The Sun.
London, England, 1855-07-03 00:00:00

LATEST NEWS.

tPENING

OF THE

FRENCH CHAMBERS.

SPEECH OF THE EMPEROR

We have received the text of the speech de-
livered by the Emperor of the French on the
opening of the Legislative Assembly yesterday,
the 2d inst. It is as follows :
" Messieurs les Senateurs,
" Messieurs le Deputes,—
" The diplomatic negotiations commenced
during the course of our last sessioa, already made
you foresee that I should be obliged to call you
together when they came to a 'termination. Un-
happily the Conferences of Vienna have failed in
procuring peace, and I come again to appeal to
the patriotism of the country and to your own.
Were we wanting in moderation in settling the
conditions ? I do not fear to examine the ques-
tion before you.

" One year already had passed since the com-
mencement of the war, and already France and
England had saved Turkey, gained two battles,
forced Russia to evacuate the Principalities, and
to exhaust her forces in the defence of the Crimea.
We had, moreover, in our favour the adhesion of
Austria and the moral approbation of the rest of
Europe.
" In that situation the Cabinet of Vienna asked
us if we would consent to treat upon bases vaguely
formulated. Before our successes a refusal on our
part seemed natural. Was it not to be supposed,
forsooth, that the demands of France and Eng-
land would increase in proportion to the greatness
of the struggle and of the sacrifices already made ?
" Well, France and England did not turn their
advantages to account, or even make the most of
the rights given to them by previous treaties, so
much had they at heart to facilitate peace and to
give an unchallengeable proof of their moderation,
" We restricted ourselves to ask, iu the interests
of Germany, the free navigation of the Danube,
and a breakwater against the Russian flood which
continually obstructed the mouths of that great
river.

"We demanded, in the interests of Austria and
of Germany, a better constitution fur the Danu-
bian Principalities, that they might serve as a
barrier against these repeated invasions of the
North.

" We demanded, in the interest of humanity
and of justice, the same guarantees for the Chris-
tians of every confession under the exclusive pro-
tection of the Sultan.

" In the interests of the Porte, as well as in
those of Europe, we demanded that Russia should
limit to a reasonable degree, sufficient to shield
her against any attack, the number of her ships
in the Black Sea, a number which she could only
maintain with 'an aggressive object.
" Well, all these propositions, which I may
call magnanimous from their disinterestedness,
and which were approved in principle by Austria,
by Prussia, and by Russia herself, have evapo-
rated in the Conferences.

" Russia, who had consented, in theory, to
put an end to her preponderence in the Black
Sea, has refused every limitation of her naval
forces, and we have still to wait for Austria to
fulfil her engagements, which consisted in render-
ing our treaty of alliance offensive and defensive
if the negotiations failed.

" Austria, it is true, proposed to us to guaran-
tee with her by treaty the independence of Tur-
key, and to consider for the future as a casus belli
an increase of the number of Russian ships of
war exceeding that before the commencement of
hostilities.

"To accept such a proposition was impossible,
for it in no manner bound Russia ; and, on the
contrary, we should apparently have sanctioned
her preponderance in the Black Sea. by treaty.
" The war had to follow its course.

" The admirable devotion of the army and navy
will, I trust, soon lead to a happy result. It is
for you to provide me with the means to continue
the struggle.

" The country has already shown what resources
it has at its command, and the confidence it places
in me.

" Some months since it offered me
1,700,000,000 f. more than I demanded. A
portion of that sum will suffice to maintain its
military honour and its rights as a great nation.
" I had resolved to go and place myself in the
midst of that valiant army, where the presence of
the Sovereign could not have failed to produce a
happy influence, and, a witness of the heroic efforts
of our soldiers, I should have been proud to lead
them ; but serious questions agitated abroad,
which have always remained pending, and the na-
ture of circumstances demanded at home new and
important measures. It is, therefore, with/egret
that I abandoned the idea.

" My Government, will propose to you to vote
the annual Recruitment Bill; there will be no ex-
traordinary levy, and the bill will take the usual
course necessary for the regularity of the admi-
nistration of a recruitment bill.

" In conclusion, gentlemen, let us pay here,
solemnly, a just tribute of praise to those who
fight for the country ; let us mingle our regrets
for those whose loss we have to deplore.
" So great an example of unselfishness and con-
stancy will not have been given in vain to the
world.

" Let us no% be discouraged by the sacrifices
which are necessary, for, as you are aware, a na-
tion must either abdicate every political character,
or, if it possesses the instinct and the will to act
conformably to its generous nature, to its histori-
cal traditions, to its providential mission, it must
learn how to support at times the trials which
alone can reteinper, it, and restore it to the rank
which is its due.

" Faith in the Almighty, perseverance in our
efforts, and we shall obtain a peace worthy of the
alliance of two great nations."

THE BALTIC FLEET.

OFF CRONSTADT, JUNE 25.
The Blenheim and Exmouth, and two gun-boats
that left the fleet on the 16th to reconnoitre the
mouth of the river Narva, returned on the 19th.
The heavy firing I mention having heard when I
closed my last letter proceeded from them. At the
river's mouth they found a small fort which opened
fire upon them, but which they soon silenced by
dismounting two of the guns and throwing a few
121 b. rockets into it. The Exmouth was not
touched, but the Blenheim received two shot, one
in the main-top and the other in the mizen-
topmast head, a splinter from which, in falling on
deck, slightly wounded Capt. Searle, R.N. One
round shot glanced off the bow of the gunboat
Snap, and another made a dent in her side and then
fell into the water. There is a large village on the
left bank of the river full of soldiers, but a sand-
bar, which runs across the entrance, makes it so
shallow that only gunboats could cross it. The
town. of Narva is eight miles up the river, is
strongly fortified, and full of troops. About 8 p.m.
(19th) the Majestic hove in sight, and was recalled
from watching Cronstadt.
20th.—At 8 a.m. a general signal was made to
prepare for sea, get up steam at slow speed, and
shorten in cable. At 10 all the fleet got under
way, and proceeded to the eastw&rd, with the ex-
ception of the French corvette D'Assas, which parted
company for --. The Commander-in-Chief keeps
his own counsel so well that not a hint of any
movement in the fleet is known until the mo-
ment it happens. Nobody had the least idea we
were to return to Cronstadt so soon, but about
3 o'clock p.m., when we were over our old an-
choring groun, three miles west of the Tolboukin
Lighthouse, the fleet divided into two divisions,
the first consisting of the Duke of Wellington, Ex-
mouth, Nile, Cressy, Orion, James Watt, Dragoon,
Vulture, Merlin, and eight gun-boats, and French
ships Tourville, Austerlitz, and Isis, continued
their course along the north side of the Island until
they anchored within five miles of the town and
shipping of Cronstadt, and in sight of the domes
and spires of St. Petersburg. The second divi-
sion, consisting of the Royal George, Caesar, Ma-
jestic, Blenheim, and Duquesnes (French) an-
chotecl as o, reserve in mid-channel between the

lighthouse and the opposite coast. The enemy,
perhaps, never anticipated so bold a step as
bringing line-of-battle ships up the mrth si le and
so close to the arsenal, but was in every way pre-
pared. for smaller vessels.
Another of the infernal machines exploded under
the Vulture to-day, just as she was anchoring, and
another as she was swinging to her cable. The first
was rather a severe shock, smashing everything in
the galley, making the old cook run faster than he
has done for many years, and throwing the 68 lb.
shot out of their racks, but doing no further
damage. The enemy has not been idle while
we were away. Another two-decker has completed
her rigging, and shows an enormous red funnel,
but whether she has engines or not is doubtful, for
no smoke has been seen to come out of it. The steam
gunboats have been increased in number from 15
to 21, another two-decker has been added to the
line of hulks along the three-fathom bank to protect
the northern entrance, and the earthern batteries
along the coast have been completed, and look very
great. As soon as we anchored the gunboats got up
steam, and continued for two or three hours car-
rying.men from the town to the hulks, from which
it appears they are not always kept fully manned.
21st—This morning each ship commenced sweep-
ing for the infernal machines, and before night
gathered in a capital harvest of them. The way in
which the sweeping is done is this—two boats take
between them a long rope, which is sunk to the
depth of 10 or 12 feet by means of weights, and
held suspended at that depth by lines attached to
small casks, which float on the surface at intervals
of 40 or 50 yards ; the boats then separate as
far as the rope will allow them, and pull in parallel
lines until one of the casks stops behind, which tells
them, as a fishing float tells the angler, that they
have caught something ; the two boats then ap-
proach each other, keeping the rope taut, then
haul it in carefully, and up comes the machine.
The Exmouth found the first, the Nile the second,
and then the catching became so numerous that in
some instances two at a time were hauled up. Each
machine consists of a cone of galvanised iron, 16
inches in diameter at the base and 20 inches from
base to apex : it is divided into three chambers, the
one near the base being largest and containing air
causes it to float with the base uppermost. In the
centre of this chamber is another, which holdsatube
with a fuse in it and an apparatus for firing it. This
consists of two little iron rods, which move in
guides, and are kept projected over the side of the
base by springs, which press them outwards. When
anything pushes either of these rods inwards it
strikes against a lever, which moves like a pendu-
lum, in the fuse tube, and the lower end of the
lever breaks or bends a small leaden tube, con-
taining a combustible compound, which is set on
fire by coming in contact with some sulphuric
acid held in a capillary tube, which is broken at
the same time, and so fires the fuse, which commu-
nicates with the powder contained in the cham-
ber at the apex of the cone, and which holds
about 91b. or 101 b. At the extreme apex is a brass
ring, to which is attached a rope and some pieces of
granite, which moor them about nine or ten feet
below the surface, so that the only vessels they
could hurt, the gun-boats float quietly over them,
and now we know what they are they have been
disarmed of all their dread.

23d.—At mid-day on Saturday the Admirals and
Master of the Fleet proceeded in tho Merlin ac-
companied by the Dragon, to reconnoitre to the
eastward. They approached so near the block-
ships that a gun boat at anchor between two of
them fired two shots at the Merlin, which fell
about 150 yards from her ; the Russians are evi-
dently aware that is their weakest point, and
it is a point which cannot be strengthened except
by shipping.
24th.—The weather is very hot and sultry.
Thirty-three of the infernal machines have been
picked up, one of them of a rather different con-
struction. A cluster of four were discovered to the
bows of the Duke of Wellington.
25th.—This morning seven or eight two-masted
vessels were observed creeping along the northern
shore ; the Dragon and a gunboat were sent in to
intercept them, and have not yet returned.