The Sun.
London, England, 1853-10-27 00:00:00

THE NAVIGATION OF THE DANUBE.

(Prom the Times.)
The correspondence which has been going on for
several years between the British and Russian Go-
vernments respecting the navigation of the Sulina
entrance to the Danube has recentlybeen published,
and, in the present state of the corn trade and the
political aggression on the Turkish principalities, is
a highly interesting document. Since 1849 the
representations of the British Government to Count
Nesselrodo on the total disregard by Russia of the
duties imposed upon her by treaty to keep the
channel of the Sulina clear, and of the evils sus-
tained in consequence by the commerce of the
world, have been incessant, while the replies re-
ceived have exhibited a course of policy of which
the alternate delays, evasions, and simulated sense
of offended dignity, lately witnessed on the Turkish
question, have been a perfect counterpart. The
Sulina mouth of the Danube has been in possession
of Russia 25 years, and ever since that time the
greatest injury has been sustained by commerce
from the gradual choking up of the bar. When
the place was in the hands of the Turks they kept
a depth of water in the channel of from 14 to 16
feet, and without incurring the slightest expense,
by merely making every vessel going out of the
river drag a heavy iron rake after her over the bar.
The depth thus secured was sufficient for all ordi-
nary traffic, but the Russians have suffered it to be
commonly reduced to 9 feet. This is wholly inade-
quate to the nature of the vessels employed in the
corn trade, and the most ruinous delays and ex-
penses for lighterage are consequently incurred.
The greater portion of the inconvenience and injury
falls upon British traders • but Austria is also a
heavy sufferer, and it was calculated in the autumn
of 1850 that the state of the bar at that time would
cause a direct loss to the total commerce of the pro-
vinces of at least 100,0001. for that season alone,
while the entire evil could have been removed for
less than 1,0001. In 1840 the Austrian Government
made a treaty with Russia for 10 years, by which
Russia undertook to work continually on the bar,
and Austrian vessels going out without incurring
lighterage were to pay from $2 to $3 each. This
treaty was dealt with by the Russian Government
as waste paper. They sent two dredges to be
wrought by manual labour which worked one day,
and were never afterwards heard of. They con-
trived, however, in many instances, to levy the
tax stipulated, and thus added meanness to the
unscrupulous evasion. Sulina is called by Russia
a free port, and, although by a treaty with. Turkey
I no establishment is to be permitted there except
for quarantine and lighthouse purposes, a small
town has sprung up, containing a fixed population
of 1,000 inhabitants, and double or treble that
number during the season of navigation. They
are chiefly lightermen, pilots, tavernkeepers, fisher-
men, ti7c. (the latter of whom are all Russian sub-
jects), and their profits seem principally to arise
from the extortions upon vessels and their crews,
rendered practicable by the existing impediments
to the navigation. If the place were really free it
is believed it would become the great depot for all
the grain of the Danube. The rival interests of the
Russian port of Odessa, however, have evidently
always operated to produce a determination that,
in the face of the most deliberate obligations to the
other Powers of Europe to maintain it in a navi-
gable state, every means that duplicity could sug-
gest should be employed to perpetuate the impedi-
ments complained of. When, in 1849, Count
Nesselrode's attention was drawn to the urgent
necessity of a less dishonourable course, professions
were made of full intentions to do what was re-
quisite. A steam-dredging machine had been pur-
chased in England, and this, it was alleged, would
accomplish everything. Its natural unfitness for
the work, as well as the determination of those
employed upon it to prevent its being of any use,
was soon demonstrated, and fresh remonstrances
were constantly forwarded. All that was wanted
was that the old Turkish method of raking should
be resorted to, the conviction of every person of
experience being that a small steam-boat of 20 or
30-horse power, passing and repassing over the bar,
drawing a heavy iron rake after her, would keep
the water at 16, or perhaps 18 feet in depth. But,
although the old rakes were actually still lying at
Sulina, Count Nesselrode would never listen to this
simple plan. The Russian Government were most
anxious and willing, he averred, to fulfil their
treaty pledges at any trouble or expense, but the
moment the fact was pressed that no trouble or ex-
pense was necessary, and that the rakes would do
all that was wanted, he invariably evaded it, or took
refuge in a fit of indignation that the good inten-
tions of Russia should be doubted. Her entire
object was to find pretexts for delay, and whenever
illogical excuses were upset, and her shameless con-
duct was made transparent, a resort to that kind of
irritability which would prevent the British Minis-
ter from reopening the discussion was usually found
effective. It was known that no war would arise
out of the matter, and that, consequently, the course
adopted would answer every purpose. In this state
the affair remains at the present time. The last
letter in the published correspondence is from Sir
Hamilton Seymour to Lord Clarendon, dated the
15th of July, in reply to a dispatch from his lord-
ship reiterating the complaints of the previous four
years of "grievous injury inflicted upon English
navigation, and upon that of other countries;" and
contained the old answer of Count Nesselrode, that
the subject should be " carefully examined." If
this should be succeeded by a repetition of an inti-
mation conveyed by the British Government to the
Russian Chancellor in September, 1851, to the effect
that " Russia, when she compelled Turkey to cede
to her the outlet of a great European river which
forms the commercial highway for the mutual in-
tercourse of many nations, undertook duties and
responsibilities to other States which she
.should
take a pride in making good," it will most pi obaLly
be followed, as it then was, by a " feeling of sore-
ness on the part of the Imperial Government at the
mistrust manifested as t• their intentions;" and in
this way the wrong will be perpetuated. Mean-
while, with a very deficient harvest, France and
England, as well as Austria and the Principalities,
are made to suffer a degree of mischief which is in-
calculable. In 1847 the number of British vessels
leaving the Danube was 394, while the total of all
countries was 568, with 577,387 quarters of wheat
on board. The supply this year could, apparently,
have been much more extensive, but the obstacles
to the trade have been increased until to-day, owing
to the approaching hostilities. The final announce-
ment has arrived that " the navigation of the Da-
nube is now impossible."

ESCAPE OF THE POLITICAL CONVICT JOHN
MITCHEL.

The Hobart Town Courier publishes a letter, addressed
by Mr. Mitchel, to a friend, dated June 9, 1853, of
which the following is a passage.
Finding that warrants had been actually issued some
weeks ago against me as an absconder, under which
warrants a gentleman was hunted like a wild
beast, and even taken prisoner by mistake, as John
Mitchel, an absconder while I was all the time
quietly living at my cottage, and under parole of
honour not to abscond I felt outraged by this in-
sult. I had not reclaimed my parole, had intimated
no intention of reclaiming it, and perceiving how
little value the convict authorities placed upon
that security, and how little respect they paid
it (though it has been my only fetter for three
years), I resolved to withdraw it in due form, and
let them try how they could hold me without it.
I therefore addressed the following note to the Lieute-
nant-Governor

" Bothwell, June 8, 1853.
" Sir,—l hereby resign the 'comparative liberty' which
is called ticket of leave, and revoke my parole of honour.
In pursuance of this determination, I shallrforthfith _,
sent myself before the police magistrate of Bothwell,, to"
offer myna
his police-office, show him this letter,
bo taken into custody.—l remain, si-, yanondrobcchnent- ter-
" .foinsr 3frrc EL.
vant,
y friend ---- .
This day (Thursday) being post-dayrafrom Bothwell,
rode into the village, accompanied
byu.sual, a constable
I went to the police office (where,
warked into
.the magis-
was on guard outside the door),
trate's room, where I found the police magistrate and
police clerk ; and addressing the former, sanido,te",S,
plac-
ing I
‘alA"mPYlotromryead it i" "If
have written to the Lieutenant-Governor, and have
thought it right to s_boewsayiodu,
,‘ it was for that purpose I gave
ing it in his hlanrdeps.liedli,
then looked at the letter for a moment.
you please,"
it to you." He
"The purport of thatorn "is very plain--
you
see, it is to revoke, my parole." He looked at me as if
for further explanation, so I repeated what I had said:
~ You observe my parole is:now at an end,and I am here
that you may take me into custody."
Then, feeling that
my business there was done, and that lie had
the opportu-
nity which I was bound to allow him, I turned, and, after
wishing the magi strate good
and left the room. The tuemenantorluinwags, output 0
fonthme yofillicaet
door, and while I Was still
clerk made a loud Outcry, iclailltihneg passage, he and the
011 the chief constable
(whose office
ceent,aati)lthe ther side of the passage) to secure
me.
constable, e, who officiates as clerk to the dis-
trict
immediately rushed out, calling on me
to stop. Thefortunately other constable on guard at the door had
occupied himself in holding two horses, so
that •
my friend and myself passed without the necessity