The Sun.
London, England, 1853-05-19 00:00:00

IMPORTANT FROM TURKEY.

The non-official portion of the Monikur contains
the following article on the Eastern question :

"At the time when Prince Menschikoff went to Con-
stantinople as Extraordinary Ambassador of his Majesty
the Emperor of all the Russias there was some reason
to fear that one of the results of his mission would be
the cancelling of part of the concessions obtained in 1852
by M. de Lavalette for the fathers of the Latin church
of Terra Santa. It will be remembered that on the de-
mand of the French Legation the Government of his
Highness the Sultan had consented to restore to the
Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which is the delegate of the
Holy See, the key of the principal gate of the Church of
Bethlehem, and that it had given orders to replace in
the Grotto of the Nativity a certain star with a Latin
inscription which had disappeared in 1847 ; and lastly,
his Highness's Government had consented to grant to
the Catholic community the right of celebrating their
rites in a most venerated sanctuary in the church, which
is commonly known as the Church of the Grave of the
Virgin.
"The Government of his Imperial Majesty could not
consent to the withdrawal of any of these advantages from
the members of the Latin church. The Cabinet of St.
Petersburgh, moreover, transmitted at an early period
to the Cabinet of the Tuileries the assurance that it was
by no means its intention to compel the Porte to revoke
any of the concessions made to us.
" The last news from Constantinople, which arrived
by the Chaptal steamer, and which bears the date of the
7th of May, enables us to affirm that the maintenance
of the status quo at Jerusalem, as claimed by Prince
Menschikoff, does not, with regard to the state of pos-
session by the members of the Latin Church, implicate
any modification which can possibly affect the arrange-
ments made by the Marquis do Lavalette. This was,
for us, the most essential point, and one which could
not, as far as we were concerned, become the object of
any transaction. As to our old treaties with Turkey,
they cannot be invalidated by any diplomatic act or re-
solution on the part of the Porte without the express
con sent of France.
"Prince Menschikoff demands also from the Divan
the conclusion of a treaty which would place under the
protection of Russia the rights and privileges of the
Greek Church and clergy. This question, which is alto-
gether distinct from the question of the Holy Places,
affects interests of which Turkey should be the first to
appreciate the value. If this question were to lead to
certain complications it would become a question of
general European policy, in which France would be en-
gaged with the same right as the other powers who
signed the treaty of the 13th of July, 1841."
We read in the Debats

" By the Scamandre packet we have received ac-
counts from Constantinople to the sth. The most strange
reports as to the state of the capital had been in circula-
tion in the provinces of the empire. M. Fonblanque,
the English consul at Belgrade, had even sent an extra-
ordinary courier to inquire whether Lord Reddiffe had
not perished in the massacre which was said to have
taken place at Constantinople. Similar reports were
spread in the Greek villages of the Bosphorus. It was
therefore intended to have suspended the ceremonies of
the Holy Week, had not the Grand Vizir given orders
that every freedom should be given to the Christians to
fulfil their religious duties. Tranquillity has never been
disturbed. Prince Menschikoff was about to leave, but
it was not known whether it was owing to a cessation of
diplomatic relations with the Porte, or whether the mis-
sion of the prince had been fulfilled. The firman rela-
tive to the Holy Places had been discussed and signed by.
the Sultan, and a copy of it was to have been communi-
cated to Prince Menschikoff on the sth. It would be
accompanied by a simple note, which would neither have
the form nor the value of a diplomatic document, as
the Russian ambassador desired. The prince had re-
mained in his apartments for several days until the
arrival of a steamer from Odessa, on board of
which was an extraordinary courier. The prince
then caused it to be announced that he had just re-
ceived dispatches from St. Petersburgh, approving of his
conduct, and requesting him to persevere. At the same
time he complained to the Porte that the demands made
by Russia, which only wanted what was just and legal, had
been much exaggerated. The prince added that the
Cabinet of Vienna would have great pleasure in seeing
satisfaction given to the Emperor Nicholas. All these
stratagems had produced no effect. The Divan refused
to yield to the exigencies of the Autocrat, and appeared
to rely not only on the sympathies of France and Eng-
land, but also on the resistance which the Greek Synod
had shown against the pretensions of Russia on the ques-
tion of the Patriarchate. Mr. Layard, Under-Secretary
at the Foreign-office in London, and temporarily at-
tached to the Embassy at Constantinople, was preparing
to return to England. This precipitate departure was
attributed to a difference which had arisen between him
and Lord Redcliffe on the affairs of the East and on the
political men of the country. The Narval, French
steamer, was every day expected at Constantinople.
She would bring back some members of the Ottoman
embassy from Paris, and 2,000 rifles for the Ottoman
troops, similar to those carried by the Chasseurs de Vin-
cennes."

The Lord Chancellor of Ireland, at the recommenda-
tion of the Earl of Bandon, has appointed Sir J. L.
Cotter, Bart., to the commission of the peace for the
county of Cork.
MURDER BY A WlFE.—Early on Tuesday the inha-
bitants of St. Leonard's-on-Sea were thrown into a state
of excitement by the report.being circulated that during
the night a man named Stephen Smith had lost his life
in an altercation with his wife. From inquiries it ap-
pears that the deceased man was a shoemaker, living
with his wife in a room, which formed one of a suite of
living rooms, over some coachbouses in the Harold-
mews, St. Leonards-on-Sea. On Monday evening,
about nine o'clock, deceased and his wife went into
Hastings. At eleven o'clock they were seen in a
beershop in West-street. known as the Queen Ade-
laide. They then appeared to be on very friendly
terms, and drinking a part of a-pot of porter. They
left there in about a quarter of an hour, and were seen
returning towards St. Leonard's shortly before twelve
o'clock. This was the last time they were seen together.
In 20 minutes after this the woman (whose name is
Sarah Smith) was proved to have fetched a pint of beer,
which she did not take home. Shortly after 1 o'clock the
woman called a neighbournamed Mary Cope, stating that
she had stabbed her husband. This person ran for Mr. R.
C. Gardiner, a surgeon, who was on the spot in 10 minutes.
On his entering the room Mrs. Smith exclaimed, "I have
killed my husband. I knew it would come to this." She
further said that the deceased was always jealous of her ;
they had been out together to Hastings, and in coming
home she " gave him the slip," and did not get home until
after him ; that he spoke to her, and she then threatened to
"do for him," upon which he opened his waistcoat and
said "Do it." She then took up a knife, having a very
sharp point, from deceased's workseat, and stabbed him
in the chest, afterwards throwing the knife out of the
window on a dungheap. From this wound the unfor-
tunate man died in about a quarter of an hour. The
woman was at once removed in custody to Hastings
gaol. At 10 o'clock yesterday morning the accused was
examined before the mayor (Mr. T. Hickes) and Mr.
F. Ticehurst, and remanded unt;l this day. Yesterday
afternoon an inquest was held on the body, and a ver-
dict of " Wilful murder" returned against Sarah Smith.
The accused woman has been of a loose character, of
drinking habits, and possessing an ungovernable temper.
ROYAL GEOGRA.PIIICAL SOCIETY. The anniversary
meeting of this society will take place on Monday, the
23d instant, at one p.m., in the theatre of the Royal In-
stitution, for the election of officers. After reading the
Council report, Sir Roderick I. Murchison, the presi-
dent, will present the founder's gold medal to Mr.
Francis Galton, for his extensive explorations in
Southern Africa ; and the patron's gold medal to Com-
mander E. A. Inglefield, R.N., for his late researches
in the Arctic regions, The president will next deliver
the annual address, on the "Progress of Geographical
Science and Discovery" during the past year. The anni-
versary dinner will be held at Willis's Rooms, at 7 p.m.
EXTRAORDINARY ROBBERY IN A GLASGOW RANK.—
On Saturday forenoon a young man named Andrew
Wallace, proceeded to the Western Bank in Miller-
street, Glasgow, to cash a check for 7001. for his em-
ployers, Messrs. D. and J. Macdonald, sewed-muslin
manufacturers. The teller handed him the money, con-
sisting of four 1001. notes, five 101. notes, and theremainder in small notes. Wallace counted the large
notes, amounting to 4501., and laid them aside on the
counter, while he proceeded to look over the small notes.
When so engaged, a well-dressed person came behind
him on the left side, and hurriedly asked him to point
out the manager's room. Wallace looked round, and
indicating with his head, said "To the left." " Which
of the doors ?" said the stranger. The clerk told him,
and immediately turned round to resume the counting
of the small notes, He saw in a moment that the parcel
of large notes, viz., 4501., had disappeared, and ex-
claimed, "My money is gone !" Mr. Crawfurd, a re-
spectable citizen, who was transacting business in the'
bank beside Wallace, said, " I saw a gentleman lift a
parcel of notes from before you, and there he is leaving
the bank this very moment ;" and certainly at the in-
stant a man was seen hurriedly receding from the glass
door which opens to the street. Wallace hastily snatched
up the small notes, and rushed out, but by this time the
thief had got to the bottom of Miller-street, and mixed
in the crowd continually rolling along Argyll-street.
Wallace could not have identified the thief, even though
he had come alongside of him, for, in point of fact,
while the one fellow engaged the clerks attention on the
left side, his associate came up on the right and hastily
snatched the money, and Wallace, consequently, never
saw him. The thief who inquired for the manager's
room vanished amid the confusion, and, although 100.
has been offered as a reward, as yet there are no traces
of either the culprits or the money. The perpetrators
of the robbery are supposed to be English thieves.