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

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 of 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 pro-
ceed from the Mediterranean to the Black Sea, and vice
versa, without previously obtaining the authorisation of
the Divan. The system bas 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 pn the subject with the
same firmness 'as the ► lenipoteetiaries of France
and Austria. It would not require long argu-
ments to show that the system of the Russian
counter-project deserved to be rej-cted both for legal
and political reasons It is henceforth an axiom of in-
ternational law that the maritime territory of any State
extends to ports, rnadsteds, bays, gulfs, mouths of rivers,
and any part of the sea confined wit'ain land. In apply-
ing these principles, which Wheatston, one of the cham
pions of the seas, a'lmits to be absolute, it results that
the Porte must be the sole kedge of the opportuneness
of opening or closing the passage of the straits ; be-
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
Cabine'; understand that neither Austria nor the
Western Powers can easily consent to facilitate to
Russian vessels the entrance into the Mediterraeean and
the Adriatic. 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 importance of which will be seen by a
glance at the map, is the mouths of the Cattaro, which,
from their excellent ilydregraphical conditions, unite for
Russia the immense advantage of touching Montenegro,
a country which every one 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 pretext of
intervenining in behalf of Montenegro, the protec-
torship of which she claims, should concentrate 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 intinue these arguments,
to convince any one whose eyes are not closed against
the light, that those who maintain that the liberty of the
navigation of the Bosphorus may be the salvation of
Turkey, and the sole denouement of the East*-rn ques-
tion are in error."

A letter from Vienna, in the German Journal
of Frankfort, says :—" Some journals laave 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."