1 NOVEMBER 1856, Page 1

The most salient event amid the autumnal dulness at home,

is a speech by Sir Robert Peel at a Militia dinner in Stafford- shire. It is a quasi-official disclosure. The Lord of the Admi- ralty has been in Russia, and he tells us some of his experiences. One fact which he states is, that Sir Charles Napier might have gone into Cronstadt and taken it, if the Admiral had been equal to his fleet. The Staffordshire County banquet is the epilogue to that drama of the Baltic at which the Reform Club dinner was the relieve,

f4till more interesting for present purposes was the allusion Which Sir R41;Pert Peel made to the manner in which Lord Grail- _• ville discharged his duties at the Court of Russia, as contrasted with " the manner in which other embassies discharged t duties." " Though carrying courtesy to its utmost limit* Lord Granville was not anxious to impress thle Russian, Court, as ear other Ambassador did, that a different feeling prevailed towards Russia from what was actually the ease." This seems to point' to De Morny, who, if not the Emperor Napoleon's right hand, may perhaps be accounted his left hand. The French Ambas- sador astonished the Russians by the brilliancy, the " loudness " of his equipage. He is to reside in those parts until next spring ; he is supposed to be making a rapid fortune ; and we have seen his Excellency's name in a distinguished list of joint- stock directors. These are circumstances which justify Sir Robert Peel's contrast ; but it is a strange fact that a Lord of the Ad- miralty, colleague of Lord Palmerston, should be expressing these opinions on Lord Palmerston's Admiral and on the representatives of Lord Palmerston's Imperial ally.

Third remarkable fact : a member of our Government, he avows his belief, that, although he wishes the peace to continue, we are " standing on the edge of a volcano."