Northern Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1859-12-10 00:00:00

RUSSIA AND THE POLITICS OF EUROPE.

An article appears in the Liralide Russe ex-
plaining the policy to be observed by Russia
respecting the questions which will form the sub-
jects of discussion by the Congress. It is as
follows
:
"Let us examine what are the principal points to
which the Congress will direct its inquiries. It would
have been extremely useful in the month of April last,
because it would have prevented a terrible loss of blood
between two powerful and warlike nations. At present it
has only to pronounce on facts accomplished previous to
and since the war. The first question that presents itself
is this—What Powers ought to be invited to take part in
it? First, the Congress ought certainly to be composed of
representatives from the five great powers. According
to the principles laid down at the Congress of Vienna,
no change should take place in Europe without the con-
sent of tire five powers. The Congress of Aix-la-Chapelle; --
of Laybachf and of Verona, which succeeded the Congress
of Vienna, formed a species of tribunal for the other
powers. The war between France and Spain for the
re-establishment of Ferdinand VII. was not the result
of that Congress. The kingdom of Greece was es-
tablished by three powers only. Belgium was separated
from Holland by a conference of the great powers
assembled in London. Again, is the month of April
last, it was proposed to convoke the five great powers
solely to decide on the fate of Italy. At present it is.
determined to appeal to a Congress of all the powers
who signed the treaty of Vienna, which treaty has under-
gone a change by the present situation of Italy and
Naples. Rome and Sardinia will moreover be admitted.
The approaching Congress will have first to settle the
affairs of Central Italy. Is it necessary to re-establish
the order of things which existed previous to the ar, or
are the facts accomplished since the 29th April last to
be acknowledged ? If the majority of the Powers adopt
the first of these two alternatives the Congress must find
means to execute the decree of the European Areopagus.
Should the employment of force become necessary,
to what Power will be entrusted the execution of
the clause ? Above all, the Congress will have to
enter on the question of right. The Congress of Zurich
decided that the rights of the Grand Dukes are re-
served. England, on the contrary, maintains that the
people have a right to choose their sovereign and the
form of their government. That Power reminds the
others, and that with some reason, that France, Sweden,
and herself have already applied that principle. The
Bourbons, the descendants of Gustavus Vasa, and the
Stuarts, no longer reign in *se countries. She • main-
tains that Europe having already admitted that principle
in Belgium and in Greece, can scarcely repudiate it in
Central Italy. This will be the first danger for the
Congress, because Austria, France, the Pope, and with.
them Spain, Portugal, and Naples, will not fail to main-
tain that the rights of the dispossessed dynasties
are sacred and immutable. But this is merely a
historical question, while the rights of the Grand
Dukes of Central Italy constitute a thorny question..
These sovereigns are connected with Austria by family
ties and by treaties. Austria commenced the war
in spite of the representations of all Europe; she should,
consequently, endure the fate of war, and submit to all
its consequences. Austria and France have resolved to
restore the Grand Dukes, but they had not the right to
do so without the consent of Europe. Not being
permitted to proceed to an armed intervention, they have
recourse to moral stimulantB and to persuasion to induce
the people to re-place the dispossessed sovereigns on their
thrones. All these proceedings hare as yet failed of
success, and the solution of this question will be re-
ferred to the Congress. But the Congress, while con—
firming the dynastic right, will find itself involved in
great difficulties if it wishes to restore the dukes by force
of arms. The influence of one power will carry with it
others. War will break out again, and we declare that
it will then become a war impassible to localise or to
circumscribe. Such is the object of the deliberations of:,
the approaching Congress. We rqeat the opinion we
have frequently expressed, that the affairs of Italy are
not the only ones which ought to occupy the Congress.
Four years have elapsed since the conclusion of the.
treaty of Paris. Has the object then promised been
obtained ? Where is regenerated Turkey ? Has she -
become a European power ? Has the persecution of
the Christians ceased? Has Europe obtained guaran-
tees of tranquillity in that quarter ? Is fanaticism
extinguished ? Can it ever be hoped that Christians
and Mahomedans shall ever be equal before the law ?"

LORD CANNING AT LUCKNOW._

The Viceroy's visit to the Oudean capital, says
the Bombay. Standard, was a pageant on a scale
of grandeur that occurs but rarely even in India,
compared with the olden time. The interest
attaching to it is mainly derivable from the fact
that Lord Canning's presence in Lucknow set
the seal, as it were, to the, final dethronement

, .
of the late dynasty. To the native snag- -
nates who were present, this must have been
the most significent feature of the durbar.
They were there on compulsion, to see the
embodiment of a rule that many amongst them
hate, however unintelligently, and although
before very long they might be constrained to
admit that the inauguration of British power and
sovereignty was the edge of the shadow of " good
things to come." The "presents" were a very
hollow affair, as all such matters are in the East
—a lac on one side representing somewhere about _
a lac on the other. The most important event
was the reception of the Talookdars by his Ex-
cellency on the 26th ult., when he delivered the
following speech :

Talookdars of Oude—l am glad to find myself in your
country, and amongst you, and to have the opportunity
of speaking to you in the name of the Queen, your
Sovereign. A year has not passed away since this pro-
vince was the seat of anarchy and war. The conduct
of its people had been such that the Government was
compelled to lay a heavy hand upon it. But
peace and order are now restored to. every corner
of Oude, and I am come to speak to you not of the
past but of the future. You have, all of you who are
here present, received yesterday the grants of those estates
which the Government has restored to you. You will
have seen by the terms of those grants, that the ancient
`.talookdares system of Oude is revived and perpetuated.
Be assured that so long as each one of you is a loyal
and faithful subject, and a just master, his right and
dignity as a talookdar will be upheld by me, and by
every representative of your Queen, and that no man
shall disturb them. You will also have seen by those
grants that the same rights are secured on the same
conditions to your heirs for ever. Let this security be
an encouragement to you to spend .your care, and time,
and money, upon the improvement of your possessions.
As the Government has been generous to you, so do
you be generous to those who hold under you, down to
the humblest tiller of the soil: Aid them, by advances

of money and other indulgences, to increase the pro-
ductiveness of the land, and set them an example of
PthYem as ,
hereafterauArid
teach o ceu
order and obedience to your rulers. Let this same se- •
curitv in your possessions encourage you 'to bring up
your sons and daughters in a manner befitting the posi-
tionttohelocohkietofs
the of
Government as a father.
Talookdars, I trust that there are none amongst you
who are-so—infatuated- as to believe that the Govern-
ment has had designs against your religion. Even if
e.
there be any such, I will not condescend to repeat the
o ud which
Learnt they y will
yourselves
assurances which they have already received on this
head. I. leave it to time, and experience, and their
own senses, to dispel their perverse suspicions. Eat
for their own sakes I warn them nct be led into
acts of opposition or distrust towards the Govern-
ment, by the false tales of designing men. Lastly, Ta-
lookdars, whenever in any matter you have doubts to be '11;1
resolved, or wishes to make known,
address yourselves
to the Chief Commissioner. lie will tell you the truth sr
in all things. Ile is the 'high and trusted tepresenta- ;t
five of the Government in Oude, and, depend upon it,
he will be your beit adviser, and your truest friend. I
wish that I could speak to you in your own language.
That which I have said will now be interpreted to you,
and I enjoin you to bear it 'in your memories.
„

Mawdsley and Son can now supply the new and
popular Game of- Cards St. George and the Dragon,
aving just received -their _ new patterns. 4, Castle-
treat. 22 • • . , .
itussiA AND CIIINA.—The , following is an extract of -
a letter, dated St. Petersburg, 19th Nov. (Ist
r
" A courier arrived to-day, in forty-two days from
Amcor, with grea,tsenaewds.up,
in The
its Emperor., of China' has
given the Russians notice ,to ,quit, as he had never
authorised the, cession of territory, and had, only just
hard of the settlement. Meanwhile, the Russian Em-
b.issy at Pekin is le