The Sun.
London, England, 1856-08-08 00:00:00

THE ISLE OF SERPENTS.

VIENNA, AUGUST 3.
It is stated here on good authority that the Aus-
trian cabinet has addressed a note to Russia, couched
in extremely energetic language and containing a
serious protest against the Russian occupation of
the Isle of Serpents, at 'the mouth of the Danube.
It sets forths that one of the principal results ob-
tained by the treaty of peace—viz., the free navi-
gation of the Danube, would be endangered and
even neutralised by this measure. To obtain
this right of free navigation for Germany was
the principal reason for Austria's interven-
tion to bring about the peace of Europe.
It is fully expected that the Emperor of Rus-
sia will comprehend the force of the Austrian
note, arid being himself so pacifically inclined, will
nut fail to give orders for the immediate evacuation
of the island in question, the further occupation of
which would only tend to produce fresh complica-
tions and render the treaty of peace a dead letter.

CONSTANTINOPLE, JULY 25.

The question about the possession of the Isle of
Serpents is not yet settled. The Divan had at first
determined to send over a high dignitary of the
State, accompanied by a strong military detachment,
to force the Russians to evacuate the position. But
the plan met such opposition that it was given up. It
was satisfactorily proved, that, without in the least
compromising the Sultan's rights of sovereignty,
that group of islands belonged at all events to the
Danubian Principalities, and that as the Porte was
bound by treaties not to maintain standing garri-
sons in Moldavia and Wallachia, it would be a
breach of good faith to garrison the Isle of Serpents
with Turkish soldiers.

The Paris correspondent of the Times (second
edition), in his letter dated yesterday, says :--
"The irregularities of Russia in carrying out her
part of the Treaty of Paris have hitherto attracted
in France little of the public attention or of news-
paper notice, but I hear that the Government begins
to occupy itself concerning them. The Russians
maintain, up to the last accounts, their right to the
Isle of Serpents. As regards the progress of affairs
and what has really occurred on the Bessarabian
boundary and at litre, we are rather in the dark.
From the former quarter no furtherintelligence has
reached us, and Fars is such an out-of-the-way
place that, now that the war has been over long
enough for newspaper correspondents and roving
British officers to have left its vicinity, we obtain
but scraps of information on which no great reliance
can be placed. The arrival of large additions to the
Russian forces already there has been spoken of and
seems generally credited ; and it has been said,
within the last few days, that the Russians were
reconstructing portions of the fortifications which
they had destroyed. This last item of news is un-
true, as it was improbable ; whatever has been over-
thrown remains so, and is likely so to continue, at
least until such times as the Turks, restored to
the possession of their frontier fortress, may
busy themselves in repairing Muscovite ravages. At
the present moment the infractions of the Treaty of
Paris, of which Russia is alleged (to all appearance
with good grounds) to have been guilty, appear to
me to constitute rather an interesting and even
important question, but as yet our data respecting
them are scanty, and diplomacy seems to have
taken scarcely any steps is the matter. A few days
will probably throw more light upon the subject.
It is certainly to be regretted that the isle of Ser-
pen' s should have been, to all appearance, entirely
overlooked at the Conferences. The importance
of its situation might have obtained it a word of
mention. Its occupation by Russia will be found,
however, quite inconsistent with the spirit of the
treaty'. Meanwhile, we learn to-day that the British
naval forces in the Eastern waters have received
orders to rendezvous in the Black Sea. It is to be
hoped that the Western Powers, France as well as
England, will show themselves very decided in the
matter in dispute. Russia seems disposed to make
but a shabby return for the handsome manner in
which she has been treated.