The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-08 00:00:00

THE WAR.

FRANCE.
Apart from the intelligence sent us in regular
course by our own Paris correspondent, we glean
from other sources that as yet no accounts have
been received in Paris as to the impression
produced on the Russian Government by the
communication, of the Austrian propositions of
which Count Esterhazy was the bearer, and I do
not believe that we can have any before Wed-
nesday next. M. de Nesselrode will not give
his answer immediately, and some, though no
very great time, will be allowed for deliberation.
The best informed persons here hardly permit
themselves to think that Russia will accept our
conditions of peace. It is barely possible, though
not probable ; and those who at one time hoped
even against hope itself, would be surprised indeed
if Russia yielded. We only !know as yet that
Count Esterhazy has had an interview with M. de
Nesselrode. The principal topic discussed was the
conduct of Austria; and the Russian Minister
expressed himself in plaintive terms on it. He
was replied to by Count Esterhazy, and it is but
just to say that his language i defence of
master was precise and decided.n But of the imhis-
portant point of the acceptance or refusal of Russia
We are as yet ignorant.
The naval authorities of Cherbourc,, have been
ordered to arm three screw liners and three sailing
frigates, which are to be ready for the opening of
the campaign in the Baltic in April next. These
three ships are the Arcole, 90 guns, and 900-horse
power, the armament of which is nearly completed ;
the Donawerth, 90 guns, which is to be converted
into a screw ship, and is transformationalready undergoing that
transform , althOugh she only arrived from the
nan 12 days ago; and the St. Louis, 90
guns, launched at Brest on the 25th of April last,
which is at present on her way from Toulon.
Independently of these three ships, which are to be
fitted up with all possible expedition, Cherbourg
is to arm the war screw transport Yonne, of 1,200
torts, the vessels of the Iceland station, and the
five bomb vessels and the twelve steam gunboats
which have returned from the last campaign in the
Baltic, and to form part of the formidable expedi-
tion which is to operate in that sea next spring.
It was stated some time since that the govern-
ment of the United States of America had made a
treaty with the Shah of Persia, and that they pro-
posed to guarantee his territory on the side
of the
Persian Gulf. No such treaty has been entered
into, but it is certain that advances of the most
friendly description have been made. Russia is
also intriguing very hard with the Shah, and it is
unfortunate that, at such a moment, when his
favour is eagerly sought by these two powers, a
suspension of diplomatic relations with England
should have taken place.

RUSSIA.
We have advices from St. Petersburg, via rlin.
to the date of the sth inst. These inform üßse that
the nomination of Prince Menschikoff to the
Governorship of Cronstadt is understood in St.
Petersburg to have been the direct consequence of
the untiring efforts of the Grand Duke Constan-
tine in every possible direction to bring forward
the old Russian party into an all-absorbing promi-
zence.
r eoeive
The only commanders that have in this war
besidd the Order of St. George, Second Class,
es Mouravieff, (an especial favourite with
party), are Bebutoff and Nachimoff, and
of all three it is understood that they were
strongly recommended for it by the Grand Duke
Constantine.
The distinction conferred upon Prince Menschi-
koff, in confiding the defence of Cronstadt to him,
which is virtually putting into his keeping the keys
of St. Petersburg, is a conclusive refutation of the
Many stories that were current at the time of his
retirement, of his having fallen into disgrace with
lass late master. The present Emperor has not
only assigned to him Zthe splendid hotel of the
Staff of the Marine for a residence, but has kept
him as much as possible near him and in his con-
Idence, and has sent him on an important mis-
aion to Finland, with - particular reference to
Swee.borg.

In consideration that the service of the coast
batteries and fortifications for the defence of the
shores of the Baltic will, this year, require a much-
increased number of officers, General Count Rudi-
,ger, the Commander of the Guards and Grenadier
t'°rPs, calls upon all naval officers who are incapa-
citated from continuing to serve afloat to apply for
commands at the forts and land batteries.
In the files of newspapers from Finland, that
reached Stockholm direct on December 24, for the
first time since the establishment of the. blockade,
is contained the news of a fresh Imperial order,
commanding three fresh Finnish battalions of
sharpshooters to be formed, together with a reserve
for each battalion. Each of the new battalions is
to be 000 men strong, and the reserve 160, 40 men
for each company.
These are the warlike incidents which have been
occupying the minds .of the St. Petersburgers
simultaneously with the reports of approaching
peace, as conveyed to them by foreign papers.
These pacific views and expectations met there
with a ready echo in very extensive circles, but
they are met at the same time with too striking a
,contradiction in the extreme tension of every war-
like feeling in the nation, in the excessive ramp-
ancy of the old Russian party, and in the convic
Con that the religious character stamped on the
whole conflict precludes anything like compromise,
or the widely prevalent wish for peace to become
anything like a generally entertained hope or ex-
pectation of it.
To evade the subject of the proposals or the
.demands made by, the Allies, the constant subter-
fuge is to allege what they call the cause of the war,
vii , that the Sultan has been unfaithful to his
treaty ,obligations, and that all differences that
have arisen 4.n consequence must be settled
between him alone and Russia.
Such results as have been as yet attained in a
preliminary inquiry into the losses and expenses
entailed by the defence of Sebastopol are of such
on orruous dimensi ons that they seem to all informed
of them to pass credibility. The means of arriving
at any positive and accurate knowledge on this
hsubject, such as archives, registries, accounts, &e.,
Save been for the most part destroyed by fire and
vitter n the retreat from the south to the north
hide.

`he Grand Duke Constantine, in his capacity of
Chief of the Marine, has issued a circular to all
officials connected with that branch of the service,
n the most binding expressions, requiring for the
future that all official reports shall contain the
entire and simple truth, without reservation or
faise.colonring.
The Cracow Paper OzaB mentions also that the
Russian Government has ordered the abolition of
robot (vilien socage) in Poland, by commutation
into a yearly money payment.
The Russian ministry of foreign affairs has just
met with a serious loss in the death of Herr von
Labenski, who has for many years past been the
writer of the Nesselrode despatches, and who has,
in addition to the works he has already published,
left behind him numerous mscripts,
evidences of his indefatigable literary indanuustry.

AUSTRIA.
Our advises from Vienna are to the date of the
3rd instant. They convey to, us the intelligence
that the Austrian public is so profoundly— ignorant
Count
of what has been doing during the last few weeks
in the Eastern question that it believes
Nesselrode's circular of the 22nd December to be
a reply to some project of peace that has recently
prnanated from the Allied Powers. The circular
9r the. Russian Chancellor of State is merely a
repdtitiOn of terms of peace some three weeks since
proposed by Prince Gortschakoff to Count Buol.
The Austrian Minister of Foreign Affairs declined
te discuss the merits of the Russian proposition
with Prince Gortschalcoff, but he lost no time in
communicating what had passed between himself
and the Russian diplomatist to the representatives
_of the Western Powers. The conditions proposed
by Russia were positively rejected by Aali Pacha,
Lord John Russell, and M. Drouyn de Lhuys,
on the 21st of April, 1855, and it is, therefore, but
natural that they will not' now be taken into con-
sideration. It may be observed that the pertinacity

displayed by Russia excites a mixed feeling of
astonishment and indignation in the mostinfluential
Austrian circles.

Up to the present moment the very best
informed persons in this city are in total ignorance
of the intentions of the Russian Government,
but it is believed Count Esterhazy will be able
to give some little insight into them in the
course of next week. The definitive reply of
Russia is not, however, likely to be given until
twenty-one days from the 27th of December, on
which day the Austrian propositions were corn.
municated to Count Nesselrode. The long
expected Colonel Manteuffel arrived last night,
and he has today presented an autograph letter
from his Sovereign to the Emperor Francis Joseph.
The exact contents of the Royal missive are not
likely to transpire, but it is already well known
that Prussia will refuse to give her assistance to
Austria should she attempt to enforce the accept.
ance of the propositions which she has just for-
warded to Russia. His arrival is not likely to
make any change in the political situation. It
is known that Prussia is resolved not to place
herself on the same level with Austria, and her
neutrality will be made an excuse for Austria's
remaining a passive looker-on during the cam-
paign of 1856.

- If what is called tact he the first of diplomatic
qualities, M. von Stockhausen, the Hanoverian
Minister, must be a very poor diplomatist. On
the 31st of December he invited some acquaint-
ances to see the old year out and the new one in,
end his guests were, the members of the Russian,
English, and French embassies. The first arrival
was Sir Hamilton Seymour, who chanced to be so
deeply engaged in conversation when Prince
Gortschakoff entered, that he did not remark his
presence. The Russian Minister had hardly made
himself comfortable in his chair, when M. de
Bourqueney, accompanied by one or two of the
members of the French embassy arrived. Whether
the air of the room was oppressive, or whether
Prince Gortschakoff was out of his element, is
unknown to me ; but certain it is that he left the
house soon after M. de Borqueney entered it.
According to advices of the 26th of December
from Berdiansk, in the Sea of Azoff, all the vessels
belonging to M Gopcevich had left. On the day
in question a very hard frost set in, and all the
wheat that was to be had was bought up by
government at seventeen roubles in assignats—
equivalent to five silver roubles—the tschetwert.
The Marquis de Ceva. the Sardinian minister,
has returned to Vienna after a prolonged absence.
The retreat of Omer Pacha has been announced,
and bad weather is the reason given for the
retrograde movement. It is related that Marshal
Pelissier has been summoned to Paris. General
Durando now commands the Sardinian troops.