The Sun.
London, England, 1853-11-17 00:00:00

SOCIETY OF ARTS.

The centenary session of this society was opened last
evening, Mr. Harry Chester in the chair, who stated
that he had been called upon only during last week to
fill this important post in consequence of the unavoid-
able absence of Captain Owen, whose duties elsewhere
prevented his attendance here.

After the preliminary arrangements of the evening,
which included the proposal of a vast number of candi-
dates, among whom were the names of the Duke of
Newcastle, Lords Sefton and Fife, the Right Honour.
able Miner Gibson, &c., the chairman proceeded to
give a very interesting account of the origin and pro-
gress of the society.
In 1721, three anonymous letters appeared containing
proposals for the establishment of a society to be called
the " Chamber of Arts." In 1748, Benjamin Franklin
published his " Proposal for the Improvement of useful
Knowledge among the British Plantations in America."
These publications seemed to have made a strong
impression on the mind of the originator of this society•
The public spirit of William Shipley, who is said to have
been a drawing master, and brother to the Bishop of
St. Asaph, gave rise to the Society of Arts, Manufac-
tures, and Commerce, in 1753. The first meeting was
held at Rawthmalls' Coffee-house, in Henrietta-street,
Covent-garden, where the society continued until 1755,
when Peel's Coffee-house was resorted to. That place
being found inconvenient, it moved to Craig's-court. In
1756 larger rooms were taken in the Strand ; but in
1774 the society moved to its present building in the
Adelphi.
The first President was Viscount Folkestone, who
was elected in 1755, and occupied the chair until his
decease, in 1761. Lord Romney was president from
1761 to 1793. The Duke of Norfolk from 1793 to
1815. His Royal Highness the Duke of Sussex, from
1815 to 1843, when his Royal Highness Prince Albert
was elected. _ _

In 1847 the society was incorporated by Royal
Charter.
The Society has encouraged all kinds of arts, sciences,
and manufactures. Among other objects, the following
may be enumerated!; improvements in dyeing, tanning,
tapestry weaving, spinning, lace making, designs for
weavers, embroidering, and calico printing by boys and
girls under seventeen, for paper making, sextants, saw
mills, quadrants, microscopes, for encouraging poor
operatives to improve the processes in which they were
engaged (under this head many substantial rewards have
been given to the poor weavers of Spitalfields and Beth-
nail-green) • also for life boats, all kinds of improvements
in ship building and architecture, for accurate maps of
countries, for artificial mothers of chickens, locomotive
fire engines, pumps, rising door hinges, beetroot sugar
carding machines, "fictitious cotton," made from refuse
of hemp, and also called "flax cotton ;" to commercial
schoolmasters for teaching French, German, and Italian,
surgical instruments, drugs, culinary improvements,
hydrometers, locks, time pieces, machines for teaching
arithmetic, needlework, music, and writing to the blind;
to Captain Bligh for introducing bread fruit into the
West Indies ; for an universal standard of weights and
measures. In short, the objects are innumerable, and
of every possible kind.
*The total amount distributed in premiums and boun-
ties considerably exceeds 100,0001.
The CHAIRMAN then alluded to the active part taken
by the society in the promotion of the Great Exhibition
of ISSI ; and after some practical observations on what
the society proposed to do in the coming year, stated
that the following subjects of discussion had been de-
termined on :—Gold crushing and pulverising, con-
sumption of smoke ventilation of collieries, sewing
machines, manufactures of carpets, gas and its applica-
tion to domestic uses, which concluded his very able and
interesting discourse. _ _

Mr. TooKE proposed a vote of thanks to the chairman,
which was seconded by Mr. Richardson.
The company assembled afterwards inspected the
various manufactures of all kinds that were exhibited.
These will be open to the public by tickets from mem-
bers for some time,

LATEST FOREIGN NE WS.

RUSSIA AND TURKEY.

The following is front Constantinople, dated the
7th inst. :

"A new project or note arrived yesterday morn-
ing, with instructions to the Ambassadors of Eng-
land and France to recommend it to the Porte ;
but there appears to be a decided objection on the
part of the Porte to its being signed. The city is
perfectly tranquil.
" Several Russian prisoners of war have arrived
from Batoum, and more are expected.
" The fort of Chekwetit, taken by the Turks on
the 28th of October, contained 2,000 muskets,
four cannon, and 1,000 men.
" A small Turkish squadron is cruising in the
Black Sea.

" Two British and two French line-of-battle
ships are lying off Therapia for the present.
" No further reinforcement is expected from the
Dardanelles.

" Exchange, IL sterling, 136 piastres."
Other advices from Constantinople of the 7th
inst. state that large masses of troops are concen-
trated on the Asiatic frontier. The Sultan has
received the title of The Victorious. A Turkish
squadron has sailed into the Black Sea. A decla-
ration is to be demanded from Servia. Great
financial distress prevails. The city is quiet. Pi-
rates have made their appearance at Solo.
Accounts from Bucharest of Nov. 13, state that
no further engagement had taken place since the
affair at Oltenitza.

General Osten-Sacken, with 50,000 men, has
already crossed the Pruth, hastening by forced
marches to Jassy.

Report says that Austria has established a corps
of observation on the Lower Save.
Prince Ghika has arrived at Vienna.
The Vienna Lloyd publishes the text of the ad-
dress which the new Greek Patriarch Anthinos has
presented to the Sultan :

"The undersigned having been elected Patriarch by
the metropolitan synod of the notables of the Greek
communion, according to the wish of the nation, and
permitted by your Majesty's especial favour to depose
his respectful homage at the foot of your throne, would
consider it really and truly a glorious act if his devotion
and perseverance were to succeed in realising your bene-
volent and just intentions on behalf of the prosperity cf
your subjects. The benevolent and gracious words which
your Majesty has been pleased to address to me, your
most obedient servant, have informed me that the happi-
ness and tranquillity of the Greek nation are to be con-
fided to my care. Subjects of the Ottoman Porte !
and more especially you, oh Greeks ! know that our
august and legitimate Monarch, in order to give you
a proof his high favour, of his grace and generosity,
has been pleased to address his words and imperial
orders to you as a father speaking to his children.
"Your glorious predecessor, the Sultan Mahomet 11.,
of illustrious memory, after conquering many countries,
did, indeed, think proper to adopt a system of great
leniency and protection with respect to his new subjects ;
but your Majesty has triumphed over the hearts of all
your subjects, and thus you have conquered all your
peoples. Such a victory is glorious to any government.
"We appreciate the grace and favour of which every
day gives fresh proofs, and we vow, with submission and
devotion, to be your Majesty's faithful subjects.
"The Padisha having, in the fulness of his wisdom,
been pleased to consult the interest of his subjects, and
to maintain the ancient privileges which the conqueror
granted to our nation, we, in our turn, are in all duty
bound to have confidence in your Majesty's generosity,
to be obedient to all your orders, to be grateful to the
Ministers as the benefactors of the subjects—to the
Naibs for the justice which they administer, to the
Vizier and the army for their gallantry, to the Patriarch
and all the metropolitans for their moderation and piety.
"It is the duty of all your subjects to remain faithful
and not to depart from righteousness and loyalty.
Happy are we, under the sublime shadow of an incompa-
rable Monarch, that we find protection under the mighty
wings of his grace. Condescend, Sire, to receive the
assurances of the gratitude of the Greeks, your faith-
ful subjects. The sincere expression of that gratitude is
a duty.

"Oh, Divine Providence, protect the august person
of our Sultan ! Maintain him on the Throne, and do
not deprive his subjects of the satisfaction of enjoying his
favours."

The Journal de Constantinople does not exagge-
rate when it speaks of the arrival of 32,000 volun-
teers, but it forgets to add that, though healthy,
they might in clothing vie with Falstaff's ragged
regiment. Here you have their portraits, as taken
by the correspondent of the Triest Zeitung

"The new arrivals are strong, tall, coarse, heavy,
bearded fellows with red caps (the fez), on the tops of
which are green turbans ; neck and breast are uncovered,
and over the ragged shirt is a light jacket in just as bad
a state of preservation. The wide " unmentionables"
reach but to the knee, the legs are hare, and their ex-
tremities are stuck into large shoes of red leather,
which, owing to long service, permit the toes to take
air at will. The cotton girdles which confine the waists
of these patriotic youths contain a pair of pistols, and
above the hips is generally fastened a bit of string, to
which is attached a scabbard containing a sabre much
the worse for rust. Notwithstanding their 'seedy'
appearance, these men stalk through the muddy streets
with as much dignity as if they were going on a mission
to which they were specially appointed by fate."
We learn from Constantinople that the Turks
have crossed the river into the island of Tschatal—
probably from Tulsha—formed by the Kilia and
Sulina arms of the Danube, which places them
directly'opposite Ismail. On the 24th, Prince Gorts-
chakoff sent away all the Turks from Brailow with
bag and baggage. The vessels which were taking
in their cargoes at Brailow have also been sent over
to the island opposite. As this measure was a
source of great annoyance to some Austrian cap-
tains, the Vice-Consul demanded of the local
authorities some explanation, but the only reply
given was " strategic considerations." Mahomet
Pasha, the Commander of Varna has received
orders to fire at every Russian ship of war that
may pass within gun-shot. The state of siege has
been proclaimed at Galatz, Abdullah Pasha, a
Kurdish chief, who had been detained at Constan-
tinople, has been permitted to return to his people.
It is understood that the Turks have promised not
to pass the Pruth or the Cuban, a large Caucasian
river, one arm of which falls into the Sea of Azoff,
and the other, the Chervoi-Protock, into the Black
Sea. The Austrian Government has given the
Knight's Cross of the Francis Joseph's order to.
Messrs. Werry and Turrel, the two Englishmen
who defended the Austrian officers at Smyrna
against the attack of the refugees.

We read in the Siècle :—" The report which has
reached the French Government only estimates the
loss of the Russians at Oltenitza. at 1,200 men.
Letters from Bucharest positively state that the
loss amounts to 3,000 killed or wounded. It is
this fact, according to these letters, which is said
to have determined Prince Gortschakoff not to-re-
new the attack with 24,000 men, as he had decided
on doing in a first movement of anger, which was
very natural, after a defeat inflicted by the Turks
on the Russians, who affected to treat them as'
enemies unworthy of them. The general opinion
is, however, that a decisive affair will take place
from the 12th to the 15th, for the season urges on
Omer Pacha to act. It is positively stated that
the private telegraphic despatches relative to the
war are now stopped at Berlin. The despatches
from Government to Government, and from em-
bassy to embassy will alone have free passage on
the line. If such a measure has been really adopted!
the public will have the news a little later, but will
be better protected against false news. One letter'
does not arrive alone at Paris, and if it curtails or
transforms the truth, others re-establish it, and the
news resume a sincere physiognomy."
We read in the Pays :—" The most recent ac-
counts received from the scene of war on the banks
of the Danube give us reason to think that up to.
the 11th inst. no decisive engagement had taken.
place between the two armies since the affair of
Oltenitza. Everything was confined at that date..
to some affairs of advanced posts, and to some
isolated skirmishes. If we may believe different
German letters, the loss of the Russians in the
battle of Oltenitza amounted to more than 2,000
men. We are still without information as to the
loss of the Turks."

The following bulletin, printed in French and
Russian, was posted up at Bucharest on the sth,
by order of Prince Gortschakoff :
" Taking advantage of a very thick fog, the Turks
occupied an island opposite Turtukai, and afterwards
crossed to the left bank of the Danube. Tiesday
forced reconnaisance of the advanced guard of the
imperial troops drove them back into the entrenchments
which they had thrown up on the border of the river."

A letter from Kalisch, in the Lloyds of Vienna,
says :—" The return of Prince Paskiewitsch to
Warsaw is connected with the declaration of war
made by the 0 ttoman Porte against Russia. It is
certain that the Prince immediately after his re-
turn gave orders to several officers of the staff to
go to their posts in the Principalities. The corps
of General Osten Sacken has received orders to go
by forced marches to the banks of the Danube.
General Lazareff Stanichen, commander of the
park of artillery, has been sent to the government
of Mohilen to send the battering train towards the
Principalities. Prince de Radzi will, one of the
suite of the Emperor, has arrived at Warsaw with
`despatches from the Govenor-General. All the
Rusaian, ofaceni who are abroad are rottinaiiig to

Russia. The war manifesto will be read in a few
days in all the cb.urches."
The Spener Gazette of Berlin, of 13th, states that
the numerous desertions in the Russian army are
owing to the vast number of Poles forming part of
it. The Russian army also contains many Musul-
mans, Islamism being the religion of the majority
of the inhabitants of the southern and western pro-
vinces of Asia ; and there are even mosques in
Poland. In general the Mahomedan population
is about one-eighteenth of the population of the
whole empire, that is three and a half millions.
Their religious affairs are managed by two Muftis
at Ufa, in the Governments of Orenburg Baktschi-
sari, and Tauris. The communes are administered
by Ulernas and Imans.

The Journal de St. Petersburg, of the 27th ult.,
(Bth instant), publishes the following letter, ad-
dressed on 15th ult. (27th) to the Russian Minister
of Finance, by twelve English merchants residing
at St. Petersburg :--
"Monsieur 14 Ministre,—The English merchants se-
lected among the foreigu traders established at St. Peters-
burg, having had the honour to receive verbally from your
Excellency on the 3d and sth of this month, in the name
of his Majesty the Emperor, declarations of a thoroughly
tranquillising character relative to the continuation of the
Imperial protection for their persons, property, and com-
mercial operations, even in the unexpected eventuality
of a rupture of the peace between Russia and Great
Britain, they hastened to make this communication to
the entire body of traders in this capital and their cor-
respondents abroad. The English merchants, in con-
cert with their commercial firms, several of which have
had the happiness from a very distant period to enjoy
the protection of the throne of Russia, fully appreciating
the value of such magnanimous solicitude and condes-
cension towards them under circumstances which it is
impossible to foresee, consider it a sacred duty to ad-
dress to your Excellency an earnest entreaty that you will
be pleased to lay at the feet of his Imperial Majesty the
expression of the most profound gratitude of the English
merchants established in this capital for the paternal
favour that has been announced to them, and which is
so much in conformity with the character of a powerful
and magnanimous Monarch.
(Signed) "It. Cattley, S. C. Gwyer, T. Anderson,
Charles Moberly, D. Wilson, W. D. Buske, F.
Kruger, and by procuration, D. Loder and Co.,
John W. Buske, Thomas Harvey, T. Rodo-
konaki, A. R. Cattley, and M. Anderson."

The Cologne Gazette, under date of Vienna, 12th,
gays :—" Prince Stirbey yesterday received a visit
from Arif Effendi, the Turkish Ambassador, and
the prince returned the visit to-day. It is said
that he has received a confidential communication,
recommending him to shorten his residence here.
Prince Ghika, who is expected here, will not re-
ceive a favourable welcome, which, it is thought,
is owing to representations made by the Cabinet of
St. Petersburg. The two princes will repair to
Paris. The Count de Thun will return on the
16th to his post of ambassador at Berlin. The
Princess Melanie de Metternich, daughter of Prince
de Metternich, is to be married on the 20th to
Prince Zichy."
A telegraphic despatch from Marseilles of yester-
day announces the arrival there of the Mentor
steam packet, which sailed from Constantinople on
the sth inst.

Letters from St. Petersburgh, of the 3d inst.,
state that a new levy of troops, in the proportion
of seven men to every thousand inhabitants, had
been commenced throughout the entire of the
eastern part of the Russian Empire.
According to the Russian correspondent of the
National Zeitung the declaration of war was
drawn up on the model of the Turkish, and was
kept back for some time in the hope that some ac-
ceptable proposition would be made, or that a
direct negotiation with Turkey. might be brought
about :

"The newest news is, that on the Bth inst. a feldjager
left St. Petersburg with despatches for Vienna, the
contents of which will put a check on all the proposals
for pacific arrangements that are circulating at present.
The Emperor has spoken out plainly, that as long as the
Turks are on the left bank of the Danube, and the Sultan
has not retracted his declaration of war, any further
negotiations in the way of arrangement as followed
hitherto are out of the question."
The following is from Constantinople, Nov. 3 :
Ever since last Monday, when the combined
squadrons were first seen advancing towards the
Bosphorus, the cannon from the Turkish batteries
and from the British and French ships of war has
been resounding at intervals. Four line-of-battle
ships and eight frigates have entered and taken up
their station in the Bosphorus, at Beyces, beneath
the Giant's Mount, opposite Therapia. Admiral
Dundas, commanding the British squadron, has
taken up his quarters at the Hotel d'Angleterre,
at Therapia. The Albion and Vengeance are
the British men-of-war "stationed in the Bos-
phorus ; the Jupiter and Henry IV. the French.
The French squadron stands under the orders
of Counter-Admiral Barbier le Timan. The rest
of the combined squadrons have anchored in
different parts of the Dardanelles and the Sea of
Marmora. Though the orders for the fleets to pass
the Dardanelles had been sent some time since,
they haVe been a long time coming up, chiefly
owing to the strong contrary northerly wind that
has been blowing of late. The superiority of the
screw propeller was evinced in the passage of the
Dardanelles. Whilst 'the line-of-battle ships in tow
of two large steam-frigates were slowly working
,their way up at the rate of half a knot an hour,
the Napoleon (the French screw vessel of 130 guns)
passed them, steaming on at the rate of seven
knots an hour. Some of the ships got aground in
the Dardanelles, and a serious accident happened
on board a French man-of-war, in tow of two
steamers. Being drawn aside by the current, the
nearest, steamer was driven back, and ran against
the line-Of-battle ship with a heavy crash, killing
two or three men, and- wounding several others.
With the exception of this, the passage has been
effected with. safety. The time employed by the
sailing -vessels, even when in tow of a considerable
steam-power, compared to screw ships, indicates
the necessity of adopting that system universally
throughout the navy. Constantinople might be
burnt down, and the Bosphorus occupied, long be-
fore a fleet of sailing vessels in• station at the
mouth of the Dardanelles could come up to the
rescue ; whereas screw vessels caii effect the pas-
sage in an astonishingly short time.
We now have the British, French, Turkish,
and Egyptian fleets within sight of the Golden
Horn. Never were such imposing naval forces
seen at Constantinople. Independent of these
squadrons, there is scarcely a nation of Europe tha t.
is not represented by two or three, or ,more, ships
of war. The Bosphorous is literally crowded by
men of-war, frigates, and steamers. The amount
of artillery thus afloat is somewhat incredible. The
British and French squadrons carry together nearly
3,000 guns • the Turkish and Egyptian fleets up-
wards of 2,000.

These are momentous times. We now have
the casus belli with a vengeance. War is declared,
and has commenced. The Turks have crossed
the Danube. On the 28th of October, Ismail
Pacha passed the Danube at Widdin, and took pos-
session of Kalafat and the surrounding heights,
which the Russians had been fortifying. , It
appears that they retired on the approach of the
Turkish forces, retreating towards Krajov a. The
number of men who have crossed the Danube is
variously stated ; in a letter written from Widdin,
13,000 are mmtioned. Omer Pacha was expected
at Widdiu on the Ist of November, to superintend
the passage of more numerous forces in person.
Prince Gortschakoff's answer to the letter of
Omer Pao,ha, calling upon him to evacuate the
principalities, was curt and significative :—" The
Emperor has not accepted the modifications intro-
duced by the Porte into the Vienna note. I have
not the order to pass the Danube, but still less
have I that to evacuate the principalities."
The following extract from a letter, dated Bu-
charest, Oct. 21, has much interest :

"Since the declaration of war Prince Gortschakoff
has assured Prince Stirbey, in the name of his Emperor,_
to keep him at his post, even after the war; never
theless he orders about the Wallachian authorities
at his liking. Thus he has ordered that all the sum('
to be found in the treasury of the convents, publi
establishments of charity, &c., be placed at his dis-
posal for the wants of the army. It has fur-
ther been ordered that none of the Wallachian Go
vernment officials be paid before the month of November.
The public Treasury is paying as much as 11 per cent.
per. month for sums which it is obliged to raise in
order to meet the demands of the Russian army. Prince
Gortschakoff and all the Russian officers are much alarmed
at the great forces brought together by Turkey. On the
18th news reached Bucharest that Omer Pacha had ar-
rived at Rutschuk, at the head of 30,000 men. The evening
before Prince Gortschakoff had received orders from St.
Petersburg to concentrate his troops, to keep the
officers at their posts, and to be in readiness to com-
mence offensive operations. The Russian general
immediately concentrated 22,000 men on the hills
that are between Bucharest and Giurgevo. Orders
were sent to the troops stationed in Little Wallachia to
repass the river Alouta (Olto), and to spread
along the line of the Sabar. Great agitation is kept
up in the principalities, and some terror, reports
being spread by the Russians that the urks will
massacre the inhabitants of both town and country.
It is thought that both the Princes Stirbey and
Ghika will leave shortly, probably for Vienna. Prince
Gortschakoff having proclaimed martial-law through-
out the Principalities, their authority is at an
end. M. de Laurain, Consul-General of Austria
at Bucharest, has been removed from his post, it
is said, in consequence of some statements he had
made, which had been disapproved of by his Go-
vernment. He is to be replaced by M. Michano-
vich, actually consulting-general at Constantinople.
The Russian army in the principalities numbers at
present 70,000 available men. The third corps d'almee
is entering Moldavia in small portions. The Rus-
sians have therefore, on the whole, ' from about
100,000 to 110,000 men. The Russians declare that
they will never surrender theitown ofßuchvost but in
---- A

ashes. In the towns lining the banks of the Danub
they say that they will offer no opposition to the Turks
in order to let them pass the river, and proceed into th
interior, when they will fall upon them.'

From further information it appears that t
Russians expected the Turks to force a passage):
the Danube, if anywhere, at Rutschuk—not at d
din—and that they were unprepared to opposet h
landing of the Turkishforces at Kalafat, whichplac.
has fallen into the hands of Ismail Pacha, in a sem:
fortified state; as also the other surroundingheights
The Turks are now busy fortifying themselves there
The Russians have established two entrenched defen
sive lines between Bucharest and Giurgevo, well
furnished with cavalry and artillery. A great por
tion of the inhabitants of the town of Krajova,
Slatina, and Karakal, have emigrated into the in-
terior of Wallachia.