The Sun.
London, England, 1856-03-11 00:00:00

RUSSIA, ,

" We persist," says Le Nord, "in believing that
the negotiations are nearly- at an end ; France and.
Russia sincerely desire peace ; Turkey and Pied-
mont are not opposed to it ; the subtleties of Austria
and the obstinacy of England may somewhat re-
tard, but will tot prevent it."
We read in. the Gazette de Silesie—" It will be
remembered that the noblesse of Silesia lately pre-
sented an address to the Emperor Alexander 11.,
thankirlg him for the readiness he had manifested
to effect a peace. Each of the signers of this docu-
Latent has reeeived a copy of the following letter :
" I thank you, gentlemen, for the sentiments and
kind wishes that you express to mein your address, not
only in your own name, but in that of all Prussians in
whose hearts the Christian and pacific spirit of their
Royal Master is dear and sacred. I, too, desire the
speedy restoration and the permanent assurance of
peace, and trust that the God of Grace will hear the
prayers that I and others who think and feel with me
put up to Him. I beg all of you, gentlemen, whose
honoured names I have with sincere pleasure read at
the foot of the address, to receive the assurance of my
special esteem. "ALEXANDER.
"St. Petersburg, Feb. 4, 1856."
A Government journal contains an invitation to
contractors to bid for the carriage of several mil-
lions of poods (1 pood equals 401b5.) of copper,
ircea, lead, tin, and other raw produce, from the
Siberian mines on the Don, the Wolga, and the
Dnieper to Nieolaieff, " for the use of the superin-
tendent of the Black Sea fleet." The preparations
making everywhere for a fresh campaign aro car-
ried on with a degree of energy and spirit hitherto
unknown in Russia.
Our readers will doubtless not have forgotten a
very remarkable letter of admonition, issued by the
Grand Duke Constantine, as High Admiral, to the
various officials connected with the administration
of the Marine, in which the necessity of sincerity
and a love of truth in their connections with the Go-
vernment were inculcated. Some further particulars
will doubtless be interesting. The letter is addressed
to Vice-Admiral von Wrangel, and is dated. Nov.
25 (Dec. 7), 1855. After alluding to the Circum-
stances of difficulty in which Russia found herself
at the time, and pointing out the causes that had
led to them, the Grand Duke proceeds :
" The immense variety of forms with us paralyses the
elasticity of administrative action, and serves as a cloak
of impunity for the official lie so common with us. Cast
a glance At the annual reports and accounts, and you
will find that everywhere the greatest possible amount
of work has been executed, in every direction progress
has been made, everywhere have the prescribed works
advanced, if not with excessive haste, yet at least in due
relation to the exigencies of the case.
" But when you come to look closer at the actual state
of things, to examine into them, to dimt them of all
false colouring, to separate what really is from what
only appears to be, to distinguish the true from the
false, or the only half true, and there will seldom any
positive ' and beneficial result be left. On the surface
speciousness ; beneath it, corruption. Among the
products of our official phraseology the truth finds
no place ; it is concealed and stifled under the diction,
and where is the official reader that knows how to ex-
tract it

"I beg your Excellency to communicate these truth-
ful words to all the bureaux and all the employes
of the Ministry of Marine, front whom we have to
expect at the beginning of the new year their annual
reports of what has talon place in the past, and re-
peat to them that in the aforesaid reports I do not
look for encomiums, but the truth, and above all, a
frank statement that goes to the pith of the matter,
both as regards what may be inadequate in any branch of
the administration, and of the errors that may have
been committed in it. Tell them further, that all the
reports in which I shall have to read between the lines
I shall most certainly return. I request your excellency
to communicate copies of this letter to all the bureaux
and afore-mentioned employes.

"CONSTANTIN, High Admiral."

THE BALTIC.
A private letter from Kiel, of the 6th inst.,
Says :--

"It was genPl•ally
of war h;t: • believed here that the English ship.
Eery arrived would remain some time in
our pulh
the great disappointment of our provision
,
..oldors, who, for the last two years, have derived con-
siderable profits from that trade, Commodore Watson
gave orders to-day to weigh anchor to all the ships of his
squadron in consequence of directions received in the
morning from the Admiralty. Those ships were for
some days ready to put to sea, having all taken in a
fresh supply of coal. We have also heard that the corn-
manders of the other ships, stationed at Elsinore, had
likewise reeeived sailing orders, and that the entire
squadro r is to rendezvous on some central point of

the Baltic, to resume the blockade of the Russian
harbours, interrupted on the approach of winter. Ac-
cording to my information, the squadron of Carnmodore
Watson is to take up its station, pro tempora, at the
island of Bornhelm."

We read in the Indepeudance Beige, under date
Hamburg, 7th inst. :
" Our navigators are of opinion that the English ships
of war which left Kiel yesterday, fur the Baltic, may,
without any serious obstacle, advance as far as the
Swedish island of Gothland, and wait the breaking up
of the ice at Wisby. The English possess on that
small island large depots of coal, and the merchants of
Wisby, who rendered the allies so many services during
the two last campaigns, will not allow the squadron of
Commodore Watson to want for provisions. This en-
trance for the third time of the English fleet into the
Baltic, with the avowed intention of blockading the
Russian ports, alarms our merchants, whe anticipate
the suspension of their commercial relations in that sea.
Those apprehensions are also very general in the Meck-
lenburg harbours, and in the city of Lubeck, which are
situate nearer the Russian territory."