The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-24 00:00:00

FRANCE.

(FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)

name a daily newspaper editor of high sta
ing, who makes his newspaper express
fullest confidence in peace, and _
frankly confesses to his friends that he h,
has none. As to the Government, its journal,
by the pen, and its partisans by the tongue, vo\
that it is quite determined to make peace, and
quite convinced that there will be peace ; but it is
easy to see that there is much uncertainty beneath
their bluster. As to the Emperor, I am again
assured, by people who ought to know, that he is
not for peace, and that his present peaceable atti-
tude is only assumed from interested calculations.
It will be some days yet before ;we 'shall be in
possession of the official despatches of the Russian
Government announcing its acceptance of the
Austrian propositions—they are not expected at
Vienna until the 24th.
It is said that Prussia hesitates to accept the
offer made her by the Allies, to take part in the
approaching conferences, on condition of declaring
against Russia in the event of peace not being
obtained. If this be true, it is an indication that
Prussia knows that Russia is not sincere in accept-
ing the conditions of Austria, and that the Confer-
ences will be a mere sham.
The Bourse at the early part of 'the day mani-
fested great discouragement, but afterwards rallied
on receipt of the news that the Russian Govern-
ment had ordered Gortschakoff to suspend opera-

yet 1.

The Moniteur of yesterday, contained an Impe-
rial decree, making some alterations in the Wool
duties, but I refrained from mentioning it until I
should have an opportunity of inquiring of busi-
ness-men the precise signification of it. It was, it
appears, the imposition of the duty on wool by
weight, instead of ad valorem as heretofore, and it
reduces the duty nearly one-half. These alterations
cannot fail to be advantageous to the wool trade
in England. Months ago, you may remember,
told you that the French Emperor was determined
to adopt a liberal commercial policy.

THE PEACE QUESTION

The Independence says—The preliminaries of peace
cannot very well be signed before the Ist or 2nd of
February. The official document signed at St. Peters-
burg on the 16th by Count Nesselrode and Count Ester-
hazy, must first be sent to Vienna: It roo,
despatched to the Governments of France and England.
As soon as their representatives at Vienna have been
authorised to attach their signatures, an armistice will
be immediately proclaimed. It will then be decided in
what place the negotiations will be carried on. The
diplomatic usage is, that the preliminaries and the
definitive treaty of peace are never signed in the same
place. Vienna is, therefore, excluded. The seat of the
negotiations will most likely be Paris. It is stated in
the Independence that, with reference to the fifth point,
there will not be the difficulties generally apprehended.
The French papers, reputed to be connected with the
government, are assuming, in the most complacent man-
ner, that the first four of the Esterhazy propositions
express all that France and England demand of Russia,
and when not entirely ignoring the fifth point, assuring,
their readers that the Allies, or at any rate France, wilt
not make use of it, to raise difficulties about Bomarsund.
In other words, Russia has only to refuse to admit it,
and it will be dropped.
The Journal des Debets, of Tuesday, has an article by
its chief writer, which concludes thus :—" The peace of
1856, in order that it may not falsify our expectations,
must have its basis on the alliance between France and
England. It is that alliance which led the war to a
successful issue. In that alliance also must peace find
its force and efficiency. Weaken the union between
these powers, and the peace of 1856 becomes nothing
but a skilful calculation of Russia, for subverting by
peace the harmony which she could not disturb by war.
Maintain the present sincere alliance unimpaired, and
the peace of 1856 will have yielded the objects for which
the war was prosecuted."
The Berlin journal says, that an advice from St,
Petersburg of January 21st, informs it that Russia will • not disappoint the hopes of Europe, or allow herself to be prevented by minor points in carrying on the work,' of conciliation. She hopes her moderation will be
acknowledged as it deserves to be.
The propositions of the English Cabinet are reported at
Vienna to have been formally expressed. Before entering
upon negotiations, the Cabinet of St. James's insists on
the admission of consuls to the ports of Russia in the
Black Sea—a precise definition of the Asiatic frontier of
Russia—and the abandonment of the Aland isles as a
fortified post. These are stipulated as the fifth category.. Russia has not accepted the carte-blanche. The Rus-
sian Cabinet was made acquainted with the special
conditions which comprise the prohibition to re-build
Bomarsund, the exact limitation of the Russian frontiers
in Asia, and the right of appointing consuls in the Rus-
sian ports in the Black Sea.
The Cabinet of Vienna will have to receive its official
despatches from Count Esterhazy, communicating the
particulars of the Russian acceptance. It will then
have to address the Cabinets of Paris and London, in-
forming them of what has occurred ; upon that they
will have to deliberate, and come to a resolution. As
the despatches from Austria can hardly be received for
two or three days to come, patience must be exercised by
the public if they would avoid falling into error.
A private despatch received at Paris, on Tuesday, an-
nounced that an armistice had been signed in Lonclon
the same day.

MILITARY AND NAVAL PROSPECTS OF GREAT 13RITAINa
—Although we may look back with satisfaction to many
things, we have still much to deplore in the past, and
grave causes for anxiety in the future. That the war
will continue and assume far greater dimensions than
it has hitherto done, we can have little doubt. We are
equally persuaded that the country will not tolerate any' ministry which is not prepared to prosecute it with
vigour, and for adequate objects. It is only by yielding
to the unanimous feeling of the nation that an admi-
nistration, in itself one of the weakest and most
incompetent England has ever seen, is able to retain the
conduct of public affairs, But, unfortunately, from such a
government we can scarcely expect any of those measures
which alone will enable us to take our share in this groat
contest with an honour and success worthy of the nation.
We may aid our allies by the indomitable courage of our
soldiers and the vast extent of our material resources, hut at
the same time we bring discredit on ourselves by the inferio-
rity of the position we have assumed. At the end of two
years' war, there is still no man to whom the country can
look with confidence to restore her military fame, and
to wield her vast naval power. We can turn, it is true, to
the deeds of our soldiers and regimental officers as some
balm to Mir wounded national pride ; but, as we have
heard it Stated by a high and impartial authority, who has
had every opportunity at home and abroad of forming a opinion, we have, with the best soldiers, in tl
world, the worst administrators. Wealth and
have both been recklessly squandered ;
obtained inferior results at a stupendous cost. Every-
thing is still within our grasp ; but while we point
with exultation to cur great array of ships and gunboats, to
our preparations for the next campaign, and to the heap
of
provisions and clothing which, now that they are scarcely
needed, encumber our camp, let not the country forget that something more is required to restore our national charac:
ter to its full and rig/AM height. It is for that we must,
now contend, as much as for the independence of Turkey
and the freedom of Europe.--Quarterly Review,

we have

•
PARIS, TUESDAY EVENING.
I have reason to believe that the French Govern-
ment has this day sent off orders to the Crimea to
suspend military operations against the Russians.
A telegraphic despatch from Berlin says that the
Russian Government has already despatched an
order to that effect to General Gortschakoff.
Several regiments are under orders to leave the
Crimea, and it is said, to-day, that orders have been
sent to Marseilles to delay the departure of tl
that were destined to replace them. This, 1
eve:, proves little. What is more signitican,
that the French Government has not susnen

any of its preparations for continuing the war, net
countermanded any of its more important ordeng.
The confidence in peace that was manifested so
noisily, and so offensively, the other day, is by no
means so strong to day—at least amongst th©
higher classes. I could name, if it were proper
so to do, half a dozen political personages of great
weight, who believed in peace on Friday last, and
do not believe in it now. I could, for instance.