The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-01-03 00:00:00

WARS and rumours of war is still the subject ef conver-
sation everywhere; negotiations for peace, however, we
are told up to the last, are still carried on. We have a
tangible bit in the reply of the French and English am-
bassadors to REscnlD Penis's application for the fleets.
My own opinion on this document—and it is backed
by politicians of elder growth—is -this, that as far as the
Ottoman is concerned, the reply is a very tepid affair.
The ambassadors state " the presence of the Anglo-French
fleet in the Bosphorus is an incontestible proof of the
interest and sentiments which animate the EMPEROR of
THE FRENCH and her Majesty the ~lIEEN OP GREAT
BRITAIN. Their presence has a political signification.
It is a moral support as long as there remains a hope of
effecting a reconciliation between the adverse powers."
The closing paragraph is much more satisfactory—or
would have been so, had it been dated a month back. It
sets forth, that " should Russia attempt to land a force
on the Bosphorus, or at any other point of the Turkish
coasts, the combined fleets will then be required to act to
protect the territory, as well as the integrity of the Otto-
man empire."
But let me be more discursive. Although the past
week has not brought any startling intelligence from the
seat of war on the Danube, the coasts of the Black Sea,
and the Caucasian frontier, it cannot be doubted that
events are hurrying on with a rapidity that betokens the
approach of a universal crisis. By a want of foresight,
which almost gives the lie to his reputed sagacity, but
which is by no means uncommon among the over-cunning,
the CZAR has made himself the great agent by whom the
existing settlement of Europe will be destroyed. Judg-
ing from the present lowering aspect of the political
horizon, it is impossible not to feel the liveliest apprehen-
sions that, at the approach of spring, not only we ourselves,
whose insular position has had some share, at least, a
in keeping us out of trouble, but every country in Europe
will be involved in one general struggle. In that struggle
two antagonistic principles will contend for dominion—
that of absolute, despotic power, and that of con-
stitutional government. On the one side will be
found all the little tyrants of continental states, who
in general openly, but, perhaps in many instances, co-
vertly, will countenance and aid the pretensions of
Russia, in whatever manceuvre it may please that arrogant
power to put them forward. On the other side will be
united in the firm bond of mutual interests, and by that
natural patriotism which the love of liberty inspires, all
the nations of the world whose civilization or mutual re-
lations are sufficiently ripened to draw them within
the vortex of contention. However Governments
may take it upon themselves to assist the aggressor, and
outrage the claims of right, of this we may be sure, that
the voice of public opinion will be unanimous in the sup-
port of Conservative liberal principles. This will be as
much the result of existing relations, as it flows imme-
diately from the natural impulses which operate in the
breasts of every people, to uphold the freedom of mankind
all over the world. To whatever corner of Europe we may
turn our eyes, we shall discover already planted and
ripened into fruit the seeds of that discord of which we
expect soon to see the explosion. Great Britain and France
pledged, and already in the field against Russia, cannot
possibly avert the crash of arms ; and by protracting the
period of their active co-operation, may allow the precious
moment to pass by at which that co-operation would be
of the utmost importance in solving the difficulties of the
conjuncture, so far as they admit of a solution, by a re-
course to arms. For the sentiments of the people of these
islands in reference to the impending warfare, there are
abundant public evidences to vouch ; and every day that
passes by tells of their hatred to the Russian power, of
their chivalrous determination to supplant the CZAR
in the field of battle as well as in the cabinet, and
of the impatience with which they regard the inaction
of the Government. In France, the most deadlly
hostility to Russia rancours in the breasts of her
population, and a campaign against the Cossacks
would only be too inviting to induce them to enter.
Austria, the puppet of Russia, to whom she owes
the continuance of her ignoble existence—Austria, as she
has done before, leaves England and France, and espouses
the Russian. In this decision we must not imagine that
the Austrian people have any participation. The most
deadly hatred which they entertain for the CZAR would
impel them to take up arms against him, but they are
wholly without the means of asserting their sympathy for
the liberal cause, either by the negotiations of their minis-
ters or by their arms. Let the Austrian Government be-
ware, however, how it wholly disregards the feelings of
the people, and acts in defiance of them. They
must expect that Austria will become the scene
of war ; and the moment the Austrian army is occu-
pied in sustaining the fortunes of Russia, that mo-
ment will the populations of Italy, Hungary, and
Poland, being trodden under the hoof of an iron and
grinding tyranny, rise in arms and defeat the success of
the Austrian alliance, if they do not drive their common
oppressors from power. Prussia cannot afford to delibe-
rate between the alternatives presented to her—Russia or
the Western Powers. So also, as regards the Northern
States. Sweden and Denmark are already Russian—that
is, their governments are Russian. Russian diplomacy,
always watchful, subtle, and ready, has done its work
among the rulers ; but the people regard the CZAR with
the aversion that he cannot but inspire. Should Russia
call upon them to shut the Baltic against our trade, that
will be a case of war for us to take up. Should they reject
the importunities of the CZAR, that would be a case of war
for him to take up. In either event, therefore, the
Northern Powers must be involved, and even if no family
alliances were in existence to complicate motives, it is im-
possible to suppose that a struggle so vast in its magni-
tude should not draw every European state within the
sphere of its attraction. Preparation, then, is absolutely
necessary, and our care in the meanwhile must be to in-
sist upon prompt, discreet, and vigorous action.
Lord PALMERSTON, you will have seen. has not atended
a Privy Council since his return to office. His Lordship
was enjoying himself in the country,—rather a poor
reason, I think, for his absence, had ABERDEEN suc-
ceeded in " making things pleasant." A brief period will
suffice to enlighten us, as Parliament meets for the des-
patch of business in less than a month.
The Government clerks are busy with their quarterly
returns of receipts and expenditure; they say, that not-
withstanding the repeal of the soap duties and other draw-
backs, the return for the quarter just terminating will be
most satisfactory. It is a curious fact, however, that for
many a quarter past we have been told the same happy
tale. _ _

"The general holiday" passed over as these things
usually do, in cold weather especially. I have not ob-
served in the metropolis, for some years, on the occasion
of a holiday, so many tipsy people, tolerably well-behaved,
however, making due allowance for such a state. Then,
in the evening, in all the theatres west of Temple-bar,
there was not standing room ; and I am informed that
those in the east, and transpontine, had to turn hundreds
of people from their doors, though there was a double
performance at one of them. Boozey in the day time,
and the theatres in the evening, would seem to indicate
an improvement in the times ; that coals and provisions
of every kind were not nearly double the usual price, and
that the weather was temperate instead of inclement.
Yet the facts I have stated are so, and pauperism has in-
creased woefully since last Christmastide. I can state, on
the best authority, that in one parish, the richest, poorest,
and most populous of the metropolitan, there were close
upon one hundred paupers more in the workhouse on last
Christmas-day than was the case on Christmas day '52 ;
and so on with all our other parishes, more or less.
Many persons shunning the " house" have been driven
into it by the present severity of the times. The feelings
of the benevolent have, however, prompted to more ex-
tended acts of charity than usual even at this most Chris-
tian period of the year.
Lord DUDLEY STUART,one of the members for Maryle-
bone, and who, for a long series of years, has deeply inte-
rested himself in favour of Poland, has, it is stated, gone
to Constantinople, on board the Liverpool screw steamer,
for the purpose of endeavouring to persuade the SULTAN
to accept the services of the Polish refugees, it being be-
lieved that a general desertion of Poles serving in Russian
regiments would follow, if they were certain of being re-
ceived in a corps of their own countrymen on entering the
Turkish territory. This is certainly making heart-work
of the business. His lordship was always first in pro-
moting the " Polish Balls" given in the Guildhall of the
city of London, and is looked on with great affection by
both the Polish and Hungarian peoples located here. He
is a warm-hearted man, tall, and of bland aspect, which
in some measure negatives the supposition of firmness of
purpose by which he is undoubtedly marked. He is the
son of the first Marquis of BUTE ; about fifty years of
age ; nearly twenty years ago he married the daughter of
DICIEN BONAP,piTE, Prince of Canino. Lord DUDLEY
STUART is, I believe, a cousin of that beneficent lady Miss
BURDETT COUTTS, with whom he is on terms of great
friendship.
To a mind at all imbued with
.a love of the fine arts—
Painting especially, the volume just published by Parlia-
ment is certainly the most interesting, as it is unquestion-
ably the largest, ever issued by
the House of Commons.
What it will cost the nation it is not for me here to de-
clare. Its parliamentary price is too high to allow of its
being pr .chased by the mass of art-lovers and writers on
art; hence, beyond a few favoured litterateurs and the
members of the legislature, the butterman and trunk-
maker will have the bulk in the end. I refer to the re-
port of the Select Committee of the House of Commons
as to the management of the National Gallery, and as to
what mode the collective monuments of antiquity and fine
arts possessed by the nation may be most securely pre-
served, judiciously augmented, advantageously exhibited,
&c.ln a paragraph in a London Correspondent's letter
it would be ridiculous to attempt an analysis of the huge
volumf alluded to ; a little chit-chat thereanent may not
be amiss, as I may perhaps try to criticise the critics, I
mean the members of the parliamentary committee. They
with the utmost frankness admit that, in the course of
their enquiry, many imperfections and some irregularities
in the working of the system have been brought under
their notice. This admission forms a good basis for sound
reforin, as we are told open confession of faults is a good
step towards true improvement. The faults enumerated