The Sun.
London, England, 1855-05-03 00:00:00

THE BALTIC FLEET.

KIEL, HOLSTEIN, April 28.—The fleet still re-
mains moored off Bellevue, in the inner harbour of
this port. On its arrival, 10 days since, it was
stated that when it had completed provisions,
fuel, &c., it would immediately sail for the
scene of its future operations. Each ship, three
days since, had received on board all supplies that
could be stowed away under hatches, and its depar-
ture for the Baltic was expected to take place on
the day following; nevertheless, from causes which
it is difficult to explain, no symptomt of an early
Movement, up. to the piesent date, have been an-
nounced.

The Danube of Vienna, of the 28th ult., says :
" Prince Alexander of Hesse-Darmstadt, a general
of brigade of the Austrian army, is shortly expected
in this city from St. Petersburg, where he has been
to ,pay .a visit to the Empress, his sister. He has
been nominated chief of a regiment of Uhlans iii
the Russian army.' It-is considered singular that
at the present moment a prince, who is an Austrian
general should have a Russian- regiment given to
him."
Tho Prince Charles of Prussia arrived at Char-
lottenburg on the 28th ult., on his return from St.
Petersburg, and was shortly after received by the
King. Ou the 29th ult., the King gave a grand
dinner in honour of the birthday of the Emperor
Alexander. 11.
A letter from Berlin of the 29th lilt., says—

" The ordinary military exercises of, the spring
have commenced at Berlin, and are carried on with
activity. But there is no trace of the extraorditiary
military preparations mentioned by some •of the
newspapers. In the arsenals and military work-
shops a gnod deal of activity does, however,
prevail."

A CHANfiE OF POSITION BEFORE

SEBAST(IPOL.

A letter received from Paris this morning, con-
tains the followicji; important intelligence :—" It
is thought that a diange in .the Wt,r Department.
herwis imminent., and that General Canrohert will
he recall d from th.e Crimea to take the place of
Marshal Vaillant as iNlinister of War, and, accord-
ing to the same accou.ut General Pellissier will, in
all likelihood, be app vinted General eanrobert's
successor. With rem lea to our operations in
the Crimea, it is cur,-ently reported that the
armies are to change their position ; that the
works in font of Sel?astr, poi will be entrusted to
the guardianship of the T arks under Cmer Pasha
and the Saidinian contin :fent, who will strongly
fortify themselves against, a ILattacks, and that the
French and English armies will imitate the French
under Bonaparte at the slog ?, of Mantua, quit the
lines before Sebastopol, adva nee ,an Siwpheropol,
and give battle-to the Russians.

Last week the mean temperature at Greenwich was
44 deg , which is 4•5 deg. below the average of the same
week in 38 years.
GALLERY OF GERMAN ARTISTS.—Amongst the distin-
guished company who, on Mondry last, hoisoured the
private view of the living German Artists' third Exhili-
tion of the'r Works in Lo•bdon, were the puke of RT.-
lan 1, the Marquis of Cholmondeley. Viscount Strang-
ford, the Ear! of Harlwicke, the Earl of Lanesborougb,
the Earl of Derby, Earl Gra,ville, the Earl of fiere•
wood, the Err] of Wicklow, the Ea'l of Macclesfield,
Eirl Grey, the Lord Bishop of WiTcester, the Ler
Bishop of Carlisle. the Load Bishop of Winchester, Lori •
Cran worth, Lord Sudeley, the Right Hon. W. E. Glad-
stone, the Dean of Westminster, the Baron de Cetto, Sir
Charles Lyell.
MR. ALBERT SMITIL—Last night Mr. Albert Smith
held a floral festival at the Egyptian hall—that, is to say,
he presented every lady who patronised his enteitainment
vith a handsome bouquet, gracefully presented at the
to rmination of the first part.
DESERTIONS FROM THE ARMY, THE MILITIA, AND THE
NA VY.—The monthly return of deserters from the army
aril embodied militia, made up to Saturday last, exhibits
a va st increase in the number of ilefatilter's 'to those of
the. p receding month, the deserters from the regaT
forces .being 379, and those from tee militia 395, making
a total O. 774. There is a slight decrease in the ruinLer
of dose Tte,rs, straggle rs, and men discharged with dis-
era,ce Bross her Mej'sty's ships and vessels during the
past r non th, the total being 55.
Sri icues.TiONS ON THE BUDGET.—It has been the gos-
eip of the la et ten days that two of the greatest importers
of tea. in Lonalon, warned by some person connected with
the go vernme et of the coming increase in the tea duty,
had to ken out of bond an immense quantity of tea
before the ina'ease became publicly known. The
fict tl hat the he: '4 of one of the firms referred to is
a met fiber of Parliament, and perhaps the remem-
brance of the Laavley speculations assisted the story.
One 017 the gentlemen alleged to have so cleared has
publish ed a letter, which seems a very rational account
of an Root of prudence. He says that the public exigency,
the d e6ciency in the revenue, the loan, and the guarded
hrngu a:se of the Chancellur, and his conviction of the
policy of the Government, left him to think it very itn-
ins;ba' hle that tea and sugar would escape the imposition
of new duty, and lie hastened to iosure hillyelf against
the va gari es of legislation. The frllowing was .his cal-
culatie n :—"lf I anticipate a month's duty, my only
loss wi 11 be the interest upon the amount I shall so pay
in trait lipation, and as we should have, under any cir
cumsta news, te pay duty daily, if I pay a month's con-
sumptio
• ,s in advance, I shall only, in fact, lose a fort-
night's i r aerest. 100,0001 b., at ls. 6d. per lb. duty is
7,500/ , the interest on which for fourteen days is
14/. 7s. $ 1., while on the other band, if my fears are
correct (a mid I assumed the increase of duty would at
least pave been 6d. per lb.). the profit—or rather the
saving of a lose—would Le 100,0001 b., at 6d..per lb.,
2,5001 th:,ugl.t the insurance—viz., 15/.—moderate
as agaimo knelt a sum, and. I hedged therefore against
the pre -rbsbi
MET ItOrni ',ITAN COMMISSION OF SEWERS.—Yesterday
a specie tl Con rt of Sewers was held at the Court-house,
Greeks. teeet, Soho, Mr. Jebh in the chair, for the pur-
wise of earii• e' appeals against improvement rates on
Clerkenan sll, Wir itechapel, Chelsea, Islington, &e..--to
issue wai rants ag,ainst defaulters on district rates—to
receive pi .esentments of nuisances, and to consider the
necessity of repairing sewers, gullies, &c., but no points
of interes t. arose worthy of a report.