The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1854-06-20 00:00:00

THE WAR.

The late conference between the Emperor of Austria and
the King of Prussia is said, by despatches from Vienna,
to have been satisfactory, and perfectly consistent with
the avowed policy of the two governments. No diplomatic
note resulted therefrom ; no pen was put to paper. The
policy of the minor German States formed the chief object
of discussion. It is said that Colonel Manteuffel will pro-
ceed shortly to St. Petersburg with a Prussian note, sup-
porting the recent Austrian note. An article in the Oest.
Correspondenz on the subject is more anti-Russian than
anything that has yet appeared in the ministerial organ.
A letter from the head-quarters of the Turks in \Val
lachia gives particulars of the battle, mentioned last week
as _ having been fought at Slatina, when Ismail Paella
gained a complete victory over a much superior force
The numbers and results, as given officially, are WOO
Russians killed—almost all the Hussars, who suffered the
most ; 1000 wounded ; 500 horses brought to Krajova,
the same number left dead at Karakal ; more than 1000
muskets, lances, sabres, uniforms, equipments of all sorts
and sizes, carriages full of baggage ; 115 prisoners, and
what is the best of the thing, and does not often happen
in warfare, the six pieces of cannon, all with perfect har-
ness, with their carriages, caissons, Rc., au grand corn-
plet, all captured by an inferior force without guns, and
brought by us in triumph to Karakal. After beating the
Russians handsomely, we pursued them as far as the
Aluta, where a good number were drowned. The colonel
of the 10th Hussars, the major of the same regiment, and
more than ten other officers were Wed, The whole of

the Russian artillerymen, without exception, were killed
at their guns." On the news reaching Krajova, the town
was illuminated, and there were great rejoicings.
The most recent accounts from the Danubian provinCes
state that after the last attacks, in which the Russians
were repulsed, the garrison of Silistria was able to receive
provisions, ammunition, and a reinforcement of fresh
troops which had been demanded by Mnsha Pacha. A.
part of these troops relieved the garrison of the fort Abdul-
Medjid, who were exhausted at the long siege. These
circumstances have much improved the situation of the
place, and increased its elements of resistance.
The Prussian correspondent of the Vienna Medical
Gazette gives an awful description of the numerous hard-,
ships and endless fatigues which the Russian troops have
been subject to ever since they entered the dreary plains
of the inhospitable Dobrudscha. Harassed by the Otto-
man irregular cavalry—surrounded by a population
decidedly hostile to them, and always ready to betray their
every movement to the watchful enemy—deprived of even
the mosts indispensable creature-comforts (which are no-
where to be met with in those wretched districts)—the
Russian soldiers are on the point of giving way to a deep
feeling of despondency, and a faint glimmer begins to
play before their eyes that they are merely the worthless
tools, sacrificed in a more worthless cause, without mercy,
pity, or consideration. Similar sentiments find a corres-
ponding echo, not only in the breasts of private soldiers,
but even of superior officers and generals of the army at
present engaged at Silistria. The enormous sacrifice of
human life made in fruitless attempts to take this fortress
have created a bitter feeling of stifled resentment amongst
those troops ; and an opinion is gradually gaining ground
amongst them that this is no longer an open warfare, but
a mere slaughtering of human victims by thousands at the
shambles, and then it is remorselessly devoting gallant
soldiers to a certain death by whole hecatombs.
Letters from Orsova, of the Bth instant, bring intelli-
gence that the Ottoman troops, lately withdrawn from the
Lesser Wallachia, are now marching to Rutschuk, vid
Nicopoli and Sistowa, and that they reinforce themselves
by all the disposable forces which they meet on their road.
It is further stated that Said Pasha, the commander of
Rutschuk, has received orders from Schumla to concen-
trate at that fortress a body of at least 40,000 troops, who
are destined to break through the first investing line of
the Russians at Turtukai, and then to come to the succour
of Silistria. It is expected that Omer Pacha will also
simultaneously make a diversion in favour of this fortress ;
but the main attack of the Russian positions is to be con-
fided to the troops now assembling at Rutschuk. Two
Ottoman steamers and eighty gunboats, in the port of
Rutschuk, were also preparing to second this expedition
in behalf of Silistria. It was reported that it would take
place about the 18th or 20th of this month.

A retailer of sundries, who has established himself at
Gallipoli, and who has dignified himself with the title of
" merchant," has made a rapid fortune, which he owes to
the artistical talents of a captain of the French staff. The
retailer being in want of a sign, the captain painted him
the figures of a Zouave and a Highlander, each in the full
uniform of his corps, each with a glass of wine in the one
hand and grasping his companion by the other, in the act
of trinquer-ing with great cordiality. This picture,
though rather hastily sketched, and though not particu-
larly brilliant in some of its details, has had the most
decided success among the soldiers of both armies, and
has produced a greater and better sensation than would
have been accomplished by the paintings of the greatest
masters whose works are preserved in the Louvre or the
National Gallery. There has been a run on the picture.
Turkish pashas, English officers, and Armenian merchants
have proposed to purchase it at any price, but the fortu-
nate possessor has refused to part with it, and has an-
nounced his determination to transport his sign, as a
trophy and the origin of his fortune, to Varna, or wherever
else the allied troops may take up their quarters.
The London Gazette contains despatches from Sir C.
Napier, giving details of the surrender of the Russian
vessels at Libau. The Gazette also contains despatches
relating to the attack on the imperialists' camp at Shang-
hai, and the capture of the war junks by the crews of Her
Majesty's ships Encounter and Grecian, and the American
ship Plymouth. The Encounter had one man killed and
three wounded ; the Grecian four wounded ; the Plymouth
had one man killed and four wounded.

A letter from Jassy, of the 2nd, in the Press of Vienna,
says :—"Troops have arrived within the last few days, but
in small numbers. Travellers state that there are 4,000
Russians at Roman, 4,000 at Bakan, 800 at Folticassy,
500 at Tirgut-Formos, and 4,500 at Botuschan. Small
detachments of Cossacks have been placed in localities on
the frontiers of Bukowina and Transylvania. We learn
from an authentic source that the 2d division of the 2d
corps of infantry of Panuitine has arrived at Moldavia.
It is to enter that province by Lipkani, where a perma-
nent bridge has been established over the Pruth. The
third and fourth divisions of this corps are to remain in
Russia. There are at present 2,000 wounded in the hos-
pitals of Jassa. These poor wretches are brought in the
night, and are sent off, also in the night, to Russia. Those,
however, who are seriously wounded remain in the hos-
pitals of Fokschan, Berlad, and other places in Moldavia.
Four days ago Russian engineers began making plans in
the environs of Liccani. It is said that they mean to
throw up intrenchments in that place."

OATHS AND THEIR INTERPRETATION.

(FROM TUE DUBLIN EVENING MAIL.)

Ox the subject of oath-breaking, Mr. Sergeant Shee (as
the reader will gather from the Parliamentary report of
Tuesday) seems to carry his knife between the apple and
the rind as closely as citizen Mitchell does upon that of
parole-breaking. He proposes to deprive the Established
Church in Ireland of the greater portion of its possessions,
having first sworn that he will defend with his utmost
might the settlement of property within this realm
(Church property of course included) ; having sworn that
he will not exercise any privilege, of which he is possessed,
to disturb or weaken the Protestant Church or Protestant
Government in the United Kingdom ; and having, with
equal solemnity, abjured " any intention to subvert the
present Church establishment as settled by law."
All this the learned Sergeant pledged himself by oath to
observe in the plain, ordinary and unequivocal sense of the
words ; and now he asks leave to introduce a bill for
transferring two-thirds of the revenues of the Church to a
hostile and a rival establishment. Yet be thinks he is
keeping his oath. I will leave, (he says,) to the church,
now endowed with that property, of which I have sworn
to maintain the settlement, £56,000 a year ; I will take
from that Church and hand over to the Pope £84,000 a
year ; and upon the Presbyterian Synod I will be9tow
£28,000 a year out of the same fund. This is what I call
keeping my oath ! By this procedure I have not the
slightest " intention to subvert the Protestant Church
establishment as settled by law."

We like the broad-brimmed margin which Mr. Lucas
allows his conscience, much better than the nice casuistry
of our learned jurisconsult. "I do not consider myself at
all restrained—(saith the hon. member for Meath)—by
the terms of my oath from dealing with the temporalities
of the Irish Protestant Church. I only complain that the
Sergeant's plan is not sufficiently sweeping. He does not
go far enough." We can understand this man. He is
above the petty larceny pretence by which his brother
legislator hedges himself. Having been brought up in a
systematic abhorrence of oaths in every shape, he seems
now to hold his church responsible for all sworn obliga-
tions which he has laid upon his soul in her interest and
behalf. He is " not restrained at all" by the oath he
takes to a Protestant state, such oath being at variance
with the intentions and the command of the power to
which his fealty is already due. Mr. Lucas is intelligible
at all events. There is no mistaking him.
The learned member for Ennis is gifted with a more
refined sense. He, too, has sworn not to subvert the
church ; but if he supposed that his oath would constrain
him. not to trip her up, strip her, and hand over half the
plunder to Brother Peter together with a good fat sop to
Brother Jack, his nice feelings of what is due to the plain
and honest truth would not suffer him to retain his seat in
Parliament, as he expects to do, until he vacates it to be-
come one of the Queen's Law Officers. "If I thought—
' said he—that the oath would bear the interpretation pit
upon it by Mr Newdegate, I would at once resign my
seat."

In the name of common decency, why do not some of
these subtle gentlemen tell the world what the oath really
means, or whether they believe that it was intended to
mean anything at all ? Generally speaking, what is called
animus imponentis, that is the obvious intention of the
party annexing a condition to a grant or concession is con-
sidered the best clue to the nature and degree of the obli-
gation. Now it will not be denied; we think, by any one of
these gentlemen whom we have named, that the oath which
they severally attempt to explain away, was proposed as a
pledge for the security of the Established Church in Ire-
land in all its then existing privileges and rights. As
such it was offered by Sir Robert Peel and the Duke of
Wellington, the authors of the Relief Act, and as such it
was accepted, with earnest professions of sincere and un-
reserved acquiescence, by Mr. O'Connell and the prelates
of the Romish Church. Legislation, indeed, has since
that time modified those rights and privileges in certain
essential points ; but no dispensation or absolution from
the power of the oath, binding Romanist members of Par-
liament to respect them, has ever been given. It is still
as binding upon the conscience of every honest and true
man who subscribes to it as it was on the day after the
Royal assent was given to the act which opened the doors
of Parliament to persons of that persuasion.
They may talk, who will, of Mr. Keogh and his " little
bit of an oath" to the Cork mob. What is that to the
calm profligacy of a Joseph Surface, who will stand up
in presence of five hundred English gentlemen, and deli-
berately renounce obligations by which he stands bound
before God and man ?

EXTENT AND RESOURCES OF RUSSIA.—No empire of
the past equals it in extent ; but when we consider its
geographical situation in the icy north, Its uncultivated
plains, its sparing semi-barbarous population, its Colos-
sus. disappears. Russian writers on statistics, altogether
not very reliable, state the numbers of subjects of the Rus-
sian empire at sixty-three millions, half the number of the
inhabitants of Great Britain and her dependencies, and
calculate the revenue of Russia at eighty-five millions of
dollars—not twice as much as that of the small kingdom
of Prussia. Only the three capitals, St. Petersburgh,
Moscow, and Warsaw, has each more than one hundred
thousand, and only five other towns of Russia more than
fifty thousand. inhabitants. Its commerce and the re-
sources which it produces, are, therefore, very limited. Its
factories, not unfrequently protected and supported by the
government, are both conducted and worked by foreigners.
Considering further the rebellious state in which we find
still many of its subjugated tribes, it becomes evident that
Russia can only be made one of the great powers of
Europe, by an absolute military depotism. The governors
of Russian provinces, the directors of Russian universities.
are old invalid Russian generals, frequently without any
education ; the only persons in Russia who can act with
unlimited power in the name of the Czar, are his adjutant-
generals. The forced greatness of Russia, however, can
only exist, face to face with the monarchies of Europe, op-
posed to the revolution : it will vanish after the first lost
battle on the frontiers. The army once beaten, the fear
of the rope and of banishment will cease in Russia as it
has done in Turkey, and the knout will have to be laid
into
Russia, As the revolutionary armies advance deeper
Russia, they will leave behind them grateful liberated na-
tions, they will find before them enemies weakened by
rebellion in the rear,—/Wlitary Sketch Book.

ABBOTT'S GRANGE COLLEGIATE INSTI-

'rUTION.

THE annual examination of the pupils of the educational
establishment conducted by Dr. Brindley, at Abbott's
Grange, near Chester, and formerly at Tarvin Hall, was'
held in the Lecture-hall, on Thursday last. The nature
of the examination and the general state of proficiency
attained by the young gentlemen prosecuting their studies
were such as to excite and keep up the interest of a nu-
merous assemblage, composed of the friends of the young
gentlemen and many others taking an interest in educa-
tion._. Amongst those present we may mention : The
Revds. J. Simpson, J. Barber, F. Bryans, J. F. Redhead,
J. Morley, C. Jones, and G. L. Stone ; Dr. Phillips Jones,
late Mayor of Chester, J. H. Darbyshire,Esq., J. Unsworth,
Esq., Captain Miller, &c., &c.
The examiners were—in Classics : E. S. Crooke, Esq.,
Cambridge, in double honours—in Mathematics : T. B.
Sprague, Esq., senior wrangler, 1853, Fellow and Tutor
of St. John's College, Cambridge, and six years a pupil in
the school—and in Medicine, kc. J. E. Moreton, Esq.,
surgeon, also a former pupil in the school. The general
examination occupied a fortnight previous to the public-
day, commencing on the 2d instant, the subjects being,
Analytical Geometry, to the end of the parabola and conic
sections; Latin Verse Composition, hexameter and
elegiac ; French Composition ; Classics—Juvenal, Cicero,
Horace, Caesar, Thucydides, Sophocles, Euripides, Xeno-
phon, Euclid, Algebra, Chemistry, Osteology, Materia
Medica, English and Classical History, French, German,
&c.—and in Divinity : the Greek Testament, Butler's
Analogy, and Paley's Evidences.
The junior forms in classics acquitted themselves most
creditably, evincing a thorough acquaintance with the
groundwork of that difficult, yet fascinating study,—
Gumbleton may be mentioned especially for his correct
translation and knowledge of rules influencing the struc-
ture both of sentences and words. In the senior forms,-
Armstrong, Swifte, and Ommanney were honourably con-
spicuous. In mathematics, Armstrong, Broome, and
Richardson signalised themselves by solving several diffi-
cult problems, and elucidating points in practical survey-
ing. Probably the medical examination elicited the-
greatest interest, from the science being so rarely included
in a general educational course. The young gentlemen
proved their thorough knowledge of chemistry and ana-
tomy. In the former, Dunn explained most accurately.
the properties of the various gases and the principle of
combustion. Osteology was practically explained by Vie
aid of natural specimens. Dunn, Moreton, and Rigby
acquitted themselves most creditably in these subjects.
The specimens of penmanship, pencil and water-colour
drawings, were very numerous, and were highly and'
universally praised. The pupils have daily opportunities
of sketching from models, figures, &c. arranged in the.
school of design, similar to the excellent and well-known.
collection in Marlborough-house. The productions of
Armstrong, Barker, Bland, Royle, and Adshead were
extremely well executed. The scholastic examination
ended, the young gentlemen exhibited their aptitude for
the profession of arms by going through the various field
evolutions with wonderful precision and order, under the
instruction of Sergeant-Major Moore. At three o'clock,
about 100 persons, including a brilliant circle of ladies,
sat down to an elegant repast, after which the company
retired to the Lecture-hall, where a concert was given,
under the direction of Signor Sapio, the musical professor
of the institution. The performers, instrumental -and
vocal, were almost exclusively pupils, and they acquitted
themselves in a manner truly astonishing for amateurs of
such tender age, and were repeatedly and very earnestly
applauded.