The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-17 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN POLICY IN ASIA.

The Moniteur has the following, under the head of
" The Russian policy in Asia and the expedition to
K hiva"

" The policy which Russia pursues in Asia merits
attention, not only as being the source of agitations in
the East, but also as an explanation of the proceedings
and projects of the Cabinet of St. Petersburg with re-
gard to the European States, her neighbours. It is in
the conduct of the Asiatic policy of Russia that is more
clearly revealed the fundamental idea of her Cabinet.
This idea, which is often thwarted in Europe by
foreign influences, and sometiwes suspended in its
action, appearing to be almost abandoned, has never
ceased to manifest itself throughout the whole of Asia.
It is an idea eminently Asiatic, borrowed by the
Czars of Russia from the once powerful Sovereigns of
the Tartars. It starts on the conviction that the Russian
Empire only owes its own existence to destroying that of
its neighbours, and that a continued and permanent ac-
tion abroad is an essential condition of life at home; it is
what Peter the Great expressed by these words My
Empire is an army on the march; the Czar is the soldier
par excellence.' Thus Russia has never ceased to repre-
sent herself in the East, (except with regard to China) not
as one of the Powers, but as the only Power having or
assuming to itself the privilege of preponderance, of
protection, and consequently of real sovereignty. This
pretension obliges her to seize eagerly on every opportu-
nity of interfering in the affairs of her Asiatic neighbours,
and she does not hesitate to start pretexts for so doing,
if none happen to present themselves. She incessantly
directs towards Khiva both her troops and her agents,
and, whatever may be the definitive fate of those enter-
prises, she certainly will persist in them. The dangers
which result from them, although not immediate, do
not the less certainly exist for the neighbours more or
less close to Russia. The encroaching policy of the Ca-
binet of St. Petersburg finds in the Khanate of Khiva
all kinds of elements for working on—such as the
geographical situation, the diversity of races, their re-
lations with the adjoining countries, &c. Russia, with-
out sending her troops against the English and the
Persians, might, from the influence she exercises over
Khiva, raise, whenever she thought proper, serious em-
barrassment for those two Powers, and she will not fail
to have recourse to it." (The Afoniteur then gives a
detail of the Russian expedition to Khiva in 1840,
under General Perowski, and continues :)—" In 1850
the conquests of the English troops in the Punjaub led
to another contre-coup on the part of Russia. The
Emperor Nicholas, seeing that the Indo-Britannic pos-
sessions had been drawn back as far as Peshawur, pro-
posed to the Shah of Persia to purchase the town and
port of Asterabad at the price of the arrears of the con-
tribution due to Russia ; but the negotiations opened on
this subject led to no result. In the meantime the flotilla
of Astrakin militarily occupied the island of Achoura,
which commands the entrance of that port, where a
Russian Consul has since resided. The fortress Leuko-
ran has just been completed on the plan of Peter the
Great ; it is close to the frontier of Russia and Persia,
and is only separated from the port of Novp-Alexandro-
vosk by the breadth of the Caspian Sea. The • latter,
without being so large or so well defended as Leukoran,
commands the most important position on the eastern
side, as it is at the culminating point of the corner of a
bay (Mertvoizalive), which penetrates far into the
Desert, and only 180 leagues from the Lake of Aral.
Another circumstanae adds to the importance of Fort
Novo-Alexandrovosk, which is, that it is in immediate
communication with the Jemantes, the Alas, and the
Tchoudars, powerful Turkoman tribes of the Eastern
coast, the first of which reckons 20,000 tents, the second
1,000, and the last 600. Several of their chiefs re-
ceive pensions from the Russian Government, and keep
up constant relations either with the commander of Novo-
Alexandrovosk or with the Russian Consul at Asterabad.
The nature of the service of this consulate is more par-
ticularly political, the commerce of the place being in-
significant. Under these two influences the Turkomans
are already more obedient to Russia than to Persia, and
may be usefully employed against the latter as well as
against Khiva. It must be remarked that since the
commencement of the present war between Russia and
Turkey the periodical press of London and Calcutta has
already several times spoken of fresh attempts of General
Perowski against Khiva, which are said to have suc-
ceeded. Although this assertion requires confirmation,
the fact is possible. Certainly, in the present crisis, the
will is not wanting to Russia. She would be happy to
-create embarrassment to the English Cabinet, were it
only to show that she might really at some future day
threaten the English possessions in India, and prove a
more or less serious argument in support of the opinion
which she endeavours to create in the East of her
universal preponderance."

THE OMNIBUS PROPRIBTORS AND THE
GOVERNMENT.

The threatened withdrawal of the omnibuses in conse-
quence of the rigid regulations issued by the Commis-
sioners of Police has been averted, chiefly by the inter-
ference of the Chancellor of the Exchequer, to whom Mr.
Bradfield, on the part pf the stage carriage committee,
made an appeal. The Chancellor sent the following
reply

"Do in-street, Aug. 15.
[ner to acknowledge the receipt ~ sm,—l am directed by the
tChoafnyceolurlor
coofmtmheunEicxacthioen-
ated August 4.
xt chhe eqn er hasarrangements instructed
which have
reference to the regulation of seats
aainda
Mayne
to
exp"rTesshetoChyaonuchelilsohr
o.opfeththeaEt
has been t •
with
twhhich a report transmitted
the Chancellor of the Exchequer,
by Sir Richard
inno w
omnibuses,be en adopted
whose behalf your communication has been
will prove satisfactoryy to the committee of stage carriage
proprietors, on
made.
"I have the
d honoureld. "be to , sir, your very faithful servant,
" Mr. J. E. Brafi " FRANCIS LAWLEY.
The following letter was addressed to the Chancellor
of the Exchequer in acknowledgment :
" Stage Carriage Committee, Ang. 16.
g, Silt,—l beg to acknowledge your letter of the 15th
inst. The amended police regulation which Sir R. Mayne
settled in an interview I had with him, has removed the
difficulties referred to in my communication to you of
August 4. The police regulation complained of was pre-
pared and issued without any reference to the trade, and,
as we are advised, was in direct opposition to the spirit of
the Stage Act. The committee considered it was a case to
be brought miler your notice, and have to express their
grateful thanks to you for your kind and prompt attention
to their interests.—l have the honour to be, sir, your most
obedient humble servant,
"To the Right Hon. the Chancellor of the Exchequer."

SPREAD OF CHOLERA.-The cholera continues to spread
in Belfast. The Banner of Ulster of yesterday says :
" Since last Wedne3day there have been 51 cases at-
tended to by the doctors of the Barrack-street establish-
ment, which still remains open day and night. These 51
cases make in all, since the return of the malady in last
month, 174, of which it is calculated that not less than
75 have died. Attacks of diarrhoea and other collateral
ailments are not here included, nor cases occurring in
private practice, the number of which it is impossible to
discover." The same journal remarks that—"The disease
is not confined to Belfast, but that instances of its fatal
occurrence have happened in country districts. In the
town of Antrim a girl engaged in winding yarn for an
establishmennhere took suddenly ill on Saturday evening
se'nnight, and died on the next day, On the following
Friday the girl's mother also died of oholerain,