The Sun.
London, England, 1856-12-12 00:00:00

RUSSIA.

BERLIN, Dec. 10.—The following intelligence
from Russia will, if true, be found important. A
St. Petersburg correspondent of the Konigsberg
journal states that it is understood in St. Peters-
burg that General Birjuloff, who commands the
troops on the Russo-Persian frontier, has received
orders to enter Persia with 50,000 men at the first
requisition made to him by the Shah of Persia.
At the same time it is said that two corps d'armee
have been set in motion towards the Austrian _
frontier. The correspondent then says, as a com-
ment of his own ou this statement, that Russia
cannot look on a passive spectator of the bold
steps the British Government is taking towards
Persia, or of the tergiversations of Austria ;
and that it will not be Russia's fault if new
warlike complications arise. The conviction
that the Anglo-Gallic alliance is at its last
extremities gains, ho says, additional strength
from observing the trouble the English press
takes to be friendly with Austria ; as a military
power on land is necessary for England to fall
back on to enable her to act boldly in the East,
she is now seeking on the Danube what she
has lost on the Seine. Of the Russian army,
however, it is added, qu'elle ne demande pas
mieux than to measure its strength with the
Austrians, whom it saved iu 1849. As an
indication of how far the ideas of the Russians
are changed towards France, he mentions that
it is generally believed that Prince Napoleon
is about to marry a daughter of the Grand
Duchess Marie, the widow of the Duke
of Leuchtenberg.. If the press and common
report had not already given Prince Napoleon
in marriage to so many Princesses, it might be
worth while to inquire which daughter of the
Grand Duchess Marie is to be honoured on this
occasion—whether it is the one of her children
that is allowed to bear their reputed father's
name, or one of the three that are only allowed
to be called Romanoff. The Emperor Alexander,
when at Moscow lately on the occasion of his
coronation, proclaimed the marriage of his
sister with Prince Gregor Stroganoff, but it was
not made clear whether that marriage had taken
place recently or during the lifetime of the late
Emperor : however that may be there is no
trade
oae
con-
trivance by which those children
can
would
es alliance legitimate. The late Emperorm Nicholas
not only never hear of the being
effected between his daughter and the Russian
Prince, but also upbraided his daughter with the
notorious laison that she had contracted with
him, telling her that she was a disgrace to the
Imperial Family. To this the Grand Duchess
answered that she was in this respect quite
worthy of her father, and especially of her an-
cestress the Empress Catharine, in whose steps ghe
followed. The lady and her present husband
have, as it appears, now received permission to
travel, and are on their way to Switzerland.
The Augsburger Allgemeine Zeitung coßtains a
communication, dated from the Polish frontier,
which in some degree corroborates the statement
of the movement of the Russian forces southwaid
and eastward. It states that the entire Russian
army, which has hitherto been stationed in the
south, is not only to remain there during the winter,
but also a considerable portion of it is to be moved
further southward to the frontier of Bessarabia
and the coast of the Black Sea. There is also a
considerable movement of troops going on across
the Don, for the purposes of strengthening the
corps d'armee in Orenburg, which, it is generally
understood, is destined to cross the Caspian Sea
to Persia, for the purpose of protecting the Shah
against European as well as Asiatic foes. Tra-
vellers coming from Astrakhan mention that the
flotilla of the Caspian Sea is so numerous and so
well appointed, that it could, in a very short space
of time, transport a whole corps d'armee to the
close vicinity of Teheran.
General Mouravieff, who has been almost lost
from view, so long has he been on his journey
from Kars northward, arrived in Moscow, not
many days back ; he appears to be in very bad
health, and to be very anxious of avoiding the
ovations that popular enthusiasm is desirous of
treating him to.
According to a long article in the Invalide, it
is the intention of the Government to collect a
flotilla of steamers in the Balkasch Lake (in the
interior of Asia, on the China frontier).

FORTIFICATIONS IN THE BALTIC.
The conviction which the late campaigns in the
Baltic have produced of the openness of the
Finland coast, and more particularly of the Gulf of
Bothnia, has led to extensive plans being formed
for its future protection. General von Berg has
already commenced strengthening the old fortresses
and selecting advantageous spots for the construc-
tion of fresh ones. In the place of Bomarsund a
marine fortress is being built on the Island o'
Kaskoe, in the Gulf of Bothnia, which enjoys de
advantage of a deep and commodious harbour, and
five other fortresses are, it is said, to be erected on
the Bothnian coast. Hitherto there has been no

placo of any strength all along that coast, which is
80 leagues in length. Uleborg, Brahestad, Wasa,,
and Nysford are nothing but small commercial
harbours, and the only thing approaching to a
fortification was Gustafsvarn, the chief port at
Hangoe. It is now intended to construct five
fortresses and fortified harbours along that coast ;
the sites for them have already been selected, but
they will be built not simultaneously, but iu suc-
cession. The first of these works will be a forti-
fied harbour in the north, not far from the frontier
town of Tornes.

There are nine fortresses spoken of as about to
be built along the coast of the Bay of Finland ; a
row of forts connected by coast batteries is to
stretch from St. Petersburg up to Riga, by way of
Narva and Revel.

FRANCE.

PARIS, THURSDAY EVENENIG.

The Prince of Prussia arrived here to-day at 2
p.m. Prince Napoleon and the military authorities
received him at the Northern Railway station.
Two batta:ion3 were drawn up in the courtyard,
where four carriages of the Emperor were in wait-
ing. The two Princes, escorted by a squadron of
the Guides, proceeded to the Palaces of the Tuile-
ries, where they alighted.
The Moniteur contains a decree and report, re-
lating to the organisation of the personnel of the
crews of the French navy.
There is no doubt that all the Powers have c on-
sented to abide by the decision of the majority of
votes in the new Congress. It is believed that the
sitting of the Congress will not last longer than a
week.

The court of assizes sitting at Syra has just
passed a sentence which has created a deep seuisa-
tion. It has sentenced eleven prisoners, who formed
part of the band of the brigand Dareli, dispe red
last July by the Government troops, to be executed.
They have not appealed against the sentence, but
petitioned that mercy may be shown to four of the
condemned, who are under 20 years of age. The
court and jury declined seconding the petition. for
more?.
The report of the wreck of the French steamer
Duroc, which was totally lost in the Pacific on
the night of the 12th of August, 1856, off the
Mellish reef, 160 leagues north-east of New Cale-
donia, is also given iu the M oniteur. A. list of the
36 persons who arrived at Cou pang, isle of Timor,
with three boats, after a voyage of 800 marine
leagues, is appended, and also a list of the 30 per-
sons, including the captain, M. Lavergne, his wife,
his daughter, and their male attendant, who
were left on the Mellish reef when the boats de-
parted on the 25th August.
The following is the monthly debtor and creditor
account of the Bank of France, made up to yester-
day (Thursday) :

Cash and ingots
Cash at the branch banks

Fr. C.
86,153,625 97
112,160,784 0

Bills due yesterday to be paid to-day 3,339;525 72
Bills becoming due in Paris
Bills in the branch banks

Advances on coin and ingots

1,286,500 --

Do. in the branch banks -
Do. on public securities of France 26,600,436 --
Do. in the branch banks -
Do. on railway shares and bonds 17,635,500 --
Do. in the branch banks
Do. to the State by treaty Of
June 30, 1848 -
Advances on Treasury bills 40,000,000
Rentes of the reserve fund
Rentes of disposable funds _ 12,980,750 14

. . ,
Hotel and furniture of the Bank s 4,000,000 --
Real property of branch banks -
Expenses of administration 776,393 88
Premiums on the purchase of matibres 3,197,158 58
Sundries 129,723 17

DR.

950,216,038 27

Capital
Reserve fund

91,250,000 -
12,980,750 14

Reserve immobiliere 4,000,000 --
Notes to bearer, in circulation
Do. of branch banks 69,046,375
Do. to order (Post bills)

Bills payable at sight -
Account-current of Treasury Creditor 92,753,313 62
Various accounts-current
Do. branch banks 23,930,380 ---
Dividends to be paid
Discount, interest, and expenses
Charge for safe keeping of securities
Re-discounts of the last half-year
Overdue bills
Sundries

1,867,881 9

33,488 62
6,916,251 5