The Sun.
London, England, 1860-01-12 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN SERFS.

The following letter has been received from S
Petersburg, dated Jan. 2 :

I have already informed you that an address
has been presented to the Emperor by the six
deputies from the provincial committees for the
emancipation of the peasants who were invited to
St. Petersburg to give the Central Council infor-
mation on the subject. The following are the de-
mands made by the Russian nobility in the address
to the Emperor :-Ist. Full and entire liberty to
the peasants with an endowment of the land in
perpetuity, subject to the immediate purchase at a
price favourable to the nobility. 2d. The estab-
lishment of an administration for the protec-
tion of the interests of all classes of society on
the basis of the elective principle. 3d. The con-
stitution of independent judicial authorities—
that is to say, juries—the judicial authorities
to be independent of the Government. Ali func-
tionaries of the Government to be amenable to the
judgment of the judicial authorities. 4th. Liberty-
to make known to the Government, through the me-
dium of the press, the faults and abuses of the local
administration. The petitioners add, that it is only
on these bases that the grand measure of the eman-
cipation of the peasants can be accomplished with-
out producing fatal results. The Emperor has not
yet returned any answer to the address. It appears
clear that Russia has awakened from her long le-
thargy—A lea jacta est. The Invalide Busse, in its
last three numbers, givesa copious summary of the
pamphlet, ' The Pope and the Congress.' The Rus-
sian official:organ has not yet given any opinidn on
it. It merely makes the following preliminary obser-
vation It is attributed to the Viscount de La-
guerroniere, who, previous to the late war, wrote a
pamphlet not less important, called Italy and
Napoleon lII.' We consider it to be our duty to
present to our readers this new document, which is
as significant as the pamphlet entitled Italy and
Napoleon lII.' Prince Gortschakoff, Minister for
Foreign Affairs, differs from the Emperor as to the
policy to be pursued in the Italian que3tion. The
Prince would sacrifice the deposed Grand' Dukes,
as being under the protection of Austria. The Em-
peror Alexander is not of that opinion, and an ob-
servation made :Ise of by his Majesty reminds one
of the Emperor Joseph 11., when he paid a visit
to Marie Antoinette at Versailles. He replied
to a lady of the Court, who wondered that he
did not express any sympathy for the Ameri-
cans, who were endeavouring to separate them-
selves from Great Britain, 'My trade is not
to be a republican.' The Emperor Alexander is said
to have observed, If Kings take part with revolu-
tionists there will not be a crowned head on tilt
continent in 10 years. Everybody to his trade—l
must defend the cause of the Princes.' It is likewise
the opinion of the Grand Duchess Helena and of the
reigning Empress, who is beginning to recover the
influence which she lost two years since. "The influ-
ence of Prince Gortschakoff, on the contrary, is
visibly beginning to decline. The financial posi-
tion of tho country continues to cause serious un-
easiness, and for that reason it was hoped the
Nicholas Railway from St. Petersburg to Moscow
would have be
en
We have been sold to Baron Rothschild.
disappointed in our hopes,
and the following
last
tiolno on the subject is
worthy of credit. The I
sterling was not contracted formablay of £12,000,000
Thompson and
Co., of St. Petersburg, and
rgani:les,iotf Berlin ;
they were only employed to by sub-
scription. They could not succeed in di
of more than £5,400,000. Then the Govern
runt, not wishing to apply to Stieglitz, whose
advice had been previously ;rejected, had -r-e.
course to Baron Rothschild. The great finan-
cier was already in advance for largo sums on ac-
count of dividends paid on loans contracted since
the year 1820. It was then the sale of the
Nicholas Railway.was proposed. But it appears
that a contract exists between the Government and
an American company for supplies to the railway.
This difficulty interfered with the sale. The
non-success, moreover, of some of the, joint-stock
companies established in Russia does not
tend to restore confidence. One, for instance,
founded for the navigation of the Black Sea, and
which enjoys extraordinary advantages as well as

a large allowance in money from the Government,
has disappointed the expectations of the share-
holders.'

NEW WESTMINSTER-BRIDGE.

Either in the way of expense or postponement the
public ought to be pretty well tired by this time of
hearing of any bridge at Westminster, whether new
or old. For years and years the idea of a new bridge
floated dreamily in the minds of the Legislature and
the public till both were tired of it before anything
was resolved on? Indeed, the whole affair might
have been till now a " baseless fabric" had not the
old structure given such alarming signs of its inten-
tion to retire from active employment that the ap-
pointment of a successor to its duties became impe-
ratively necessary. A new bridge was accordingly
resolved on, models were constructed, plans were
drawn, estimates prepared, and all was got into a
state of forwardness for building at once, when,
things being thus ready, the whore affair stood still
again and was dropped by common consent, no man
knowing why or wherefore. During this long period
the originally defective constitution of the old
bridge again showed itself most unmistakeably, and
the whole structure crumbled so rapidly to decay
that none knew which day or hour might not prove
its last. It was lightened; it was strengthened; the
stonework was cut down, the arches were shored
up ; so that, what between opening here and closing
there, piling round the piers and half-filling the
river with stones, the old bridge, at the cost of a
new bridge, was at last made as firm as a rock, and
about as sightly. When once this pleasing result
was obtained, and it was definitely known that the
old bridge was safe and would stand for ever, im-
mediate arrangements were of course entered into
for pulling it down, and at the same time building
the now bridge—an idea which had been strenu-
ously ignored as long as the old bridge was in
danger and the new one was really wanted. So the
ghost of the bridge, which had haunted the shores
between Stangate and Millbank any time these
years past, was again evoked, and, after the usual
weary routine of committees, competition con-
tracts, and communication with the Board of Works,
the scheme was safely brought to light, and then,
like other weakly bantlings, came to a dead stop
some five or six months after its birth, owing to
the failure of the contractor. Shocked by this un-
toward fate, the Board of Works again succumbed,
and shut up itself and New Westminster-bridge
from public gaze for many years. At last Mr.
Page, the eminent engineer, was called in, and the
building of the bridge, according to his own plans
and estimates, finally committed entirely to his
hands. Since then the work has steadily pro-
gressed—under great difficulties, it is true, but
always going forward, though sometimes slowly,
till now the first half is completed. While the
hoarding that screened the works was up, all the
foot passengers seemed smitten wit an unconquer-
able desire to peer through impossible cracks, and
gain even the most limited glimpse of what was
going on inside. Now the hoarding is down, pas-
sengers can get not only a glimpse, but full view of
the first half of the completed bridge, with its neat
wide double tramway for the heavy traffic--.:its
broad wide road for the light, with the paving in
each so neat and trim, and as yet unprofaned by the
mark of a wheel. The first half of the new bridge

is complete, and has been complete and ready for
opening since the 14th of December last. Under
these circumstances, our readers may not unnatu-
rally ask, " Why, then, is not the bridge opened—
who, or what is the cause of the delay ? The rea-
son assigned is curious enough,tand would be in-
credible did we not recollect the blunders that were
committed till the Government ceased meddling,
and gave up the affair to Mr. Page. In short, then,
no one at all is to blame for the delay in opening,
inasmuch as, since the unfortunate death of Mr.
Fitzroy, no First Commissioner of Works has been
appointed in his place. Thus, therefore, according
to departmental notions, there is no properly consti-
tuted authority who can sanction the opening of
this much-wanted bridge, to complete which every
effort has lately been used, and which is now
completed, though unused. So weeks and months
aro rolling by—the half-ruined obstruction which
spans the river at 'Westminster is an obstruction
still, and grows worse each hour by comparison
with the gentle curve and broad level roadway of
its successor, which remains useless actually be-
cause there is no one to permit of its being tised.
The approaches to it from the Middlesex and Sur-
rey sides were until recently a fertile source of de-
lay, as the notices to quit were not served on the
inhabitants of the houses required to come down
till it was seen impossible that these avenues could
be made ready in time for the completion of the
first half of the structure. To obviate this source
of delay, therefore, Mr. Page lowered the level of
the path and roadway of the old bridge to that of
the new, with which it has been made to join by an
easy curve. Both these temporary approaches, then,
and the bridge itself, have been completed, as we
have said, since the middle of last month, and the
engineer only waits permission to use the structure
for the purpose for which it has been built. Pend-
ing the arrival of this important authorisation, the
houses at either end are in course of rapid demoli-
tion and removal, and it is as likely as not now,
unless the public bestir themselves in the matter,
that the opening of the bridge for traffic may be
delayed till the final completion of both these ap-
proaches—a consummation which cannot certainly
be looked for before Juno next. Now, however,
that the first half is completed a good idea can be
gained of what the width and beauty of the whole
structure will be when entirely finished. The west
half (that which is finished) is intended when
opened only to accommodate the vehicles. The old
bridge will still be used for the passenger traffic
until the western half of that is demolished also,
when 30ft. or so will be added to the new bridge
fer the pedestrians; the whole of the old bridge
pulled down, and the new one then entirely com-
pleted. By this plan neither carriage nor passen-
ger traffic will be interrupted for a single day, nor
confined within such limits as might prevent con-
venient use. The western half of the bridge that
is now ready looks almost as wide as the old struc-
ture, though less than half of the width the new
bridge will ultimately be. The part completed is
35 feet ' • the entire -width .of the whole structure
is to be 86. The part finished is divided into
one roadway of about 16 feet for the light
I traffic, and two tramways of about 7 feet each
for the heavy waggons going and coming. These
tramways are formed of iron plates resting on balks
of timber, which again rest on the cushion of cork
and bitumen laid in the buckle-plates over the ribs.
The cork and bitumen with,the wood serve to deaden
all concussion on the cast-iron ribs. The crowns of
the arches, which are thin, arc supported by ribs of
wrought iron, equal in strength to more than 10
times the load which the ordinary run of London
traffic is ever likely to place upon them. All the
outer ornamental arches have, of course, been fixed,
and the very bold design of the cornice and span-
dril has an excellent effect. The large quartrefoils,
which are still open, are to be filled with cast-iron
shields charged alternately with the arms of Eng•
land and 'Westminster. The cast-iron cornice which
comes over the arches is not yet placed, but that is
of no moment, being a mere matter of detail. All
the granite pedestals on the piers are fixed, and look
remarkably well. When this portion is opened for
traffic, the work of removing the old bridge will
commence almost immediately, and in this opera-
tion, of course, the finished piers, which run under
the old arches, will be of immense service as a foun-
dation for the centreing of timber under each. half
of No. 5 pier, half of No. 3, and a small portion of
No. 1 pier still remain to be completed for the new
bridge,
way.
Ityhhe e
no I dt
hae abutmentsdone
o ffiinni
finishing
the eastern half of the structure will go rapidlff for-
ward, and we may then soon hope to see a bridge
across the Thames which is neither too weak for the
land traffic„ nor has its arches too much propped
up to allow anything to pass under it by water.
This is almost the case with old Westminster-bridge
and this is fast becoming so with Blackfriars, which
is really in a dangerous state, and which daily gets
worse and worse. Westminster-bridge approaches
completion on both halves. When will something
be done by the City to make Blackfriars equally
secure, and, we might also add, equally agreeable
to the eye ? The latter, we fear, as regards compa-
rison with Westminster-bridge, is out of the ques-
tion ; but it is at least open to the corporation to
make it as safe.

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