The Sun.
London, England, 1858-01-02 00:00:00

THE DANUBIAN PRINCIPALITIES.

The Debuts speaks as follows of the present state
of the relations between Turkey and tne Danubian
principalities :

"It appears that in the last Eastern war a great
Political and military event occurred, of which no-
body has ever spoken, of which no mention was
ever made in any bulletin, and which has only
come to light since the peace ; this great unknown
event is the conquest by Turkey of the Danubian
principalities. This conquest, effected without the
loss of a soldier or the expenditure of a crown, has
invested her with the 'sovereignty' of the principa-
lities, for such is the term now used by Turkey to
describe the species of power she exercises in Walla-
chia and Moldavia. Hitherto in all treaties—even in
that of Paris of 1856, the suzerainty of the Porte
in the principalities is the only thing ever spoken
of. Wallachia and Moldavia were in 'fik.)endentStatei
which merely paid tributes to the Porte, Now all
is changed. The tributaries are designated as sub-
jects; and if the European chancelleries allow the
expressions applicable to sovereignty which the
Ottoman Porte presumes to use to pass unnoticed
the silent conquest of the principalities will be ac-
complished, and Eastern Europe will have changed
her state and condition by the substitution of one
word for another. Russia has protested against
these pretensions on the part of Turkey, and we
feel quite sure that France must have protested
also. In making this protest Russia has served
the cause of Europe, but she has also served her
own."
The Debats, after quoting an opinion of an Eastern
traveller, M. Mislin, an Austrian priest, occupying
an exalted station in the church, to the effect that
Russian influence is still very great in the East,
proceeds to attribute to Russia a policy of profound
dissimulation in regard to the question of the union
of the principalities. It says :
t, Why, it may be asked, if Russia has an interest in
preventing the creation of an independent Roumania,
does she support, or has she hitherto supported, the
union ? We certainly cannot pretend to penetrate the
secrets of Russian policy ; we only say what we think
we see ; and what we think we see in regard t 3 the ques-
tion of the union of the principalities is that Europe has
contrived to leave Russia such a capital game to play that
she may play it in a great many different ways. Is the
union effected ? Russia gets the credit of it, and all
the danger is for Austria. With the union Russia hopes
that her interests in the principalities may not be too
much weakened, particularly if the powers who are
opposed to the union should thwart its working. Russia
sees, moreover, in the union a cause of weakness for
Austria, who is already greatly annoyed at the possible
prospect of it. Accordingly, in the congress of 1856,
when the irritation between those two powers was
recent, Russia did not hesitate to support the union
against Austria. The union would not perhaps do any
good to Russia, but it would do harm to her neighbour ;
and that it is a sufficient reason for her to look upon the
chance of it with equanimity. She knows all the time
that for the present there is very little probability of the
union being effected, and she understands, moreover, that
the best way to prevent the uniou is to appear to wish for
it. On account of the passions which yet p grail in Eng-
land, everythingtbat Russiaappears to wish for is for that
reason alone odious to England. Russia, therefore, hells
up the union to England just as the taureador shows
a red rag to a bull. The bull rushes at the red.rag, and
tears it to pieces. Just so England destroys the union
to annoy Russia, and while she is about it Russia recon-
quers the principalities, which she likes better than the
union ; she sees the principalities ready to throw them-
selves into her arms, being convinced that, as they have
only a choice of rulers, the Russian domination is the
' least objectionabl.,. The union of the Principalities
eff,cted with a good grace, and sincerely maintained by
Europe, would be very disagreeable to Russia, because it
would consolidate and emancipate Eastern Europe. That
is the French combination •, but Russia clearly sees that
this combination is not likely to be successful. See
therefore risks nothing in supporting it, more particularly
if it be true that she is at the same time working under-
hand against it. But should the union be prevented,
and Roumania be crushed in embryo, Russia will be
much pleased, and she will at the same time enjoy the
favour of all the discontented Roumains. They will
say : there are only two powers who have taken part
with us under whose protection we could put our-
selves—France, who is too far off to accept Iv, and
Russia, who is too near for us to refuse her. To prevent
the formation of Roumania is therefore ultimately to
give the two provinces to Russia."

THE FOUNDLING HOSPITAL.—Mr. W. Tooke hag been
elected a Vice-President of the Corporation of the
Foundling Hospital, in the stead of the late Sir. Charles
Mansfield Garke, Bart.

TuE LIVERPOOL OFFICE IN LONDON.—The Liverpool
Chamber of Commerce have unanimously agreed to
recommend Mr. Thomas Baines, to succeed the late Mr.
Wainwright, in the Liverpool office in London.

ALLEGED MANSLAUGHTER.—Yesterday an inquest was
held at the Cherry TreP, Whitecross-street, on the body
of Mary Coney, aged 6 years. A boy named James
11, about 9 years old, sail that about three weeks ago
the deceased and himself a d several other children were
playing about near some old houses, when a man at
work there named James Brown, told them to go away,
as the houses were dangerous ; on the little girl not
obeying him, he struck her on the right temple with a
bar, and she cried and ran home. The mother, who lives
in Adam and Eve-court, Whiteeroie -street, stated that
the child, who bad been in good health previously, came
home on the day referred to by last witness and
complained of sickness. She had been ill ever since and
died on Wednesday.—A surgeon who had made a post
sisortens examination gave it as his opinion that death
had been caused by the blow. He had found a clot of
blood, the Size of a hen's egg, on the, brain. The jury
returned a verdic-• to the effect that the deceased had
die I front a clot of blood on the brain, hut there was no
evidence to show how the clot was caused. In our
Clerken well police report of this day will be found
Brown's examination on a charge of manslaughter and
his committal for trial.

TREMENDOUS FIRES AND GREAT LOSS
OF PROPERTY.

Yesterday morning, at an early hour, a firs, attended
with a great loss of property, and almost fatal results to
several persons, happened in the extensive premises
belonging to Messrs. Lewis and Co., furniture brokers,
situate at No. 5, Savoy-place, Newington-causeway.
The discovery was made by a police-officer of the L
division, who, in passing on the opposite side of the
road, noticed smoke issuing from the lower part of the
building. Feeling convinced that the plaoa was on fire
he gave an immediate alum, and after considerable
trouble he succeeded in making the inmates sensible of
their impending danger, and they fortunately succeeded
in effecting a safe retreat from the building, with
nothing more on than their night-clothes.
Intelligence of the disaster having been sent to the
various quarters for proper assistance, with as little loss
of time as possible the Royal Society's fire escapes
arrived, as well as the brigade engines front Waterloo-
road, Southwark-bridge-road, that of the West of
England Insurance Office, and others of the London
establishment from Chandos-street, Watling.street, and
Farringdon-street. fly tke time tke firemen arrived the
building, which was 40 feet wide and upwards of 20
feet deep, and two stories high, presented a scene of
fearful grandeur, inasmuch as the flames were rolling
through the roof and out of the different windows,
threatening destruction to the premises of Mr. T. Wells,
a tobacconist and cigar dealer (No. 4), and those of Mr.
G. Howlett, zinc warehouseman (No. 3), in the same
thoroughfare.
Under the direction of Mr. Henderson, the chief
officer of the D section, and engineer Holloway, the
engines were set to work from abundant streams of water
furnished by the Lambeth and Southwark Companies,
but notwithstanding the fearful element continued to
rage ; and it was not arrested until the premises,
and all they contained, were nearly destroyed, acd
the adjoining hou-es of Mr. Wells and Howlett were
alto extensively injured by fire, water, and removal.
The sufferers were insured in tho Suo, Royal Exchange,
and British Empire Firc..3ffices.
The origin of the disaster is unknown.
A very alarming, arid at the earns time destructive,
fire took place iu the premises belonging to Mr. J.
Abrahams, a carpent.r and joiner, situate No. 2,
Trinity-street, Rotherhithe. The flames commenced,
from some unexplained cause, in the workshop, a
range of buildings nearly 40 feet wide, filled with
articles of the most combustible character. A mounted
police-officer was instantly dispatched to town for
the aid of the engines, and forthwith Mr. Braidwood,
the superintendent, and Mr. Henderson, the foreman of
the brigade, started to the scene, and they were pro.
coded by a private engine. Unfortunately the mains
of the Kent Company, which run through the district,
for the period of three quarters of an hour, yielded not
a drop of water, and the flames being thereby unre.
strained, they travelled with fearful impetuosity, until
eventually the whole of the workshops and the sheds
adjoining were comp', t-ly encircled in flame. At
length water was proour.d, and the fire was eventually
extinguished, but not until the whole of the workshops
were consumed, as well 1- e the valn4ble goods contained
therein, and the adjoining premises seriously damaged.
Fortunately the property destroyed was insured in the
Phoenix Fire-office and also the Manchester office.
A. serious fire likewise happened at the Royal Exotio
Nursery, the property of Mr. Jas. Veitch, situate in the
King's-road West, Chelsea. The fire commenced from
the heat of the furnace-flue in the store-room on the
ground-floor, in which a costly stock of goods, valued at
probably several thousand pounds, was stored away.
Fro is that part of the building the fire extended to the
hot-houses, also filled with plants, bulbs, and the choicest
exotics. The engines of the parish, three or four of the
London Brigade, and that of the West of England-office,
arrived, and owing to the exertions of the firemen and
r
the parish engineer the flames were subdued, but not
untileduc e
d the
to ashes, store-rooms
and were clet.eshtreoeyueede,
adtibeekieg contestsnnthe h
their contents severely damaged by fire, water, and
removal. The loss, it is understood, will fall upon
the
Phoenix Fire-office.