The Sun.
London, England, 1855-01-19 00:00:00

TURKEY.

CONSTANTINOPLE, JAN. 8.
For the last five or six days a white snowy mantle
has spread over Constantinople. Every change in
the weather here is anxiously watched, and
digressed upon with regard to the effect or conse-
quences it may have produced in the Crimea.
The Turkish arsenal is at the present moment
literally crowded with British and French men-of-
war, all undergoing repairs. Great preparations
are also being made in the arsenal for the fleet
which is to transport the army of Omer Pacha to
ttie Crimea. It will consist of sixteen skips,
amongst which aro eight Turkish steam-corvettes
—the Tale, Medjidie, Caiki-i•Chadi, Mouhbiri
Surer, Chehper, Nil, and Feiji-Bahri. The line-
of-battle ship Mougaderne-Khair will also form
part of this squadron. In two or three days this
fleet will leave the Bosphorus for Varna, where
the troops are to embark. Admiral Ahmed Pacha
will command the expedition.
Yesterday evening an Austrian Lloyd's steamer
arrived here from Trieste, laden with winter cloth-
ing for the British army in the Crimea.
General Salles, commanding the eighth division
of the French army, has arrived at Constantinople.
The 2d brigade, and General Morris who commands
that division are shortly expected. The let brigade
of French cavalry, commanded by General Cas-
saignoles, and consisting of the 7th- regiment of
Dragoons and the Ist Hussars, arrived the day
before yesterday from Adrianople, and took up
their quarters at the great barrack of Daoud
Pacha.

AUSTRIA.
VILNYA, Jan. 14.—0 n the 10th or 11th Prince
Gortschakoff received despatches from his Govern-
ment, confirming the electric message which had
reached him on Saturday, the 6th. Of course, the
exact contents of such an important document are
withheld from the public but it is related that
Russia has again expressed her readiness to re-
nounce her claim to an exclusive protectorate in
the Principalities and over the Greek Christians in
Turkey. The St. Petersburg Cabinet is said to
propose that the protectorate shall be exercised by
the Five great Powers ; but, if this be the case,
matters are just where they were some weeks ago.
The Emperor Francis Joseph is, however, extremely
anxious that peace should be restored, and the
most positive assurance has been given that he is
resolved to act as a moderator for both parties. He
will, however, firmly insist on Russia's accepting
those conditions which his Cabinet considers neces-
sary for the future peace and welfare of Europe,
but he will hesitate to conclude an offensive treaty
of alliance with England and France until he ex-
actly knows what will satisfy those powers. It is
evident that it is in the power of Prussia to prolong
or to put a speedy end to the war. If she accedes
to the treaty of December, and places an army of
100,000 men in Silesia, the pacific professions of
Russia will become sincere and she will make con-
cessions ; but as long as the St. Petersburg Cabi-
net has the indirect support which it now receives
from Prussia it is not likely to make any real con-
cessions.

The unwillingness of Omer Pasha to go to the
Crimea at the request of the allies of the Porte has
excited considerable surprise here, and probably
elsewhere, but it is easily accounted for. The
flower of the Turkish army is gone to the Crimea,
and the 18,000 or 20,000 men in the Dobrudscha
are ill-shod and worse fed Redifs (militia). Should
it be asked what has become of the remainder of
the great Turkish army, it may be replied that war
has a strong appetite and requires continual feed-
ing. Riza Pasha sent no reinforcements.