The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1854-04-15
The News from Europe.

WAR PREPARATIoNs IN ENGLAND.-The first di,
vision of the British feet, under Sir Chas. Ma
pier, and portion of the second, under Admi-
raj Cory, had sailed.
A London paper referring .b the rro' sble
operations to he undertaken by the feet, says
The total fleet, of which the first division had
so prosperous n start on Saturday, will consist
ofabout iortyf0ur vessels. including three three
deckers. aud twenty line of battle-ships in oil.
the total number of guns being 2.2OO. of men
22000. aiil ofhorse- Bower 10000. The sailing
ships will he rendered nearly rs available as
the screws by the assistance Of The paddle feet,
and the whole will form the most powerful AZ
mamcnt that ever left the shores Of Englaiid.
They will soon be joined by two 3O-gun screw
ships. the Algiers and Hannibal, while the state
OF activity perceptiblc in all the dOckyards
would seem to indicate that q more ocerwhelm-
ing strength still will soon be added. There is
much speculation of course in naval circles as
to the probable plan Of operations.
The more ardent of the gossps speak boldly
of tue bOnIbardment OF Cronstadt and point To
the large quantity of Micorsoms shells shipped
! as a proof that serious mischicfis meant. 1t ap-
pears that the construction and materials Of
this terrible projectle is government secret
and 50 important is it deemed that each ship :
supply is numbered and registered in a book
and whenever one is used. the why, the when,
and the place is carefully noted down. and the
details forwarded 10 the Admiralty. This it is
said. looks Ike bomI,ardmcnt but the more
cautious shake their heads. and say that 10 at
tack CrOnstadt, with its eight hundred guns.
| would he sheer madness. Others. again. speak
of blockade and third hint at the capture and
occupation Of the Island of Aland as command
ing the Gulf OF Finland. and at once settling
the doubtful neutrality of Sweden. In support
of this hypothesis it is alleged that sappers and
miners go out and that the ships take ont a
supply Of sealing ladders and other siege acccs-
sories. A few months will put to rest all these
spcculations, and perhaps add another to Pro-
fessor Creasys list of tie decisive battles Of the
world.
The Queen AID Prince Albert reviewed the
I feet.
The Portsmouth correspondent Of The London
Times concludes his description Of the scene
thus:
The hurrahs from the crew of the Duke of
Wellington, at bidding farewell to their Queen
aud country. will long ring in the cars of all
who heard them. Her Majesty stood waving
her handkerchefioward the mighty ship as She
departed, and for long time after the whole
fleet had gone, the royal yacht remained mo-
tionless, as if the iiustrious occupants desired
to lingcr over spectacle calculated to impress
them so profoundly.
WAR PREPARATIoNs IN RrssIA.--On the part
Of the Russians extensive preparations are be
ing made to meet this force.
A letter from St. Petersburg, OF the I'd, in
the Cologne Gazette. says:
People only occupy themselves here with the
warlike preparations for all evcntualitics by
land or sea- Twenty thousand pounds of gun
powder for the navy have been sent frC IN CrOn-
stadt and st. Petersburg to PctroZamOck, and
calnons and shell have been sent to Cronstadt
and Archangel. About 10000 lbs. Of gunpow
der are to leave for the latter town. The war
forts are being fortified, and the coast batteries
strengthened. The guards and Prince Paskie-
wtsch are to leave US shortly. The Prince will
first of all 60 to Warsaw. Patriotic donations
are continuing to be made. New vessels are
ready.
The screw an-of-war. the Orcll, of 81 guns
and 500 horse power, is almost terminated.
The construction ofthe screw steamer Maria Of
4G guns, is rapidly advancing. These rein
fore cments for the Russian fleet are worthy Of
remark, rs ii is not strong in steamers. 1t is
believed that Marshal paskicwitsch will re-
ceiyc diplomatic powers, and Prince Mcnchikoh
also.
A letter from Cronstadt states that by order
of the Russian Admiralty, another ship Of the
line. of l20 guns the Empress Mary, has been
fitted out. This will make the Russian Baltic
fleet amount TO twenty-eisht ships of the line
The Empress Mary is commanded by Captain
Boadischcft, and will form part Of the first di-
vision of the fleet now at Cronstadt
Within the last few days an aid -de-camp of
the Emperor. a general officer. has been dcs-
patched with orders to inspect all the coasts on
this side of the Gulf Of Finland. He first pro
cceds to Revel. where part of the Russian
fleet has been laid up for winter, and he is
charged with the duty of providing the prompt
~ aud thp SurpGt means of nIarinU if in Safpfy
from coup de man Of the Anglo-Frcnch
squadron. Other general officers OF the cngi-
neer aud artillery have also received the mis-
sion to urge on the completion of the works in
the military ports and the fortrcsses of the
coast.
New DEVELOPMENTS OF TIE Designs OF Rrs
sIA.-It appears that even previous to the mis-
sion of Prince Mcnchikof to Constantinople.
the Emperor of Russia made proposals to Eng
land for the partition of Turkey, to which, the
London Times says, Lord John Russell, who
was then Secretary of Foreign Affairs returned
decisive negative. The Times calls on the
English Ministry to publish the correspondence
in which the Emperor Of Russia makes the over
lures.
From this it would appear that Russia has
been laying her plans for some time.
RIGHTS OF NEUTRAIs.-Wc regret TO notice
that the British Government has officially de-
sells shall be considered a lawful prize. Such
was the emphatic declaration Of Lord Clarcn-
don in his instructions to the British Consul at
Riga : and though the madness of such course
was clearly pointed out by Mr.. ellison in the
House of Commons on the 18th of March, We
see no evidence of any intention to recall it..
Such mode of procedure, in case of war, will
not fail, sooner or later, to bring the United
States into direct collision with England and
France. Efforts are being made in England to
change this decision to which the Cabinet has
come, however, which may yet prove success
full.
RETREAT OF THE RUSSIANS FROM KALAFAT.--
1t is generally understood that the Russians
have made partial retreat from before Kala-
fat. and believed that they intend to give up
the investment Of that important point as bad
job. The fear of the troops from France and
England taking them in the flank, is said by
some to be the reason of this: by others, the
movement Of troops in Austria towards the
frontiers.
Cows HOLDING UP THEIR MnK.-A few years
since bought young cow, which proved to
I hor frsf