The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-01-11 00:00:00

g THE PEACE PROPOSALS

The Independanol Beige gives the following as
the text of the propositions submitted to Russia
by Count Esterhazy :
I. DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.

Complete abolition of the Russian protectorate.
The Danubian Principalities shall receive an
organisation conformable to their wishes, to their
wants, to
,their interests, and this new organisa-
tion, respecting which the population itself will be
consulted, shall be recognised by the contracting
Powers and sanctioned by the Sultan as emanating
from his sovereign initiative. No state shall he
able, under any pretext whatever, under any form
of protectorate, to interfere in the question of the
internal administration of the Principalities ; they
shall adopt a definite permanent system demanded
by their geographical position, and no impediment
can he made to their fortifying, in the interest
of their safety, in such manner as they may
deem advisable, their territory against foreign
aggression.

In exchange for the strong places and territ-
tories occupied by the allied armies, Russia
consents to • a rectification of her frontier with
Turkey in Europe. It would commence in the
vicinity of Chotym, follow the line of the moun-
tains, which extended in a south-easterly direction
and terminate at lake Sasik. The line (trace)
shall he definitely regulated by the general treaty,
And the conceded territory would return to the
Principalities, and to the suzerainty of the Porte.
11. DANUBE.
The ',freedom :of the Danube and of its mouths
shall be efficaciously assured by European institu-
tions, in which the contracting powers shall be
equally represented, except the particular positions
of the lords of the soil on the banks (des riverains),
which shall be regulated upon the principles esta-
blished by the Act of the Congress of Vienna as
regards the navigation of rivers. Each of the con-
tracting powers shall have the right to keep one or
two vessels stationed at the mouths of the river,
destined to assure the execution of the regulations •
relative to the freedom of the Danube.
111. NEUTRALISATION OF THE BLACK SEA.
This sea shall be open to merchant vessels--
closed to war navies (marines militaires. ) Conse-
quently, no naval military arsenals shall be
created or maintained there. The protection of
the commercial and maritime interests of all
nations shall be assured in the respective ports of
the Black Sea, by the establishment of institutions
conformable to international law, and to the
customs sanctioned in such matters. The two
powers which hold the coast, engage themselves to
maintain only the number of light vessels of a fixed
force, necessary for their coast service. This con-
vention, concluded separately between these two
power, shall form part as an annex of the general
treaty after receiving the approval of the contract-
ing parties. This separate convention cannot be
annulled or modified without the consent of the
signataries of the general treaty. The closing of
the Straits will admit the exception applicable to
'lie stationary vessels mentioned in the preceding

article

•
IV. CHRISTIAN SUBJECTS OF THE PORTE.
The immunities of the Rayah subjects of the
Porte shall be religiously preserved, without in-
fringement on the independence and dignity of the
Sultan crown. As deliberations are taking place
between Austria, France, Great Britain, and the
Sublime Porte to assure to the Christian subjects
of the Sultan their religious and political rights,
Russia shall be invited, when peace is made, to
associate herself thereto.

The belligerent powers reserve to themselves the
right which appertains to them of produciui,► in an
European interest special conditions over and
above the four guarantees.

We observe by the foreign correspondence, that
CountStackelberg has by this time nearly arrived
at Vienna with the Russian reply to the Austrian
ultimatum. From this we argue that the reply is
not of a character favourable to the cesse,ion of hos-
tilities. Had it been so. it would in all probability
have been confided to the Austrian minister, Count
Valentine -Esterhazy, who would scarcely have
failed to apprise his government of the result by
telegraph. To all appearance, therefore, there is
nothing left but to work with increased vigour to
bring about peace by means of these great appli-
ances of war, in the preparation of which the
governments of France and England are now so
strenuously engaged.

The Constitutionnel of yesterday has a letter from
its Vienna correspondent dated the 6th of January,
and devoted to an explanation of the relations be-
twe.m Prussia and Austria- The correspondent
adds'-," It is important to know that it has been
arranged between Austria and the Western
Powers, that if the reply of Russia be Such as to
remove the hope of a prompt re-establishment of
peace, the Court of Vienna will not limit itself to
the recall of its Ambassador from St. Petersburg,
but without delay will deliberate in common with
its Allies on efficacious means for obtaining the
object of their alliance according to Article 5 of the
Treaty of the 2nd of December.'

DESPATCH FROM GENERAL PELISSIER

The Moniteur of yesterday notifies the receipt by
the Minister of War of the following despatch from
Marshal Pelissier :
Head quarters, Sebastopol, Dec. 28, 1855.
Monsieur le Marechal,—l have the honour of
sending you an account of another coup de main,
executed by the volunteer; of the division of Aute-
marre, during the night of the 20-27th inst.
Having been informed that a post, consisting of
80 infantry of the Smolensk Regiment and of 20
C:)ssaeks of the Don, was placed upon a mamelon
situate at 500 metres from the defile of Cardonne
Bell, General Autemarre authorised Liet.-Colonel
Lacretelle to make an attempt to carry the same
with the two companies of eclaireurs added to our
outposts.

The icy state of the ground, which oo much
impedes the marching of men in this difficult
count 7, was several times nigh
proving an
obstac e. Nevertheless, the undertaking suc-
ceeded ; eighteen Ilussians were attacked and
killed on the spot with the bayonet, while attempt-
ing to defend themselves ; and eighteen others
were made prisoners
At night the Co

retired on , two
my remaining -in the outpost. These K
woklozere taken
by our men, who besides have brought away thirty
arms of all sorts.
The captain who commanded the enemy's post
was killed. We have had neither killed nor
wont-idea.

Captains Pichon and Nehlich directed this coup
di main with their accustomed vigour and intelli-
gence. They highly praise the conduct of their
troops. Accept, U., PgLIZEBB.

IRON

MASTERS

QUARTERLY MEETING

WOLVERHAMPTON, WEDNESDAY.—The meetings of the
ironmasters of this district for the current quarter com-
menced at Walsall, yesterday, where there was, as usual,
a very thin attendance of the trade. To-day at the
Exchange in this town there was a very numerous
assembly, most of the principal members of the trade
being present. There was not a large amount of busi-
ness done ; but there was, upon the whole, a tolerably
cheerful feeling, although the trade is not, perhaps,
quite so animated as it was two or three weeks ago. 'I he
works are, however, all in full operation, and all the
principal houses have been pretty well off for orders.
These will, no doubt, be very considerably added to
before the series of meetings have terminated, for mer-
chant iron is in request, and the consumers here, as well
as in other parts of the district, have only very small
stocks on hand. There are coming in, too, orders from
America and Canada. It was mentioned on the
Exchange to-day that more than one large house had
received orders by the Baltic steamer Pig iron still
maintains its price, and so long as it does, now, with a
demand as active as it is at the present time, -any
material reduction in the price of malleable iron is
out of the question, especially at the rate of riaged now
paid to the workmen, and with coal and all kinds of
material at an almost unprecedentedly high price. It
may be remarked, too, that the stocks of pig iron are
small, and that within the last day or two circulars have
been issued by Lord Ward's agents, announcing the
price of best cold blast pigs to be £5 12s. 6d. ; hot air
ditto, £4 15s. per ton, of which latter there is only a
small quantity to sell. Altogether, the meeting to-day
passed off satisfactorily, far more so than that which
we reported this time twelve months. There is an
entire absence of rumours of impending difficulties, and
appearances indicate that the commercial concerns in
the district are in a more sound and healthy condition.
A subject much discussed amongst the members of the
iron trade in the course of the day, was an advance in
the rates, which has just been made by the London and
North Western Railway, for the conveyance of ores from
Ulverstone ; these rates having now been assimilated to
those of the canals. The two main points of grievance
appear to be the lessening of the differential charges be-
tween conveyance in owner's waggons, and conveyance
in company's waggons, and a levy of 11d. per ton for,
transit along sidings, -which have been made at the cost
of the proprietors of the works with which they are con
netted; but, this subject is to be discussed at a special
meeting of the trade, to be held at Birmingham in a few
days,