NEWS OF THE WEEK.
Meanwhile, the proceedings of Russia appear to have excited new vigilance in several quarters. The Government of Denmark is said to have expressed a desire that England and France would not suffer-Th-e-fintitt._ in Oceupying the Baltic, lest she should ev ty which the Baltic kingdoms are desirous of maintaining.- Down so far South as Australia, the presence of a Russian fleet in the Pacific has attracted notice; and the golden colony evidently has some apprehension lest a Russian Drake should play upon English convoys the trick which Englishmen boast of having formerly played upon the Spaniard&
In India, the Government, quite alive to the possibility that Persia might be troublesome in alliance with Russia, has taken precautions to obviate any ill consequences from the action of the Persian ; a fact which probably explains how it is that Mr. Thomp- son has been able to convince the Shah that he had better not com- mit himself to an offensive alliance with Russia against England.
The foreign intelligence is almost entirely absorbed in the Russian question and its branches ; although other subjects are not entirely absent. There are some new movements in finance— still, however, of the old kind. Russia is said to be contem- plating an addition of 9,500,0001. to her paper currency ; a step for raising money which as prepared by assurances that the paper money already out does not exceed 35,000,0001., and that the Em- peror has 22,500,0001. in precious metals hoarded in the citadel of St. Petersburg. If so, people ask, why is it he resorts to these de- vices for getting cash ? Austria, too, is using fresh expedients; the last evidence of her needy grasp being the manner in which she rakes the confiscated estates of the Lombard nobles, although professing-to place the estates and their proceeds in trust for future claimants. With this tyrannical and at the same time wasteful expedient is naturally contrasted the steady and constitutional conduct of Piedmont; where the Chamber of Deputies in conjunc- tion with the Government has been carrying on a discussion upon the subject of reducing the corn-duties, and has finally resolved to render the trade in corn absolutely free ; making good the deficit in the revenue by other means.
