The Sun.
London, England, 1855-02-23 00:00:00

TURKEY.

CONSTANTINOPLE, FEB. 12.
By the last private letters received from the
camp, it appears that the expectation of an early
general assault on the outlying forts was strong in the
minds of "the many;" the French mortars had been
got into position, and with these, and the pieces
already so, the attack would be supported by nearly
450 guns of the most effective calibre. It was cal-
culated, indeed, that the mortars of our Allies alone
would be sufficient to level the town in a single
24 hours' cannonade. The grand final coup, how-
ever, will not " come off" till some more rein-
forcements h-ave reached the seat of action ; and
as these are passing upwards through the Bos-
phorus, nearly every day, from Alexandria, Algiers,
and France, the allied generals will soon be in
strength enough to strike the great closing blow in
the Crimean campaign. Already their own troops,
not less than the public at home, are impatient at
the delay which the necessities of the position have
rendered unavoidable; and when the welcome order
for a general onset issues, not a man in either camp
but will hail it gladly, and do his part to secure
its successful eiecution.

Apropos of this eagerness for the grand attack,
shared in by every one, a rumour has reached
Constantinople within the last few days. This oat
dit, then, which is circulated with a good deal of
caution, refers to an event of no less importance
than an open and general revolt of the Zouaves in
the French camp, on the afternoon of the 3d inst.,
in consequence of their dissatisfaction at the delay
which has arisen in making the final attack on the
enemy's fortifications. It appears that after seve-
ral grumbling indications of their impatience,
during the few previous days, these much-petted
braves resolved to " take action " themselves, and
to this end sent a large armed deputation to wait
upon General Canrobert, and insist on his giving
orders for the assault. The General remon-
strated against such unwarrantable conduct,
and endeavoured to smooth matters, by assuring
the deputation that their desire would soon be gra-
tified, and that in the meantime he would overlook
the hasty step they had taken. This very leniency,
however, would seem to have made matters only
worse, for the Zouaves declared that unless the
order were given at once, they would themselves
make the attack forthwith. His enfants being thus
insensible to kindness, the French commander
ordered out the 47th regiment of the line and a
battery of field-artillery, and having seized the
ringleaders in this demand a la Zouave, shot twelve
of them in presence of the whole camp—a piece of
energetic action which had at once the happy effect.
This affair, which I have every reason to believe
real, was of course as much as possible hushed up
in the camp ; but that it is not a mere idle rumour
I may venture to assert, having heard of it from a
source not likely to be misinformed.

The Commission of the Piedmontese Senate on
the treaty with the Western Powers has appointed
Marquis Alfieri da Sostegno to draw up the report
on it. The discussion on the Convents Suppression
Bill was continued on the 18th in the Chamber of
Deputies.

C.'h ronNtl innb ..,spetatS, on tne
faith of a letter from Naples of the 6th, the rumour
that the kingdom of the Two Sicilies had acceded
to the alliance of the Western Powers, and was to
send 13,000 men to the Crimea, including the bat-
talion of Swiss chasseurs. No intelligence has
been received from ether quarters confirming the
statement.

The Austrian Government has contradicted,
through its accustomed organ, the Austrian Cor-
respondence, the statement that an Austrian loan
of 15,000,0001., guaranteed by England, is about
to be raised. This report originated with the
Berlin Kreuz Zeitung, the only considerable Ger-
man paper hardy enough to champion the cause of
the Czar.

Prince Leopold of Bavaria arrived at Florence
on the 15th.

The Count de Chambord left Parma on the
16th, in company with the Duchess Regent, for
Modena, there to meet the Countess.