The Press.
London, England, 1856-03-29 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

interest in the Colonies, had effected their pur-
pose for the time in keeping up their mono
poly, and when the Government asked them
to convey troops to the Crimea they made it a
condition that they should he allowed to drop
the Point de Galle line They have now re-
tendered, at more than double the sum they
previously charged. Have the Government
accepted their offer? The Australian mer-
chants would gladly see the line for the pre-
sent re-established ; it would save a month at
least ; but the Government have not re-estab-
lished the line.

The Treasury have issued a Minute of con-
spicuous wisdom. They point out that there
are three ways of getting to Australia; via the
Cape ; via Panama; via Suez. They think
that the Colonies ought to come to an agree-
ment among themselves for the preference ;
and meanwhile they ask steam-ship companies
to tender for all the routes. It is not likely
that the six colonies can come to an agreement
in a hurry. The apple of discord thus thrown
among them will suggest a prolonged scramble.
The calculation is, that it would take ten
months before the Treasury could act on this
Minute !

It is represented to the Treasury that a
route to Melbourne via Suez, traversing the
Indian Ocean direct, touching only at Diego
Garcia, one of the Chagos Islands, would be
(by official computation) 3,019 miles shorter
than the passage by the Cape of Good Hope,
and 2,338 miles shorter than that via Panama.
The calculation is presented to them that, if
steamers going ten knots an hour were put on
this route, letters could be interchanged be-
tween England and Melbourne in forty-four
days ;—if steamers of greater power were used,
in thirty-one days. There is in the City a Gene-
ral Australian Association of well known and
highly-trusted representatives of the Colonies.
This Association, with delegates from Mel
bourne and Sydney in its body, have agreed
on the Suez and Diego Garcia route ; have
urged the Government to adopt it ; have me-
morialised, entreated, prayed. But the Trea-
sury, which is conspicuous for its tendency to
the principle of self-government, has deter-
mined that the colonies shall be consulted—as
a matter of form !

SIR JOHN PAKINOTON has a great case ; and
we trust that the House of Commons will be
peremptory in its direction to the reckless
Government.

LORD PALMERSTON AND POLAND.

THE world continues in suspense—it is not yet in
formed what answer Lord PALMERSTON has deigned
to give to the Polish deputation. Will the fiat of
Mr. PHINN'S destroyer and setter-up of nations be
favorable or adverse to the regeneration of Poland?
Perhaps we ought to look for his reply in the records
of the Conference when they are made public. It is
really cruel to keep the Polish emigration in sus-
pense in this way. Is it not time that the hesitation
of twenty-five years had an end ? For so long has
Lord PALMERSTON maintained the illusion, though,
like a decayed coquette, whose faded complexion
requires continually a deeper blush, and whose
wrinkles want more paste and powder, he has been
compelled to lay on the deception thicker each year.
Surely the time must be near when all his arts will
cease to retain one ancient admirer to keep up the
flirtation. Italy too, it has been freely supposed,
may be mentioned at the Conference, but all hope of
Italian independence was crushed by Lord PAL-
MERSTON in 1848. We have often intended to quote
a paragraph from Mr.Wrimirrsiros's " Modern Italy."
Here it is :

On the 23rd of May [lB4B] the Cabinet of Vienna,
having demanded the mediation of England, offered,
through Baron Hummelauer, to recognise the indepen-
dence of Lombardy, which was to be at liberty to form a
separate Government, or to join with any other Italian
State, on condition of being responsible for a part of the
national debt of the empire. The Duchies of Parma and
Modena were to be allowed to unite with Lombardy ; and
a separate administration was to be offered to Venice,
which was to have a distinct army under the Emperor's
command. On the 3rd of June Lord Palmerston, accord-
ing to Parini, declared himself unwilling to accept the
mediation, unless Austria should include the cession of a
portion of the Venetian provinces; and instructed Lord
Ponsonby to use his endeavours with the Imperial Court,
then resident at Inspruck, to that effect. Public opinion
at Vienna was opposed to these demands; and the Govern-
ment, reassured by Radetzky, not only rejected the Eng-
lish proposals, but became inclined to withdraw those

SATURDAY,

which it had already offered In June the weakness and
discord of parties in Italy became better known, and the
confidence of Austria increased.—Modern Italy, p. 241.2.
And in this way was lost the opportunity of realising
that hopeful dream of English statesmen—the erec-
tion of an independent kingdom in North Italy,

MA.not 29, 1856.

THE CAMP IN THE CRIMEA.

THERE is little intelligence from the camp. Dates
down to the 15th have arrived. On the 14th, the
chiefs of the Russian and allied staffs met again at
Tractir-bridge,and settled the terms of the armistice.
On this occasion the line of the aqueduct was strictly
kept as the boundary between the two armies.
General Vivian has relinquished the command of
the Turkish Contingent from ill-health. The gallant
general reached Marseilles on Wednesday, on his
return home.
Gereral de la Marmora had left Constantinople
for the Crimea.
The weather in the Black Sea had been extremely
tempestuous, and several transports were reported
as lost.
The allies had commenced the demolition of the
inclosure wall round Sebastopol.
The question of the ultimate fate of the Tartars
in the employ of the allies in the Crimea, it is be-
lieved will result in their transmission at the close
of the war to Algeria.
From Asia Minor there is no intelligence of any
importance. Omer Pacha had left the army, and
arrived at Constantinople.
Ismael Pacha was increasing the army of Anatolia.
General Mouravieff had received reinforcements
by the way of the Caspian Sea and Tills.
A despatch from Berlin states that the Cossacks
•completely environed Kertch, and before intelligence
of the armistice had reached the town had made
prisoners of three English and one French officers.

Marshal Pelissier had issued the following order
of the day :
Soldiers,-4 medal commemorative of the war in the
Crimea has been instituted by the Queen of England.
That august ally of our Emperor has wished to decree it
as a testimony of the estimation in which she has always
held so many fatigues and dangers shared with her own
sobliers. You will receive this noble sign, which will
testify on your breast the glorious and fraternal achieve-
ments accomplished in twenty combats, and in a siege me-
morable for ever.

Re-entered into your families. this medal will commemo-
rate in the most remote villages the alliance of two great
peoples.
Le Marechal de France, Commandant-en• Chef,
PELIS szEn.

THE BLOCKADE IN THE BALTIC.
The following appeared in Le Nord :
Stettin, March 21.
Letters from Dantsic announce the arrival in those
roads of the frigate finperieuse. This frigate left the
Eurvalus, the Falcon, the Pyladee, and the Harrier, at
Earosund, in order to cruise before the Russian port of
Libau, upon the coasts of Courland, where it made knowri
the resumption of the blockade to the authorities ; and
immediately, to give force to the menace, the English
cruiser drove from the Russian ports some merchant
vessels bound there under a neutral flag. These singular
vexations at a moment when a proclamation of peace is
regarded as certain by the English themselves, and the
presence of the Iniperieuse in the Dantsic roads, have
caused great perturbation in this commercial town. Our
shipowners, who have learnt to their own cost how little
the neutral flag is respected in this war, are determined to
.undertake no expedition while hostilities continue.
The navigation of the Gulf of Finland was still
seriously interrupted by the ice. H.M. ships
Majestic, 81, and Cesar, 90, arrived at Kiel on
•tbe 23rd.