The Lyttelton Times.
Saturday, April 14, 1855. By the " William Hyde" we have Hobarton papers to the 2nd inst., kindly lent us by Mr. Clements, and by Captain* Raymond. The mail was brought to Hobart Town by the " Ocean' Chief" (one of the Black Ball Line of Clipper ships), which had made the run out in 72 days. The most important intell geuce this mail brings is the announcement of a treaty both defensive and offensive between Austria and the Western Powers, and the propositions for a general peace, which had been assented to by the representative of the Russian Emperor. We append a brief summary :— On the 28th of December, a supplementary protocol had been assented to by the Austrian minister, converting the treaty signed on the 2nd of December by the three Powers into an offensive and defensive one. A ustria was preparing to take active measures against Russia, and had demanded the mobilisation of the Prussian army. ■/.
On the 10th of Jahuary^elegraphic^messages arrived at Liyej^pcfol from; London with the information that Russia had agreed to the four following guarantees^ on which alone the allies had determined that the new relations of Turkey with Russia could be reestablished on solid and durable bases:—1. That the Protectorate of Russia, over the principalities of Wallachia, Moldavia, and Servia should be discontinued ; and the privileges accorded by the Sultan to those provinces be placed under the collective guarantee of the allied powers. 2. The free navigation of the Danube. 3. That the treaty of July, 1841, be revised in concert by all the high contracting powers in' the interest of the balance of power in Europe. 4. Russia to give up all claim to exercise an ;-. official protectorate over the subjects of the Sublime Porte, to whatever rite they may belong; the powers of Austria, Great Britain, France, Prussia, and; Russia, to lend their mutual assistance to obtain from the Ottoman government the confirmation and the observance of the religious privileges of the different Christian communities. ' Prince Gortschako_\ on the part of Russia, having assented to these propositions; negotiations for peace were to be immediately commenced, arid Lord Westmoreland and the Baron de Bourgueney had received full powers to treat. A Turkish Plenipotentiary had also been summoned. :,; A separate Convention had been concluded between Austria and France, by which the Emperor Napoleon guarantees to Austria her r possessions in Italy during the present war. From America we learn that the cityof ;, New York had memorialised Congress to tender the mediation of the United States to the belligerent Powers. The Committee of Foreign affairs of the House of Representatives had also determined to report a resolution to Congress in support ofthe propo- ■ sition. "'- On the night of the 20th of December the Russians attacked the English lines. A party of the English occupying a forward parallel were compelled to retire, but beingreinforced, the parallel was regained possession of, and the Russians retired. Major Mollee, of the 50th, was killed ; Capt. Frampton, of the 50th, Lieutenant Byron, of the 34th, and Lieutenant Clarke of the 50th, were among the missing. Large reinforcements had arrived in the Crimea, and the allied armies were about to resume offensive operations. Lord Cardigan had left for London, and it was rumoured that the Duke of Cambridge and Sir George Brown would follow shortly/ The following is from Paris, dated Monday, Jan. B.—"Rumours have been flying about the greater part of the day, all of a favourable character more or less. One is decidedly so, as it refers to the capture of an important fort of Sebastopol, if not of the place itself. The last is said to have come from London. They are however pally traced to people connected With the Bourse, and therefore are received with suspicion and doubt." ' The " Liverpool Chronicle" states— "It is intended to call out the whole "of the Militia regiments of the United Kingdom, including Irish as well as Scotch Militia. Already sixty-four English and Welsh regiments are embodied, and sixteen more are ordered out, making 80 out of the hundred of England and Wales. The remaining twenty will'make,the last batch. The number of men authorised by Parliament for this part of the local force is 80,000, whilst the number for Scotland is 10.0Q'0,/ and for Ireland 30,000. If out of these 80.'j^00/ can be get together, it will be an outside nun?* her. Some 15,000 of the better prepated mifltia regiments will garrison the Mediterraiyau colonies, requiring a fourth more te remaji at home for the purpose of depots and keepbg up the force abroad. Thus 20,000 are piA-dr-d for. The remaining 00,000 will be reqi/od for
home duty, in conjunction with ibe depots of tbe regular army, and for volunteering into the 'Line.-:--.*/'.-;-.'-."/'--:--^ *Rtjssian Attack on Redoubt Kaxe.-— A letter dated Batoum; December stb, reports that the Russians had made an attack on Redoubt Kale, with a" force of 2000 men and 300 horse. They were vigorously repulsed by the garrison of the place, supported by 650 men, who had been landed that morning from Mansour by Tunisian steam corvette. The Polish General, Jordhee, commanded, and, with the English, defended the place against 10,000 Russians. Suleyman Pacha has been degraded, and Me cklee;| Pacha named commander-in-chief of the Turkish army in Asia.
The Attacks upon Lobd Raglan.— The public are literally astonished at the pertinacity with which allegations of blundering and incompetency, both at homeland in the Crimea, are made and followed up. They are so boldly directed, and so unmistakeably plain, that people cannot comprehend why they are not immediately refuted, if refutation be possible. A strong feeling of indignation has been roused among the friends and connections of Lord Raglan, by the attacks which have been made upon him by the leading journal ; but they are withholding their defence of the Commander-in-chief until the re-as-sembling of parliament, when they declare they will vindiqate his character in both houses to the satisfaction ofthe country. The " Times" continues its attacks upon the Commaiider-m-Chief, and quotes from letters from the East. A field-officer, mentioned for distinguished conduct by Lord1 Raglan, writes: 'VLord Raglan (if Lord Raglan be really here and not in London), is never seen.-; Whether he knows anything of how things are going on or not, Ido not know; lam sure he ought to do so. I have drawn anything but ah exaggerated picture of what happens over and over again. The 9th regiment marched up without a medical officer at all; they had several cases of serious illness the next day, and when the medical officer came there was no medicine. The medical chest had: not accompanied the regiment, because they had no draught animals or means of carrying it. This is precisely the way in which everything is conducted, and yet Lord Raglan has been made a Field Marshal. The blood of his officers and men has Won it for him, and not his own abilities. lam told Sir de Lacy Evans will speak [out, and I earnestly hope he may. He can make great exposures and do much good if he will. It is generally understood that he has gone home.in the greatest disgust with everything. It will hardly be credited that, although the exposed state our "right flank "before the battle was the subject of frequent comment, Lord Raglan never orice rode over the ground, or knew anything about it until after the Russians attacked that position. An officer in the Guards writes to a military friend at home as follows—"The army are perfectly furious with the exaggerations and misrepresentations of the " Times." Don't believe what it says, for it is all false. I and a good many men are home-sick, but we don't want to come away. We would none of us do an3 Tthing but remain here till we have beaten the Russians. The " Times" correspondent has been sent off with a flea in his eajf, for insolence to Lord Raglan. I met hius'the other day, |and told him we were a: I glad of it, and that he ought to be ashamed of himself."
- The 'following summary is from the Hoharton" Daily Advertiser." By the arrival of the Red Jacket at Mcl-
bourne, we have received bur home correspondent's Lettery aud, although the news it contains, has, in a great measure, been anticipated by the arrivals of the Lighting and Ocean Chief, yet, as it contains many interesting particulars, we publish it below. [From our own Correspondent] London, Dec. 22, 1854. The howling of winter storms is about us: Christmas is at our heels, the year wanes fast, and still the war lags heavily. Sebastopol holds out; the Crimea is as yet a Province of the Russian Empire: the Czar has not yet fallen upon his knees to sue for peace at any cost, and army is quietly settling down into winter quarters. That is to say—they are settling down as quietly as the raging of Crimean storms will allow them—and those storms are evidently no trifling affairs. The details which reached us of the terrific gale of the 14th of last month, are distressing. The camp is converted into a moat of mud knee deep,|the trenches,are full of water, ammunition and fire-arms are unserviceable, every kind of shelter has been destroyed by the wind, and, were it not that the enemy afe in a far worse condition than ourselves, our troops would have much to fear from their position. The siege has been virtually suspended, and the only remains of actual hostility are to be found in an occasional sortie of the garrison, which is invariably attended with heavy loss to themselves. The Russian army of observation has gradually retired from the presence of our troops and betaken themselves to the neighbourhood, of ?Simpheropol, further north, no doubt for the sake of shelter from tbe terrible weather. They are said to be in a wretched plight for want of necessaries, and could our troops but attack them this mouth, it is predicted they would be annihilated. Reinforcements and supplies of every description have been pushed forward during the last four weeks, and still continue. When these shall have arrived in the Crimea, the allied armies will be in a position to assume the offensive. Nor, is the government alone active in this respect. Prirate individuals are bestirring themselves in the good cause in every direction, and in every possible manner. Supplies of provisions, wines, warm clothing, medicaments, &c, are being collected and forwarded to the army hospitals and the troops in camp, at the cost of private individuals. Noblemen are lendtheir yachts, and ship-owners are offering room in their vessels for the conveyance of these voluntary subscriptions, so that, by the beginning ofthe year, our soldiers will be.in possession of many welcome comforts. The Turks are joining their forces to ours, doubtless, for some decisive blow. Omar Pasha is on his way to the Crimea, with an army of 35,000 good men and true. Our fleet is dispersed for the winter season in various directions, leaving only a sufficiency of war steamers at the mouth of Sebastopol harbour, to secure any of the enemy's fleet that might venture out—not a very likely occurrence. Whil«t matters are thus in a state of slumber in the East, our attention is fixed at home on the immediate session of Parliament, suddenly convened to meet the fpressing feiuergency of the moment. The Royal Speech was what might have been expected, expressive of congratulation at our successes in the Crimea, admiration of the troops, sympathy with the siif- 1 ferers, and a strong determination to meet the Czar with the utm.ost energy and resolution.' , There was nothing in this document which could call up any spirit of faction. The necessity for legalising the exportation of some portion of our Militia is denied by none, nor is there any difference of opinion as to tlie necessity for prosecuting the war with the utmost vigour in our power. No opposition to the address was expected, and none was offered. The whole debate in both house? passed off as peacefully as a quaker's meeting or a Mormonite's Love Feast, and unanimity for once was the order of the day. There were, to be sure, some little "passages of arms" between the author of Coningsby aud the editor of the Life of Moore, just sufficient to rub off the rust of the recess, but it was a feint, and nothing came of it. Mr. Layard, too, Offered some explanations respecting £ private letter of his, which had been published in the Times written from the Black Sea Fleet, and censtuing the nautical conduct of Admiral Dun-
das. It had not been intended for publication, but the only reparation he could make to the Admiral he was ready to offer,—viz., to prove his charges. The Ministry may possibly have consoled themselves with the pleasant prospect of unanimity before them, and perhaps reckoned on eating their Christmas dinner in perfect ease of mind. In this, however, they were doomed tc disappointment. Quite unexpectedly they introduced into the House of Lords a measure of an entirely novel and un-English character—no less than a bill to legalise the enlistment of foreigners to serve iri our army. The country has been quite taken by surprise, and not less so by indignation, that our own people are not to be found in sufficient numbers to fight our battles. There is something very repngnant to the national feeling to pay foreigners to fight for us, —more especially so, when those strangers are to be brought into this country, and trained and Loused amongst us, and for aught we know employed against us in some emergency. Besides this, it is most humiliating to have to confess to the whole world that, at the very outset of a war, we are without resources of our own, and roust look to pick up recruits amongst the rabble of any petty German State. This Foreign Enlistment scheme met with a very sorry reception in the House of Peers; but, nevertheless, went through its several stages, with one or ..two modifications. On the 19th it was read in the House of Commons, and called up the powerful opposition of Sir L. Bulwer, Disraeli, and Lord Stanley—to say nothing of a host of others on both sides of the House. Ministers threatened to resign if the Bill were thrown out, and. many a one said "Do it.' 5 However fthe Whigs contrived to "whip in" thirty-nine more votes than their opponents, so the measure is admitted on principleIt is not to be committed uhtilafter the Christmas recess, which will be over by the middle of January, when the leader of the Conservative party declares he will be found, in his place prepared to offer the measure every opposition in his power. And so the matter stands for the present. The Militia Bill has been passed, and sent up to. the Lords, and our legislators, hereditary and elected, are again scattered through the country to eat their beef and plum pudding with what appetite they may. Without a doubt, there will be warm work in St. Stephen's, when our Parliament reassembles. On the Foreign Enlistment Bill, and the Supplies for the War, the Derby aud Disraeli party will, no doubt, put out their strength, and show, up their adversaries' weak points. Whether they may be able to N damage them sufficiently to cause a resignation is a point open to consisiderable doubt, for though the country is thoroughly sick of Aberdeen and his " Coalition,'* people are not quite prepared for a turn-out on the very threshold of a serious war ; and herein, no doubt, lies their real safety, though their friends may not choose to own it. The Austrian Treaty has been laid upon the table ofthe house and printed. It .certainly binds the Emperor to our cause, if Nicholas does not signify his acceptance of our terms by the first of January. Before our next Australian mail leaves,-|we -.may perhaps be in some decree cognisant of what may he the course of events. Thinking men say, there is not the slightest chance of the Czar yielding, unless indeed it be under a pretence to gain time, and then "cry-off." No real concessions can be expected from him iv any shape, atxl whatever we are to obtain from him must be wruug out by minie rifles and revolvers.
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Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 256, 14 April 1855, Page 4
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2,744The Lyttelton Times. Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 256, 14 April 1855, Page 4
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