The Press.
London, England, 1856-08-16 00:00:00

THE WEEK.

Tax perfidy of Russia is still the theme of Ministerial journals. The
Times of yesterday has a leader on the subject. " The old inveterate
obstinacy revives ;" " the old cunning is once more to be tried." Two
of the grounds on which this invective is founded is the asserted occu-
pation of Serpents Island, and the delay in the evacuation of Kars.
On the first head we are told :

It is certain that the conduct of the Russians has induced England again to occupy
the Black Sea. The Hannibal has been sent to Serpents Island, and sufficient intima•
tion has been given that in the opinion of the Allies something like a breach of faith
bai taken place.
As to Kars—

Russia is still there, playing the despot, after the fashion of Warsaw or Tiflis.
Fortunately it happens that in this same Times there is a letter
from Constantinople, enabling us to judge what value is to be at-
tiched to the denunciations of Russian bad faith. It is worth while
to quote what " Our own Correspondent " writes concerning the Ser-
pents Isle affair :

Constantinople, Aug. 4.
In the afternoon of the day before yesterday her Majesty's ship Gladiator, Captain
Hilliard, returned from Serpents' Island, where, as I mentioned in my last, she hal been
sent to inquire into the exact nature of the Russian occupation. She found there fifty
Turks and eight Russians, the latter unarmed. As the island is nothing but a bare rock
of very limited size, and contains only one building, Turks and Russians are living
there together. and the latter are treated by the former as their guests and supplied with
everything. This is done in consequence of the orders of the Turkish Government,
which, of course, is anxious to avoid a collision. The only thing which the Turks do
not share with the Russians is the lighthouse ; the latter are not allowed to enter it, and
the lighthouse is just the reason which the Russians allege for their coming to the
island. Last night the Gladiator left again for the Black Sea, with new instructions of
$ more positive nature.

We said last week that the island was scarcely larger than the area of
St. Paul's Churchyard. It is without harbour or anchorage. Its only
erection is a lighthouse to mark the site of the rock and to render the na-
vigation secure. To this rock the Russians sent an army of occupation,
consisting of eight unarmed men ! We do not pretend to know the
purpose of their visit. Probably it was to settle some details for the
regulation of the lighthouse. In• any case, to make this act a pretext
for sending a British squadron into the Black Sea, seems an absurd
and unworthy piece of bravado, and so it is treated by the Constitu-
tionnel in an article which has been supposed to have been inspired by
the Emperor himself :
The treaty of the 30th March is at this moment being executed with that spirit of
moderation and loyalty which was to have been expected from the powers that signed it.
The demonstration which appears to have been made by Admiral Stewart in the Black
Sea will soon be unnecessary. The affair of the Serpents Isle cannot warrant such a
demonstration. It does not offer the slightest gravity, and belongs to the jurisdiction of
diplomacy. The Serpents Island is nothing but a sterile rock, without anchorage or
roads ; in itself, its possession is therefore of no importance, only there exists on its
surface a lighthouse which is equally useful to vessels entering or leaving the Danube,
and to the Russian vessels bound for Odessa. Now that the navigation of the Danube
is placed under the protection of the European powers, and that the Black Sea is neutra.
lised, the only question is to see that this lighthouse is properly kept up, and measures
will be taken to carry out the essential point. The latter once settled, it matters little
whether the Serpents Island shall belong to Turkey or Russia.
It seems most unlikely that Russia could have had any thought of
evading the treaty by her conduct with regard to Serpents Isle, and
in any case we could have imaginedithat inquiry should have preceded
the extraordinary step of sending British ships to reoccupy the Black
Sea, lately evacuated in compliance with the terms of the treaty.
The assertions respecting the wish of the Russians to delay the
evacuation of Kars are also, singularly enough, disposed of in a con-
clusive manner by the Berlin letter in yesterday's Times:—
On the 18th of July General Mouravieff gave notice to the Commander.in-Chief of the
Turkish forces at Erzeroum that, in consequence of the evacuation of the Crimea, the
Russian troops were about to evacuate Kars and the entire Ottoman territory, and that it
was perfectly open to the Turkish authorities to take possession of the territories so
evacuated. At the same time General Mouravieff instructed the commanders of the
different Russian detachments in those parts to evacuate Kars and the Turkish territory,
to cross the Arpatschai, and to concentrate themselves upon the fortress of Alexandropol.
These statements, in the very number of the journal which attempts
to excite a prejudice against Russia for non-fulfilment of the treaty,
are remarkable. These does not appear any good reason that Russia
deserves the reproaches showered on her by our Ministerial journals.
Two months of the time yet remain within which the evacuation of
the territory was to be complete. and it will be time enough to accuse
Russia of bad faith should she attempt (which we do not for a moment
imagine she will do) to evade the stipulations of the treaty she has
signed.

In connection with the precipitate and ill-judged demonstration
of Admiral STEWART in the Black Sea, and the dignified reproof of a
French journal of semi-official character, a glance at our foreign rela-
tions presents little ground for congratulation. The Central
American dispute is still unsettled, and this country unrepresented
at Washington. The reconcilement anticipated with Russia when the
treaty was signed has been very partially effected. The Court of St.
Petei 4burg considers that the conduct of our Government towards it
has been designedly offensive, and shows a marked inclination to
cultivate an intimate alliance with France. In Constantinople the
insulting despatches of Lord CLARENDON arc neither forgotten nor
forgiven. British influence is disregarded, while the greatest
deference is made to every suggestion proceeding from the repro
sentative of France. Spain has shaken oft' ESPARTERO and British
influence together. Austria is concentrating an immense force on her
Sardinian frontier, but Austria is the only power with which our
Cabinet at present appears to be in active correspondence; though
at the Austrian Court, Caul its intimate relations with the Emperor of