The Press.
London, England, 1854-07-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

708

THE WEEK.

Tux explanations given in Parliament this week throw some light on
the continued inactivity of our fleets and armies. So much time was
considerately given Russia for preparation before hostilities com-
menced, that she has been able to secure herself from attack on all
points. The expectations held out of the triumph of our arms in the
Baltic are now acknowledged to have been delusive, and au avowal is made
that as regards the great fortresses of Cronstadt and Sweaborg, and
the squadrons they protect, no operations can be undertaken against
them without exposing the allied fleet to almost certain destruction.
The latest intelligence from the Baltic is, that the fleet had left
Baro Sound, and had arrived off the Aland Isles. It was supposed
that it would attack Bomarsund on the arrival of the French troops.
General BARAGUAY D'HlLLizas, with his division, having embarked at
Calais, passed the Great Belt on Saturday last, and entered the Baltic.
The General, with his staff, landed at Copenhagen on Monday, and
sailed, it is presumed, for the Aland Isles on Wednesday. Should
the contemplated attack prove successful, will the troops occupy
these islands through the winter? Their station would be dreary,
and without the support of Sweden might prove dangerous. Mention
is made of the probability of our fleet, or a portion of it, wintering in
the Baltic, though it does not seem what advantage would result
• from the adoption of such a measure.
In the East our inactivity has not been unmarked by disaster.
Captain HYDE PARKER, with a few of his gallant men, have been shot
down at Sulina. He went with several boats to attack some
works of the enemy, and was received by a fire in ambush. He
landed with his men, dashed forward with a hearty cheer, and was
shot through the heart. Captain PowELL continued the attack, and
the stockade was gallantly carried. Captain PARKER was killed on the
9th, and buried with military honours on the 12th. His fate, while it
dims the success, will heighten the fame of " the fortunate PARKERS."
A. more serious loss has been sustained at Rutschuk. A detach-
=lent of engineers was sent to the Danube on special service. On
the 7th the Turks resolved to attack the Russian position on the oppo-
site shore Mr. BURKE, of the Royal Engineers, Mr. MEYNELL, of the
75th Regiment, and Mr. ARNOLD, of the Indian army, joined the expe-
dition, which was received with so murderous a fire that the Turks
fell back. Our countrymen sprang forward to rally the troops, and
were shot down as they advanced to the assault.
With the exception of these skirmishes, the allied armies
have remained motionless at Varna, though evidently desiring
a forward movement. The men were getting tired of reviews, parades,
and drills, and desired more active service. Reports were circulated,
and eagerly received, that Sebastopol was to be attacked; but there
were no indications to show whether the troops were really to be
transported to the Crimea, or whether they would advance to the
Danube, or whether they would remain at their present stations.
Means of transport were being collected, but greater activity did not
prevail in this respect than had been manifested for some weeks
previously.
The concentration of the Russian troops in the Principalities has
ecatinued uninterruptedly. Prince GORTSCHAKOFF had assembled
100,000 men before Bucharest, and had declared his intention to hold
the provinces with double that force. He had received an autograph
letter from the Czar approving his course. " Protector of the Princi-
palities" is to be added to the other titles of the Emperor NICHOLAS,
a fact supplying some presumption that he does not mean to loose his
hold on them. As the allies now occupy the mouths of the Danube,
it becomes an important object to remove the obstructions to the navi
gation of the river, and the consideration that this may soon be
effected is likely to have some influence in inducing GORTSCHAKOFF to
retreat. The allied commanders are reported to have ordered the
the
construction of some large barks proper for the navigation of
river.
One telegraphic despatch of the week states that General HESS
had actually crossed the frontier of Wallachia. It is certain that
Austria is very largely increasing her army. The reserve, consisting
of the militia, who have already served eight years, is ordered to be
called out, and this force is estimated to amount to 120,000 men.
But the part Austria will take, should the war be protracted, is
perhaps not yet known even to her own Government.
~,..1 Circassia SCHAMYL has declined the aid we have proffered him,
nv rprilsrttrust to the " native arms and native ranks " which
..,,3ggr., t 4
„43. :ars past enabled him to resist the whole power of
t- .41.v..:(i;:".-
„.. • --,.%.• ..,.... -------
til,i ,taxi;; , 4ommons on Monday witnessed a most extraordi-
*parY seen .••• 6 declaration of Lord Jour; RUSSELL, that it was the
. li*eclvilicyot thatovernment never to take peace with Russia on
t.l;brie psassak tg tits treaty of Adrianople with respect to the principa-
Q: litiess,:ar iqn Oliditions allowing Russia to reassume that attitude of
menace to irdrda Turkey which she had previously maintained by the
stablishment of an impregnable fortress, and a large fleet of line-of
ships, was received but in one sense by the House. In was as-
i that the conquest of the Crimea and the destruction of Sebas-
had been decided on. Speaker after speaker proceeded on this

SATURDAY,

position, and it was not till Mr. DISRAELI gave expression to the ge-
neral understanding of the House on this point, that Lord Joss Res-
SELL explained that all he had meant was that Russia should not 120
suffered to maintain so considerable a fleet in the Black Sea 'as for-
merly ! This impotent conclusion was so strongly resented by the Pal-
merstonian section of the House—a section rapidly taking a dis-
tinct shape—that a decision on the vote of credit was postponed till the
following day.
One sentence in the speech of Lord Jong 'RUSSELL was significant.
He spoke of the Emperor of RUSSIA as a Sovereign of immense power,
of great influence and of great talent, and stated that we could not
hope for an early termination of the contest in which we were engaged.
Another important intimation was thrown out. The old system of
subsidies, against which the Whig party in times past so vehemently
declaimed, is to be revived under a new form. Turkey is not to be
directly subsidised, but her forces are to be taken into our pay, and
the burden of maintaining them be transferred from the exchequer of
the Sultan to that of England. Mr. LAYARD on the first night's de.
bate delivered the speech he had prepared against Lord ABERDEEN,
and that extract from a despatch of Prince LIEYEN to Prince
NEssELEODE (June Ist, 1829) was especially important, as showing that
throughout the last war between Russia and Turkey, Lord ABERDEEN,
notwithstanding his Adrianople despatch, wished Russia " success
" prompt and decisive," and desired that " the war should be termi-
" nated for the honour and advantage of Russia!"
The other parliamentary proceedings of the week have stilt indi-
cated the deplorable weakness and disunion of the Ministry, though
never was a firm and united Government more imperatively de-
manded. Its difficulties arise much rather from internal than exter-
nal causes. Indeed, were there no opposition to keep its differences
in check they would long since have exploded .the Cabinet. The
cholera is among us, threatening to renew its ravages in their most
fearful shape, and Lord PALMERSTON withdraws the Nuisances Removi 1
Bill intended to enforce sanitary regulations. From the drain i f
regular troops for foreign service, the militia establishment 11
become of much greater importance than formerly, and yesterday fl e
Government was defeated on a material clause of the Militia Bill 1 y
a majority of 25, the CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER intimatii g
that the Government must consider whether it would proceed with
the bill or not. On the measure introduced for rendering dealings in
Russian stock illegal, the Home Secretary, and the Secretary to the
Treasury, not only took opposite sides, but exprdieled without re-
serve their contempt for each other's sentiments. Mr. Wm:3os said
the bill was calculated " to bring the • House into dissieepect, and was
" discreditable to the Legislature," while Lord PALMERSTON treated the
arguments of " the Right Hon. Gentleman the Secretary of the Tree-
" sury " as " sheer nonsense." The Solicitor-General declared that" the
" bill had been prepared with a most laudable disregard of everything
" which ought to have been attended to ;" Sir WILLIAM MOLESWORTII,
though in the lobby during the division, managed to escape voting,
and was called to account for violating the rules of the House ; and
Mr. LOWE " bolted out " of the House to avoid recording his vote. The
Bribery Bill, last night, narrowly escaped defeat, the question that
the bill do pass being carried only by a majority of 9. On the decla-
ration clause, an amendment was carried against the Ministry by a
majority of 40.

'

The insurrection in Spain has spread with suprising celerity, and
has now become a great national rising. The whole of Catalonia
" pronounced," with the Captain-General at its head, and on
the evening of the 17th inst. barricades were thrown up in the
capital. Some desperate fighting to6ok place between the troops and
the populace. The palace of. Queen CawBTINA and the house of
SALAMANCA were sacked. CHRISTINA. herselAllad to fly from the fury of
the insurgents, and is now in hiding. To. secure a truce, the executive
proclaimed that Marshal ESPARTERO had bean sent over, and hison name
was shouted out as the " Pacificator of Spain." The people o
side, and the soldiery on the other, rested on their arms in Madrid,
awaiting his arrival. NARVAEZ does not yek appear to have taken part
in the movement. O'Dowszt.t., at the head of 215,000 men, is ad-
vancing c n the capital, and speculation is now busy whether he will
co-operate cordially with ESPARTERO, or make a bold effort to become
himself master of the situation. Wild schemes are said to be in
contemplation by the Spanish Liberals • ' among others, one for offe
tworing
the crown of Spain to the King of PORTUGAL, and unitiag the
kingdoms under one rule.
The ferment of the -Peninsula has induced the French Govern-
ment to adopt precautionary measurea. An army of observation has
been concentrated on the frontier, which, should the throne of
ISABELLA seem seriously endangered, might possibly be ordered to ad-
vance to its support. The Emperor of FRANCE is at Biarritz, with his
Empress, where they are joyfully received by the people.
To complete the picture of 'European disorder, insurrectional
movements have broken out ir.t Parma, Genoa, and Modena. They
are stated to have been suppressed without difficulty ; but they denote
a feverish state of public feeliak. Italy is said to be disquieted, and
the French garrison at Rome is to be reinforced.

The splendid weather of the past week has raised the most
favourable hopes as to the results of the harvest. The high prices of
the last year have caused a mush greater breadth of land to be brought
under wheat cultivation than usual, and this circumstance, together with
the promising aspect of the crops, has already led to a considerable
decline in the price of corn. Another favourable circumstance of our
social or commercial conditiOn •is the continued arrival of heavy
parcels of gold from A.ustralii. The production does not decline, and,
the shipments from Victoria alone seem to be at the rata of nine or
ten milhoqs i 4 sterling eslue yearly.

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