English and Foreign.

Lyttelton Times, Volume VI, Issue 349, 5 March 1856, Page 7

English and Foreign.

DOINGS IS HUSSIAN ASIA. We continue from Saturday's paper the intelligence contained in the Francisco paper (the " Placer Times'") of Oct. 20. 'Inn AixiKU Fleet in- the Vicinity of Ayan.— By she arrival of the whaling barque George, Captain Wsill, 20 days from the Ochotsk Sea, we are put in possession of full particulars in relation to the doingi of the allied fleet, in the vicinity of Ayan. We are indented to Mr. Swan, the owner of the barque George, for these particulars. The English steamer Barracoota arrived off the Port of Ayan on the evening of the 9ih of July ; a boat from her boarded till the vessels that were then in port. The commander of the steamer thought that there were three ten-gun batteries in the port, and was prepared for action, when he came in. He made inquiries of the Ameiic;iiJ whaling captains then lying in port, and found that the place was deserted. He ran in with the steamer, and anchored. On getting ail the information that could be obtained inrel.ition to the Russians, ihesteamer got under weigh and stood out to sea again, to communicate with the frigates that were off the port tryinir to gel in. After she communicated with the frigates, she stood back into port, and came to anchor the same evening. On the 10th, two frigates, the Pique and Amphilrite, arrived in the Bay, and came to anchor. The three commanders went on shore. Commander Fredricks stated to the American captains that it was not his intention to burn the place, but to destroy all vessels that he could find. Commander Fredricks then issued his proclamation, and requested a Mr. Packard, who was then residing at Ayan, to use his utmost endeavours to send a proclamation to the inhabitants, the proclamation granting them protection. The English coinlnanu'ers were very much surprised to find the town deserted, the people having all left the town when the steamer appeared. They had all their effects removed previously, with the exception of some goods in the Russian American Company's warehouses, which they were removing when the steamer hore in sight. When the Eussiaus made out that it was an English steamer, they left everything and proceeded into the interior, where the remainder of these people were. Destruction of the. Russian Steamer.— There was at Ayan a small vessel on the stocks, which the Russians were building, and a sinali steamer which had been brought there the year before. Siie had been intended for a tug boat on the river Amour. The Governor of Ayan had a hole dug on the beach, above high-water mark, and with tackles and purchases hoisted the tug boat in the hole, with the intention of burying her. The steamer had got so close in shore before she was discovered that the Russians had not time to cover up the tug. On the 11th, the squadron sent their boats on shore, ami commenced taking all and everything they could find that was of any use to them which the Russians had left. On the landing of the boat?, they found tne place where the tug was buried, and they commenced taking out the boxes of merchandise a:id hardware, which the Russians had put into the tug boat, and were taking uu board the squadron. After they had got all that was convenient for them to take off, the commander ordered the tug bout to be blown up, which was dope by putting 100 pounds of powder into the lore part of the vessel, and applying a slow match to it, which look fifteen minutes to burn. The explosion was most effectual, completely ripping open the forward part of the vessel, which was built of iron. There was a large quantity of tarred telt stowed in the boat among other things, which took tire from the explosion, ami was consumed with all the remaining woodwork of the wreck. English Proclamation—Search of tub Amkuican buig " Levi'.ketjl'.''—Commander Frederick issued a proclamation ordering all neutral vessels that were in j*<>rt to proceed to put to sea ; and the order vi' tin' pn>i.himaiiou ran, that all vessels found in or iiovenngarouud the port of Ayan alter <uoh a date wuuul be seized and confiscated. On the morning of the issuing of the last proclam<-i(i'>ii the it* was in the port of Ayan the Aniciican whnv ship Pettiel and the American whaling knquo d'eorge. The b.irque Ge.ui-t* had been in p.-rt for two or throe days when the Knulish .squadron aimed. The ship Petriel h;td but just uirived to ohiaiu wood and water, which she was ikh .tl.uweii to do

There were also in p->rt at the time that the English squadron arrived, the American whale shin Briton, Captain White, barque Philip the First, Captain Sessions, ami the brig Leverett, Captain Lake of San Francisco. The commander of the squadron tried very hard to make a Russian vessel of the brig Leverett. The commander went <>n Board of the briar ami ordered the Captain to show his papers, log hook, &c, and then ordered one of his men out of the I boat and wanted to know if he knew the captain j of the brisr Leverett. The man told him he did nut know him. The commander then wanted to know where the supercargo was. Captain Lake told him he was on shore. He thsnsent for the supercargo of the blip; to come on board; after his arrival on hoard the commander required him to shew his papers, which the supercargo did. The commander wis hound to he satisfied, as all thebrisr's papers were correct. The Commander and otlicers were much disappointed in finding- the briar to bean American vessel, as they could not have the pleasure of making her a prize. Caktuke of a Bremen brio by the Allies. The British squadron didnot have the pleasure ot making" any prizes in the Oehot>k Sea. All the towns alone; the coast were deserted. The natterv at Avail had been destroyed by the Russians themselves, and the trims were all buried. All the available forces that the Russians had'in Kanischatka and Siberia, were concentrated at the River Amoor. The only vessel we have heard been taken is the Breman brig Greta. She was taken off Cape Elizabeth. She had on board part r.f the crew of the Russian frig-ate Diana, which vessel was wrecked at Sitnoda, Japan. She was bound to the Amoor River. The Greta was taken by the steamer Barracoota. The English frigates Sibil, Spartan, and Hornet, and French frig-ate La Constantine, were at Ayan in August. The steamer John Hancock was also there. The Governor of Ayan tendered the officers of the John Handcock a dinner, which they accepted and enjoyed. United States.—A New York journal, the Courier and Inquirer, has published the following letters, addressed by Mr, Attorney-General Cushiug to Mr. Van Dyke, the District Attorney of Philadelphia, oiijthe British enlistment q.iestion. The letters are severally dated Sept. 12 and Sept. 17. — "Sir—ln reply to your letter of the 1 Oth instant, on the subject of the indictments pending- against persons charged with recruiting for the militia service of Great Britain, I have tbeJhononr to make the following observations. " .Mr. M-Keou has he&ujadvised <>f the desirableness of conferring with you personally, either by himself or his assistant, in regard to new evidence to which he may have access, and which may he useful to you. " I suggest the expediency of trying only a part of the cases now, especially, if you faii to convict in some leading case. " But the most important consideration is this—-' This Government has, of course addressed to that of Great Britain such demands of public redress and satisfaction .in the premises as the national honour requires. ! But the Government of Great Bri^a.i, with j extraordinary inattention to the grave aspect of its acts—namely, the flagrant violation of our sovereign rights involved i n them—has supposed it sufficient justification of what it has done to reply that it gave instructions to its agents so to pn-oeed a« not to inirinire our municipal laws; and it quotes tiie remarks of Judge Kane in support of the idea- tiuit it has succeeded in this purpose. Ii may be so. J'id.-e Kane is an upright and intelligent judge and will pronounce the law as it is, without' fear or favour. Bui if the British Government has, by ingenious cMiiriv..»ees, Miceeeded in Etn:iu-riiig its agents from conviction as ma l e . factors, it has, in so doiu<r, doubled the magnitude of the national wrong inflated on the United States. "This Government has done us duty of int-rnal administration in proseciiuit- the iniividua!s enga-.-d in th e , e act.. If U^y an- a.Mjuii t . ; d, l,y '» deliberate Undertaking of i.'i,. !Jriii«|, Government, ,„„ only, as a nation, to violate our <overei<ni rights as»v uaii,,,,, bill also f. .rvad,. .. llr nn.ni^pal Jaws-iin.J ti,a!. uii.U-rtakin»; M,;,ii by convamroated by its agents in the United Siatc.^ when all tins shaii have been judicially ascertained, the Pn^id-nt will than have before him the eiemeins of dec Mmi as (o what imernational action i; becomes the United States to jopt in so grave v matter." Sfß.—l desire m make afurthe* suggestion regard, to, tiie trial- of parties charged with.,

recruiting soldiers in the United States for the service of the British Government, it is known that instructions on this subject were "ivoii by that Gen-eminent to its officers in the United Slates. We are told by Lord Clarendon that Those officers had 'stringent instructions ' so ».o proceed as not to violate the municipal law— that is, to violate its spirit, but not its letter. It' so, the insmietioiis themselves violate the sovereign rights nf the United States. But, in the mean time, every Consul ot Great Britain in the United States is, by the avowal of his Government, subject to the just suspicion of law, while -ipparently he must have disobeyed his own Go*eminent, or in obeying it have abused his consular functions by the violation of his international duty to the United States. In these circumstances, it is deemed highly necessary that the British Consul at Philadelphia, or any other officer of the British Government, shall not be suffered to interfere in the trials, as he attempted to do on a previous occasion ; that no letter of his be read except in the due form of evidence ; and that if he have any • thine to say he shall be put on the stand by-the defence, iv order that he may be fully crossexamined by the prosecution. It is clear that he has no right, by any rule of public law, or of international comity, to he heard in the case by the Court otherwise than as a witness, whether enforced or volunteer. C. Gushing."

Canada and the Uxrn:r> States—News of the Fall (if Sebastopol.— The Toronto correspondent of the Guardian, under dale Oct. 6, says :—" The news of the iall of Sebastopol, which arrived here on the27th tilt., has produced a most enthusiastic outburst of joy throughout the whole province, together with a profound feeling of thankfulness to the Almighty, " who olone giveth the victory." Our city authorities immediately assembled, and passed a resolution, calling upon " the citizens to set apart one day to be observed as a day of general rejoicing at the succesftil issue of the attack." In accordance with this resolution, yesterday was observed as a public festival and day of rej'iiciiiir through the city, and all classed vied with e«eh other in manifesting their delight at the glorious result of the long struggle. At twelve o'clock there was a crowded public meeting held at the St. Lawrence Hail, when s«ver.il eloquent speeches were made, and an address of congratulation to her Majesty pissed unanimously. At two o'clock a'splendid lui-ch was given by our excellent mayor, G. Allan, Esq., to the city officials and a host of others. In the evening there was a grand concert and an illumination. Montreal, Hamilton, London, and several other towns and cities have also appointed special days of rejoicing. Indeed, every township and village has had its own joyous demonstmioi:, according to its capabilities. Ama/Mig quantities of gunpowder were destroyed whenever a cannon could be procured to explode it from, and where they could n.,t, anvils and other extempore artillery, not according to " Woolwich regulation," did great service in swelling the din. Furthermore, there was an immense uestruction of tar barrel--, r.ckcts and other pyrotechnics. In the flourishing town of St. Catherine's a well-sus-tained cannonade was kept up for three nights successively after the arrival of the news. amid all this excitement, I am happy to say the sentiment of one of our leading dailies— "in the midst of our jubilee, glory to God should be above all things predominant," seems to be deeply impressed upon the public mind I nese rejoicings, in which all sects and parties are m.,st harmoniously united, and which I •ieerl scarcely hil y, are a source of profomnl ui-atidcation to every lover of British con-nec-Mon, f,,rn, a pleasing contrast to the feeling ;»l disappointment which many of our neighbours across the hues - manifest. I. is ( ], e]) \ y Ut , regretted that, with the exception «,f ;l " 1..,,,.. maj».iiy of the American Church, there" arc lew. compar.,tn-ely speaking, ,vb» do n.-t ->;inpail,,He» V h,l ie cause of despo,i,m. The ?>ew York Tnhuna, ,|, e iea-ling pro R,,,si „ ;«.r,,jl, a lil,,n,Khpro«e a se,ilv the^rUt organ cm and re^.ous m,,nv" everywhenUon tSH ;i— =l p uTe Crunean s.ronghold-.h,' evidence T to whetnever'':^ 180'? 011"-^1111''11'^^ »•""-'» never ynt hctriivf'd u« " tint V / / i

be taken. The New York Times says l< the news excited profound re<riet in official circles at Washington.'' I'll*- 1 President himself is sadly afflicted at the intelligence. The reason invented for tins extreme irrief and pro-Russian sympathy is that England and France cherish dire intentions of rejrulating Anuirican affairs immediately after the war with Russia is concluded, and <rreat ingenuity is displayed in torturing chance saying of British and French statesmen, perhaps from the Times, &c, into bearins; this translation. The true cause is the morbid, uiireasoiiiible jealousy of EujrlaiHl that prevails from Maine to Florida."

Her Majesty and tiik Akmy in the Ciumka. —Tlie Morning Pout correspondent in the Crimea adds out: mine (<> the many anecdotes shewing tlie interest that Queen Victoria t;ikes in the army. Visitinir a wounded fripiiil s j,l»e correspondent found him silting up on his camp stretcher f'oi the first iim<\ He exhibited, with no ordinary pride, llie slio<j in which his fractured arm was suspended. In the sling; itself there was nothing very remarkable—a plain black riband and sonic plain chamois leather " hut a sliii'_r made by liis Sovereign is not a thiniy litrhily to be prized by a British soldier. Twelve of these useful articles, made by her Majesty, and sent out for the use of her wounded officers, have been distributed."

We understand that at the Privy Council held on the 19th of Octohcr. the question of a dissolution was entertuined, hut was deferred for further consideration.— Home Nines