The Press.
London, England, 1857-02-07 00:00:00

THE PERSIAN WAR.

WE have intelligence from Constantinople to the 30th
ult.

Russia demands from Persia permission to occupy the
piorince of Mazauderau.

The Persian mountaineers have pillaged the rich
sanctuary of Meragha Whihl ; the garrison having gone to
Feroozabad to repress an insurrection.
The fortifications of Ilushire have been reconstructed by
the English, who have left two regiments, and marched up
the Kaub to attack Mohamora, which commands both the
province of Fan and the road to Shiraz.

A despatch, by way of Alexandria, Jan. .11th. announces
that :

" The English are about to occupy Molianirnrad and
Bender Ali, two towns on the Persian Gulf.
" liender-Abbaz, an important post on the coast of the
kingdom of Persia. being occupied by the I maum of Muscat,
an ally of the English, will, it is supposed, be respected by
the hitter."
iron the Afghan frontier the statements are conflicting.
The Paris Mundeur de l' Arm ie announces as a " serious fact,"
Om the chiefs of ANhaniatan have declared for Persia,

THE PRESS.

and that the Dooranees have signified their submission. On
the other hand, intelligence by way of Constantinople an•
flounces that Gholub Elaidar Khan, with a brigade of
cavalry, had possessed himself of Fera, and was advancing
to attack the Persian army, commanded by Mourad Khan.
The English division, under the command of General
Chamberlain, was marching upon Candahar.

The Teheran Gazette, the official organ of the Court of
Persia, under date of the 24th of December, has the follow-
ing article on the capture of Bushire by the English:—
" From the commencement of the dispute between
Persia and England, it never was the intention of the
Government of his Majesty the Shah to break off friendly
relations with the Cabinet of London, or to excite hos.
tallies against that power.

" The Persian Government has at various times mani•
tested its good intentions in au official document. It
always had that object in view, on which it has based its
line of conduct; which, moreover, has been shown by its
acts."

"In fact, on the ono hand it gave instructions to its
ambassador, and full powers to hold interviews with the
English Ambassador at Constantinople to settle the dispute
in a manner conformable to the dignity and interests of
the two Governments. Considering these intentions it
had daily expected to hear that the dispute had been
honourably settled between the ambassadors, and friendly
relations restored between the two Governments. On the
other hand, the Persian Government had issued strict
orders to the frontier authorities not to commence hosti•
lities against the English. For these same reasons it had
not made the necessary preparations for the defence of
the frontier and of Ilushire."

The article then briefly notices the fall of flushire, alluding
to the unfair and informal manner in which war was
declared :

"The commander of the English troops in the Persian
Gulf, without adhering to the customary forms of send-
ing the declaration of war to the representatives of the
Court of Persia, or at least of making a declaration to
his Highness Prince Feha►assib.Mirza, Governor-General
of the province of Fars, restricted himself to writing a
letter couched in vague terms, which he sent to Bushire
and to other ports in its vicinity ; this letter was accom-
panied by a printed sheet on the subject of the decks,
ration of war of the East India Company."
A protest by Russia against the occupation of 13ushire,
but recommending the evacuation of Herat by Persia, is
announced in the continental papers.
Some details of the operations of the expedition in the
Persian Gulf have retched us this week. There appears
to have been little or no resistance to the disembarkation
of the troops. A few Arab horsemen, sheltered by a
date grove, were driven in by a sh3t or two, and infantry
and six guns were landed the first day ( 7th December).
Tents and baggage were left on board the transports, and
the troops bivouacked for the next two days upon the bare
ground ; but the weather was fine, warm, and dry. On
the morning of the I)th, the calvary having joined, the
whole force marched onwards towards Bushire, the infantry
in open column, and the cavalry on the flanks. An hour's
march brought them in sight of " Ilas el Busheer," a mud
fort, or rather a large redoubt, which at first was occupied
by about 2,000 or 2,500 of the enemy. This fort, we are
told, " was a most difficult kind of place, with little gardens,
wells and broken ground around it," till within a few yards
of the ditch, which was dry, though both wide and deep.
A steep sloping bank completely protected the side
towards the sea from infantry, though it afforded but
poor shelter) from the heavy guns of the war•steamers,
which opened on it with " time shell" at long range.
The greater part of the enemy deserted the work at the
first shells which burst among them, but a body of Arabs,
which most accounts agree in stating as about 800 strong,
remained, and seemed determined to defend it to the last.
Sheltering themselves as closely as they could, they kept
up a heavy fire from their long•barrelled matchlocks upon
the troops, who were now only a quarter of a mile distant,
and rapidly advancing; the 64th Native Infantry forming
the right, the 20th the centre, and the 2nd (Europeans)
the left. An officer on board one of the war steamers,
says:—

" At this time we could see as distinctly all that was
passing on shore as it we were close to them. The Persians
were blazing away quickly from behind their breastworks,
and then running back to load, while our redcoats came
steadily on. The Persians stood manfully to the last, till
presently we saw the red line surge over the fort, Persians
and all, like a great wave, with the colours of the regiments
waving in front. Then, out at the side towards the sea
the Persians came tolling and tumbling down the steep cliff
to the beach, turning to the left to get away. The Rifle
Regiment, which was on the extreme left, and ought to
have stopped them, did not see them, as they were on the
top of the cliff, and the Persians running along the bottom
towards a pass about a mile further down. Some gained
it before the Rifles found out what was going on, and then
it was too late for them to catch them, as they got up the
pass into the plain in rear of our army, and so cut away.
Our cavalry by this time was after them, spreading out
like a large fan. You saw each man singling out a running
Persian, and then there was a flash in the sun. The
horseman still gallopped on, but the running Persian was
transformed into a dark spot on the ground."

The letters from officers on shore say that the men
advanced towards the fort with the utmost coolness, and,
deploying into line, came on at a rui: towards the ditch.
The enemy gave back at the centre of the work, but from
its flanks kept up a heavy cross fire, shooting dead, among
others, Colonel Stonford, who was in the act of leading his
men across the ditch.

The various accounts of the capture of Itushire itself
11514 nothing of iniportauGo to the detaik already given.

SATURDAY,

text *n task n.

Her Majesty the Queen and the Court continue at
Windsor Castle. Their Serene Highnesses the Princess
of Hohenlohe Langenburg and Princess Feodore have
visited her Majesty during the week. H.R.H. the Duke
of Cambridge, the Duke of Newcastle, and other members
of the nobility, have visited her Majesty during the week.

Viscountess Palmerston has issued cards for assemblies
on every Saturday during the present month.
His Excellency the American Minister entertained T,ord
Napier, recently appointed Minister to the United States,
together with a number of the diplomatic oorps and other
gentlemen, at dinner, on Saturday last.

Volitical.

POLITICAL ENTERTAINMENTS.

THE EARL OF DERBY, as leader of the Opposition,
gave a banquet on Monday evening, at his mansion
in St. James's square, to a party of peers, supporters
of the noble earl's policy. The guests included—
Earl of Lonsdale
Earl of Winchilsea
Earl of Ilardwicko
Earl of Stradbroke
Earl Delawarr
Earl Nelson
Earl of Wilton
Lord Colchester
Lord Redesdale

Duke of Beaufort
Duke of Montrose
Marquis of Salisbury
Marquis of Bath
Earl of Carnarvon
Earl of Sandwich
Earl of Eglinton
Earl of Lucan
Earl of Malmesbury

THE BIGUT Hort. B. DisnaEu received at dinner
the same evening at his residence, Grosvenor-gate,
the following members of the House of Commons,
supporters of the Opposition :--
Marquis of Chandos
Earl of March
Lord Burghley
Viscount Barrington
Viscount Galway
Lord Stanley
Lord Ossulston
Lord Lovaine
Viscount Henley
Lord Robert Cecil
Lord Adolphus Tempest
Colonel Hon. J. Lindsay
Colonel Hon. H. Cole
Colonel Hon. H. Lowther
Hon. Henry Liddell
Right Hon. C. Forester
Right Hon. Sir S. Trollope
Rt. Hon. Sir J. Pakington
Right Hon. S. Walpole
lit. Hon. C. R. Hamilton
Hon. Octavius Buncombe
Hon. Charles Hanbury
Sir William B. Smijth
The Marquis of Granby and Lord John Manners
were prevented joining the party by the lamented
death of the Duke of Rutland. The lion. Eliot
Yorke, Sir John Walsh, Mr. tier Seymer, and
Colonel North were absent through indisposition.

Sir E. Bulwer Lytton
Sir Watkin W. Wynn
Sir James Fergusson
Sir John Yarde Buller
Sir A. Islay Campbell
Sir William H. Jolliffe
Sir Henry Melia
Mr. Palmer (Berkshire)
Mr. Miles
Mr. Neeld
Mr. Bentinck
Mr. Edward Egerton
Colonel Somerset
Colonel Buck
Mr. Leslie
Mr. Gore Langton
Mr. Palk
Mr. Mundy
Mr. Baillie Cochrane
Mr. George A. Hamilton,
Mr. Peacocks
Mr. Hardy

VISCOUNT PALMERSTON, as First Lord of the Trea-
sury, gave a parliamentary dinner on Monday even-
ing at Cambridge-house to a large party of mern•
hers of the House of Commons, supporters of the
Government. The guests included the mover and
seconder of the Address :

Sir John Ramsden
Sir Andrew Agnew
Earl of Mulgrave
Viscount Duncan
Right Hon. the Speaker
Right lion. M. T. Baines
Mr. John Ball
RightHon.Sir F. Berkeley
Sir Richard Bethell
Right Hon. E. P. Bouverie
Hon. H. Brand
Right Hon. Lord C. Bruce
Right Hon. H. F. Grey
General Buckley
Viscount Castlarosse
Hon. W. Cowper
Mr. J. D. Fitzgerald
Right Hon. Sir G. Grey
The Queen's Speech was •
to his assembled guests at

Mr. R. W. Horeman
Rt. Hon. H. Labouchcre
Rt. Hon. Sir G. C. Lewis
Mr. W. H. Massey
Right Hon. R. Lowe
Viscount Monck
The Lord Advocate
Right Hon. W. Monsell
Mr. Ralph Osborne
Lord Alfred Paget
Mr. F. Peel
Sir Robert Peel
Mr. 11. Danby Seymour
Right Hon. R. V. Smith
Right Hon. C. P. Villiers
Right Hon. Sir C. Wood
Right Hon. J. S. Wortley

J by the noble viscount
►he banquet.

THE EARL. GRAMMA' E, as Lord President of the
Council, on Monday evening entertained the follow-
ing members of the House of Peers, supporters of
the ciovernyacut; at iris mansion, in Bruton-streut

Earl of Cork
Duke of Cambridge
Lord Chancellor
Marquis Townshend
Earl of Harrowby
Earl of Yarborough
Marquis of Clanricarde
Earl Spencer
Earl of Airlie
Marquis of Lansdowne
Duke of Argyll
Marquis of Ailesbury
Earl of Shelburne
Earl of Abingdon
Earl of Clarendon
Lord Lilford

Lord Ward
Lord Byron
Viscount Falkland
Lord Broughton
Lord Glenelg
Lord Stanley of Alderley
Lord Panmure
Viscount Enfield
Lord Monteagle
Viscount Sydney
Earl of Bessborough
Lord Overstone
Lord De Tabley
' Viscount Torrington
Lord Camoys

A CABINET COUNCIL was held on Saturday afternoon at
the official residence of the First Lord of the Treasury
in Downing•street. The Ministers present were Viscount
Palmerston, the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, Marquis
of Lansdowne, Earl of Harrowby, Sir George Grey, Earl
of Clarendon, Mr. Secretary Labonchere, Lord Panmure,
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Sir Charles Wood, the
Right Hon. Vernon Smith, Lord Stanley of Alderley, the
Right Hon. M. T. Baines, and the Duke of Argyll.
A COURT lop PRIVY COUNCIL was held at Windsor on
Monday.
THE QUEEN has appointed the Duke of Rutland to the
office of Lord Lieutenant of Leicestershire, vacant by the
death of the late Duke of Rutland; and the Earl of
Yarborough to be Lord Lieutenant of Lincolnshire, vice
the Duke of Rutland, resigned.
TILE newly created office of Vice-President of the
Committee of Council on Education will be filled by Mr.
Cowper, who will be succeeded as President of the Board
of Health by Mr. Monsell, late Secretary of the Ordnance.

THE INCOME TAX.—Public meetings conlinue to be held
throughout the country. protesting against the continuance
of the war 9d. beyond April next, and petitioning for the
total abolition of the tax in 1860. At Chesterfield, Berwick,
Morpeth, and Weston-super-Mare, crowded meetings
have been held, and resolutions and petitions in accord-
ance with the above unanimously passed. On Wednesday
a crowded meeting of the inhabitants of Chelsea was held
at the Assembly-rooms, Sloane-square; Mr. R. Maims,
Q.C., M.P., in the chair. Resolutions in favour of the
immediate removal of the war Od., and condemnatory of
indiscriminately taxing precarious and permanent in-
comes, were carried unanimously, and a petition to Parlia-
ment adopted. A meeting of the Town Council of
Colchester was also held on Wednesday on the subject of
the income tax, when it was unanimously resolved to affix
the common seal of the corporation to a petition praying
for the repeal or modification of the tax. At Worcester
Town Council, on Tuesday, resolutions were passed con-
demning the continuance of the war Od. beyond the sth of
Apnl next, and a petition embodying the resolution and
praying for the revision of the tax was agreed to.
TILE QUESTION OF THE PAPER DUTY was brought
before the notice of the Chancellor of the Exchequer on
Wednesday by a deputation of members of the Society for
Promoting the Repeal of the Taxes on Knowledge. The
deputation was introduced by Mr. Milner Gibson. Mr.
Alderman Baldwin replied to several questions in detail
from the Chancellor, who, in conclusion said :—" Ho would
not fail to bear in mind all that they had said on the
general subject. They had brought under his considera-
tion many facts bearing closely on the question ; but all he
could say at present was, that this moment was not a very
favourable one for entertaining the question of a reduction
of duty, so far as that was likely to entail a diminution of
revenue."

CONVOCATION assembled at Westminster on Wednesday.
Both houses have been mainly taken up with questions of
Church discipline. In the Lower ilcuse the Rev. Canon
Selwyn gave notice of a motion in support of a revision of
the Bible. Archdeacon Denison and Canon Wordsworth
gave notice of hostile amendments.