The Press.
London, England, 1854-12-23 00:00:00

THE PRESS.

in, and continue to about the end of January, when the
storms, fogs, and rains of the Crimean winter will really com•
mence ; and others again will have it that the rains and
gales will continue up to the advent of spring—that is to
say, to the end of March. it is to be hoped that the latter
prediction is a false one, for the roads, which commenced
becoming impracticable on the 11th ult., are now almost
wholly so; and nothing but the imperative necessities of
the army can conquer the enormous difficulties the com-
missariat have to surmount in the conveyance of stores up
to camp. As it is the mortality among the overworked
and underfed draught cattle is becoming more alarming as
day follows day, each day adding to the quagmire character of
the roads, and lessening the number of the beasts of labour.
And as each animal dies, its share of the work falls upon
the survivors. Arabes, too, get broken. Still, I cannot
hear that measures have been taken to get up a fresh
supply of draught cattle and waggons from Constantinople,
Varna, and Eupatoria. Some of the divisions were a week
ago placed on half rations, simply because it was impossi-
ble to get the provisions up to camp. Half-a-pound of
meat and biscuit, and no rice, is certainly not enough
to sustain our soldiers under the extraordinary fatigues they
have to bear ; and if this state of things continues much
longer, the result, as affecting the health and efficiency of
the troops, cannot fail to be most lamentable.

REINFORCEMENTS AND SUPPLIES.
The steam transport Imperatrice was ordered round from
Liverpool to Portsmouth on Wednesday, to embark 1,150
rank and file for the Crimea.
The Europa, and another large steamer, just launched
from Messrs. Mare's yard, Bow-creek, are ordered to be
fitted with all despatch for the conveyance of troops.
The officers of the commissariat department are enlist-
ing in Ireland, through the agency of the constabulary, a
corps of drivers to be employed with the army under Lord
Raglan, to consist of 350 men, who are to receive a daily
pay of 2s. 6d., free rations, and clothing. The candidates
must not be under 18, nor over 30 years of age. Upwards
of eighty eligible men have already offered their services.
Commissary-General Hewetaon is specially employed on
this service.
Five hundred men of every infantry regiment of the
Imperial Guard are to proceed forthwith to the Crimea.
The artillery has already received its marching orders. It
is also reported that a portion of the regiment of Guides,
commanded by Colonel Fleury, will join the army in the
East. The Ist and 2nd Regiments of Carabineers, in
garrison at Versailles, are to form part of the army at
Lyons.
General Rostolan reviewed, on the 15th, at Marseilles,
the troops waiting to be embarked for the Crimea. Among
them were two batteries of artillery and a detachment of
Engineers. The steam navigation companies of the
Rhone have signed a contract with the Government, by
which they undertake to convey, in ten days, to the
Crimea, 100, 000 tons of utensils, camp apparatus, and huts
for the army.
A letter from Bucharest states that among the Turkish
troops embarking at Varna for the Crimea are 7,000 men
of the garrison of Silistra.
The Lady Alice Lambton and Great Northern steamers
are being loaded at Blackwall with large quantities of
material for the railway at Balaklava. They Bail this day
(Saturday ).
By command of the Admiralty, thirty-nine bales of warm
clothing have been sent down to Portsmouth for convey-
ance to the Crimea, to be gratuitously distributed among
the seamen and marines serving ashore with the army.
On Tuesday the Anne Maclean sailed from Greenock
with a complete cargo of comforts and necessaries, the
gift of Lord Blantyre, for gratuitous distribution to the
Crimean army. She also took out a number of books, the
special gill of Lady Blantyre.
Five hundred stoves have been ordered in ronstanti-
nople for the army of the Crimea, and the moat energetic
measures have been adopted to supply the losses occa-
sioned by the storm of the 14th.
One hundred thousand planks, for winter huts for the
army before Sebastopol, are being prepared in Constanti-
nople.
The Sumroo, 1,000 tons, arrived in the Southampton
Docks on Tuesday, to take on board wooden houses for
the French troops in the Crimea. The Swiftsure, and
several other ships of large tonnage, have been engaged to
follow as soon as possible. When ready they will be
towed across the Bay of Biscay, and to their destination,
by French war-steamers, which are to come to Southamp-
ton for the purpose. Several French officers have arrived
at Southampton, specially deputed by the French Minister
of War to superintend the embarkation and despatch of these
houses, which are being manufactured at Gloucester.
The quantity ordered will provide accommodation for
15,000 men.

RUSSIAN PREPARATIONS FOR THE NEXT
CAMPAIGN.
In a letter from St. Petersburg of the Nth inst. we
read :
It ought not to be supposed in England that because
Russia remained entirely passive this summer in the
Baltic, and allowed her sh'ps to be cooped up at Cronstadt
and Sweaborg, that she intends to follow a similar course
in the ensuing campaign in the Baltic. It may with truth
be asserted that the declaration of war took Russia by sur-
prise, and that, with all the gigantic resources she pos-
sesses, neither the army nor the fortresses were at all
prepared for active warfare. The same may be said with
regard to the navy, and to a much greater extent, both in
the Baltic and the Black Sea.
But the extensive preparations now making in the im-
perial arsenals for putting the Baltic fleet in a condition not
only to carry on a defensive war, but even to assume the
offensive, are of such vast magnitude that they ought not
to be overlooked in England or thought lightly of. The
most important of these measures is the immediate forma-
tion of no less than twenty.ga morn wawa:nes of sailors

SATURDAY,

or ships' crews to replace those that may be swept off by
British and French cannon-balls next summer. According
to the Russian system, the Baltic fleet is divided into three
divisions, the head-quarters of the first and second being
at Cronstadt, and of the third at Sweaborg. The new
companies or crews are to be formed of those sailors now
on furlough and those whose time of service expires on
the 13th January next.
The old line-of-battle ship Andreas, 84, is to be converted
into a block-ship in lieu of the iirsis, 74, which will be
fitted for active service. The new screw three-decker
building here is to be called the Emperor Alexander, and is
to be ready for service by the end of March next. The
impracticable old ship I...Mgeiten, 84, is to do duty only
as a harbour-ship, and will be replaced by the Natromennie,
74, and receive the Nth equipage or crew. The old line-
of-battle ship Empress Alexander, 84, the frigate Proserpina,
44, and the -brig Kasansky, 20, are to be broken up as being
perfectly unserviceable.
The steam squadron which left Sweaborg fora cruise on the
withdrawal of the British fleet, consisted of the ii:oralsehatka,
16, 54U-horse power, carrying the flag of Vice-Admiral Tiri-
now ; the Smiloi, 12,400-horse power ; the Olaf,' 4.50- home
power; Grossasehi, 6, 450-horse power ; the Chrabroi, U, 300-
horse power ; the Grentiasehoi, 0, 400-horse power; the Its-
rik, 6, 3(X)-horse power, the Otwasehnoi, 0, 400-horse power;
and the Bogatyr, 6,300-horse power—all paddle-wheel steam-
ers. Since then another squadron has left the port of
Sweaborg and been out on a cruise, consisting of the line-
of-battle ships l'roeher, 84, with the flag of Vice-Admiral
Rumjanzow • the Pultawa, $4; the Brienne, 7t ; and the
Vladimir, 84—towed respectively by the steam-frigates
UNA Gremiasehoi, Burik, and Smilei. At the completion
of their cruise they proceeded to Cronstadt, where they re-
main for the winter. There are, therefore, four
linewf-
battle ships and four steam-frigates less now at Sweaborg
than there were in the summer.
Accounts from Berne state that a letter hail been
received by the master armourer of Zurich, from M.
de Colette, the Secretary of the Government at St.
Petersburg, inviting workmen and armourers from
Switzerland to join the Itussian regiments. All ex-
penses to their destination would be paid, with a
salary of about 401. per annum, and they would be
placed at the head of the workmen in the regiment.

RETURN OF THE BALTIC FLEET.
The Duke of Wellington, bearing the flag of Sir C.
Napier, arrived at Portsmouth on S inday evening,
and anchored at Spithead. The commander-in-chief
landed on Monday, and shortly afterwards proceeded
to London. With a few exceptions the whole num-
ber of the ships composing the late Baltic squadron
have arrived in the harbours to which they are
respectively assigned. The services of those mount-
ing 90 guns and upwards are, however, immediately
required to convey reinforcements to the army in the
Crimea, and every exertion is being used by the
authorities to get them ready for the emergency.

FOREIGN ENLISTMENT BILL.
The following is a copy of this bill, as amended in
committee by the House of Lords. The sth clause
was struck out at a subsequent stage by the Peers.
The full title of the measure runs thus —" An Act
to Permit Foreigners to be Enlisted, and to serve as
Officers and Soldiers in her Majesty's Forces" :
Whereas it is expedient that her Majesty, during the
continuance of the war, should be enabled to enlist and
employ foreigners in her army : be it therefore enacted by
the Queen's most Excellent Majesty, by and with the advice
and consent of the Lords spiritual and temporal, and
Common in thispreseat Parliament assembled, and by the
authority of the same, as follows :-
1. It shall be lawful for her Majesty to cause to be en-
listed as soldiers into her service persons not being natural-
born subjects or entitled to the privileges of natural-born
subjects of her Majesty, who may voluntarily enter them-
selves for such service, and to grant commisaktis or letters
of service to auy such persons to serve as officers, the
persons so enlisted and commissioned to be formed into
separate regiments, battalions, and corps ; and such enlist•
ment, commission, and the service thereunder, `shall be as
lawful as if such persons were natural born subjects of her
Majesty.
2. Provided always that the men serving under this
act shall not be employed in the United Kingdom except
for the purpose of being trained, arrayed, and formed into
regiments, battalions. or corps for foreign service, and ex-
cept such bodies of reserve as may be kept in the United
Kingdom for training and arraying recruits, and for sup-
plying vacancies in such regiments, battalions, or eon's ;
and that there shall not be within the United Kingdom
more, iu the whole, than 10,000 men serving under this
act at any one time.
Every person enlisted as a soldier under the authority of
this act shall be attested in such a manner as her Majesty
shall direct, and not otherwise; and all officers, non-com-
missioned officers, drummers, and private soldiers enlisting
or commissioned under this act shall take such oath for
their fidelity during their continuance in her Majesty's
service as her Majesty shall direct, and no other.
4. Subject to the provisions herein contained, all officers,
non-commissioned officers, dnimmers, or private soldiers
serving under the provisions of this act, shall be subject to
all the provisions contained in any act for the time beingin
force " for punishing mutiny and desertion, and for the
better payment of the army and their quarters," and the
Articles of War made in pursuance thereof, in the same
manner to all intents and purposes as any of her Majesty s
regular forces are subject to the same.
b. It shall be lawful for her Majesty, if she see fit. to
make any supplemental Articles of War to be applicable
specially to persons who may be enlisted or commissioned
under this esti and thereby to vary or control any Ardslo