The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-06-14 00:00:00

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FOREIGN NEWS.

Various rumours are afloat respecting the movements of
the Russian army. Amongst others, there is one stating
that the troops in Bessarabia had been increased by rein.
forcements to 100,000 men, and that Vice-Admiral Kor-
nileff and the engineers of the army were making prepa-
rations calculated to lead to the impression that they were
about to cross the Pruth. A steamer had been despatched
to Salonica for Omer Pacha. The camp at Schumla was
actively forming. The Metropolitan of Moldavia had
given in his adhesion to the protestation of the Patriarch
of Constantinople against the protectorate of Russia. It
is said at Paris, in government quarters, that should the
Russians pass the Pruth, the act being a violation of the
treaties of Ackerman and Adrianople, would amount to a
declaration of war, and would justify the entry of the
British and French fleets into the Dardanelles.
Accounts which have reached Vienna from Jassy state
that Moldavia adheres to Turkish protection rather than
the protectorate of Russia.
The Moniteur announces that the French and English
governments have decided that their united squadrons
shall approach the Dardanelles without delay. Orders
were forwarded simultaneously on the 4th instant to
Admirals de la Suisse and Dundas. A letter, dated
Paris, Thursday evening, says that despatches had been
received there from St. Petersburgh, dated the Ist inst.,
confirming the fact of a new delay having been granted to
the Porte by the Emperor of Russia, who, it appears, is
determined to reject all offers of intervention. Down to
the 4th the Russians had not passed the Pruth, but arma-
ments were continuing on both sides. Baron Bruck, the
Austrian Ambassador, must have left Trieste on the sth
instant for Constantinople. He was to be conveyed on
board the frigate Gustozza. Prince Gortschakoff has been
appointed to the chief command of the Russian army in
Bessarabia.

CANAbA.—A reform of vital importance to the Cana-
dian constitution has been under discussion in the House
of Assembly ; that is, the proposal to make the Legislative
Council, or, in other words, the second branch of the
legislature, elective. This subject has been for many years
under discussion, and has been advocated by opposite par-
ties from opposite points. It is the government who now
propose the changes. The government scheme is to make
the tipper House consist of 60 members, 30 to be elected
from each section of the province. The councillors to
hold office for a period of six years, and to be elected and•
go out by rotation. The governor-general to have the
power of dissolution in case the Council should reject a
measure twice passed by the Lower House ; but not
otherwise. The bill to increase the representation in the
legislature passed the Legislative Council by one more
than a two-third vote, which was the number necessary
to carry it. A committee of the House of Assembly have
reported against giving the fisheries to the Americans for
the sake of reciprocity, alleging that the benefits to be
derived from reciprocity are not equal to the value of the
fisheries. Two members of the committee, however, dis.
sented from this view, and it is very doubtful if the house
will adopt it.

SOUTH AMERICA.—By the royal mail steamship
Teviot, (arrived at Southampton above five days before
due,) we have advices from Buenos Ayres to the 2d May,
Rio Janeiro 15th May, and Lisbon 7th June.

The Bombay, Flat-nark, put into Rio on the Bth May,
having sailed from Melbourne on the 28th of February
with 70 passengers, 2,000 bales of wool, and 25,000 ounces
of gold dust. When within 500 miles of Rio she sprung
a leak, and the crew and passengers had to work day and
night at the pumps for a week. The Bombay was dis-
charging cargo, and would have to be surveyed.
The screw steamship Antelope, for Australia, arrived at
Rio on the 11th ult., her machinery, which was repaired
at Madeira, having again given way. She was to be pro-
perly repaired at Rio, the necessary facilities existing at
that port. The passengers were extremely disappointed
that, from some misunderstanding, the new machinery
intended for this vessel had been sent out by the Brilliant
and by the African mail steamer, and was therefore left at
St. Vincent's instead of going out by the Teviot, as in-
tended, to Rio. _ _

The Teviot spoke the Angie, Duprey, from Bahia for
Liverpool, suffering from fever, and bad deaths on board.
The screw steamer Albatross, from Liverpool, reached the
Tagus on the 6th instant.
The news from the River Plate is most unfavourable.
The siege of the city of Buenos Ayres still continued, but
war carried on merely by a species of skirmishing guerilla
warfare in the outskirts of the town, by which much pro.
perty was destroyed and many lives sacrificed. It was
stated that the forces under General Urquiza, which sur-
rounded the capital, were not sufficiently numerous to
take it by assault, and hence the slow progress of the
military operations carried on by the insurgent forces.

MEXlCO.—Advices from the city of Mexico extend to
the 9th ult. The Trait de Union of the 7th says, "It
was yesterday rumoured that the Cabinet was dismissed;
but during the evening it was affirmed that all difficulties
had been removed, and that the llinisters retained their
portfolio. The project of closing the custom-houses,
creating a national bank, &c., has not been abandoned.
Before taking any positive step in that direction, the
Government has named a commission, composed of a re-
presentative of the Archbishop, Bishop Munguia, M. Mier
y Teran, and M. Francisco Iturbe, and charged with pre-
paring a project to regulate the administration of the
national revenues in such a way as to facilitate resources
for the Government. The State of Durango was suffer-
ing from the ravages of the Indians. The cholera and
smallpox were raging at Vera Cruz.

JAMAICA.—The consequences of the ruin brought
upon the planters by compulsory negro emancipation,
and simultaneous encouragement of foreign slave-grown
produce in the British markets, begin to tell. The whole
action of government has been brought to' a dead lock.
The Assembly has refused the supplies, and " declined tO

FRANCE.—Rumours have, for the last two or three
days, been current at Paris, of the discovery of a plot
against the life of the Emperor. A number of persons
were arrested on Tuesday, and between 30 and 40 more
on Wednesday, at Neuilly.
Intentions are attributed to the government to form
two camps, one near the Belgian frontier, the other on
the Rhine, in the environs of Strasburg ; and the rumour
of calling out a large force, should the situation become
more complicated, is again circulated.
On the Turkish question there is an animated conflict
of opinions among the leading Parisian papers. The
Assemblge Nationale scouts the idea that an alliance of
European powers will be formed against Russia, and
makes an evident though cautious allusion to the want of
confidence felt by the other powers in the French Em-
peror. The Presse stigmatises the whole article as trea-
sonable. The opposite view to that of the Assemblie is
taken by the Pays.
The .3foniteur announces the successful continuation
of the expedition against the Kabyles, consisting in burn-
ing several of their villages, and the loss of a considerable
number of lives on both sides. The governor-general
was still amongst the Beni.Tisi, but was about to proceed
to Ziama, the ancient Chobs of the Romans, the ruins of
which are to the west of the Isle Mansouriah, in the Gulf
of Bougie.

AUSTRIA.—The re-establishment of diplomatic rela-
tions between Austria and Switzerland is altogether due
to the intervention of the French ambassador. M. Stei-
ger, the Swiss envoy, hes replaced the Helvetian arms,
which had been taken down in front of his hotel. At
Vienna no one doubts the pacific solution of the Turkish,
Sardinian, and Swiss questions. Baron l3ruck, the Aus-
trian ambassador, must have left Trieste on the sth inst.
for Constantinople. He was to be conveyed on board the
frigate Curtozza.

The marriage of the Duke de Brabant and the Arch-
duchess Maria Henrietta will take place by proxy at,
Vienna, in August next, it is said on the 12th; the Duke
de Brabant will be represented by the Archduke Albert.

PRUSSIA.—There is a general impression at Berlin,
with respect to the Turkish question, that peace will be
maintained. On Saturday M. Manteuffel bad a long
conference with the British Minister. There is no truth
in the report that the Prussian government had recalled
officers engaged as military instructors in the Turkish
service.

DENMARK.—The Danish ministry has carried the
day in most of the elections for the Second Chamber of
the Diet, and it is now, therefore, probable that the Suc-
cession Bill, in conformity with the protocol of London,
will be accepted by the new parliament. The customs
line of the Danish monarchy was removed to the Elbe on
the Ist instant, and fixed there.

TURKEY.—Prince Menschikoff, on taking his depar.
ture from Constantinople, having failed in intimidating
or seducing the Porte into concessions, addressed the
following note to the Minister of Foreign Affairs, which
has been communicated to the legations of England,
France, Austria, and Prussia :

" Bujukdere, May 9 (21).
" At the moment of departure from Constantinople the
undersigned, Ambassador of Russia, has learned that the
Sub!ime Porte manifested its intention to proclaim a
guar%ntee for the exercise of the spiritual rights vested in
the clergy of the Eastern Church, which in fact renders
doubtful the maintenance of the other privileges which
that Church enjoys.

" Whatever may be the motive of this determination,
the undersigned is under the necessity of informing His
Highness the Minister of Foreign Affairs that a declara-
tion or any other act which, although it may preserve the
integrity of the purely spiritual rights of the orthodox
Eastern Church, tends to invalidate the other rights,
privileges, and immunities accorded to her religion and
clergy from the most ancient times; and which they
enjoy at the present moment, will be considered by the
Imperial Cabinet as an act of hostility to Russia and to
her religion.

" The undersigned begs, &c.,
(Signed) "11ENSCHIKOFF.
" His Highness Redseuid Pasha, Minister of
Foreign Affairs."
The chief features of this document are the spirit which
dictated it, and the threat which is implied in it. The
main and avowed object of Prince Menschikoff's mission
was to obtain for his master the guarantee of the religious
rights of the Greek subjects of the Porte. The Sultan,
having refused to place in the hands of the Czar such large
and dangerous powers, wished to show to Christendom
that his determination was dictated by no hostile feelings
to Christianity. He therefore announced his intention of
issuing a proclamation confirming all the religious privi-
leges granted ab antiquo to the Greek clergy, expressing
through his ministers the hope that this act might have
the effect of removing any doubt the Emperor might have
on the subject in question. This act of conciliation was
refused by Prince Menschikoff, in whose eyes the privi.
leges of the Greek Church have no value, except as associ-
ated with the power of Russia as their guarantee.
Previously to writing this letter, the Prince had made a
last effort to induce the Porte to reconsider " the frank
and loyal demands of the Emperor, made in a spirit of
affectionate solicitude, and having atheart the best interests
of the Ottoman Empire." The form of a treaty being objec-
tionable, an act having the force of a treaty had been
already prepared and rejected. It was now suggested that
an instrument, having the force of an act which had the
force of a tyeaty, should be substituted, to cut through all
the difficult;es of the question. The Porte, backed by the
representatives of the four great European Powers, stood
firm, and resisted every effort that Russian diplomacy
could devise. The Prince, being thus defeated, learned,
on the eve of his departure, that the Sultan's firman was
about to be published, and determined, if possible, to
prevent it.