The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1856-04-15 00:00:00

LATEST INTELLIGENCE. IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

THE CONGRESS

PARIS, MONDAY EVENING.

To-day the Plenipotentiaries held another meet-
ing, and on Wednesday. (to-morrow) their final
meeting will take place.

FRANCE.

(FROM OIIR OWN CORRESPONDENT.)
PARIS, SUNDAY EVENING

I am informed that in addition to the meeting of
the Peace Congress, which is to take place to-
morrow, another is to be held on Tuesday or
Wednesday, and that it will probably be the last.
A commission, consisting of the second Plenipo
tentiaries, will afterwards, as I informed you the
other day, be appointed to occupy itself with
certain special questions affecting the present
state of Europe.
According to the semi-official journals the
exchange of the ratification of the Treaty of Peace
cannot take place before the end of the month,
inasmuch as Turkey will only be able to send off
hers by the steamer which leaves Constantinople
on the 16th.
I hear that it is decided that Marshal Vaillant,
Minister of War, shall go to St. Petersburg, to
compliment the Emperor Alexander on his
accession to the throne, but he is not to remain
there permanently, and one of his colleagues is
to discharge the duties of his department during
his absence.
The Moniteur has created attention for its ultra-
monarchical declaration, that "union has been
happily re-establ•shed amongst sovereigns."
The Paris papers which at first doubted that the
Italian question was brought before the Congress
at all, now admit that it was. From what they
say, it appears—first, that the famous memorial of
Count Cavour, which has created so mnch sensa-
tion, was presented by him to the Congress, not in
the name of the Sardinian government, but in
that of certain distinguished Italians—a
fact which deprives it of much of its
importance; second, that the Congress is of
opinion that the tyranny under which Italy groans
must cease, and that foreign troops must be with-
drawn, but that it does not seem disposed to admit
territorial changes—in other terms, to strip
Austria of her Lombardo-Venetian provinces ; and
third, that Austria strongly objects to withdraw
her troops from the Legations, and has scornfully
rejected a proposition from the French Govern-
ment to recall its troops from Greece, as an
equivalent thereto, saying that she (Austria) is in
the Legations by the will of the Pope, but that the
French are in Greece, contrary to the wish of the
King.
The most marked feature in the commercial
situation is naturally, now that peace is secure, a
disposition to embark in important commercial
operations, but thus far nothing very important
has been' done, owing to the scarcity of money
and the dearness of raw material. An important
trade with Russia is expected, in spite of tho
crusade which has been commenced there
against French fashions, and in favour
of the national costumes. The commission
on the Transatlantic Steam Navigation has at
length presented a report. It proposes to
reject the seven companies which demanded
concessions, retaining only the Messageries
Company, the Franco• American, and the Roths•
childs. The Messageries asks for a govermental
subvention of 16,000,000 f. (L 640,000), the Franco-
American 11,500,000 f., and Messrs. Rothschild
10,000,000 f.

The government has this day removed all the
restrictions which on the breaking out of the
war were placed on Russians visiting in France.
One of the papers calls attention to a new con-
demnation pronounced by a provincial tribunal
(that of Vigan, department of the Girond), of 50f.
(X 2) each on a number of Protestants who met for
worship, without having permission from the
authorities. In France no meeting of any kind
can be held without permission, and in many
places the Protestants are refused the privilege of
meeting for public worship. They are conse-
quently, as one of them remarked, placed under
the alternative of breaking the laws of the country,
or violating those which, in their consciences, they
believe to be from God.

By decree of the 4th, the Emperor of Russia
authorises the free exportation of wheat.
A letter from Nicolaieff says, that a Chamber of
Commerce has been established in that town, and
that a grand Agricultural Exhibition for all
Southern Russia is to take ;place in May of next
year.

PARIS, SATURDAY EVENING.
Contrary to expectation, the Congress did not
sit tc-day, but it.is to meet on Monday.
__. . _.

The minister of war has ordered that the soldiers
on furlough, belonging to the army in the East, are
not to be sent back, but are to be sent to their
depots, or to be allowed a prolongation of furlough,
until the regiments return to France.
A large diminution is decidedly to take place in
the army.
The government intends to take important
measures with respect to Algeria. Among others,
itfproposes, it is said, to give the colony a sepgrate
army, and civil administration, and to make all
office-holders consider it as their adopted country.
Of the Turkish and Prussian balls, given in honour
of the conclusion of peace, it is not necessary to say
more, than that, from the former all the Russians
were absent, as I told you they would be, but
that, en revanche, the Emperor was present, and
that he opened the ball with the English
Ambassadress.

According to an ordinance in the Piedmontese
Gazette, the expenses of the war in the Crimea,
incurred by Sardinia in 1855 and 1856, were
74,198,401 francs, nearly £3,000,000 sterling.

HAMBURG, Sunday.—The last of the English men-of-
war passed the Belt yesterday.
The Lord Mayor of London gives a grand banquet on
Thursday next to the new American minister,
Austria has agreed to evacuate the Danubian Princi-
palities within a short period from the ratification of the
Treaty of Peace.
It is now said that the period at which the ratifications
may be expected to be exchanged will probably be sooner
than the beginning of next month.
The Patrie says, it is confidently stated that the prin-
cipal difficulties which have arisen in the congress have
been smoothed down.

BERLIN.—ApriI 6, the fete of the Annunciation
according to the Russian calendar, a grand court recep-
tion was held at St. Petersburg. A Te Deum was sung
for the peace.
IRISH INSOLVENTS.—J. F. Eyre Fitzgerald, of Olin
Castle, in the county of Limerick, better known as the
Knight of Glin, figures to-day in the insolvent list; his
petition to be heard at Limerick on the 7th of June.
MARSEILL3B, Sunday.— By news from Malta to the 9th,
we learn there had been great disturbances at Doniah ;
the Christians had claimed the Sultan's protection.
General Williams is to be entrusted with the survey and
regulation of the Asiatic frontier.
THE CONVICTS UNDER SENTENCE OF DEATH IN
NEWGATE.—The two women, Elizabeth Anne Harris and
Celestine Sommer, who were recentiy convicted, the former
of the murder of her child by drowning, and the latter of
the murder of her child by cutting its throat, and whose
cases excited so painful an interest upon the trial, were
removed, immediately after the sentence was pronounced, to
separate rooms on the female side of the prison, where they
will remain until their fate is decided upon by govern-
ment. A female turnkey is in the room with each prisoner
the whole of the day, and at night two women sit up with
them. The condemned women, although they were much
excited during their trial, particularly the woman Harris
(who destroyed two of her children), have become much
more composed. Celestine Sommer, who was convicted of
murdering her child at Islington, by cutting its throat, and
who was stated to be only 25 years old in the calendar,
is, it appears, two years older, but even according to
this, she must have brought the child, whose life she
destroyed, into the world when she was little more than
fifteen years old. She has stated that she expects to be
sent to a lunatie asylum, and that after sbe has been con.
fined !there a few months she will be set at liberty.
Whether or not this belief is real or assumed cannot, of
course, be positively ascertained ; but the authorities of the
prison, as well as the medical officer, seem to be of
opinion there is no ground for supposing that her mind is
in any way deranged. The prisoner appears to have received
a good education ; and it is stated she is respectably
connected. Harris is only 25 years old, and she appears
to have received very little education. It is understood
that a petition for a commutation of the sentence is in
coarse of preparation.

HOUSE OF LORDS.-MONDAY.
TORTURE IN INDIA.

The Earl of ALBEMARLE drew attention to the subject
of torturing in the collection of the revenue in India, and
moved resolutions deprecatory of the practice. In sup-
port of his motion, the noble Earl read extracts from the
reports of the commissioners appointed to enquire into
the subject.
The Duke of ARGYLE condemned the practice, which
was inherited, he said, by the East India Company from
the original rulers of the country. It had always been
held to be illegal, and had never been sanctioned by the
company's servants. He announced that measures were
being taken for the final prohibition of torture in any
shape, or for any purpose; and, if these facts were
encouraged in the resolutions, he would not oppose
them.

After some remarks from the Marquis of CLANRICARDE,
the Earl Of ELLENBOROUGH, Lord MONTEAGLE, and
others, the resolutions were amended according to the
suggestions of the Duke of Argyle, and assented to.
Their lordships rose at a quarter before nine o'clock.

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—MONDAY
The SPEAKER took the chair at four o'clock.

NEW MEMBER.
Mr.' Tottenham took the oaths and his seat for New
Ross.

PRIVATE BUSINESS

• _
The following bills were read a second time :—Birk-
enhead Improvement Commissioners Bill and the Wol-
verhampton Water Bill.

THE FALL OF KARS

Mr. WHITESIDE gave notice that, on the 24th, he should
move a resolution to the effect, " That while this House
acknowledges and admires the gallantry with which the
fortress of Kars was so long defended, it is of opinion that
the surrender of the garrison was, in a great measure,
owing to the want of foresight and energy on the part of
her Majesty's Government."

THE AMERICAN QUESTION

Mr. H. BAILLIE observed, in reference to his resolution
on the paper on the subject of foreign enlistment, that he
would not bring it on if he received a satisfactory reply
from Lord Palmerston, as to whether the papers relating
to recruiting in the United States of America would be
laid on the table at any reasonably defined period.
Lord PALMERSTON—The groundwork on which the reply
to the last communication has only just been received. It
came to me to-day, but the House is aware that my noble
friend at the head of Foreign Affairs is now absent in Paris,
engaged in negociations of great importance, which would
necessarily occupy the greater portion of his time, never-
theless he has been able to transact the most important
business of the Foreign Office, with only the delay which
is necessarily incidental to the distance between Paris
and the Foreign Office. Now the answer to the United
States requires to be carefully considered, so that it may
not prejudice the discussion of the question, nor omit
anything that is essential to the cause, and the answer
had not yet been dispatched. The answer will shortly
be communicated to Mr. Dallas, and as it is very probable
that my noble friend will return to this country by the
end of this week, I have no doubt that the papers will be
produced in the early part of next week.
Mr. H. BAILLIE expressed his satisfaction at the noble
lord's explanation, and withdrew his motion.

SUPPLY

The House then went into committee of supply.
On a vote for consular establishments abroad,

Mr. WYSE drew attention to our consular system,
which, he said, as compared with the French, was very
inefficient, and urged the adoption of the recommendations
of the committee that reported on the diplomatic service
in 1850, viz., that a committee should be appointed to
enquire into the consular establishments, and to consider
whether fees on shipping might not be abolished, and a
rule established preventing merchants from becoming
consuls. _ . _

Lord PALMERSTON promised that a committee should be
appointed for the purpose mentioned. He would not
object to its appointment at once, but Lord Clarendon
was gathering important information on the subject, and
he thought it advisable to postpone the committee till
they were in possession of that information.
The vote was then agreed to, as were also several other
votes of the estimates, after some miscellaneous discussion
on their component items.
The House resumed shortly after midnight. _ _

The other busines; on thejpapers was then disposed of,
and the House adjourned at five minutes past one o'clock.

THE CRIMEAN ENQUIRY.-MONDAY,

The board re-assembled at the usual hour.

Colonel Tulloch withdrew the question put by him to
General Airey at the last meeting, with reference to the
paragraph in the report of the commissioners, stating
that there was a want of promptitude and ingenuity in
providing shelter for the Calvary horses in the Crimea.
Gen. Sir R. Airey was then recalled. He had stated to
the commissioners in the Crimea that he obtained plant-
ing, and timber, and other materials for providing shelter
for horses from Constantinople, and placed them at Lord
Lucan's disposal, on the 12th of November, 1854. In
explanation of this he stated that his answer did not refer
only to that particular date but to different periods, and
included all the preparations that were made after it was
determined that the army should winter in the Crimea.
Colonel Tulloch remarked that no explanation of this
kind was given to this question of the commissioners, and
their report was framed upon Sir R. Airey's explanations.
General Airey stated that he was under the impression
that the only object of the commissioners was to obtain
information as to the supplies. Had he known that any
further proceedings would have arisen out of the
report of the commissioners, he would have given them
fuller and more detailed information. He would not admit
that the Cavalry had neglected their duty to the country ;
he thought, that under the circumstances in which they
were placed, they had done the best they could, and he
thought the commissioners had committed an error in not
going sufficiently into evidence. The evidence of General
Airey lasted throughout the day, but nothing further of
importance was elicited. At four o'clock the board
adjourned till Wednesday.