The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1855-06-11
THE NEWS BY THE AFRICA.

The NEWS BY THE AFRICA.
The Africa's malls arrived AT New yc,t Th,,,.
day evening They furnish the following hisbIv IN.
| sEBAsroPoI
yournd. OF tie Siege, May IL About o'clock
tnis morning, the camp in front was reused M by
an extremely heavy fire of musketry, and repeated
| cheering along our right attack The elevated
ground and ridges In front Of the Third and
| rourIn DIVISIONS were soon crowded with groups
| OF men from the tents Ia the rear. Ii wss a yery
oark night, for the moon had not vet risen and
| the sky was overcast with clouds but the incl
pient flashing of small arms which lighted up
tns iron' OF the trenches the yell of the Russians
| ("nicn our soldiers have chris.ened the Inker.
| mann screech,") the cheers of cur men, and the
volume OF the FIRE, indicated the position, ard
showed thata contest of no ordinary severity was
| taking place
For a mile and half the darkness was broken
oy outbursts of ruddy flames and bright elitts-iug
| SPARKS. which advanced, receded, died out Alto.
getner, broke out fercely 10 patches, innunersble
ssIakies, hickered In long lines like the electric
| hasn siong chain, aud formed for an instant
| creators OF fire. By the time had reached this
| 'front.' s-aoout five minutes ritter the firing began
Ine hgnt was raging all along ths right of our po-
sAun ana ss some extra men had been sent down
! 70 tne batteries when the relief marched down. II
| was thought that We might have made an attack
on tne Russian works close to cur advance trenches
put 1t was soon tolerabiy certain that til enemy
uao nade elmer sortie upon Gordons new works
| or vigorous assault upon the in front of the
trenches. The wind was favorable for hearing and
the cheers OF the men, their shouts the voices of
| the officers, the Russian bugles and our own,
| we're distinctly audible The buges of the Light
| DIVISION and of the Second Division were sound
Ing the "turn out" Oh our right as we reached
| the h'gh ground, and soon afterwards the alarm,
| sounded through the French camp close to them
| Hundreds of the soldiers had got un and were
l uUi tho
terest the tight before them, far as they could
| cit.
| The tents of the Fourth Division were lighted
| and the old IDkermann men were all anxious and
ready tor the word TO march, should their services
| be required. The musketry having rolled inces.
sanity tor quarter of hour, began to cease at
Intervals along The l!ne Here aud there stopped
Tor moment altogether; again it burst forih.-
| ihen came British cheer which thrilled through
| every heart Our fellows have driven them back:
bravoF Then Russian yell, fresh burst of
musketry, more cheering rolling Yolley eubsId.
Ing into spattering flashes and broken fire. ring
| Ing hurrah from the front; and then the Russian
bugles sounding the retreat and our own bugles
| the cease firing and the attack, after half an
| hours duration, was over. The enemy were
| beaten, and were retiring to their earth. works
| and now the batteries opened TO cover their re-
| treat. The Redan Round Tower, Garden Bate
res and Road Battery, aided pre- baby by the SD ps
lighted up the air from the muzzles of their guns
The batteries at Careenlng bay and at the north
L
| SKY was scanned by the red track of innumerable
| shells.
You could see clearly at times the ground close
| around you from the flashes OF the cannon The
| round shot tore the air with a harsh roar, and
| shells burst almost In volleys along our lines The
| Russians were aveDging themselves as best tbev
| might tor their repUlse, and the extent of their
modification and anger might be inferred from the
vigor and weight OF their cannonade. The instant
they began to fire, active allies the French
on our right, opened from th cir batteries over In
| hermann and from the redoubts to draw off the
| Russian guns from our men; and our own Bate
ries also replied and sent shot and shell In the d.
| rection of the retreaing enemy. The effect of
| this combined fire was very formidable to look at
but was probably not near go destructive that of
| the musketry. From l l.2 till 3 o'clock the eans
| nonade continued, but the spectators had retired
| before O'clock and tried to sleep as well as they
might tn the midst OF the thunders of the Internal
| turmoil.
FAILURE OF THE SIEGE.
The London Times says: 'It is now generally
admitted by military authorizes, both In England
10 France and in the Crimea, that the siege ope-
| Tations which have been directed with so much
| courage and perseverance, against the southern
side OF Sebastopol for nearly eight months not
| of themselves likely to produce any decisive
sult and that the allied powers must look to other
means for victory In the Crimsa, and the eventual
| reduction OF the eiortress.
| THE VIENNA CONFERENCE.
| On the evening of the 25:h of May the follow
| ing COuVGFBdLiOu OcCUTFSa IN tQ6 House OF C0ms
| mons:
| Mr.. Roebuck.-I wish to ask the first Lord OF
| the Treasurya question. There is a report cur
rent Out OF doors that the conferences at Vienna
| have been renewed; wish to know whether gov
| ernment has received any Information TO that ef-
fectf
Lord Palmerston-No conference has been held
since the last recorded In the papers, aud before
| any fresh conference can be held her Msjesy's
minister at Vienna must receive authority from
| here to attend them,
Mr.. NJ Gibson-The noble lords answer to the
hon. member for Sheffield, was not understood
here The noble lord stated a few days since that
the conferences were not finally closed, only sus
| pended, and that Lord Westmoreland retained full
powers wish to know therefore from the noble
lord whether those powers have been Withdrawn,
| and if so when.
Lord Palmerston-The powers have not been
Withdrawn Lord Westmoreland still possesses
them, but 1t ia one thing to possess powers and ano
| tber to exercise them in circumstances not cons-
| dered favorable by the government at home.
| Il is known that ne Citations pending between
Austria and the Courts OF Paris and London, but OF
what nature has not transpired, and it was not Ger
tain when meeting oil the plenipotentiaries would
| take place. 1t is announced from Vienna that the
conferences proper, including the representatives
of Russia, are TO re-open next week; but the above
| language of Lord Palmerston tends to dscredn the
| statement.
RUSSIAN VESSELS CAPTURED
The English ships Geyser aud Archer have taken
| a large number OF prizes in the Baltic twenty
FIVE have already been reported to have been cap.
tured by them, all laden with valusble cargoes Of
tallow hemp, brlstles, &c most of which are now
on their passage home.
| Latest AUSTRIAN PROPORTION. 4
| The Paris correspondent of the Daily News,
| writing on Wednesday. the 23d, says:
| "The latest Austrian propositions for conditions
| of peace to be offered to Russia has been as am
assured Ia an official quaIter, fsvorabiy received
bv the French Government; but some doubt Is felt,
or affected to be felt, whether 1t will be thought
| equally acceptable 10 England | understand that
the proposition whatever 1t may be. has been for
| warded to London this morning. When say that
Ii has been favorsbly received here mean that the
government looks upon 1t as pledge OF the coop
| GRAFTON of Austria In the war IL 10 not for mo-
| mert supposed that the proposition will be accept
| ed bv Russia However, diplomacy is hard at work,
and is difficult to say who Is the most likely to be
deceived"
| FRANCE.
| decree in the Monteur suppresses the export
| duty on common and refined salt.
| Arrapgements about to be made for issuing
passports free of charge to continue In force for one
month to all British subeets Waiting the Paris In
| eustriai Exhibition.
| The Parisan trade has not experienced any bene-
fetal effect from the opening of the Universal Exhi-
btion Few foreign visitors have arrived, the eat
| er number deemDg it expedent TO postpone their
journey until the month OF june when It will be in
| all IA fc{0f