RUSSIA.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume VI, Issue 508, 15 June 1850, Page 3

RUSSIA.

St. Petersburgh, Jan. 6th. — The St. Pe"lersbutgh Journal of this day mentions tbe discovery of a conspiracy by a number of persons, among whom were several officers, to overthrow the Government. Some of them were found to be persons of bad character, but others were the victims of fallacious promises. By command of his Majesty the Emperor, a commission oi inquiry was instituted. After a minute and careful investigation, which lasted five months, his Majesty has granted a complete amnesty to all those who joined the

conspiracy through inadverteuce or thoughtlessness. The ringleaders, twenty-one in number, Were tried by court-martial, and being convicted of an attempt to overthrow the Empire, to subvert religion, and to abolish the existing state i f things, were declared to be worthy of death, and were sentenced to be shot. The Emperor, after carefully reading the pioceejlings of the court-martiil, commanded that the twenty-one ringleaders should have the sentence read to them i» presence of the whole body of the troops, and that all the preliminary preparations for carrying out the sentence of death being gone through th«y slu.uld then l be informed that the Emperor had granted them their lives, and instead' of inflicting upon them ibe sentence of death which they had merited, declared them to be deprived of all their civil rights, and in proportion to the extent of their criminality to be sentenced to hard labour in the mines, to work at the fortifications, or to enter the army after a certain term of imprisonment. Nearly all these persons are young men.