The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-08 00:00:00

LONDON, MONDAY, JANUARY 8, 1855.

The CZAR has, it appears, on this occasion,
promptly replied to the prop3sitions of the Allied
Powers. He no longer returns a contumelious
rejection, or observes an equally contumacious
silence. His pride has had a fall. His arrogance
is, for the time being, suppressed, and he at
length begins to treat his opponents with ordinary
civility. This is a great change ! It may be
regarded by some parties as "the beginning of
the end," as the commencement of bona ...fide
negotiations really intended to lead to peace.
But, we confess, that we are not quite so easily
satisfied. We are not prepared to grasp at the
first conciliatory indications as conclusive evidence
that the " Leopard has changed his spots"—the
ATJTOCRA.T become reasonable and moderate. He
has already exhibited too many proofs of his in-
flexible determination, and, we may add, of his
duplicity, to induce us to suppose that he is even
at this moment prepared to, yield, or to lend
the slightest credence to the protestations
put forward on his behalf by his representative
at Vienna. Ho may be inclined to "temporise,"
in the hope of obtaining a kirief respite in the
Crimea. He may desire to procrastinate until
he can send further reinforcements in through
the channel so improvidently left open, but he
will not yet abandon his long•cherished policy
of aggression, or relinquish the fierce disposition
of the lion for the peaceful -temperament of the
lamb.

It is now stated, and. we believe truly,
by our usually well-informe contemporary, The,
Morning Post, that " Prin C e GORT:_-;CIIAKOFF re-
ceived on Saturday an orde r from the Czar to
negotiate at once with Bu :r., BOURQUENEY, and
WESTMORELAND on the baszis of the Four Condi-
tions, as interpreted by the Allies in the Protocol
of the 28th of December. 'The Plenipotentiaries
met yesterday (Sunday) to ileliberate."
This is very probable, btrt it by no means war-
rants the conclusion that a satisfactory arrange-
ment will finally be arrived at. It merely shows
that the CZAR is, for some reason to us at present
unknown, willing to negotiate on a certain basis,
but not that he will assent to the terms that must
be required, if the opinion,3 of the French and
English Diplomatists be at all in accordance with
those of the People whoa i they respectively
represent. We do not nor" consider the simple
promise of Nienoras sufficielat as it would have
been a short time since. He, must now give sub-
stantial bail, or, to use his own. favourite expression,
"material guarantees," for 1:1 is pacific intentions.
He must not merely declare, that he will not use
his stronghold at Sebastop 6,7. for the purpose of
menacing other independent; nations, but he must
consent to its destruction, arid to the removal—if
not the annihilation—. of tine fleet which enabled
him to add weight to any Threat, and render it
anything but a mere brutuva, fulmen. He must
also consent to abandon all right of exclusive in-
terference, must be contentml. to act in accordance
with other first-class Powers,, whose participation
would afford abundant security against any
abuse of the powers of interference all
that a "protectorate" properly examined would
warrant. He must also be satisfied to see "Free
Trade" in the Danube, without striving to trans-
fer its commerce to his own port of Odessa, or to
hold out powerful inducemez.ts to the inhabitants
of the Principalities to transfer their allegiance
from SULTAN to CZAR, and to become, to all
intents and purposes, Russ;an. Bat all these,
even if conceded to the fullest extent, will
not be sufficient. NICHOLAS, by his wanton
aggression, by his nefarious assault on a
peaceful and independent neighbour, has
occasioned the loss of many valuable lives and
the expenditure of much money. He must liqui-
date the damages. Of course we can form no
Pecuniary estimate of the damages sustained in
the deaths of so many brave soldiers—tam carte
laninue—the loss of the least of whom would be
beyond the wealth of, the CZA.n to recompense.
There is no "Lord CAMPBLL'S Act" in operation
respecting* our dealings with other nations, or re-
cognised in any international code ; but there
are more vulgar considerations of L. S. D. that
come legitimately within the province cf discussion.
of Prance and England, to say
I The direct outlay
('nothing of the indirect pecuniary losses;
Can easily
be ascertained; and we must say that it would be
disgraceful to these champions of Civilisation and
of Justice if they sheathed the sword on any
terms not comprising a full indemnification. The
Chinese Treaty furnishes a valuable precedent,
I which may be beneficially followed.

Since writing the above we learn, by a tele-
graphic despatch from Vienna, dated Ais day
(Monday), 10 a.m., that " Prince GORTSCHAKOFF,
at the Conference held yesterday, had accepted
the four propositions without reserve." It may
be so, but, as we have above stated, we must re-
ceive the information with ail reserve.

11‘v.thh
The Journal
elaborate attempt
. Weakness" of the Russians,
the wounded, or refused
. who fell within their
attempt at denial, but
de St. P.dersbourg contains an
to vindicate' the 11 amiable
yto
eor
oh:ay have
formal b u butchered
hoe: ead-
geng,iemvraelq. n
issuetebretfoorethtobsee
There is a puny
racter, like that of the
" Ttrialeversein' (bleufteMell7:n-
-./ tedvteerr,atrieosntst
no took
on
place.
• the " confession and avoidance" which have been
simultaneously nut forward. The Russian Minis•
terial organ, if it does not ailtogether deny the
[ charge, strives to show that . it is the exception,.
justify,
and not the rule ; and if it does not
strives to extenuate the conduct of the delin-
quents. It says--." These facts, if they did take
place, ought for the rest to be attributed to the
exasperation produced in our troops.by the con-
duct of the Allied armies. (f) Let us not forget
that the Russian soldier is defending his own soil
his hearth audaciously invaded by foreigners allied
to the enemies of Christianity, by adversaries who
respect neither churches, nor convents, nor .holy
bells, and that these crimes are in his eyes so many
deedsmust
notof
cea
l fromthat o
kutdellev ourselves the
his
3 f a t vengeance.
that Wethe
1
„sacking of the Church of Cheg;ionesus, that ancient

temple, witnessed by our soldiers from the bas-
tions of Sebastopol, has justly exasperated them.
The resistance of a people attacked in objects most;
sacred, most dear to its heart, in its religion as
well as its homes, often assumes a fierce nature by
acquiring proportions that are those of the situa-
tion. Besides, why not cite also the conduct of
our enemies ? Why not say, for instance, that
during the battle of the 24th (Nov. 5) the Anglo-
French sharpshooters, unable to resist the collision
of our bayonets, threw themselves on the ground
under the pretence of being wounded, but as soon
as our gallant band had passed stood up again for
the purpose of firing bullets at their legs. Acts of
this sort, such as we have just instanced, would
amply explain the exasperation of the Russian
soldier."

We now understand the nature of the defence.
It is of a twofold character. First, " served 'em
right ;" and secondly, " tic quoque." The mis-
creants, allied to the enemies of Christianity—i. e.,
the Orthodox or Russian Church, who respect
" neither churches ! nor convents ! ! nor holy
bells! ! !"—are deserving of no mercy. They
are placed beyond the pale of humanity, and
are only fit to be butchered without commisera-
tion whenever the opportunity offers. The
soldiers are " justly exasperated," and we must
submit to the natural consequences thereof.
They choose to proclaim " War to the knife,"
" Death to the vanquished," because they are
displeased with the cause advocated--the
policy adopted by their adversaries ; and this,
be it remembered, is utterly independent
of any personal grounds of animosity, any indi-
vidual sufferings for which vengeance might be
sought. If this new doctrine be for a moment
sanctioned, it must strip war of all amenities,
and restore the old principle " vice victis" to all
its pristine enormity, where the captured were
sacrificed—and possibly tortured in every in-
stance. When we consider these atrocious
sentiments, we might almost fancy that we were
perusing the opinions of some savage barbarians
rather than the deliberate views of parties
setting up a claim to some degree of civilisation,
and who justify their turbulent and sanguinary
actions under the plea of Christianity. But
there is something more. The Russian scribe is
not satisfied with mere defence : he must
assume the offensive in turn. lie ascribes
to our gallant fellows—whom he is pleased
to designate as " the Anglo-French Sharp-
shooters," who, " unable to resist the colli-
sion of our (i. e. the Russian) bayonets, threw
themselves on the ground, under tLe pretence of
being wounded ; but as soon as our (again the
Russian) gallant band had passed, stood up
again for the purpose of firing bullets at
their legs! !I" Now this, be it remembered,
is not put forward as a complaint against
the English or French troops, bat to show
that the Russians were only treating them as
they deserved—that the vengeance, or rather bru-
tality, was fully merited. What can we think
of a nation that under the authority of the very
highest authorities—for we know something of
the extent to which the censorship is carried on in
Russia—puts forward such infamous calumnies,
for the purpose of aggravating the ferocity of the
multitude. Are they not participators in the
crimes which they thus venture to extenuate, and
responsible for any consequences that may ensue
It will be well that the article of the Journal de St.
Petersbourg be accurately studied in order that
we may form a just estimate of the enemy with
whiclt we are contending.

ARRIVAL OF THE RAJAH.

SOUTHAMPTON, MONDAY MORNING.

The Peninsular and Oriental Company's steam-
ship Rajah arrived here this morning with dates
from Constantinople December 19th; Smyrna, 23d;
' Malta, 27th • and Gibraltar, January 2d.
The Rajah brings no news. Her cargo comprises
silk, wool, carpets, raisins, figs, sponge, and other
Asiatic produce.
On the 20th the Rajah spoke the screw steamer
Robert Lowe in the Dardanelles ; on the 2d the
screw steamer Adelaide, steering east; and on the
7th the ship Speedy.

CAVALRY EQUIPMENTS•-THE

_HIMALAYA.

Orders have been forwarded to the Captain Superin-
tendent at Deptford to prepare horse hammocks,
halters, and paddings for 5,000 horses, to be sent out to
the Crimea at the earliest possible opportunity ;,2,000
tins (measurement) of wooden stabling will also be
forwarded. The greatest difficulty prevails in procuring
t,tearn transports sufficient for such heavy services.
The Himalaya, on the completion of her repairs, will
doubtless be appropriated to convey a portion of the
above.

KOVEMENTS IN THE BLACK SEA FLEET.

It is stated that Rear-Admiral Houston Stewart, now
discharging the duties of Admiral Superintendent at
Malta, has been offered the appointment as second in
command in the Black Sea fleet ; and should be decide
upon accepting this post, he will be succeeded at Malta
by Rear-Admiral the Hon. Montagu Stopford, now at
Constantinople, who, in his turn, will be replaced by
Commodore the Hon. W. F. Grey, of the .Hannibal ;
and we believe that Capt. Ornmanney, who has just been
r.tiperseded in command of the Eurydice in the West
Indies, will be appointed to this fine screw line-of-battle
ship.

COMMERCIAL TRAVELLORS' SCHOOLS.

TO. THE COMMERCIAL TRAVELLERS OF THE UNITED

KINGDOM.

Gentlemen,—l feel great reluctance in intruding
publicly upon you, but an imperative sense of duty
as the treasurer of the Commercial Travellers'
Orphan Schools induces me to lay the following
figures before you :

Cost of site at Pinner -03,000 0 0
Estimated cost of the building when
completed, including all extras 21;938 0 0

£23,933 0 0
Amount collected for the building
fund 16,700 0 0

Leaving a deficiency of ,E 7,238 0 0
Now, as your treasurer, it can matter little to
me whether you take six months until June (the
time I earnestly hope the schools will be open) or
six years to raise this amount, as there may not be
much difficulty iu borrowing the money ; but will
it be creditable to the commercial travellers of
England to open the schools with an incubus upon
their building ? as, depend upon it, if the money be
not raised before the building is open, fivefold more
difficulty will be found in doing so when the excite-
ment and freshness of your exertions' are passed
away.
Now, let me, in the most earnest and anxious
spirit, urge every commercial traveller in the United
Kingdom to volunteer his services as a steward for
day by letter to Mr. Saul, the secre-
toaurry,"Beni
I,aapside; and if ono quarter of the esti-
mated number of commercial travellers will respond,
and collect or give li. each, it will enable you to
take a receipt in full for the building liabilities.
I am, &c.,
GEORGE MOORE.
5, Bow-churchyard, Jan. 6.

R. T. Vaughan, M.A.
The Lord Chancellor's living of Llandevarlog•Vach,
Brecknockshire, has become vacant by the death of the
year. By Mr. Vaughau's death the rectory of Billings-
ley, worth 2501. a year, and in the gift of the Duke of
ABlrtna. ,y
alradt,e enueraart 0
Doss,nf Itrvoimeey atrhde,
Cleveland, has also become vacant. g
The benefice is worth 3501. a
The Dean and Chapter of Hereford have presented
incumbencyttohotltheev.
Rev. J. 0: Stallard, M.A.
SCARCITY OF SEAMEN FOR THE NAVY.----In ten ships
J
winof
fitting out at the present time, there are no less than
1,300 vac-mei:3s for petty officers and seamen.
Bazzini, the well-known violinist, has been performing
at Berlin, after a very successful tour in Northern Ger-
many. Within the space of one month he gave fifteen
concerts in the Prussian capital, which were attended
by very large audiences, and had besides the honour of
twice performing at Court, where his success was of the
most flattering description.

COURT CIRCULAR.

OSP,(RNF,, SATUPT)AY.

Tile Queen and Prince, accompanied by the Princess
Royal and Princess Alice, arrived at Osborne yesterday
from Windsor Castle at a quarter past twelve o'clock.

SUNDAY.
The Queen and Prime, the Princess Royal and Prin-
cess Alice, walked and drove in the grounds at Osborne
yesterday.
_ _

The Rev. George Prothero performed Divine service
this morning before her Majesty and the Royal family.

Her Royal Highness the Duchess of Kent, attended
by Lady Fanny Howard and Sir George Couper, arrived
in town on Saturday morning from her residence, Frog-
more House, Windsor. Her Royal Highness visited
her Royal Highness the Duchess of Gloucester, at Glou-
cester House in the afternoon, and after wards returned
to Frogmore.
Despatches from the Governors of Hong-Kong and
Ceylon were reoeived on Saturday at the Colonial-office.

COLLISION OF TWO STEAM PACKETS
IN TEE BRISTOL CHANNEL.

BRISTOL, SUNDAY AFTERNOON.—lntelligence has
been received here this afternoon of a serious collision
having taken place yesterday in the Bristol Channel
between the Sabrina steam packet, from Bristol to Cork,
Captain Parker, and the Erin Queen, screw-steamer,
from Belfast to Bristol, Capt., Nicholson. The Sabrina,
which belongs to the Cork Steam-packet Company, left
Bristol Hotwells on Saturday morning with a valuable
cargo of miscellaneous goods and 34 cabin and deck pas-
sengers. When she had got to near the light-ship on the
Welsh Grounds, the weather being very thick, the look-
out man reported that there was a steamer on her star-
board bow, and Captain Parker immediately ordered his
helm to be put hard a starboard, and his engines to be
reversed. The other steamer, which proved to have
been the Erin Queen, ported her helm at the same time,
in consequence of which she ran right across the Sa-
brin,,'s bows. Upon observing that the Erin Queen had
ported her helm.the Sabrina did the same, but owing to
the way on the vessels the precaution could not take
effect in time, and the two packets came into collision,
and her cutwater running into her with such force as
to cut her to below, the water line. The Sabrina's
figurehead and cutwater were much damaged, and
several of the iron plates on the starboard how
were torn out. In the collision, the second engineer of
the Erin Queen, Hugh WHibbin, being asleep at the
time in his berth, which was cut into, had his pelvis and
thigh and one of his arms broken, and being washed out
through the hole into the sea, he would have been
drowned, had it not been that a boat from the ligkt-
house saw him and pulled him up. The Erin Queen,
by the force of the collision, was driven ashore on the
sands, and the Sabrina going to her assistance, towed
her on to the south-west patch, where the sands ebb
dry. The Sabrina, after lying by the Erin Queen for
the day, put back to Bristol, bringing up the wounded
engineer, who was at once conveyed to the infirmary,
where he lies in a precarious state.

CABINET COUNCIL—The Ministers, who have been
staying out of town during last week at their respective
seats, will re-assemble in council to-morrow afternoon,
at the Foreign-office.
Prince Lucien Bonaparte arrived in London last night
from Paris.
Captain/. Webster, a Foreign-office messenger, arrived
in town last night with despatches from Berlin.
THE EARL OF GLENGALL.—We are happy to be able
to state that Dr. Bright, who returned to town from
Bretby Park yesterday evening, has pronounced Lord
Glengall to have exhibited favourable symptoms. The
answer to the numerous inquiries at his house in Gros-
venor-street is, that his lordship is better.
The Marchioness Dowager of Downshire has returned
to Grosvenor-street, from visiting the Hon. Colonel and
Lady Mary Hood at Cumberland Lodge, Windsor Park,
during the holidays.
Lord and Lady lAndesborough are entertaining a
Fmlect, party at Grimston Park, near Tadeaster. His
lordship has just purchased nearly the whole of the valu-
able racing stud of thell,,n. Stanhope Hawke.
Lord and Lady Lyndhurst, who have been staying at
the Lord Warden Hotel, at Dover, for the advantage
of change of air during the past week—the noble and
venerable ex-Lord Chancellor having recently suffered
from indisposition which prevented his lordship from
attending the House of Peers during the late brief sitting
of the Legislature—are expected to arrive in George-
street, Hanover-square, to-morrow.
In reply to the numerous applications from nurses
desirous of serving in the Scutari hospitals, received by
the ladies' committee, we are requested to state that no
more nurses can be received there.

CURIOUS CUSTOM AT Sr. JAMES'S PALACE.—On Sa-
turday last, being Old Ciaistmas-day, an ancient cere-
mony was performed in the Chapel Royal. St. James's
Palace, in commemoration of the offering of the
three kings, an interesting remnant of Christian sym-
bolism. The ceremony loses much of its significance
when the Sovereign is not present in person.
In consequence of the constant interchange of com-
munication kept up by the Government with our am-
bassador at the Turkish capital and the Byitish'army in
the Crimea, several of the Queen's messengers had been
compelled by excessive fatigue to relinquish their duties.
An increase in the staff has been found necessary, and
during the week Captain Howarth (late of the lilifleA
and Major Binge Hall have been appointed. The fiat
named gallant officer left town •n Friday night last with
despatches from the Ministers of War and the Foreign
Secretary, for Lord Raglan and his Excellency Lord
Stratford de Radcliffe. The Earl of Clarendon left town
on Friday evening for the Grove, near Watford, but
comes to town today to transact business.

NEWTON ABBOTT.—SUICIDE.—On Saturday last Mr.
John Mills, aged 63, and for many years the proprietor
of the Dartmouth Inn, in thiS town, committed suicide
by hanging himself in a large Holley, at the back of his
house, used by his son, who is a builder. We hear no
reason assigned for his committing the rash act, and
nothing unusual in his manner was observed up to the
time he committed the deed. An inquest was held the.
same day before W. A; Cockey, Esq., district coroner,
and a respectable jury, when a verdict of "Temporary
insanity" was returned. The sad affair has cast a gloom
over the whole town, as the deceased was much respected.
He was the oldest innkeeper in the town.
SUICIDE OP A DESERTER.--On Saturday, Mr. Bedford
held an inques,t.at the Compasses, Mount-street, Gros-
venor-square, on the boils, of George Ekins, aged' 20, a
private in the Royal South Middlesex Regiment of Mi-
litia, who cotrimitted suicide by hanging himself with a
rope, at, the stables attached to the house, No. 27, Kin-
nerton-street, Pimlico. Deceased, it appeared, left the
regiment without leave, for the purpose of spending the'
Christmas with his friends ; upon being informed that he
would in consequence be treated as a deserter, and that
ho was liable to a penalty of 10/., or, in lieu of not paying
it, td three months' imprisonment, he became melan-
choly, and said he was afraid to return to the regiment.
This was supposed to have preyed upon his mind, and
the jury returned a verdict of "Temporary insanity."
MAIDSTONE.—HIGHWAY ROBBERY WITH VIOLENCE.
—On Thursday evening between five and six o'clock a
daring highway robbery was committed in Pinains-court-
lane, just within the boundaries of the borough, one side
of the lane being in the parish of Maidstone; and the
other side in the parish of East Farleigh. The victim
of the attack was Mr. William Sands, a farmer at E tst
Farleigh. Mr. Sands had been to Maidstone market,
according to his usual custom on a Thursday, and while
in the to en had obtained cash for a cheque of 191. He
was on his return home, and had passed Tovil ; while
going up the lane he saw a man standing in the road,
. , and on approaching the place he heard a voice cry out,
"Spring," and immediately another man jumped from
the hedge, seized him by the throat and knocked him
down. -Mr. Sands fell upon the back part of his head,
and was partially stunned. The fellows threw them-
selves upon him, prevented his crying out, and suc-
ceeded in rifling his pockets, robbing him of two Si.
notes of the Maidstone bank, eleven sovereigns, two
half-sovereigns, sixpence in silver, and fourpence in cop-
pers. Strange to say, the robbery was witnessed by a
woman named Cogger and by a lad of 15, who wero on.
their road home ; these parties saw four men, of whom
Mr. Sands was one, struggling together, and then fall
down in tile row], but tbiiiking it only a drunken scuffle,
the boy walked on, and had got to some distance when
he was called back by Mrs. Cogger ; and he then ascer-
tained that a robbery had been committed. He saw
three men run away. Although Mr. Sands speaks only
of two having -attacked bias, there is but little doubt
that there were actually three persons engaged in ~the
robbery ; but neither Mr. Sands, the woman, nor the
boy, can give any description of them. It, is supposed
the parties had by some means made themselves ac-
quainted with the fact that Mr. Sands had obtained
some cash in the town, and laid their plans accordingly.
We trust we shall shortly have to report their capture,
as the police officers are fully on the alert. Payment of
the notes has been stopped at the bank.
RF.CRUITIN4 IN THE NOTATE( OF SCOTLAND.—Some
months ago there appeared a letter in the Times from an
old officer of ties 79th, calling attention to the unsuccess-
ful character of the efforts made by several detachments
of English and Irish regiments to obtain recruits in •
Aberdeen and the north of Scotland, and urging the war
authorities to send a few companies of the 79th High-
landers, promising them a hearty reception and a goodly
number of recruits. This advice was taken. The 79th
have been in A.berdeen for two months, and already
about 130 recruits have joined the service. The spirit
of enthusiasm is now so much excited that there, is every
prospect of obtaining twice this number in the course of
the present winter. Those enlisted are chiefly young
men from the country, and it appears that they have
made such progress in the drill that a large draught is
soon to be made for head-quarters. Bat while there is no
difficulty now experienced in getting recruits for this regi-
ment in Aberdeenshire, the recruiting service hhs failed •
in the Highlands. The number of soldiers from the High-
lands and islands of Scotland engaged in the last French
War was about 15,000 men and officers. There were two
general officers from the Isle of Skye alone, and about
80 commissioned officers from various other parts of the
north ; but now, such is the scarcity of men in these
places that it will be with difficulty if 150 can be raised.
This results from the system of " clearances" that have
sgiioten. prevailedtgthibulaeatriniitr‘iiewl in the Highlands of Scotland, a great
part of the country having been converted into sheep-
wt
for
arca
duco
alks. The militia service is not so popular in the north
as the !Testier service. For one ..volunteer that can be
itia
sill e°onqestat quite-impossible eob,
iei
enter,nh oads
bfuol
but
tti o
r apai
asr
yem
tiyib.
es
orl,
num-
ber
omwi s.
e
it.7l act nfte''wl) adrei it tohr worth e
their o
whileinal y
teov wares
break
of o
ff mechanics
ter required. Every encouragement is being given to
engage-
mentssoil
for a month in the year.

LATEST NEWS

ACCEPTA2N OE BY RUSSIA OF
THE BASIS OF THE FOUR
POINTS.

We (Times) have received the following tele-
graphic despatch from our Vienna corespondent :
" VIENNA, MONDAY, JAN. 8, 10 A.M.

" Prince Gortschakoff, at the Conference held
yesterday, accepted the Four Propositions with-

out reserve."

(From the Morning Post.)

VIENNA, JAN.

Prince Gortschakoff received yesterday an order
from the Czar to negotiate at once with 13uol,
Bourqueney, and Westmoreland on the basis of the
Four Conditions, as interpreted by the Allies in
the Protocol of the 28th of December.

The Plenipotentiaries met to-day to deliberate.

PARIS, SUNDAY, 6 .O'CLOCK.

I hare already forwarded you by telegraph this
day the important news from Vienna, anti on
which you may depend. I now proceed to give
you further details.

At the close of the conference, which took
place on the 28th of December, at Vienna, bet' ween
Prince Gortschakoff, M. Buol, M. Bourque ney,
and Lord Westmoreland, the representativ o of
France handed over to the Minister of Russia, the

interpretation of the Four Points, as understood
by the Allies. This document was not signed.
Immediately Prince Gortschalc,fF transmitted the
same to the Czar, who, without loss of time, has

requested his Minister to return certain ai's veers
to the interpretation of the Four Points as mider-
stood by the Western Powers.

This day, Sunday, the Minister Plen:.tpoten-
Caries of France, England, and Austria hairr) met
t.) receive the answer of the Emperor of ussia
through his Minister, and, iu all probability , to-
morrow I shall be enabled to forward you the r esult
of this important conference. The fact a. f the
Emperor of Russia re-commissioning his :agent
to commence negotiations on the Four Poi ts, as
interpreted by the Allies, may appear as an

approach towards peace ; but if we leak at
late manifestoes of the Czar, and obl erve
what lie is doing—viz., mustering a st rong
army for the Austrian frontier, I thi►►k we
should not calculate too much on the news r give

you, which, after all, may have no other ix ean-
ing than that of an endeavour to gain time_
I have every reason to believe that the news
I new forward you will not be known to the' Eng-
lish Government before this is in print, as :I find
that French official communications are alw a ys in
advance of our own.

We have received the following telegi a phic
despatch from Marseilles :
" MARSEILLES, SUNDAY, JAN. T.
" The Caire, which left Constantinople cfll the
28th of December, has arrived.
" Despatches for the Government left 1.47 a

spcial train at 10 a.m.
"No news had been received at Constantinople
of anything of importance having taken pla cc at
Sebastopol."
Another despatch from Marseilles of the Lz zme

date says :
Admiral Hamelin has arrived here, havin,9; left

Constantinople on the 28th ult.

A. conspiracy has been discovered among cer-
tain Greeks and Italians, to assassinate the G )m-

missioner of the Anglo-French Police, organ ised
in the Turkish capital.

An English transport-ship, loaded with at oth-

ing, was buret accidentally on the 26th.
The English batteries have opened fire on. Se-
bastopol within 400 metres of the place. Ti 'ere
was a violent tempest on the 30th, and it was
rumoured that 40 ships had been stranded. At

Malta barracks are preparing for 10,000 -Lai >ors

of reserve.

The following telegraphic despatch has
received from Berlin :

' been

" A despatch has been received here froi t St.
Petersburg, dated Sunday, 7th inst., it says

" ' Under date of the 30th of December Prince
Menschikoff writes that nothing important had
taken place before Sebastopol.

" The fire of the enemies (the Allies) was 1 7ery
feeble, causing us (the Russians) scarcely any

damage.' "

We have received the Moniteur of yeste n lay.

It contains the following :
" The Ambassador of France at London 111 ol iing
communicated to Lord Clarendon the speech ( If 'the
President of the Legislative Corps to the Erni ror
on the occasion of the vote of the bill on the I :a in,
as also the reply of his Majesty, he has recd Jed
the following letter from the principal Secretary of
State of her Britannia Majesty
Foreign-office, Jan. 2;
" 'Monsieur l'Ambassadeur,—l have receive ;d
the letterwhich your Excellencydid me the Ilona ar
to address to me on the 30th of December LA t,
transmitting to me, by order of his Majesty le
Emperor of the French, a copy of the Moniteli r,
containing the speech pronounced by the Pros
dent of the L?gislative Corps on the occasion of ti ie
unanimous vote of thatassenably en the Loan NI d,
as well as the reply of his Majesty.
" ' I have placed your Excellency's commun:(4 a-
tion before the Queen, and her Majesty orders x ae
to make known to you how much she appreoi. e es
the terms, full of cordiality, in which the speed. of
the President of the Legislative Corps and re
reply of his Imperial Majesty express themselsi
on the concurrence of tile English land and s(
forces, who share the hardships and dangers of tl le
soldiers of France.
" Nay I also be allowed to address to your c-
cellency the thanks of the members of the Goveg
men tof her Majesty for the communication of wb is 311
you have been the interpreter ? Your Excelle a cy
knows with what perfect reciprocity the Brit
Parliament and nation entertain towards the Frei r 4
army and navy the sentiments of sympathy al d
gratitude which the speech of the President of th
Legislative Corps- and the reply of the Emperi
have so happily expressed towards the land an d
sea forces of the Queen.—l have the honour, &c.:
4 CLARENDON.'
The Moniteur alsO has the.following
" The Government has decided that the soldi. 3 rs
who would be free from service on the 31st of Di 3-
cember !ast shall remain under their flag until the y
shall have been replaced by the soldiers of e
class of 1854—that is tosay, until next spring.
" Without doubt this delay, although legal cg
necessary, is a new charge imposed upon a gr% it
number of soldiers • but the Emperor, when th e
military honour and glory of France are at stake
counts upon the patriotism of all, and he knows tha
in the East, as in Africa, as in France, every mai

will willingly make thisnewsa,crifice to his country,
and the country and the Emperor will make good
totie ;gny this new proof of devotion, and self-

The lifoniteur publishes the following letter from
Cracow taken from the hamburg News :
" The attitude of Russia towards Austria be-:
comes more threatening every day, and it appears
almost certain that hostilities against the latter are
about to commence. The whole of the first corps
of infantry and a division of Grenadiers are already
concentrated on the right bank of the Vistula. The
landed proprietors have been called upon to provide
immediately provisions and provender. General
Sievers who commands this corps, and who has
been residing at Warsaw,. left that city the other
day by special order of the Emperor for his head-
quarters at Radom, and his departure was so sud-
den that he had not even time to take leave of his
son."

The Journal de Constantinople says,--
"The telegraphic line between Vienna and Bu-
charest is now in operation, and the works are car-
ried on with great zeal, so that the line will very
shortly be open between Bucharest and Varna,"