The Sun.
London, England, 1855-04-26 00:00:00

Affair..

" PERA, 21st.—I learn by the Asmodee, which left
the Crimea on the 19th, that the besiegers were still ad-
vancing, and that their position was becoming consoli-
dated. The, enemy made a stroog sortie in the night of
the 18th, but it was promptly repulsed."

We have yeceived the following private telegra-
phic despatches
" KCENIGSBERG, 23(1.—Bessarabia, the governments
of Kiew and Kerson and Podolia have been placed under
military jurisdiction. The command of the army of the
South is 'given to General Ludere. General Atinenkoff
has been recalled, and is to go on an extraordinary mis-
sion into Tends."

" VIENNA; 24T11.—1n consequence of the indefinite
snqpero.ion of the Conferences, and a very general belief
that they will not be resumed, speculators have taken
alarm, and securities of all Ituds have fallen. The 5
per Cent. Metallics have declined 14 per cent."
" VIENNA, 24TH, EVENING.—The Austrian Gazette
announces the rupture of the conferences, in'conse-
queries of Russia having categorically refused to limit
her naval forces in the Black Sea. Lord J. Russell has
left, and a report is current thak the military convention
with Austria; has been signed."
" Viforrra, 25th.—Yesterday afternoon the members
of the conference met in order to sign the minutes of the
twelve preceding sittings. There was no further con-
ference." _ _

" TURIN, •'24th.—The English steamer Crcesus, one
of the vessels intended fer the conveyance of the Pied-
montese troops to the East, left Genoa this morning
with 37 officers, 250 soldiers, and a quantity of provi-
sions, on board. When at a distance of 11 miles from
Genoa, a fire broke out on board, and the vessel was de-
stroyed. All on hoard, with the exception of 8 men,
were saved. The fire is attributed to the engine."
"MADRID, 24th.—At the Cortes to-day, the report
on the bill presented by the Government relative to the
creation of Protestant cemeteries was presented and
read. It is favourable to the measure. Some advan-
tages have been granted to the foreign import trade in
Spain, and some of the Consular formalities have been
simplified."
The Emperor and Empress on Tuesday visited
the Palace .of the Exhibition of the Beaux Arts
(paintings, (to.), all the arrangements of which are
nearly completed.
The Moniteur continues to give the text of ad-
dresses presented to the Emperor during his late
visit to England.
Vicomte d'Uruguay, formerly Minister of Fo-
reign Affairs of the Emperor of Brazil, arrived in
Paris on Tuesday on a special mission to the French
Government. The Chevalier Marques Lisboa, Mi-
nister of Brazil in Paris, and all the persohnel of
the legation went to the station of the Northern
railway to receive his Excellency.

BOURSE, APItIL 25.—„CLOSING PRIORS.
Cash. fr. C. En,l of Month.
4 per Cents 93.25 93f. 25c.
:i per Cents 6B 30 68 30
Credit Mobilier 776 25 Roman
Credit Fonder 540 Austrian
Belgian Fives ...... .. Spanish Threes 35
Piedmontese B5 75 Home Debt 303
RAILWAYS—FOII CASH.

fr. c

Orleans - 1135 -: Lyons ... ]OBO --
Western... ....... .-. 612 50 Rouen -
Cate 610,- Strasburg
Mediterranean 97•i -- Havre 542 50
nnthern - Cherburg . 545 --

AUSTRIA.
A letter from Vienna of the 21st, in the Consti-
tutionnel, says :
" It is certain that the Russian counter-project, deve-
loped by Prince Gortschakoff in the 10th sitting of the
Congress on the 17th, turns on the system r,f opening the
straits by the abolition of the stipulations of the treaty of
the 13th July, which relate to them—that is to say, pro-
poses to declare that vessels of all nations may freely pr•e-
cee.d from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, and vice
versa, without previously obtaining the authorisation of
the Divan. The system has been unanimously rejected
by the plenipotentiaries of the Powers who signed the
alliance of the 2d December. Their declaration was
made in the sitting of the day before yesterday with
clearness and precision, although in the most moderate
terms. Lord J.- Russell] and Lord Westmoreland
expressed themselves on the subject with the
same firmness as the plenipotentiaries of , France
and Austria. It would not require long argu-
ments to show that the system of the Russian
counter-project deserved to be rejected both for le sal
and political reasons. It is henceforth an axiom of in-
ternational law that the maritime territory of any State
extends to ports, roadsteds, bays, gulfs, mouths of rivers,
and any part of the sea confined within land. In apply-
ing these principles, which Whe.itston, one of the cham•
pions of the seas, admits to be absolute, it results that
the Porte must be the sole judge of the opportuneness
of opening or closing the passage of the straits ; se-
cause its sovereign right of jurisdiction over the two
straits cannot be contested by any one, as not only
are the two straits within the Turkish territory, but
'they are commanded by the batteries of the fortresses
which the Porte has built on the coast to defend the
passage. To force the Porte to open the straits, against
its will, would be to openly infringe the sovereign rights
of the Sultan. Apart from the legal question there are
powerful political reasons which must make the Russian
Cabinet understand that neither Austria nor the
Western Powers can easily consent to facilitate to
Russian vessels the entrance into the Mediterra ,ean and
the A.,iriatic. It is no longer a secret in the diplomatic
world that Russia has long cast her eyes on a maritime
position, justly considered as the key of the Adriatic.
This position, the importattce of a Lich will be seen by a
glance at the map, is the m ,uths of the Cittaro, which,
from their excellent hydr graphical condition-, unite for
Russia the immense advantage of touching Montenegro,
a country which every ma. knows is devoted to the Go-
vernment of the Czars. The only power that. can prevent
the Muscovite forces from crossing the Danube and the
Pruth and marching on Constantinople, is Austria.
Let us suppose that Russia, under the pretsxt of
inter vesinirg in behalf of Montenegro, the protec-
torship of which she claims, should coneentrate a
squadron at the mouths of the Cattaro, and that
then at a given signal she should cause an insur-
rection to break out in Servia. which is so near to
Montenegro ; if Austria were to show a disposition
to check the revolutionary movement in Servia, the
Russian fleet would quit the anchorage of the
mouths of the Cattaro, to menace Trieste and the other
ports of Austria in the Adriatic. Russia would then
have a splendid opportunity of taking her revenge in
the Danubian principalities for her present disappoint-
ments. It is not necessary to c ,ntiltue these arguments,
to convince any one whose eves are not closed against
the light, that those who maintain that the liberty of the
n svigation of the Bosphorus may be the salvation of
Turkey, and the sole de"noueine,tt of the East-rn ques-
tion are in error." sip
A letter from Vienna, in the German Journal
of Frankfort, says :—" Some journals have been
speaking of a reduction in the Austrian army, and
declaring that it is to be placed on a peace footing,
with the exception of two corps d'armee. We are
able to•give the most complete contradiction to
that statement. Not only has Austria no idea of
reducing her army, but everything indicates that
most probably a fresh levy will be ordered by her
in the month of May."