11 MARCH 1854, Page 7

furrtgu !nth enigma.

FRANCE.—M„ Bineau, the Minister of Finance, has presented a brief report to the Emperor, showing that the charges on the treasury having been augmented by the armaments ordered, some new resource is needed to maintain the budget in equilibrio. He thinks it would be unjust by fresh taxation to throw all the burden on the present, and he proposes a loan of 250,000,000 francs-10,000,0001. sterling. A bill authorizing the raising of that sum was referred to and sanctioned by the Council of State, and by Imperial decree submitted to the Legislative Body. They assembled on Tuesday. M. Billault, reporter to the Committee on the bill, stated that the Committee had unanimously adopted the bill. Among other things, he said- " Our country, which one has dared to remind of the misfortunes of 1812, has no need to remind its enemies that they had then, for them, the rigours of a winter more difficult to be struggled against than their arms. It could, on its aide, speak of many another glorious reminiscence; but it considers it beet to create new ones. In accord with the country, the Emperor was Mk+ willing to draw the sword ; but, since we are constrained to do so, let the war be rapid, energetic, and decisive—let the great international surveillance exercised by the Western Powers against the perturbator of the repose of Europe be efficient ; and once that the Continent is restored by our action, combined with that of England, to a security which it will no longer depend on any person to trouble with impunity, let France, satisfied, resume the free course of her pacific conquests under the glorious tees of the Govern- ment which she has given herself."

With great applause, and complete unanimity, the bill was voted ; and M. Montreuil proposed that the whole Legislative Body should carry the bill to the Emperor. Accordingly, at nine in the evening, the Legisla- tive Body went to the Tuileries, and were received by the Emperor and Empress. The President informed him, that the law presented on Mon- day had been unanimously voted on Tuesday. " On this occasion, the whole Legislative Corps desired to join its bureau, to render still more striking in the eyes of Europe the testimony it offers to the Emperor of its entire confidence and most resolute concurrence."

The Emperor replied—

"I am profoundly penetrated by the empressement with which the Legis- lative Corps has voted this law. The striking adhesion you give to the policy I have adopted proves that I have not been wrong. The sentiments of France will respond to ours ; for, like me, you are the elected of universal suffrage." The Deputies, delighted, shouted "Five l'Empereur ! Vivo l'Impera- trice !" and the Emperor and Empress mingled with them in conversa- tion. It is obvious from the tone of the intelligence, that the French na- tion does not relish the boastful appeal to 1812.

The lioniteur of Sunday contained the reply sent by the Emperor of Russia to the recent letter of the Emperor of the French. It opens with a reiteration of assertions that Nicholas desired to maintain friendly rela- tions with France; that he had made all concessions for peace compatible with honour ; that he had claimed nothing from Turkey, but what was confirmed by treaties ; and that, had the Porte been left alone, the differ- ence which has kept Europe so long in suspense would have been solved.

But "a fatal influence has thrown everything into confusion. By pro- voking gratuitous suspicions, by exciting the fanaticism of the Turks, and by deceiving their Government as to my intentions and the real scope of my demands, it has so exaggerated the extent of the questions, that the probable result seems to be war." The Emperor Nicholas repeats that the occupa- tion of the Principalities was preceded by "the appearance of the combined fleet in the vicinity of the Dardanelles; and beside this, much before that period, when England hesitated to assume a hostile attitude, your Majesty took the initiative in sending your fleet as far as Salamis." He cites this to show that he did not "remove the question from one of discussion to one of fact." Again, as regards the Vienna note, he says that the Emperor of the French makes it appear that "the explanatory commentaries of my Cabinet on the Vienna note rendered it impossible for France and England to re- commend its adoption by the Porte" ; but " our communications followed, did not precede, the pure and simple non-acceptance of the note." The Powers, he intimates, are not seriously desirous of peace ; war was declared by the Sultan to permit the fleets to enter the Dardanelles without violating the treaty of 1841. Had France and England desired peace as much as the Emperor Nicholas, they would have prevented that declaration of war, at any cost; or failing that, they would have confined the war within narrow limits on the Danube, so that he might not have been forced to abandon a purely defensive system. But when the Turks were allowed to capture one of his forts in Asia, to ravage Armenia, and to transport troops and muni- tions of war, "could it be reasonably hoped that we should wait patiently such a result ? " "The affair at Sinope was the consequence of it." If the Emperor of the French desired to become an armed auxiliary, would it not have been more honourable to say so frankly beforehand ? If the cannon-shot of Binope reverberated painfully in England and France, does the Emperor of the French suppose that the three thousand piecesof cannon on the Bos- phorus "of which you speak," and the report of the entry of the fleets into the Black Sea, "remained without an echo in the hearts of the nation whose honour I have to defend ? " The Emperor Nicholas learns for the first time that Russia is to be excluded from the Black Sea. Was that the way to facilitate peace ? " Would you yourself, Sire, if you were in my place, accept such a position ?" No. "Menaces will not induce me to recede. My confidence is in God and in my right ; and Russia, as I can guarantee, will prove herself in 1854 what she was in 1812." "If, however, your Majesty, less indifferent to my honour, should frankly return to our programme—if you should prof- fer me a cordial hand, as I now offer it to you at this last moment--1 will willingly forget whatever has wounded my feelings in the past. Then, Sire, but then only, we may discuss, and perhaps we may come to an un- derstanding. Let your fleet limit itself to preventing the Turks from sending additional forces to the theatre of war. I willingly promise that they shall have nothing to fear from my attempts. Let them send a negotiator. I will receive him in a suitable manner. My conditions are known at Vienna. That is the only basis upon which I can allow discussion.

"I beg your Majesty to believe in the sincerity of the sentiments with which I am, Sire, your Majesty's good friend, NICHOLAS." M. Drouyn de Lhuys has issued a circular despatch, in which he touches on both the reply of the Emperor of Russia to the Emperor of the French and the Russian manifesto.

"The publication of these two documents," he says, "has destroyed the last hopes which could have been placed in the e jab= of the Court of St. Petersburg" ; the same baud that extended support to Europe "itself opens a way to the passions of men and the chances of war." Deeply afflicted at the "uselessness and ill success of its moderation," the Government of the Emperor Napoleon feels that it is due to itself "once more to repudiate the responsibility of events, and to let that responsibility press with all its weight upon the power which will have to give an account of its conduct to history and to God." M. Drouyn de Lhuys rapidly refutes the often-re- futed misstatements contained in the letter of the Emperor Nicholas. The question of the Holy Places was settled when Prince Menachikoff raised that 9uestion that "startled the world and united all Cabinets in a common feel- ing of precaution and a common desire for conciliation." No physical force demonstrations have been made that "were not preceded by some act of ag- gression on the part of Russia" ; the assemblage of troops, the invasion of the Principalities, the war on the Danube, and Sinope, are cited in proof. England and France had peace for their object, but "Russia every day made undisguised advances to war." The dispute is not between France and England in aid of the Porte, and Russia, but between "Russia and all states which entertain a feeling for right, and whose opinions, even in the absence of their armies, will range them, morally at least, in the field of battle on behalf of the good cause." M. Drouyn de Lhuys opposes, with confidence, the unanimity of the Great Powers to the evocation of the spirit of 1812. Referring to the manifesto of the Emperor Nicholas, he says the agitated epoch in which we live has at least hitherto been free from one of the evils of former days—"a war of religion." "Like an echo of those disastrous times, that word is now sounded in the ears of the Russian people ; the Cross is ostentatiously opposed to the Crescent, and an appeal is made to fana- ticism for the support which can no longer be claimed from reason. France and England have no need to defend themselves against the imputation of which they are now the subjects: they do not maintain Islamism against Greek orthodoxy ; their object is, to protect the Ottoman territory against the covetings of Russia. They go thither with the conviction, that the pre- sence of their armies in Turkey will dissipate the already weakened preju- dices which still separate different classes of the subjects of the Sublime Porte, and which can only be revived if the appeal issued from St. Petersburg,by provoking the antipathies of race and a revolutionary explosion, should pe- ralyze the generous intentions of the Sultan Abdul-Med-pd. For our owls part, we believe sincerely, that in lending our aid to Turkey, we shall be of more service to Christianity than is the power which makes it the instru- ment of its temporal ambition. In the reproaches which Russia addresses to others, it forgets that it is far from exercising in its own empire, towards the sects that do not profess the dominant religion, a toleration equal to that of which the Sublime Porte has a right to be proud ; and that with less of apparent zeal for the Greek faith beyond its frontiers, and more of charity for the Catholic religion at home, it would better conform to the law of

Christ, which it invokes with so much ostentation. Accept, &o An army is now ready to embark at Toulon, but its numbers have been variously estimated. At one time it is, that the French are to send 90,000 men then it is, according to the very latest rumours, 100,000 if necessary. One report states that Marshal St. Arnaud is to be Com- mander-in-chief of the army, and Ambassador at the Porte ; another, that he is only to be Commander-in-chief; a third, that he is too unwell to go.

The Assemblie Nationale has been suspended for two months, because, in spite of two warnings, it persisted in advocating an anti-national policy on the Eastern question. This journal, it will be remembered, is the organ of the fusion.

RussiA.—The Emperor of Russia has issued the following manifesto to his subjectLslaves. " We, Nicholas I., &c.—We have already informed our beloved and faith- ful subjects of the progress of our disagreements with the Ottoman Porte.

"Since then, although hostilities have commenced, we have not ceased sincerely to wish, as we still wish, the cessation of bloodshed. We enter- tained even the hope that reflection and time would convince the Turkish Government of its misconceptions, engendered by treacherous instigations, in which our-just demands, founded on treaties, have been represented as at- tempts at its independence veiling intentions of aggrandizement. Vain, however, have been our expectations so far.

"The English and French Governments have sided with Turkey, and the appearance of the combined fleets off Constantinople serve as a further in- centive to its obstinacy ; and now both the Western Powers, without pre- viously declaring war, have sent their fleets into the Black Sea, proclaiming their intention to protect the Turks, and to impede the free navigation of our vessels of war for the defence of our coasts. After a course of pro- ceeding so unheard of among civilized nations, we recalled our embassies from England and France, and have broken off all political intercourse with those Powers.

" Thus, England and France have sided with:the enemies of Christianity against Russia combating for the orthodox faith. "But Russia will not betray her holy mission ; and if enemies infringe her frontiers, we are ready to meet them with the firmness bequeathed to us by our forefathers. Are we not still the same Russian nation, of whose exploits the memorable events of 1812 bear witness ?

"May the Almighty assist us to prove this by deeds! With this hope, combating for our persecuted brethren, followers of the faith of Christ, with one accord let all Russia exclaim, 0 Lord, our Redeemer ! whom shall we fear ? May God be glorified, and His enemies be scattered " St. Petersburg, 9 (21) February, 1854."

It is now reported, that instead of the best troops being withdrawn from Poland and their places supplied by inferior soldiers, the former have been reinforced. There are, it is estimated, at least 75,000 Russians on the shores of the Baltic.

SWEDEN AND DENMARK.—The positive assertion that the Russian Government has refused to acknowledge the neutrality of Sweden seems to be confirmed. In reply to the implied menace from Russia, the Swedish Government has declared that it will not abandon that policy, and is pre- pared to defend it. Accordingly, a strong force has been sent to the island of Gothland, and a fleet is preparing.

The Heck has reported that Kiel is the best harbour for the rendezvous- of the allied fleet; and it is believed that permission of the Danish Go- vernment to assemble there has been asked by the Allies.

GEELNIANY.—As far as reports go, and we are without authentic intelli- gence, the Prussian Court is pursuing a hesitating policy ; professing neu-

trality, but inclining to Russia. It has even been stated that, in conse- quence of the Russian ascendency, M. de Manteuffel has sent in his resig- nation.

On the other hand, Austria seems borne along by the course of events to an alliance with the Western Powers. Since the visit paid by Count Orloff to Vienna, Russia has made fresh proposals to Austria for a peace ; but they have been rejected. It is stated that the British courier who carried to the Czar the summons to evacuate the Principalities travelled

with an Austrian passport, as it was doubtful whether a British subject would be permitted to enter the Russian dominions. Austria, we are told —but the report is denied in some quarters—has also sent a summons of a similar purport to the Czar. In a circular issued by the Austrian Govern- ment, it is stated that the Imperial Government never doubted that the demands of the Western Powers are just.

"Till the very last," says a telegraphic summary of this document, "the Imperial Government has obeyed the calls of duty to Europe, and those of

friendship to its Imperial ally. Should war take place, the sole duty of the Austrian Government is to maintain the interests of the nations under the sceptre of his Majesty ; which interests are not in conflict with those of any other nation. Austria is prepared to meet the dangers which may accrue from a great war in an adjoining country, and from the subversive tenden- cies which may manifest themselves on the frontiers of the empire during the continuance of that war."

The movement of troops on the frontiers continues. The King of Bavaria is taking measures for the defence of his capital in the event of war.

TIIRKEY.—Very little intelligence has arrived this week from the East. The armies, with slight exceptions, remain in the same positions. The latest telegraphic despatches, indeed, assert that the Russians are with- drawing from before Kalafat, towards the Schyl ; but it may turn out to be a mere rearrangement of the corps watching Kalafat. The usual rude onsets from the right to the left bank continue to be made, and they fill the Russian hospitals with wounded. From Asia there is positively no news.

The insurrection, according to the not too veracious correspondents at Athens, is extending to Thessaly. A despatch, dated March 1, says- " The English and French Ambassadors have had a long audience with the King. Sir J. Church has been appointed General. [Of what ?1 The citadel of Arta has been taken by assault. The Turks have been beaten in several encounters with insurgents. Prevesa still held out." Without more specific information it may be allowed to question this.

But there have been several rumours of a similar appearance current in the press. Among them, that two Russian detachments, marching to surprise a Turkish post, met in the night, and fired away at each other until dawn; and that the Russians had taken Kalafat and massacred all the garrison. The former story is not mentioned in the regular corre- spondence from Kalafat, and the latter we know to be false—an inven- tion of London journalism, IONIAN IsmsNns.—The Lord High Commissioner, Sir Henry Ward, has issued a circular to the English functionaries in the Ionian Islands with reference to the disturbances in Epirus. He requests them to call the attention of the public to the fact that the Great Powers have sup- ported the Minister of Turkey in his protest against the invasion of the Ottoman territory by a band of the subjects of King Otho, and that this collective proceeding " is to be considered as an intimation to the Govern- ment of King Otho that it will be made responsible for facts contrary to all international laws." Further, that the Diamond frigate has been sent to defend Prevesa; that the Promethee has been sent to Corfu to collect information; that twenty-two British regiments are on their way to the Mediterranean ; and that no attack upon the policy of England will be suffered at Corfu. Persons compromised in making demonstrations of supporting the movement in Epirus arc to be arrested; suspected emissa- ries are to be requested to leave the Ionian territory without delay; and the known chiefs of the movement are to be subjected to a vigorous sur- veillance.

SPAIN.—The fugitives from Saragosa reached Erdax, within the French frontier, on the 26th February. Six hundred of them had crossed the Ebro ; but only two hundred and forty soldiers, with forty-five citizens, reached Erdax.

Some movements, strange even for Spain, are said to be in contempla- tion. M. Isturitz is summoned home from England. When the Queen appears in the streets of Madrid, she is treated with silent contempt. Even her child, ostentatiously paraded before the people, draws forth no loyal recognition.

ITALY.—Turin was the scene of a singular movement on the 3d instant. Five assassins had been condemned to die ; in the ease of two there were some extenuating circumstances, and the Crown mercifully commuted their sentence, leavipg the other three, in whose case there were no ex- tenuating circumstances, to undergo the sentence. Some philanthropist, however, conceived the idea of petitioning the King for a remission of the sentence; and with that view he issued a placard calling upon all citizens "who love humankind" to meet in the square of the Palace and petition the King. The authorities tore down:the placards, and arrested some persons in the act of putting them up. 31. Brofferio, who has again found a seat in the Chamber of Deputies called upon Ministers for expla- nations of the illegal arrests. Disgusted at his conduct, the Chamber, expressing a hope that " the Government would know how to maintain order," passed to the order of the day. M. Brofferio was defeated ; the demonstration in favour of the assassins failed, and the capital sentence was executed.

It is stated that Austria and France have agreed to demand from the Sardinian Government "guarantees of tranquillity, the removal of the more dangerous refugees from the frontiers, and restrictions on the press."

UNITED STATES.—The Africa arrived at Liverpool from New York on Monday, bringing advices to the 23d February. Russian agents were said to be busy in the Atlantic ports making arrangements for privateers. There were three officers at New York ostensibly superintending the construction of the screw-propellers ordered by the Emperor of Mr. Webb ; but the New York Herald professes to know that their object is to fit out Russian privateers. The feeling caused by these reports in the Atlantic States is very cheering. The press generally expresses indignation at the attempt ; declares that the United States will treat privateers as pirates, and trusts that France and England will adopt the same course.