The Press.
London, England, 1854-04-01 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

and, had it been the sole object of Russia to obtain secu-
rity for the enjoyment by the Christian subjects of the
Porte of their privileges and immunities, she would have
found it in the offers that hove been made by the Sultan.
But, as that security was not offered in the shape of a spe-
cial and separate stipulation with Russia, it was rejected.
Twice has this offer been made by the Sultan, and recom-
mended by the four powers, once by a note originally pre-
pared at Vienna, and subsequently modified by the Porte,
once by the proposal of bases of negotiation agreed upon
at Constantinople on the Slat of December, and approved
at Vienna on the 13th of January, as offering to the two
parties the means of arriving at an understanding in a
becoming and honourable manner.
It is thus manifest that a right for Russia to interfere in
the ordinary relations of Turkish subjects to their Sove-
reign, and not the happiness of Christian communities in
Turkey, was the object sought for by the Russian tiovein-
ment. To such a demand the Sultan would not submit,
and his Highness, in self-defence, declared war upon Rus-
sia; but her Majesty nevertheless, in conjunction with her
allies, has not ceased her endeavours to restore peace be-
tween the contending parties.
The time has, however, now arrived when, the advice
and remonstrances of the four powers having proved
wholly ineffectual, and the military preparations of Russia
becoming daily more extended, it is but too obvious that
the Emperor of Russia has entered upon a course of policy
which, if unchecked, must lead to the destruction of the
Ottoman empire.
In this conjuncture her Majesty feels called upon by re-
gard for an ally, the integrity and independence of whose
empire have been recognised as essential to the peace of
Europe, by the sympathies of her people with right against
wrong, by a desire to avert from her dominions most inju-
rious consequences, and to save Europe from the prepon-
derance of a power which has violated the faith of treaties,
and defies the opinion of the civilised world, to take up
arms, in conjunction with the Emperor of the French, for
the defence of the Sultan.
Her Majesty is persuaded that in so acting she will have
the cordial support of her people ; and that the pretext of
zeal for the Christian religion will be used in vain to cover
an aggression undertaken in disregard of its holy precepts,
and of its pure and beneficent spirit.
Her Majesty humbly trusts that her efforts may be suc-
cessful, and that, by the blessing of Providence, peace may
be re established on safe and solid foundations.
Westminster, March 28, 1864.
- - •

The French declaration is couched iu much
briefer terms, and was published in the Moniteur
on the same day :

Article I.—Six weeks from the present date are granted
to Russian ships of commerce to quit the ports of France.
Those Russian ships which are not actually in our ports,
or which may have left the ports of Russia previously to
the declaration of war, may enter into the French ports,
and remain there for the completion of their cargoes until
the 9th of May inclusive.
Article 2.—Those vessels which shall be captured by
French cruisers, after having left the Russian ports, shall
be released, if the/ can establish, by the ship's papers, that
they were proceeding direct to the place of destination, and
had not yet arrived there.

DILOUYS DE L'HUTS.

Paris, March 27, 1854.
The Moniteur also declares that the subjects of
Russia may continue their residence in France,
nuder the protection which the law provides for
foreigners, the only condition being that they
respect those laws.
The treatment of property on board neutral
ships, respecting which so much anxiety has been felt
and so many queries urged in Parliament, is finally
announced in another declaration issued in Tues-
day's Gazette:—
Her Majesty the Queen of the United Kingdom of
Great Britain and Ireland, having been compelled to take
up arms in support of an ally, is desirous of rendering the
war as little onerous as possible to the powers with whom
she remains at peace.
To preserve the commerce of neutrals from all unne-
cessary obstruction, her Majesty is willing for the present
to waive a part of the belligerent rights appertaining to her
by the law of nations.
It is impossible for her Majesty to forego the exercise of
her right of seizing articles contraband of war, and of pre-
venting neutrals from bearing the enemy's despatches ;
and she must maintain the right of a belligerent to prevent
neutrals from breaking any effective blockade which may
be established with an adequate force against the enemy's
forts, harbours, or coasts.
But her Majesty will waive the right of seizing enemy's
property laden on board of neutral vessels unless it be con-
traband of war.
It is not her Majesty's intention to claim the confiscation
of neutral property, not being contraband of war, found on
board enemy's ships ; and her Majesty further declares,
that being anxious to lessen as much as possible the evils
of war, and to restrict its operations to the regularly or-
ganised forces of the country, it is not her present inten-
tion to issue letters of marque for the commissioning of
privateers.
Westminster, March 2k, 1854.

•
Proclamations respecting embargoes, reprisals,
and prizes, were drawn up at a Privy Council held
on Wednesday, and published in a Gazette extra-
ordinary in the evening. In the first of these
documents
"it is ordered by her Majesty, by and with the advice of
her Privy Council, that no ships or vessels belonging to

295

any of her Majesty's subjects be permitted to enter and
clear out for any of the ports of Russia until further
order; and her Majesty is further pleased to order that a
general embargo or stop be made of all Russian ships and
vessels whatsoever, now within, or which shall hereafter
come into, any of the ports, harbours, or roads, within any
of her Majesty's dominions, together with all persons and
effects on board the said ships or vessels, provided idwa3s
that nothing herein contained shall extend to any ships or
vessels specified or comprised in a certain order of her
Majesty in Council, dated this 29th day of Mareh, for
exempting from capture or detention Russian vessels under
special circumstances."
The special circumstances here alluded to are thus
set forth in the following order:—

"Her Majesty, being compelled to declare war against
his Imperial Majesty the Emperor of all the Russian, and
being desirous to lessen as much as possible the evils
thereof, is pleased, by and with the advice of her Privy
Council, to order, and it is hereby ordered, that Russian
merchant vessels, in any ports or places within her Ma-
jesty's doniinious, shall bu allowed until the tenth day of
May next, six weeks from the date hereof, fur loading their
cargoes and departing from tueli ports or places ; and that
such Russian merchant vessels, if met at sea by any of her
Majesty's ships, shall be permitted to continue their
voyage, if on examination of their papers it shall appear
that their cargoes were taken on board before the expira-
tion of the above term. Provided that nothing herein con-
tained shall extend to Russian vessels having on board any
officer in the military or naval service of the enemy, or
any article prohibited or contraband of war, or any des-
patch of or to the Russian Government.
And it is hereby further ordered that any Russian
merchant vessel which prior to the date of this order
shall have sailed from any foreign port bound for any
port or place in her Majesty's dominions shall be per
mitted to enter such port or place and to discharge her
cargo, and afterwards forthwith to depart without molesta-
tion, and that any such vessel, if met at sea by any of her
Majesty's ships, shall be permitted to continue her voyage
to any port not blockaded."

A third order contains a proclamation concerning
prizes and prize-money, and gives a variety of direc-
tions and instructions to the Courts of Admiralty
how to proceed with regard to all questions that may
arise on those subjects.