THE EASTERN QUESTION.

Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 135, 9 February 1877, Page 6

THE EASTERN QUESTION.

INTENDED MANIFESTO BY THE CZAR. A manifesto by the Czar has been already printed and sent to all quarters of the Empire, ready to be published at a moment's notice. The Russian corrniander of the Southern Army has re-ceived-orders to be ready to cross the Pruth iato Roumania, where railway trains havp. b^en engaged to conduct the troops to the Daoub°. The same officer has, according- to the Journal de St. Petersburg, made arrangements ior a civil administration in those Turkish provinces which his troops may occupy. THE COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE RUSSIAN ARMY. The Commander-in-Chief, Grand Duke Nicolaus, is brother to the Czar, and has always devoted his time preferably to military studies and the organisation of the army. He is invested I with all the highest military dignities j of the Empire. Thus he is commander of the corps of guards and the St. Petersburg military district. The Grand Duke was brought up an engineer, and also bears the title of " Engineer-gene-ral," which is equivalent to that of a Major Brigadier-General. General Nepokojshitsky is the Moltke of fhe Russian army. Tbe General is a plebeian, of which class there are now many representatives amongst the Russian staff officers. Ile belongs to the infantry, and is aide-de-camp to the Emperor. He is rather over 50, and is considered an excellent theorician, Avithout practical antecedents, such as Moltke too had been before 1566 and 1870. THI, RUSSIAN AYAtt PROGRAMME. According to the Golos, if the Russian demands are not accepted by the Porte before the '31st of this month the Turkish armies will be attacked simultaneously by the forces of Russia, Greece, Servia, Roumania, and Montenegro. The Greeks will select Thessaly for the field of their operations, Epirus' being a hilly district nnsuited to the movements of troops, and with a population consisting in great part of Mahommedans. The " active Danubian army " of Russia, under the command oi the Grand Duke Nicholas, will consist of 150,000 men and 448 guns ; the Crimea will be defended by the 1 0th Corps, under Prince Worontzoff ; and Odessa, with the shores of the Black Sea as far as Perekop, by the 7th Corps, under Prince Barclay de Tolly- Weimarn. At Alexandrou, in Caucasus, another army Avill be concentrated of 70,000 men and 200 guns, under General Loris-Melikoff. Altogether the Golos estimates the forces which would be opposed to the Porte at 516,000 men; namely, 30,000 MontenegrinsA'Herzegovinians, and Albanians, 40,000 Bosnians, 80,000 Servians, 200,000 Greeks, 52,000 Roumanians, and 150,000 Russians. THE TURKISH DEFENCES. The measures taken by the Turks for the defence of Thessaly and Epirus against an attack from Greece, which seems to be seriously apprehended by the Porte, are now well advanced towards completion. In Thessaly tlie forts of Plattamon, Trikkala, Phanari, Domoko, and Volo have been put into repair and furnished Avith Kruppbreechloading cannon. The strongholds of Argyrocoatro, Previsa, and Arata in Epirus have also been garrisoned, armed, and provisioned Hassan Pasha, the the harbourmaster at Constantinople, it is said, will take command of the Danube flotilla, which is to be inspected shortly by Hobart Pasha. RUSSIA AND ROUMANIA. The Vienna Political Correpondence publishes the following intelligence from Bucharest : — " Agents of the Russian Government are travelling through Roumania to obtain information respecting the condition of the roads and bridges, and to ascertain the exact distance between certain points. They are also making enquiries as to tlie quantity of provisions and forage ob tamable, and with regard to the sentiments of the population. During the last few, days a Russian committee, under the direction of a general of the army, has inspected and undertaken the management of the Cornescht- Hug-hen railway line which connects Russia with Roumania." Austria's preparations in case of DANGER. ■ Tbe Austrian Government have piv dered the occupation in force of the Transylvanian-Moldavianpasses directly the Russians enter Moldavia. A Vienna

telegram says Austria is secretly, prepaiv ing mobilisation. ABucharest; telegram says that a treaty of alliance between Roumania and Russia has been signed, guaranteeing Roumania against invasion or occupation A strong feeling is prevailing in Russia and Roumunia against Prince .Milan, and preference is shown to KarageorgewitchA ALARM IN ROUMANIA.'

The Roumanian Government has ordered 80,000 ehassepots and the necessary amunition from a Belgian house. The population of Roumania, especially of the towns situated on the Danube, are panic-stricken at the prospect of an immediate Turkish invasion, and manyfamilies, have taken to flight. North Bosnia is left entirely without troops, and it is greatly feared that the formation of bands of brigands will soon draw public attention to this province of Turkey.

GREAT MAIIOMEDAN MEETING IN FA-

YOUR OF THE TURKS.

A Mahomedau meeting of sympathy with the Turks has been held in tbe Colootollah Mosque, Calcutta. It is stated that 10,000 persons were present, and after prayers for tbe Queen and the Sultan, the memorial to the Queen, wbich bad -been*, prepared, by the committee, was read, adopted, and signed. The proceedings were most orderly, and marked by much earnestness.

MEETINGS IN ENGLAND.

A town's • meeting, colli d. and presider over by the Mayor, has been held at Manchester on the Eastern Ques-. tion. The meeting was of a turbulent charactei\ A resolution was passed in favour of England' acting in concert with European Powers, and especially with Russia, to secure, the release of the oppressed provinces from the direct rule of the Turk.

■ At the National Conference in St. James's Hall, the following topics were introduced by speakers "specially invited : — "The present misgovernment of the Turkish Empire, and the hopelessness of reforms from the Ottoman Government ;" " The responsibilities of Europe, and of England in particular, in, reference to the Eastern Question ;" " Review of recent negotiations and < f the present diplomatic situation, and the means of averting European war ;" <; What the Powers assembled in Conference ought to exact from Turkey in the way of reforms, and of securities for their being carried out;" "Protest against war for the Ottoman Power, and against holding out, hopes of support to that Power in case of war." A . number of public men and members of Parliament were on the platform, and Mr Gladstone, on entering the hall, was received with loud cheering. The Duke of Westminster occupied tho chair. Letters expressing inability to attend were read from the Bishop of Manchester, the Marquis of Bath," tlie Duke of Argyle, and Mr Lowe, who wrote : " After careful consideration of the subject, I am able to say that 1 anticipate the best results from the Conference over which you (the Duke of Westminster) preside. As it will give expression to the opinion formed upon the matter, after it has been fully argued out, and free from the suspicion of party bias in favour of peace, honesty, and mercy, I cannot doubt that such'a declaration will have a most satisfactoryeffect both upon this country and the continent." — The noble chairman remarked that those assembled at the Conference were for tbe most part, with one illustrious exception, men who did not usually take an active part in politics. They were, however, well calculated to form opinions. There was no : wish to attack the Government, but they had not such confidence in it as justified them in sitting still and holding their hands. For a long time a deterioration of the Turks had been going on, and he refused to believe in the capacity of the Turkish Government in any way to reform any of its institutions. Turkey had broken the treaty of 1856, which left England absolutely free at any rate to confer On n. revision of the treaty, and without Turkey. England had determined not to go to war. — (Cheers.) If Russia did what we should have done and led the van in this matter, we should cooperate with Russia in her endeavours to obtain justice to the subject provinces pf Turkey. The two especial ends of the conference were that we should give a cordial co-operation to Russia, and that we should disabuse the Turkish mind of the notion that under any circumstances England would support the Government by arms. — (Hear, hear.) On such a platform hs believed they would have, the good sense of the bulk uf their fellow-countrymen with them. If the emergency should arise, and we could not honourably do otherwise than send our army and navy to Constantinople, it must be not to attack Puissia, but to, coerce the Turk.—

(Cheers.) In conclusion, his Grace announced that there were' present 1000 delegates from all parts of the country, even from the north of Scotland. — Sir G. Campbell, M.P., believed that it was hopeless "to expect reforms from the Turkish Government which was a o* - o--vernment of superior races by the worst portion of an inferior ra'ce.vr\ The Rev. W. Denton, ,Mr Anthc'ny Trollope, Sir T. Fowell- Buxton, the Bishop of Oxford, Mr H. Richard, I M.P., Mr G. Howell, the Rev. ; F. Morse, the, Hon. E. -Ashley, 'MTP.jA Mr" J. Bry cc, - the r Rev. Dr Allan ,-i Mr Sergeant Simon, M.P., and Mr R.l

Leake, also spoke against the, oppression, of the Turkish' 1 Government. -r— At a' subsequent session the- Earl of Shaftesbury ; took the chair. He said Lord Derby's' despatch to Sir H: Elliott* was all that could be desired, 'and it was for the people of England to see that all he demanded was carried out. Let .the past be condoned' in the. glories, of the future." Lee our Government- ariake only one solemn, serious, and unmistakable announcement to the Turkish. Government, ahd.ib'.woulci be disabused of all its. vain confidences, and. would become as pliant as a child. He contemplated with terror; the domination of Russia over the provinces of Asia ; but he had a still greater' terror of the prolonged domination-' of. the Ottoman Porte. . Great issues were involved in the success of the principles of this Conference — issues which would affect the whole of Asia, in the stoppage of that greatest of ali iniquities, the.-slave trade. — The Rey, Canon Liddon said in Turkey there was no security for human life' or property, or for the honour of a man's family, and, finally, there was no justice. He honoured the Russian people from the bottom of his heart, and if we English did not feel equal to our opportunity, we ought to stand respectfully aside, and let them do the work as best they can.— (Cheers.)