weight of the
conscription to be diminished. 1 hope this law will soon
receive your approval. 1 shall reqiire your sanction to
conclude a new national loam. Without doubt that toes.
sure will increase the public debt; but we must bear in
mind that by the conversion of the Reines the interest of
that debt has been reduced by 2•24 millions. My efforts
have been directed to place our expenditure on a level with
our.receipts, and the ordinary budget will show that they
are in equilibrium. The resources derived kepi the loan
will be sufficient to meet the charges of the war,.!md you
will see with pleasure that our revenue is not diminished.
Industrial activity is unchecked ; all the great works of
public utility are continued ; and Providence has been
pleased to heetow a harvest upon us which satisfies our
wants. The Government, nevertheless, is not insensible
to the uneasiness occasioned by the dearness of provisions,
and it has taken every means in its power to dispel this
uneasiness, and in order to alleviate the effect* of Whom
erected in many localities new sources of labour—thus
striving by its moderation and justice to produce calmness
in the hearts of those who are terrified for the future.
Foreigners cannot fail to be struck with the spectacle of a
country which, trusting in the Divine protection, supports
with energy a war at a distance of 000 leagues from its
frontiers, and which develops with the same ardour its
internal resources—a country in which war does not prevent
agriculture and industry from prospering, the arts front
flourishing, and the genius of the nation from expanding
in whatever san conduce to the glory of France.
The delivery of this speech was accompanied by
enthusiastic cheers, and after its conclusion the
Minister of State declared the session opened.
On the 27th a projet de loi was presented to the '
legislative body authorising a loan of 500,000,000 f. '
The report of the Ministerial programme was re-
ceived with acclamation by the assembly, which im-
mediately withdrew to its bureaux to name the
commission charged with the examination of the
project
The Minister of Marine has ordered a new levy of
sailors, comprising all of the class who have not
served the State four years.

SATURDAY,

The Minister of War bas ordered that the officers
of the army may, on demand, receive from the store-
houses of the State, either at Constantinople or at
Sebastopol, a sheepskin paletot or a great-coat with
collar and hood. These articles will be delivered
gratuitously.
The Paris bakers have determined to give 275,000
kilogratntnes (about 550,000 lbs,) of best bread to
the poor, instead of the. Christmas - boxes usually
given to their customers.

- The Moniteur published. pa Monday a convention
made with the Einperor of Hayti relative to the re.
liqinteilt of the loan contracted by the latter State in
1825. The tett of the new postal treaty between
Fratibe and England has also appeared in the Mon{_
tear.

GERMAN Y.
The semi official CorrOworulen. of Iferlin Bays
there is a probahliity,that the enrolment of German
troops for foreign countries will he prohibited, seeing
that, by Article 4y;11. of the Mt of the German
Federation;it'ia'expretlitly forbidden to German sub.
'Jetts to enter into the Military service of foreign
States.
It 14 stated in a ptivate ,telegraphic despatch from
Hamburg that Emilie of the officers of the disbanded
army of Holstein have offered their services to the
British Government 4 I had declared that they can
bring with them 2,000 well disciplined soldiers.

--.
Prince Gortschakoff on IVedtiasday presented a
note ninth he had reeeived from St. Petersburg to
•Count Butyl. It is believed to be unsatisfactory, but
it not She final reply of Itussia.
_. .

Count Manteutielarrived at Vienna on the evening
of the 2dixl, from Berlin, and on Sunday was received
by the Emperor in a private unthaws°.
Letters from Darmstadt report that the heahh of
King Louis of Bavaria had suffered a serious relapse.
.On the 21st he was suddenly overtaken by al return
of his malady, became unconscious, and exhibited
symptoms so alarming that for hours his life was
considered to be in extreme danger. Afterwards he
began to recover, and by six the immediate danger
was past.

SPAIN.
The Madrid Govertimebt has not accepted the
prcipbehion made by the English ambassador to pro-
claim the slave trade piracy, but has given orders for
the strict execution of the conventions already existing
with England on that subject.
Senor Cbilado, the Minister Of Finance, had pre-
sented his budget to the Cortes. There is to' be a
diminution in the future expenditure of 140,000,000
of reals. The savings are of some importance. A
considerable reduction is made in the emoluments of
all the employes, and a stop is put to the pensions
that were allowed to those who form part of 'any
Ministry.

RUSSIA.
By a ukase dated the 13th inst., a levy of ten men
in every thousand throfighout the eastern half of the
Russian empire is decreed. This levy will com-
mence on the 15th of February, and must be finished
by the 15th of March. The Jews are not exempt.
By other decrees the export of sheepskins is for-
bidden during the remaining term of the war, as well
as of cattle, salted meat, fresh provisions, rope, sail-
cloth, and linen from the porta Of the Danube, Black
Sea, and Sea of Azeff.
Notice is also given, that any Rtatian subject re-
sident in the kingdom of Poland who shall quit the
impelial dominions without leave, will be punished
by the confie'cation of his estate and effects. '
A further tikase contains an imperhdretteript, or-
daining that whoever after a battle' commits acts of
cruelty on the wounded or unresisting shall miter
the punialithent Of *death.
Gen ral Osten-Sacken I. is removed from 'the
command of the 3rd to that of the 4th corps, vice
Dannenberg, disgraced. '
The 'lemma de St. Peterabouirg states that the
Czar has sent from the Widows' hospitals of that
capital and bf Moscow sixty. Sisters of Charity, who
are to go and tend the wounded in the military hos-
pitals of the Crimea.
Money is scarce in St. Petersburg. Imperials have
advanced forty two kopess.
It is said that the Emperor has sent for the vene-
rable Field Marshal Prince Paskiewitch from War-
saw to consult with him on the best means of de-
fending the frontiers of the Austrian line, and to
concert measures for contingencies that may be
shortly expected in that quarter.
The recal of the Grand Dukes Michael and
Nicholas has been decided on. They will probably
return to the theatre of war next spring with the
Czar himself. It is stated that the princes have been
recalled because Prince Menscbikoff complained at
St. Petersburg that his plans were thwarted by other
influence.

Odessa letters of the 12th in the Oest. Correa-
pondenz state that the fear of an attack by the allies
is so great that new strand batteries have been con-
structed and intrenchments made on the land side.
General Sohabelsky, a most energetic man, has suc-
ceeded General Annenkoff as governor. Ths rail