It seems that Russia has already determined on the rebuilding
and partial fortification of Sebastopol. In reply to Lord E. Cecil, Lord Enfield said on Thursday night that the only information in the possession of the Foreign Office on the subject is an extract from a Russian newspaper sent home by our Consul-General at Odessa, Mr. Abbott. This extract, which Lord Enfield read, states that a Commission had reported in favour of making Sebastopol both a military and commercial post, and on forming a separate town, with a governor of the rank of admiral. But according to this authority, Sebastopol was not to be made a fortress,—i. e., we suppose not one of the first rank. Temporary fortifications are to be built at the entrance of the bay to protect it from a sudden assault, but there are proposals to make it a free port, and the naval construction of the Black Sea fleet is to remain as before at Nicholaieff. Did Lord Enfield mean that this newspaper extract was the only producible knowledge he bad on the subject, or that the Foreign Office really possesses no information of what is going on in the Black Sea? We conclude the former, but there are indications now and then which look as if our Foreign Office had lately been very supine about the state of tho Continent, and had communicated some of its own apathy to many of our agents abroad. It is a dangerous reputation to get.
Previous page
