The Express.
London, England, 1856-01-05 00:00:00

RUSSIA.

BT. PETERSBURG, Dec. 26.
Everything is getting scarce in Ramis : men,
money, saltpetre, sulphur, and foreign produce of
every description. In vain government offer
fabulously high prices to contractors for the deli-
very of saltpetre, In the hope of making available the
private stockpot the merchants. The article is not to
be had. Private instructions have been given to the
custom-houses on the frontiers to admit coetraband
of war, and many thousand bags of asltpetre have
been entered ea rice, and chests of sulphur as Hs-
vannah sugar; but still the consumption is greater
than the supply, and it is difficult to see where gun-
powder is to come from it the war is to be con-
tinned.

In spite of the severe pains and penalties on the
exportation of gold and silver coin, the profit on such
transactions is so lucrative that the smugglers are
prepared to ran all risk of detection ; for they receive
ao kall than 4 per cent. commission on this side the
metier, and as much more on the other. It is there.
am no wonder that the Imperials and demi•lre.
pinkie are getting every day scarcer.
The reported disco►ery of large beds of sulphur in
the neighbourhood of the banks of the river Wolgs
tarns out to be a hoax. Anybody at all acquainted with
the geology of those parts must he aware that there
are nowhere indications of volcanic action to be
traced, without which no sulphur can exist.
Admiral Panintin, the late commander•b_
the Russian naval forms in the Pacific, who, it will
be remembered, lost the frigate Diana in the waters
of Japan, has been raised by the Emperor to the
dignity of a count.

lief of

ODESSA, Dec. 17.
For many years this neighbourhood has not been
visited with such a severe winter as the present one,
and what is more remarkable is, that the transition
was so onpreeedentedly sudden, that whilst we had a
thaw one day, the thermometer on the following one
fell all at once to 23 deg. of Resumur (24 deg. under
zero of Fahrenheit), and the roadetead is frrzen for
nearly a mile out to sea. Notwithstanding this ex-
cessive cold the troops continue to march without
interruption. The 14th and 16th divisions of in-
fantry are, for instance, now on their return from
Sebastopol, having been relieved by fresh troops, and
yet, with the exception of a few ears and noses frozen,
the soldiers do not appear to suffer.
Troops continue also to march in the direction of
the I)sonbe, and I saw, only to-tiny, several colorant'
of infantry pass throaeh this city for that destina-
tion. The German colonies around Berdisnek have
contracted with the government for the delivery of
30,000 techetwerts of flour, biscuit. and other provi-
sions for the use of the army in the Crimes, which
they convey on sledges to the different depots. Go.
veroment have purchased in this city within the last
few days 40,000 blankets for the use of the army.
Rumours of an approaching peace have penetrated to
as. It is true nothing is known about it for certain,
but it would appear that some of our principal met-
chants have received a hint on the suhject, from them
anxiety to realise their stocks of foreign produce and
accept easier terms than they previously demanded.
It may be, however, merely a fear of Odessa be.
coming next year the theatre of war that indoors our
merchants to sell.

Yesterday a Ts Delon was performed in all the
churches of this city to celebrate the fall of Kan,
which is considered by the Russians as a set-off for
the loss of Sebastopol. Private accounts received
here from the army state that General Mouravieff
had aroma difficulty in preventing the prisoners of
war from satiating themselves at once after their long
privations from fatigue and hunger, and that he in-
laisted oa putting them for several days on half
rations. Amongst the booty found at Kars were a
large quantity of British manufactured goods and a
considerable supply of colonial produce, particularly
coffee and sugar.

lii. —A Paris correrpoodett

wakes :—" I have this day received sonaraseitations from
Ciastantinote, which say that the unfortunate Lad?
illeaboroug , whose romantic advocators are too familiar
to the public, was lately assessisstarl in Arabia, by (rays my
hilbrunat). `lw huts* d'art Cheat Mahe.' I sm
able to add, that the deed is supposed to have been commit.
lad at the saggestiem aeons women who wenjealoas of bee