The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume V, Issue 292, 18 August 1855, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

Saturday, August 18

By the " Amherst " from Melbourne we have received English news to the llth of May. On Wednesday last we published in a necessarily disconnected form all we could glean prom the Wellington papers of the news to the 22nd April, which reached Melbourne by the White Star and the Trident. Since we last- heard from Melbourne, two mails have reached that Colony from England. Not having space to-day to give full extracts, we give a connected summary of English intelligence up to the latest date, reserving the details for Wednesday's issue.

On the 16th April, the Emperor and Empress of the French landed'at Dover where they were received by Prince Albert.' They proceeded on the same clay to Windsor where her Majesty received theiri surrounded by her Ministers of state. The Emperor and Empress during their slay in England were everywhere enthusiastically received. A review of the 2nd Life Guards, Royal Horse Guards, and Carbineers % —a. visit to the Guildhall, and" -"to the Crystal Palace.—Royal dinners and concerts fully occupied the time of the Imperial visitors. Louis Napoleon was inves'ied with the order of the Garter on the 18th April, Their Majesties returned on the 21st to Dover, where an English squadron under Admiral Berkely was prepared to escort them. They reached Paris on the 22nd, where they were warmly welcomed back. Louis Napoleon has determined to go to tlie seat of war. The Vienna conferences have ended without a settlement on the 3rd point • Prince Gortschakoff, after 48 hours' deliberation, having refused the proposals of the Allies. No further conference or negociation will take place until tlie" Allies gain decisive advantages in the Crimea. Oil the 9th of April at daybreak, the bombardment of Sebastopol began. The rain fell in torrents all the day, and the atmosphere was so thick that the gunners were firing at the flashes of the Russian batteries. The camp was shrouded in a driving sheet of rain and Black Sea fog, so that only at intervals the Allies were able to see what impression had been made upon the walls. The Russians seemed taken by surprise, and answered feebly. The weather cleared up at night. The bombardment was continued during the foilowing days. General Canrobert writes on the 17th April, " Our fire continues to maintain its superiority without our having been prodigal as. yet of our ammunition. The works advance regularly notwithstanding the difficulties of the ground." After this date our intelligence from the Crimea is extremely disconnected. It would appear, however, that the bombardment did not continue beyond ten or twelve days, and that an immediate assault is not intended. Tbe allies have done great damage to the Russian fortifications, and the French are within a few yards of the town. The Allies are steadily advancing,—the Russians retiring, but at the same time doggedly disputing the ground step by step/ The Times of the 9th May thus alludes to two actions before the walls, of which we have no more detailed accounts. " If any one will compare the exact position of the besieging armies and of the outworks of the town on the 9tb of May with what it was when the fire opened on the*9ih of April, it will be seen that considerable progress has been made. The spiiited conduct of the French troops on the night of the Ist of May, when they succeeded in taking and occupying a strong coun-ter-approach of the enemy in front of the Central Bastion, proves that the moral energy ofour allies increases as they are brought to closer quarters with our adversaries ; and the vigorous charge by which detachments of two British regiments forced the Russian ambuscades in front of the Mamelon, shews that both time and life may lie saved by a direct attack on the outworks of the place. The garrison of Sebastopol cannot amount id numbers to one-half of the forces now assembled before the southern division of the town, and, although the defenders of the place have been relieved from time to time by the arrival of fresh troops, the labour and exhaustion of defending an immense line of works under a continual fire must be in the highest degree harrassing and destructive. Moreover, the resources of the defence from outlying works which enfiladed the rear of our batteries have been considerably abridged, and every fresh arrival shows that the besieged are reduced within a narrower .circle. The last parallel is within 25 yards of their works, and the ' most advanced battery at 60 metres. A siege

arrived at t»'-.s stage of-operations can only be arrested by tlie destruction of the works of the besiegers or by the successful advance of a relieving army, but neither of these results is in the slightest degree probahle. The Russians have almost invariably been defeated in their nocturnal sorties against the works of the besiegers, and since the Battle of Inkermann no attempt has'been made by the Russian forces in the Crimea to do more than keep open tbe communication witli' the town.'' In the meantime, every effort is being made to reinforce the army in the Crimea. The whole French army of reserve at Constantinople, amounting to 25,000 men, have received orders to embark for the Crimea, and the British steamers conveying the Sardinian contingent of 15,000 men were arriving in the Bosphorus. The English army is also constantly receiving additions to its numbers, so that we may expect erelong to hear of operations against the Russian army oh the Tchemaya. General Canrobert, addressing his troops on the 26th April, spoke vaguely of enlarging his circle of operations. On the receipt of the news that the fire before[Sebastopol was suspended, the French Government sent orders to Marseilles for the embarkation of a new siege train, consisting of nearly 300 heavy guns. The following cavalry regiments are under orders to embark for the Crimea. The Ist Dragoon Guards, the 2nd Dragoon Guards, the 6th Dragoon Guards (carbineers), 7th Dragoon Guards (black horse), and the 3rd Light Dragoons. The above mentioned Regiments will form a force of nearly 3000 sabres. The 14th Light Dragoons, 700 strong, is to proceed from India"to the Crimesu An army of 25,000 men, chiefly French, is to be sentto the Baltic; as a set-off, the British Government is to increase her naval forces, and to furnish tonnage for the conveyance of tbe troops. The Baltic Fleet sailed from Kiel on the ) 4th May. The destination of the ships was kept a profound secret up to the last moment. An attempt to assassinate the Emperor has created a profound impression in Paris. He was riding slowly through the Champs Elysees without an escort, when a man stepped out of the crowd to within five or six paces of his Majesty, and fired deliberately at him. The assassin then resting the pistol on his arm fired a second shot. At the first report the Emperor's horse shied a little, which probably saved his rider from the effect of the second shot. The assassin was immediately seized by the > bystanders. His Majesty showed great ,' presence of mind and calmness throughout, ' and continued his ride towards the triumphal ; arch to meet the Empress. On their return • they were greeted with the most extraordinary enthusiasm, which was redoubled ef on their appearance at the Optra on the i same night. The assassin proved to be an ''* Italian, of the name of Pianori, formerly one lof Garibaldi's free lancers. He was tried '\at the assize Court cf the Seine, and con- ? demned to death. I We extract the following paragraph from * the "Melbourne Age." If the causes of , M. Drouyn de Lbuy's resignation be correctly stated, it is a very satisfactory proof of the good faith of the Emperor towards his English Allies :— <"" "M. Drouyn.de Lhuys has resigned the portfolio of foreign affairs, and his resignation has 1 been accepted by the Emperor. The cause of this sudden bouleversement of the state coach iv this country was this: — Oni Saturday, M. Drouyn de Lhuys had a longhiterview with the Emperor, who reproached him, not only with not having followed up - his instructions, hut also with having held out f hopes, which experience has proved to have been , ill-founded. The Emperor told him, in very i stioiig language, that he had telegraphed from Vienna that the Western Powers would consent to the ultimatum which Austria was about to

propose for the acceptance of Russia, whereas Lord Westmoreland had at the time explicitly declined to consent to the terms of the ultimatum, as being on the confines of a compromise too liumilialing for the dignity of the British empire. The Emperor added that he fully, concurred in the views of this ultimatum, taken by Lord Westmoreland and the British government; that he was now bound to England, and was resolved not to cast her loose upon the waters. France and England must henceforth swim or sink together, and as long as they were lashed together, they would float triumphantly by all their enemies. At last, said His Majesty, 'since such is the resolution of the British cabinet, it is mine also.' M. Drouyn de I .buys replied, that since France was henceforth to be taken in tow, or follow in the wake of England, he begged to tender his resignation, which was instantly accepted by the Emperor, who, we believe, terminated tlie interview by thanking-bis able minister for the services he had already rendeved to him and to France. His Majesty instantly telegraphed to Count Walewski to " consent to the limitations stipulated by England, and to coincide in all respects with the views taken by the British Government with respect to Russia and Austria." His Majesty also instructed his representative in London to repair to Paris forthwith, as his services would be required as minister of foreign affairs. Count Walewski has since taken the oath as minister, and entered upon the duties of his office. It is reported that further changes will be made in the cabinet, in addition to what has already taken place ; that M. Billault, minister of the interior, is to succeed Admiral Hamelin as minister of marine, whose retirement is certain ; that M. Rouher, minister of public wovks, will succeed M. Billault in the home department; and that M.Paul de Richmont, one of the directors of the Paris and Orleans railways, will take the place of M. Rouler as minister of agriculture, commerce, and public works."