The Sun.
London, England, 1854-09-19 00:00:00

THE BALTIC FLEET.

The Oesterreichische Soldaten Freund contains
the following upon the return of the Baltic fleet :1
" The Angio•French armada, locked up in the ice
the Baltic, would for many months be a forlorn post. Tril.
strategy, on the contrary, demands that such a forno'
dable force should remain disposable, and that the helrns'
men of the State should despatch it to such points as,
in the course of a long winter, may be more it;
portant than any frost-bound objects of attack in the
north of Russia When the gallant 805
man said, Sharpen your cutlasses, lads !' he Wad
thinking of the boarding of Russian vessels ; he
not have anticipated that these ships would in
summer remain lurking behind granite walls. It me!'
not be forgotten that the first duty of a navy consists nt
the protection of its commercial marine ; but the Bus'
Sian Admirals left their merchantmen to their fate, 813t1
the Russian commercial marine in the Baltic is as good
as annihilated. This one object has been attained bl
Admiral Napier ; for the attainment of the other, the
destruction of the Russian fleet, or some more extensive
marine fortification than Bomarsund, there are, ne
doubt, suitable preparatious being made in the mili-
tary and naval arsenals of England and France. it
is also possible, moreover, as we have heard
from more than one quarter, that the allies' plan of
operations may have been changed. After having sue'
ceeded in diverting the Russian forces into different
directions by a simultaneous attack in the Baltic Atli
the Euxine, and preventing their concentration in a single
rayon, or the detachment of any strong bodies to tile
Asiatic theatre of war, the Western Powers might no.vve:
in this autumn, with good expectation of success, cl_t
spatch a separate expedition, under the command °'
Marshal Baraguay d'Hilliers, to the Anatolian theatre
of war to operate against the Russian army at Tiflis."

RUSSIA.
A new extraordinary levy of recruits has
and
ordered in Russia, to fill up the immense wear 0.
tear of the last six or eight months. The 1011(0113D
ukase announces this determination :
•

"Peterhof, Aug. 26, 1854.
"We, Nicholas I. by the grace of tod,
&c.,deem it indispensable, under existing circunr
stances of war, to form the reserve troops definitiveli;
and therefore ordain-1. To carry into effect the 12ts
series of partial recruiting in the governments ef,ll3cei
western half of the empire [the whole empire is divluei
westernil
into two great recruiting circles—eastern and
virtn,°o
by raising ten men from each thousand souls, in
of the special stipulations herewith addressed to tip...,
directing senate. 2. This levy is to begin upon tbet:r"
of November, and terminate on the 15th of Pecen3haell
next. 3. The Hebrews liable to recruiting duties s- to
furnish ten men from each thousand souls, according o
Autocrt,
the 16th supplement to clause 685 of the recruitingll
&c. (Signed)
Of the whole population of R"
five million souls come within the circurirscriPtw' 0,
of the conscription laws, and of these nearly ,ta, et
Russia, about
•fror:oc
thirds are serfs—little better than the ut Pecc°';oil-
jumenta of the Romans. If these forty-five De-
lion souls be divided into two halves, that rig
half for each circle, the result will be 22,12: rel'hlf
souls for the western half ; then, deducting 1,-0
for females, 111 males of all ages remain,
at the pro rata of 10 per 1,000,- will fury
about 110,000 recruits. Of these according,.
Hasethausen, noways disposed to ;peak dispgio
ingly of Russian organic systems, from 25 °first
per cent. die or are invalided within the or,
year, and indeed the greater part of this uitg
centage drop off before the convoys of r°`'rreg.
reach their respective head-quarters. The Pero,
sure on the male population, and upon serf-own di,
is rendered immense by these repeated extranrd
nary levies, of which the present is the Beller
within the last six months. For the actual eYI)„ to
of males of an age to serve—that is, between 1 he
30—cannot be estimated at more than half of
whole, which would reduce the number liable is.
furnish recruits in each circle to about 5i raillieee„
So that, in point of fact, 250 souls furnish I°rhe
cruits, which gives a percentage of 4. Sines ,
commencement of the war the drain has amot3";
to about twelve per cent. on those liable to Orr-.
According to the ukase directed to the Sena
those furnishing recruits—that is, serf-owners,
nicipalities, or others—are required to paYlv,_s,-ace,
roubles 20 kopecks for the equipment of each 000
so that in addition to the loss of hands, the 1-t,'at
recruits cost an expenditure to contributors Of 3'-
1,200,000 roubles.

AUSTRIA.
VIENNA, Aug. 15.—The Lloyd yesterdaY
the
ing expressed some astonishment that a part el- of
foreign press should suppose the foreign Pc:diet e.
the Imperial Government had undergone a eir..,,rigto
Austria has neither given the Western Powe'o3,
understand that she is inclined to separate irsOrt.
them, nor has she ceased to consider the four ac.oi.
ditions the necessary basis for any future PrTites-
naries for peace. It is not necessary to be a 5" Ap.
man or diplomatist to understand that all leas
parent hesitation on the part of Austria
over
arisen from a very natural desire to gai? faia
the rest of Germany to her policy. l"'1,-3s
is not blind to the fact that Russia of
always endeavoured to conceal her scheniesoci
conquest under the cloak of religion, `the
her statesmen know full well that it is not now of
question of the keys of the Holy Sepulchre, °roe
the strategic evacuation of the Principalities. fis
Imperial Government is as well aware of at
necessary for the welfare of Europe as are the
French and English Cabinets, and, therefore/
machinations of Russia are not likely to be of the
avail in Austria. Austria has a great stake itt,,ooi.
game which is now playing, and is naturally usell
rous of deriving some advantage from it, as
for herself as for Germany. " The world 111‘‘..
1e assurol," says the Lloyd, "1,1,3,t
tria is to-day where she was yesterday, anu:c. pot
the fitting moment for action arrives sbe,taer
be found wantiAg," Such are the yiewe 01

who is a vigorous opponent of Russia, and an open
contemner of the " snivelling" policy of Prussia
and the smaller German Stites.
A letter from Vienna, of the loth, in the Cassel
Journal, says :—" We learn from a good source
that the Austrian Cabinet will not come to a defi-
nitive resolution concerninc, the proposal of an
offensive and defensive alliance with the Western
Powers, until the re ;ult of the propositions sub-
mitted to the Diet by Bat on Von Prokttsch-Osten,
as also that of the military operations commenced
in the Black Sea, be known. AU that may safely
be said in the interval is that, should the proposi-
tions submitted to the Diet not be so favourably
received as Austria might wish, but, on the other
hand, the militaryoperations in question be crowned
3 with success, the conclusion of the said alliance
will no longer be doubtful, whatever the Berlin
papers may say to the contrary."
The Press of Vienna, of the 14th, says :—" It is
known that Baron Proketsch-Osten, representative
of Austria at the Diet, has submitted to the corn-
nfittee of the Diet several questions, and amongst
others that of deciding how far the situation of
Germany is changed by the default of temporary ex
planations on the first point of the additional article
of the Austro-PruAan treaty, which is tys that
offensive operations would be commenced, it
Russia incorporated the principalities or passed
the Balkans. We learn from a sure source that
Prussia has declared her opinion on that point in a
circuhir, dated September 3 • she says that the
eventualities provided for by diat article being dis-,
t ant, it ought to be looked on as without effect ;
and that Prussia would not take part either in a
war of aggression against Russia or in other
coercive measures, having for object to enforce the
execution of the guarantees demanded, and that,
in fine, Germany could not give a more extensive
application to the treaty of April 20, if Prussia did
not consent to it. Austria, she adds, has not to
fear any attack on the part of Russia. There are
positive indications that Austria has recently suc-
ceeded in coming to an understanding with Ba-
varia and Saxony on the Eastern question. The
gravity of the situation has caused these Cabinets
to comprehend that the attitude of Austria is very
advantageous to German interests."
A letter from Vienna of the 12th, in the
Breslau Gazette, says :--
"The Prussian ambassador announced in the
audience given him by the Emperor, before his depar-
ture,_ the arrival of new propositions of mediation, drawn
np by the Prussian Government. The ambassador at
the same time thanked the Emperor, in the name of his
Sovereign, for the last resolution of Austria with respect
to the Russian reply, and expressed the hope that the
Winter which is approaching would present an opportune
occasion for conferences and negotiations. It is possible,
neveitheless, that Prussia will be deceived in counting
°n a change in the policy of Austria. The latter
Power, in fact, is firmly determined not to abandon
the position which it has taken up in the Principalities,
in the interest of the Porte and of Germany, except
under the condition that Russia shall consent to convert
the present de facto situation into one deface by aceeding
to a general European treaty, in which the demands of
guarantees of the Western Powers shall be sat forth at
length. It will, therefore, be seen that it is necessary
that, like Austria, the Western Powers shall possess
themselves of a pledge which shall cause the submission
of Russia. Consequently the projected expeditions of
the Crimea and Bessarabia can excite no objection, as it
isnatural that, in the state of war in which the Western
Powers are with Russia, each party shouid endeavour
to obtain the most advantageous position."
The resignation of Count Buol, of which the re-
Port was first set afoot by a Belgian journal—no
doubt with the most innocent' intent—is
,declared
to be unfounded.
Tho aide-de-camp of Prince Danilo, of Monte-
negro, arrived here a day or two ago. Russia, it
would seem, has withdrawn her magnanimous
Subsidy for the support of his highness's state,
because implicit obedience to the Czar's commands
Was refused. The Prince now offers to throw him-
self altogether into the arms of Austria, if this Go-
vernment will only help him to live, and assist
bin to maintain order among his mountain bri-
gands. Perhaps the boon demanded may be
granted—but, of course, only under conditions
Which will be generally approved of in Europe.

PRUSSIA.
The Post Ampt Gazette of Frankfort has the
following from Berlin, of the 15th :—" The King
has refused, in the most flattering terms, to accept
the resignation of General Count de Groeben, as
commander of the guard. The count assigned as
the motive of his resignation the state of his health,
*which would not permit him to fulfil his military
duties in case of more serious events. The King,
in refusing to accept the resignation, is said to have
observed that no such events were to be appre-
hended, and that, consequently, the general ought
hot to pay attention to such considerations.
A letter from Vienna, of the 12th, says :—"The
.Moniteur of the Army publishes the names of sun-
dry officers who have been decorated for improve-
Nents in military arms and equipments, and amongst
them is Colonel de Lenk of the artillery, who has
received the insignia of the Order of Leopold for
a discovery which allows the employment with great
advantage of cotton-powder for artillery. The
Emperor has already ordered the practical applica-
tion of the invention to that arm, and cannons are
being at present cast for the purpose."